The Truth About Girls (Vol. 2)by TheMareWhoSaysNiChaptersTroublemaker (part 1)Troublemaker (part 2)Troublemaker (part 3)Troublemaker (part 4)Troublemaker (part 5)Rainbow's Blues (part 1)Rainbow's Blues (part 2)Rainbow's Blues (part 3)Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 1)Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 2)Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 3)The Big Fight (part 1)The Big Fight (part 2)The Big Fight (part 3)Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 1)Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 2)Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 3)Disappeared (part 1)Disappeared (part 2)Disappeared (part 3)Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 1)Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 2)Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 3)Welfare Boy (Part 1)Welfare Boy (Part 2)Welfare Boy (Part 3)Drop Dead Gorgeous [Preview]Troublemaker (part 1)Summer had been too short. It seemed like yesterday when everyone was going on a trip to have fun near the coast. They worked a bit, talked a lot, and played more, and already, it was over. They would have feel sad if this start of the school year was just another start of the school year. But it had nothing in common with the previous ones. Because this year, our dearest Crusaders were to play with the big boys. High school. Finally. Finally, they would be able to follow the steps of their idols and sisters. No one would take them for little girls anymore. In fact, they would now be counted in the teen category, and not as preteens anymore. They were really proud to display their Canterlot High uniforms. None of them three had wished to go to another school, to the extent that they refused to go to the open house of the other institutions. What was the use if they couldn’t say they were related to these popular students they admired so much? During the year inauguration’s ceremony, students didn’t know their affiliated classes yet, except for those of the Guiding Class, so they were free to sit wherever they wanted. Scootaloo settled beside Rainbow Dash, and Apple Bloom near Applejack, along with Sweetie Belle, what costed them the immediate interest from everyone. Even within the newbies, like themselves, the connection didn’t go unnoticed. None of them ignored Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash had led the female lacrosse team to the finales of the inter-academy championship, where they’d won hands down, as well as Twilight’s intellectual exploits were known and Applejack’s face was famous, even out of the walls of the school. This allowed them to start this year in the brightest manner, especially as they learned they all were in the same class. It was certain, with such an introduction, this year was going to be theirs. They would soon discover their talents and would be popular as well. As a proof, after being almost transparent back in Middle School, outshone by snobbish Diamond Tiara and her inseparable friend Silver Spoon, they were soon surrounding by a big group, fond of anything they would say about the local celebrities. Their former classmates couldn’t believe it, and were sulking in a corner of the room. While conversations went well, an adult dressed in a sweat suit pushed the door of the class, and with just one foot inside, yelled at them to quickly sit down and that these seats would be theirs until the end of the year. The man, tall and muscular, with very short chocolate hair, went to the dais where his desk was. Not a smile crossed his face as he was scanning the room. No one dared to open their mouths. “I’m Mr. Caballeron, your homeroom teacher, and physical education teacher. With me, there’s only one thing that matters: discipline. Do what I say, be the best, and everything will be just fine. But disobey, and you’ll pay the price.” From their seats, the three Crusaders swallowed, with drumming hearts. Excited as they were, they didn’t envision for a single second that High School wasn’t just a chain of big events and participation at clubs. There also were classes to attend, and these classes were taught by teachers… As far as the oldest were concerned, it was the time of novelty. For Twilight in particular, this start of the school year had a very special taste, delicious and with hints of poison at the same time. From now on, she would no longer be with her best friends, laughing and arguing during the breaks. The whole day would be focused on studies, until she would leave this room that was now hers, and she’d meet them for lunch and for a stroll in the city. In her class, not a friendly face. Of course, students from the Guiding Class had friends, but nothing in the atmosphere felt like anything she’d known. And most importantly, none of them deigned to talk to her. She was a threat for them, being the best student of the official ranking, and it seemed to be out of question to be connected with the girl they all dreamed to beat. Even Lyra the chatterbox acted as if they didn’t know each other, while during holidays, she used to warmly wave at her when they met. The only other person she knew a little came to see her, and it didn’t please her much. To be honest, she didn’t trust her at all. Trixie, without her perpetual ninth grade minions, settled herself in front of her desk, armed with her favorite small half-smile. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle”, she said crossing her arms, as if trying to show her there was no way she could even think about shaking her hand. “Hello, Trixie.” “I wanted to tell you that I’ve spent my holidays studying, and that your days of reign are over. This year, it will be MOI, The Great and Powerful Trixie, number one of the top students!” “Err… Alright?” Without another word, the young girl turned around, her chin up and walking arrogantly, and she went to her desk, that was in fact right beside Twilight. And to say the first time she seen Rainbow Dash in seventh grade, she had thought she would never meet someone bragging so much… She’d been wide of the mark. A sigh escaped her lips, as her homeroom teacher in mathematics, who was no one else than Principal Celestia herself, started to explain their schedule for the year. It was the greatest of honor to be a part of this class, her long-time dream… Yet, right now, she would have given everything to be in the room nearby, with her whole bunch of friends. Rainbow Dash let herself fall back heavily on her chair at Sugarcube Corner, under the dumbstruck faces of the whole gang. One minute before, she had dashed towards the washroom without an explanation, while everyone was laughing at a joke from Pinkie Pie. “It’s a disaster!” she claimed dramatically. “What’s wrong, Dashie? Are you feeling sick?” Pinkie Pie asked her immediately, sticking her both hands against her forehead. “It’s worse…” She lifted her wrist, bare, and her four friends gasped in terror, at the same time. Soarin, unsure he could understand, looked at each one of them. “My friendship bracelet is ruined!” “What did happen?” Applejack questioned. “I think that’s the clasp… I’m dead!” “It’s just a bracelet”, Soarin finally dared saying. Immediately, he knew he had just said something stupid. Looks he got from the girls surrounding him were the same ones than those given to lawbreakers who committed a horrible, obscene crimes… He hunched his shoulders, in order to be protected from what was about to fall on his head. “It’s the symbol of our friendship”, Twilight explained. “It reminds us that we’re all connected together.” When Rainbow Dash had been to Green Haven, this bracelet helped her to go through the worst of things. Thinking her two friends were waiting for her outside, thinking about her as well, it gave her courage each time she had thought that, maybe, if she was where she was, it meant she deserved not to be free anymore… She had never confessed it to him, so she chose not to add this argument. But deep inside, something was boiling within. An embarrassing desire, like tingles swarming inside her stomach, to reveal the truth, to make him understand how dear these pieces of white gold were for her. Soarin was lucky that she knew him so well, and knew it probably was nothing but another blunder. With another boy, she wouldn’t have taken it so well. And he seemed to be sincerely sorry for the mistake. It didn’t resolve her problem. “What am I going to do?” “I can fix it for you, if you want me to”, Fluttershy assured, while sipping on her coconut milkshake. “You can do this kind of things, Flutty?” “Of course I can. I really like meticulous work, and I like personalizing my jewelries… It doesn’t bother me at all.” “Oh, sweet! Long live you, Fluttershy.” “Yes, best friend ever!!” Pinkie Pie almost screamed, which made her friend blush immediately. Without the least wavering, Rainbow Dash slid her bracelet on the table. To be honest, she’d thought about giving it to Rarity, but she knew she was very busy with the Fashion Week soon, and guessed it would have taken too much time with her. If Fluttershy could take care of it, it was perfect. When her clasp had started to play up, she immediately had seen it as a bad sign. Something was going to happen, and she wasn’t going to like it. She went to class with a lump in her stomach, and despite the fact everything had been quite fine during this first day of the school year, the feeling hadn’t left her. A little earlier, her basketball practice had strengthened her apprehension. The newcomers weren’t that good, and this year’s leader was younger than she. When the clasp got tangled into her wrist guard, she thought the sky might be falling on her head very soon. This small improvised reunion at Sugarcube Corner with the girls (minus Sunset Shimmer, who was at the Club Fair in order to find an extracurricular activity to do this year) and Soarin refreshed her. Until… Until her clasp gave in and she almost let her items fall into her low-fat vanilla ice cream. The faster Fluttershy would have fixed her bracelet, the faster she would get rid of what could turn into a panic attack if other problems came up. Not wanting to rush her, she really hoped she wouldn’t take too much time. The good news of the day was that Soarin had finally be chosen as leader of the Wondercolts, after three years of good and faithful service as best backcourt. Well, a good news… Because of this piece of information, it had already been three times since they arrived at the tea room that a female student from Canterlot University came to their table in order to ask him questions about basketball university championships. Each time, Rainbow Dash made sure the girl to understand Soarin wasn’t free, since he was dating her, and there was no need to try to lure him with charming smiles. He already was the boyfriend of the coolest girls in all Canterlot… Why would he be with someone else? At least, that was what she kept on saying to herself, in order to stay calm and collected, and not to show how much she didn’t like it. She didn’t either want to be the party-pooper… As if it wasn’t enough that the absence of chain around her wrist had her in the dumps already, although it was a bit irrational. As shown by the fact her friends were here with her. “Well… I wanted to wait a little, but…” Soarin paused. Five pair of eyes conveyed in his direction, waiting for him to open his mouth and kept going. He would have preferred them to be all here, so that none felt as if forgotten, but in front of Rainbow Dash’s gloomy frown, he thought maybe this could give her a bit of positive energy. Somehow, it was one of his biggest flaws. Seeing her sad or discouraged always felt heavy in his heart, and he feel he was ready to anything so she would smile again. “There’s the Canterlot University’s open house this weekend, and it’s only meant for a hundreds of students from local High Schools… I’ve been able to enroll your names in the special guest list. Well… With Big Mac’s help, in fact.” “Big Mac?” Applejack questioned. “He hadn’t told me anythin’ at all.” “It was supposed to be a surprise. In fact, I hope he’s not going to be mad at me for telling you”, he finished sheepishly. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It wasn’t to make fun of him… Well, in fact it was, anyhow. He might have grown up and be smart, somewhere he still was the child she used to play with, who always did something stupid at the least favorable moment. It was adorable. However, his announcement had the expected effect. All the girls seemed to be pleased and Rainbow Dash was laughing. Well, at his expense but he was sort of used to it now and it didn’t change anything to her feelings for him. Although she didn’t say much about this topic. Pinkie Pie was the one who seemed to be the most enthusiastic about the open house. It wasn’t because she’d be able to discover the many sporting disciplines offered by the university, like Applejack and Rainbow Dash, or to look for an association for the protection of animals, like Fluttershy, not even for the amazing catalog of school disciplines, like Twilight. It was because the campus was famous for its great proportion of athletic male students, with attractive features and intelligence. It was a few months now since she started to actively look for a new boyfriend and didn’t find anyone in her tastes. Rarity’s matrimonial blind-dates hadn’t given much and the boy she was chatting with on a forum dedicated to party planning hadn’t shown for a little while. She was losing hope of finding someone to make her laugh like Soarin made Rainbow Dash laugh, holding her hand in the streets and having good fun with her. This open house, she was convinced, was the perfect occasion. She would miss it for nothing in the world. Troublemaker (part 2)Nothing was more excited than the Club Fair! For this occasion, Canterlot High School also had its own open house, where members from the family could come and support their siblings and kids. It was an event that a lot of people would miss under no excuse. Going through the school’s railings, and looking up to the huge horse statue at the entrance of the yard, symbol of the place that used to be one of the most famous stud farm of the country, Big Macintosh felt a little nostalgic. He felt as if he’d lived a thousand years since he left High School. It was good old times, he thought while skirting the main building in order to go to the back schoolyard and to the stadium where the fair was happening. It was the time of his first real crushes… The time he had understood he wanted to do nothing else than contributing to the prosperity of his parents’ heritage. This afternoon, every class of the ninth grade competed in various sporting tournaments, with their homeroom teacher as the team coach. The young man remembered he took part in the relay race, just like his young sister Applejack did and like his even younger sister Apple Bloom was about to do as well. His team didn’t win the race, but he kept a vivid memory of this day. It was a chance to make new encounters while having fun. Quickly, he noticed the small bunch of friends he was looking for. Twilight was the only one missing, the Guiding Class being exempted from the beginning of the school year’s proceedings, in order to directly dive into their advanced program. He knew she probably regretted not to be with everyone, but also that she had an aim for life that was almost more important than anything else, and that she would hold on to it. This girl had always been very serious. A little too serious, sometimes… Of course, Fluttershy was here as well. Since her confession on the night of the fireworks, Big Macintosh hadn’t changed his mind about her. She was softness incarnated, of a loveliness that probably ravished more than one heart, but she wasn’t his type of girls. They were too much alike on many details, and he preferred energy, joie de vivre, and when all the initiatives didn’t have to come from him. However, he could admit the efforts she produced were endearing. She hadn’t turned pathetic, and didn’t make zeal in excess. The fact she could stay herself, while trying her best to stick to the description of his tastes, made her score some points. “Hey, Big Mac, yar here at the right moment. It’s gonna be our girls’ turn soon”, his little sister told him when he met the bunch. He greeted the girls one by one, and as he often did, add no other words. Listening to their conversation always had a little something that was entertaining. “I can’t wait to see Sweetie Belle wearing her uniform… It reminds me of memories”, Rarity sighed with a nostalgic smile. “Rarity, you’re talking a bit like an old biddy”, Pinkie Pie giggled. “Say that I’m old!” “You’re old… What? She asked for it!” she added when her friends all threw threatening glances at her at the same time. “I think it was a way of saying, Pinkie”, Sunset Shimmer said with a smile, in order to calm down the mood. “Duh! I know that!” “Who cares?!”, Rainbow Dash interrupted them, a little abrupt. “The brats are coming.” Indeed, the Crusader’s class appeared on the athletics field, all wearing the mandatory outfit for sport of CHS, made of a tee-shirt embroidered with the school badge, of black shorts with a white stripe on the sides and of long white socks. Immediately, Rainbow Dash went out of her slightly sullen state, and followed by Applejack and Rarity, started to scream in order to encourage the young girls, while shaking small school’s flags. From the field, they spotted them, and made signs with their hands to show they were seeing them. And so, the whole school was going to see a confirmation of the connection between them and one of the most famous gang of friends. Their popularity would blow the roof if they won the relay race with it. They trained really hard all night long, with this as their main goal. They just had to get it started now. Out of the three, Scootaloo was the proudest. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both could boast about a real parental bond with the elders, that she herself didn’t have with Rainbow Dash. The fact that she was here to support her and no one else, it was her greatest victory. She didn’t have to feel disadvantaged from being an only child. Her big sister was a soul big sister… This bond didn’t happen thanks to the chance of birth, but by something else, different yet deep as well, that made her want to jump around laughing. She was going to give all she had inside in order to impress her. And there was more. The homeroom teacher, Mr. Caballeron, was very authoritarian, not to say stiff. He had lectured them a long while on the previous day, saying this relay race was more important than everything else, and that from this was going to follow on the image the others would have of their class for the rest of the year. The pressure was huge, both for them and for their classmates. On the agenda: to win. There were no other options to envision. Their problem was that the rival class, Ms. Prim Hemline’s, welcomed into its midst young people already part of a sporting club, and with quite a reputation from their former Middle School. At the gunshot, Sweetie Belle was the first to go. She wasn’t the fastest, but she gave everything. Knowing that Rarity was here to encourage her was pushing her to try her best. She wanted her big sister to be as proud of her as she could be to have her. Once her turn over, the young girl was in a sweat, her cheeks tinted of an aggressive red. Her first reflex was to raise her head towards the bleachers, from where she saw her sister apparently delighted from her performance. Soon, it was Apple Bloom’s turn to throw herself in the competition. Because she came from an athletic family, and she often helped the eldest in their work at the farm, she was nimbler than her friend. Her advantage was to have a better respiration, and a far better endurance, which permitted her to keep going and to be in a better shape at the end of her turn. She joined Sweetie Belle on a bench and encouraged Scootaloo with all her might, as she was the last to run. Out of the three, she was the most athletic one, and her ease on the track was the brightest of all proofs. The young girl also wanted to make a good impression on an eldest, and put a peculiar zeal in her race. Rainbow Dash was looking, and she wanted to match up to her legend – twenty-one seconds and fifty-four hundredth of a second at the two-thousand-meter race in tenth grade, namely the record for track and field race in High School. Once she reached the finish line, they were happy to note that they’d just beat the former class. Yet, everything wasn’t said and done. Ms. Prim Hemline’s class was the next to race. During the whole race, the three Crusaders held each other’s hands with their classmates, taking the shape of some kind of human frieze all along the edge of the field. The suspense was at its highest, and each heart was beating in unison as the last young runner reached the finish line. Seconds seemed to drop off with an incredible sluggishness, like a tape in slow motion. The second place position. Because of two seconds more. Their disappointment was big, though they all know they’d given everything they had inside. Their homeroom teacher’s shadow suddenly stood out in front of them, large and threatening, similar to that of evil spirits from scary movies. The features of his face had toughened again. Made of stone and metal. “I’m so disappointed for the girls. They really wanted to win.” “Bah don’t ya fret, Rar’, they’ll get well. And they gave everythin’ they had.” “What if we go there and comfort them?” Fluttershy suggested. “I’m sure they would like it.” “What a lovely idea!” “That’s also what I wanted us to do”, Rainbow Dash finished. Without another word, she turned her back on them, and started to go down the bleachers. The other girls looked at each other, shrugged, and followed her. Sunset Shimmer was the only one to be a bit lost… Since the morning, their friend was in a lukewarm mood, wavering between a certain kind of indifference and a passive aggressiveness she hadn’t seen yet. Was it because of her broken bracelet? It was annoying, but even so… In reality, though her bracelet problem was a worry for its incarnation of a negative sign, it wasn’t the main reason of her tension. This morning, when she had seen the date on her calendar, she had felt like a slap in her face. Her mother’s death anniversary was exactly in one month. Like every time, a weariness meddled within herself, gripping her from inside little by little until she felt as if chocking, and couldn’t control her grief anymore. However, this year, the feeling was particularly intense and tenacious. It came from the fact she’d realized that next year, it was going to be five years since her mother had passed away. Suddenly, appeared to her the undeniable fact that she would spend much time without her than she had spent being with her. And it hurt. It hurt like hell. If, to make matters worse, Soarin could stop making eyes at all those starry-eyed girls who supposedly wanted to talk to him about basketball, though in reality they surely wanted to slip their hands under his shirt, it would have helped her. Now wasn’t the right time to agonize over such a consideration. Maybe Applejack was right when she said that a boyfriend was more troubles ahead. Meanwhile, she had to help the Crusaders to get a bit of comfort. It wasn’t going to be easy. Herself couldn’t stand losing, and it was rare that she took that matter well. Lucky for her she wasn’t alone to complete this task. Her friends were here as well. Though she acted a bit cold-shouldered with them, Rainbow Dash was glad to know they were here. For many different reasons. The young girls’ class was hiding away near the benches sheltered from a large part of the audience. When the bunch of friends came closer, they saw a teacher dressed in a tracksuit with the colors of CHS, standing in front of the pupils, his hands on his hips. His voice, sharp like broken glass, resounded inside the alcove. “Second position. Second position?! You’re the shame of this school! Not even able to do something as simple as a relay race. I wonder what’s instead of your neurons… water, maybe. How could I teach anything to a bunch of bunglers such as you? You’ll never do anything with your life, I tell you. Who the hell did give me such a band of losers?” In the front line, the Crusaders kept their heads low, eyes staring at the ground. It broke Rarity’s heart when she saw tears appearing on her little sister’s eyelashes. This teacher was a real boor! No one had the right to talk this way to very young teenagers who were at an age when it was so easy to lose the confidence in any kind of field. She made a step forward in order to tell this lout her way of thinking, and was pleased to notice she was followed by the other girls. They couldn’t let it happen. And not only for their little sisters, but also for the other students of the class. “Who do you think you are to talk this way to these poor kids?” Rainbow Dash intervened first. The teacher turned around, his eyes full of belligerence. The student in front of him was small, and looked scornfully at him, with as much poise, in no instance impressed by his natural authority. A half-smile stood out on his face, before it disappeared. He had heard about this girl. An unstable spoiled brat boasting because she wasn’t bad at sports, but who always defied the adults. A young schemer who thought she was important but who was as silly as the others. She and her gang was everything he hated about young people of today, not enough obedient. With her chin up and her frown, did she try to make him understand that she wasn’t afraid of him? Fine, because he wasn’t afraid neither! Especially as he already knew he was going to have the whole gang in sports, and he already had decided he was going to give them a hard time. “Who do I think I am? And you, who do you think you are, you little chump? I talk the way I want to my students, and I don’t have to have my behavior dictated by a bunch of brainless critters.” “Be careful ‘bout what ya say to us”, Applejack replied. “The school rules say ya have to respect yar students.” “Learn how to talk properly before speaking to me again. Aren’t you able to form a complete phrase?” “Applejack’s got very good grades in English. It’s not her fault if she has an accent”, Pinkie Pie added. “So, you are the former juvenile delinquent, aren’t you? If I were you, I’d be very careful to what I say to my teachers. I’m sure you don’t want to be fired because of your lack of respect for the rules.” “This sounds like blackmail, sir…” “Sunset Shimmer, I presume? That’s perfect timing since you know a thing or two about blackmail.” “Are you thinking students are your footboard or something?” Mr. Caballeron set his attention on Rainbow Dash again, while Rarity, in shock, didn’t know what to say or to do anymore, since she wasn’t even a part of Canterlot High, and though she should have been the more immune of the six. Her friends were attacked, and here she stood, dumbfounded, unable to utter the least of words, even if they were swarming in her throat, looking for a way out. The man came closer to the teenage girl, still looking at him with defiance. He opened his mouth, ready to destroy her… “Mr. Caballeron”, the Vice-Principal Luna’s voice resounded behind the group. “It’s time for your class to receive the ribbon. Congratulations, by the way.” “Thanks, Ms. Luna”, he answered, upset of the interruption. The latter didn’t move from an inch until the teacher was far at the main lawn, followed by his whole class, with sad and wounded faces, far from what they should have looked like. She waited for everyone to be a bit in the front, before stopping Rarity, grabbing her arm. The former student had known the sisters only during her twelfth grade, when they took over the reins from their parents, yet, while this short amount of time, she managed to gather their sympathy. The fact chance had made her be friends with this particular band was a pleasant surprise for both Luna and Celestia, who saw her as some sort of guardian angel for the youngest. “When you’ll have a second, I’d like you to go to Twilight Sparkle’s class. Warn her something happened, and that the Student Board has to keep an eye on Mr. Caballeron. We hired him because of excellent results back in his High School in Manehattan, but we’re not a one hundred percent sure of the choice. Could you do this for me? We don’t want PTA to know, that’s why we need someone absolutely neutral.” “Yes, Miss Luna. I’m going to do it right now.” “Thanks a lot. The Guiding Class will have a break in something like three minutes.” After this, Rarity slipped out discreetly, while the Vice-Principal joined the lawn with the wide smile of the pleasant conversations, not to arouse curiosity. The young woman was going to miss the ribbons presentation, however, she didn’t think Sweetie Belle was going to mind much, at sight of the bitter taste of their victory. If the mission given to her could be a helping hand for her little sister’s future, and avoid that her fragile self-confidence would be crushed by this stupid sports teacher, then it was worth the sacrifice. First holding the handle with the preferred hand, the palm in front of yourself. Keep the thighs tight around the saddle. Stay focused. Relax the upper body, so that the weight of this part doesn’t become a disadvantage. Use the free hand for balance and think about transferring the body from one side or the other at the right moment. With a bit of practice, it wasn’t so difficult to master the mechanical bull. When those techniques were well known and there was no fall, to copy this same pattern on a living bull had nothing mysterious. Applejack did this since she was a little girl. Her parents had quickly noticed she had quite a gift for horse-riding and that she wasn’t afraid to fall or to get dirty. Naturally, she chose bull rodeo, while still helping her mother who liked to secure the cattle by herself – her family rose sheep, for the wool, and a few cows, for the milk. Aged nine, she took part in her first competition, where her strength and dexterity had astounded all the judges. Since this day, she climbed all the steps of the ladder until being the only competitor of less than nineteen to compete with adults. Her pretty face and her freckles had made her the darling of advertisers and sponsors, and they all fought every year to have her as their image, along with her being the muse of the familial products, which had reinforced her popularity. Though this sport had a certain reputation in Equestria, and generated significant incomes, it remained less prestigious than showjumping or horse race. It couldn’t be a real future prospect but rather an entertaining extra. That was the reason why Applejack had chosen to follow the same path than her brother, and to pursue studies in business and management. However, meanwhile, she could make the most of the fun and the pleasure of an activity she was really fond of. And she was making it fully, despite the fact it demanded a constant practice and a lot of diligence. When she was back from school, after she had hung around with the group, and before starting her homework, Applejack would go down in her private practice room where she had her own mechanical bull. First, she set the machine to the maximum, and decreased the level of difficulty little by little, before finishing with the fastest one. It allowed her to test her stability, and to improve it. As often as she could, Apple Bloom would come and watch her big sister. All that concerned rodeos and farm chores had not her interest like it did for her siblings, but she worshipped Applejack so much, seeing her as a role model thanks to her sense of honesty, her simplicity and her integrity, that she was fond of seeing her in action. The eldest also loved the attention, and tried hard to be a person regarded with respect and deference. After all, their little sister had no other parents than their grandmother to turn to in order to forge her image of what’s an adult supposed to be like. That she saw her siblings as some kind of substitutes sounded natural. However, tonight Applejack could see the young girl looked absent. She wasn’t even watching the mechanical bull, but rather seemed to be captivated by her shadow dancing on the room’s floor. Even when the machine started to get crazy and to fall was turning into a dangerous action, she didn’t clap her hands enthusiastically, her mouth wide opened and her eyes starry from excitement. Applejack did a sign for Big Macintosh to turn it off, and went off the bull to speak with her little sister. Even once she was in front of her, Apple Bloom didn’t react, still lost in thoughts. She had to snap fingers in front of her face for her to get out of her lethargy. Something might have happened… “What’s wrong, sugar cube? Ya got the face of when ya bite into a rotten apple.” “Nothing’s wrong, I swear”, the youngest answered. If she refused to tell her the truth, it wasn’t because she lacked trust in her. She knew Applejack wasn’t the kind to get carried away about what turned out to be an injustice. What bothered her was that the whole matter almost took a wrong turn on the previous day, if there hadn’t been Luna’s intervention, and she didn’t want to risk her sister’s reputation. At the same time, she had to admit her sister neither was the kind to be satisfied of such a big lie. Never, if she didn’t worry about anything, Apple Bloom would’ve lacked attention during one of Applejack’s practice. If she insisted in remaining speechless about the problem, she would be grilled until she would spill the beans. She sighed. Her desire to confess went stronger and stronger as the seconds passed, and her big sister tried to survey her with her eyes. “Can ya promise me ya won’t make an apple pie about it?” “Pinkie Promise!” Deep inside, Apple Bloom thought her eldest had clues about the issue. It wasn’t as if nothing special had happened lately. “In fact, since the Club Fair yesterday, Mr. Caballeron is even nastier with us. He been very mean with Scootaloo all day long…” “Why Scootaloo in particular?” “Cuz she been the last one to race and he thinks she’s Rainbow Dash’s sister. He always yells humiliatin’ things on her, like she’s a dimwit and stuff like that. We all scared of him so we don’t dare to say anythin’” The preteen girl had kept her head low during the whole confession, mesmerized by the floor as if it was the watch of some hypnotizers. To go into details about what the teacher said to her friends, especially to Scootaloo would hurt too much, so she had only revealed the visible part of the iceberg. All the same it was enough to increase Applejack’s anger. Today, they had a gym class with him and he had tried to exhaust them more than possible, especially taking it out on Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer, who were the pair he took the strongest dislike of. But none of them could escape, just like the rest of the class, who wondered what they had done to make this man so bitter. And it was only the beginning of the school year… There was no way they would sit by it. This last grade was too important, especially for those hoping a scholarship in sports. If no one did anything, the whole class’ future would be compromised and the ninth grade’s self-confidence was going to be crushed and buried into earth, before it could even bloom normally. If he wanted to play, he didn’t know yet against who he was taking a bet. Troublemaker (part 3)On this Thursday night, the Bellehorse Bar was almost only filled with students, and with young working persons wearing suits and ties. The television showed a polo match, which was a rather popular sport with the petty bourgeoisie, and no one really paid attention to it. In the background, music wasn’t aggressive, and purred like the sound of an engine. The dancefloor was as empty as the VIP corner. The gang had thought the place to be neutral enough for a little crisis meeting. Their conversations meddled with these of the others, no one would pay attention to what they would be talking about, while at any of them houses was taking the risk that a parent would listen – except maybe at Rainbow Dash’s but her neighborhood was too far for a week night. The latter, precisely, had arrived late, accompanied with Soarin. Ever since, she hadn’t unclenched her jaw, and only took part with groans and monosyllabic answers. That her boyfriend had been approached by a girl from his College, a Wondercolts’ fan, wasn’t the detail that was going to fix up her black humor. Sunset Shimmer had been warned not to pay attention to her. She would get over it. All she had to do was to avoid to upset her, and to wait for the situation to improve by itself. Quickly after they ordered their drinks, they struck up a feverish conversation about Mr. Caballeron. The fact he mistreated the Crusaders’ whole class, and in particular Scootaloo, was the final straw. They were tough, they could take the blows so far as possible… But the youngest ones, who still were fragile and some kind of work in progress, would risk never to get over something so cruel. “Rarity warned me Vice-Principal Luna asked the Students Board to keep an eye on him”, Twilight sighed. “The problem is that we need proofs if we want to start a procedure against a teacher, and even with these, nothing tells us PTA is going to agree to act.” “So what? Are we goin’ to let our lil’ sis sufferin’? Am sorry but Ah can’t do that.” “I haven’t said that. I’m only bringing the precision that it’s going to be very thorny, even with proofs.” “Well, what if we take charge of these proofs first?” Sunset Shimmer suggested. “Which kind would they need?” “Maybe a recording…” “No way. Smartphones are forbidden during his course, and we can’t hide one with our sports uniforms anyway.” “Can’t we hide sumethin’ in our bra? I doubt he’d check around there.” “Why not in our panties while we’re at it?” Pinkie Pie questioned, laughing. “Oh, maybe I could hide a loudspeaker in my hair!” “I think the word you’re looking for is ‘a tape recorder’, Pinkie Pie. A loudspeaker is meant to scream.” “Silly me, I always get them mixed up”, she giggled. “I’m going to have my period… I tell him my stomach aches, and I record what he says before the course begins”, Rainbow Dash finally intervened. Observing Soarin from the corner of her eyes had her so much on pins and needles that she thought taking part in the conversation she was here for would be a good way to soothe her stress. It was hard, since she could hear the silly goose he was chatting with from where she stood. “Why not?” Twilight answered. “But nothing tells us he’s going to believe you. We need a plan B, just in case.” “Well, I don’t know, it was nothing but a suggestion.” She shrugged and drank a long swallow from her beer, under the flabbergasted eyes of her friends. Obviously, though the situation irritated her too, too much couldn’t be expected from her tonight. It would be no use to make a comment about it. And so, none of the girls picked up on what Rainbow Dash had said, rather looking for a potential plan B suggested by Twilight. “Wouldn’t that be easier if it were Apple Bloom recording?” Sunset Shimmer suggested as well. “Didn’t you say she has Mr. Caballeron as her lifestyle teacher, Applejack?” “It’s true. She just has not to be caught red-handed, and this isn’t goin’ to be a slice of apple pie!” “Indeed, but if Apple Bloom is caught in the act by Mr. Caballeron, things could get worse”, Twilight consented. “Oh, I know”, Pinkie Pie said, bouncing on her seat. “Let’s pour pentothal in a cake, make him eat the cake, and then interrogate him in the girls’ locker room.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. The rest of the band looked at each other for a couple of seconds, puzzled, and then burst out laughing. Pinkie Pie, easily entertained, also laughed heartily. In reality, she hadn’t said this in order to cheer her friends up, but because she thought this would be a good solution, in all honesty. When Soarin returned to the couch, he was surprised to see everyone falling about laughing. According to what Rainbow Dash told him before they met the gang at the bar, they were here to discuss about a teacher who made their lives hard. He hadn’t expected the mood to be so relaxed. “Looks like things aren’t that bad”, he said with a smile. “Not at all!” Rainbow Dash hurled, drier than a day of heatwave. “But you would know it if you’d been there from the beginning.” And so, as suddenly as it had started, the four friends’ giggles stopped. They all looked at their glasses, no longer daring to talk about the main topic. What they hoped for now was for Soarin not to insist or they knew what would happen. In front of this deadly silence, Soarin hailed a waiter and asked for a glass of fizzy water. By his side, he could see his girlfriend finishing her bottle of beer in one gulp, before screaming that she would have another of this. Without going into the details of what had caused that, she already had confessed to him that her liver was damaged and she needed to avoid to drink too often. It was a weekday. She had school on the next morning. And yet, she wasn’t reasonable. Alright, the matter with this teacher seemed to be very tough, but according to him, this wasn’t a reason to get drunk the way she did, especially as she had to hit the road to get home, and she couldn’t permit herself to leave her scooter around here, like when they first went there together. One beer should have been enough. “Maybe you shouldn’t be drinking on a night before school”, he whispered. She turned dark eyes to him, teeth clenched, and for a second he thought her look was going to kill him. Obviously, he just made a mistake with his piece of advice, given without the least of bad intentions. In no way, had he tried to lecture her, or to tell her how to behave. Except she didn’t know about that. And it was too late. The harm had been done. If only her words to remain strangled inside her throat… No way. Her bile was getting up, impossible to fight. Soon, it was going to be out, spit of words, sharp like broken glass. “And maybe you should go f*ck yourself!” Rainbow Dash grabbed her coat, her bag, and without a word for anyone, left the bar on the run. Never before had she talked to him this way. Even back when they argued as children, she never had words that harsh. He hadn’t expected something like that. From cold, the mood became arctic. Everyone was so dumbstruck that none of them dared to move, not even Soarin. When he decided to follow her, apologizing to the band, he met face to face with the almost empty sidewalks of the surroundings. No Rainbow Dash around. Something might have happened. Something he had said or done before. There was no way she could get that mad at him this way for no reason whatsoever. This wasn’t the way they were together. They were on the same exclusive wavelength, two fingers of the same hand. Friends as much as lovers. Rainbow Dash didn’t appear at the two first classes of the morning. She didn’t neither answered Applejack’s, Pinkie Pie’s, Sunset Shimmer’s, or even Fluttershy’s messages, who the friends had told everything about the previous night. It never happened before for her to skip school one month before her mother’s death anniversary. Until then, she always came, dragging around her inconsistent mood, and she hadn’t played hooky since her return from Green Haven. This was what Applejack feared the most with her absence. During her depression, it happened that she missed whole days of school, sometimes she left in the middle of the day or only appeared on the afternoon. She was always either stoical or tensed, and could burst out crying at the most unexpected moment. When she accepted to go somewhere with her and Twilight, which was rare, and was gained through endless negotiations, she was almost neurasthenic, smiling little, if not at all, and wavering between constant shrugs and high-level stress. Her friends had enough things on their mind with the imminent gym class to worry about Rainbow Dash’s mental health. Although it was difficult, she had to keep her worries to herself. If what she feared happened to be real, then she would tell it to the girls. And so, she was somewhat relieved to see her best friend stepping inside the locker room, while they were changing clothes before the gym class to start. She looked neither as overwhelmed or nervous as on the previous night, and came closer to the bench where her gang was with hesitant steps, a bit like a scared child on the first day of school. “I’m sorry, girls… about last night. And about the other days as well. I really wasn’t cool at all, sorry. Lately I’ve realized that soon my mother will be dead for five years and it made me edgy. But I’m feeling better now. I’ve taken a quarter of Zoloft, it did me good. I shouldn’t have left the way I did, could you guys forgive me?” For the first time, she told Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy aloud the fact she sometimes needed to have tranquilizers, each time she could feel something coming up to the surface. It was hard to confess for someone as proud as her. If she spoke up, it was because she was feeling secured and knew she wouldn’t be judged. Without planning anything, each of the girls got up at the same time and stepped closer in order to hold her in their arms. This way, Rainbow Dash understood her friends indeed forgave her. As far as the other important person in her life was concerned… Well, she hadn’t answered to any of his messages neither, too ashamed to know what to say. He would have to wait until the next day, on his university’s open house. “I got something to cheer you up”, Fluttershy confessed, searching through her bag after the group had parted and said how much they loved each other. She took out Rainbow Dash’s friendship bracelet, which clasp she’d been able to fix up. The jewel seemed like new, and by way of appreciation, she received another hug from her friend. “Thanks. You don’t know how happy I am to have it back. Being without it felt like being deprived of an organ, I swear it’s true.” “I’m happy that you’re happy. I poured my heart in it.” As the locker room was now empty, the girls stayed with Rainbow Dash while she changed her clothes. They’d probably be late, and with Mr. Caballeron in charge, there was no doubt that the reception wasn’t going to be friendly. It scared Fluttershy a little, of course, but she thought that with her friends to support her, she could get well without scrapes. On the previous night, they had arrived to the conclusion that the best to do was to make Sweetie Belle record the teacher’s speech, rather than Apple Bloom, since her bond with Rarity, whom he didn’t know and didn’t intervene, would have less consequences on the rest of the mission. Meanwhile, they had to put up with him, without being doormats nor shaking him like some soda can. On their way to the class, the group stopped once again, this time at the washroom. Once again, it was because Rainbow Dash had a problem. But at least it would be a good excuse to explain why they were late. Since the weather was still mild, this year’s gym program started with athletics. It complicated Mr. Caballeron’s task a little since it was one of the flagship discipline for the students he took a dislike to. To ridicule her or to humiliate her because of her capacity was impossible. He had to wear her out, to make her regret her poise, and to push her at the end of her physical limits. As soon as they arrived on the athletics field, he stood in front of them, both fists on his hips – one of his favorite intimidation pose – towering them with the most severe look he was able to perform. “You’re at least ten minutes late! I can give detention to you all for a whole week because of this, you know.” “No, you can’t! The school rules state a punishment has to be equal to the committed misdeed.” “You answer back again, Sunset Shimmer, and it’s going to be two weeks of detention.” “I needed a tampon so we went to the washroom. What? You’d prefer that I’d spew blood everywhere?” This image wasn’t really appealing; she was aware of that. She didn’t care, and even, she’d done it on purpose. There was no need to act nice with Mr. Caballeron. He wasn’t the kind to soften when in front of someone harmless, conversely. The least of weaknesses let him know there was something to crush under his giant feet. “Are you trying to say that you need to be five just for a matter of periods? You’re f*cking kidding me! Just because your father’s a part of PTA doesn’t mean you can do anything you want.” “And just because you’re a teacher doesn’t mean you can talk to us like we’re shit. We’re not your doormats!” After these words, Rainbow Dash skirted Mr. Caballeron, with the intention to go and throw some javelins far from him before the situation would become even worse. “Come back here, I’m not done with you yet!” Mr. Caballeron grabbed the young girl’s wrist, and twisted her arm to the extent that she couldn’t help but yelp from pain. At the same time, the brand new clasp of her bracelet gave in again, and each of the items fell on the lawn. Rainbow Dash wanted to take them back, but her teacher kept on gripping her arm, and pulled her towards him for her not to move. “You are going to stop talking to me this way, or I swear I’m going to make you regret it, you f*cking jerk!” “And how are you going to make her regret it?” Sunset Shimmer questioned, arms crossed and eyes dark. “We’re all witnesses”, Applejack went on. “You insulted and threatened her.” Fluttershy, hiding behind her classmates, didn’t dare taking part in it, scared to become another one of Mr. Caballeron’s target. If it ever happened, she could never go through it without crying… However, she noticed that a part of the other students around were watching as well, and some kind of silence numbed their air. Cornered, the teacher immediately let go Rainbow Dash’s arm who, once freed, immediately leaned over in order to gather the pieces of her bracelet, with tears in her eyes. “If that’s the way it is, you… You’re going to spend the whole class running around the track.” “As if it was a punition.” He opened his mouth, but in front of the blaming looks, he beat in retreat and went to the benches, where he knocked over one of the ice buckets where were bottles of water for the students. This violent gesture made everyone jump and made understand to those who hadn’t been a part of the argument that in no way he would let things the way they were. It wasn’t over yet. His authority had been driven into a corner, and though the teacher knew today’s game was lost for him, he also knew he would have the last word. In this merciless war, he was going to be the celebrated winner. It wasn’t a bunch of brainless brats who would scrap him. They would see. All of them. They would see. And in particular the young jackanapes named Rainbow Dash, and her stupid little sister, Scootaloo. “You did good to tell me about it. We have to do something and quick!” Twilight couldn’t believe what she just heard. Superintendence was right to stay wary of Mr. Caballeron. This heinous character had nothing to do in teaching. A teacher was supposed to be a role model, a life guide, and to teach how to survive in the adult’s world, thanks to knowledge. At least it was the image she always had of the job. Pity that her friends had no proof of the altercation. Even with the other students’ testimonies, it was going to be quite little in the balance of PTA justice. They needed something, anything, in order to react and to cut the slaughter short before it was too late. It had completely taken away her excitement from visiting Canterlot University. The College was known as Equestria’s most prestigious institution of knowledge, and one of the widest campus of the world, which range of proposed disciplines could make you feel dizzy. Yet, the prospect of this day had formed the pattern of her week. To enter the Guiding Class had been her ambition from her very first day at CHS. Now that it was her reality, she realized how much studies weren’t the only thing that mattered in her life, conversely to what she always thought. To be parted from her friends, in a room where almost no one spoke to her, and where the only things the pupil took care of were their books, reminded her who she used to be a little too much. She had changed since she knew them. Of course, studies still were her number one passion. However, she felt concerned about other things. Hanging around with her friends, even if it was to argue, even if it was to talk about things that were no affair of state, it also mattered to her. Despite it all, when the group finally arrived in front of the campus, Twilight couldn’t help stars from hanging at her eyes. She slowed down, opened her mouth wide, like a child in front of a giant Christmas tree. The green lawn, perfectly mowed, attracted rays of sun like nothing else. The stone paths were clean and roomy… And what about the buildings? She couldn’t believe it. Made with white and red bricks, which the highest towers caressed the clouds in the sky, they were inches and inches long, with inner courtyards pierced by arches looking out over the rest of the yard. All the stressing affairs of this first week of class was forgotten. She couldn’t wait to explore it all… to see the library, the science rooms. High School had been impressive, but College was something else. Everything she always dreamed of. The place was swarming with students and teachers, and activities were proposed to the high school’s students that had been invited. Twilight didn’t know where to start. And she wasn’t the only one! Pinkie Pie was almost drooling from envy in front of this audience of mature and seemingly intelligent boys, and Rainbow Dash couldn’t wait to talk with members of the sports teams. She wondered where her boyfriend could be… “Well, Ah offer ya sumethin’”, Applejack told her friends. “No more talkin’ ‘bout Mr. Caballeron today and we’ll make the most of this day. What dya think?” They all answered it was a very good idea, before gathering their hands to yell their team cheer that surprised some of the students passing them by. Quickly, however, it seemed obvious that each had different focus of attention and desires. The next thing they offered then was to part in smaller groups and to meet in two hours in order to take stock of the situation and to go a few activities all together. Everyone nodded. Since her earliest childhood, Fluttershy knew she wanted to be a vet. Canterlot University offered a program in life sciences, which gave access to the competitive exams of the vet specialized schools. It was for her that her family had decided to move to Canterlot, so she wouldn’t be alone in an unknown city when she would be in age. Like her, Applejack already knew what she wanted to learn. She had made inquiries years in advance, and thanks to Big Macintosh, knew exactly everything she’d have to do to get enrolled, and all the offered course unit of the campus for Business and Management. So, they both went together… For these reasons, but also in order to find the pretty blond girl’s big brother. Fluttershy held hope of spending a bit of time with the boy she was in love with. There were no hidden reasons and she had imagined nothing special. All she wanted was to be by his side, to know whether he hated her or not, and whether he could enjoy to be by her side. As far as Sunset Shimmer and Twilight were concerned, they shared the same interest in experimentations, chemistry, mathematics and astronomy. They both teamed up to visit the College’s scientific hub, as excited as if they were going to the gig of the century. Last but not least, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash launched together an attack on sports teams and clubs. They also both knew they would better look for a discipline to be enrolled in first, being the only ones who hadn’t planned their future a long while ago. Although Pinkie Pie had envisioned something in communication, with the intention of turning her taste for parties into something real. To be honest, the latter was here especially for the boys. She was very envious of Rainbow Dash and Soarin, and wanted to fall in love for good. The boyfriends she had until then only been nice little flirts, and she didn’t have the chance to experience a real love story yet. There might be someone that was made for her. Someone kind and fun. Able to follow her lead. One of her problems was that when a boy did like her, she couldn’t even notice. No matter how much she liked members of the so-called stronger sex, there were so many things on her mind she could hardly interpret gestures and looks. Maybe someone she knew well secretly loved her, and she was passing him by. The young woman couldn’t stop dragging her friend from one stall to another, speaking to everyone, and gathering all the pamphlets she could. Each time, Rainbow Dash displayed a tensed smile, after looking around by wringing her neck. Although she was here in order to discover the campus, she also was looking for Soarin. They both hadn’t made up yet. She wanted to apologize, to tell him how she regretted she’d talked to him this way, and to explain what was stressing her. He had been so nice and patient with her, she had no right to treat him that bad, just because she was feeling nervous and didn’t like him to have so many fans. After all, it was rather flattering to know her boyfriend was idolized. It meant she had good tastes. Unfortunately, the young man never was in her field of vision. It was as if he’d vanished away from the face of earth, and everything was in action so she wouldn’t be able to tell him about her remorse. Of course, all it would took was a message on his phone, but as she hadn’t answered his latest ones, she thought it to be strange and daring. Although, maybe, if she specified that she wanted to apologize… No. Never keep a trace of a moment of weakness. Someone patted her shoulder, and Rainbow Dash almost could’ve been knocked over with a feather when she discovered the face of her ex-boyfriend, along with her other ex-boyfriend. What were they doing together? They never been friends, and even barely acquaintances! If Pinkie Pie displayed a wide delighted smile, she wanted to bury herself inside a hole like a mouse fleeing from granules of rat poison. “Holy cow! Rainbow Dash!” One of them said. “Still cute as can be, my goodness!” It was supposed to be a compliment. Surely. But Tornado could wrap his words in all the glucose of the world, she couldn’t forget what the boy who had just spoken told her on the day they parted: ‘sleeping with you feels like making love to a plank of wood!’ “How come you two became good friends?” she asked, mumbling. “We met in the same Economics and Management class, and it happened we had someone in common”, Fireball answered, slipping his hands into his short purple hair. They exchanged a knowing look, and Rainbow Dash knew it was a hint about herself. So, these two had finally became close because they both had dated her and both experimented her lack of interest for sex? It was just her luck to be on their way at a moment when everything in her life seemed to be going awry, and Soarin and her were on bad terms. The first one of them, Tornado, was part of her baseball team in ninth grade. He was two years older than her, and all the girls used to be crazy for him. Because she was the only one to display no interest whatsoever in his pretty face and muscles, he courted her constantly until she gave in. He had been her first one, and the experience took a turn for the worse. Their separation happened in screams and stained her ninth grade in CHS with a particular mark. It was on this day he had struck her with his little killer comment that she’d never been able to forget. On the next year, Fireball appeared in front of her. He was the same age than her former boyfriend, but wasn’t part of the same clubs or classes. He had a sweet smile, was fond of athletics and old cinema, just like her. He was the one who kissed her and who said he was in love with her. Unfortunately, like Tornado before, sex was what ruined their relationship. The young man wanted to make love each time they saw each other and couldn’t stand for her to reject him. Irritated by his lack of patience and understanding, this time it was Rainbow Dash who took the decision that they should part. And then, he revealed his real face – the one of the demon. To see them again, knowing they were now friends didn’t delight her at all. She could hear them from here, busy comparing their sexual prowess, in order to know which one of the two made what best. Just to think about it made her want to puke her cheese macaroni. While Fireball was shamelessly starting to hit on Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash was wringing her neck and pulling herself on her tiptoes, hoping she would take a glimpse at Soarin’s tall and athletic figure. Tornado was talking to her, yet none of his words seemed to print into her mind. She had to run away… Far. The farthest she could. “What do you think about it?” the young man’s voice with sugary accents asked. She shook her head and looked up, with wide lost eyes. “Excuse me… What were you saying?” “We could both show you and your friend the campus. There’s nothing better than a student already enrolled to explain everything.” This invitation, if it could seem attractive to Pinkie Pie, was the height of horror for Rainbow Dash. In order to please her best friend, she could make an effort… But no. That was behind her. A smile appeared on her lips as she saw her savior in the crowd, with his dark blue messy hair clumsily pushed back from his face, and his peaceful attitude that always made her stomach and heart warmer. Finally, she was going to be able to send the two boys packing, and to warn Pinkie Pie it was a really bad idea to let herself get charmed by Fireball. This guy was a real oaf! He maybe was cute and husky but he didn’t have a single clue about interpersonal relationships. Her smile nevertheless melted down when she saw Soarin approaching, and she realized he was surrounded by girls. Still these cursed groupies! Couldn’t they let him breath? And… couldn’t he let them know he wasn’t interested? Why did he always have to be nice with everyone? In all honesty, the real problem wasn’t for him to behave nicely with other girls. It all took root in a much deeper fear, on which she never went into details. These girls had something she didn’t have, something she wasn’t sure to be able to give to Soarin. And he was human, after all. Of course, since she never told him about it, he couldn’t guess… But right now she was blinded by deception. She would never shut her two exes up with a boyfriend surrounded by nymphets… If that was the way it was, he would see how it felt like. Rainbow Dash already showed him a picture of the boys. He knew who they were. She made sure he noticed her, and at the moment he put his eyes on her, she turned to Tornado, grabbed his arm and displayed a beguiling smile which she didn’t even know she was able to make. “You know what? That’s a wonderful idea! Show me your gymnasium and locker rooms.” Her former boyfriend rose his neck, triumphant. While she was going toward the back of the campus with the two boys and Pinkie Pie, she turned around to catch a glimpse at her current boyfriend. The way he was staring at her, with a mix of deaf bitterness she knew too well, broke her heart. Too bad for him. She hadn’t come here in order to worsen their situation, but he had it coming. Troublemaker (part 4)Author's Note Yes! We're Saturday (or Sunday for some of you) and there's a new part of the story published. That's because this chapter is one of the longest of the story, so I thought it would be faster this way Unless, you prefer the story to be published on Sundays/Saturdays? Troublemaker (part 4) It seemed to the girls that only a hundreds of persons could be on the list of the invited pupils to the open house. Caught in the excitement, they all forgot this was the rule only for their school and Crystal Prep. Students from the other cities could come in an unlimited number and some even arrived on fully-packed buses. Because of this, Fluttershy and Applejack had to move through a dense crowd, so noisy it seemed as though they’d never be able to speak in peace. To find where Big Macintosh could be wasn’t an easy task. Indeed, stands weren’t distributed according to the field of studies, but according to each availability and fondness. Of course, they were able to find students hosting an activity about the animal shelter where Fluttershy sometimes worked as a volunteer. They also got the chance to speak with a rodeo amateur who recognized Applejack. However, one of the young girls was a bit hungry for more. She had imagined herself, chatting with him on the campus’ green lawns. They would have shut themselves away, and he would have explained her everything she needed to know. Maybe with a bit of luck, she could even have renewed her confession, and this time, he would have answer positively, though deep inside, she doubted things could change so quickly. If she couldn’t find him at all, anyway, nothing would be happening. Yet, he’d assured to his sister he’d host an activity today. It meant he probably was somewhere around, and they hadn’t searched hard enough yet. When Applejack nudged her, showing something with her chin at the same time, her panicked eyes got lost for a handful of seconds… And finally, a wide smile, uncontrollable, appeared on her face. His stand was so crowded they probably had passed it by and missed it earlier today. An even more dense crowd was pressed against the table with canopy he’d erected on this side of the main yard. On the banner right above his head, drinks and pastries were painted. Beside him, another boy, with brown hair and blue eyes, that Applejack thought she already had seen before, was talking in a loudspeaker, as if hoping to attract more people, though getting to the stand already was difficult. To open up the way through this flood of people, it was a whole strategy. Fluttershy couldn’t count how many persons stepped on her feet, pushed her shoulders, back, or even knocked her head. She apologized every time, as if she was the blame, and Applejack couldn’t find enough courage to tell her it was better to tell all those rude ones to go to hell. “Ah thought we’d never get there”, she told her big brother once she and her friends had arrived. “True it’s crowded”, Big Macintosh answered. “Hello, Fluttershy.” “Hello…” She wished she could help blushing, but she couldn’t. All he had done was to greet her, there was nothing to swoon for! Sometimes, when she reacted so disproportionally, she hated herself. He wasn’t going to change his mind about her if she kept on behaving like a small critter intimated by anything. “Dya know Caramel, AJ? He used to live in our neighborhood…” “Yeah, I do remember! Hi”, she said with a small wave of her hand. “Hi”, the young man answered before taking back his loudspeaker. Applejack could see Fluttershy was expecting something… But how could she make sure she’d be alone with Big Macintosh with such a huge crowd? Food and free drinks on such a sunny day? Nothing surprising in the success of their stand! There might be a way to get him away from here, even for a few minutes. Ah, yes, there was one. She didn’t even need to look for some far-fetched or forced explanation, the way she did last summer. This time, there was no chance for Big Macintosh to get suspicious. “Hey, big bro, can Ah try that stuff? This way, Ah could do it next year if Ah like it.” He seemed to be thinking for a few seconds, his eyes going from Applejack to Fluttershy, then to Caramel. When the latter nodded with a thumb up, then he answered to Applejack’s request with his classical ‘eeyup’. After they traded their place, and she had worn his apron, a bit too large for her, Big Macintosh found himself next to her friend, who couldn’t believe how lucky she was, but tried hard not to let show how fast her heart was beating, and how damp her hands were. The young man explained his sister where to find the stock and in what dose to pour the apple juice in the glass, then he offered Fluttershy to visit the surroundings. She accepted without further ado, and less than one minute later, they were both waving goodbye. He started to show her where the sciences building was, explaining that in her case, she would never have to attend the same class than students in chemistry, physics, astronomy, etcetera. Then, he chose to bring her to the dormitories, all split a bit everywhere on the campus. She knew the young man was as shy as her and was surprise he was feeling so at ease with her that he hardly couldn’t stop speaking. For all that, she didn’t want to delude herself. Maybe it meant he regarded her as a very good friend, which already was amazingly lucky. To finish this little improvised visit, Big Macintosh decided to show her the tower from which was aired the university’s channel. It was located at the top of the building, and from the last floor with a complete bay-view window all around, there was an unobstructed view on the city. It was a sight she would be delighted of. Plus, the place was rather intimate and he have an idea that she didn’t like sites that were noisy and swarming with people. She was a calm personality, not fragile but very sensitive. Softness and kindness were two of her main qualities, and she had many. And she was a very pretty girl, with it… As they were getting to the ultimate floor, after a short journey in the elevator where they ceased to speak or to look at each other, as soon as she saw the whole city at her feet, Fluttershy couldn’t stop her eyes from shining. It was stunning! All Canterlot was visible, even beyond the Royal Palace. She could even have a glimpse at her area, and the Apples’ farm, at the farthest end. And, though she suffered from fear of heights usually, here she was able to lower her head without feeling nauseous. He knew this view by heart. On the other hand, he had never seen Fluttershy as marveled yet. Really, she was a delight. The kind of girl to be beautiful without the least of efforts, just by being herself. The kind of girl that was being presented as the ideal that any normal men wanted to be with. Another would probably had taken his chance in front of a confession from her. And here he was being finicky, just because she didn’t fit his requirements. It was probably stupid. He knew couples that had formed though one of the person wasn’t at all the type of the other. A lot of them were working just fine, and some even were solider. Fluttershy suddenly felt his eyes on her. Once again, she blushed, unable to do otherwise. He smiled at her… And she relaxed. If it didn’t get on his nerves, then it already was a good thing. There was something like stuck inside her throat, asking her to get out. She tried to hold it back, memory of the previous time still fresh in her mind. Her heart would never cope with being rejected again. Yet, something seemed to be slowly getting up, knocking against her vocal chords for her to let it out. Clenching her eyes and fists with all her might didn’t slow it down, no matter how hard she tried. And, Big Macintosh was looking at her in a funny way when she did this. He would take her for a real moron if she went on! “I know you already told me I wasn’t your type of girl, and I came to term with it. But… I’m unable to kill my feelings for you. Yet, I did my best. But it’s impossible. Even if you can’t or don’t want to answer, you have to know it. If I keep it all for me, my heart’s going to explode. I love you, that’s the way things are. Sorry. I just can’t help.” She hated herself. She hated herself because she let it out, that something. Now, not only did Big Macintosh think she was an idiot, but he’d also think she was a nuisance with it, and couldn’t take “no” for an answer. The damage was done, but she regretted. Oh, how she regretted! She could never look into his eyes again, if at all. So, her heart skipped a few beats when he put his hand on her shoulder, and the other under her chin, in order to lift up her face. A tender smile was floating on his own face, and he had plunged his green irises into hers, of a turquoise like a gemstone. Of course, it had nothing of the intensity into Soarin’s eyes when he was looking at Rainbow Dash… But it already was the beginning of something. All she hoped now was that his words would fit his actions, and he wouldn’t repeat what he told her back in Fillydelphia. “Imma gonna be honest with ya. Ah don’t think Am in love…” It hurt. Fluttershy had wanted to get her body and face out of his hands, now burning her like scalding metal. If it was to say such things, he didn’t have to act nicely. It almost was more painful this way. “And Am not really good at sayin’ stuff like that so don’t be mad at me if Am a lil’ clumsy. Ah think ya have a lot of great qualities. Ah could look at yar face for hours without bein’ weary cuz yar the prettiest gal Ah ever known. Ah can’t guarantee Ah’ll give ya what ya expect or Ah’ll make ya happy, but… Maybe we could try. Who knows? Maybe two shy persons together, it’s like minus plus minus, and we’re gonna defeat our flaw thanks to bein’ you and me.” Now, it was as though no words could ever come out of her mouth. Fluttershy was in the middle of a dream. Had he just said he wanted to be with her after all? Though he had said he wasn’t in love with her, it truly was what his words meant. She tried to suppress the tears coming in her eyes, but couldn’t. They weren’t sad, but happy tears, after all. Nothing to be ashamed of. Her heart beat faster when she saw him leaning. Fluttershy hoped for a kiss, while being a bit scared… When finally, he put a peck against her forehead, she was almost reassured. It was a good compromise. And, he wasn’t about to heal from his shyness by magic, just like she wouldn’t too. While they were going away together after looking at the Canterlot’s view for a while, unaware of time going by, she was feeling as if walking on air. Though they didn’t hold each other hands, the fact of being side by side while knowing that she could now call him her boyfriend, it was a delightful sensation, even better than everything she had imagined. It was worth the tears, all those nights filled with hope. It was worth the journey through the campus, and everything that had happened until this very moment. She could never forget this wonderful day. It was a day to end up on the scrap heap. Maybe not one of the worse, but definitely one of these days when nothing goes right. It was in the same movement that this all crappy week, anyway. From the moment her bracelet broke, she knew things would turn out badly. To meet face to face with her exes and to discover they now were friends had been the disgusting boozy cherry on top of the failed pie. In all honesty, she would rather climb into a plane on the verge of crashing than spending time with them. Meaningful, when her phobia was known. She hadn’t planned to stay in their company. But seeing Soarin once again surrounded by girls had pushed her to make this enormous mistake. Now, she knew her lesson, and she wouldn’t do the same mistake again. It was outrageous to notice how neither of them had changed. College hadn’t made them more mature or intelligent. It was wonder what she found in them, out of their good appearance. Undoubtedly some kind of boasting side, which she identified with. At least, now she understood what she really needed in a relationship. She didn’t need a perfect reflection of herself, but someone who’d she shared things sometimes a bit far from who she was, someone able to blow on her embers in order to stop her from burning everything on her way. She needed Soarin, that was all there was to know. He was the only one who knew her good enough to know when she needed to be channeled, but imposing nothing, just by being himself. He was the only one who knew her deeply, beyond her image of braggart, also accepting what lied under the surface, even ugliness, weakness and fear. When, as she was walking with him, Fireball and Pinkie Pie, between the locker room of the lacrosse team, Tornado wrapped an arm around her shoulders the way he used to do back when they were dating, she knew it was about time to put an end to the masquerade. Her love story with the young man had only lasted for one semester, but she had learned to know him and his reactions. Each time he tried to get closer to her, it was because he wanted to make love. And each time, her body had tensed completely, and this time wasn’t an exception. She had used the excuse of an urgent need to go to the bathroom in order to take away Pinkie Pie. In the washroom, she had warned her best friend about her intentions – she didn’t plan to meet them. She also had explained her how dating Fireball would be a bad idea, refreshing her memories about the way they broke up. When Pinkie Pie had sent the young man a message to tell him she was feeling sick and wanted to go back home, he answered her with an insult. QED. The moment they had to meet the rest of the group approached, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t feeling good, and chose instead that her friend tell them she’d meet them later downtown. With her inconsistent mood, she was too scared to say something she would regret. It was better if she could calm down for a while before going. Canterlot University’s basketball room was twice bigger than CHS’. It might be so thrilling to play here! However, she would never get this chance. In High School, everything still was possible, but university basketball was way too important to hope rules would be knocked down especially for her. No team would ever hire a backcourt player of less than 5,24 feet, no matter how gifted she was. Rainbow Dash took a ball lying around the floor, and made a few dribbles, for no reason. In the middle of the field, she tried to score a basket, and unsurprisingly, her ball missed the net of something like 3 feet. Steps resounded behind her, and she turned around, ready to mumble apologies if it happened to be someone from the College, here to call her to order. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she realized that someone was no one else but Soarin. They stared at each other for a while, unsure of what to say. Something told her she might as well run into his arms, telling him how sorry she was about everything, but on the other hand, her pride whispered to her it was all his fault after all. She didn’t want to let that bad part of her win. Really, she didn’t. Yet, it was the side which won, and turning her back on him in order to get the ball back, she hit him with her biting question with a harsh voice. “Did you have fun?” Immediately, she bit her bottom lip, regretting she had given in. Of course, since her back was on him, he couldn’t see it. “I could ask you the same thing, with your exes and all…” Alright, she had it coming. However, this bitter answer drove her in another corner, and when she turned around in order to face him, there were flames in her eyes. Hostilities were about to happen. May the best team win! “At least, I’m not always surrounded by skanks strutting at my feet. Soon you’ll be able to have your very own harem.” “So, you’re going to lay all the responsibilities on me?! I can’t believe it!” “Ah, because I’m the one who started, maybe?” “Started? Can you hear what you’re saying?! We’re no longer five, you know.” It wasn’t right. And even, it wasn’t going to fix things up. But she couldn’t control her words and gestures anymore… With an abrupt move, she threw the ball in her hands straight into his face, and thankfully, he was able to avoid it on time. It probably wouldn’t have miss its target if he didn’t have such good reflexes. “Since you think I’m so immature, just take off. Come on, I’m not holding you back.” “I never said you were immature… But sh*t, you’re treating me as if I’ve cheated on you, or something like this! I’m only being nice with people who’re nice to me as well. What the hell are you expecting from me?” “I don’t know, maybe you not to behave as if you were single.” “I’m not behaving as if I were single. You’re the one who sees things this way. I can’t reject everyone, just because I’m dating you. And frankly, how dare you lecture me when you’ve strutted with your exes all over my campus?!” “I did this because of you, if you really want to know.” A clearing of throat stopped them. Soarin recognized Wave Chill, a Wondercolt, the one he had made a favor to by taking his place at the climbing facility, and thanks to who, in a certain way, he had been able to find Rainbow Dash. So many times had he thanked him for this gift from above… Far from having regrets, conversely, the young man wondered how did they get there while one week ago everything was perfect between them. By the way his girlfriend looked at his teammate, a way telling him he’d better get the hell out of here as soon as possible, Soarin knew this chance of a truce wasn’t going to come true. She was determined to duke it out. “Can’t we argue alone?” she said as if she wanted to hit him with her words. Immediately, the young man turned as red as a chili, mumbled apologies, and flee without further ado. As long as the opponent wasn’t in the middle of a basketball match, he’d never been very brave when in front of aggressiveness. Rainbow Dash and Soarin were now closer, a few feet away. For all that, she wasn’t going to extend an olive branch. And he hadn’t forgotten what she had said before they were interrupted. He was the blame. He didn’t know how or why, but he was the blame. “Did you ask him to come?” she asked, still aggressive. “You really thought you would get away with this so easily?” “I didn’t. And honestly, before thinking “I could get away with this”, it would be better if I knew what I did wrong.” “What you did?! What you did?! Now that Sir is leader, Sir is surrounded by groupies and you still wonder what you did wrong.” “Here we are. She’s jealous. It’s ridiculous! I don’t even know these girls, what do you want me to do with them? Go back on earth.” “I can’t.” “You can’t, or you don’t want to?” “I’m jealous of them because they’re sexual!!” Her revelation instantly cut any other words going up in his throat. Soarin saw tears appearing in the corner of his girlfriend’s eyes, though she did her best not to let them fall. How long could they remain this way, hurting each other more and more, before she finally told him the truth hidden behind this sudden crisis? Yet, she knew she could tell him anything. And if she hadn’t let him guess what was wrong with her by trying to make him be jealous as well, they could have avoided these three days of torture – and this argument. Now that he knew, everything was clearer. The problem wasn’t the fact he was nice with these girls; it even wasn’t the girls themselves. It was what they represented. This, he could understand. “Why didn’t you tell me before? It feels like… You don’t trust me.” “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that… What if you left me? For now, everything’s fine, you’re satisfied with things such as they are, but nothing tells me you won’t grow tired after some time. You could choose a pretty girl who has sex on a regular basis, because you’re no superhero, you’re only human.” Here. She let it out, the naked truth, deprived of any tricks. What clenched her stomach each time she saw one of his fans around him, by means of charming smiles and fluttering eyelashes. She always had this fear deep inside her guts, but since he was leader and his popularity had increased, her fear had grown to the extent of taking over all the rest. It hadn’t been very smart from her to make him furious with her exes the way she’d done. If she could, Rainbow Dash would’ve slapped herself for having done such a terrible nonsense. Traces of hostility had now disappeared from her face, and she was ready to step in his direction. If only she still wasn’t worried about this answer that was slow to arrive. What she’d said was true. He was nothing but a human being, and he had needs, needs he knew she couldn’t fulfill, or at least, not immediately. There was just a little detail she omitted, and which changed everything. “But the other girls… They’re not you. You’re the only one I’m fond of, the only one who I’d like to have sex with, like you said. Because… I’m in love with you. Desperately.” Someone already told her he was in love with her. In fact, it was Tornado. But it never had the same impact on the inside of her body. Alright, she wasn’t keen of things which were overflowing with sentimentality, yet this wasn’t completely what it was. It also was a truth, and it felt good to hear it, whatever her pride might say about it, especially as it came from him, Soarin. Who she was in love with as well, though she didn’t dare saying it out loud yet. “But… What if it never happens? For how long will you be able to put up with something like this? I have no right to deprive you from this, it would be unfair.” “We’ll figure it out. Thanks to communication, like right now. I believe in us.” It seemed to Rainbow Dash, no matter what she could say, that he would always find a way to block her remarks. Far from upsetting her, it was exactly what she needed to be reassured completely. Yes, she would always be a bit scared, somewhere inside. It didn’t make much difference now… And, with Soarin by her side, there was nothing she could overcome. Her last wall shattered into million pieces, the young woman finally decided to put an end to her stupid pride, and ran to the boy she loved, wrapping her arms around his neck. Because she was too small, and was wearing sneakers, she could hardly stay on her tiptoes, and finally moved her embrace around Soarin’s waist, who was holding her tight as well, with all the tenderness he had inside. Earlier, she felt as if it would be impossible for her to stop frowning… Instead, she now had the sensation that her smile could never disappear. Everything was so much better when the truth was unleashed rather than buried deep inside. Zephyr had met his little sister Fluttershy a bit earlier, happier than ever. He had no idea about what could make her feel so good, but she really was radiant, surrounded by the girls of her bunch of friends, minus one – he couldn’t help but to notice. When he asked a question about her absence – instead of asking why his little sister suddenly was so cheerful – Pinkie Pie confessed she was upset, because she on the outs with Soarin or something like this, and she’d told her she would be going to score a few baskets in order to relax a bit. It made his blood boil, and immediately, he went running in the direction of the basketball room. It wasn’t a place he was used to go yet, so he got a little lost before meeting a member of the team by chance, who was on his way. “If I were you, I’d avoid to walk around there”, the young man brought the precision. “Soarin and his boo are seriously arguing!” Zephyr barely had thanked him for showing him the way and he had dashed towards the place, his heart lighter than air. His time had finally arrived. There was troubles ahead between Rainbow Dash and her lanky basketball player, which meant they would maybe part, with a bit of luck, and she could notice there was someone head over heels for her, who would never make her sad or angry. All jolly, he stepped into the room, which seemed to be plunged into silence. This detail should have let him guess… But like often, he chose to ignore the clues, focused on his so-called chance. His enthusiasm plummeted straight towards the waxed floor. Soarin and Rainbow Dash were still here, but they weren’t busy arguing. They were kissing, slowly and softly, like in a movie. His heart in shreds, Zephyr went the other way, without a sound, so silently the two lovebirds hadn’t even noticed his presence. One more failure. It was discouraging. However, for once in his lifetime, he didn’t want to let go, the way he did so many times. One day, Rainbow Dash would be his, he would keep on doing anything for it. It took a lot more to pull him down, oh yes, so much more. Troublemaker (part 5)Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Rainbow's Blues (part 1)She scratched the arm of the velvety chair, unsure of where she should start. To be here again after so many years felt almost unreal. If she’d been told she’d come back off her own initiative, Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have believed it. Yet, she knew, she wasn’t there for no good reason. She needed it. It was hard to accept. In front of her silence, Dr. Horse felt she would need a little help in order to start the conversation. It wasn’t easy to be back in therapy after she did without anything for so long. “How do you feel?” She looked up from the chair, her eyes on him furtively before she sighed, and started to stare at the carpeting instead. Back then, there was no carpeting but a wooden floor, she remembered… “I’m not feeling very well. I mean… not quite comfortable.” “On the phone, you’ve said you wanted to talk about what happened to you this weekend. It was your mother’s death anniversary, wasn’t it?” “It was”, she sighed again. “Last Saturday.” “Fine. Then, tell me about Saturday.” Once again, it was a bit complicated for her to know where to start… There was so much to say about this unordinary day. Like every year, when she had woken up, she had felt heavy, with the deep desire to go back into bed and to spend the whole day crying under her blankets. But like every year, she had chosen the second option which always bloomed in her brain after the first one. And which wasn’t any better, in fact. Yes, she probably would have to start here. They were holding hands, in each other’s arms. Rainbow Dash displayed the delighted smile of great excitement, but Fluttershy was shaking from head to toes. It was an experience she never thought to be going through one day. “Are you ready?” the multicolored-haired teenage girl asked. “I’m not.” “Come on, don’t be such a sissy. All you have to do is dare. Close your eyes, sometimes it helps. I’m counting to three and we do it at three, alright.” “Not alright.” If she listened to her, she would never answer any other way, and they would never dare. When known how much the activity for both costed, it would be a great waste. Rainbow Dash forcedly dragged her friend with her, and jumped. Fluttershy had no other choice than to follow. If one of them kept her eyes closed as recommended, the tightest she could, the other one kept them opened wide. She wanted to see everything, to feel everything – the danger, the sensation of being about to break her neck, and the pleasure launching after the rise of adrenalin. The high-pitch shriek Fluttershy let out all along the plunge had nothing in common with Rainbow Dash’s, rounder and more enthusiastic. Even when their fall was stopped by the bungee cord, she didn’t shut it up. She needed a few more comes and goes, less violent than the first ones, so they finally both stabilized and so that the voice of one of them stopped to resound in the valley. A supervisor came to look after them, in order to get them off the necessary equipment. When he was busy taking off her harness and the rest, she was able to see how bad Fluttershy’s state was, worse than on the roller-coaster at the latest fun fair. She wouldn’t be surprise to see her throwing her breakfast up in the grass… if she had one. To be honest, the young woman wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s first choice to be her companion in bungee jump. Soarin, Rarity and Sunset Shimmer were working, Applejack had a practice session, Twilight was devoting herself into the writing of a thesis, and Pinkie Pie was helping the Cakes with a big order for a wedding. She was the only one free, so through spite, she had begged her to be her partner to try this new thing. It was some sort of an unsettling experience. The goal of this was to test her limits, to prove herself she was alive by flirting with death. Yet, what was supposed to help her focus on something else had many similarities with the accident she was trying so hard to get out of her mind. Despite it all, she had liked it. Enjoyed it, even. To the extent that she tried to convince Fluttershy to climb back for another jump. The second time, and now she knew what to expect, it would be different. A bit less double-edged, she thought. But it happened to be impossible to know whether or not this would be true. Her friend was pale, complaining about her head spinning, and being on the verge of apoplexy. She even was crying. It seemed clear there was no way she would climb back up, no matter how much money her friend had paid for it. It already was huge, as impressionable as she was, that she had agreed to come in here, and that she’d been able to make her jump the first time. Insisting would be taking too much advantages of her limitless kindness. And so, she didn’t insist. At least, she could say she’d done it. What a pity it left her a bit dissatisfied. This awful day was still young, and she would have to find something else to do in order to fill it. She didn’t even want to envision the other option. Surely because it was too safe, too comfortable… The phone rang, cutting Rainbow Dash short in the middle of her sentence. She looked at Dr. Horse making a sign with his hand and picking up. The person at the end of the line might be saying something really important since the psychiatrist didn’t open his mouth before at least one minute. “Fine… Give her ten milligram of Tercian, it’s enough.” Then he hung up, focusing back on the young woman in front of him, nervously playing with the rims of her skirt. The first time he saw her facing him in this same office, she had one side of her head shaved, a distant look, messy hair and her face was covered with bruises and scratches. Now she was starting at his bobble loafers, as if the simple fact of looking into his eyes would mean nothing had happened between her first day here and now. As if she hadn’t changed, hadn’t grown up. Hadn’t learned anything. “Still with Tercian, uh?” she whispered, almost for herself. “Yes. It remains the most effective remedy in some of the cases…” Silence. Brief memories went through her mind. Screams. Fright. Darkness. More screams. She shook her head, in order to focus back on the present days, and finally rose her eyes to meet Dr. Horse’s. “Probably.” “You were saying you were feeling bad to have force your friend Fluttershy…” “Ah, yes. That’s what I was saying, yeah.” The young pink-haired woman barely had talked to her since they were back from bungee jump. Even far from the place, she kept on shaking, and had refused Rainbow Dash to give her any kind of comfort. A bit earlier in the morning, she’d confessed him she had a date with Big Macintosh, for a romantic day together. They would only take a walk, a few pictures on the way, and then eat something. Although it was nothing unordinary, there were no need to explain that this little something pleased Fluttershy, who was feeling happy just by spending a few minutes by her boyfriend’s side. Because she didn’t want to be alone today, Rainbow Dash went with her to meet the boy. Like most of the time, he was accompanied by Zephyr, Fluttershy’s brother, who had decided it was his duty to give his blessing to each of their date together. In fact, this detail always outraged Rainbow Dash. His sister was old enough to know what to do. She didn’t need a chaperon as if she was some kind of retarded. As soon as they arrived, Fluttershy flew into Big Macintosh’s arms, as if she had been the victim of the most violent of aggression. Alright, she never really been the brave type, but all the same… What was the use of acting such as a big baby?! Did she really want her moron of big brother to keep on treating her the way he did? And, she made her appear as the bad one. “What have ya done to her?” Big Macintosh questioned, unsure of how he could get comfort to his girlfriend. “Say what! Only bungee jump. Please, she’s not dead!” “I’m not but I could have been!” Fluttershy whined, looking up, on the verge of tears, at her boyfriend. “Ya know she’s easily scared. Why didn’t ya ask to somebody else?” “Like me”, Zephyr intervened. “Like not even in your wildest of wildest dreams, you dimwitted!” The worse of this all was that Rainbow Dash realized how odious she was behaving with everyone. She wanted to talk to them in a very different way, but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t help it… They had a way of making her go on pins and needles. All of them were acting as if everything was for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Couldn’t they see how life was a disgusting thing? She was lucky they weren’t too annoying, and most importantly, that they knew she had mitigating circumstances. Not answering her provocations, Big Macintosh, still holding Fluttershy in his arms, offered her to come and share an ice-cream with them. It was a very kind offer, but too little compatible with what she felt like doing. To tell the truth, since months, she had something in mind, and she was thinking that today was the perfect day to get this idea on track. “Don’t you rather want to go and get a tattoo with me? Sunset Shimmer told me if we wanted one, she would make a special price for us!” “It’s nice of you but I had enough strong sensations for today… or even for the whole year”, Fluttershy whispered. “Come on, please… No need to make something huge, just a small one would do.” “A tattoo must mean something to ya or it means ya don’t really need it.” “You’re nothing but a bunch of chickens! I’ll go on my own, too bad for you”, Rainbow Dash finished, shrugging. Once again, the fact she was talking to them this way hurt her heart deeply, and yet, she was unable to display a single hint of benevolence. Each time they opened their mouths and said something, she felt as if her friends had all been watered down into glucose syrup. She turned her back on them and decided she was better off alone, since things were this way. The couple’s voices resounded behind her, telling her goodbye, and she answered with a wave, not turning around. A few seconds later, she saw Zephyr walking by her side, a wide smile upon his juvenile and stubbly face. “What the hell are you doing here?” Yes, being on her own was going to be difficult, however she wasn’t yet so desperate she needed company at any cost, especially when it was such an unbearable one. “You’re right, they’re a couple of chickens… I’m going to get a tattoo with you.” “Like, for real?” “I swear!” This scenario changed the rules. To get a tattoo was a fancy, a sudden and reckless desire. For all that, she had her head screwed on right. If Zephyr got tattooed with her, she would have a witness to tell everyone how brave she’d been, and how stoical she’d remained once in front of the needle. As a little girl, her mother congratulated her or bought her a lollipop each time she didn’t screamed nor cried during her vaccines and the application of disinfectant on her many boo-boos. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it, she repeated to herself. “Well, then, follow me. But I’m warning you, if I catch you boohooing, it’s seriously going to piss me off.” “I won’t boohoo. Come on, I’m a man.” “Stupid remark…” Despite this cutting comment, the young man stayed by her side, never losing his smile. One needed to see the pride with which he was strutting in the streets of Canterlot, just because he was alone with her. Unceasingly, she rolled her eyes and gave him single-syllable answers each time he asked her a question, yet he remained in the sunniest of moods. They arrived in front of the tattoo workshop when his cheery face vanished away all of a sudden. Behind the window, one of the employees showed a patron what the various needles she was using looked like. Zephyr froze, and turned paler than a corpse. She heard him swallowing, and as she was pushing the door open, Rainbow Dash saw the young man wasn’t following. “Get your ass off! It takes very long and I don’t have all day!” “Well… All things considered, I’m staying here and I’ll wait for you to be done, alright? I don’t think I want to get a tattoo after all…” “Sheesh, don’t wait for me and go back home. I don’t want to be seen with such a wimp!” Usually, such a comment from her would have been enough to make him change his mind. Not today. Today, he didn’t need to be asked twice to turn back and flee as fast as he could, far from mean, mean needles. Rainbow Dash shrugged and stepped into the workshop. She would never have bear him for so long, anyway. This guy had a gift to make her mad when she was feeling good, so there was no need to insist on this very special kind of Saturday… The bell announcing a new costumer resounded above her head. Immediately, Sunset Shimmer, who was at the reception desk, looked up from her magazine and smiled happily at her. She had tied her red and yellow hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a white tee-shirt with a mustard yellow jacket, along with black jeans torn all along her legs which appeared when she leaned against the counter in order to wave her friend. “Are you alone?” she asked, pleased to have a familiar face at her working place. “Yeah, I see Pinkie Pie tonight but for now, everybody let me down.” “Not cool… Are you here for me or did you make up your mind for a tattoo?” “Option number two.” “Awesome! Do you know what kind of tattoo you want?” “Well, not really… I thought about the cloud and thunderbolt, you know… Like my necklace and my bracelet”, she said, shaking her wrist. “Let me see…” Sunset Shimmer looked closely at her item, then grabbed a pencil and a notebook that were near her on the counter. With a few lines, she was able to make a sketch looking exactly like the item on her bracelet. She showed her friend the result. “Like this?” “Perfect! You’re gifted in drawing.” “No, it’s nothing at all. Well… Let’s see when it’s going to be possible…” After she pushed away her notebook, she grabbed another one under the counter, and turned the page at full throttle. It took Rainbow Dash a few seconds to understand what her friend meant. Before she got any farther, she grabbed her wrist, and plunged a firm look into her blue eyes. “Are you saying you can’t do this right now?” “Well… I am. I thought you knew. Our book is full at least until next week. Maybe I’ll find one hour and a half for you Saturday a week on.” “I don’t want to do it Saturday a week on. I want to do it now.” “I’m sorry, it’s impossible. No artist is free, we’re overbooked, and as I’m still minor I’m forbidden to tattoo someone unless there’s an adult to supervise me.” “We could find an arrangement. Don’t need to tell your boss.” “It’s impossible, Rainbow Dash. I have to be at the reception desk. If I tattoo you and anything bad happen, it would be the workshop’s responsibility.” “You know what? Forget it!” After this, she grabbed Sunset Shimmer’s sketches notebook, torn off the drawing her friend had done, rolling it into a ball that she threw in her direction. “Don’t take it personally, Dash.” “How do you want me to take it? I thought we were friends. Can’t you even do it for your friend?” “Precisely. You’re my friend, so I don’t want to take such a risk. Listen… I know today isn’t an easy day for you, but…” “Shut up. Don’t say another word.” Above all, never evoking what this day meant to her. If she said so much as the words “your mother”, she could scream of frustration. It was the day when no one could address this topic. She was feeling as if people were trying to stab her whole body with daggers. “Rainbow Dash…” “Stop! You don’t want to do this? Fine. Don’t do this. But don’t ever speak to me again.” Why had she said something like this? Sunset Shimmer was a precious friend, always ready to defend her. Just because she was refusing to give in to one of her whims, and for good reasons, she had thrown this at her face. It was unfair, and she was aware of this. Nevertheless, instead of apologizing like she was dying to, she turned around and left the tattoo workshop in a hurry, even bumping into a female costumer stepping into the boutique. If she apologized, she knew what was going to happen… Sunset Shimmer would want to talk about her mother. And she refused to do that. It was better this way, and too bad if she was mad at her. She deserved it, anyway. Her story could have stopped here. She could have go back home and get satisfied with her first option in the dead silence and emptiness of her house. Yes, if she hadn’t been able to convince Pinkie Pie to go to this club, things could have stayed this way. “This friend… Pinkie Pie? You didn’t know her four years ago…” “That’s right.” “So, does she know about your mother?” “She does. All my friends know, even Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy.” “It means you’re able to talk about it.” “I don’t know if that’s the right word to say. I’m always staying on the surface of things.” It probably was one of her biggest issues. The fact she refused to speak about this topic openheartedly, even with the persons that were the dearest in her heart. Soarin hadn’t even been told about what she’d been through before this gloomy night… It allowed her to keep on pretending, as if nothing had happened. As if at night, when she got home, she wasn’t in front of absence and empty space. As if her nightmares were completely over. “Your friend Pinkie Pie was with you for the night, am I right?” She nodded, aware that he was expecting more. And also aware that what was left to tell wasn’t glorious either. “Was everything alright?” “You can’t say that. It was… worse than the rest!” After leaving Sunset Shimmer in this very little friendly way, she went to the Silk Road’s giant luxury mall, where she would never go usually. People running errands here were of the same social rank than her, yet she wasn’t feeling like one of them. It was the kind of persons her father would have liked her to meddle with. Those who were on the magazines, designed as the future of the country, fashionista princesses, and high finance wolves in the making. Everything she could never be, even by forcing her own nature. There were glances at her, all along her stroll, or rather her buying frenzy, but Rainbow Dash didn’t mind. She bought a very sexy new dress, black, with a lowcut at the back and sophisticated high heel pumps that Rarity wouldn’t have denied, but that she wouldn’t ever wear again. Then, though she hated to stay inactive for hours while someone was fingering her skin, she went to a spa and even asked for a professional makeup. Thus painted, she met Pinkie Pie at the opposite side of the city. The area they went to, to be honest, had a very bad reputation. It even was its major feature. Still with this sensation of flirting with danger… Her friend couldn’t resist the invitation. Any occasions to party – what Rainbow Dash promised her – were good to take. That the place was famous for not being really welcoming past midnight didn’t really matter. She’d been part of a gang, after all. She could defend herself. All she’d have to do would be to tell her former leader’s name. At least, it was what she said to her friend when she agreed to come with her. They both made a big impression when they stepped into the club they’d chosen. There were very few girls of their social world around here, though Pinkie Pie wasn’t really from the same class than Rainbow Dash. It didn’t matter neither. They were not there to flirt, but to dance the night away. It all started really good. Rainbow Dash led her friend on the dancing floor from the very beginning, and both spent one hour laughing and moving their hips at the sound of dubstep which they were keen of around here, without anything particular to happen. That was when they went to the bar in order to get some drinks that things started to get out of hands. They had just ordered a round of tequila shots when a stranger offered to pay for their next drink. They both knew the men and boys going in that club weren’t the desirable kind, so Pinkie Pie politely refused. But Rainbow Dash said yes, unsure of why she did. Of course, the stranger in question, dressed with leather pants and a grey tee-shirt with the name of a metal band printed on it, wanted to keep them company. The way he was hitting on the young woman lacked subtlety and she couldn’t help but laughing at him. How lucky that he thought she was laughing at his jokes… Probably because he thought the fact she accepted a drink and she let him talk to her had another meaning. Indeed, when they went back on the dancefloor, the man followed them. They hoped they would lose him among the crowd, but he was stubborn and tenacious, and able to find them. From then on, determined to get what he thought she owed him, he stuck to Rainbow Dash, trying to grab her hips, to take her hands, if not to kiss her… She rejected him from the very start, but the more his advances were insistent; the more aggressive she became. “Piss off, you asshole! Stop sticking to me like glue with her calloused hands and your rotten breath!” she finally yelled at him. It hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. The man, tipsy, lost his kind of lecherous smile, and his face became as hard as reinforced concrete. He grabbed Rainbow Dash’s wrist and shook her with all his might. “Who the hell do you think you are, you little slut! Who allowed you to call me an asshole?” “I’m calling you whatever I want!” she laughed in his face. “I’m going to beat the f*ck out of you, you slut!” It was at this moment that the man was punched in the nose by someone else. Feeling it coming, Pinkie Pie also grabbed her friend by the wrist, and begged her to follow her outside. They had to run away. These guys weren’t joking. They weren’t Sunset Shimmer’s former friends, nor Trixie, Lightning Dust or even Mr. Caballeron. They were real criminals. What they were able to do was at the front page of newspapers. But the man who had hit on her hadn’t come alone. He had a whole bunch of friends with him, all as suspicious-looking as him, and they tried to block the way. “We’re not done with you, the little prick-teasers. If you follow us without scandals, we’ll only rape you.” Right then, both thought this would be their final hour. What saved them was that the other guy was in trouble in his fight with their invisible benefactor. He needed backup to help him getting rid of him… or her. It drew the club’s bouncers’ attention, who ran to the place of the action, armed with stun guns. If they were intercepted by security, they would call the police. What would happen next couldn’t be more logical. They were minors and were forbidden to be here. Their parents would be warned, they would spend the night in a drunk tank for teens, and would have to pay an expensive fine. This time, they had no other choice than running away. They ran breathlessly, in a straight line, after escaping by the fire issue, to make sure no one would catch them. They ran until they were far enough from the club not to fear anything. Though they were athletes, they felt as if they’d run after smoking a whole pack of cigarettes. Hands on their knees, each had to wait to catch their breath before being able to speak. Once the adrenalin down, there was something feverish in the air. At least, that was what Rainbow Dash was feeling. “Phew! That was close! Fun, wasn’t it?” “Fun?!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “Fun? We could have croaked!” Rainbow Dash’s smile fell back. In the half-dark, in front of her, her friend had red cheeks, and temples were beating in an irregular way. Frowning, her usual smile had deserted her. And she knew. She knew this time; she had gone too far. For good. Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer… It was nothing in comparison. Everything she had put her other friends through on the same day in the past, it was nothing either. Pinkie Pie was angry, and yelling at her, what she thought to be almost impossible, as rare as an avalanche in the middle of a desert. “But…”, she tried to argue. “There’s not ‘but’!”, Pinkie Pie cut her short. “Those guys were criminals! They threatened to rape us and it’s nothing fun. Who can tell whether they wouldn’t have stabbed us and left us in a gutter or who knows what else?” Everything her friend said was true, and because she knew it was true, and she was fully aware of what they’d just risked, she was feeling horrible. Even trying hard, she couldn’t help but shake, from head to toes and even her whole face. Tears were coming up soon… It probably was the reason why Pinkie Pie’s tone went less on the reproach mode. For all that, she didn’t go soft on her. There were things she needed to hear, and too bad if she didn’t like them. “I know you’re suffering and this is a very hard day for you. You wish you were able to forget everything… But that’s not the way you’re going to feel any better and face the truth. Wake up! It’s as self-destructive as swallowing pills, and it won’t fix up anything. It never will! This day is going to come back every year and you’ll have to deal with it!” This time, tears were here. They were soaking her cheeks, making everything which had stayed stable until then shake. Pinkie Pie was right. The only problem was that Rainbow Dash didn’t feel ready to deal with all this tonight. It probably was the best moment for her to, yet each of the words sounded unbearable to her. Just like the rest. She stepped back, staring at her friend who seemed to have understand what would happen next. Arms stretched out, she made a step forward, but Rainbow Dash stepped back again, and when her foot met a garbage can which had been pushed down the ground, she turned around and ran away once more. Pinkie Pie’s voice calling her resounded behind her, but she stopped running only once sure she was even more lost. Most importantly, until she was certain she couldn’t be caught back. So, she let herself fall along a wall and let her pain burst out. Tears she had shed the last time she spoke to her father were nothing in comparison. It was as intense as it had been on the day she realized her mother was dead and gone forever, many days after her funerals, when she woke up from her sideration state. Something became clear in her mind at this right moment – she would never be really healed. She had thought so, but it was impossible. Her mourn hadn’t been done the right way, and here she was, hurting herself and hurting the ones she loved, as if she was trying to make them feel as bad as she. Supposing that they would ever speak to her again… Author's Note This new chapter excpetionnally gets published today, because tomorrow night, my BFF and I are having a GoT marathon! Rainbow's Blues (part 2)She wasn’t proud of herself. This story was nothing glorious, conversely. After she had cheated death even closer than on the morning, and dragged with her one of her most precious friend, she happened to be on her own in an unknown area, crying rivers. Anything could have happened to her… In fact, once again her eyes were staring anywhere but at Dr. Horse, who probably was trying to interpret each of the micro-emotions from her face. Rainbow Dash heard him clearing his throat, and the sound of his pencil moving along the paper of his notepad. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see him picking up his phone and calling Miss Red Heart in order to command her to come and give her a room. But he didn’t. All he did was staring at her and asking her what she did after this unfortunate episode. To be honest, when she had stepped into his office, she had no intention of telling him what happened next. A part of the end of this day was very intimate and he didn’t need to know… Shrugging, she decided not to tell him about what was the most private. A heavy and icy rain had started to fall while she was crying. It was late, she was distraught, and she felt as if no one could save her. While she went looking for a cab, unsure of where she’d ask it to go, a face appeared in her mind. He could understand and find the words… She wouldn’t try to put him in jeopardy, the way she did with Fluttershy and most importantly with Pinkie Pie. Now it was too late and the harm was done, she knew her lesson. What Rainbow Dash had forgotten was that taxis didn’t come around this area easily, and she had to walk under the rain for at least one hour, barefoot since she’d broken one heel of her expensive pair of pumps. When she finally found a car which agreed to bring her to the university district, it was so late she feared she’d done all this for nothing. Rain hadn’t stopped when she climbed at his floor – she knew the entrance code by heart – and she knocked on the door. The whole building was plunged into silence, if not for light sounds she didn’t identify immediately. Then it came back to her mind. Right above his desk, he had hung a black board on which he wrote complicated scientific calculations Rainbow Dash knew quite well. Her mother used to do the same. It meant he wasn’t asleep. A few seconds later, a disheveled Soarin dressed in a pajama opened the door. His eyes opened wide when he saw her, not only because it was late at night, but also because her general state was rather piteous. Her beautiful professional makeup was butchered. Her mascara formed some kind of cracks in the middle of her foundation. Her eyeliner had dripped and made her look like she had received two punches under her eyes. As far as her lipstick was concerned, it no longer covered her mouth, but was going awry, towards the black on her left cheek. To make matter worse, her soaked hair hung like an old worn out towel along her shoulders, and the wet material of her dress stuck against her skin, freezing her whole body. “Dashie…? What happened to you?” She didn’t know whether it was the worried sound of his voice, or the sole fact of being in front of him, but the gates opened again, and she burst into tears, her face into her hands. Immediately, Soarin made her step inside, and closed the door behind him. Then he softly took her in his arms, and patiently waited for the shakes of her body against his shoulder to decrease. If he said anything before she was quieted down, he feared she would break down again. Meanwhile, he was patting her back and whispering words of comfort. The dampness of both her tears and dress came and wetted the clothes of his pajamas, but it didn’t matter. What kind of boyfriend would he be if he let her in such a state of distress without trying to comfort her? When he felt her tears had run dry, he brought her to the edge of his bed so she could sit. Her fishnet stockings were torn off at the heel and ball of the foot… Little pieces of gravels had even come to lodge themselves around here. Whatever had happened to her was serious. “You’re going to tell me everything, alright? But first…” Quickly, he went to his small bathroom and came back with two towels and a wet flannel. Soarin gave her the flannel so she could clean up her face, put the first towel on her hair and the second one around her shoulders, rubbing them with a little something anxious. “Now I’m all yours. Tell me…” Her eyes in the vague, like absent, she opened her mouth and explained, in a summarized, dreary and monotonic way, that today was her mother’s death anniversary, and then everything she had made Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer and most importantly Pinkie Pie go through. “If you only knew how bad I’m feeling about this”, she said looking straight into his eyes. “I’ve been horrible! They’re going to hate me and they won’t ever speak to me again.” “Don’t say that, I’m sure they won’t…” This time, Soarin slightly rubbed the towel on her head, since she hadn’t touched it yet, her arms looking like bubblegum hanging along her body. Then, with his thumb, he wiped away remains of tears on her cheeks, and cupped her face with his two hands. “They know what this day means to you. They’re good friends, you know… They love you. And so do I.” Alright, maybe it wasn’t the perfect moment for such a confession, but he just couldn’t help it and let it escape his mouth. A very brief display of joy went through her magenta eyes, then she lowered her eyes on her two hands on Soarin’s laps, still shaking from cold. It was late. She was frozen. She was scared of anything that could happen if she left the soothing warmth of this small apartment to be on her own in her big empty house. To be alone… No, not tonight. Not after all this. It was the best way for her to go insane again. “Can I… sleep here tonight?” It was in no way an answer or even a comment about what he had just said. Rainbow Dash wished the words could go out of her mouth, yet neither did she want Soarin to believe she had said them in the confusion of the moment, or only to please him. The young man didn’t point out her omission. It would have been no use. And it wasn’t what she was expecting from him. “Of course you can. I’m going to get you pajamas, alright? Plus, it won’t hurt you to change your clothes, conversely. You could fall sick.” “Thanks”, she whispered. She was staring at the vague again. Her mind seemed to be unable to think, like a completely blank page refusing to be filled with words. She had to clasp her hands not to let herself go. Her fear was to go back to her state of psychological shock, which she was in for a few days after her mother’s death, and of which she went out with a violent and destructive suddenness. Meanwhile, Soarin was rummaging through his closet, from which he got a tee-shirt and shorts that might be thrice larger than the young woman’s waist. Even with a bit of imagination, it was the only articles of clothing he could find that would at least fit her. “Here… Put this on”, he said, putting the clothes by her side. “Do you want hot milk with a touch of honey? It will help you to relax.” “It’s nice of you. Thank you, Soarin.” She answered still with her absent stare, and kept it while taking her clothes off, while Soarin got busy in his tiny kitchen, his back on her not to risk to see her naked by accident. Hot milk with a touch of honey was something from their shared childhood. On the winter nights, it always was what her mother used to prepare for them after they’d played in the snow and came back frozen from their snow ball fights. Better than anyone else, he knew how this little sweet something was able to warm her heart. But while milk warmed up on his old hot plate, he was obliged to leave her alone with her thoughts. Soarin almost jumped when he heard the sound of her voice. Her words barely were audible, so he had to prick up his ears in order to listen to what she was saying. Maybe it wasn’t even addressed to him… “Do you know what’s the worse? It’s not to have witnessed her accident… No. What kills me is each time I think about what might have been her very last seconds… I just can’t, it’s so horrible!” Soarin stopped what he was doing as she burst into tears again. In a bit less violent way, but… It was the first time she confessed it out loud, repeating it to somebody else than herself. It didn’t make things easier to put up with, but at least, truth was out. Yes, what she had been through was traumatizing. It had launched an avalanche of misfortunes, a scar deeper than all the rest, and which would never be healed completely. However, it wasn’t the images of the blazing plane making a nosedive towards the ground which shocked her the most, in her memories and her nightmares. It was the thought that her mother probably understood, behind her shaft, that she wouldn’t escape and it was her end which was coming closer. This, she couldn’t come to term with. It wasn’t how this extraordinary person should have left the world, but old, warm in her bed, and surrounded by whom she loved the most and who loved her too. Soarin turned off the hot plate, hurried to prepare the cup of milk and came back to Rainbow Dash. He put the cup on the low table behind him, and held his girlfriend in his arms, the way he did a bit earlier. She hung at his shoulders, and the muffled hiccups she choked in his ears broke his heart in two. He couldn’t imagine the pain she was going through at this very moment. This time, waiting for her to calm down on her own seemed a little complicated, so Soarin made sure she would look at him, while drying the tears she kept on crying with the back of his sleeve. “I’m not going to tell you commonplaces, things people often don’t even mean… I’m not going to lie to you either, telling you it will get better with time, because I know it won’t erase anything… What I can tell you is what I’m convinced of. Whatever happened, these last seconds… They have been for you. She loved you so much.” Maybe it wasn’t much. But these few words, said in all sincerity, were able to make her sobs stop, without her being sure of why it did. It didn’t change anything to the awful truth, yet it was a small detail which added a bit of softness to the whole. Rainbow Dash remembered… A few days before the beginning of the show, when she went to encourage Firefly on the runway strip, the way she always did, her mother had given her this necklace with a tricolor thunder out of a white puffy cloud, telling her she had it drawn especially for her, and that she would wear it on the day she would become a pilot herself. Right before climbing into her plane, she smiled at her tenderly and declared: “I’ll fly for you today, my Dashie. As always.” If Soarin hadn’t been here, she didn’t know what she would have done. Because he had known Firefly longer than any of her friend actually did, he knew perfectly who she was, and how much she adored her daughter – to the extent of creating tensions between her and her husband many times. She could never thank him enough for what he was doing for her. Seeing she seemed to feel better, he slipped the cup of hot milk into her hands. She was less cold now, and the steaming cup against her palm did her some good she really needed. She was very lucky to have Soarin by her side, a boyfriend who she could share everything with. So understanding, so patient, so soothing. And she still hid him things. Dark things she still was ashamed of today. Too often, she had been scared that telling him about this period of her life would change the image he had of her, but now she realized it was a bad understanding of the benevolent nature of the young man. She had to tell him. What happened after her mother’s accident. After she swallowed her hot milk in silence, Rainbow Dash put the cup on the closest prop, and took the hand which was not stroking her back tenderly and which he had put on her laps. Words were difficult to get out yet she had to tell them. He couldn’t be the only one not to know about something that important and serious. It wasn’t easy, yes, but she didn’t have the choice now. He wasn’t hiding her anything, not even the most hideous of his weaknesses. It was her turn to open the rest of her heart to him. “Do you remember on my birthday party; the bubble pack I tried to conceal?” He nodded, and waited for her to go on. “These sleeping pills… I take them since my mother’s death. Because… I have to tell you about what happened next. And it’s rather ugly.” “You can tell me about anything you want. I’ll be here to listen and I’ll never judge you. You know it, don’t you?” This time, she was the one nodding. He had given up on the little strokes along her spine and was now holding her two hands in his. Large and always warm. She liked his hands so much… “Right after the accident, I fell into some kind of daze, like a zombie. When I realized Mommy was gone forever, I went out of this state and made a severe depression. I experienced the accident again through nightmares, I didn’t want to see anyone, I was paranoiac, I didn’t want to do anything neither, except running, running until my whole body ached. Sometimes I was having this thing… they call it psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. It looks like epilepsy attack but it’s longer and the causes aren’t the same.” Rainbow Dash felt Soarin’s hand clasping hers. If he could touch her palms, he would feel the droplets piled up here within a minute of explanation. She swallowed, and went on. Now it was too late to turn back. “It’s because of all this that…” Break. Deep sigh. “It’s because of this that I made a nervous breakdown one night. I could no longer face my loneliness, my nightmares, Mommy being gone, my crisis… So I took a bottle of whisky in my father’s office, and painkillers, and I tried to kill myself.” She saw a shadow passing through Soarin’s face, and immediately, the look in his eyes changed. Not from deception, which she had feared, but from something else. Some kind of despair, and fear, mixed with the realization that he could have lost her forever. Her boyfriend opened his mouth to make a comment but she stopped him, putting on his lips a hand she had taken off his sweet embrace. “Let me finish… You have to let me go all the way or else I’m scared I’ll never find the strength to tell you this again.” Once sure he wouldn’t try to add anything, she resumed her story. “I lied on the bathroom floor, hoping I would die quickly… I don’t know for how long did I remain this way, before deciding to get up and to go in my bed instead. But I immediately lost my balance and my shoulder bumped into the mirror before I fell back on the floor. Well, that’s what my father told me… He’s the one who found me. I’ve been in the coma for a few days. And after this, on the advice of the doctor who had taken care of me, Dad decided to send me to a hospital.” “To rest?” “No. Not this kind of hospital. A psychiatric institute for minors.” It probably was the most difficult part of all this confession. Of course, her depression hadn’t been a stroll in the park, but everything surrounding her suicide attempt was hazy, a bit like a remote dream. When memories she had from her stay in Green Haven were dreadfully crystal clear. She had a quick glimpse at Soarin. Despite the fact he promised not to judge her, she couldn’t help but being scared of his reaction. What would he think about her now? For sure, he wouldn’t see her anymore as the awesome character full of self-confidence she was doing her best to stay. But the look on his face remained unchanged. So, she went on. “I guess these were the worst days of my life… I bet you never had to wear a straitjacket… There’s nothing in the world that’s more humiliating.” Rainbow Dash suppressed a chill. It was as if she could still feel the hessian was clasped against her chest, and the straps against her back. Somewhere on the Web, she had read the use of straitjackets were exaggerated on works of fiction, and they were in reality used for the most violent of patients… In Green Haven, at the least display of aggressiveness a little too noisy, they had it out, often accompanying it with a strong dose of Tercian and most terribly, of a short stay in The Room. The Room was the worse of worst things. “The girl I had to share a bedroom with had issues with blades of any kind. One day, she’d been able to steal a switchblade in a store and to come back from a group outing with it. She stabbed me… Here… And here…” First, Rainbow Dash showed Soarin her left forearm, then her upper right thigh. Indeed, he already had noticed ugly scars around the two spots, that she wasn’t really trying to hide. He always thought it probably was due to her daring nature, as she had fallen so many times from the huge tree in her garden on which she tried to climb all the time while playing. Soarin would never have guessed it came from stabs. For the second time since her story began, he dared saying something. “Why did she do that?” “She said it was to set me free. Since I wanted to die, she was going to help me. But I no longer wanted to die at this moment. I was better, thanks to Dr. Horse and Miss Red Heart. It was a bit before I was able to leave the institute, but I had to celebrate my fourteenth birthday there because of that. They were scared it would create another trauma.” Here. In the end, it hadn’t been so terrible. She had thought she would never be able to enunciate, but everything had gone out naturally, just like when she confessed it to Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, and even Pinkie Pie. That was how she realized. Speaking about it again was a good thing. If she was able to speak about it again, she would get rid of everything that still blocked her each time she was thinking about it, each time this cursed day came back on her calendar. It was the moment when she decided to see Dr. Horse again, and to resume the conversations she had let hanging when she left Green Haven and refused to continue her therapy. Her story to the doctor stopped here as well. It was all the psychiatrist needed to know. What happened next was her own business. But something happened next. “Why haven’t you told me before?” Soarin asked her. “I was scared. Scared it would be too hard, scared that… you’d think I was dysfunctional and broken. Do you think I’m broken?” There were uncontrollable hints of despair in her voice. “You’re not broken. Just a little cracked apart.” In silence, he went to put the cup into the sink. One in the morning. It was more than the moment to go to bed, what Soarin pushed her to do while he was preparing the tableware for breakfast. He had his back on her and didn’t see anything… The shorts he had given her were so large for her it fell at her feet when she tried to get up. Discreetly, Rainbow Dash picked it up and put it on a cushion, before slipping between the sheets. When Soarin turned off the lights and lied down beside her, he wasn’t much surprised that she curled up against him, the tip of her nose rubbing against the cotton of his pajama top. She was snuggled so close he couldn’t ignore the warmth of her own body, her fragrance with hints of spice – and a bit of tequila – and her bare legs wrapping around his thighs. Although he had a lot of self-control and wasn’t the type to be obsessed by sex with women, it was hard for him to master his reactions. It wasn’t any girl who was glued at him like this… It was the one he was deeply in love with, the one he couldn’t stop thinking about night and day. With another girl, it would have been easy for him to turn around and fall asleep without further ado. Rainbow Dash looked up to him with questioning eyes. His tension was more than palpable. She almost felt as if she was lying next to a marble statue. Even if she was rather naïve in certain conditions, she was far from being stupid. It wasn’t that hard to understand what put him in such a state. In the past, she had always been with boys in constant need. Each time, she started by refusing, and finally given in when she had enough. But at no moment did Soarin tried to slip one of his hands lower when they were cuddling or even tried to lay her down on his bed when they were kissing. It fit her just right. Affection was enough for her, and in her mind, daring thoughts never grew. If sometimes, something sexual went across her mind, it was as fast and meaningless as any thoughts of her daily life. Questions about sexuality she had asked herself until then were limited to “since I’m not this and I’m not that, then what am I?” For the second time in her life, another body made her want to have a closer contact, even if it was rather chaste for now. Soarin being so tense wasn’t strange nor was it insulting in her opinion. He probably was scared to do something he shouldn’t be doing. It was up to her to show him that she wasn’t afraid and that she was feeling ready to explore something new and a bit different with him. He opened his eyes wide as he saw Rainbow Dash sitting up straight, shifting the weight of her body in order to sit on top of him, a thigh at each side of his hips, and leaning over to kiss him. Before her lips touched his, Soarin gently pushed her back by the shoulders. In the half dark, he couldn’t completely distinguish the features of her face. She seemed to be composed, if not sure of herself, but he had to be certain. “Nothing obliges you to do this, you know. We can perfectly sleep together without anything like this to happen, the way we did back in Fillydelphia.” “It’s okay if it’s with you.” “But… What if… I mean… I don’t want to hurt you.” “Let’s say we establish a code. If I don’t say anything, everything’s fine. If I say “orange”, it means “slow down” and if I say “red”, it means “stop”.” In front of his bewildered face, Rainbow Dash took one of his hands and put it under her tee-shirt, right beside her belly button. “I know everything’s going to be fine.” “Alright, then…” From the moment their lips met, the whole thing flowed naturally, as if they already knew each other by heart. Yet everything was unseen and fresh. It was different to be together this way. To notice how broad his shoulders were, how soft and gentle his hands were, never intrusive. To smell the real perfume of her skin, its delicacy, how firm her stomach was, shaped by boxing and climbing. At only one moment did she use their code… To show him how to stroke the right way, so he could get more intense sighs out of her mouth. For all the rest, they were on the same wavelength. It even was intoxicating, to see how their harmony, made of nuances and complementarity, was working even in the intimacy. “Be nice, alright? Doesn’t seem like yet this part’s fragile”, she told him, eyes to eyes. Both at the same time, they burst into laugh. It was the first time of the whole day that Rainbow Dash was laughing heartily, or even that she was laughing, period. She’d missed this sensation so much… Then, it was replaced by something else. Pleasant too, but in another way. Yet it took her a couple of minutes to be perfectly at ease, and to push aside what Fireball told her on the day they broke. Soarin didn’t seem to think he was making love to a plank of wood… He rather seemed to be enjoying the experience, and even complimented her on how beautiful she was, which she wasn’t quite used to. Once she finally felt a hundred percent comfortable, it was as if she rediscovered what intimacy of this kind really felt like. Came back to her sensations she had almost forgotten, and that none of her former boyfriends had been able to make her feel, since desire wasn’t shared. There only had been one boy whom it had been possible with, but even this time hadn’t been as pleasant as tonight was. She loved Soarin, not like a friend or a brother. From the deepest of her heart, even if it still was quite hard to for to say it out loud. It was the detail changing everything. Something she would never had thought possible. Sitting on his bed, Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin coming back with two glasses of fresh water, the blanket only covered the bottom part of her body. It had always fascinated her, how easy it was to be walking around naked in front of the other, once more than just kisses had been shared. Without trying to put things back in place, as soon as she had drunk her glass, Soarin put them back on the closest support, and they both slipped back between the blankets, in the messy bed. “This is my favorite part”, Rainbow Dash said as she snuggled between Soarin’s arms. “Just for this very moment… It is worth it.” “I can only agree.” “Who would have thought we would be here, one day?” “I did. I always knew. We’re meant to be.” “Sheesh, you’re so sappy!”, she said, laughing. “But you love me…” “It’s true.” He knew it would be much complicated for her to say these three words. The only person she used to tell them most gladly was her mother… It didn’t matter. This answer fit him. Deep inside, he knew. And the most dazzling proof of it wasn’t the fact they had made love together tonight. It was that when with him, she didn’t need sleeping pills or any kind of medicine, in order to fall asleep with no fear. The safety she was feeling by his side… It was worthier than any words of the world. Rainbow's Blues (part 3)The hand shaking her shoulder was gentle and caring. Thanks to this, Rainbow Dash knew she wasn’t home, and that the person trying to wake her up calling her name in a whisper wasn’t her father. Then, she remembered. The rain. Her arriving at Soarin’s. She’d finally told him the truth and… They’d fallen asleep into each other’s arms, naked like new born children. The touch of his skin, soft and firm, was like resting on a bed of velvet. This night had been one of the most pleasant she had spent since ages, and although she’d waken up a few times, in no way going back to sleep had risen any anguishes from her. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Soarin’s face in front of her. He was wearing his sports clothes and his phone and a bottle of water were on his laps. “I’m going to run a bit”, he said in a low voice, as if they were spied on. “There’s a breakfast for you on the table. You can have a shower, anything you want.” “Alright? Do you want me to go and run with you? It won’t hurt me.” “Rest again. You need it”, Soarin answered, stroking her face. Since he was insisting, why should she struggle? Rainbow Dash let her head fall back on the pillow, and heard him crossing the small apartment to get to the door, and leave. Suddenly, the silence and empty space beside her seemed to be a little less mellow and soothing. What made this place so warm was his own presence. Her hair messy, she sat back up and stroke the space beside her. It seemed she still could distinguish the outlines of his body. If it hadn’t been so cliché and sappy, she would willingly had rolled over the bed while inhaling his perfume against the sheets. Instead, she got up, and tried to unearth the pajamas Soarin had given her on the previous night, along with her panties and bras that might be somewhere. She was lucky the studio had no building opposite or the neighbors would have had a chance to play peeping Toms. The breakfast cooked by her boyfriend looked tasty. Tomato-flavored omelet, green tea, muesli, low-sugar brioche and even her infamous detox made from hot water, lemon juice and Cayenne Pepper… He had forgotten nothing of what she liked best, or what she needed to start the day in the finest mood. Almost as if he had foreseen it. After all, it had been a few weeks since she’d arrived here with a toothbrush that she put inside his bathroom glass “just in case”. Maybe he knew this day would eventually come, since on the night before, he had admitted he always knew they would one day be what they were now for each other. Whatever it was, this attention was adorable. She couldn’t even cook ready-made pancakes without burning them… Cooking wasn’t her field of expertise at all. Neither was cleaning up things. In short, if one day they’d come to settle down together, her duty would be massages – and selecting good movies to watch. Those were tasks which fit her perfectly. Rainbow Dash ate her breakfast with appetite, while wondering how she could do him a favor to thank him. Sure, Soarin hadn’t done all this in hope of getting something in return, but he was so kind and benevolent she thought he deserved a little reward. Nothing came to her mind… So, she decided to wait until he got home and see. After a quick shower, she changed to wear her expensive black dress, but without her ruined stockings and wondering how she would be walking with broken heel. After a couple of seconds of reflection, she decided to break the second heel. This way, she had a pair of flat shoes which had costed her the trifle of one hundred and fifty dollars. And yet, it wasn’t that expensive for luxury shoes… Unsurprisingly, when she started to examine the shelves, after she’d made the bed the best she could, there Rainbow Dash found basketball video games, class books and a few novels. DVDs of his collection had nothing of a surprise as well. For a few seconds she was tempted to search in his laptop computer, in order to see whether he was hiding compromising files, but she changed her mind, since it was a private life intrusion she wouldn’t have enjoyed much neither. Searching through his pants and socks drawers, on the other hand… It was a bearable offence. A half-smiled outlined on her face when she dug up magazines with naked women on the cover from under a pile of luxury undergarments. “Ah, you act like you’re not interesting but you like to peep at playmates’ boobs, uh? You little dirty mind!” Curiosity, once again, pushed her to open one of these magazines, so she could see what it was all about. The central poster left her completely impassive. Artistically speaking, it was rather debatable, and she thought the anatomical details looked strange, a bit like looking inside of a school book about human body. She shrugged and went back to the summary. It happened to be this kind of magazines where naked girls were nothing but a sexy bonus. The rest of the articles were pretty serious. With real editorials, interviews from writers, and even political commentaries. When the entrance door opened, she still was sitting on the floor, plunged in the reading of a topic about diamonds trafficking in Sierra Leone. She looked up and didn’t have enough time to hide the magazine, blushing from embarrassment. It wasn’t really the fact she was caught in the act of reading one of his sexy magazines that embarrassed her, but rather the one that said she’d searched through his stuff in order to get it. Before Soarin could even utter any word, she mumbled clumsy apologies. “I put that back in place.” “It’s too late, you’ve seen them, now…” “Yes. Well… Don’t worry. Got to let nature take its course. Well, it kind of eludes me because I am what I am, but these stuff are pretty normal, even I know that.” “Could we please talk about something else?” “Yes, you’re right.” She got up, closed the magazine, and put it back on the closest support. Immediately, Soarin stepped forward and put it back in place without trying to hide it. In a quick glance, he saw she had made his bed and cleaned her plate and crockeries from her breakfast. “I’ve tried not to make a mess.” “You can make all the mess you want”, she answered, pecking her forehead. Another would have had a rather bad reaction from discovering she had searched and unearthed a sexy magazine. Of course, his cheeks had colored, and his eyes were a bit fleeing, but in the end he was accepting this part of himself, the way he did for many other things. As he had warned her many times: he was the very resentful and vengeful kind, but for this it took very deep dishonesty. Far from being ashamed, he knew his flaws were a part of him, and never tried to deny them. “I’m going to have a shower… Do you want us to go somewhere together, after this? We could go to your favorite arthouse cinema or I don’t know, whatever you want.” “It’s very nice of you but I think I’m going to meet my girls. I know they’ve planned a brunch this morning at Sugarcube Corner, and I’d like to join, so I could apologize for yesterday. I’ve been very horrible with them…” Although Soarin repeated her they wouldn’t hold it against her since they knew how important this day was, Rainbow Dash didn’t want to behave as if their friendship was granted and that it meant she could do anything she wanted without any apologies to give. She owed them. Soarin nodded, stretched out his hand and gently pulled her closer, until her body was against his body and he was able to hold her in his arms. “I understand. And I encourage you to do it. You’re right, we must never take things for granted and think there’s no risk to ever lose them.” “Yes… That’s what I used to think and look… It’s been four years since she’s gone… Well. Thanks for being you. I like you so much!” It still wasn’t a “I love you”, but it was what was the closest… In order to accompany her word, she tenderly pecked his lips, her arms around his neck. Soarin let her do so with great pleasure, and when their kiss became a little needier, she knew she’d need a certain will in order to get out of his warm embrace. “Well, maybe I can stay two or three minutes longer… Or five. No, ten… Okay, fifteen.” The small bell resounded above her head, and all it took to Rainbow Dash to spot her friends sitting at one of the large tables near the window was a couple of seconds. They all six were here, even Rarity, and were laughing out loud while talking. She hesitated for a short while. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, after all. They looked so relaxed and she would arrive and spoil the mood one more time… It was without taking into account Pinkie Pie who saw her near the door, and made her a sign to step closer. Seeing her enthusiasm and the way she smiled, her friend didn’t seem to hold a grudge against her about last night’s disaster. But Rainbow Dash had seen, after the rumors she had suffered from, the quickness with which her friend had been able to forgive everyone, without some of them to make any effort at all to try to make it up to her. It didn’t mean she’d have nothing to do and everything would be forgiven by the snap of her fingers. With courage in her heart, she walked to her group of friends, who quickly let a free space for her to sit with them. Yet, Rainbow Dash didn’t do it right away. She was feeling she didn’t really deserve this chair until she had apologized in due form. And, this way, the evil would be rooted out right from the beginning. The conversations stopped on their own when the girls noticed she didn’t settle with them, but was standing, her head low and her hands together, her cheeks colored as if she’d rubbed them with a metal sponge. “Fluttershy, sorry I had forced you to try bungee jump with me although you’re afraid of heights, and sorry I spoke bad and barely said you goodbye. Sunset Shimmer, I’m sorry about how I treated you when it wasn’t your fault. And Pinkie… Pinkie I’m sorry I put us in danger the way I did. I’m ashamed and I regret it. If you girls only knew how much I regret all this. You’re the best friends someone could ever have and I don’t deserve your mercy.” She was on the verge of crying, a lump in her throat. For someone as proud as she was, it was never easy to apologize, especially for things that serious. It was to recognize she had this bad side deep inside of her, this side that scared her. How Soarin was able to come in terms with even his ugliest of flaws, she didn’t know but she admired this aptitude with all her soul. “No one blames you, Rainbow Dash”, Sunset Shimmer started. “We all understood how bad you were feeling yesterday.” “Yes”, Fluttershy went on. “I was very scared; I admit but I wasn’t angry.” “Only really traumatized”, Pinkie Pie finished, which settled a strange silence between them. All the girls looked at her, and the pink-haired young woman realized that, once again, she had let her mouth say out loud a thought that was going through her mind, without thinking about the consequences. She nervously giggled a little “oops” and got up to grab Rainbow Dash’s hand. “I’ve told you very harsh things yesterday, because I was scared too, but I’m not mad at you. I know how difficult this day is for you.” “So, you forgive me? I promise I’ll never do that again.” “Of course, we forgive you”, Sunset Shimmer told her with a wink. “Do we look like we’re angry?” “You don’t, but… Pinkie Pie was right last night. This day is going to come back every year… What would happen if I act like an idiot again?” Although she had decided to go back to see her psychiatrist, there still was a risk, unless she would spend this day locked up in The Room, just in case, she could get carried away again by bad memories and all the pain it had launched. Her friends were too precious for her, and in no way Rainbow Dash wanted to take the risk to lose them one day. Without them, she would be lost, good to be double-locked up. She could never had been back on tracks if they hadn’t been there… Because even now, she refused to tell herself her struggle against depression could have been won thanks to her sole will and strength. She saw Applejack outlining a small smile at her words, and she got up to join her at the other end of the table. She took her hands in hers and looked straight into her eyes, such as her implacable honesty often told her to do when she wanted to convey a message the best she could. Because of this, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but swallowing. “It’s easy. Instead of tellin’ us nuthin’ at all, ya’ll talk to us and we’ll listen. Except Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, we all knew it was yesterday and none of them even tried to take time to help ya.” “She’s right”, Twilight intervened. “We also want to apologize, for we let you on your own on such a day.” “I should have invited you to hang around the boutique. I would have prepared you that awful puffed rice green tea with raspberry macarons you like. Yet I’ve been thinking about you all day long…” “And, instead of thinking about the accident, why wouldn’t you take an advantage from this day to remember all the wonderful memories you shared with your mother? She was a dynamic person, always positive, she would never have stand to see you as sad.” “I always forget Rarity, you and Applejack had known her…”, Pinkie Pie added with a small voice. Yet, it was the case. On the seventh grade and the first months of the eighth grade, Firefly was still alive and welcomed her daughter’s new friends with open arms, delighted to see she had been able to befriend with someone else than Soarin, after her family had left Cloudsdale. Applejack, Twilight then Rarity had met with this woman with a strong character, who taught her only child a peculiar sense of dignity, pushing her to be very open-minded, to be tolerant, but also not to be a push-over, and not to be scared to show off, no matter if it bothered the others. “This is your own life, Rainbow Dash, not the neighbor’s. If you’re excellent at something, be proud of it, make the others know. If it bothers them, it’s their problem. As long as you stay true to yourself, there’s nothing to worry about. Integrity is the only thing that matters in the end.” She often repeated her this doctrine, which the three girls also had benefitted. She was a person who commanded respect, without the need to do anything for it, simply thanks to an undeniable charisma and self-confidence, which on its own were able to stop tongues wagging. The three other girls had only heard about her, and always very favorably. No one could deny the influence she had on her daughter, who was doing her best to respect the life principles Firefly had tried to teach her. Undoubtedly, Twilight was right. She had focused too much on the horror that day meant to her, on the emptiness her mother let behind her, and on everything that had happened after the accident, though she should have make the most of it to remember her with everything that was flamboyant and honest with her. All the love she gave her. All the laughs, the games, the secrets. But for this, she had to do something, something she never had the courage to do until then. Without this move, she would never turn the page and change her prospects in the future, the huge gap under her feet. Something told Rainbow Dash it would be much easier with her friends by her side. “Would you agree to come with me somewhere? There are chances for it not to be very funny, but… It’s important for me.” “Why would it bother us, darling?” “We all come with you. We owe you this”, Twilight finished in the name of the other girls, whom she didn’t need the agreement of to know they’d be alright. In reality, they owed her nothing at all. However, a friend’s role is to help her other friends when they need you, and she needed them. The place where she brought them was a bit outside of town. Like many other persons without a religion, Firefly had been cremated, and in her testimony, mandatory for every pilot of the Royal Acrobatic Aerial Fleet, she had specified she wanted a part of her cinders to be buried at the roots of a tree, and that the other part was stocked in what was called a room of remembrance. These rooms were in a very plain building, with no embellishments nor arabesque decors. A plate with the deceased person’s name was engraved into marble, and those who wanted to pay tribute to them came and put down bunches of flowers, messages on post-it, and everything they thought worth of them. Rainbow Dash had never been there. She knew where her mother’s room of remembrance was, but to visit it was something else. Until then, she’d always considered it to be an insurmountable ordeal on her way. To be honest, she thought no one ever visited this place, not even her father, and she was mad at her own selfishness. And so, she was pleasantly surprise to see that many persons had let messages for her mother, flowers and small items. It even was added a few medals for merit she had won by being a volunteer to bring humanitarian aid parcels at some places of the planet. On the other hand, what saddened her was that she wasn’t sure there was something from her father among all those homages. Yet, she knew he was suffering from her absence… to the extent of drinking too much, being unable to look at his daughter because of the striking resemblance between their two characters. He probably was too busy fleeing… This was the reason why Rainbow Dash had decided to stop running straight forward, trying to avoid the fall of rocks along her way. Today, she was looking reality into her eyes and she was telling her she would never let her win again. Yes, it was unbearable to think she was gone forever, but her friends were right. Firefly would never want that for her only child. On the day of her twelfth birthday, her mother had told the story of her delivery, which made laugh everyone around, and embarrassed Rainbow Dash… And she had finished her little one-woman show in a way that moved them all to tears. “The moment they put your small wrinkled body against my breasts, then I knew what true love really meant.” More than any other words, she would never forget these. That was what she had to remember of her mother. Not her horrible death, but her extraordinary life. Girl from a low middle-class environment, pushed to manage on her own at an age where her own daughter was still going to high school, she had many casual works in order to pay for her pilot school, married a man from one of the wealthiest families in Equestria, then went back to study at College once married and pregnant, and climbed the social ladder thanks to her strength of will. Far from being too permissive, she had always taught her daughter respect and politeness, but also a freedom to think and act, and that it wasn’t necessary to fit in the standards to become someone. At each stupid act, she explained her it was from mistakes a person learned. Always, she had as a goal to make out of her daughter, whom she loved more than anything in the world, an adult who would be regarded with admiration. While Rainbow Dash was going in the direction of the plate wearing her name, the six friends remained in the back. They were here to support her, but this was something she had to do on her own. She stroked the letters engraved in the marble, little by little taking into account everything it implied. With this visit, she made the death of her mother something unalterable. Impossible to lie to herself now, to tell herself if she shut her eyes for long enough, her mother would appear, hold her in her arms and tell her everything was over with a stroke in her hair. Her throat was knotted. She couldn’t help it. Not to cry was an aim out of her reach, so Rainbow Dash let the tears roll along her cheeks, not trying to conceal them, nor to wipe them neither. They were serene silent sobs… They confirmed that she would never accept this injustice from life, but that she had finally decided to put up with it, so she could walk forward for real, without bouncing back every year at the same period. “Since I’m bad at lovely declarations, I’ve taken this poem from this movie you used to like so much… ‘Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. Silence the pianos and with muffled drums, bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead, scribbling on the sky the message She Is Dead. Put crepe bows round the white necks of public doves, let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. She was my North, my South, my East and my West, my working week and my Sunday rest, my moon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood. For nothing now could ever come to any good.’ I miss you, mommy…” Her words got strangled and she had to stop here. All along her reading, her voice trembling, she had been strong, but the barrier had just broken. This necessary evil was like pulling a dressing off. Painful on the moment, but it had to be done. Each of them knew if they had to be in a situation of distress, Rainbow Dash would be a helping hand. Many times, she had intervened in order to take defense of their tarnished honor, or to give them courage in the worst of moments. Their friendship was the type that no ordeal could shatter. As long as they were together, they felt like they could face and overcome anything. They were each other’s strength. Lights to guide them in the rainy days. “It’s a good thing you’ve taken this decision”, Dr. Horse told her, glancing at her from under his glasses, like always. “How are you feeling now?” “Relieved.” Of course, the struggle against herself wasn’t over yet, or else she would never have come back to Green Haven after many years, to resume her therapy where she left it when she left. However, a step had been made. She had taken the bandage off her eyes, this filter sheltering her from reality, still a little impalpable. Now, things could only go in the right direction. She would do anything for it, anyway. The psychiatrist checked out what time it was on his wrist watch, then put his pencil and notebook on the table by his side, testifying the session was over. He had let her tell everything she wanted, without any limit of time, though his time was precious. Rainbow Dash was glad he did. To talk about it had done her good, allowing her to get rid of a weight coiling her back. Without embellishing anything, without trying to play the good girl. Such as things were or such as she had felt them. The truth, even if it had nothing bright and shiny. The only thing she had kept to herself was the intimacy shared with Soarin, although it had helped her to get better. It would be her little secret. Between him and her. Rainbow Dash and Dr. Horse exchanged commonplaces typical of an end of session… But when she was about to leave his office, the latter called on the young woman. “Tell me… Are you still convinced your father hates you?” A quick smile passed through her face, a bit bitter. Back when she was committed, her violence against her father was even sharper than today. She held a terrible grudge against him for sending her here, for not trying to reach out his hand to help her. Because of this, some of her words about her father had been really harsh during their previous face to face. “Yes”, she answered despite the nuance existing now. “Fine. Let’s talk about it deeper next week?” “Next week, yes.” And she closed the door behind her. Leaning against the wooden door, she sighed. With these few words, he meant he was ready to resume the therapy for good. Every week, she would come back where she swore she would never go back again. Green Haven. Hell on Earth. Yet, today, walking through the sterilized corridors, she felt as if this place wasn’t that horrible. Everything was modern and clean. Too modern and too clean, maybe. As deprived of personality as possible, this was sure. It wasn’t the place itself that put a knot inside her throat, as she was walking towards the exit. It was what had happened there. What these walls contained of shades from the human soul. And the smell of antidepressants. The lack of huge windows giving view to the garden with many trees and the emerald-colored lawn. The lack of anything that could make someone smile. But being finally outside and breathing the fresh air of freedom at the top of her lungs, Rainbow Dash understood it all belonged to the past. She only came here in order to complete what was a work in progress. She could go in and go out as an autonomous person. It wasn’t a mental health patient anymore who was crossing the garden to reach the gate, it was a young woman who had traveled three quarters of the road to closure and who was doing her best to finish the remaining quarter, with her chin up. Honest with herself. The way her mother would have liked her to be. Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 1)Just beside their tray filled with Jerusalem artichoke linguine and sweet chestnut-apple crumble, Twilight and Pinkie Pie put a newspaper, and started to rummage through the pages, the unicorn-headed pen of one of them in their hands. “Do we agree?” the girl with straight hair asked. “Something we can do on weekends, downtown and with flexible schedules?” “Yes. If that’s possible, something not too physically difficult.” “Oh yes, this is a good idea. I can’t carry heavy things.” At the same time, they leaned over their newspaper, and started to read announcements, following the lines with their fingers, ready to circle the ones they liked best. Obviously, they had conferred together in advance before organizing their search. The rest of the band, with them at the table lunch, was staring at them without understanding the purpose of all this. “What you two are up to?” Sunset Shimmer, sitting next to Twilight, asked. She wrung her neck in order to have a glimpse at what the two friends were rummaging through with such a seriousness. “I need money to get me a new laptop… With my birthday and my grandmother’s tip, I don’t need it in loads, but even so…” “And my oven is dead”, Pinkie Pie went on. “My parents are on a part of the planet where they can’t be reached, like almost always, so I have to find a solution on my own so I’ll be able to buy a new one.” “And that’s why we decided to find ourselves a casual work.” Everything was clear now. This mystery wasn’t a real one, and quickly, the biggest part of the table resumed their current activity. To celebrate their six months as a couple, Rainbow Dash and Soarin had gone to the restaurant together and exchanged gifts, since they both thought Valentine Day to be commercialized and idiotic. She’d spent a lot of money in order to buy him wireless headphones so he could do his sports with music when they weren’t together and he’d done the same giving her a polaroid camera of the latest fashion as a present. It was flat, white with a rainbow on it and she claimed she loved it more than her own life - which could sound worrisome, coming from her. Each time it was in her hands, she couldn’t help but taking pictures during breaks, like some were addicted to selfies. It was this year’s revelation: she enjoyed taking pictures. The problem of this new vocation was that everything else seemed to be of a lesser importance. Like geometry classes, asking the gardener not to let the climbing rose die, or paying her canteen in place of her father… To get her focus on another kind of topic was something like a miracle. She would probably get over this whim eventually, as soon as she would have had her guitar chords repaired, for example… or received her delivery for 35 mm film roll. On the other hand, Fluttershy was really interested by her two friends’ conversation. Her and Big Macintosh were dating for less than Rainbow Dash and Soarin that , but she often thought they would become more like a couple if they gave each other gifts as a sign of their feelings… For now, all they did was walking hand in hand, having strolls in parks and outings together, and chastely kissing to say goodbye. In all honesty, the young woman was happy, but a little unsatisfied. It wasn’t exactly what she had imagined. When she asked advices to Rainbow Dash, the latter told her it would be counterproductive to compare. Each couple was different, especially as their characters, shy and reserved, had little in common with Soarin and her, swifter and fiercer. To give her boyfriend a gift maybe would be a good way to unlock something, since she was dreaming of passionate confessions and fantasizing of a great love story like in the novels she liked to read before going to sleep. Her trouble, and it really held her up, was that Pinkie Pie and Twilight had organized this search together. In comparison, she didn’t really need money. What her parents gave her for her “young woman” expenses basically was enough. Wouldn’t they regard her desire to work as a whim equal to Rainbow Dash’s new interest for photography? She nervously fingered the tie of her school uniform and sighed deeply. It was foolish to be afraid. They were her friends and they were always up to mutual assistance. “Would it… bother you if I started searching for a casual work with you? I’d like to buy a gift to… somebody… ?” The two teenagers looked up from their newspaper, and blinked for a few seconds, a bit stunned. They knew Fluttershy was very shy and rather jittery, with a likelihood to be a push over. In front of a little scrupulous boss, she would probably get trapped, not mentioning what could potentially happen if a patron scolded her… But after all, if she wanted to try this experience, why not? It even was better if she was helped by her two friends, rather than attempting to do this on her own. “Of course, it doesn’t bother us. Come closer”, Pinkie Pie said with a wide smile. Reassured, Fluttershy stood up and put her chair between the two girls, while at the other side of the table, Rainbow Dash was busy taking a polaroid of her half-empty tray, in order to compare it with the full tray of earlier. Applejack rolled her eyes, and took a mouthful of her pasta dish. “What kind of job are you guys looking for?” Sunset Shimmer questioned. “Bosses often object to hiring high school students because they need an authorization from their parents and well, they’re obliged to respect a lot of rules…” Out of them all, she was the only one to have a job outside of school. Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s indifference came from the fact they never really knew the necessity of earning money on their own. The first girl was paid by sponsors and her own family for the photo shoots and the advertisements she shot. If it asked a certain effort, it had nothing comparable with a regular job with rules and schedules to respect. As long as the second girl was concerned… Her father forbade her to work, considering he could support his daughter financially without her getting her hands dirty in a fast-food. Without the precious parental authorization, it was impossible to find a work as a minor. It also included brands of sports items which asked her to be their image. When she’d accepted a photo shoot for a roller-skate brand, Mr. Rainbow Blaze had threatened to press charges. For all that, she hadn’t feel concerned by all this to the extent of giving her friends a piece of those more than important information. “How did you do for the tattoo workshop?” “My boss is my grand-uncle by marriage… Yes, it’s string pulling.” “So nobody would want to hire us?”, Fluttershy asked, already discouraged. “That’s not what I said”, Sunset Shimmer answered, shaking her hands. “But it may happen to be a little more complicated than what you girls expected. There probably isn’t a lot of announcements for high school students in your newspaper…” Indeed, most of the announcements more gladly asked for College students, whether this was in connection or not with their chosen discipline. For all that, there was no way they would give up. They needed money, and were resolute to do their best in order to find a job that would help them to reach their goal. It was more than a question of money. It was a question of determination. “Ah? No, never mind, Rainbow Dash. Thanks anyway.” Twilight hung up, aggrieved. They would never find a job! As a last resort, the three young girls asked their friend to see with Soarin whether the Royal Aerobatics Fleet wasn’t looking for secretaries, or assistant to the secretaries, during the weekends. The answer Rainbow Dash just gave them was unequivocal. Once again, they were too young and too inexperienced for such a work. Since answering to announcements happened to be unsuccessful, they both had decided to go and solicit enterprises and stores spontaneously. They had worn their most beautiful clothes, hadn’t forget to bring around résumés, cover letters and parental authorizations. The end of the afternoon already was under way, and they hadn’t find anything yet. Their age and lack of experience, as well as their choice to work exclusively on weekends always was a problem. Everywhere, they were repeated that College students had a better profile. Thinking door-to-door would be more effective, Fluttershy had given a rendezvous to Big Macintosh for around the end of the afternoon, so they could spend a bit of time together before going home. She had thought if the girls and her would find a job and could start by the next weekend, then she wouldn’t have much time to share with him, and this way, she would make it up to him. Of course, she hadn’t foreseen their search would be so unsuccessful. At first, the young woman thought it would be best to postpone this date. This way, Twilight, Pinkie Pie and herself would have been able to keep on searching. Her two friends talked her out of doing this, disappointed, and certain it was compromised for today, anyway. With a bit of luck, something would be available tomorrow. It was the hope they were sticking to. And so they decided to greet Fluttershy’s best friend, before going back home, where they maybe could go on a job scrawl on the Internet, just in case a casual work would be available somewhere. On this November day, the air outside was freezing, and people felt snow wasn’t far away. When they were chatting together, a white and fleeting smoke escaped their mouths. People around didn’t take long strolls in the streets, and were walking hurriedly. Fluttershy didn’t want to have Big Macintosh waiting in this freezing cold. He already was spending a considerable amount of time outside in order to photograph people for the site. It wasn’t fair to make him suffer from the same treatment after work, especially as they were supposed to relax together. Having a glimpse of his back, a wide smile appeared on her face. It was impossible for her to hide it. The prospect of being with him, especially after something so trying, always was pleasant, if not exciting. He never said much, but she liked the fact there were no pressure since she wasn’t quite a talker neither. With him, she knew her modesty would be understood. When he turned around and saw him smiling enthusiastically as well, her heart skipped a pleasant beat. Fluttershy thought that, really, he was even more handsome when he was smiling. Him doing it so scarcely made the thing precious and delightful. As soon as she was near him, he took her hand, and pecked her cheek. The young woman was so pleased by this sudden public display of affection that she didn’t immediately notice her big brother was here as well. Seeing Twilight and Pinkie Pie with her, Zephyr’s eyes reviewed the surroundings behind them. Fluttershy knew who he was expecting to see… Unbelievable. With how Rainbow Dash was treating him, he kept on hoping. Yet it was more than obvious she had no interest for him. Even her dating Soarin hadn’t calmed down his ardors. She hoped she never seemed so pathetic to Big Macintosh, or she would never recover from it… Her brother was the only one who she displayed character with, this character she had deep inside herself, which she often was ashamed of, since it was colored with a hint of cruelty that scared her in others, and even more in her. And so, conversely to her friends and Big Macintosh, Zephyr wasn’t much surprised when she addressed him this little remark: “Rainbow Dash is attending the Wondercolts from Canterlot University’s latest basketball game… You know, her boyfriend’s team. Her boyfriend who isn’t you.” This year, her brother had decided to go back to College. Naturally, he subscribed to the same university as his coworker and only friend, which meant he often had the occasion of meeting with the boy he regarded as his rival. More than this, even… Soarin was known by all the students fond of sports, and they were many. This little acerbic remark made his jaw clench, but proud, Zephyr tried his best to take it with dignity. It happened to him rarely enough for it to be noticed. Eager to change of topic, he chose to speak to his little sister’s two other friends. He never been a perceptive person, but even him could notice their smiles were façade, and that in reality they weren’t as happy as they tried to appear. As evidence, the pink-haired dynamo, the one who always scared him a little, hadn’t screamed anything yet, nor bounced everywhere, nor raise her fist in the air – nor the three at the same time. “Is there something wrong?” “True ya’ll look like yar under the weather”, Big Macintosh added. Well, Fluttershy, snuggled against him, seemed to be quite alright. It wasn’t hard to understand it was because she was with him. All the same, he also had felt something wasn’t normal. Pinkie Pie hadn’t said anything yet. And this really was a bad sign. “We all are looking for a casual work, since we all three need money…” “Eeyup, this Ah know”, Big Macintosh answered to Twilight. This fact made Zephyr’s eyes opened wide. His little sister needed money? Yet, he knew she had pocket money, and their parents even were more generous with her since she “at least had grown a brain”. Obviously, she was hiding things to him, and until then she always confessed everything to him… Even though in reality, she hadn’t confessed to him that she had a crush on his coworker, and chose to tell it to her best friends instead. It probably was the natural course of things. She had him for years, unable to bond with anyone else because of her shyness, and now she had a solid group of friends and a boyfriend. What a long way traveled in such a short amount of time! “And no one wants to hire us. They all say teenage girls are too clumsy, and too often stuck at their cellphones.” “What about Sugarcube Corner? Ain’t ya doin’ extra work there sometimes, Pinkie Pie?” “We asked, but Mrs. Cake told me she couldn’t afford to hire the three of us. And we want to be all three together. To support each other.” “Oh, Ah see.” “Same thing with fast food restaurants”, Fluttershy went on. “They agree to hire one of us or two of us, but never all three together. I start thinking we’ll never find anything.” It was just like Fluttershy, Zephyr thought. If something was on her way, she’d always choose to go back home rather than trying to go through anyway. The best for her was what was sure and very little dangerous, even figuratively. Tenacity had never been her thing. A personality trait both brother and sister shared. Usually, he was no help or comfort to her, and was likely to pat her shoulders telling it wasn’t serious and she could always try again later. He knew well then that she would never try again on something she considered as a failure. Not this time. This time, he would be her savior. And even Big Macintosh wouldn’t rival him. Back when he was looking for a job, before he was hired by Canterlot Street Style and returned to College – in fashion and merchandising – he had made the encounter of a man whom he had kept connection with, just in case. The latter had let him know that if he ever lost his job, he would hire him. He was convinced that all he had to do was ask, and the man would hire the three young girls. Especially as he owed Zephyr a favor because he had accepted to deliver a parckage around the East area, in exchange of his silence. It was his chance or never to appear as a hero. If Fluttershy could tell it to Rainbow Dash with it, she would probably be impressed by the wideness of his network. Every chance was good to take. “I know someone. If I tell him about you, I’m sure he’ll agree to hire you.” “Really? What would we have to do?” Twilight questioned. “Selling items to tourists. Well, these are wandering booths, never settled at the same spot, but don’t worry, he has the authorizations for that. It’s legit.” The three girls glanced at each other. Of course, they could find better comfort and working conditions, but it was their only option left. The situation was urgent for Pinkie Pie and Twilight; they couldn’t allow to spend more time searching. Since they had nothing else in prospect, they agreed to let Zephyr talk about them to his friend. If he accepted and they didn’t find anything else, they’d have this option at hand. The sooner they could start, the better it would be. After a few minutes and discussions, they all let the couple alone to spend time together. Fluttershy didn’t have so much time in hands to spend face to face with her boyfriend. And although she loved her friends, she also liked being without them from time to time. Zephyr, on the other hand, was very satisfied about how things were turning out. His little sister would forever be grateful, although he ignored why she needed money so bad. It didn’t matter to him. The way his good deed would restore his image was the only thing important in his mind. And with a bit of luck, he would gain compliments from Rainbow Dash for this beautiful gesture of altruism… At least that was something! Last night, Pinkie Pie had phoned to Twilight who had phoned to Fluttershy. They had done researches on Internet and hadn’t been able to find an announcement fitting their requirements. After a discussion of thirty minutes, the three young girls had drawn the conclusion that they would accept Zephyr’s offer. It wasn’t the work of their dreams, but it was a work. When they met this morning, on their way to their classrooms, they could talk about nothing else than this. Each had different questions that tickled them, yet they were rather enthusiastic at the prospect to start. They wouldn’t even have to work for a very long time. By the end of their probation period, they would probably have enough money for their mutual spend. Every morning, the girls met on the way half their classrooms and the Guiding Class’s. They chatted together until the bell rang, and then Twilight went in her own room. The other pupils studying with her never hung around in corridors before or in-between the courses. As soon as they arrived, they went to their classroom, opened a book, a notebook and they reviewed. Back in days that seemed now foreign to her, she too was like this. Nothing mattered outside of studying. She had no friends, and no other will than to review and learn. When she saw her classmates, Twilight was ashamed of her former behavior. She used to pass by so many simple pleasures of life… Her dream hadn’t change, it was a fact, and getting a Royal Scholarship in order to study astrophysics in Canterlot University still was her number one project, the ambition of her youth. However, this wasn’t the only thing that mattered to her anymore. And in no way was she envious of those she rubbed shoulders with in her class. Oh, they could believe they were at the pole position to steal her title of student number one just because she wasn’t spending twenty-four hours a day with her nose plunged into books. She wasn’t neglecting any detail and still had the intention of ending this year as the valedictorian. Sunset Shimmer, Applejack and Rainbow Dash already were here. They were chatting and laughing, while one of them showed the others the pictures she had taken on the previous day with her polaroid camera. As they approached, the three others noticed it was nothing but pictures on which appeared Soarin, playing basketball . And after this, she would keep on claiming there was nothing to prove that she was in love… It didn’t matter. They also had their little scoop, and it was almost as exciting as the crushing victory of the Wondercolts. To be convinced of it, their dazzling sunny mood was enough… Pinkie Pie fell on Rainbow Dash’s neck and made her shoulders move as if she was in a nightclub. “Wow, what’s happenin’? Did ya girls swallowed happy pills or sumethin’?” Applejack asked in front of this wave of outlandishness more exuberant than usually. “No need”, Pinkie Pie giggled. “If there’s something they should never give her, that’s this!” Rainbow Dash claimed while putting her pictures back inside her bag. It would be a lie to say that this kind of behavior didn’t annoyed her at least a little, yet the young woman chose not to make a comment about it to her friend. She knew that anyway, it wouldn’t stop her. So, it was best to let her act freely. It was Sunset Shimmer who devoted herself in order to stop this little mystery. “A good news in prospect?” “Yes”, Twilight answered, proud of herself. “The girls and I had found a job.” “Congratulations! What is it?” “In fact”, Fluttershy said. “My big brother found it for us.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow Dash producing some kind of groan that she decided to ignore. In all likelihood, if Zephyr thought it would have any kind of positive impact on Rainbow Dash, he was wrong right across the board. “We’re going to sell souvenirs to tourists”, Pinkie Pie claimed. “I can feel I have the streak of a good businesswoman.” “You’re going to scare them, hell, blaring like this”, Rainbow Dash hurled, rubbing her ears. Sunset Shimmer let out a small chuckle, patted her friend’s shoulder, and resumed the conversation. “This is great! Is it going to be in one of these small boutiques surrounding the Royal Palace?” “Not really… They’re traveling booths. So, we’ll never be at the same spot every day.” Surprisingly, Twilight saw her three friends looking at each other in an odd manner, as if they were on the same wavelength that they were the only ones to decipher. “What’s wrong?” she dared asking. “Well…” “This type of thangs are scams. The stuffs are kinda… fell off the back of a truck.” “Really? You think so?” Twilight suddenly felt like empty of energy. It didn’t seem good. She didn’t really want to be meddled into something that was on the verge of legality. What if it ruined the future she was trying to prepare for herself? It was a huge risk. On the other hand, neither Fluttershy nor Pinkie Pie seemed to be disheartened from their friends’ revelation. Although Rainbow Dash testified them they would have to read the contract with a lot of attention, and make sure the enterprise wasn’t inconsequential, even offering to make it verified by her father’s attorney, they swore Zephyr promised everything was legit and there was no reason to worry. All the same… She would go and see, give it a test, because she really needed this money, but she would pay attention and at the least suspicious display, Twilight promised herself she would give up and tell her friends. Yes, they wanted to work, nevertheless, they weren’t ready to put themselves in danger for that. Well, it was what she hoped. Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 2)Disappointing. That was the first word which had come to the three young girls’ minds when they discovered the details of their new job. Everything costed five dollars. The booths they were working at eventually were nothing but foldable tables on which they spread their gewgaws. They had no chairs to sit on and nothing to shelter them from the wind. Unfortunately, the weather was particularly cold on this day and the wind was so strong the small parasols supposed to protect them had bent in less than five minutes. To make matter worse, the jackets which were their uniforms were too large for them and did in no way replace the warmth of a good coat. Of course, they were at a good spot, near the Royal Palace, right behind the huge square where the funfair took place each summer, as well as other events. However, the many tourists passing them by had no interest in their stock. The very affordable prices didn’t change a thing to this fact. Their only comfort came from the fact that this was a temporary work. Whether they sell things or not, their pay would be the same, though a bonus was promised to them in case of good sales. After a few weekends, they would gather enough money and could finally go back to their former lives… if not take the time to unearth a more gratifying job. The most annoying part probably was that they weren’t allowed to leave their booths in order to go to the toilets, nor to buy something hot to drink. It was a while now since they had finished Twilight’s thermos of coffee. To lure customers, they had to keep on yelling how affordable their products were and to enumerate them. Royal Palace models, small flags, cups with the Queen’s face printed on it… Was this method useful? If asked, Twilight would have answered “rather repellent”. “I wonder what’s the use of shouting our heads off”, she said while blowing on her hands. “Be positive, Twilie, if we keep trying, we’ll eventually get results.” “I wish I could be as enthusiastic as you are, Pinkie.” “I’m not even trying to shout. I don’t like shouting, and people tend to scare me a little.” “Oh no, don’t fret, Flutty, people are nice.” “Yes, very nice… Just not interested”, Twilight sighed. And to say that right now, she could have stayed in the warm in order to review her geometry and her matrix calculations… Of course, she had brought her lessons with her, but it was impossible to read with the wind blowing her pages and lifting her hair off her face. A flash of hope outlined in their hearts when they saw the girls nicknamed the Flower Trio coming in their direction. Since Rainbow Dash was dating Soarin, the gang saw them less than they did before. They regarded the threat embodied by the girl over, and the others way too focused on other topics than trying to “steal” their Breezie. Not that they stopped following Zephyr around, but rather that they considered they didn’t need to do this by sticking to his bottom anymore. However, as soon as they were near them, the three friends immediately understood the three girls weren’t here in order to encourage them, nor even to comfort them. “What the hell is this horror?” Daisy started. “Even the cashiers from Maremart are dressed better than you.” “At least, we have a job”, Pinkie Pie replied. “Well, I have a job”, Rose corrected her. “I help my mother at her flower shop.” “This isn’t a job; this is a favor.” “It’s better than selling schlocky craps”, the last girl finished. They burst into noisy and overacted laughs, holding their ribs while pointing their fingers, the way they often did. Twilight had to hold herself back very hard not to make them run off with the help of their broken parasols. What held herself back was thinking about the new laptop she wanted to buy… She didn’t want to get fired after how difficult it had been for them to find this job. “Hey, don’t you have better things to do than pissing people off?” The Flower Trio froze, and no other sound escaped their mouths painted in fuchsia pink. Their nightmare was confirmed when they turned around and discovered Rainbow Dash accompanied by her basketball player of a boyfriend, whose hand she was holding. For once they thought they could make fun of Twilight Sparke the egghead without Applejack or her to interfere… And here she was all the same. It felt as if she had a sixth sense to detect troubles about to happen from miles. “Mind your own business! This square doesn’t belong to you!” “Yeah, but these are my best friends… So, get the hell out of here before I kick your butt.” “Who do you think you are?” Rose questioned, her fist clenched. “We’re not dirt or something… Come on and fight if you dare!” Rainbow Dash only had to take an abrupt step forward the Trio and they immediately ran off, while swearing they would get her next time. A lot of talking but little action, like usually. Really, she wished one day someone would have the courage of the words… as long as no knives were to be include into the fight. Blades were for cowards, anyway. And those with psychological problems with them, of course. The teenage girl turned to her friends behind their booths. “Well, how is it going?” “Not good”, Twilight answered, shrugging. “We almost haven’t sold anything since we began”, Fluttershy added. “But maybe the tables are going to turn”, Pinkie Pie said, showing something far away with her chin. They all turned around and discovered a tourist bus had just parked near the square. In all likelihood, they were going to the palace. If they could get them to come here before they get into the castle, who knew, maybe they could sell a few more items. “Palace models, cups with the effigy of the royal family, Equestria flags! Affordable, affordable!” the young woman was shouting while shaking her arms. None of them could believe it when a few tourists got near her booth in order to take a look at her items. Pinkie Pie kept on behaving as if she was selling fruits and vegetables on a market. It would never work… Yet, within a few minutes, a part of her stock disappeared, and the sound of coins clicking against the iron of her little cash box could be heard. “How does she do it?” Twilight asked Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. “By the way”, Fluttershy intervened. “What are you two doing here?” Soarin and her looked at each other with a knowing smile. All the time, the young man still held his girlfriend by the hand. Although he hadn’t said anything, his emotions were written on his face. “There’s a very good stringed-instrument maker around here”, he explained. “So, I bring her so she would finally fix her guitar’s chord.” “Soarin wanted to hear me play and sing…” “You haven’t yet?” “No, I haven’t had this chance yet.” While they were talking, two teenagers from the Crusaders’ class had stepped nearer, and were looking at the items with an odd interest. They stayed a little in front of Pinkie Pie and Twilight’s tables, watching them with a little benevolent air. But Fluttershy, as the good soul ready to protect the weak and the defenseless, let them come nearer without caution, even smiling gently at them. She really was too much of a soft touch… If someone would break into her house to rob her, she would give them anything, as long as the person would ask convincingly. And what came around went around. Before she could even react, the two imps had stuffed sixty-five dollars of items in their coats’ pockets and school bags. With a few mockeries, they got away from the booth, running straight in front of them. If the boss ever discovered she had been robbed, Fluttershy knew it, the stolen total would be taken on her salary. And her pay was precisely fifty-five dollars a day. There was no way she would stay in the cold for nothing in the end. She shouted them to stop, but of course, the two boys acted as if they hadn’t heard. Especially as in reality, she hadn’t shouted loud enough, and with too soft a voice. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. And to say that when they met, the young woman was an escort girl… Who could have guessed? She was so gullible and lacked of experience… Without hesitation, she gave Soarin her guitar case, and went to go after the two boys. When they realized they were followed, they tried to quicken their pace. But being young wasn’t an advantage for them today. In less than a minute, they both happened to be pinned against the ground thanks to a shoulder strike fit for a Roller Derby competition – unless it was lacrosse. “I can’t believe it! Do they spread the word to be looking for trouble every time I’m around, or what?” Rainbow Dash questioned while giving back to Fluttershy her stolen stock. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome… As if I’d let them do this.” Soarin leaned over and whispered something in his girlfriend’s ear, who nodded. Fluttershy and Twilight both looked away, both for a very different reason. The first girl was thinking about Big Macintosh, with who she couldn’t be today and who she missed a lot, and she didn’t want to seem jealous. The second girl always was a bit embarrassed in front of these kind of displays, and felt as if she was a bit of a voyeur if she watched them. A problem not shared by Pinkie Pie, obviously. “It’s a good idea”, Rainbow Dash claimed to the young man with a smile. He put a quick peck on the reddish tip of her nose, and then she turned to her friends. “We’re going to buy a gewgaw each…” “It’s soooooo nice. You’re damn cute together.” The teenage girl chose to act as if she hadn’t heard Pinkie Pie. It was the best she could do in order not to die from embarrassment. She really didn’t like to be said to be “cute”, meaning adorable. It was a bit too sappy for someone as awesome as her. “You’ve already done so much by saving my stock.” “It pleases us”, Soarin answered with a smile. As if they were in their own world, the couple arranged on the change they both had, then decided to spend everything – twenty dollars, ten from Soarin and ten from Rainbow Dash. “It will be a funny cup for when I drink hot milk at your place”, the young woman told her boyfriend, showing him a cup with the face of the Queen printed on it. “We could personalize it if you want… to make it look a bit punkish.” “Oh yeah. That would be very sweet!” It was the biggest item they bought, rather focusing on pens, flags and small notebooks. For all that, the three girls didn’t complain. Except Pinkie Pie, thanks to the bus of tourists, it almost was equal to what they already had sold since the beginning of the afternoon. “When will you be done working?” Rainbow Dash asked once their purchases over. “Not before six”, Twilight answered. “But first we’ll have to help tidying the spot.” Once again, the couple looked at each other, like in their own private bubble. It seemed like they could understand each other without a word. This was something Pinkie Pie was envious of and wanted in her future relationship. She wasn’t the only one, in fact. Fluttershy too wanted that in a close future, Big Macintosh and her could do the same. “Might be long enough for us to go to the stringed-instrument maker and all… Would you guys like to meet us at Sugarcube Corner after work? So you could warm up around a hot drink.” “But we’re going to bother you.” “Yes, maybe you want to be alone together.” “We’re alone together since last night”, Soarin said, softly laughing. “One hour in your company isn’t going to kill our relationship, don’t worry.” “Yeah, completely. After this, we’ll both go to the movies and watch “Leave Her to Heaven”. If we offer you to come, it means it doesn’t bother us.” “Well, alright then…” “Awesome. See you later, in this case, around six and a half.” After greeting them, the couple got away, arm in arm. At first, they all thought it would look weird to see their friend with a boy she was in love with – no matter what she claimed. All her love affairs had ended awfully until then, and most importantly, she displayed some kind of misplaced pride when it came to feelings of love. If she didn’t have much difficulty to talk open-heartedly about her family problems, it wasn’t the same thing with everything that had to be with sentimentality. Yet, it needed to be said: her and Soarin were the perfect match. When she was with him, she was able to find an absolute balance between affection and casualness, all this with a disarming natural. Pinkie Pie, self-proclaimed their number one fan, somehow was bothered by a small detail. It reminded her too much that she was single. She too wanted a sweetheart who she could stroll with, go to the movies and get peck on the tip of her nose. Because of a mystery she yet had to explain, she only met with stupid ones, or boys only interested into her generous breasts. If only she could meet a childhood friend as well… But she didn’t have any other childhood friends than her sisters. At least, it comforted her that she would soon be able to buy a brand new oven and fulfill her lack of affection with homemade sweets. Yes, because industrial crap… Thanks, but no thanks! It always was so full of sugar and fat. They weren’t unhappy that this first day of work came to an end. It wasn’t because of how hard it was, not really, but rather because of bore and cold. After Rainbow Dash and Soarin’s departure, they might have had something like three costumers, and among them a young boy changed his mind at the last minute. When six o’clock rang and their boss arrived with his truck, they were hurried to close up. It didn’t take much time to put everything into cardboard boxes, putting away the parasols and tablecloths, folding the table, doing the count of the day’s income, which weren’t very satisfying. Pinkie Pie was the one who had sold the most, with a total of exactly one hundred dollars, and Fluttershy was at the lower bar of their small ladder, with barely forty dollars in her little iron box. The young man almost felt as if she didn’t deserve the seventy-five dollars their boss was giving her. Including the fact that if her friend hadn’t been here, she would have done less loss than benefits. In fact, she hadn’t even done any benefits at all. This situation really embarrassed her. It didn’t stick to her morals. “I’m truly sorry”, she claimed in a whisper. “For the theft, I mean. I’d understand if you don’t want to pay me.” “Don’t be silly. You’ve worked hard all day long in the cold. Of course, I’m going to pay you.” He patted her back while giving her the small wad of banknotes, and Fluttershy felt she had no other choice than to take it. Maybe it was misplaced modesty, yet, she kept on feeling the guilt of doing something wrong. Seeing her gazing at her money like dumbfounded, the man, which name was Mr. Savvy, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, a gesture that meant comfort. “Well, if you really want to be forgiven, you still can help me putting away the supplies and boxes into the truck.” “Alright”, she claimed with a smile. It probably wouldn’t be enough to repair the moral misdeed, but if it fit the boss, it fit Fluttershy as well. She could sense that if she kept on insisting, she was going to make herself appear as someone weak, and easy to manipulate. Since she had sold less than the others, it was logical that she was doing more than the others. However, when she turned around and remembered the beginning of the afternoon and the weight of the cardboard boxes, Fluttershy had to swallow. She wasn’t quite into physical efforts – though a bit more than Twilight – and she now had to lift up and carry heavy things. Not very clever. But it was too late, now. She had done everything there was to do in order to be in this situation. She went down the flatbed, and with her eyes looked for the lightest box of the whole. It was hard to say… Roughly, they all were the same weight. If she couldn’t make up her mind quick, Mr. Savvy was going to do it instead. “Hey, Fluttershy, what are you doing? Twilie and I are waiting for you”, Pinkie Pie said, now wearing a red coat. Indeed, their friend was at the very end of the street, small like a dot, leaning against a lamppost and busy reading one of the books she'd brought with her. “The boss asked me to help putting these away.” Pinkie Pie’s eyes went from the track to the cardboard boxes to her friend. With her strength and her slowness, for sure, if Fluttershy tackled this task, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were going to wait for them for quite a while. It wouldn’t bother Twilight much, since she’d have more time for her reviewing, but even so… Only one option was left to her: to take over the operation in order to guarantee the best of finish. “I take charge of this. You tell Twilight and warn her I’ll meet you guys directly at Sugarcube Corner.” “But…” Fluttershy figured that Mr. Savvy didn’t really care who took charge of the supplies as long as it was done quickly enough, yet she couldn’t help feeling even more embarrassed when Pinkie Pie took the box she had in her arms and that she had lifted up with so much trouble. She was the one he gave this mission to, because of the almost theft that could have happened at her booth, not even taking into account her small sells. And, was it really reasonable to let her friend do all this on her own? On the other hand, the two lovey-doveys probably were waiting for them, and it was impolite to let them wait for too long, were they her friends or not. It was a dilemma she had to resolve urgently. She had to take her decision. Right now. She was still thinking it through that Pinkie Pie already had done two round trips. Each time, she asked Fluttershy to move aside a bit. That was how she made up her mind. Rather than doing her a favor, and doing herself a favor as well, she was bothering her by standing on the way. Her friend was a member of the female lacrosse team, a former member of a gang, she wasn’t weak and even less defenseless. She’d probably get by better without a clumsy oaf of her kind by her side. “Well, I let you take this in charge, then…” “Yes. It’s going to take me a maximum of ten minutes. Don’t fret!” Fluttershy hesitated one more second, then left the place while looking back from time to time. Pinkie Pie seemed to be so busy that she didn’t even notice her absence. However, as she was getting nearer of the place Twilight was waiting them on, a question popped up into her mind… Where was Mr. Savvy hiding? Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 3)Now wrapped up in her coat as white as snow, trembling despite her crossed arms, Fluttershy appeared in front of Twilight. The latter looked up from her advanced physics book with a smile. She felt as if this day would never be over… She couldn’t wait to be warm at Sugarcube Corner! “Can we leave now? It’s almost six and a half.” “Yes. Let’s hurry. I’m freezing to death.” Twilight put her book back into her bag, and she needed a few more seconds before noticing something was wrong. Pinkie Pie wasn’t here. She told it to her best friend who opened her eyes wide before being touched by some kind of illumination. Since Fluttershy was in love, sometimes she was as absent-minded as the missing member of the group. “She helps Mr. Savvy putting things away. She’ll meet us there as soon as she’s done with it.” This additional piece of information should have reassured the teenage girl. She hadn’t disappeared, after all, she was only a few meters away. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know the town and would get lost on her way. Yet, immediately, an unbearable weight coiled her stomach and she felt her throat clenching. Although the man who was their boss had been rather sympathetic with them today, when he distributed them their very first pay, there was something sinister about him, unexplainable. Since Sunset Shimmer and Applejack told them to beware, Twilight hadn’t helped being wary of almost anything. She had noted the serial numbers of some of the items, for example, just to make sure they weren’t counterfeit and she had carefully recounted her bank notes and check out whether they were fake ones or real ones. It escaped rationality, and rationality was the adjective which described her best. Yet, something was growing inside of her. A fear like from out of nowhere. No. More than a fear, an anguish. Something was going to happen. She didn’t really know what. But it was a fact. They had to go back to the truck. Pinkie Pie put down the last cardboard box. It hadn’t taken her more than five minutes. With all the love she had for Fluttershy, she just knew she wouldn’t have packed it off so quickly if the teenage girl had done it. Now, all that was left to do was to tell the boss goodbye and to go to Sugarcube Corner running. She should have asked her friend to order her a double hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. She rubbed her hands together and came near Mr. Savvy, sitting on an upside down box and busy counting today’s takings. She wondered what demanded so much focus in the view of their poor turnover. “Sorry”, she said, clearing her voice. “We’re done. Can I leave now?” The man looked up from his notebook and looked beyond Pinkie Pie’s shoulders. Everything which was piled up outside was now inside the truck. And her two friends weren’t here anymore. At least, they weren’t right beside them but far enough not to have a glimpse at what they were doing. He put his pen and notebook beside him, and walked to the teenage girl. A hand was put around her shoulders, that she looked at, bewildered. “You did an excellent job, today, Pinkamena. I’m so proud of you.” “Well… Oki doki loki.” “I could have another job for you, something that would be not as thankless and with a much better pay. With a physique such as yours, I know you’ll be very successful.” “Prostitution, you mean?” “Did I say that?” No, indeed, he never said this word. Was it necessary for her to understand what this was all about? Talking about her physique, telling her she would earn more money… Some of the girls from the Rebellious used to be escorts and other things of the kind, and she knew how this kind of work was camouflaged. “No thanks”, Pinkie Pie answered, pushing away Mr. Savvy’s hand which had slipped along her back. “What a pity. You have potential.” Once again, he put his hands on her, and this time, his palm cupped her thigh. As soon as she tried to resist, he became more insistent, grabbing her by the waist. Soon, she found herself stuck against the truck’s wall, Mr. Savvy’s body leaned completely against hers. He couldn’t stop repeating he knew she wanted it secretly, his lips crushed against her neck. Pinkie Pie tried her best to struggle, and to push him away, but the whole thing happened to be rather difficult. Especially as he wrung the arm she had been able to get off above her head, to make sure she wouldn’t be able to escape his wandering hands, which seemed to soil her everywhere at the same time. Who did he think he was trying to assault? She wasn’t only the nice young woman she seemed to be. Deep inside, something bad was concealed behind party’s streamers. It was like bitterness resurfacing, acrid and corrosive. A devil was shouting inside her belly, commanding her to let him out and to blow out between her hands. The best probably would have been to make it shut up, to choke him in the depths. If the man hadn’t tried to slip his hands under her sweater, it would have been a possibility. But he had just crossed this limit tainted with danger. There was a box cutter on one of the cardboard boxes, which gleaming blade was out. Twisting herself, she was able to free her arm, the one which wasn’t wrung, and she stretched it until she could reach the extreme tip of the shaft. As soon as it touched her fingers, instincts from the past came back and with it, the devil she wished she had killed forever. Quickly, Mr. Savvy took a step back, the tip of the box cutter aimed at his throat. The teenage girl in front of him seemed to be completely different. Her curls which made her hair look like some giant pink cotton candy was now flat against her shoulders, and in her blue eyes burned a flame of sourness which made his limbs shake. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked trying to sound mocking but with a voice filled with traces of terror. “What do I think? That I’m going to pierce a dirty asshole’s skin! Don’t you know what it costs to assault a member of the Rebellious?” “This ultra-violent gang of teenagers? I thought it had been dismantled years ago.” “It’s the case!” a female voice screamed behind them. When Pinkie Pie looked away from Mr. Savvy and realized Twilight and Fluttershy had just climbed into the truck and seen her in such a state, a feeling of unprecedented shame took over her whole being. It was enough to calm her down. Now she had let evil inside her out, the only way to get rid of it for good would be to go the whole hog. After all, nothing told her this guy wouldn’t try to rape another girl of her age if she let him go. “Pinkie Pie… You know this isn’t anything like you. Don’t do such a thing, you might regret it.” “This bastard wanted to rape me! He deserves a punishment.” “This isn’t about him… This is about you. You’ve been able to escape the hell you fell into, and look what you’ve become… Don’t ruin everything now. You’re so much worthier than that.” Until then, Fluttershy had stayed in the background, as always scared by displays of violence. However, it was about one of her best friends and she could feel Twilight was going to need her assistance. Of course, she hadn’t met Pinkie Pie back when she was a gang member. It didn’t stop her from loving her the way she loved the other girls. Like a sister. It was her duty as a friend to help her. “It’s true”, she intervened. “This isn’t you. Not the real you. You’re scared and I understand that better than anyone else. But think about your future, think about your family, how disappointed and sad they’d be to know you’re here again. The Pinkie Pie we all know is still around, I know.” They could see their friend was still hesitating. Although she seemed to be on the verge of giving in, something stopped her from giving up. So Twilight decided to slowly step closer. “He hurt you… And he deserved to pay for it. But if you do what I know you want to do, you’ll be the one paying for it at the highest price. We don’t want to lose you, never and for no one.” She referred to the rumors about her past which could have disastrous consequences. This time, Pinkie Pie herself thought she would be thrown on scrapheap, hated by everyone and fired from school, without any other prospect than going back to her parents’ farm, where she would have been on her own most of the time, since she had no interest whatsoever for any kind of rocks. Tears in her eyes, she let go of the box cutter, and pushed Mr. Savvy away before rushing outside the truck. Fluttershy was able to follow her in order to comfort her, but it wasn’t the same for Twilight, who he grabbed by the wrist. “Where do you think you’re going? You friend tried to kill me, and you all will pay for it. First, I’m going to call the police.” A half smile appeared on the young woman’s face. “Well, do it. My big brother is the police chief of downtown Canterlot. I’m going to explain him your products are counterfeits, and that you’ve tried to abuse a minor, he’s going to be very interested.” Of course, Pinkie Pie had a history of juvenile delinquency which could disadvantage her in case of a complaint. However, with her as a witness, and her flawlessness, plus the fact Shining Armor knew Pinkie Pie very well and knew she wasn’t the kind to use violence for no good reason, she didn’t doubt the balance of justice would lean on their side. Thankfully, things would never get this far. Mr. Savvy let her go as well. Right before she left his damn truck, he screamed at her that they were fired. As if they would come back to work for him after everything that had happened. They may had lost their jobs, but they had kept their friend. It was the only thing important. When she met her friends, Pinkie Pie was sitting on the ground, a little farther, and was crying against Fluttershy’s shoulder. The young woman was patting her shoulder softly, like a mother to her child. “I’m sorry”, she kept on repeating. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. We’re not upset. We were scared for you, that’s all.” “I’ve tried to struggle, but I couldn’t.” “Stop crying and blaming yourself”, Fluttershy added. “Everything’s okay. Nobody’s angry.” “I am! I’ve almost gone crazy. It was very close.” “But you didn’t and it’s all that matters.” Twilight’s phone started to vibrate. At the end of the line, Rainbow Dash told her Soarin and her had spent more time than they thought at the stringed-instrument maker’s, and were barely out. They offered to meet them near their workplace instead of Sugarcube Corner directly. This way, they could go there together. Pinkie Pie shook her head no. She needed a bit of time before showing her face to her friend. On the night of her mother’s death anniversary, she had a speech in order to shake her a little, and although both situations were different, she now felt she wasn’t the best person to give pieces of advice like these. Herself hadn’t completely come to terms with her past. Inside her heart, she made a solemn promise. She would always do her best to get rid of this dirt stuck in the corner of her soul. Her friends were right… This wasn’t like her at all, this violence and this anger. She was nothing but joy and love, and it was about time to let joy and love take over the rest. They didn’t understand. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had promised to bring them to someone willing to hire them for a job. Yet, they were taking their time, telling them there was no need to hurry. In Twilight’s opinion, this behavior was not professional. She couldn’t help feeling not at ease. Even if the person in question was really permissive, it also was rather impolite. Her confusion increased when she realized they were taking the road to Carousel Boutique. Unless it was an acquaintance of the place’s owner… But if it was the case, there was no reason for it to be Rainbow Dash and Applejack who introduce them. Inside the shop, Rarity’s assistant, Sassy, welcomed the girls as if they were important dignitaries and led them to the boudoir of the backroom, where the privileged costumers did various fitting. They were served tea and biscuits. But there was no trace of anyone to be introduced to them and vice-versa. “Can I know what we’re doing here?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know but it’s cozier than Mr. Sleazy’s booths!” “I wasn’t asking the question to you, Pinkie…” “Ya’ll going to understand. Just a little patience, folks.” And the activities resumed. The bunch was chatting, seemingly relaxed, while savoring their beverages and snacks, yet Twilight was unable to get casual. Usually, she was fond of puzzles… However, this one looked too absurd for her to be able to enjoy its subtleties. Not that subtle, in fact. Soon, Rarity appeared at the threshold of the boudoir, smiling. She was wearing a white sweat-dress with large stitches with a black belt around her waist, and the whole looked amazingly elegant on her. She sat with them on one of the room’s couches. “Sorry I’ve made you wait for so long. I had a very important meeting.” Twilight looked beyond her friend’s shoulder. No one. It seemed obvious that the place they had to go to was right here, and the person they had to meet was right under their eyes: Rarity, no more no less. “Is that you… for the job?” she asked again. “Well, yes. Didn’t girls tell you?” “To be honest, we wanted it to be a surprise.” “Good work. I’m surprised”, Fluttershy declared. “Not me”, Pinkie Pie claimed. “Your macarons are goooood!” Rarity smiled to her friend, but didn’t say anything. It was nice, this little suspense, nevertheless, she didn’t think it was much worth of interest. The best was to get to the heart of the matter. It wasn’t a job interview, of course, but still the teenage girls had to know what was expected of them. “When Rainbow Dash and Applejack told me what happened to you, I’ve wondered why you haven’t thought of asking me first.” “Yeah, we’ve been a little stupid not to think about it. Or at least, not to suggest them to”, Rainbow Dash affirmed, nodding. “Let’s not mind and go straight to the point. Here is what’s going to happen… Do you know who is Sapphire Shores?” “What? The star of Equestrian pop?” Once again, their friend smiled, this time with a little nod. Twilight looked a little lost, since she wasn’t really aware of the latest trends when it came to music or movies, enjoying the pleasure of a good book over anything else. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, on the other hand, looked as excited as hyperactive kids on speed. “She asked me to create the outfits of her upcoming tour. It’s an enormous order, a key for my future and my career, and it happens that I’m going to need petites mains to help me out. I’m warning you, I can only pay you four dollars an hour for a huge amount of work, but if you aren’t afraid of the responsibility and hard work, I will hire you girls with pleasure. It will be less… dangerous.” “Are you sure we got the capacities?” “Twilight, voyons. Of course I do. I wouldn’t ask you this if I didn’t think you had the skills to finish this task successfully.” “Rarity, you’re the best!” Pinkie Pie fell on the young woman’s neck, and hold her in a restless and lively embrace. It was the typical kind of the teenage girl’s reaction, however, Rarity was a little less used to it, since she was seeing the group more sporadically because of her work. To be honest, the fact to hire her friends for the job also was a way for her to spend some time with them. She knew that then, the rest of the gang would come to her boutique as well, to support and even assist them. This way, she would feel a little less this painful sensation to be an honorary member of her own bunch of friends. Though she kept doubts about her abilities and most importantly, she hoped this casual work of responsibilities wouldn’t slow her down in her reviews, Twilight was now at ease. They were safe with Rarity, an adult with respect for them, and who loved them. Above all, she would protect Pinkie Pie, who needed to hold a course in order not to drift. In a way, it wasn’t that surprising if there was something the others didn’t understand between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. An invisible bond that had them understanding each other instinctively about things the others couldn’t really feel concerned about – not even Applejack, for who her parents’ absence, although sometimes painful, wasn’t accompanied by a total lack of family life, of arms to catch her in case of a fall back. These arms, it was them, all six, who had to incarnate them. They had to be united, despite the disagreements, despite everything else. Author's Note Next chapter will be... a bit special. There had been a clue in one of my blog posts The Big Fight (part 1)Since weeks now, Applejack had impatiently waited for this day to arrive… And finally, only seven days were left until she’d take off for the all-category Equestria rodeo championship in Las Pegasus! This year, the competition was during Christmas holidays and the whole Apple family was really excited to go South for the occasion. It would change them a little to have a great weather for the end of the year celebrations, since in Canterlot, a very biting cold already struck since days. Her upcoming week would be organized around practice, and nothing but practice. That was the reason why she’d invited her friends to come and see one of them, so she could spend a little time with them after school. Sunset Shimmer was the only one missing, since she had her own practice today. Since she belonged to the volley club, each of her Monday and Friday afternoons were dedicated to this activity. In the others’ opinions, it was a good thing. She would be able to get new friends out of her circle. While admiring Applejack on her mechanical bull, the four young women were busy talking about what they planned to do on the end of the year celebrations. Twilight was going to ski with her parents in the Crystal Mountains, and didn’t want to go. Her parents, as well as Shining Armor and Cadence, were going to ask her to go out in order to make the most of the snow, when everything she wanted was to stay warm and review, along with catching up her overdue reading. Pinkie Pie would see her parents, like she did twice in the year, at the occasion of her birthday and at the occasion of these celebrations. She was really excited by the prospect of seeing her whole family again, especially Maud, who was her favorite sister, though the teenage girl never said such a thing out loud. They all were having their own tradition, an exchange of candy necklace, and the preparation of these candies seemed to obsess her more than anything else. As far as Fluttershy was concerned, she would stay in Canterlot and spend Christmas with her parents. Her family was very traditional and did nothing eccentric at this period. On the eve of 24, they would eat a meal which consisted into parmesan and poppy biscuits, of goat’s cheese and apple puffs, of champagne fondue and of sweet chestnut-flavored ice-cream Yule log. In short, the typical meal of the country for this night of the year… Then, they would play a board game until midnight tick and open their presents. It wasn’t extraordinary, but Fluttershy loved this comforting and comfortable simplicity. Now that the ‘ordeal’, aka Halloween, was over, she was way happier and relaxed to soon be on holidays. It was the opposite for Rainbow Dash... Halloween was fun, and she’d been very proud to sport her costume of Clara Bow in “Wings”, her favorite movie – also one of Firefly’s favorite. On the other hand, Christmas, the moment of the year dedicated to families, had everything in common with hell. All those trickling sappiness on TV, and above all, all those people happy to be surrounded by the ones they loved… Disgusting. And most importantly, depressing. For this reason, she was the only one not to express herself about the end of the year’s celebrations and her schedule for the night. This detail intrigued Fluttershy, whom it seemed her friend had done something last year on the same period. She was afraid to ask… But took the risk to ask anyway, in order to know why. “What are you going to do, Rainbow Dash? Don’t you have a little something planned?” She shrugged. “Meh, no. I think I’m going to spend my Christmas Eve face to face with a honey and almond ice-cream pot and Jimmy Stewart…” “Who’s this Jimmy Stewart?” “He’s an actor, Fluttershy”, Pinkie Pie pointed. “A dead actor…” “Hey, don’t say that! James Stewart is eternal!” “’It’s A Wonderful Life”?” Twilight questioned her friend. “Yep!” She rolled her eyes, unsure whether it was sad or laughable. Obviously, Soarin was going to Cloudsdale for Christmas and she’d refused to come with him. Yet she knew his family well… “So, it means you’re going to be all alone?”, Fluttershy asked with a hint of horror in her voice. She couldn’t envision that someone could be alone during such a period. Christmas was supposed to be a moment of sharing and happiness… The magic of daily life. It was so sad! There had to be something to do. As her friend, it was her duty to make sure she wouldn’t have to go through something so tragic. In fact, she even wondered why the others offered her no help. “Yes. My father would rather spend his end of the year’s celebrations in the air than with me, this is the way things are and that’s all… And if he didn’t, we’d have nothing to say to each other and it would feel worse, anyway. It’s better off like this.” “What about Soarin?” “He asked me but I refused. This too is better off like this… Ask Pinkie Pie what happened last year.” “We were all busy chatting while eating our Christmas soup, and Dashie broke down and cried. It was very sad.” She had tried. She had made an effort. But she hadn’t been able to do it. Yet, Pinkie Pie’s family wasn’t anything like her, and was neither the most expressive and expansive people of the world. And even among them, her pain resurfaced and blew up on the table. Since her mother’s death, Christmas had never been the same again. Since the very first year, her father chose to let her between the Green Haven’s staff hands rather than taking her with him, under the excuse that she had arrived just two weeks ago. During the only visit he did when she was there, he explained her it would have been too difficult for him to deal with it. Yet, even Suri the Unraveling and Angel Wings, her dear roommate, been allowed to go back home for the Christmas Eve. Ever since, this period had become one of the period of the year she wasn’t anticipating at all. She was lucky there was only two periods of this kind, or else her life would’ve turned into a real nightmare! She also was lucky because she wouldn’t need to keep talking about this topic. Well, if what happened could be called being ‘lucky’… Indeed, under the four friends horrified eyes, Applejack had just fell off her mechanical bull. And it wasn’t a small fall. She had been knocked down back, and had hit the back of her head when bumping against the floor. Immediately, the young women gasped in shock, before dashing to the other side of the plastic fence. Twilight, who always had a small bottle of water in her bag, gave a few swallows to Applejack, who opened her eyes one second later. They all were relieved. Undoubtedly, their friend had been shaken, but she seemed to be alright. When she sat back, massaging the back of her head, her gestures were precise and she didn’t tremble. Pinkie Pie opened her palm wide in front of the young woman’s eyes. “How many fingers do I have, AJ?” “In all, or just the hand in front of me?” “Well…” “You got to be very accurate with numbers. It’s serious.” “Err… Are you sure everything’s okay?” Rainbow Dash questioned, frowning. Of course, the young woman didn’t seem to be raving, however there was something odd in the way she talked. Something… foreign. A hit on the head could have consequences people didn’t always think about. “I fell; I can’t see how in the world would I be alright.” “Oh my goodness! AJ, your accent…” Pinkie Pie claimed with horror. “It’s gone!” “Which accent? I have always talked the way I am talking now.” The four girls looked at each other, dumbfounded. She couldn’t even realize that the way she talked, with these small hints from the South of United States, where she was born and where her grandmother was born as well, had disappeared. Applejack stood back up and looked at the surroundings. Clippings with her face on them, advertisements posters for the promotion of apple-flavored drinks… And this awful device of torture, in the middle of the room. She didn’t understand. “Did I climb on this thing and fell because of that? What an idea I had to do such a dangerous activity. You should have stopped me.” Once again, the bunch of friends couldn’t help but looking at each other, more and more stunned by what they saw and heard. Rodeos were one of Applejack’s favorite pastime, if not her very favorite. She was excellent at it, and couldn’t spend a day without at least a bit of mechanical bull practice or a horse-back ride around the estate. “Stop you? Applejack, come on… Rodeo is… your life!” “If you excuse me, I strongly doubt it. I only like coding, web design and the “Star Crop” TV Show!” “WHAT?” the young girls yelled at the same time. There! It was even worse than what they thought! They had to bring her to see a doctor. It was a disaster. Usually, the group was chatting in the corridors, in order not to let Twilight with the control freaks from the Guiding Class right from the beginning of the day. This morning, when passing by her classroom, Sunset Shimmer was surprised to see her friend already inside, leaned over a book. She hoped she and the girls hadn’t argued like one year ago, when they thought they could part indefinitely. In all honesty, back then, Sunset Shimmer still thought she too could grant an access to this elite class, thanks to her grades in mathematics… And quickly, she accepted the truth. Too many things had happened, her grades had drastically lowered. Especially, when thinking it through, she rather be in a normal class where she could spend time strengthening her bond with her new bunch of friends. The comfort she felt when she saw all four of them chatting at their tables was quickly cut short. Something was wrong… And it wasn’t only because of the faces filled with dismay that – almost – all of them displayed, because now she could understand that even in such a tight group of friends, everything wasn’t a bed of roses. No, it was something else. Like a rock floating on a soup, or a printing stain in a newspaper. Rainbow Dash was sitting at Applejack’s seat, and Applejack was at her desk, while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were staring her, the expression on their faces between panic and horror. As she came closer, she realized the young blond girl wasn’t sitting there randomly. Her back almost broke in two, she was laughing her heart out, with a Power Ponies comic book under her nose. Her reading engrossed her so much that, when Sunset Shimmer greeted her, Applejack ignored her. “What the hay is happening? Since when does Applejack read comic books?” “Since yesterday”, Rainbow Dash mumbled. “She has made a terrible fall off her mechanical bull”, Fluttershy went on. “And ever since, she’s all…” Pinkie Pie finished, patting her temples with her forefinger. “You know; I can hear you! How boring you all are!” the person in question complained. And, without even a glance at them nor Sunset Shimmer, who was stunned with her eyes as widely opened as her mouth, she left the table to isolate herself in a corner, with her friend’s comic book in her hands. “Hey! My Power Ponies! I haven’t even read them yet!” Each had hoped that, thanks to time spent with her family and friends, in a familiar environment, on the next morning Applejack would have get her memory back at the same time as her mind. When she arrived at school, hatless and fond of her History book, they all knew they had hoped for too much. During the first break between the coming of two teachers, she gave Rainbow Dash her comic book back, still without a hint of Southern accent, then spent the rest of her free time playing video games on her smartphone. It wouldn’t have been much of a surprise if she played at her favorite rodeo game… Except it was the latest edition of Marecraft! Unfortunately, things didn’t get any better during the whole morning. Twilight had been right to have palpitations last night, when her friend recited the square root of five thousand without even thinking about it… Chemistry course. Experience: mixture by titration of redox. The first one to find the point of equivalence was Applejack, even before Sunset Shimmer, and while Rainbow Dash was still wondering what on earth meant this extraterrestrial language. They all almost let fall their test tubes on the ground, starting with their teacher. And if at least things were different during other courses… But they weren’t. The pretty blond girl participated as much as Pinkie Pie, and conversely to her, her answers were always correct and her chosen words were always clever. In a few hours of class, the news went all over the twelfth grade. Everyone talked about it in the corridors. Something they all ignored might have happened for this situation to exist. However, no one had any doubts that Applejack was a hidden egghead finally coming out of the closet. Twilight Sparkle should start worrying… The group succeeded to be gathered for lunch… Much to their surprise, the school’s gang of nerds, called the “techies”, lured Applejack at their table in order to speak with her about “Star Crop”. Though she swore she’d met her friends later, they had to state this obvious – she would never come back, way too obsessed by her new hobbies. “How did we happen to be here?” Twilight sighed, more than annoyed. “If she keeps behaving this way, they’re going to make her go into the Guiding Class with me… Oh no. I could never compete against one of my friends.” She started to breath quicker and soundly, as if she was on the verge of a panic attack. Pinkie Pie forcefully made her drink a glass of water until Twilight pushed her aside asking her if she turned crazy. To which her friend nodded with a large smile. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. The whole story was a complete nonsense, the most complete of all nonsense she’d ever seen, and yet she had watched every of the Keystone Cops movies. Applejack, an egghead, a nerd? All her life turned around rodeo and Sweet Apple Acres! When she wasn’t with them, she practiced, or she rode a horse, or she worked on the farm. Her leisure, her readings… Everything about her was country-related. It always been this way and it would never be any other way. Her true character hadn’t been finally revealed in broad daylight, it might be buried inside the wanders of her concussed brain. Conversely to what Twilight said, if things kept on being this way, she wasn’t going to go to the Guiding Class, but directly to Green Haven! And it was out of question. Out of question that her best friend would be locked up and drugged with Tercian. “What’s happening to Applejack?” The group looked up to the new person who had just asked this question. Here was Flash Sentry, his tray in his hands and his guitar over his shoulders, with his usual leather jacket instead of the supposedly mandatory uniform jacket. He'd been discreet since Trixie’s little set-up. A slap in the face probably had set him straight… The fact remained that he was the first one who came to ask them about their friend’s mental health. The first one to display a curiosity colored with worry, rather than mixed with the excitation of seeing a freak. “She fell yesterday at her rodeo practice, and ever since, she isn’t acting like herself”, Twilight answered with a smile. “Not acting like herself? Try being someone completely different! Our best friend…” Rainbow Dash threw an aggrieved glance at the techies table and saw Applejack laughing at a joke from Micro Chip, one of the figurehead of the band. Until then, she scarcely used her computer if it wasn’t in order to make her bookkeeping or to watch rodeo videos and now… The teenage girl let her head fall against the table, even more saddened, and was welcomed by a gentle stroke on her back from Pinkie Pie. “What’s sure is that she will easily find a partner for the Winter Ball.” Without asking for permission, Flash Sentry put his tray beside Twilight, who seemed to be pleased by this new plot twist. She was the only person around this table who looked any enthusiastic, although one minute before, she was as desperate as her friends. “The ball… I just couldn’t wait to go with you all”, Sunset Shimmer claimed as if to rub it in for good. The Winter Ball was at the end of the week, right before Christmas holidays. If Applejack wasn’t back to normal until then, they all could feel it: they would lose her forever. Fluttershy said the doctor told Big Macintosh the hit on the head his little sister had received wasn’t serious and that things would go back in place slowly, yet it never stopped them from feeling afraid. “Did you… hum… plan to go with someone?” Flash asked Twilight. “I didn’t. No one invites me and since only at the Prom Ball students are allowed to invite someone who isn’t a part of the school…” “Would you like to go there with me? I mean… If you’re not still mad at me…” “That would be great!” In her shoes, Rainbow Dash would probably had think twice before saying yes, or at least check out whether Trixie wasn’t somewhere around the corner watching them. But after all… Her friend was old enough to take her own decisions. If she had decided to forgive Flash Sentry for being a part of this little scheme, it was her business and nobody else’s. She didn’t have the right to tell her how to behave. And, at least there was someone smiling around them. The more she glanced at the nerds’ table, the more she could feel Applejack getting away from them and herself, and the sicker she was. It felt almost as if she was losing another member of her family. The Big Fight (part 2)Apple Bloom was happy she had chosen to subscribe at the ballroom dance club. For a while, she looked for a hobby, as she could see her siblings spending a lot of time doing theirs, and she had finally found it. She really liked to dance, particularly the demanding rhythm of Quickstep and the extravaganza of Lindy Hop. This activity stimulated her a lot, yet she was happy to get home and to rest in front of the television. It felt good to take off her shoes, to savor Sweet Apple Acres’ Red Delicious and Pippin stuffed roll cakes without having to think things through. Today, like every day, Apple Bloom announced her arrival… No one answered, neither Big Macintosh, Applejack or Granny Smith, so she said to herself they all might be at a meeting or something of the kind. The preteen girl didn’t wonder so much… Her family’s habits weren’t quite the same than anywhere else. Her cakes on a tray with a big glass of fresh milk, she turned on the TV to watch cartoons. It was her favorite thing to watch when no one was home. She didn’t want them to keep on treating her like a child, and made this her own little secret. She was in High School now, after all… Everything would had happened like any other day if Apple Bloom hadn’t noticed something new which wasn’t there before, after a few minutes spent on the couch. Under the huge flat-screen television set of the lounge, the newfangled video-game console took center stage, and by its side, were put an abundance of video games. Curious, the young girl got nearer in order to observe this little marvel of technology… It was the one that could be brought outside! Her mouth wide opened in admiration, she stroked the black plastic casing, already seeing herself doing wild games with the rest of the Crusaders. Maybe they would even find their purpose and it would be in the video game area. Who knew? Perhaps they were professional gamers on the become. Suddenly, something struck her. It was nothing normal. No one was the type to be fond of new technologies around her. Big Macintosh already had his own video-game console and when Applejack wanted to play at something else than the rodeo applications on her phone, she came and played in his room. None of them had ever spent hours and hours playing, though. She pricked up her ears. There were sounds upstairs. One of her siblings might be there. Fine. She needed new information about the newbie. It was better to know than being disappointed in case this was a mistake or an impulse which would lead to a return in the next days. Apple Bloom climbed the large stairs leading to the second floor, where her big sister Applejack had her suite – a huge bedroom adjoined to her private bathroom, with a bubble bath she borrowed from time to time. If she wasn’t home, she would go and visit Big Macintosh instead… Maybe he only wanted a brand new console and he hadn’t had the time to put it upstairs yet, taken by a sudden meeting or unfinished chores. The door’s room was ajar. Apple Bloom pushed it softly, and all while knocking, spoke to the eldest. She knew she was here since she could hear her tapping on her keyboard… Fast. Very fast. “AJ, do ya know what’s dis… OOOOOOH!!!” Apple Bloom thought she would faint. Her sister’s room… What in the world had happened? Yesterday Big Macintosh had said she was ill, and this morning, she barely had time to have a glimpse of her, hurried by Granny Smith like never before. But she hadn’t imagined this at all. It probably was more than serious. Every Applejack’s rodeo trophies were on the floor, and instead, figurines of a famous sci-fi TV show took center stage. Posters of the same TV show upholstered the walls which until then were decorated with pictures of her winning rodeos, of her family, as well as of her friends. Leaning over her computer, glasses on her eyes and wearing her complete school uniform, with jacket, tie and sleeveless sweater, the eldest sister paid no attention to the youngest, way too focused on her task. “What the… what the… What the hay is happenin’ to ya?” “Oh, Apple Bloom, I haven’t heard you coming. I don’t know what you’re talking about. The things on the floor are strange. I don’t understand why I want to keep these… What’s your opinion? How much would this one cost on eHay?” she asked showing one of the trophies on the floor, a huge one with a bull shape, decorated by a blue ribbon. He sister… wanted to sell her own prizes on the Web? Applejack would never had done such a thing! These trophies meant the world to her, spending each of her weekend mornings polishing them and talking to them like they were her own babies. As an answer, Apple Bloom screamed on top of her lungs. Where was her big sister and who was this person pretending to be her? Today, like it happened during the latest two days, once again Applejack had refused to hang out with her friends after school. She had more important stuff to do, since, according to herself, Sweet Apple Acres’ internet site needed a good restauration she was the only one able to offer. She had even lectured Twilight for she preferred going out rather than studying. Like each time one of them was absent for a wrong reason, the rest of the group wasn’t in high spirits. Gathered at their favorite place at Sugarcube Corner, in order to avoid the biting cold of December, they were sipping on their favorite drinks unenthusiastically. They all felt that what was going on was out of their control. Previously, they’d been able to go through ordeals with a bit of imagination. This time, it seemed the solution wasn’t within their reach. The strike was particularly harmful to Twilight. Her biggest fear, to be the rival of one of her best friends on an academic level, was about to become a reality. Indeed, thanks to her very recent excellent grades in every single subject, people talked more and more about a possibility to have Applejack enrolled in the Guiding Class. Of course, she had to wait and see how the situation would evolve, but the prospect was probable. All it took was for the Homeroom Teacher to agree and the student in question to agree as well. As her Homeroom Teacher was no one but Principal Celestia herself, and considering how zealous her friend was when it came to courses, she had no doubt that if offered, Applejack would accept. And there were many other problems… “What is this thing about wanting to be called ‘Apple Jewel’? Does anybody know where it comes from?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly irritated. General shrugs. The five friends thought that if Rainbow Dash didn’t know, then none of them did. Their gang had started with them both, and they knew each other since the longest time, to the extent that, back in eighth grade and the beginning of ninth grade, the rainbow-haired teenager had spent more time living in her friend’s house than in hers. However, the situation was painful and distressing for each of them. And it infested the whole functioning of the school, as well as her own family’s working. Indeed, since her head had knocked the ground, Applejack had given up on her chores at the farm, and Big Macintosh now had a heaviest workload, although in was in the middle of mid-term exams – just like Zephyr and Soarin. As far as young Apple Bloom was concerned, she looked depressed all the time, and had spent the previous day at the nurse’s office, in the complete disinterest of her eldest. “It’s just not Applejack to let Apple Bloom in such a state”, Fluttershy softly said, staring at the whipped cream of her cappuccino. “Because this isn’t our Applejack. There’s an alien inhabiting her body”, Pinkie Pie went on, imitating a zombie. “Like in ‘The Invasion of the Body Snatchers’!” “How on earth do you know this movie?” Rainbow Dash asked with a bit of bitterness. “You’re the one who showed it to me. Dashie got a lot of old strange movies home.” “They’re not old strange movies! They’re great classics.” “Alright, they’re not strange. They’re just old!” “A great classic is timeless, it means it never gets old… Ask Rarity.” “Don’t you think it would be more productive to refocus?” “Thank you, Sunset Shimmer”, Twilight replied, sighing. “There’s more serious topics to discuss about… Like Applejack in the Guiding Class! I don’t want to compete against Applejack!” “Do you really think this is the most serious of all topics? Not that AJ no longer is AJ?” “Or maybe it’s like in ‘The Stepford Wives’… She’s a robot! This movie was shown to me by Maud, Dashie.” “As long as it wasn’t the awful remake… And Pinkie, could you please stop with your cinematographic references? There’s no alien invasion and no humans turned into robots!” It was hopeless. When they started arguing over trifles, they had to wait for things to calm down on their own, and avoid to stick your oar in one of the girls’ argumentation. After more than one year spent by their side, this was what Sunset Shimmer had learned. What she’d learned as well was that when one of them was injured or harmed, it was the whole group that suffered from it. That was how close they were. As their best friends, they had to do something in order to help Applejack but they all felt they were helpless. And somewhere, they probably were thinking that if the young woman was happy this way, they didn’t have to intervene. But was she happy? None of them could be sure, so out of desperation, here they were arguing about many different things. It didn’t help much but at least, it gave them the impression of not staying with their arms crossed, waiting for something to happen. The tearoom’s bell resounded, and the group as a whole turned around to look at the door. In secret, they hoped it would be Applejack, her hat on her head, back to her old self by magic… Of course, this wasn’t the case. But maybe were they about to get fresh news from the situation since the person who had just come hurtling in Sugarcube Corner was Big Macintosh. Immediately, Fluttershy’s face was embellished with a charming smile, after being so gloomy right before, and her eyes lightened up like a Christmas tinsel when she saw her boyfriend. Just like Rainbow Dash with Soarin, because of the mid-terms exams, she hadn’t seen him much during the last two weeks. However, conversely to her friend who seemed to be alright with the fact, she couldn’t help being afraid. Indeed, even when she had worked for Rarity, they had spent more time together than now… What if he realized he didn’t miss her? After all, when he had accepted to be with her, he had said he wasn’t in love. Nothing could prove her he was in love now. Well, if it were the case, she would have been unable to detect it. Fluttershy didn’t really have the time to get reassured, since Big Macintosh stopped by their table and barely looked at her, obviously here for another reason than spending time with her. “Girls, the situation is serious!” “What’s happening, Big Mac?” Pinkie Pie questioned. “It’s Applejack… She refuses to go to her photoshoot for our new apple-flavored tea drinks. And she also decided she’ll never take part in a rodeo again! You gotta help me!” At the same time, the five girls gasped in shock, and it draw the attention of the whole tearoom, silent for a very short while. This wasn’t funny anymore. It was highly grave. A good part of the incomes generated by the family brand came from Applejack’s image, and not only thanks to her pretty face and her athletic body, but also and most importantly because she was a star in her discipline. All this was a well-oiled mechanism which each link was essential for the complete machine to work out fine. The most worrying detail, out of the financial aspect, was that by refusing to model for the brand, she was refusing to help her family. Applejack. Applejack couldn’t refuse anything to her family, it was the most important thing of her life, along with her friends. More important than her passion for rodeo, more important than anything alive on earth. It went beyond becoming the school nerds’ muse, or even beyond giving up on her hobbies and friends. It was a total denial of who she really was inside. They could not let that happen. No matter what it would cost, no matter how long it would take, they were going to save their friend. Now it was their number one priority. Author's Note Not really satisfied with this part... But if you like it, then it's alright with me The Big Fight (part 3)Friday. While the other students were getting prepared for the Winter Ball, the gang was gathered in town, following Applejack around. The Las Pegasus rodeo contest was on Sunday and if the young woman didn’t leave tomorrow morning, she could never get there on time to participate. It was the last chance to save their friends. It bothered Twilight a lot to tell Flash Sentry not to count on her tonight if this last investigation didn’t give results, but at the same time she knew none of them would want to dance and have fun knowing that the more time went by, the more Applejack was getting away from her friends and family. On the previous night, the five girls had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and had spent time with her. Since memory couldn’t be back on its own, they had decided to force its hand a little. Rainbow Dash had brought the previous grades’ yearbook, and they all looked at the pictures together, as if everything had happened light years ago, although they weren’t much older now. Since it hadn’t been enough, she then tried to hypnotize Applejack but had to admit the obvious – she wasn’t very gifted for this. Fluttershy had then suggested to show her videos of her former rodeo exploits… Maybe moving pictures in familiar places would have a satisfying effect. But the girls quickly had grown weary of Applejack’s comments, denigrating this activity which had long been her favorite one. No side of it had escaped her sharp tongue… Well,the honest side of her was alive, that was at least something. So, as a last resort, even if it would hurt her, Twilight had claimed that the best thing to do was to tell her about her late parents. This, she was sure, will touch her heart deeply. It had been as heavy a defeat as the rest. Their friend had determined that they would probably be prouder of her now than when she no longer “used to gesticulate like an idiot, riding a poor defenseless animal”. Mission results: complete failure. Discouraged, but not defeated, they had sworn not to let go and to keep on trying anything to make sure the young woman to be herself again, even if it would ruin their Winter Ball and would take them the whole holidays to succeed. Christmas holidays were nothing special, anyway, Rainbow Dash had claimed under a general roll of the eyes. Here was why they were now following Applejack as discreetly as possible in Canterlot’s streets, at four in the afternoon, instead of being busy to mistreat their faces and slip their bodies into ball dresses made in Rarity. Applejack, wearing her complete uniform twenty-four hours a day, with the matching coat that even Twilight never bothered to wear, bare-headed and hair loose, was going from comic books stores to IT boutiques since she’d left school. She was buying more figurines than Rainbow Dash bought sneakers pairs in a month, and went out with electronic circuits and other computer equipment that Twilight described each time, with quavers in her voice. This time, she was out of a store with scarcely neat windows and a shady inside, with something their friend described them as being a IP protection server, which, she thought costed something like the trivia of nine hundred Equestrian dollars. Rainbow Dash looked around them, while Applejack, like each time since they were following her, was gazing at her purchase with expert eyes, but deprived of the least display of happiness. She needed a new shock, if possible a hit on the head, she had decided. Why? When she had been in her state of stupor after her mother’s death, it was a shock which helped her to snap out of it – a tough emotional shock which had led to an attack, but well… Since it was the last thing on their hands, so be it… Near Applejack there was an enormous Christmas wreath decorated with bells and bows. If one of them was able to untie it and to make it fall on the teenage girl’s head, with a little luck it would generate the expected shock. “Pinkie… Follow me, we’re going to try something! Fluttershy, Twilight and Sunset, try to distract her so she wouldn’t move.” “Received loud and clear!” Crouching and hiding behind cars parked along the sidewalk, both girls got nearer the spot where Applejack was still standing, putting her purchase back into her paper bag. It was now or never… Yet, while the rest of the group was about to start their part of the mission, an unexpected fact happened. The Flower Trio, their arms full of packages from the big main mall, had just arrived in front of the young woman, who bumped into them without seeing them, and, head in the clouds, didn’t bother to apologize. The three girls, outraged by the insult, caught her back and, grabbing the young woman by the arm, forced her to stay where she was… right under the wreath but also in front of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who had to go back hiding where they had just been. “Hey, who do you think you are, hillbilly?! Just because you suddenly turned into an egghead doesn’t mean you should believe you’re superior to others.” “To be smart doesn’t spare you from being polite. Look at your friend Twilight… At least, she apologizes.” “I haven’t seen you”, Applejack simply answered. “I’m busy, I still have to buy an overvoltage cable and a storage adapter.” “Don’t try to confuse the issue with your fancy words. And stay here! We’re talking to you!” Since the young woman had turned her back on them in order to resume her purchases, Daisy had just pulled her arm again, so strongly she almost fell. The group was looking at this scene, unable to believe their eyes. Usually, Applejack would have defended herself, or at least would have admitted she’d been wrong, and, she wasn’t that easy to make stumble. She was even famous of her impressing strength, and her agility. The consequences of this hit on the head decidedly were endless – and embarrassing. “I’m not trying anything. I told you I was busy. Please, leave me alone.” Under everyone’s flabbergasted eyes, she burst into tears and blamed the Flower Trio for being mean with her. Once again, it was beyond belief and was nothing like the Applejack they all knew and loved. The Applejack who only shed a few discreet tears when something really touched her deep inside, but who never let herself go hose down, especially in front of the others. “Look at her bawling like a baby.” “Your courage has blown at the same time than your brain, or what?” “Do you want us to call your mom so she could give you a pacifier, baby?” “MY MOM IS DEAD!!” Applejack yelled, more in tears than ever. Alright. They couldn’t stay here, watching their friend drowning and being ridiculed, as if they hadn’t seen anything special. Above all, Rainbow Dash hated the fact the Flower Trio kept on laughing about her tears, although they had just spoken about something very painful for Applejack. Too bad for the shock, now taking defense of her best friend was more important… She went out of her hiding place. “Is this the only thing you have to do, laughing about the others’ weaknesses, bunch of wimps?!” “Oh, look at who’s here… Stupid flunky Rainbow Dash. Are you going to bawl as well because your mom has died? Boohoo, mommy!” Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw. She felt like her fist was itchy, but since Applejack, who couldn’t stop crying, was in a high level of stress, she thought it was best not to be violent in front of her. Who could tell what her reaction would be? Sunset Shimmer waved at her in order to know if the rest of the group should intervene, but she showed with a nod she’d rather have them waiting a little. “I knew you never really were clever but I never thought you’d also be petty. It’s been a while since you’re getting on my nerves and frankly, if you keep on laughing at AJ or if you talk about her mother again, or about mine again, I think it’s going to escalate very quickly.” “What? Are you threatening us? Go back to your bin, loony!” This time, Rainbow Dash’s face got colored from toughness and anger, flushed red. They could provoke her abundantly, they could mock her small height, her physical aspect, they could call her stupid all day long, even, it didn’t matter to her, since she knew who she was and what was her worth, but it was out of question to take her past and to make fun of her trauma in order to belittle her. She made the knuckles of her fist crack, ready to show them what the ‘loony’ had in store. “So this is the way you want to play? Fine. Since that’s the way it is… It’s war!” “Lily, film this! We’ll need proofs for when we’ll report it to the police.” “Stop it, stop it, please, don’t fight”, Applejack kept on sobbing. Rainbow Dash hesitated for a few seconds… She wanted to defend her friend at any cost, but at the same time, she didn’t want to have problems with the police. Or she knew what to expect… On the other hand, maybe the shock of a good fight could bring Applejack’s memory back. It was nothing like another hit on the head, but maybe that would be enough… She didn’t have time to verify her theory since, ignoring her orders, Pinkie Pie had just emerged from her hiding place, and she pounced her Lily, who had caught her smartphone in order to film the row to come, and tried to get it off her hands. “Hey! Give it back to me!” Perfect. While the two young women were fighting over the phone, Rainbow Dash could take care of that Daisy she couldn’t stand anymore. A mischievous half-smile outlined on her face and, understanding what was going to happen to her, the teenage girl in front of her whispered a ‘oh oh’ which said a lot. Then the rest of the group emerged as well, some trying to stop Rainbow Dash to flatten her rival like a pancake in the Roller Derby way, and others trying to stop Pinkie Pie from being a smartphone robber. In the middle of this confusion, Applejack was still crying rivers, and begged everyone to stop fighting, arguing it scared her a lot, under general indifference, although she was the one everybody was supposed to defend or attack. In the global pandemonium, Pinkie Pie was able to steal the phone, but Rose took it back quickly, before it slipped off her fingers again. The item flew in the air for a few seconds, as if time was slow down like in a movie, and it directly crashed onto Applejack’s head, the corner of it hitting the middle of her forehead, before falling back on the ground, broken. “My phone!!!” Lily yelled, who went out of the scrum to get it on Applejack’s feet – or rather on Applejack’s laps. The young woman grabbed it before she could, and looked up to her in a strange way. “What the hay is happenin’ here? And why are ya’ll fightin’?” “AJ, your accent!” Fluttershy claimed so loud it made everyone jump. “It’s back!!” “Back? Ah don’t understand a word of what yar sayin’!” She got up, dusted herself, and looked at her outfit with eyes wide opened. In front of her bunch of friends gazing at her with a peculiar attention, Applejack patted the top of her head, examined the content of her bags, puzzled. She didn’t even seem to realize she was hurt at her forehead, where a small crimson pearl had appeared. “Why am I kitted out this way? Where’s my hat? Did ya ask me to run an errand for ya, Twilight? And why are ya’ll lookin’ at me like that?” Still bewildered, she didn’t understand neither when her friends stepped to her and jumped at her neck for a group hug. They all said they were happy she was back to normal. A nervous smile on her face, she looked at the Flower Trio escape with their famous sense of discretion, laughing at the group they called stupid, like usually, and that she didn’t understand as well. Something had happened, it was certain. Applejack didn’t know what, and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It sure was connected with herself, somehow… “Dear Rainbow Dash, In fact, I’m writing this to you because I know you’ll be home for Christmas, but that’s a group letter. I know it would’ve been quicker to send you all something on your email box, but you know how I prefer classical handwriting letters to IT. I think it’s too impersonal and the pleasure is spoiled. Funny, but I don’t have any accent when I write. Well, it’s not funny, it’s the same for everyone in fact, but I just realized because in reality, let’s face it, there’s not many occasions for us to write letters nowadays. Apples are more likely to use their phones. Phones are fine too but you’re probably waiting for a call from your Soarin honey so a letter it will be. The weather here in Las Pegasus is wonderful, something like 22°C, which I’m sure you’re far from having in Canterlot. I’m not writing this to tease you, though it would be much fun, but to tell you and the girls that I’ve won the rodeo contest. In all honesty, I have no idea how I’ve done such a thing since I know I probably didn’t practice a lot this week, even if I can’t remember a single detail. So, how can I know this? Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom are acting really weird each time I’m trying to ask them what could have happened. They refuse to answer, but I have an idea that it should had nothing to do with rodeos or even with bulls – if not with any animals of any kind. In my box, I’ve found a whole lot of emails from people interested by purchasing my trophies… as if I could get rid of my babies! I’ve also discovered emails announcing figurines of a TV show I can’t even remember the name of would soon be available. I tried to watch it in my hotel room… Who the hay is following this kind of silly stuff? It’s so old-fashioned and even I think the words they’re using are only scientific by the names. There were posters of this stuff everywhere on my bedroom’s walls, and someone has hidden my personal pictures under a pile of old dusty blankets which are inside the barn. If this is one of your jokes, I have to say this isn’t funny at all. You can prank me without spending your father’s money. I know there’s great tensions between the two of you, but you’re going a little too far now, I’m sorry to tell you. If this isn’t a prank, then I don’t understand a thing. Would it be possible that I fell on my head or something like this, last week? Well, I guess this is all I wanted to tell you. I wish you a good Christmas Eve, although you hate this celebration, and I see you very soon. We got a whole lot of things to do. Pass the letter to everyone and thank them for me. Don’t stuff your face too much with ice-cream, think about your stomach and liver, and good Jimmy Stewart! Yours affectionately, Your best friend, Applejack.” Rainbow Dash looked up from her mail, a smile on her face. Obviously, Applejack had not calculated correctly how long it was to send a letter from Las Pegasus to Canterlot, since the Christmas Eve wasn’t before two whole days. At lease, it made no doubt: she was herself again. At a hundred percent. As far as revealing her what happened during this week was concerned, she refused to do so for two reasons. She promised not to and she could keep the pictures taken by the school’s techies of their already disappeared muse dressed in a cosplay of “Star Crop” to prank her one of those days! Author's Note See? Totally medically inaccurate! Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 1)Rainbow Dash parked her scooter in front of the building’s railings. It was a beautiful starry and clear night, with a wind from the South to warm up the cold air of January. Behind her, Pinkie Pie was snoring under her pink helmet, her mouth wide opened and her cheek against her friend’s back. As soon as the purr of the engine stopped, she jumped and muttered an incomprehensible sentence made of words with no connections together, and deprived of any verbs. “Hem… We’ve arrived, Pinkie.” “Oh yes, we’ve arrived! Dashie, you’re driving soooo fast, you’re a champion.” “I know I am. But I haven’t driven that fast.” “Yes! Go, go Wondercolts, go, woooo!” Under her friend’s dumbstruck eyes, Pinkie Pie, obviously back on her feet, mimicked the steps of majorettes throwing sticks in the air. Thankfully, no one was around the parking lot at such an hour… Well, once thought through, it was rather easy to understand since there were only four occupants left in this small apartment block for students, which emptied slowly when the university dormitories had been renovated. Rainbow Dash liked her friend very much, but she kept on being amazed, and quite often embarrassed by the treasures of enthusiasm and madness the curly-haired teenage girl was able to display. What was the thoughts on her mind looking like? Wondercolts didn’t even have majorettes but cheerleaders, just like almost every sports team in Equestria, whether they were professional or amateur. “What I’ve always thought is true: you’re even more random when you’re plastered!” “It is true-ue!” she chanted soundly. A few hours before, CHS lacrosse female team had disputed the third game of the season and had won. Their victory had even been overwhelming, one of the biggest score ever recorded during an interschool championship. To celebrate this, Rainbow Dash had invited the whole team and her bunch of friends to have a drink at the Bellehorse Bar, where they had been welcomed as heroines. Since they were there, they had taken an advantage from it to eat and the party had extended so late that Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack had all gone home when the last girls had left the bar. One week before, Rainbow Dash’s gastroenterologist had warned her… The state of her liver had deteriorated, and she had to learn how to live avoiding alcohol as much as possible if she didn’t want to go through the experience of having an ablation at the age of twenty-five. Because of this, she had only drunk one beer, and had spent the rest of the party sipping ice-tea and juices… which gave her the strange feeling of being Twilight Sparkle! Pinkie Pie hadn’t controlled herself at all. She even poured her heart into the party and had drunk unreasonably. Broken because of her excesses once it was over, she was unable to drive home or to pay for a taxi. This was how she’d found herself sleeping against Rainbow Dash’s back, riding her scooter with her. She was lucky that the latter always kept an additional helmet inside the trunk of her vehicle, just in case. “Pinkie… It’s almost midnight, you should go home and rest. And take an aspirin.” “Do you want to sleep here, Dashie? You live so far… so far… so far… Out there, in another galaxy. Just like Captain Harlock, whee!” “In your small singled bed? Thanks, but no thanks. If my father’s home and he realizes that I’m not, he’s going to beat the shit out of me.” “Well, too bad for you. We could’ve eaten ice-cream and laughed until the break of dawn!” “Yes, yes, Pinkie”, she answered, patting her back. The young woman took off her helmet, and laughed at herself at each of her clumsiness, then she zigzagged until her building’s front door. Seeing it even was difficult for her to find her keys, Rainbow Dash suggested she could help her, but Pinkie Pie assured she could do this on her own. Yet, the teenage girl stayed and watched, to make sure she was home, safe and sane. While starting her scooter, she took a glimpse at the desolate façade of the building, grey and in an advanced state of decaying. Ivy unceasingly climbed along the walls, the frames of the windows were rotting away, and the roof urgently needed to get repaired. Even the main front door was painful to look at, with orange scotch tape stuck to keep together the broken upper glass. Inside, the building didn’t look much better. The janitor didn’t seem to bother herself with cleaning the communal areas, and the corridor’s wooden floor was in ruin. The apartment in which Pinkie Pie was living wasn’t even ten square meter. Her very small kitchen touched the low table she was taking her meals on, itself neighbor with her bed, which was stuck against her desk, which gave way to a tiny bathroom composed of a tiny shower cubicle. How could she manage to bake delicious cakes in such conditions, no one but herself knew. She got the key off her lock with difficulty, then made the few steps separating her from her bed, on which she let herself fall. Pinkie Pie knew she had to take her makeup off, to wear her pajamas and to wash her teeth, but now that she was lying, she didn’t feel in the mood for moving at all. Too bad for all this. It was knocks on her door, violent like in nightmares, which woke her up. From the moment when she sat up in a jump, she felt her head like in a vise, with the sensation that each knock was going to blow up her brain. Her head span as soon as she put a foot on the floor, and her stomach was knotted like a salad in a spinner. When she tried to slip her fingers through her hair, she struggled with a huge knot, and Pinkie Pie knew just by the way her skin stung that she’d let her makeup drip along her face. While she was surfacing, the knocks went on. She looked at the time on her cupcake-shaped clock above her door… Who could knock on her door at seven and a half in the morning? “Yes?”, she asked in an unusual hoarse voice when opening her door ajar. In front of her, there was her cantankerous janitor, Miss Sour, dressed in a silky bathrobe which made her look like a badly stuffed sausage, her huge pink bun already backcombed. Well, at least, when it came to having an awful makeup, Pinkie Pie was feeling less alone… “What is it for?” “You’ve made an awful lot of noise when you came back last night!” “Oh yeah, that was exceptional. Sorry… “Whatever. I’m here to give you this. I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but you were home very late…” She took a folded crumpled piece of paper out of her bathrobe, put it in her hands, and not even waiting for her to say “thank you”, Miss Sour turned around to go back home. Her head like cotton, and her stomach still as traumatized, Pinkie Pie closed the door behind her, and leaned against it in order to unfold the paper that had been given to her. Her shock was huge when she saw her address above the mention “eviction notice”. Was it because she was a bit too noisy last night when she played majorettes in the parking lot? Because it was a little not worth it… What was Pinkie Pie doing? Since this morning, Rainbow Dash sent her messages to which she never answered. She wanted to know wether she was recovering from last night’s bender, and hoped she wouldn’t spend her entire day in bed, although she had to admit it was nothing like her. Surprise to see that the girls and Twilight weren’t in the corridors, she took off her headphones and took a glimpse inside her classroom… The door was closed. Something important probably was happening and the others didn’t know. Shrugging, Rainbow Dash sent another message to Pinkie Pie, and walked in the direction of her own classroom, in which her other friends most likely were already. As soon as she opened the door, an outburst of plaudits welcomed her. First, the teenage girl opened her eyes wide, then blushed, and eventually ended up taking poses of the winner intoxicated by the ovation. Obviously, the Wondercolt’s crushing victory hadn’t stayed confidential, only exchanged by lacrosse amateurs, such as an insiders’ trend. Undoubtedly, that was because her team aimed for the interschool championship’s cup for the third time in a row, and a lot was expected from her and Pinkie Pie. While she was going to her table, she received compliments which made her feel prouder and prouder at each step. When she put her bag to sit, she saw Applejack looking at her from the corner of her eyes, like only she could do when she could sense something was coming around. “Ah hope ya won’t start telling us ‘bout how good ya been all day long!” “Hey! I haven’t said anything yet!” she protested. “Ah know ya. It’s for prevention.” “Can’t I be at least a little happy? We smashed those Trottingham’s Lambs! When you have a team of a sport such as lacrosse, you don’t call yourself the “lambs”. That was so obvious we would kick their asses!” “Yeah, ya can be happy but look at Sunset, when she wins at volleyball, she doesn’t bore us all day long with how good she did.” “We’re in no way as good as the female lacrosse team”, the latter said, embarrassed to find herself thrown into this conversation she hadn’t taken part in yet. “I can’t help it if we’re the best. No team has ever made an All-Kill of three victories in a row at the interschool championships and I’m willing to do anything for us to be the first ones.” “I’m sure you girls can do it”, Fluttershy said timidly. “So do I. Especially as we also have Pinkie Pie… she’s the best goal of all Equestria!” “By the way, where’s Pinkie? She was really drunk last night.” “Yeah. I think she might be struggling with one hell of a hangover. I’ve sent her at least five messages and she hasn’t answered to none of them yet.” They all had seen how many drinks she had gulped last night… So many they couldn’t tell the exact number. However, they also knew it took much more to defeat the young woman. Her energy was so overflowing she kept on bouncing and hopping in the corridors while the others were dragging their feet and stuffing themselves with medicines in order to get rid of their headaches. Her absence had nothing very surprising, conversely to the fact she’d answered to no message yet. It was nothing like her not to give any news when the others were worried about her health. They all were reassured when they saw her on the doorstep. But it was quickly cut short. In front of the outburst of plaudits, her reaction was none; no smile nor enthusiastic thanks. Even more dreadful, her hair was straight, and it never happened of her own free will. Each time it had happened, it was a phenomenon that even Twilight and Sunset Shimmer, the group’s scientists, couldn’t identify. Indeed, she was the only person they knew whose mood could be determined thanks to her hair. Seeing the worried looks of her friends, she dropped her bag on the floor and buried her face inside her arms. The jolts made by her shoulders finished to convince them something was wrong about her. From memory, they had seen Pinkie Pie this way only when she was pushed to her limits, or in a particularly distressing state of panic. They all gathered around her desk, and rubbed her back and shoulders in a way they thought was comforting. They were waiting for her to stop crying before asking what was happening, but had to resign seeing how long her crisis was. “Calm down, Pinkie Pie, and tell us what’s wrong”, Fluttershy whispered to her. “Yes, we can’t guess if you don’t tell us”, Sunset Shimmer went on. “And we can’t help you neither”, Applejack added. “We’re all there for you if you need, you know this”, Rainbow Dash finished. Her cheeks still flooded with tears, and her vision blurred, Pinkie Pie took a crumpled paper out of her bag and put it between her teammate’s hands without a word. This piece of paper was rather meaningful on its own, anyway. The five girls all gathered around Rainbow Dash in order to read what their friends had just given her. And the shock was the same for them all. “An eviction notice in the middle of Winter? They can’t do that! It’s forbidden by the law. I can ask Mr. Habeas if you want, he will confirm us… “No, Dashie”, Pinkie Pie finally managed to mutter between two hiccups. “Not in this case… The owner is in a situation of personal bankruptcy and the building has been sold to auction. The new purchaser is going to destroy it and to build a private pay parking lot instead, so he has the right to evict us in so short a time because of this. I’ve searched information on Internet this morning, and I’ve called the Society of Free Attorneys who helped me after I got arrested with the Rebellious.” Each of her friends were so bewildered by this news that none of them dared to say anything for a few seconds. Undoubtedly, it explained why the building was falling apart completely… And this explanation didn’t bring any relief on their friend’s suffering heart. Yet, there might be a solution to this problem. “Did ya call yar parents?” Applejack questioned. While sniffing, Pinkie Pie nodded, and wiped away her tears, finally calmed down, with the back of her sleeve. “I’ve tried but they’re studying Zoroastrian Granites from the Grand Canyon. There’s no telephone network where they are. I don’t know what I’m going to do…” “I can ask my father to rent you a room in our house. There are plenty of it which are empty and he’s never home, anyway. Well, except when he decides it’s been a while since he hadn’t yelled at me for the fact that I’m existing, of course…” “Thanks, Dashie, but I can’t.” More than anything in the world, she didn’t want to become a burden for her friend, who already had a lot of domestic and personal issues to deal with, though it would probably have given her the presence she was obviously longing for. The problem was that she really didn’t want to be stuck between Rainbow Dash and her father during their unceasing arguments. “There’s still Sweet Apple Acres. We got enough room for six…” “I’m sure my parents would also accept to accommodate you for a little while. If you can put up with Zephyr.” “Go at AJ’s, Pinkie”, Rainbow Dash hurled. “I’d be more than glad to lend you our guest room until you find something better”, Sunset Shimmer finished. They all were ready to take her at their places. It was adorable, and Pinkie Pie was glad, more than words could say. Nevertheless, she refused to become the official squatter of her friends’ spare rooms, to impose herself in their daily life, among their habits, and take an advantage from a shelter and food provided by others. Even if she surely would have enough many to participate to these family life… Precisely, this was their family life. She would feel embarrassed to impose herself this way, and would feel in the way, even with the greatest of kindness surrounding her. Author's Note Like the name of the chapter does not indicate, this isn't the last chapter Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 2)The sadness one of them could feel had always an impact on the rest of the group. They were working like the connected parts of the same body: what affects one limb was resounding with those linked to it. It was even more true when it was about Pinkie Pie. She had one particular role inside their gang. Her overwhelming energy often was enough to reinflate the soul’s punctures of their age. Seeing her slowed down and defeated branded her friends deeply. All morning long, she hadn’t uttered a word, her eyes lost in the vague, and all morning long, she had rejected her friends’ help. No matter how much they insisted, the arguments they used, Pinkie Pie refused to cross the bridges they were building along her way. At lunch time, she had gathered her stuff and announced the girls she was going back home to sleep in what still was her apartment until the end of the week. She wasn’t focused at all, and she didn’t want to be a burden for the rest of the group with her mood as flat as her hair was straight. Nothing had stopped her. Pinkie Pie had hit the road. The whole day had gone with the slowness of heavy weather, yet when strolling in the streets, the sky was dark and a frosty smoke was going out of the lips. By the end of the courses, however, the girls had finally envisioned a solution for their friend. She didn’t want to meddle with everyone’s family life, this they knew. They all lived with their parents, and although Rainbow Dash’s father was more absent than the opposite, this house was his. Nonetheless, they had a friend who wasn’t bothered with such a problem. Without stopping by in town in order to drink something hot, they called Big Macintosh, who hadn’t seen his girlfriend for days, and went directly to the Carrousel Boutique, where Rarity was expecting them. None had explained the young woman the reason of their visit, but as soon as they pushed the door of the boutique, she immediately noticed something was missing. Like an odd empty space, an air pocket shocking by its lack of substance. She let her assistant Sassy take care of the costumers, and told her friends to go upstairs in order to have a well-deserved hot tea. Sitting at a desk, they found Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s little sister, busy doing her homework. She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had subscribed to different after-school clubs and their activity as Crusaders was focused on the weekends. After they all settled down in a silence worthy of funerals, and that their friend had served them something to get warm, she asked what was their visit about and where was Pinkie Pie. “The building she’s living in is going to be destroyed by the end of the week…” “And her parents are out of reach.” “We all offered her to come at our places but she’s refused.” “Yar the only one that can help us, Rar’…” The fashion designer suspended her action, her teapot half the way between her cup. Out of all the news which regularly shook their students’ lives, this was one of the worse. Being without a roof above the head was of another level than an issue with rumors, or a heartbreak. Pinkie Pie was fundamentally benevolent and didn’t deserve such a fate. “What can I do to help her?” “Well, maybe you could accommodate her for some time? You’re on your own, so she’ll probably be less embarrassed because of your “family life”.” Of course, they were asking for this favor without the certitude that Pinkie Pie would agree to this solution… It didn’t mean they couldn’t try. With a bit of persuasion, who knew, maybe they’ll be able to get her to listen to reason. “Oh My, I’d love to do her such a favor! Unfortunately, my parents are travelling abroad and I got Sweetie Belle home. I don’t have enough space to accommodate three persons. Maybe I could ask Sassy…” “She doesn’t want to come at our places, so she’ll never accept someone she knows as barely as Sassy to welcome her home”, Rainbow Dash declared in a defeated voice. This weariness reached each of the girls present, and they all looked down, not even touching their smoky cups. From her chair, Sweetie Belle witnessed the rare vision of the group on the verge of the point of no return, that the decrease of perspectives turned into ragdolls thrown in a dumpster. In their minds, they were actively looking for a resolution, too much drown into their own thoughts to realize they were doing this at the same time. Yet, a sigh pierced through the listlessness, full of surrender and fatalism. “It’s hopeless!” Fluttershy said right after. “Pinkie Pie’s going to be homeless.” Big Macintosh was sitting on her left. He hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived, only holding his girlfriend’s hand for comfort, and glancing sadly at Applejack. His reaction made Fluttershy jump, when he let go of her hand in an unfriendly way. It was so surprising from him it even drew the whole gang out of their intense reflections. In the same way, he got on his feet, and a frown outlined on his ordinarily impassible face. When he opened his mouth, his voice had notes even deeper than usually. “How is that possible to be so negative and coward?! Can’t ya even try to say sumethin’ that help for once?” After those words, he grabbed his things and left the boutique unapologetically. This completely inconceivable behavior from the shy tall blonde boy rooted everybody to their chairs, Sweetie Belle included. Big Macintosh losing his temper was very sporadic, and generally, it never was in front of witnesses. Fluttershy, once the shock passed, couldn’t help but bursting into tears. She couldn’t understand what she had said or done to make him so angry. It seemed to her like her behavior had been nothing different than how she always acted, and he appeared to be rather used to it now. The person who really needed help was Pinkie Pie, and she was mad at herself for gathering so much of everyone’s attention, especially as all her friends surrounded her in order to comfort her. If only she could control her tears, she would do it without the least hesitation… but she couldn’t. She couldn’t at all. Once again, the cleaning lady might have felt sorry for her and her pitiful culinary talents. Covered by a shrink wrap that shone under the fridge’s light, she found a sweet potatoes and tofu curry, a lentils soup and a piece of vanilla cheesecake with a raspberry coulis. That was perfect, since her stomach was agonizing! But before even thinking about eating – hoping she would be able to eat more than during lunch – Rainbow Dash had a very important mission to fulfill. It was an idea she had on her way home, riding her scooter. After Big Macintosh’s feat, the group had decided to go home, and to think about what they could do in order to help Pinkie Pie and her sticky situation. When she’d found, Rainbow Dash had called all the other girls, before she even took off her coat and shoes, and they all had agreed. Nothing told her it would work, but once again, it didn’t cost anything to try. So, she had put her stuff in her room, and had gone down to see what she could have for her dinner, before having a shower, doing her homework – if she thought about that – and going to bed thanks to a sleeping pill, since she knew she would never fall asleep naturally with everything that was on her mind. Because her phone was still upstairs, she grabbed the landline to make the number she wanted. A few rings resounded, and Rainbow Dash thought he would never pick up the phone. But just when she was about to give up, she heard on the other side of the line this voice with a Western accent, typical of her boyfriend. “Sorry, honey, I was having a shower… I had practice tonight.” “Why are you apologizing, silly? You answered, didn’t you?” “Well… Yeah, I did. I don’t know”, Soarin finished with a little embarrassed laugh that made her roll her eyes. As much as he could be smart and quick-witted, sometimes he still was the current klutz she’d met twelve years ago. Well, that was rather attractive… most of the time. “There’s more important. Something really serious has happened and I need your help. Well, in some kind of way.” “What’s happening? Are you feeling bad?” “This isn’t about me. It’s about Pinkie Pie…” It probably wasn’t right, but Soarin was a bit reassured. Of course, he wished nothing bad to Pinkie Pie, who never missed to make him laugh and who he was fond of, but since he knew in details what Rainbow Dash had been through since her mother’s death, he was always worried about her health. After all, he’d done a small investigation and now he knew all it took was a little unpleasant even to ruin years of treatments in the case of PTSD, which was his girlfriend’s illness. Nonetheless, not to offend Rainbow Dash, he showed nothing of his relief, and instead asked what was happening to the other young woman. Rainbow Dash told him a summary of the facts… What didn’t make him understand how he could help Pinkie Pie. “The apartments of your block aren’t expensive, are they? Do you think there’s one that would be free for her? I’ll pay the rent until her parents are back.” Soarin didn’t ask her with what money she wanted to pay such a spending… There were things with her that were best to expect from her own mouth. However, he was no fool and knew Rainbow Dash never spent all the money her father gave her… She wasn’t that fond of shopping sprees, and when she bought herself clothes, it almost never was on the Silk Street, she didn’t buy eccentric and useless gadgets unless it was to satisfy her long-time passion for cinema, and she never ate in fancy restaurants. And as far as the apartments of his block were concerned… It was easy to know whether one of them was free since the corridors were narrow and when someone was moving out or in, the noise was such that no one could pass it by. “I’m sorry, Dashie, there’s nothing free. Maybe once we’ll have to grades of mid-term exams…” “Shoot! It would’ve been perfect. She couldn’t have used the excuse of our family life and everything.” “Well, I still can try to inform and tell you as soon as I know something gets free, but I doubt it would be by the end of the week.” “Thank you, Soarin.” “It’s nothing special, and I haven’t really been helpful.” “Thanks, anyway… Do we see each other tomorrow? We could prospect apartments for her together.” “Alright. I’ll pick you at school by the end of the day.” After a few commonplaces, they both hung up. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help a smile. No doubt, her boyfriend had a big heart! They were scarce to accept to spend the end of the afternoon looking for a studio for someone else, instead of making the most of their lover. Wonderful things didn’t always happen in her life, but as long as Soarin and her gang were a part of it, she was convinced that nothing could ever bring her down. Provided that they didn’t lose Pinkie Pie forever, of course… This morning, more than any other mornings, Fluttershy was impatiently waiting to see Applejack meet the rest of the group in the corridors. She was miles away since last night. Her night sleep had been restless, peopled with nightmares of misery and on many occasions she had woken up with the feeling of having two hands clenched around her throat. There were many things frightening her… The least new event, the least defy, insisting look, suspicious sound or dark corner had her heart beat faster into her chest, starting cold sweat and the desire to curl up somewhere safe. But this was something shaking her differently. A new kind of fear, like she never experienced before. The kind of fear which could change everything. Making everything no longer the same, forever. To be able to win over this love affair had been an everyday struggle. At each minute she had to face things that were new for her, fears she had never thought could exist. They were different, more insidious. And they hurt more as well. Now that she had gained a piece of her dream, Fluttershy dreaded it to shatter in her hearts like crystal glass. The most awful of it all was that she didn’t know at all what she’d done or said to start the crisis. It seemed to her that in no way she had acted differently from the Fluttershy she always been. Of course, Pinkie Pie’s situation worried everyone. And after all, she and Big Macintosh had known each other for a long time and they also were friends. It was rather logic for him to be thin-skinned because of it. But all the same… It wasn’t the first time their group had such a pressure to go through, right? As soon as she saw the blonde teenage girl in her field of vision, Fluttershy’s eyes sparkled. Applejack was with Rainbow Dash and both were talking in a way that seemed rather grave. In fact, the first thing they did when they arrived was asking the other girls if they had news from Pinkie Pie. And the answer was the same for each of them – no. It wasn’t that she wasn’t worried about her friend’s concerns… but now, Fluttershy could no longer dare asking Applejack the question on the verge of her lips. Yet, she knew, if she didn’t ask, it would take over her thoughts and cause an interference with the thread of her day. She really wanted to get over it so she could focus entirely on Pinkie Pie. Eyes and head low, she came closer to her friend, and pulled on her uniform’s sleeve with a small hesitant gesture. Yet it was enough to draw Applejack’s attention. “Did… Big Mac talk to you?” Applejack scratched her head and looked at her friends one by one. None of them had forgotten about the surprising plot twist of the previous day. It had taken a lot of patience and diplomacy to reassure Fluttershy after the blonde boy had left, and it only contributed to hang heavy in the already oppressive atmosphere. It happened again at this moment… The teenage girl shook her head no before explaining. “When Ah tried to talk ‘bout it with him, he said he had work to do at the West orchard… After that, he’s left home and Ah haven’t seen him again yet.” “I see. He answered none of my messages so I wondered…” Applejack could see how her friend was disappointed, just by the look on her face. She wished she could tell her words of comfort, saying this dark episode was nothing but a rough patch. But she had to be honest with her. She didn’t know anything more than her friends did. Except maybe one thing: Big Macintosh, just like her, had inherited the stubborn side of the Apples. It meant that there were chances for things not to get better anytime soon. It was nothing pleasant to feel Fluttershy’s anguish, and to know that none of them could do anything to help her, but all they could do was to wait. Romantic relationships required understanding and communication, and things about love couldn’t be forced. She tried to smile in order to reassure her group of friends but the weak grimace she gave them wasn’t even able to work as a sham. Right now, the young woman was feeling as miserable as ever. She wasn’t even able to pretend in order to spare those she regarded as sisters. Pathetic. She was pathetic. Suddenly, like from out of nowhere, Sunset Shimmer arrived in front of the group, breathless, with her cheeks red. Her hair seemed to be scarcely brushed and she hadn’t buttoned her coat properly. “I’ve just received a message from Pinkie Pie!” Just by looking at her, her friends knew she wasn’t here to announce a good news. Her eyes had bags, and her makeup failed to hide her waxy complexion of bad nights. If Rarity had been there, she’d rushed to make some adjustments, certifying her nothing could justify to get out in such a pitiful state. Nonetheless, her general appearance didn’t matter to her four friends. It was the message she was bringing which caught their complete attention. They all seemed to have their hearts on the verge of their eyes. “So, what is this message saying?” Twilight urged her. “Since she has nowhere else to go, and doesn’t want to go to a Group Home, and CHS doesn’t have a boarding, she’s decided to go back to her parents’ farm. She’s leaving on Friday! We have to find a solution before Friday…” “With Soarin, we’re going to look for an apartment for her to rent…” “What if you guys can’t find one? You need a lot of documents in order to rent an apartment”, Sunset Shimmer questioned. “I thought we could get an arrangement with the owner, like putting my name on the lease first, and then changing it for Pinkie Pie.” “And what if no owner agrees to this stuff? And what about yar father? Would he agree for ya to put yar name on a lease in town?” Eager to help her friend at any cost, Rainbow Dash hadn’t thought about this possibility. And Soarin already had his name on a lease, and according to the law, owners were the only ones allowed to live in several accommodations. It was a nightmare. Each time they thought they came up with a solution, something came and thwart their plans, and they were back where it all started. They felt as if being trapped in an endless labyrinth. “But what are we going to do? We can’t let Pinkie Pie leave this far!” “I know Fluttershy, but I think we’re running out of solutions. After all, our friendship can resist anything, can’t it?” “Do you know where Pinkie Pie’s family live when not working?” Rainbow Dash asked. “There’s no internet connection and no phone line. And mails are weeks long to arrive, since their postal service waits for a certain number of letters before distributing! If she were going to Fillydelphia or even Las Pegasus, I don’t say, but…” “Wait. We haven’t explored all the possibilities yet”, Twilight suddenly intervened, her eyes bright as if she’d just found the most incredible invention of the century. “Really? D’ya think ‘bout anythin’ else, Twilight?” The young woman nodded. Her self-confidence puzzled the others, but since they were here, they could as well listen to what she had to say. “I haven’t told about what’s happening to Pinkie Pie to Shining Armor yet. He’s a policeman, he has a lot of connections… Many owners can thank him for his interventions on robberies and aggressions, and feel they owe him something. It’s worth the try, don’t you think so?” When Twilight had evoked her older brother, all had thought this was about asking his charming fiancée to accommodate Pinkie Pie. Of course, their reactions had been to think it was going to be another failure. But none of them had envisioned things under this new angle. It was what drag such a discerning reflection out of Rainbow Dash: “This is why you’re the smartest one in the room…” A reply Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have denied. Twilight blushed, and wrapped locks going out of her bun around her forefinger, before returning to a more dignified behavior. After all, she was the number one student of the number one class… Nothing said her plan would work, but it almost was one their last resort as a try, the ultimate gamble before the final victory or the personal failure, and they wanted to give it a shot. Anyway, it was best than staying with their arms crossed, crying over how cruel life could be, sometimes. Author's Note Those 8 downvotes and 14 upvotes annoy me... Lets new reader think the story's so-so Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 3)Pinkie Pie sighed deeply and put the last newspaper-wrapped kitchen utensil inside her cardboard box. Where was that adhesive strip roll already? It wasn’t easy for her to find the items she needed with the tears blurring her vision. Life in Canterlot hadn’t always been easy, but she had come to appreciate it. She appreciated it so much she felt now it was where she truly belonged. The simple idea of going back to Rock Farm wrung her stomach and clenched her throat like a pliers would. To get to her family’s house, a long trip in train was needed, then another ride on a bus until the closest village. From here, the road was hard to cross for bigger vehicles and the only solution left was walking. As a whole, the trip was two days long. It was shorter with a car, but Pinkie Pie wondered whether she’d be able to go such a distance without having a nervous breakdown. Maybe it was best for her to let someone else do that for her… And at the same time, how was she going to transport all this traveling by train and bus? It was impossible, even for her. When she arrived here, a few years ago, she didn’t possess as many things. Except clothes and some of her favorite plushies, most of what she had had stayed in Rock Farm, where she used to think she would go back quickly. Back then she didn’t want to stay in Canterlot, and she would have done anything to stay in the lands of her childhood, as dreadful and deprived of fun as it was. She thought her parents didn’t love her anymore, and wanted to get rid of her. She had been different from the rest of her family since always. At the Pies’, everything turned around boulders and rocks, and all the rest was regarded as futile. Maud was the only one understanding her, despite her character diametrically opposed to hers. It didn’t stop Pinkie Pie from loving each of her family’s members deeply, and it made her hardly accepting what she considered as a forced exile. Back then, the Rebellious was all she had found to express her sadness and anger. The release had been dangerous, but also undoubtedly effective. When she painted the town red with Wind Wisher, she didn’t think about her pain and her fear of being abandoned, if not forgotten by her own blood. Although it felt strange, now that she was thinking about it, she didn’t keep only negative memories of that period. Because she was very faithful to her, Wind Wisher was treating her with respect and always gave her full regard. She especially remembered the day her and her her gang’s leader had chased down and beat the crap out of a man who had raped one of her friends. Probably her most violent memory of this short confusing past, however, it stayed engraved in her mind as the first moment when she’d felt she was useful again. Then, of course, she had met the girls. The group formed by Applejack, Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash already was solid, and had been through some ordeals which had reinforced their feelings of friendship, nonetheless, Pinkie Pie had no problems fitting in this new gang. Immediately, they made her feel that they didn’t regard as a bad person because of her past. They always felt sorry when they evoked some things by accident… They were always here to listen to her and to comfort her. If one of them was in trouble, the others did their best to make sure they could help her. Pinkie Pie lifted her arm and gazed at the bracelet around her wrist. The balloons representing her were shining among the other items, star, sun, thunder, diamond, apple, butterfly… How was she going to survive without the sound of their voices, their silly arguments, their laughs? Without Twilight’s nervous breakdowns, Applejack’s rustic expressions, Fluttershy’s soft voice, the dresses that Rarity created especially for them, Rainbow Dash’s show off and Sunset Shimmer’s lucidity? They were her second family and leaving them would be an equivalent of going back in time for her. In Rock Farm, she wouldn’t have any other choice than working to earn a life, unless she could apply to the High School from the closest town, but it was something like sixty miles away from her house, and it would never feel like going to CHS, meeting her friends, displaying pride at being a Wondercolt… Three knocks on her door made her jump. When she looked around her, Pinkie Pie realized she still was in this apartment that already had ceased to be hers, surrounded by cardboard boxes and suitcases, an adhesive strip roll in her hands. She wiped away her tears with the back of her arm, and got up to open the door. It probably was Miss Sour to know when she could be leaving the place… It was quite a surprise when she saw her friends on her doorstep. They all wore their CHS uniform and were smiling, which bewildered Pinkie Pie… As if they were glad they were finally getting rid of the hysterical pink-haired girl with her high-pitched voice. “What is it for?” she asked with a small gloomy voice. “We’re here to bring you some news which is sure to make you as happy as it makes us happy”, Twilight claimed. Pinkie Pie shrugged and let them in. They needed to be agile to slalom between the cardboard boxes, and the apartment, already small for one only person, once the five girls inside, now looked like a poor industrial hen coop. “What is this news? I don’t have much time, I still got all this to do…” “Forget about your tape, Pinkie”, Rainbow Dash announced. “You’re not leaving anymore.” “Unless the building isn’t going to be destroyed, I don’t know how could such a thing happen.” The girls looked at each other. They really were thinking Pinkie Pie would have hit the roof seeing them here, and hadn’t expected such a cold-shouldered and distant welcome. “We racked our brains and we found a solution to yar problems”, Applejack went on. “A solution you can’t refuse”, Sunset Shimmer said. “Yes”, Fluttershy finished with her usual discretion. As if she hadn’t heard them, the teenage girl closed her latest cardboard box with the adhesive tape which, lacking a scissor, she cut with her teeth. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel happy her friends were going out of their ways so much for her… But it was a fact, each time they arrived with a solution to offer, it was something she just couldn’t do. There was no way Rainbow Dash would use her father’s money to pay her rent until her parents were available again, no way she would settle down at Rarity’s, who had her personal habits, or in Sunset Shimmer’s guest room, whom parents had barely decided to trust her again at a hundred percent, even less at Twilight’s, whom she didn’t want to bother in her studies… In front of her lack of enthusiasm, Rainbow Dash decided to take matters in hand. She grabbed Pinkie Pie by her wrist, and forcefully led her to the girls, so that she would listen to them. “I got a lot of things to do yet, Dashie… It’s important.” “This is important as well”, Fluttershy assured her. “Pinkie Promise…” “Eeyup, Pinkie Promise and everythin’!” “Alright… You have one minute”, Pinkie Pie sighed. After all, it didn’t cost anything to listen. Once she would have politely refused once again, she could go back to her work. “I’ve talked about your situation with Shining Armor”, Twilight started. This didn’t begin well. If their solution was to make her stay at Cadence’s, Shining Armor’s fiancée, they were inflating the wrong balloon. It was as out of question as the rest had been. “At first, we thought he could get you an arrangement with some owners so they could rent you an apartment or a room somewhere… But he had a far better idea. Something none of us has thought of, yet it was so easy, so simple… Almost right in front of us.” “And so?” the person in question asked, already losing patience. “He talked about you to Mr. and Mrs. Cake… It happens that above Sugarcube Corner, they have a room they wanted to rent to someone, but they agree to let you stay there for free. It has its own bathroom, and you’ll be free to use the kitchen of the tearoom as much as you want. In exchange, they’d like you to pitch in on Saturdays when the place is crowded and that from time to time, you babysit their twins.” Indeed, the couple had two two-years-old babies, Pound and Pumpkin, and often complained about the lack of seriousness from the babysitters they hired. Each time they had a very important order as caterers, they called Pinkie Pie for help, whether it was for deliveries, baking, or staying behind the counter. In exchange, she could plan parties in the tearoom… This time, it had nothing in common with their other solutions. What was offered didn’t come with no conditions, as if she owed it. There was something she could do in exchange of the favor. She would be useful, not a bother. And she wouldn’t interfere with anyone’s life. Suddenly, she felt her hair puffing again, even before she could say the least of words. So, immediately, she fell on her friends’ neck, who formed an affectionate circle around her. “It’s the best news ever!” She wouldn’t go back to Rock Farm. Neither now or ever. It was here, in this city, with these friends she loved so much, where she truly belonged. Everything probably wouldn’t be a bed of roses, nor games and fun, but at least, she wouldn’t be on her own. Abandoned by everyone. Maybe outside, the sky was grey and the weather was cold, but for Pinkie Pie, sun was shining all across the world. Right behind Sugarcube Corner, the whole street was blocked for two hours, with Canterlot City Hall’s authorization. The street was rather narrow, but it was the only solution not to bother the good work of the tearoom, already filled with costumers on this sunny – yet cold – morning. Applejack parked her pickup the closest to the door she could, where Pinkie Pie already was waiting for her. Behind the pretty blond girl, the rest of the group was walking. Those with a vehicle had all parked too, a little further in town. The others were straight out of the bus. Although what was now Pinkie Pie’s former apartment was ridiculously small, the teenage girl’s cardboard boxes were many. It had to be said it was rather difficult for her to throw things away… And she had been in such a hurry to pack up that she hadn’t really taken some time to sort out things. Ten persons wasn’t too much to carry everything fast. Applejack and Big Macintosh had already spent three hours to load the pickup, on the previous night… The latter, getting down the vehicle, quickly glanced at his girlfriend, but he looked away when Fluttershy tried to smile at him. By agreeing to help Pinkie Pie moving out, he knew he would be obliged to be in the same space than her. Yet, he had insisted to be here as well. Who knew? Maybe being close to each other would have a positive impact on their relationship? He would remember how pretty he thought she was, and never willing to be antagonizing, kind and devoted to the others… Maybe by focusing on her many qualities, the ones which had made him want to give her a chance, she wouldn’t suffer too much from the comparison. Although both had to admit this wasn’t the purpose of them being here. And Rainbow Dash, her sleeves rolled up, was quickly to remind them this fact… Just in case they all had forgotten why they were gathered this morning. “What about we get it started? There are many things to do and my bed is waiting for me…” Well, Soarin’s bed, rather, since they’d decided to spend the rest of the day together, but she feared that bringing this piece of information to light would have her friends mistaking on what they were going to do. Which meant sleeping, eating and playing Gran Turismo. “Rainbow Dash, you’re sensitivity incarnated”, Rarity replied. “Sorry to be myself, Miss Perfection. By the way, are you really going to carry cardboard boxes dressed like that?” Indeed, the young woman was wearing an outfit made of an emerald velvet suit, with a blue pencil skirt, an elegant lacy blouse, stockings embroidered with black roses and pumps, added with golden jewelries. All the other movers du jour were dressed casually, if not neglect for some, even Fluttershy, and her chic of big events clashed so much with their own style they all felt as if being straight out of the gutter. “You can’t be real!” Rarity chuckled. “I’ll help Twilight with the organization, voyons!” “Oh, so I’m organizing?” “Of course, you do… You’re the best for these kind of tasks.” “I didn’t know we’ve chosen who does what in advance.” “We didn’t choose”, Pinkie Pie assured with a smile, as if their small argument was just another entertainment. “What if we get it started and think about this type of questions bit by bit? Pinkie Pie surely can’t wait to be settled down…” “It is truuue! Dashie, your boyfriend’s the best!” “Of course he’s the best”, Rainbow Dash answered, shrugging. She grabbed the first cardboard box she saw and soon, was followed by everyone. Maybe there was only one floor, but it was no picnic. They had to climb stairs in spiral which didn’t help them to see correctly in front of them. The first round was the hardest one, but after the second one, they all were perfectly experienced on what to do, and on who was doing what. As it had been outlined by Rarity, quickly Twilight became the head of the operations. She was the one giving the assignments, who said where to put the boxes not to bother the flow… As for Rarity, all she did was repeating Twilight’s orders, posturing herself as the Monday morning quarterback spending more time on her manicure than surveying anything. Anyway, her help would be essential when it would be time for Pinkie Pie to unwrap and decorate. At this moment, her flawless sense of taste would be very useful for her friend to feel good at her new home. While she was carrying a box with “bathroom” written on it, the star of the day’s phone started to vibrate inside her jeans back pocket. She was glad Big Macintosh was coming her way to take the relay… Especially as this call was from her parents! She could nothing else than picking up. She absolutely needed to tell them with she harassed their vocal messaging service all week long, to the extent of saturating it. “I’ll take it downstairs”, she screamed at everyone’s attention. On her way, she skirted Fluttershy, busy carrying plushies and pastry utensils. Arriving in the room that was going to be her best friend’s new apartment, she was surprised to discover that every boxes were already brought up and that behind her, Soarin was carrying the very last one. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes seeing how Zephyr was staring at Rainbow Dash’s boyfriend, when the latter wrapped an arm around her waist and pecked her forehead. Couldn’t he see how ridiculous his behavior was? The girl he was in love with loved another boy, it was the way things were, and he needed to come to terms with it. She would never choose him. “Well, since we have to wait for Pinkie to come back, Ah suggest us to take a short break and have a drink.” “Good idea, AJ”, Twilight answered, sitting on one of the cardboard boxes. “I’ve brought bottles of water for everyone.” “And then, she’ll act surprise because we choose her for organizing”, Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “Ah… Am goin’ to the toilets.” This sudden announcement from Big Macintosh was welcomed with a general indifference, except for Fluttershy. Since the beginning of the morning, she was trying to get a moment where she could have a conversation with him, in order to know what wrong she had done to make him feel so angry against her. Something told her it was now or never, and that if she didn’t take the chance, she could never get the situation straight. Unfortunately, she was stopped of doing so by Rarity, who had just noticed a snag in her sweater, and offered to fix it, since she always had her sewing kit with her, and that no one had better things to do right now, anyway. It seemed like an eternity to Fluttershy. While the others were chatting cheerfully, she was restless inside, eaten by a muffled anguish she just couldn’t wait to calm down. Meanwhile, behind Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie had just hung up with her parents. Like often, the complete family had wanted to speak with her, and like often, she was the only one really saying things, except with Maud, of course, with whom she always talked more easily. Meeting face to face with Big Macintosh surprised her a bit, but once this surprise was over, she addressed him one of her warm friendly smiles. “We were pretty fast, I’m so happy! Well, ten persons, it’s a lot of persons to move things from an apartment that was barely ten square meters. What a pity Shining Armor and Cadence couldn’t make it, don’t you think so? This wouldn’t have been possible without them. I think I’m going to bake them a cake to thank them.” As soon as Rarity lifted up her glasses with a satisfied smile, assuring her she’d just made a masterpiece out of her mistreated sweater, Fluttershy bounced on her feet and rushed towards the toilets. “Well, Ah say… This pee’s probably an emergency”, Applejack joked. The rest of the conversation disappeared for the young woman. The toilets, in the corridor, were empty, the door ajar. Her anxiety increased, and she almost felt as if she couldn’t stand straight on her legs anymore. Her heart was about to blow up, crushed by thousands of high-heels. She breathed in, breathed out… Nothing changed. It couldn’t calm down. Out of desperation, she opened the window in front of her, and offered her face taken over by sweats to the coolness of the winter’s wind. She thought she could feel her fears slowing down. Until she lowered her head and looked down. Then, her eyes widened and she held herself back from screaming. Big Macintosh was holding Pinkie Pie in his arms, and the pink-haired teenaged girls was stunned, unsure of what to do. The way he embraced her had nothing friendly, this, even she knew. It was more than Fluttershy could handle, because deep inside, she always knew. Without further ado, she hurtled down the backstairs, then once down there, crossed Sugarcube Corner running, under the dumbstruck glances of all the costumers. Author's Note @Midday Giggle... So, what time is it in Ecuador, now? (I admit, I've published the story a bit earlier than usually today) Next arc, two very famous characters are going to appear... Want to guess who? Disappeared (part 1)It asked her a lot of courage to make that call. Yet, Fluttershy knew that if she didn’t do it, something could remain obstructed. And she didn’t want this. Pinkie Pie was her friend, she simply adored her. It was clear what was happening wasn’t her fault at all. She exhaled deeply before patting the small green phone on her screen. A couple of seconds after this, first rings started to resound in her ears. A part of her hoped the young woman wouldn’t pick it up. This cowardly part she hated about herself but which she couldn’t help. Often, she was thinking to herself that the best thing to do would be to curl up in a cocoon where nothing could filter. Anything but clashing with the world. It wouldn’t help her much, of course, and that was the reason why she decided to handle things. This, plus the fact her behavior of last morning had been very impolite and this was a no-no. Despite this unconscious and instinctive wish, Pinkie Pie’s voice finally resounded at the end of the line. “Oh, Fluttershy, are you feeling better?” “Better?” she asked, surprised by the question. “Yes, girls told me you rushed towards the toilets before you disappeared so I came to the conclusion that maybe you were sick. You know, it’s no big deal, everyone has gastroenteritis one day. Or more than one day, if you’re under a high-fiber diet. Are you under a diet with a high-fiber food? You know, like eating a lot of cabbages…” “Uh… What?” It’s been more than a year now she had met her group of friends, yet, she was still puzzled by some of Pinkie Pie’s lines. It was as if each time she thought she had finally explore all of her eccentricities, she discovered new ones. Really, it wasn’t always easy for her to fit in. Never, when she used to dream about how it would feel like to have friends, she’d envisioned talking about intestinal diseases. Nonetheless, she had to admit that the whole “sickness” matter was a good thing. This way, she didn’t need to find an acceptable excuse for her sudden fled in the middle of her friend’s move. “Weren’t you sick?” Pinkie Pie asked with a hint of astonishment. “Well… I was. But the thing with cabbages lost me!” Pinkie Pie burst out laughing at the end of the line, and Fluttershy had to hold herself back from asking what was so funny in what she’d just said. Because, out of her cowardice side that she didn’t like, she had another facet, which this time she feared for being cruel and mean. It revealed only in certain circumstances, rare circumstances, but it was there, concealed inside of her, and since her argument with Big Macintosh and what she had seen last morning, it was starting to go up to the surface in a way the teenage girl didn’t really like much. Like a salvation, the signal of a second call displayed on her phone, forcing her to shorten her conversation with her friend. Pinkie Pie, obviously in great shape, assured her there were no problems, and that she could understand her urge to go back home if she was feeling sick. After they told each other goodbye, the young woman hurried to answer that second call. She wasn't particularly at ease with this one as well… Indeed, the name on her screen was Big Macintosh’s. Like each time they got in touch with each other since their ‘argument’ (but did they really argue?), her hands started to shake and her heart to throb. Even gulping was painful. When she answered “hello?” with a tickle of voice, Fluttershy thought she could hear her boyfriend sighing in the receiver. But maybe it was only her imagination… “So, you were sick last morning?” Truly, they all had spread the word. She would have liked not everyone thought she got home because of this disgusting disease. It was nothing to be ashamed of, and obviously, it embarrassed no one much, but she didn’t really understand why a part of her didn’t like what it implied and the impact it could have on the image the others had of her. She was feeling the same way each time she had to buy sanitary napkins at the grocery… “Yes”, she answered, hoping her shame couldn’t be guessed over the phone. “Are you feeling better now?” “Yes, I am.” Silence. It seemed that, out of those commonplaces, they had nothing to say to each other. Yet, when they were together, they were able to have conversations. Not free-flowing ones, of course, since none of them were the chatterbox kind. But they talked, even so. What had happened for them to be in such a situation? Right before, everything was perfectly fine, and Fluttershy thought she had been at least able to make him attached to her, and suddenly, without warning, everything had crumbled down, and she still didn’t understand why. All it would take would be to question him about this… Yet, she kept her mouth shut, waiting for him to add something. Anything. After all, he was the one who called, wasn’t he? “Ah have to tell ya sumethin’.” “You do?” Sigh. It was probably going to be of a very little comfort, but at least it seemed not to be something easy to say. “Ah think we should take a break.” “A break? Why? What have I done?” Fluttershy was struggling not to show anything. Inside, she was in ruin. As if a storm had come and shattered everything upside down in her body. If she stared at the walls carefully, she was sure she could see them shaking. “Ya didn’t do anythin’. It isn’t like this. Ah thought Ah could do it but now Am not that sure…” “Of what are you not sure? I don’t understand, especially if I haven’t done anything wrong.” “Am not sure Ah can understand mahself… Hence the break. Ah need to think about you and me. Ah need to know where Ah wanna go. Would ya prefer me to force mahself and lie to ya? Ya would suffer even more.” “But I’m already suffering! My heart’s in pieces!” “Sorry. Ah always been sincere with ya. Ah can’t tell ya a lie now. Trust me, ya won’t be feelin’ any better if Ah did.” “So, what? Why can’t you have me anymore?” Her voice was broken. There was no way she could keep on holding back her emotions. She felt as if she had never been so hurt. Tears were scorching her eyes, and all her body seemed to be burning in flames. It was so unfair. She’d always been kind and affectionate with him. She had done anything for him to end up loving her, and yet, despite all her efforts, she had failed at everything. The only thing she had been good at was making him want to take a break which she hated. “It’s more complicated than that, Fluttershy. Ah still mean everythin’ Ah told ya about yar qualities, but Am not sure Ah can handle such a thing. It’s better that we part for some time, it will help the both of us. Ya’ll see.” “I won’t see anything!” And out of rage and desperation, she hung up on him and threw her phone at the other side of her room. The phone bounced against her closet before falling on the ground in a crash of plastic. She would never be able to stop crying. Because no one had ever made her feel as miserable as she was right now. And she had school on the next day. Applejack would probably know and ask her how she was feeling. She didn’t want to talk about it. Especially not in front of Pinkie Pie. For a short while, she even wished that Pinkie Pie had never existed… What a weird day! Fluttershy had been constantly sullen, spending most of her time lost in thoughts, and had refused to tell them what was wrong. No one knew anything. Pinkie Pie, glad to be able to stay in Canterlot with her friends, was a busier bee than ever, proving it was something possible. Sometimes it even felt a bit too much, as if she was trying to conceal something that made her feel uncomfortable. With Applejack and Twilight, they had spent some time trying to find theories to explain both behaviors, but had drawn no satisfying conclusions. And now, because of this, she was going to be late for her volleyball club. Without tooting her own horn, Sunset Shimmer thought she was pretty good. Maybe she wasn’t at Rainbow Dash, Applejack or even Pinkie Pie's levels in their respected discipline, yet, she was doing well enough to get encouragements from their team coach on a regular basis. What a pity she’d waited twelfth grade before subscribing to one of the school’s clubs! When she had chosen to study here in CHS rather than in Crystal Prep where she had been accepted as well, it also had been for all the activities offered by the school. Then, she had first been so busy bullying the others, only to be too busy trying to make amends by Adagio, Sonata et Aria’s side that she had completely neglected the rest! Often, she wondered where she would be right now if Adagio hadn’t ordered her to steal Rainbow Dash’s gym bag and then strongly suggested her to take part in this silly revenge. Out of this very bad thing had only come out wonders. Finally, she was happy to go to school every morning when she woke up. She was in a hurry to reach the gymnasium, jogging in order to warm up before practice, when she felt someone softly putting a hand on her shoulder. Who could try to get her attention this way? Usually, when it was required, her name was shouted… When she turned around, however, Sunset Shimmer understood. Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ Pon-3, one of their local celebrities, had another particularity out of her precocious talent for mixing… She was born mute. It was the reason why music was so important in her life. For her, it represented a very efficient way to communicate. On the previous year, she and Sunset Shimmer were in the same class. When everyone else was ignoring her, the young woman, always in a sunny mood, had been the only one still greeting her with gentle waves, while shaking her head to the sound of the electro music she almost listened to all the time. “Is everything OK?” Sunset Shimmer asked her, while taking a look at the clock on the wall. If she didn’t hurry, she would be extremely late, and practice would start without her… Yet, her eyes widened in some sort of shock when she saw her schoolmate answering by a negative nod. “Oh, what’s happening?” Vinyl Scratch was already leaning over her tablet, busy writing what she wanted to tell Sunset Shimmer. Her wrist was moving at full throttle against the virtual keyboard, and judging by how long her text seemed to be, her problem was nothing trifling. She turned the electronic device around, and Sunset Shimmer read out loud what was written on the screen. “Do you know my girlfriend Octavia? She’s in your class. Brown hair, pretty, British accent, plays cello. It’s been a month since she’s stopped coming to school and no one, absolutely no one has news from her. She doesn’t pick up the phone and I believe she no longer leaves her home.” Indeed, Sunset Shimmer didn’t have to think hard to notice the teenage girl hadn’t come to class since a little while. Everybody had first thought her to be sick, then with courses and worries, it had almost turned into nothing special to hear silence resounding each time her name was called by teachers during attendance. She had never really thought about what could have happened for Octavia to stop coming so suddenly. If she remembered, she was really liked by other pupils, talking with everybody, and she was really gifted in her field of expertise, so much that she could see herself doing nothing else than playing cello professionally. Her couple with Vinyl Scratch hadn’t really shocked, neither. Of course, two girls together were something titillated the boys’ imagination, but as a whole, their couple hadn’t provoked the expected scandal. It had to be said that they were quite reserved in their displays of affection, which helped. Yet, here in CHS, like anywhere else, there were little hoodlums ready to do anything to establish their powers over the others. All the same, it didn’t tell her what Vinyl Scratch was expecting from her by telling her this. “I’m sad for Octavia, but… What does it have to do with me?” Immediately, Vinyl started to write back on her tablet. Once she was done, just like before, Sunset Shimmer read out loud what was written. “Maybe Octavia would accept to talk to you and your friends. She always says your friendship’s a good example for the others and is really inspiring. She used to have a group of friends back in Trottingham and you remind her of them. I’ve tried everything, and you’re my very last chance. Please, help me.” Of course, it was satisfying to see some persons regarded their group as more than CHS’ noisy inseparable gang, always seeking attention, consciously or not. Nonetheless, if Octavia refused to even talk to her closest friends, and even to the girl she loved, she couldn’t get what her and the others could do about it. They only were teenagers, after all, and they had their own problems to deal with. It would be easy to say no, to tell Vinyl it was none of her business, and that it was her problem to fix. But something, which she just couldn’t explain, touched her deeply in this story. “Well, I’m going to have a quick word about this with my friends, but there’s no guarantee. Alright?” Vinyl nodded, wrote on her tablet that even just trying was very nice of her, and that she would owe her something in return. When she fell on her neck for a quick hug, Sunset Shimmer told herself it was the kind of reward she really liked to get. And that even if the girls refused to help Octavia and Vinyl, she would do her best to know what was going on, anyway. During all her volleyball practice, Sunset Shimmer had troubles not to think about the favor Vinyl Scratch wanted her to do. What was the most troubling was the fact everybody had put up with Octavia’s absence, without the least of questioning. If it was this way for such a likeable student, so what was it like for those who were considered outcasts, or worse, who weren’t liked at all? Maybe there had been other desertions and no one had taken note of them. By the end of practice, she had eventually realized she had the answer to her question. She didn’t even have to think really hard. The sudden absence of Sonata, Adagio and Aria after they've been arrested hadn’t stirred up enthusiasm. Since they weren’t really popular, almost no one had been shaken up by them no longer being there. Their return, discreet after the events of the fun fair, had happened in the same indifference. Sometimes, even Sunset Shimmer forgot she could meet them around the corner, and each time it happened, her heart skipped a beat from fear and tension. Pinkie Pie’s high-pitched laugh snapped her out of her reflections. Why was she laughing? Twilight had cappuccino cream on the tip of her nose. It often was enough to start such a reaction from the young woman. So it was nothing unusual, if it was not for Fluttershy’s jaded face, in the background since the morning of the move. Since it seemed like none of the girls had noticed anything, Sunset Shimmer chose not to highlight this. They were at their favorite table at Sugarcube Corner, sharing their usual after-club and afterschool snack, made of hot drinks and pastries (low-fat and low-sugar for some of them). Since it still was too cold to stay outside or behind the stadium’s bleachers, it was there they went every day without exception. Winter was especially rough this year. Undoubtedly, this was the perfect moment to tell them about what had concerned her for two hours. They all were here, in familiar surroundings, and in the best relaxation conditions possible. And this, although Fluttershy kept on seeming even more uncommunicative than usually. “Since we’re all here, I want to tell you guys about something”, she started innocently. Immediately, five heads turned around. It was a bit intimidating, to be honest. They knew each other quite well now, true, yet Sunset Shimmer kept a slight anxiety inside of her, telling her she still was expected to do something bad. “It’s no government matter, don’t worry”, she said with a slightly embarrassed laugh, scratching the back of her head. “Come on, what’s this all about?” “Yes, we’re all listenin’ to ya”, Applejack added. “Well… How can I start? Earlier, before volleyball, Vinyl Scratch has “talked” to me. There’s no sign of life from her girlfriend Octavia since something like one month. She won’t reveal herself to anyone, not even to Vinyl. It also seems like she no longer get out of her home. She asked me to talk to it with you.” Seeing the lack of reactions from her friends, Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help being disappointed. She had expected this mystery to intrigue them a little more, especially Twilight and Rainbow Dash, fond of whodunit novels with conundrums to see through. If asked, she would have bet such a real-life plot would have immediately catch her attention. “What does it have to do with us?” Fluttershy asked. It seemed to each of them they heard her voice for the first time today. And finally, they noticed that, maybe, something was wrong with their friend. But it was almost sure she wouldn’t tell them anything if they ask her what was happening to her. “Nothing, in theory, I admit but Vinyl Scratch explained me Octavia had a real admiration for our friendship. It reminds her of her former group of friends from Middle High School, back in Trottingham. And so, the girlfriend thinks there might be a chance Octavia would agree to talk to us.” “Alright, that’s clearer, but if she doesn’t talk to her GF, Ah can’t see why she’d tell us anythin’.” “That’s exactly what I thought, but I promised I’d try.” Of course, in reality, she’d only promised to tell them about it, not to try to start a dialogue with Octavia. It was a white lie she thought was necessary. Not sure of why it mattered so much to her, she had to try. And she deeply hoped it would at least move one of her friends. “I’d be happy to help, but I’m not sure I’m the most appropriate kind of person for this kind of mission”, Pinkie Pie said, acting serious, which didn’t match at all with the cupcake’s crumbs she had all over her mouth. Yes, obviously, although she had her loads of bumps on her road to life, the teenage girl maybe wasn’t the perfect fit for this kind of mission, as she called it. Depending on what happened to Octavia, her overwhelming energy could happen to be irrelevant. However, it was nice of her to, at least, have the will to help. “Well, I… I can check out whether Octavia has an activity on social networks. It could enlighten us about her real situation.” “You would really do this, Twilight? You’re the best!” Without further thinking, Sunset Shimmer took her in her arms. Twilight whispered a weak ‘I haven’t done anything yet’ but had no other reaction, silently waiting for the young woman to loosen her embrace. Why had she done such a thing? She had no idea. To see that at least two of her friends were ready to assist her with this matter, it moved her. Especially as Applejack claimed that if she could be of any help, she would do it with pleasure. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were the only ones who hadn’t said anything yet. The first girl didn’t show any interest. As far as the second girl was concerned, after looking lost in thoughts for a few minutes, she declared that she would help as well, depending on what Twilight would discover. She had been away from school for months herself and would have been glad if someone outside of her gang had worried about her like this. Maybe she was mistaking, but it seemed to Sunset Shimmer that she didn’t talk about people from her former school, but about one person in particular. Author's Note Yes, Vinyl Scratch is mute, although it's a cliché. But I think it's always a good thing for people with disabilities of any kind to be represented. Disappeared (part 2)The next day. Sugarcube Corner again. The scene looked like the scenes of the previous days. Nonetheless, something had changed. Pinkie Pie wasn’t with them. Well, she was, but not around their table. Today, the temperatures were lower again. It explained why the tearoom was overcrowded, and as soon as the band had arrived, the Cakes had asked for her presence behind the counter. Because it was the deal and she owed them to have a roof to live under, she’d obeyed without further thinking. The girls all understood, and had promised to give her a full account on Octavia’s online activities as soon as possible. Twilight had brought her computer to high school, purposefully for the inquiry. Because in Equestria people don’t really have a surname, researches on SNS were a little more complicated than elsewhere. The Marebook network, official copy of its American counterpart, was adapted to this peculiarity, although it rendered manipulations longer. She’d finally found traces of her, after a few computing mishaps – wifi throughput not being on top of its shape because of the weather conditions. The last of her messages dated back to a little earlier before she completely deserted CHS’ corridors. And the least one could say was that they were rather… bewildering. In theory, it was nothing but a succession of unrelated sentences. The only thing certain was that these messages weren’t the happy type. The teenage girl had taken off every of her photo album and deleted anything related to school and cello. She had also demanded her list of friends to erase all the pictures in which she had been identified. “Obviously, something terrible has happened to her”, Twilight drew the conclusion from it. “But what do you think this might be?” Sunset Shimmer asked her, eager to know more. “I’m sorry. Psychology isn’t my field of expertise.” Indeed, it was much easier for her to speak about stars and black holes than to see through the mysteries of the human soul. But all the same, it seemed Sunset Shimmer that her insight and rationality made her someone appropriate to draw other personal conclusions from the elements she possessed. “Your Octavia can’t stand the sight of herself, this is what it means!” Applejack stated. “It’s clear. She doesn’t want anyone to look at her face anymore. Only when you can no longer bear yourself something like that happens. Or when you think you’re ugly but I never felt she was the kind of person to be riddled by her complexes”, Rainbow Dash went on. Of course, the latter wasn’t as thoughtful as Twilight, but when it came to darkness of souls, she and Pinkie Pie undoubtedly were in the best positions to speak about the matter. “Do you think she could be going through depression?” “I’d stake the motorbike I still don’t have yet on it!” “And what do you think could be the cause of it?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Well, there, I can’t tell! There’s too many possible risk factors. All I can say for sure is that it’s not a heartbreak.” Indeed, it hadn’t seemed to her that Octavia and Vinyl’s relationship was going downhill. Conversely, they looked really happy when they were together. With these words, unable to hold herself back, and scarcely interested with the matter despite its intriguing plot, Fluttershy took a glimpse at the counter. The others hadn’t noticed, but Big Macintosh was here, and he hadn’t stopped by to see her at any moment. She had told no one about their break, imagining Applejack knew. Nothing was sure now. Indeed, if her friends were into the secret, she would have asked her how she was, would have tried to comfort her, but they hadn’t spoken to her about it at all. Surely it was because he hadn’t stopped by to see her neither that his sister hadn’t noticed he was around. He was at the counter, and was talking with Pinkie Pie. Well… Pinkie Pie was the one doing all the talk, actually, and from where she was, Fluttershy couldn’t hear a word she was saying. There were fewer chances for them to be chatting about her, at sight of their relaxed and smiling faces. Like a cloud passing her by, she heard Rainbow Dash’s voice, still speaking about Octavia’s sudden disappearance. “Sunset Shimmer and I will visit her at her place tomorrow. We’ll use the excuse of homework. Maybe it will work.” As far as Fluttershy was concerned, it seemed obvious her friends didn’t need her to see through the mystery. Not that poor Octavia’s lot didn’t matter to her. Conversely, she thought it to be sad and frightening at the same time. The main problem was that she was so caught up in her own heartache that she couldn’t give this all the attention it deserved. Each time she glanced at Pinkie Pie with Big Macintosh, her stomach ached, and a fear like nothing before took over her body. Until now, she had always put this down to the description of his type of girl the young man gave her on the first night where she had confessed. It probably still was the case… No, it wasn’t. Suddenly, obviousness struck her, and she felt knocked down. All this time she had put lacy blinders on her face not to see what was yet transparent. And sure it was even more painful than the rest. From that very moment, everything no longer existed for her. Octavia and her depression, her friends debating about what might have happened to her, laughs and other conversations of the tearoom. It only remained Big Macintosh happily chatting with Pinkie Pie, surrounded by the murkiest halo of stormy nights. She needed to know. It would hurt her but at least she would have certainties. So, when she saw Big Macintosh walking to the exit door, she apologized towards her friend and got up from her seat. It was only then Applejack noticed her brother had been in the same room. Weird… Usually, he always stopped by to say hello to the other girls, and even in a hurry, he always stayed at least one minute in order to be with Fluttershy. In fact, his behavior had been the same since Pinkie Pie’s move. He made his very best to avoid Applejack as much as he could, and when she would ask him how things were with Fluttershy, he avoided her question with another question. She took a discreet glimpse at the window behind her. Despite the mist from cold, she thought she saw her friend running after Big Macintosh. The cold outside was biting, and Fluttershy regretted she hadn’t thought about taking at least her scarf. The first time she had screamed his name, he hadn’t heard, or he had pretended he hadn’t heard. On the second time, she screamed louder, and he finally turned around with a certain amount of stolidity. Smoke like a ghost was escaping her lips as she was trying to catch her breath. For a few long seconds, they only stayed face to face, not really looking at each other, nor doing anything at all. When Fluttershy eventually looked up, he couldn’t help but see fear in her eyes. Not the kind of fear she usually displayed when in front of a new or stressful situation, no, a fear of another kind. A fear of knowledge. “You say you’ve always been honest with me, don’t you?” He nodded. “So, I want you to answer my question honestly… Are you in love with Pinkie Pie?” She just couldn’t believe she had been able to say this horrible sentence out loud. Yet she had. It was even more tormenting than she thought. But she knew, to ignore would be even worse. An absolute ordeal. She needed to know, to tear off the dressing once and for good. She was already hurt, anyway, it could never be worse. “I am”, he simply confessed. She had been wrong. There was always a possibility for things to get worse. Under the shock of hearing out loud what she already knew, her cottony knees were unable to stand, and she let herself all on the snowy ground, out of breath and her vision erased by a thick curtain of tears. The fact he didn’t come closer to enquire about the way she was feeling, and that he let her on her own with her pain was almost as unbearable as the rest. She was feeling torn apart, shattered into a million pieces scattered all over town. If it had been someone else, anyone else, yes she would have been sick as hell but she would have accepted it. That it was one of her closest friends, whom she had fought for, who she had brought comfort to so many times, and whom had done the same for her, it was the detail that made all the matter even harder. Brusquely agonizing. The building in which Octavia was living was one of those dark and old buildings that were to be found all over Canterlot’s working class areas, with a janitor living at the first floor, watching who was getting out and who was getting in. In order to be able to climb where they wanted to go, after they had checked the names of the mailboxes, Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer had to lie and say the father of one of them envisioned to buy and renovate buildings of the surroundings. At first reluctant, the janitor finally welcomed them warmly as soon as she learned what was the name of the father in question. It didn’t particularly make her feel comfortable to use the name of Rainbow Blaze in order to achieve their ends. The lesser possible did she have to evoke their filial connection, the better she was. She hated for people to think that if she succeeded in something, it was thanks to his money. Octavia was living in an apartment at the last floor, right under the roofs. Both teenage girls ignored what her parents were doing for a living, but they for sure weren’t of those who were rolling in money. It wasn’t much a surprise, since the young woman only had been able to pursue her studies thanks to her gift for cello. Because she was really promising, many Colleges already had offered her a complete scholarship if she agreed to swell their ranks next year. This gift would probably save her from a life far more difficult than what the two girls who came to visit her were used to. Though she didn’t have the manners related to her social rank, and wanted to get off this financial influence in the future, Rainbow Dash didn’t know what starvation was like, nor how it felt like to have difficult end of the month. Sunset Shimmer, as far as she was concerned, came from a family of the upper middle-class, like every of her friends, except Applejack, whose family wealth even exceeded her best friend’s. The walls of the corridors had probably been white one day, but now displayed colors of mildew. The light supposed to illuminate the whole was so pale they almost felt like caught in the middle of a scary movie, and expected at any moment to see a girl whose face was hidden by long black hair coming from one of the doors. To get things worse, a suffocating scent of frying and rancid cooking floated in the air. “It’s no surprise the girl is depressed while living in such a hellhole…” “Yes”, Sunset Shimmer went on. “She’s always so presentable, with that very elegant accent, so I’d never have thought.” “You know, it’s best to beware of appearances like the plague!” A smirk appeared on the teenager’s face. She knew a lot about appearances… Like Fluttershy, for example, so shy and fearful, who had almost tried prostitution. And what could she say about her former group of friends, who you’d gladly think butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth, as long as you didn’t look the details too hard? They stopped in front of what seemed to be the apartment the young woman lived in. The painting on the door was flaking, and the bull’s eye seemed to be blocked. Graffiti was decorating it, calling the residents ritzy on the become and sellouts. It wasn’t very inviting… But the gruesome detail was that the door was ajar. Who could let the doors half-open in such a place? Weren’t they scared of a potential robbery, although they would bet there weren’t a lot of expensive items inside this apartment? A scream from inside resounded, and the two friends didn’t think much through before dashing in. Just one glance had been enough… Especially as a second scream resounded as well, this time a female mature voice calling the name of the person they were coming to visit. It was not easy to spot where in the apartment the cries came from, especially as they didn’t know the place at all. They found the source of this racket in the bathroom. The least one could say was that what they discovered was nothing comforting. Octavia was struggling with an older woman who she looked like, her mother for sure, and she had a utility knife in her hands, and her wrists were flooding with blood. The teenage girl’s mother, who had probably tried to wipe her daughter’s arms with a towel, looked up and saw the two young girls, listless at the doorstep, and begged them to help her with a quivering voice. For a few seconds, Rainbow Dash was on the verge of fainting. One of the rare residents from Green Haven whom she befriended with had tried to kill herself by cutting her wrists, and her image had haunted her for a long while. A sudden nausea wrung her stomach, and she had to lean against the door frame, since everything around her had started to spin around. What snapped her out of her torpor was Sunset Shimmer’s voice, catching her phone in order to call emergency services. From the corner of her eye, she had the time to catch a glimpse at Octavia getting up and trying to pounce on her friend, her utility knife darted at her. Gathering all of her top athlete strength, Rainbow Dash was able to grab Octavia, holding her arms in her back. The young woman was still firmly holding her utility knife in her hands, and was moving about as much as she could, her eyes drown in tears. “Let me go!! Let me go!! I want to die and you won’t stop me!! Let me go!!” “Octavia, please stop, I beg of you”, her mother was crying. “You shut the f*ck up! You can’t understand me! None of you can understand! Let me go!” Once her shock passed, Sunset Shimmer came to assist Rainbow Dash, trying to control Octavia, who kept on struggling like a devil, crying and swearing how no one could understand her will to get over with life. The problem was that she precisely was in front of two persons who could understand this better than anyone else. Although Sunset Shimmer had never acted on, conversely to her friend, she had envisioned it more than once, and more than once, she had almost given in. “How can you be sure we can’t understand?” she tried to tell her. “Shut up! I don’t want to talk with you, I don’t want to talk with anybody. I just want it to stop. Please, let me make it stop.” “You’re so in pain you feel like there’s no way out. Everything disgusts you, you’re scared to fall asleep, scared to wake up in the morning… The more time is passing by, the less you want to speak, to see people, or your own reflection… The plain fact of opening your eyes is a nameless torture. Sometimes, you feel as if you were unable to breath, choking. The world no longer has anything to offer for you, even what you used to love the most makes you sick, and you want to cry all the time, but even when you cry, it doesn’t make you feel better. Nothing can make you feel better. Trust me, I’ve been there too, I know what I’m talking about… But if you do that, it would be worse. You’ll hate yourself if you fail, and you know the others will look at you like some monster’s fair, like half of a human being. They will stare at you, have the front to tell you that you lacked courage… And you’ll hate yourself even more. Trust me, it’s not worth the pain… It’s not worth the pain…” As Rainbow Dash’s speech went along, delivered with tears strangling her throat, Octavia had finally ceased to struggle, and the two young women were now sitting on the tiling floor. Octavia was crying like a baby, trembling from cold… And let go her utility knife to curl up into a ball as soon as Rainbow Dash loosen her embrace. Her mother ran to her in order to hold her and wipe away the blood on her arms. Then, Sunset Shimmer get her phone back and called the emergency services. If the drama hadn’t enlightened them much more on what kind of trauma could have degraded Octavia, they both had understood that a horrible and terrible thing had happened to her, and that the angst eating her from inside was so unbearable she no longer had taste for life. Yet, both knew that although life still offered its loads of unpleasant things, there also were things worth living for. They thought maybe, they really were the appropriate persons to show her there was another way and that all wounds eventually heal one day, even if some of them were longer to close up. Author's Note I know, it's a bit sad. Hope you're not too shocked! (It still fits the Teen rating, right?) Disappeared (part 3)They had to wait a moment while a doctor took charge of Octavia, making sure her life wasn’t in danger, before it was possible for visitors out of her mother to see her. For Rainbow Dash, this waiting time had been particularly difficult. The smell of hospitals reminded her of the one floating in corridors and between bedrooms, back in Green Haven. And while having a hot tea near the vending machine with Sunset Shimmer, she had seen a father getting out of the elevator in tears. Unable to help, she had imagined this man could have been her father on the morning after her attempted suicide. He too had to wait until someone gave him some news. He too might have experienced this fear that, maybe, things hadn’t exactly gone the right way. But when thinking it through, she said to herself chances it happened this way were scarce. Of course, she didn’t pretend her father was a monster, not even in her mind, yet a part of her still believed things might have been different for him, since she only was his daughter, and not the kind of daughter he wanted her to be. On the other hand, she had no doubt as far as her mother was concerned. Waiting time might have been horrible… This thought was the most disturbing one of all. Up until now, her memories had always dictated her that her mother had died instantly, and never been brought to the hospital. So why had she had this flash of her father, pacing up and down in front of a intensive care room while she was waiting on a chair, unable to move nor to think, in another room, with someone speaking and doing gestures in front of her? It made no sense. “Rainbow Dash… Are you okay?” Sunset Shimmer asked as they were walking to the room where Octavia rested. “I’m fine. I was just thinking. Nothing serious.” She had no doubt she could confess to Sunset Shimmer, who would listen, and even, who would comfort her, but she didn’t want anyone to worry about her when they were going to visit someone who had just tried to kill herself and who might be suffering way more than she did right now. It wasn’t about her, and it was best this way. Sometimes, not to be the main focus had something kind and mellow. Sunset Shimmer knocked two little times at the door, and hearing their friend’s mother’s voice behind, they stepped inside together. Octavia was half lying, dressed with a hospital gown, her wrists bandaged, with a drip at one of them. There were grey circles under her eyes and her skin was as pale as the bed’s sheets. The most comforting thing, however, was that she displayed a face that was more peaceful than earlier. Her mother was sitting on the chair by her side, and leaped on her feet as soon as she saw the two teenage girls. “I could never thank you enough. I don’t know what would have happened without you. Thank you, a hundred times, thank you. You’ve saved my daughter.” “We couldn’t let her this way. What are friends for?” “How—How did you know?” the person in question inquired. “I’ve made sure I wouldn’t see anyone anymore. Each time someone called me, or worse, rang at my door, whether it was Vinie or somebody else, I never answered…” “She yelled at me each time I wanted to let them in. All she wanted to do was lock herself in her room and cry, she didn’t even want me to comfort her.” The two young women looked at each other, not really surprised by what they heard. It truly was the behavior of someone who had been through something terrible, and sinking deeper and deeper into the obscurity of depression. However, them being here right on time to prevent a disaster to happen was sheer coincidence. Unless Vinyl Scratch had asked them this favor because she could sense something awful was about to take place, but she hadn’t told anything about this. “In fact, it’s an accident… Vinyl asked me to try to see if my friends and I could get any news from you, and… here he went. That’s all.” “Ah? Vinyl?” Octavia said, lowering her head to stare at the sheets. “Yes, we’re here thanks to her. She’s really worried about you; you know… It’s very hard not to be able to help the ones you love, not to be able to know why they seem to suffer so much.” If Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash were here to bring Octavia some comfort, and to guide her in what she would have to undertake in order to get better, they also came all this way in order to soothe the fears of someone else, and to know what had happened to her. They wouldn’t force Octavia to talk about it if she didn’t want to, but they also knew she could never hope to get better if she didn’t unburden herself. And if they didn’t know, it would be harder for them to show her a path forward to recovery. “Mom… Can you leave us alone for ten minutes, please? I just want to tell them a thing or two…” “Well… Yes, of course, honey.” Her mother pecked her forehead, and unhurriedly slipped out of the room. It surely was difficult for her to part from her daughter after what she had tried to do. They didn’t have to force themselves to guess mother and child probably were really close before the tragedy they were about to discover unfolded. Only once sure her mother was away, Octavia started to tell what had happened to her. She would eventually learn about it one day, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to tell them if her mother had stood by her side. She was far too ashamed. If she agreed to confess to these two, it was because they seemed to know how it felt like not to be able to get over with a trauma. The beginning of the school year dated back to a few months only, after all, and Octavia still had in mind the words Mr. Caballeron had about Rainbow Dash. Her mother was dead, and she had been in a psychiatric institute because of that. “This grade is very important for me. I absolutely must get one of the scholarships for talents Colleges are granted. It’s the only way I could make up a decent life. That’s why mom has decided to spend all her saved money to pay me additional cello lessons with a renowned teacher. His name is Mr. Royal Riff and he says he’s the best tutor for classical chords instruments.” Nothing confirmed it yet, but the two teenage girls were starting to imagine a theory more than probable concerning the rest of her story. Of course, they didn’t interrupt Octavia, and let her tell her story entirely. It was important that she felt listened, even before she would feel supported and understood. “At start, everything was perfectly fine. I really enjoyed the lessons, and I made huge progresses. One day, I came in class with Vinyl, just to show her how much I’ve improved. On the same day, Mr. Riff offered to give me additional free lessons to, I quote “completely reveal my true talent to the world”. All I had to do was to tell no one about it. I didn’t think twice. I should have.” From then on, it became difficult for her to keep on speaking. So that she could feel she wasn’t alone and had all the comfort she denied herself until then, Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash each sat at one side of the bed, and held her hand in theirs. “It started quite innocently. He used to compliment my outfits, to say I was pretty with my hair like this, that I could become one of the greatest cello player alive. And, little by little, he started to rove his hands over my shoulders, then my hips, then my thighs as well… Until he…” She broke up. “I don’t understand what I did to deserve it. I swear I haven’t tried to turn him on or to mislead him. I love Vinyl and I could never betray her. All I wanted was to stack all the odds in my favor to have a better life, and now my life is worse than it ever was. I’m feeling so dirty and soiled, it’s unbearable!” Unable to go any further, she burst into tears again. It wasn’t necessary that she carried on, anyway. They understood what trauma she had been through. This type of pain was the worse a woman could experience. When physical integrity gets destroyed, everything else crumbles. Neither Sunset Shimmer or Rainbow Dash had been through this kind of damage, and both thought it probably will be more difficult than they had thought to advice and help her. “What am I going to do now? I’m so disgusting! And I could never look into my girlfriend’s eyes again after this.” However, they knew a thing or two that could be useful for the young woman… “You know; Vinyl loves you deeply. When you really love someone, you’re willing to accept almost everything, which also means being by their side and help them to get better. She definitely wants you to be happy and I know for sure she won’t ever be mad at you for something that wasn’t your fault at all.” “Dash is right. I’ve seen how scared she was… Not being able to know how you were feeling pushed her to ask for our help. She’s good people and I know she’ll understand and do her best for you to recover.” “But how could I ever recover? He’s still around, giving lessons in Canterlot. He could as well had done it to dozens of other girls already… Even if I finally recovered, I could never turn the page if I know I could meet him right around the corner.” This was a fear Sunset Shimmer could understand. Though it wasn’t the same context at all, she had felt this way many times after her former group of friends got arrested, and when the girls came back to CHS. It had stopped eventually, since she was supported and above all, because of what had happened at the fun fair, she knew that Adagio, Sonata and Aria would never try to hurt her again – although Sonata alone wasn’t a real threat. The solution probably laid here. To make sure Royal Riff would never be a threat to Octavia again. For this purpose, there was only one possible alternative, and Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure the person in question would accept. “What if I tell you there’s a way for him never to hurt anyone again?” “Is there one? If you’re thinking about reporting it, I can’t. My family would never be able to pay a good lawyer, and he definitely would have a good one…” “No need to report. Our friend Twilight’s brother is a policeman. He could help us. All you’d have to do would be what I tell you to. I have a plan.” Each time someone said they had a plan, Rainbow Dash knew it never turned out so well. She didn’t know what Sunset Shimmer had in mind… However, she looked determined and confident. After all, it was one of those ‘plans’ that had foiled her, more than one year ago, and led her where she was now… Maybe the right thing was to trust her? Because she hadn’t been out since one whole month, Octavia could hardly breathe. It seemed to her the air outside was too thick and her blood had ceased to run through her veins. Her heart was shaking from anxiety. What if she wasn’t able to get what she wanted? She caught her breath when she heard someone opening the main door, and sounds of steps resounding against the waxed wooden floor. The lump inside her throat seemed to have widened again, blocking the rest of her body. Her head was spinning… What she was about to do wasn’t nothing special. From this moment was going to depend the rest of her existence. Aware the stakes were very high, Octavia shut her eyes and clenched her fists. To breath, to stay focus on her breathing. In, out, in, out. Visualize negativity and watch it fly away. Rainbow Dash had assured her this quick relaxation method would help. And indeed, when she opened her eyes again, she felt ready. Yes, she still was scared of him and of the rest of the events, but she knew this was something that had to be done. In order to get better eventually, she had to go through this. When the door of the Roller Derby track got opened, Royal Riff’s tall body outlined in the middle of the dark room. Just by acknowledging his presence, Octavia felt as if his body was pressed against hers, his breath against her neck, and his hands… His hands probably were what she dreaded the most about him. She knew how brutal and dangerous they could be. As he came nearer, his face became clearer. His white hair, his cold golden eyes. This wicked sardonic smile she hated so much. “Octavia… You don’t know how happy I am that you’ve called me. I really like the place you chose. So original.” When the music teacher stepped closer to her, an arm stretched in her direction, Octavia stepped back, with as much harshness as her elegant face could contain. Fighting her fear of him in order to achieve her ends was the most difficult thing for her. Because ordinarily, this fear had her paralyzed. “Don’t come nearer!” This man had ruined her life. Before she knew him, she was full of perkiness, she had faith in the future. To be a part of CHS meant a chance to change the stream of her life, to become who she wanted to be. People liked her, she had friends, she had found the person her heart belonged to, despite their many differences. And, one day, he had put his hands on her, and nothing had been the same ever since. Everything was now covered with a veil of disgust, smelling like blood. The immaculate blank to fill she called future suddenly turned into a thick black smoke, stopping her from seeing in front of her. Tonight, she wanted to regain control. She would probably be scarred for life, but at least, she wouldn’t live in fear eternally. At least, she wouldn’t try to shorten her existence because of these scars. Tonight, she would fight to regain at least a little of what had been stolen to her. She was worth something. She was strong. He would never destroy her again. “I haven’t asked you to come here so you can keep on perpetuating horrors. If I’ve asked you to come, it’s to let you know something. It’s over. You will never hurt me again.” Octavia had poured all the determination inside her heart to say these words. As she delivered them, she realized she sincerely meant them all. After a few seconds of wavering, the only answer she got was a burst of laugh from Royal Riff. In all honesty, she had expected it. He never took her threats seriously, undoubtedly because he knew they wouldn’t have much weight on the rest of the events, and there was no reason why he should start tonight. He stepped to her one more time, and she stepped back as well. “What are you talking about? I never harmed you.” “Stop it! You know exactly what I’m talking about. You… You’re a lecher and you should be behind bars!” Once again, he burst into laugh, overacting his effects by holding his sides. Yet for a short while, she wondered if she hadn’t exaggerated things in her mind. Maybe he only wanted to be nice with her and she… No. She hadn’t had visions, or misread his actions. He was laughing at her because he didn’t believe in what she was saying. In fact, in the snap of fingers, his cheerful expression changed, and on his face appeared a smirk she knew too well, his pupils narrowed, and he took off the mask of the respectable music teacher to wear this of the sexual predator. “Conversely, I did you good. Stop acting goody-goody, Octavia. I know you liked what we were doing together.” “Never! I never liked anything. You’re a rapist, and I’m going to make sure everybody knows. It’s over.” “It’s over. It’s over, she says. I’m curious to see how you’re going to do that. Look at you, you’re shaking and I haven’t even touched you yet. I got you, Octavia. I’ll always be a part of you, whether you like it or not.” “No, you won’t. You mean nothing to me, and you will never.” It wasn’t completely true, and she knew it. Somewhere he was right. What he had done to her would never leave her memory, and she would obviously think about it again, she would obviously be scared again. These events would never leave her. But she could also make sure the scar wouldn’t be as deep as he thought, by stopping his actions. She could make sure this traumatic accident wouldn’t part her from the rest of the world. She wanted to feel alive again, and he wouldn’t stop her to, no matter how much he threatened her. Or perhaps, because he was threatening her. Now, according to what Sunset Shimmer had recommended her, she had to push him to confess, somehow. “If that’s what you’re thinking, then you’re an idiot. And you aren’t an idiot, are you? Although… Asking me to come here, alone, in the middle of the night is a bit silly from you. You do know what is going to happen, right? Of course, you know it, Octavia.” Yes, she knew it. He could do so; she wouldn’t stop him. Not really, at least. Just long enough to get what she wanted. Royal Riff was now a few inches away from her, his face deformed by arousal and anticipation. It was the same dreadful face she had seen so many times and which always meant the same thing. So, she tried to run away in order to escape, but the Roller Derby track wasn’t that big, and it wasn’t easy to move in the dark. Quickly, she slipped on the slightly glassy wooden floor and stumbled. The music teacher didn’t have a lot of efforts to provide in order to catch her back. In no time at all, he shifted her so she was facing him, and kept her pinned against the floor, weighing against her. Like she had done so each time it happened, Octavia screamed and struggled, and just like he had done each time, he was smiling while slipping his hand along her body towards her uniform skirt. He knew after some time she would stop to move, understanding nothing would help and nothing would stop him from going all the way. When suddenly, all the lights of the rink were turned on at the same time, Royal Riff was forced to stop what he was doing. This was something he probably hadn’t expected at all as he came here. All it took him was a few seconds to spot Sunset Shimmer among the bleachers, sitting beside Rainbow Dash who held a camera in her hands, which lens was darting at the rink. The red-headed teenager clapped at the performance, which didn’t set Royal Riff in the best of moods. “What the hell are you doing here? Get out!” “Are you kidding? We want the rest of this wonderful masterpiece”, she told him with that typical smirk of hers. “Yes”, Rainbow Dash outbid. “I’m sure it’s going to be a real blockbuster… The music teacher who raped his students. Please, don’t bother for us.” Of course, he knew what this meant. And he just couldn’t believe it. This little dimwit of Octavia had tried to frame him. Who the hell did she think she was? He wasn’t anybody, and she was only a kid from a poor neighborhood. And as far as her two friends were concerned, this wasn’t a problem at all. He would take care of them his own way and make sure they would be so traumatized they would never dare to tell anyone. On the other hand, he hadn’t neither expected his victim to make the most of this strange wavering moment to attack him. Finally freed from his deathly embrace, she also freed her leg and kicked him right between his thighs. Royal Riff crumbled from pain, and Octavia took her chance to stand back up and run towards the bleachers where her classmates were. Something told her that as soon as she would have reached those benches, she would finally be saved from hell. Thanks to Rainbow Dash who had filmed everything thanks to her infra red-light lens, they had now enough elements to charge the teacher. But he managed to get it together on time to stop her. As soon as he was near enough, he grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her close to him. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done yet! And you two”, he yelled at the two young women, still filming. “Turn this off or I swear I’ll make you regret it! Do you want me to do to you the same thing I did to her? I’m sure you’re going to like it as much as this b*tch did!” “Are you really sure about that?” A male voice behind him suddenly said. Once again, Octavia made the most of her former teacher’s surprise to escape. She ran as fast as she could to the bleachers, where Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer, satisfied they had everything they needed now, welcomed her in their arms. Turning around, Royal Riff discovered a policeman in his uniform, who had a younger coworker with him, also dressed in his uniform. At first, he thought this was a prank… Disguised actors in order to scare him. Then he had to realize the obvious: the trap which he fell into was way more complicated than what he had first thought. “Mr. Royal Riff, this is captain Shining Armor and his assistant Timber Spruce, from Canterlot police. A very good friend of the family”, Rainbow Dash finished with triumph in her voice. “You’re over”, Sunset Shimmer added, like rubbing it in. “She warned you.” Sheltered into the teenage girl’s arms, Octavia threw a harsh and defiant glance at the music teacher, with her chin up. She had won and he had lost. Like her friend said, she had warned him. Whatever would happen to her now, he would no longer hurt her. At least, not in the way he thought. Shining Armor already was placing his hands behind his back, tying them with handcuffs, while Timber was warning a car to come to the appointed spot. “Royal Riff, you are under arrest for sexual assault and attempted rape on a minor. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court of law.” This mandatory litany of each arrest was clear and known by everyone. It never stopped Royal Riff from keeping on threatening the three teenagers, promising it wouldn’t end so easily and he still had power over Octavia who no longer was looking at him. Yet, it hadn’t been easy and even, it had been painful but she had done it. She had done it. She had confronted this man who curdled her blood, she had confronted her fear, and even risked another trauma but it hadn’t been in vain. Now she had the keys to find her way in life back, the life she had put on the side of the road. To find the pleasure of playing cello back. To find her taste for life back, her taste for others. To see the person she loved still while no longer being afraid to lose her forever. Because she already had a 35 mm camera for her cinematographic experiences, when she invested into this machine, more modern and provided with an infra-red system, Soarin had asked her the most daring of questions: did she really need it? Now, Rainbow Dash was convinced about it... She did. This advanced equipment was of a greater usefulness. Without it, she would have never been able to send this sexual predator in jail. In Equestria, as long as it was proven in a satisfying way, a rape was subject to a sentence of a minimum of twenty-five years, unreducible. Of course, like in every other part of the globe, the most difficult task was to bring these satisfying evidences, nonetheless, as far as was concerned the matter they cared about, it had good chances to give good results. Thanks to every participant’s efforts, Octavia seemed to be on the good path for a brighter future. She could get along and, slowly, sort her life out again. It wouldn’t be easy, but she would succeed. If there was something she had learned from all her misfortunes, it was that she was stronger than she thought. Once sure everything was settled, and before bringing the criminal to his custody, Shining Armor decided to go and talk to these who made this arrest come possible. In addition to Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash, both serving as witnesses, Twilight had also made her contribution. She was the one settled at the rink’s lightning desk in order to illuminate the place at the best moment. At first, when his little sister and her two friends had come in his office to explain him their plan to frame a teenage girls’ rapist, the young captain had doubts about the admissibility of the evidences and about the execution of the whole scheme. In an ironic way, if he had trusted the small group, it was because he had kept in mind the arrest of Sunset Shimmer’s former group of friends, which had gone beyond all expectations. He had also been working hand in hand with the juvenile delinquency department on many occasions, and knew he could get their help once again on that. The young woman had a long way to go since he handcuffed her at the door of a motel room. She had changed her company, but she also became a more relaxed, cheerful and benevolent person. Today, she looked exactly like any other high school students. Or at least, just like any of the girls from this one of a kind bunch of friends. He stopped in front of the three girls, busy talking about what had just happened. How they had been scared things would not be going according to their plan, or feared that Octavia would be even more damaged because of this… although Rainbow Dash was boasting about being the new Scorsese of detective documentaries. That was so Rainbow Dash. Each knew that behind the show off side there was someone with more sensitivity that it seemed, even Shining Armor. Before he could even express how glad he was to the three teenage girls, his little sister spoke to him. “Thanks for accepting to follow us on this one… We always put you in delicate situations…” “I’m the one who should thank you. The Crushlotters’ and Rebellious’ arrests… The one of the teenage robbers… and now Royal Riff’s… You don’t realize, but each time, my career makes significant advancements thanks to you.” “Maybe I should enroll in police force in the future. I think I’m also awesome at arresting bad guys. Would you like to recruit me in the future, Shining Armor?” “Rainbow Dash! You weren’t alone to prepare this trap… Wasn’t it Sunset Shimmer’s idea to begin with?” “Maybe, but I’m the one who obtained the keys of the rink thanks to my Roller Derby captain, and I had the camera.” “That doesn’t mean you should take all credit for the action.” Shining Armor rolled his eyes, and saw Sunset Shimmer doing the same. The young woman certainly also was used to hear those two squabbling this way, to the extent that she knew it was no use trying to stop them or to comment. Things always ended up on their own, anyway. This time wasn’t any different. Vinyl Scratch’s arrival put an end to the quarrel. The teenage girl had canceled a performance in a trendy nightclub in order to rush and meet her girlfriend she hadn’t seen for a whole month. It was impossible not to notice her when she arrived somewhere. Indeed, out of mixing and music, she seemed to be fond of tuning cars, and displayed a white vehicle decorated with blue thunders, with a personalized bumper and its matching spoilers, and each time she was going out, behind her resounded the booms of the electronic music she listened to thanks to two speakers integrated into her doors. In fact, it always was interesting to see Octavia, which uniform always was perfect, getting out of this tawdry car. The contrast was rather fun. Her reaction when she saw her girlfriend arrive was to get rid of the emergency blanket which had been put around her shoulders, and to run to Vinyl Scratch, who welcomed her by holding her in her arms. The little bunch witnessed the scene from afar, and none of them could heard what Octavia was saying to Vinyl, who answered her in sign language. In fact, it surprised Sunset Shimmer. “Well! I didn’t know Octavia could use the International sign language.” “Of course she does. Last summer, when I made my initiation, I met her at Canterlot’s Mute and Deaf Center. She told me she was on an upgrading training. What do you think they’re saying to each other?” “Sappy things, I bet. I don’t really want to know.” “You probably say the same sappy things to Soarin.” “Not at all”, Rainbow Dash replied in a suspiciously vehement way, her cheeks pinkish. “Soarin and I are only doing cool stuff.” “Forget about it. She prefers to act smart… even if we do know what’s the truth.” “Oh yeah, and how do you know that, Twilight Sparkle?” “One week in Fillydelphia with you. I’m really observant.” Once again, Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Here they were again. Really, not much was needed for those two to start bickering. In reality, they all knew, they loved each other and regarded each other as surrogate sisters. But like all sisters in the world, it was impossible for them to spend a whole day without one of those small verbal disputes. It had to be said they truly were quite different, whether it was of personal aspirations than of characters. Yet, these differences didn’t stop them from liking being together. It also was the case for the rest of the gang, and partly what made the magic of their friendship. Or at least, it was the case up until recently. Because things had turned strange one week ago. Since Pinkie Pie’s move, in fact, when Fluttershy had suddenly disappeared without a word for anyone. Big Macintosh, who yet was her boyfriend, hadn’t even tried to know how she felt, and last time he had been at the Sugarcube Corner without a stop to see her, the way he usually did. Something had happened, of this they were sure. “Hey… Does one of you knows what’s up between Fluttershy and Big Macintosh? I felt like it has become quite weird between them.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and shrugged. They had felt it too but no one had told them anything. “Seems like even Applejack doesn’t know. And Big Mac tells Applejack everything.” “Rainbow Dash, you know Big Mac very well… “Hey, just because we slept together once, it doesn’t mean I know him by heart. He’s not someone who confesses easily. What’s certain is that Fluttershy isn’t fine.” “I’ve noticed it too”, Twilight nodded. “And I don’t want to say stupid things but I think there’s a connection with Pinkie Pie. But I don’t know which one…” Although she didn’t know Big Macintosh that well, on the other hand, Rainbow Dash knew Pinkie Pie perfectly. Since she was living at Sugarcube Corner, she looked like her old self, yet her friend had noticed a slight awkwardness about her when it came to Applejack’s brother. She wasn’t the type of girl who stole boyfriends, this was a certain thing. It wasn’t what Rainbow Dash feared. She rather feared that Big Macintosh had tried something, unsure of why she could sense such a thing. Or maybe she was. The fact remained that she didn’t like this new tension, and didn’t foreseen something good for the rest of events. Although traditional love affairs kept a blurred side for her, despite her own love story with Soarin, there was something she knew. As soon as a boy problem appeared in a female friendship, even of the solidest kind, it was always difficult to land back on your feet. And was Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie’s friendship a solid one? A few days ago, Rainbow Dash would have answered yes immediately, but today, she wasn’t that sure anymore. Author's Note A very famous character will be at the center of next arc... Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 1)“Stop it, Soarin! Can’t you be serious for two minutes?!” Coming from Rainbow Dash, the interjection held hints of bath faith. Indeed, seriousness was in no way the first adjective coming into mind when thinking about her. In fact, at the beginning of their little session, she was the one who couldn’t stop playing with her pencils and doing stupid faces at Pinkie Pie from her table. At the start of the week, she had received a call from her father, who had received one from school. Rainbow Dash’s grades in science had been plummeting ever since the beginning of the semester. If they didn’t get at least a bit better, her going to College would happen to become a little complicated. In her opinion, it didn’t really matter. She’d go to College anyway, thanks to a sporting scholarship. Having the average grade in chemistry and physics wouldn’t change this fact. But Mr. Rainbow Blaze hadn’t agreed with his daughter. He hadn’t reared a dunce. She had to get better grades or she wouldn’t be able to celebrate her birthday this year. Plus, her mother, naturally gifted in maths and physics, just like him, wouldn’t have liked her to let down those courses. It was this argument that had decided her. When hearing about it, of course, Twilight had volunteered to help her, except Rainbow Dash still had in mind the way she aided her to catch up her hold-up of missed courses during her stay at Green Haven. For nothing in the world did she want to go through this again. First, her mind was made up on Sunset Shimmer. She also had excellent grades in mathematics and sciences, since she seemed to want to focus her studies on molecular biology research. If, in the end, it happened to be Soarin helping her, it was because she had spoken to him about it, and he had volunteered, arguing it would be perfect to make them spend some time together – although she stayed so often at his place to sleep that she had started to leave a few of her personal belongings. Their main problem was that when one was motivated to work, the other one wasn’t. Now it was Soarin playing up. And in a way that made Rainbow Dash blush, as she didn’t want the persons at Sugarcube Corner today to take her for a ditz who liked to be cuddled in the corners, like in these stupid novels for girls that she hated. As if the whole world was focusing on her… Yet, there truly were a few persons captivated by the couple. More precisely one person. Pinkie Pie. Busy behind the counter, as soon as she had a moment, she would look at their table, hands under her chin, a tender smile plastered on her face. Even if they didn’t do anything for it, they were so cute. She knew Rainbow Dash tried hard to keep her image of a tough cookie, but that in secrets of eyes and ears, she was full of small attentions for Soarin, and she liked when he took good care of her. Love between those two was obvious. They were the stuff dreams are made for, since she didn’t have a boyfriend yet. Self-proclaimed their number one fan, thanks to them Pinkie Pie was living a love affair by proxy, as if they were the latest trendy TV show. What they had was perfect, according to her own definition, since they first were friends before being lovers. And it made their chemistry even more obvious. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t think she had ever felt something like this for anyone. It might be so pleasant… Yet, she was aware such a complicity was rare. As probable as unearthing a black diamond. Seeing one from up close is the chance of a lifetime. Of course, she was getting along fine with a boy she was chatting with on the internet since long ago, and whom she finally had seen a picture of, however she was far from having deep feelings for him. Undoubtedly, it would be easier if he were living in Canterlot and not in the “boondocks” of Hooftington. Four teenage girls stepped into Sugarcube Corner, and Pinkie Pie snapped out of her fantasies. She displayed her widest professional smile, but saw three of them directly going to Rainbow Dash and Soarin’s table. The fourth girl seemed to have disappear. Yet she was sure there was a fourth one. They stood in front of the couple with stars in their eyes. “Oh my God, Rainbow Dash!” “What?” The young woman looked up from her chemistry book. Right when she finally focused on her studies, someone had to come over and bother them. The three girls in front of them seemed to be slightly younger than her, and were standing in front of her like they would in front of an international celebrity. “What is it for?” “I’m Sky Skimmer, and this is Moon Shadow and Hip Holly. We’re in eleventh grade and we admire you since we’ve arrived at CHS. We attend each of your games and competitions. We’re your most fervent fans.” “You’re the best athlete of all Canterlot.” “Hey, it’s true I’m rocking it! But the job of my most fervent fan is already taken by Scootaloo.” What else could she answer? She knew she was good, only equaled by Applejack, but Applejack took part in no school competitions. Plus, long before those three, Scootaloo had displayed a great devotion to her, and conversely to them, she knew and liked the young girl. It didn’t stop her from enjoying the compliment, of course. She was Rainbow Dash, after all, and although her ego wasn’t as huge as she tried hard to make believe, it took room anyhow. “Well, of course, we don’t want to steal anybody’s place”, the third girl finally said, now she had stopped to stay dumbstruck like in front of a swarm of chocolate-flavored ice-creams. “We only wanted you to know how much we admire you.” “It’s the first time we dare talking to you. Until now we were way too impressed.” “Just don’t be. I only bite if I’m bitten first”, she claimed with a wink. This little insignificant gesture from her launched a wave of high-pitched yelps from them. It was too much, even for Rainbow Dash. Alright, she was an excellent athlete, alright, she was cool, but she wasn’t Countess Coloratura. It didn’t deserve such a frenzy. Remained silent until now, Saorin cleared his throat in order to show he was here as well, and explained the three teenage girls that although their attention was sweet, and Rainbow Dash was flattered, it was about time for them to resume working. Their first reaction was to bounce on the spot. “Wow, Soarin talked to us!” Moon Shadow claimed. “We love your couple”, Hip Holly went on. “Yes. We think you’re the perfect match for each other.” “That’s because Soarin is as awesome as I am.” Her boyfriend tried to glance annoyingly at her, frowning, and she understood that by taking part of the three teenage girl’s enthusiasm, there were risks for the conversation to last longer than expected. They had a lot to do, and since she seemed to be their idol and role model, it was her duty to show them a good example. “He’s right. We have to work, sorry, girls. It’s important.” “Oh yes, sorry. We won’t bother you anymore. It was so great to be able to speak with you, even a little.” “Since we’re at CHS, don’t hesitate to come and speak with me more often. Only right now, I’m busy.” “We really can do this? So awesome! It’s a dream come true.” “We’ll do it, then. Have nice reviews!” A few seconds later, they crossed Sugarcube Corner’s door, without even ordering something to eat or drink. This encounter had been a bit strange, however Rainbow Dash was always happy to be complimented. Though she knew she’d never be friends with them – they were too extreme for her tastes – she’d found them sweet and rather awesome… since they were her fans! Right before focusing back on those boring chemistry lessons, another person drew her attention. Someone it seemed she’d already seen in Canterlot High School’s corridors, but who had been absent for a long while. In fact, she even was convinced the young woman was in her class last year. But when she wanted to see her again, she had disappeared. The young woman in question went to that empty street near Sugarcube Corner, the same where Pinkie Pie had been framed by Lightning Dust. There, Sky Skimmer, Moon Shadow and Hip Holly were expecting her. Like they often did, they were talking about Rainbow Dash but the difference was that this time, they had been able to speak with her. Their palpable excitation made them even more bouncy than they’d been in front of their idol. “Have you heard the way she speaks? If we want to be as awesome as she is, we’d better start boasting a little.” “Yes, but you also need to be serious when it’s necessary.” “What about her hair? And her outfit? The jacket she was wearing is very expensive, it was satin…” “That’s because her father’s very rich. To be awesome is a high price to pay. And let’s not forget about her organic low-fat diet, which gives her a firm body. It’s really expensive too.” All three at the same time, they turned to their other friend, the one that had been in the background all the time. In reality, she wasn’t their real friend. They had accepted this retaking student by their side only because she had been in the same class than Rainbow Dash, was in the same athletics club, and she was also from her neighborhood – which meant her parents had money. With the reputation preceding her, and her lopsided eyes, she could count herself lucky that they’d taken her in their group. “Derpy, here you are! You took your time”, Moon Shadow said, putting her hands on her hips. “We told you to be discreet, not to play sluggard.” “Sorry, I wanted to drink a milkshake. It’s wrong to waste food.” “Moron! Who told you to order anything?” “But Pinkie Pie actually spotted me and asked me what I wanted to drink…” “We should have told her to wait here.” “Well, let’s go straight to the point”, Sky Skimmer claimed while walking to her. “How much money do you have?” “Err… Fifty dollars.” “What? Only fifty dollars? You really are no help! What the f*ck do you want us to do with fifty miserable dollars?” “Maybe I could get fifty more by tomorrow morning…” “We don’t need money tomorrow morning; we need money now! I want to buy the same energy drinks than Rainbow Dash.” “But that’s all I have and Mom asked me to run errands for her.” “What, do you refuse to give it to us? I thought we were your friends, Derpy!” “Muffin… My name’s not Derpy, but Muffin.” “And you answer back, with that. B*tch!” On these words, Sky Skimmer made one more step in her direction, and slapped her under the silly giggles of her three associates. When she tried to defend herself, she received another slap, and Hip Holly and Moon Shadow took an advantage from it to steal her handbag. Without even a single care about her protestations, the three teenage girls had fun sending her bag from hands to hands, and when it landed inside those of their “leader”, she ordered the other two to hold Muffin while she was stealing the money in her wallet. “You don’t even have fifty dollars but forty dollars and forty bits! You said you had fifty!” “But I had a milkshake.” “And you want us not to call you Derpy? You really are retarded! You’d better bring us fifty more dollars tomorrow morning or we’ll no longer be your friends. You don’t want not to have friends, do you?” Tears in her eyes, the young woman with golden hair nodded. All she got was a push and an interdiction to follow them at the mall. When the three young women had left the street, Muffin, who couldn’t take it anymore, let herself fall on the ground, her head against her knees. Her sobs were resounding in the narrow street, but no one came to comfort her. What had she done to deserve all this contempt? She had always been nice with her classmates, she had never looked for trouble. Because what had happened to her had resulted in the firing of her former science teacher, whom she appreciated a lot, everybody had let her down. And it wasn’t her fault if she was born cross-eyed. The surgery to get them a bit straighter was very expensive, and hadn’t better their position a lot… Muffin wanted to find someone to blame for what was happening to her, in order not to end up believing she was the real problem. Being nice probably wasn’t fashionable enough. It was better to be “awesome”, whatever this was supposed to mean. If only this kind of persons didn’t exist… She was sure she would feel better, and all her problems would disappear. Hearing the screams from the bleachers, Cloud Kicker looked up. She was expecting to see Rainbow Dash’s friends, though normally they never interfered this way during practice. Instead there were three teenage girls with rainbow wigs on their head, shaking a small CHS flag. “Do you know them?” she asked her partner, in the middle of her warm-up. “More or less. They said they’re my fans…” She tried her best to ignore them in order to stay focused on her stretching exercises and practice. Didn’t they know how crucial this year was for her on a sporting level? She really wanted to get this scholarship thanks to sports so she could go to College, though she wasn’t sure yet of what she wanted to learn there. It could remain this way if only they weren’t disturbing the whole team with their strange encouragements. They already had enough of the cheerleaders! Both their tumbles and slogans were frequently polluting the atmosphere, to the extent that Rainbow Dash knew their litanies by heart. Of course, she really enjoyed being a source of inspiration for the three young girls. However, there was a kind of attention which pleased, and a kind of attention which was a little too intrusive. And they actually were more likely to be part of the second category. Something told her that if she wanted it to calm down, she’d have to go and talk to them. A few days ago, when she first met them at Sugarcube Corner, it hadn’t taken a lot of time to convince them that they’d better retreat and let her study. As soon as they understood they were the ones she was coming to, all three teenage girls bounced at the same time, tight in each other’s arms. It was a bit ridiculous, to be honest. They’d already talked and met a several times at school. “We’re here for support”, Hip Holly started as soon as the greetings ended. “It’s so cool to attend athletics practice… I didn’t imagine it to be this way. There are so many various disciplines”, Moon Shadow went on. “You’re very supple”, Sky Skimmer finished. “Well… Certainly…” For once, Rainbow Dash wasn’t really sure what to answer. Indeed, athletics offered a very large choice of disciplines and wasn’t limited to races and pole vaulting. Indeed, she was very supple, at least as much as the other athletes on the field and tracks, since it was one of the essential quality for this kind of sport. She wasn’t going to reel off her life story to them, that at four, her father had forced her to have ballet dancing lessons and her teacher used to say she was “as straight as a wooden broom” – and she was in no way interested by leaps and pointes, anyway. In fact, if she had come to them, it wasn’t in order to have a conversation with them. Each second spent chatting with them made her lose some muscular flexibility. “I’m sorry, girls, but you can’t stay… Or if you really want to stay, you’ll have to do it quietly. You’re distracting the other athletes. And to be honest, you embarrass me a bit.” “Oh, sorry, Rainbow Dash! We’ll only look at the show, we promise.” “The show…? It’s just practice”, she answered, raising an eyebrow. “That’s because you really are our model. So every time we see you, it’s feels like attending a real show.” It was rather flattering, and Rainbow Dash liked flattery a lot. The only concern was that when it came to these three, she couldn’t help but being slightly ashamed and she thought as much fondness held a noxious side, something over the top that she didn’t enjoy. It probably came from the fact they were really effusive and that overflow of fervor made her feel awkward. She had the impression that they weren’t impressed by the real Rainbow Dash, but by an image they had of her, like the one from a distorting mirror. “It’s a good thing to have a source of inspiration… Myself, I have someone who inspires me every day but I know this person’s unique and I’ll never be her in any way.” Once again, they didn’t need to know that she was talking about her mother. If there was a topic she didn’t want to discuss with those almost strangers, it was this one. “It’s best to be yourself. Plus, I’m so awesome I’m truly inimitable!” Well, show-off in small dose couldn’t do any harm. This was about being yourself, wasn’t it? So be it, she was herself! Something told her, seeing how enthusiastic they reacted after her punchline, that she wouldn’t get rid of them this way. The best was to cut short immediately. “I go back there or I’ll have to start my warm-up all over again. You’ll stay quiet, won’t you?” “We promise, Dash!” It was enough for her, and Rainbow Dash jogged down to Cloud Kicker, who hadn’t wait for her to start the first phase of practice without her. She had to start over a part of her warm-up, as suspected, before joining her partner on the track, for a little endurance and preparation jogging. Yet, though she was on the right track, passing by the bleachers, Rainbow Dash spotted Muffin, dressed for sport, sitting on the lowest rank of seats, looking at the runners with envy. When she’d gotten home after Sugarcube Corner, she had to rack her brains in order to find who was the teenage girl she had had a glimpse of at the back table. When she had found, a few days later, as she was starting to fall asleep, she had jumped so abruptly in the bed that she’d woken up Soarin in the process. In ninth and tenth grade, Rainbow Dash and her were in the same class. She was a very demure yet smiling young woman, who had her small bunch of friends and was part of both the chemistry and athletics clubs (though she never saw her running or throwing anything). The fact she had a slight disability because of her eyes never seemed to bother anyone. Sometimes, when Rainbow Dash did her morning run all around her neighborhood, she could meet her walking her dog. And, a bit like it happened for Octavia, suddenly, she vanished away. Disappeared. No one really knew what had happened to her… But the sure thing was that one of the science teacher had been fired at the same time than her disappearance. From here, rumors had started to go round, stating as truth that they both probably had lived a forbidden love story which had led to their expulsion. This rumor also said that Muffin had gotten pregnant and had to abort. Rainbow Dash didn’t believe one bit of this story but the fact remained that her young classmate seemed to be no longer a part of the school. Now, she fully realized she had been back for quite a while now but that her forced absence had obliged her to repeat a year. Obviously, she identified with her a little. After all, she also had to desert the school’s corridors for quite some time and personal reasons, and the only thing that had prevented bad rumors about her was that a lot of pupils were scared of her and of Applejack. She let Cloud Kicker know she could go on without her, and trotted in direction of her team coach, supervising everyone’s performances, a chronometer in his hands. “Mr. Fire Streak… Why isn’t Muffin practicing with all the others? I never see her on the track.” “And you won’t see her any time soon. She’s supposed to do hurdles race, but she is incapable of jumping without stumbling in her own feet!” Rainbow Dash looked behind her at the bleachers where Muffin still sat – as well as her three fans who were waving at her but whom she chose not to answer. The young woman was staring enviously at the athletes, and even from afar, the look on her face made her understand how eager she was to run. It was something she could spot for miles around… Jogging down, she caught back Fire Streak again, who had gotten away in order to supervise the practice of shot puts. “If I may, I don’t think she’s going to get any better if she stays sitting around looking at the others.” “Sorry, but she’s too much of a bother for ‘the others’, like you said, and I can’t spend the whole hour helping a student who will never be at any competitions.” “What if someone from the team takes her under her wing? I’m OK to do this.” “You?! Rainbow Dash, are you aware that you’re our best runner? You can’t waste your precious time helping another person. You have to practice.” “My speed won’t lower just because I’ve helped her a bit, and you know it. It’ll be just for fifteen or twenty minutes, so she could at least participate a little.” “Fine… Take fifteen minutes to explain her a thing or two. You’ll lose patience before it’s over, anyway. But after this, you go back to practice and make sure Cloud Kicker wouldn’t be partnerless for the whole practice time.” “Thanks a lot, coach! You won’t regret it!” At no moment had she stopped to jog in order not to lose tonus. Thanks to this, all it took were a few strides to be face to face with Muffin, who she waved at so she would go down and meet her. The teenage girl was surprised and first thought Rainbow Dash was waving at someone else. Since she had returned to CHS, they hadn’t talked with each other at all. Before that, they said hello to each other and sometimes spoke a bit together… Everything was different before, anyway. “What’s wrong? Do you need me to get something for you in the locker room?” “Not at all. What made you believe I did? I’m here to help you practicing.” Muffin widely opened her golden bright eyes. She’d expected anything but this. It was impossible that, among all the athletics club members, the largest one of CHS, the number one student came and offered her help. To her. The one girl rumors said to be a hidden lolita, a demon in a disguise of innocence, but also a lost cause of clumsiness. Just because they used to speak together didn’t change the facts. A doubt assailed her. What if it was a trap? Rainbow Dash was her three “friends”’ idol and she always feared the worst from them. She would never recover if this popular student humiliated her in front of everyone… Yet, something special pushed her to give her a try. Although she often boasted a lot, Muffin also knew Rainbow Dash had a solid group of friends and she had never seen her lashing out at someone weaker. Conversely, she rather seemed to be the kind who liked challenges, and to choose to tie-break with persons as tough as her, if not who thought nothing of her. That was what made her accept this aid. Without a care about the consequences. Nor about the eyes on her. Just spending time with someone who would treat her nicely, for a change. It couldn’t do her any harm, couldn’t it? Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 2)A bit before lunch time, Pinkie Pie, along with the Flower Trio, had been summoned by Vice-Principal Luna to get to the Events Committee’s room. Since the Winter Ball had passed, it could only be about the two other big events to come at CHS. Which one of the two, it didn’t really matter to her. All that mattered was to know there was something fun to plan. All jolly by the end of this short meeting, the young woman went to join her friends at their favorite table of the cafeteria. The coldest days were gone, and her favorite season, spring, would soon arrive. She was still able to live in Canterlot, and although she also still was single, and Big Macintosh acted weirdly around her, sometimes, and Fluttershy was always sullen, she was feeling in great shape. She chose a slice of zucchini and goat cheese pie and two slices of chocolate fondant cake, thanking the lunch ladies in a much too enthusiastic way, what other persons usually never did. A bit further, Sunset Shimmer was waving at her, and the teenage girl went to join her bunch of friends, already settled. Even before thinking about putting down her tray, Pinkie Pie felt the need to tell them what she had been summoned for. The one time someone had a good news… None could say they had been that many since the new school year began. “Guess what! I’ve been chosen to plan the Prom Ball! Isn’t it super-duper amazing?” “Pinkie… You’re Head of the Events Committee. Of course, you’re the chosen person to plan this ball”, Twilight pointed. “That’s pretty much what you do for every single ball since ninth grade…” Rainbow Dash added, before swallowing a mouthful of her favorite energy drink. Because she was fond of parties and really had a gift to plan them like no one else in CHS, it was natural to see her integrate the Events Committee from her very first year in High School. At first, the Head was a girl named Surprise but when she got graduated, Pinkie Pie was the one elected unanimously, or almost, to be her successor. Three persons only had voted against her – probably Daisy, Lily and Rose, had she decided after an investigation. The young woman eventually put down her tray and started to laugh embarrassingly, while sitting next to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “True it was obvious… Sometimes I’m so silly I even forget how silly I am!” “Well, we don’t!” This killer comment, delivered in a harsh way, and tainted with sourness, had just escaped Fluttershy’s lips, much to everyone surprise. Although she was acting strangely lately, and was very temperamental, no one would have guessed she could display so much verbal hostility towards one member of their gang. Immediately, Pinkie Pie’s sunny mood seemed to melt down like ice. Without another word, eyes lowered towards her dish, she nibbled a piece of her pie so ridiculous it would even have looked tiny to a rodent. If she refused to defend herself from the spitefulness she had been struck with, the others had none of it. It wasn’t a way to talk to a friend, although this friend really said stupid things, sometimes. Alright, they were often bickering about insignificant things, but none of them really were mean towards each other. They simply knew too well each of their flaws and soft spots. “Fluttershy!” Twilight lectured her. “Pinkie Pie hasn’t done you any harm, it’s not really kind of you to talk to her this way. I’d apologize right away if I were you.” “Well, you’re not me, that’s lucky!” Applejack, sitting in front of Twilight, discreetly waved at her, to inform her not to go any further. She didn’t have time to add anything, anyway, since Fluttershy claimed she wasn’t hungry anymore, though she’d barely touched her dishes, and she left the table, saying they would meet in class. Obviously, Applejack had some pieces of information the others lacked. The whole scene let them so puzzled that they didn’t dare saying anything else during a whole minute. The silence was only broken by Rainbow Dash’s three fans, decidedly gifted to arrive at the most awkward moments. The latter couldn’t help an irritated sigh, but tried not to act too aggressively with the three young girls. After all, they had nothing to do with the quirky atmosphere hovering over the group yet known to be unbreakable. “How do you do… since yesterday?” A little clingy, those fans… Just because she had told them they could speak to her whenever they wanted to didn’t mean they had to come her way and say words each time she appeared within their field of vision. “We’re really fine, thank you”, Hip Holly answered. “And even better since we’re in front of you”, Sky Skimmer went on. “Hearing you speak; it almost sounds as if you guys were in love with me… I don’t like girls, you know that, right?” Obviously, they took her reply as a joke since they soundly burst into laugh, which drew the attention of the tables around them. All this attention looked cute at the beginning, but now it started to get a little creepy. “No, I’m serious.” “Well, we know that since you’re dating Soarin. You’re so lucky. He’s hot!” “Wow, looks like you’re completely missing the point, here.” Once again, the three teenage girls reacted by laughing to a thing Rainbow Dash had said in all honesty. She knew her friends might think this was a good thing for her ego and her dear reputation and thought she probably was happy to have fans that devoted to her, but they kept on making her feel awkward, with the way they idolized her, always too much while being not enough. “Look”, Moon Shadow told her with pride. “We took the same thing than you: quinoa and figs salad, tofu sauté with broccolis, this sort of greenish smoothie and the energy drink with a black can.” “Are ya sure ya wanna eat this?” Applejack intervened. “Even us found it hard to eat, sometimes.” What she meant was that the kind of diet athletic girls like her and Rainbow Dash constrained themselves with during intense periods of practice could taste rather stern to those not used of eating without sauce nor salt addition. “We want to get the same body than Rainbow Dash, so if that’s what it takes, we’re going to do it”, Sky Skimmer answered. “But Dashie isn’t only dieting, she also does a lot of sports, even on weekends or during her free time.” “And those energy drinks are… how can I say this? They taste really special.” Sunset Shimmer knew a lot about that topic. Right before starting her volleyball club, she wanted to try them, hoping it would bring her more strength since she hadn’t done sports in an intense way since ages… She hadn’t even drunk her first and last can completely. “And it’s meant to give you energy when you’re run-down. Plus, their effects on health had often been disputed.” To the precision brought by Twilight, the three friends shrugged, maintaining that if Rainbow Dash drank them on a regular basis, then it couldn’t harm them neither. It felt as if, whatever was said to them, just as long as their idol and mentor did something, they wanted to do the same. There was a serious lack of personality issue here, according to the general opinion of the girls, who had all changed their minds about these invading fans. Rainbow Dash thought she needed to find a way to send them back. While they were here, they couldn’t eat their lunch peacefully, and most importantly, they couldn’t discuss the one issue that really mattered – Fluttershy’s odious behavior. In fact, for fans concerned about anything their model said or did, they didn’t seem to worry a lot about what consequences this absence could have on the group. A little further in the cafeteria, Rainbow Dash spotted Muffin who had just filled her tray. As always, all the students of any grades she tried to sit down with refused her to do so. This kind of stupid behavior, paying attention to groundless gossips and accepting them as face value without a care about how it felt like for the victim, she had already seen it when Lightning Dust had tried to frame Pinkie Pie for her revenge. It was one of the things that got on her nerves in the way CHS worked, though it also was fantastic on many details. She half-got up from her chair, and waved widely, speaking loud enough for a good part of the cafeteria to hear. Her popularity could be useful and she wasn’t about to bother to use it. If it could help Muffin in any way, then she would be happy. “Hey there, Muffin!! Come and lunch with us!” But the young woman, who she had talked a lot with last night, and who was smiling and kind with her, avoided her eyes and went to take refuge at the other end of the room, to make sure Rainbow Dash wouldn’t come to get her. She had blushed and displayed a frightened look, the same Fluttershy could have sometimes, when she was afraid – which meant almost all the time. As soon as she had called her name, she had noticed the face of her three fans getting tensed, and they didn’t need more to take the decision to leave them alone. There was no doubt: something was happening, and she wasn’t going to like it. Once again. It seemed like lately, she was caught in a spiral of unpleasant events stringing together like pearls on a necklace. The last straw would be if her father would announce her he had found a new woman to replace her mother, and the rusty circle would be complete! They knew her habits and how she worked. All they had to do was to stay by the washrooms and make sure no one else would step in. The three girls also knew Rainbow Dash and the gang rather used those outside after lunch, since they had returned to their favorite spot behind the bleachers with the coming of warmer temperatures. Nearly at the exact second they planned, Muffin appeared in front of them. As soon as she saw them, she tried to turn back but Sky Skimmer commanded the others two to catch her back and to bring her inside the washrooms, that they closed behind them by blocking the main door with buckets and brooms they had borrowed beforehand. This way, they made sure they wouldn’t be bothered or caught in the act. The game was over. Because she also knew them well, Muffin tried to escape by locking herself inside one of the toilets. Maybe if she could stay here long enough, they would eventually give up and call it a day. Her attempt wasn’t quite fruitful since Moon Shadow and Hip Holly caught her back once again, and pinned her against the wall so she wouldn’t flee. It wasn’t easy, since she was struggling as hard as she could, but all the same, they were able to make sure she would look into Sky Skimmer’s eyes. Muffin felt delicate fingers buried inside her flesh when she grabbed her chin. They buried so deeply that her jaw hurt. How could such a graceful and subtle hand be the source of such a destructive strength? The surrounding half-darkness of the washroom turned out to be less and less thick, and yet the room seemed filled with an oppressive aura that made everything on the brink of the bearable. “We warned you last night… Don’t ever speak again to Rainbow Dash!” “But I haven’t spoken to her again, just like you said…” “Shut it! Don’t interrupt me! Even if you don’t talk to her, you’re still polluting her atmosphere with your distasteful presence. You don’t deserve to breath the same air than her. By the way, if I were you, I wouldn’t even bother going in athletics at all. No one wants to be seen with a retarded of your kind!” Muffin heard her two companions chuckling after their friend’s comment. They probably were expected to do what was expected from them without complaining, in order to humiliate her even more. She addressed her classmate her coldest and toughest look, but all she got was a violent slap from her interlocutor. The searing pain on her cheek made her feel as if her heart was thumping like crazy inside her face. “Why the f*ck do you think you’re entitled to look at me this way?” The young woman’s voice was as sharp as sandpaper. “It’s no use pretending you got nerves now. We all know who you really are… Derpy. Behind your cross-eyed innocent face, there’s a little slut f*cking with older teachers in the science room. You’re the sh*t on which the world wipes its feet and that’s all you deserve. That’s why I’m here. To take care of your case.” Muffin hadn’t immediately noticed the item Sky Skimmer was holding in her hand. She heard the sound of the blade getting out, saw the metal’s reflection and understood even before she had a glimpse of the knife what was about to happen. She could no longer conceal her emotions behind a desperate attempt at having temper. It was as if even her eyes had started to shake. The dread wringing her innards resounded so much it almost turned into something solid. Her chest was tensed; her pulse had sped up like after an electric shock. A devious smile distorted Sky Skimmer’s face, to the extent that her gracious features were now all twisted, and the weak light from the room even accentuated the expressions on her face. “You do know what I’m going to do, if you ever speak to Rainbow Dash again or even dare being within her field of vision? I know you know… I’m going to cut your f*cking ugly face. This way, anywhere you’d go, you’ll get nothing but kicks in the butt. If I were you, I’d take the decision not to get out of my room forever. It would spare you additional pain and trouble…” Muffin’s eyes opened wide. There was something about the young girl, like an insane excitation such that she couldn’t escape the obvious – she was serious and would go for anything if it meant she would never see her again interfering with her plans to become her idol’s best friend. So, she tried to struggle again, despite the embrace, shaking both arms and legs in the hope it would save her from her assailants. In vain. The two students were holding her too strong and she was too weak to be able to get rid of them. She still had a chance if she could push Sky Skimmer… Undoubtedly, she had guessed her intention… She got a new slap, on the same cheek than earlier, which slightly knocked her. A thin trickle of blood suddenly appeared along Muffin’s lower lip, her eyes filled with tears, tears of suffering, dread and anger directed at every of the persons present in the room, herself included. Once again, her classmate grabbed her face and her cheek felt so numb she could hardly find enough strength to keep on struggling. The tip of the blade was dangerously getting nearer. Although her rival had said she would do what she wanted to do only if she never approached Rainbow Dash again, she was taken over by doubts. She seemed on the verge of doing it. And then, something emerged. Something even Muffin hadn’t seen coming, but which clasped around her throat so swiftly she could hardly recognize her own actions. With her feet, she hit one of Sky Skimmer’s legs, who was obliged to yield under the shock of the violence. Moon Shadow and Hip Holly were so surprised they weren’t able to react immediately, and Muffin could take possession of the switchblade knife her attacker had in her hands. Tears were flooding her face, and a rage like never before scalded her from inside, such rage that she wasn’t even really aware of what she was doing, blinded as she was by hate. Always, she was kind to others, and had done her best to fit in and be accepted. Here was the way she was thanked for that… Being belittled, threatened, beaten, hurt with words as much as with hits, if not more. What was happening now was too bad for them, for them all. They had it coming. “I hate you! I hate you all! I’m going to cut you in pieces if you come close to me again! I’m going to kill you all! And I’ll start with your f*cking Rainbow Dash!” She kept on yelling those words while shaking the blade in front of her, without the least care about where she struck or whether or not she would hurt one of her classmates. Meanwhile, the three girls lacked assertiveness and had entrenched in the last toilets of the back of the room, curled up against one another. Their faces no longer display this jubilation of absolute power. Conversely, everything about them was trembling, and even when they called Muffin crazy, their voices was shaken by quavers. They owed their salvation only to the teenage girl’s own fatigue, when she eventually crumbled against the tiled floor, her face streaming with tears. Her shoulders were taken over by jolts, and though she still held on to the knife firmly, she had stopped to scream and gesticulate. That was how they could escape her fury, now it was empty. Moon Shadow had the idea to steal Muffin’s backpack on the way, while Hip Holly and Sky Skimmer, though still shocked inside, spilled on her head one of the buckets, full of dirty water, before inflicting her kicks in her hips so she would be too knocked down by pain and shame not to try to pursue them, since she still had the knife. They had launched the mechanics of a very dangerous game when they started to bully Muffin, first with mockeries between them, then little by little, with violence and humiliations. Now they could see the limits. Maybe it had gone too far… And maybe it was too late as well. Who could say what their prey's next reaction would be if she had to be the victim of their bullying one more time? Rainbow Dash looked at her wrist watch. The athletics field was desert, except for the cheerleaders practicing at a long distance. And to think that the girls were waiting for her at Sugarcube Corner… She was supposed to stay only fifteen minutes. It had been, of course, providing that Muffin wouldn’t have been so late. On the day before, she had offered to help her after school so she could work on her breathing and on how not to hurt herself when falling. Though embarrassed, the other girl had accepted and they had decided of when and where to meet. Tonight the Wondercolts were playing against the Fillydelphia’s Cavalier, one of the best university basketball team, and for nothing in the world did she want to miss this game, essential for Soarin, who put a lot of pressure on himself since he knew they would have to beat them. This mishap would completely reschedule what she had planned. Rainbow Dash wanted to wait more but also had to face the truth that Muffin wouldn’t come now. She was ten minutes late, which was huge when know how much time she could grant her, and although the stadium was large, there was no one coming. Something had probably happened, she thought while grabbing her back and turning back to school. Seeing what had been her mate’s reaction earlier today when she’d invited her to have lunch with the gang, she might have suspected it. It couldn’t be because of a word or an action from her, since they hadn’t seen each other at all in-between. She didn’t know why this story got her so stressed up. In reality, she barely knew Muffin. They could scarcely say they had befriended. Yet, each time she thought about it, she frowned and her stomach was shaken unpleasantly. All along her way back, Rainbow Dash hoped to meet with this straw-like hair and these crossed eyes with a small embarrassed smile. But the only person she met along the way was Vice-Principal Luna, surprised to see her at school as she had no club activities tonight. Right before leaving the place in order to meet her friends, she received a message from Pinkie Pie, telling her they were at their table and asking whether they could order without her. She answered them to go ahead without her, then went by the washrooms near the cafeteria. Her determined walk slowed down when she got closer. In one of the garbage cans was a grey backpack with bubbles on it that she immediately recognized, as clear as if she saw it every day. Just to be sure, Rainbow Dash took one of the straps with between her fingertips, and lifted it in order to examine it closer. No doubt, this was Muffin’s bag and it was empty. Her nose crooked, she looked inside the garbage can and found an empty wallet and an organizer smeared with red on which cover the word ‘slut’ was written. Her heart skipped a beat from the moment she understood. Panic-stricken, she looked all around her but an empty and silent corridor was all she found. It explained why Muffin hadn’t come. Something ugly had happened and it happened here, between Canterlot High School’s walls. Was she still here or had she gone home? She didn’t know. And she couldn’t leave and ring at her door since she didn’t even know which house was hers. Even if she would have had her number, there was a possibility she wouldn’t have answered anyway with the stuff inside her bag disapparead. All that remained was in the trash by her side, and as she wanted to go there anyway in the first place, Rainbow Dash made a few steps to the washroom’s door. In appearance, the place seemed to be as empty as the corridors, however, she quickly spotted an abandoned shoe near a toilet. Getting closer, she discovered Muffin, lying on the floor, seemingly unconscious. Unable to control herself, she leaped backward, a hand over her mouth. Her legs were shaking and her heart was thumping. She couldn’t help it, each time she saw someone in such a state, her past was catching her up. There was a kind of violence which had no impact whatsoever on her, that she could even try to satisfy, undoubtedly this part of aggressiveness and anger inside of her which had never vanished away. And there was a kind of violence she was unable to put up with, sending electric shocks all over her body, if not completely paralyzing her. The temptation to turn back and to run away was huge, but Rainbow Dash got a hold of herself, focusing on her breathing, just like she had learned at both yoga and Pilates. She couldn’t leave Muffin on her way, especially if she had been the victim of an assault. After all, she already had to face this kind of violence when she had helped Octavia, a couple of weeks ago. Although her hands kept on trembling, she shook the girl’s shoulders softly, calling her. She was reassured when she noticed her eyes were actually opened… though in reality, it didn’t mean anything. “Leave me alone”, Muffin said toughly while pushing away her hand in an imprecise yet firm gesture. “To leave you alone? In your state? No way! You have to see the school nurse and…” “I’ve told you to leave me alone”, Muffin repeated, this time more vehemently. “I only want to help you, OK? I don’t mean you any harm, I swear.” When she saw her sitting back up, Rainbow Dash thought she had been able to convince her to go to the school’s nursery. But from the moment their eyes met and she took into account the level of hatred against her on her face, she understood things weren’t going to be that easy, this time. “You don’t understand English? I don’t want any help from you! That’s because of you that my life’s a hell. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” And she shoved her, then with all the strength left inside her body, she got up before leaving the washroom at full throttle. Her statement had Rainbow Dash so bewildered she stayed dumfounded on the tiled floor, wondering what on earth had she done to deserve such a strong dislike from the young girl. And to think that she couldn’t wait to be with the girls… She had even sped up to get to Sugarcube Corner after her strange face to face with Muffin, and she had thought chatting with her friends will make her focus on other topics. Rainbow Dash had seen jollier atmospheres at wakes. Their usual conversations didn’t sound natural in the least, and Fluttershy wasn’t taking any part in it, looking through the window as if she dreamed to be anywhere else but here. Because of this, her green tea latte felt heavy in her stomach and she had to force herself to swallow each additional mouthful. Whatever she did, Muffin’s issue couldn’t get out of her mind. So, since the mood wasn’t really good anyway, she decided to tell her friends what was worrying her. Maybe a bit of chivalrous injustice would help things to get back in place. At least, her story had the advantage to concern each of the girls, even the dreaming one, who had eventually turned around. Rainbow Dash forgot no detail, to make sure they understood the situation such as it was. Maybe her friends would be able to soothe her foreboding, the one telling her things would not stop here. She had just forgotten none of them was the kind to bury their head in the sand. “I’d like to tell you I’m surprised”, Sunset Shimmer sighed. “Unfortunately, I know a thing or two about bullying and I can tell you it’s awfully common.” Before she became a victim herself, she also been a bully. She used to choose those she wanted to attack among the most fragile and vulnerable ones, and from the moment she had what could make them stumble, she used it against them. Back then, it was all she had found in order to get the admiration and respect she was seeking for so hard. It was only later she had realized that hurting the others would never make her gain what she wanted. Instead of it, she had received only dread and dislike, and no one who she could turn to. It was easy to lash out at someone as fragile as Muffin. Because of the rumors about her which, when coupled with her physical disability, made her a perfect victim, she probably wanted to be accepted again in any way. “Yet I’d like to know who did this to her… And what it has to do with me. I’ve always been nice with her.” “Maybe that’s the problem”, Twilight highlighted. “You’re pretty popular, and it can cause jealousy.” “If Ah were ya, maybe Ah’d stay away as much as Ah could. For her own sake.” “You want me to stay with my arms crossed while she’s insulted, beaten and stolen and although there seem to be a connection with me? Like, seriously?” “Don’t take it personally. We just sayin’ ya better not meddle with it too much. So things won’t get worse, ya know.” “AJ is right, Dashie”, Pinkie Pie added, nodding. “This is a very delicate issue.” “Not you, Pinkie! You know better than anyone else here what these kind of rumors can do…” Indeed, she knew it. And it was the point. The way Rainbow Dash had treated those who were mean with her hadn’t helped to improve her situation. How they did their mockeries had even been more insidious after her intervention. Muffin was part of the Event Committee, and she had talked to her on several occasions. She was a likeable person and she didn’t want her to suffer even more from the others’ persecution because her connection with the basketball player bothered some of them. Somehow, Rainbow Dash knew her friends were probably right, but she couldn’t help it. Injustices were likely to waken her the weak and the defenseless protector part of her. And the fact Muffin had said she hated her, she didn’t like it at all. She knew a lot of people were irritated by her boasting side and she couldn’t care less, as long as those she loved and liked knew who she really was inside. Maybe there was the rub: she liked this teenage girl who was of a pleasant company, and it made her words towards her even harder to swallow. “Why do we even care about this girl, anyway? Everybody has problems, can’t she just put up with it on her own?” Fluttershy hurled with a shrug. Like most of her interventions since almost one month, it shocked the bunch of friends. Usually, she was kindness incarnated, always having a word to comfort the others, always hoping things would go for the best, always paying attention to the sufferings of others… Enough was enough. All this time, none of them had said anything and had let her be unpleasant or mute all day long without any questions. Now they had to know what had changed for her to behave the way she behaved. This wasn’t a good way to treat those who worried about yourself. Her chance was that Pinkie Pie was the first one to root out the evil. Since she understood very well her friend’s sensitive true nature, she always tried her best not to hurt her too much. “Flutty, what’s the matter lately? We can’t recognize you. If something’s weighing on your shoulders, you know you can always unburden it to us.” “And what is it you’re going to do to help me, Pinkamena Diane Pie? You’re not even able to find a place to live on your own, so you know what I’m doing with your advice?” “Hey, Fluttershy, don’t lash out on Pinkie! She’s trying to comfort you; you could at least show a bit of gratitude.” “The way you show gratitude by abandoning your dearest friends because of a little half-point less?” For Twilight, this reply felt like a heavy knock on the back of her head. None of the other girls around had tried to remind of her this very short period about which she held terrible grudges against herself. They all wanted to avoid her to be taken over by guilt… And today, Fluttershy, the least likely to put bad memories back on track, was throwing her past lack of scruples straight at her face. It really was a topsy-turvy world. Feeling the others wouldn’t be long before taking Twilight’s defense, and it would probably make her say other things Fluttershy wasn’t meaning for real, Pinkie Pie tried to defuse the situation again, suggesting everyone to stop the debate here. Big mistake. “You have no right to tell me what to do. By the way, I would shut it if I were you, just to avoid to say another one of the stupid things you have a knock for uttering.” “But I…” “Don’t ‘but I’ me! I’m fed up of hearing you hollering all the time with your insufferable voice. Go back to your cakes and stop annoying me!” “Fluttershy, stop this NOW!” Rainbow Dash suddenly yelled, slamming her fist against the table. If there was something she couldn’t tolerate at all, it was when someone hurt Pinkie. It was the same thing with any other of her friends, of course, but from the very beginning of their relationship, she and Pinkie had always been protective toward each other. It wasn’t even something they could explain. Things were this way. And everybody knew it. She loved Fluttershy and absolutely didn’t want to show her hostility, know how sensitive her soul was, but this time she had gone too far. She could feel bad, she could be angry and say things she would regret, it happened to anyone, but it was different from being mean on purpose, with the desire to deeply hurt the one receiving all the hate. When she behaved this way, she couldn’t see the difference between her dear friend and those who were beating Muffin. Her fit of anger had been able to cut short the jolt of animosity which had been launched. Fluttershy, as if understanding now the weight of everything she had said before, lowered her head to stare at her half-empty latte cup, and didn’t add a word. As far as Pinkie Pie was concerned, her hair slightly deflated, she got up from her chair under the sad glances of the rest of the gang. “I… I think Mrs. Cake said she needed me tonight to keep an eye on Pumpkin and Pound. I’m going to do my homework now or I would never be able to do it after”, she simply said, before gathering her stuff and leaving their table. Without a hint of enthusiasm, she said goodbye to the girls and quickly disappeared behind the backdoor which led to her room upstairs. Following her departure, for a few seconds, a deadly silent hovered over the reduced bunch, before Rainbow Dash started to speak again, this time calmer yet firm. “What are you always lashing out on Pinkie? She was on the verge of crying.” It was the words which broke Fluttershy’s barrier and immediately, she burst out in tears. Noisy tears which made her body jolt completely. All the pain she was keeping inside and disguised into aggressiveness finally escaped the cage into which it had been a prisoner for way too long. It was too heavy a burden. She had to confess, so that her friend could understand her situation. So she could stop being this horrible person she deeply hated. “It’s… Big Mac…” she finally confided between two hiccups. “He doesn’t want to be with me anymore! We’re having a break… and ever since… ever since I have no new from him… I even avoid my own brother… because… because I’m scared he… told him about us…” To be honest, they all had suspected something of this kind. Not to see they hadn’t dated even once since their argument, one had to be blind. On the other hand, most of them didn’t know what role Pinkie Pie had in the whole story. In theory, her only connection with the events Fluttershy had described was that this break took place around the moment she had been thrown out of her former apartment. No one dared asking this question, but they didn’t need to. The person in question went on without anyone to add anything. “He’d told me I wasn’t his type… But since we… we were together, I thought… I could make him change his mind. I was wrong… Last time, when I saw them chatting, it struck me suddenly. So I’ve asked him… And he confirmed. He will never love me, because… he loves another girl. He loves Pinkie Pie.” “Big Mac?!” Rainbow Dash claimed, incredulous. Back when they had their one-night stand, Applejack’s brother had confessed her he always thought she was cute and liked girls of her kind, dynamic and self-confident, because they were everything he was not. For all that, she would never have suspected even for a minute he could eventually have feelings for her curly-haired friend. For her, as well as for the others, it seemed clear that, whatever might be his type of girls, he had chosen to date Fluttershy thanks to what made her so charming: her benevolence and delicacy. He was good when he was with her. Especially as Fluttershy was very considerate with him, and had made sure she wouldn’t be a suffocating type of girlfriend. “Did you know that, AJ?” This question from Twilight was reasonable. She had a very close relationship with her older brother and also was his confidante. Plus, Applejack had actively contributed into gathering the two, whom she had always thought to be the perfect match for each other. “Ah did”, she sighed. “He told me a few days ago… That’s why Ah didn’t want to take part in this. He made me promise not to tell ya.” Everything was clear now. And at the same time, everything got trickier with the explanations. Those love matters had complicated the relationships between various members of the group, yet renown as one of the solidest of all CHS. As often when love matters interfered into friendship matters. What could they do to improve this situation? Feelings weren’t things controllable, and talking with everyone concerned wouldn’t change a thing. It was understandable that Fluttershy felt awkward when in presence of Pinkie Pie, although the young woman had no blame in the story and didn’t deserve such a treatment. This all made the days to come particularly difficult. For everyone. And even the most optimistic among them started to wonder if their gang would resist the trials. They never had to go through such a crisis. It would be a decisive ordeal for the future. Either they went through it with their heads up, either everything they had built would come tumbling down like a house of cards. Author's Note Sorry for mistakes in the last part, it was really late and I was pretty tired! Next chapter will be published on Sunday exceptionally and you'll have the SoarinDash I promised Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 3)The advantage of having parents who owned a dealership of vintage luxury vehicles, it was the possibility to borrow some of the jewels for a pittance. Soarin liked this advantage a lot, and additionally of his black Ford coupé, he had asked his father to lend him a motorcycle. When she had climbed with him after the Wondercolts’ game and he had asked her whether she’d like to go for a ride, Rainbow Dash had begged him to take her away… the farthest he could. It was mid-week and they both had school tomorrow but he felt his girlfriend needed to relax. So, he had dashed in the direction of the freeway, not really paying attention to the destination. Her arms wrapped tight around his waist, her head leaning against his back, little by little along the way, she had started to release her tension. Instead of a dinner in an Italian restaurant he had planned – she particularly worshipped macaroni and cheese – they had stopped in a small bar along the road, filled up with truck drivers and bushwhackers. Their meal had been two avocado, spinach and tofu club sandwiches with a stein of beer, but it didn’t really matter to Soarin in reality, as long as she looked satisfied of her night. Instead of asking her questions about what was tormenting her, he’d tried to amuse her with anecdote of his game and they had a darts game that finally had her completely smiling in the end. When he’d offered to bring her home, Rainbow Dash had let him know she’d rather sleep at his place. The young man hadn’t needed to be asked twice and had dashed through the night. Midnight was around the corner when they reached the parking lot. It had been a few miles now that Soarin had noticed his girlfriend grip around his waist had loosened up… His intuition was confirmed when he turned off the engine of the motorbike. Through the opened visor of her helmet, Rainbow Dash’s eyes were closed. As softly as he could, he shook her shoulders. The young woman’s eyelashes fluttered a few seconds and she looked around absent-mindedly, as if she’d forgotten where she was before. “Are we home yet?” she asked with an even huskier voice then usually, while taking off her helmet. “Yes.” “Sorry I fell asleep… I really had a bad day! Well… I mean, until I was with you.” “Yes, I’ve understood it this way”, Soarin answered with a sweet smile. He reached out his hand and flattened strands on top of her head, that had erected because of static electricity. His always understanding attitude towards her, Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure she deserved it. What she was certain of, on the other hand, was that she was very lucky to have him in her life. He didn’t need to do extraordinary things in order to soothe the pains of her soul. A smile, a meaningless affectionate gesture, and she had this sensation that nothing was wrong with the world. All she desired now was to be in his apartment, sheltered in his arms. She would tell him what tormented her, and he would listen, comforting her by trying to put things into perspective, like he always did. And to think that, sometimes, he could be incredibly clumsy… Because in moments she needed it the most, he could also have so much wisdom she still could hardly believe it came from him. Her childhood best friend, with who she used to watch all the movies which her father forbade her to see, on the old VCR they had back in their former basement. With who she used to play basketball at the backyard, but also hide and seek, bicycle races all around the neighborhood, among many others, who she used to take defense of at school, when the others boys made fun of his sensitivity… “Do you remember when we secretly watched “The Gremlins” over and over again? We used to love the character of Marla and I don’t even know why!” “Yes, I remember very well. Each time, we were like “Ah, here comes Marla!”, so happy to see her.” “She doesn’t even do anything special in the movie, except smoking and speaking a lot.” They both laughed softly. It was not so far from them, and yet it sounded so foreign… The amusing thing about all this was that although things had changed in their relationship, it also was still the same in many ways. What was different were the gestures in particular and what those gestures meant for each other… Although when she thought about it deeper, Rainbow Dash knew, inside her heart, that even back then she was in love with him. But she had never believed it was more than a deep sense of friendship until she saw him again years later, and her heart finally understood. Unable to control it, she hid a yawn and Soarin knew it was about time to get home. The young man searched through his gym bag and took out a set of keys he threw into Rainbow Dash’s hands. “Just climb and warm up the blankets. I’ll meet you as soon as I’ve parked the motorcycle at the rightful spot.” “Are you sure? I’m not agonizing yet!” “I am. Go ahead. I’ll be quick, I promise.” “Alright.” After a smile, she got away, not without taking one last glimpse beyond her shoulders, while he was putting his helmet back on in order to park the precious vintage motorcycle in a safe place. The neighborhood wasn’t dangerous, but one was never too cautious. Such a machine was quite expensive and he didn’t own it. If someone stole it, it would be Soarin’s father who would be in a delicate position towards the insurance. It wasn’t a long way to go to reach the door of the building yet the place wasn’t illuminated enough. In fact, one of the rare lampposts around seemed to have given up the ghost. Rainbow Dash hurried. In her mind, started to grow a little idea… She was going to light the scented candles Spitfire and Fleetfoot offered Soarin for his birthday, arguing that his apartment smelled too much like motor oil (it didn’t bother Rainbow Dash). She was going to get the attars and they could massage each other for ten minutes before going to sleep. If some persons she knew, if not her very close friends, knew her fond of this kind of exchanges, undoubtedly her dear reputation would end up in a bad state, but she trusted Soarin that what they were doing when they were alone would remain a secret. The others didn’t have to know that the girl called ‘Killer Dash’ liked massages lit by candles and skin to skin soft embraces. As she was about to open the door, a sound behind her caught her attention. However, when she turned around to take a look, she saw nobody. In reality, she couldn’t see clearly even when blinking. It probably only was a trick from her imagination, but just in case, she quickly put the key inside its lock. She barely had done this that she felt a presence behind her and the cold of metal against her throat. Someone was here, arms wrapped around her shoulders, and the blade of a knife almost on her neck. Suddenly, a white dread blocked her whole body from inside and she was shaken by cold. Her heart was about to explode. It felt as if she wasn’t in front of this door anymore, but years before, pinned against the floor of her room at Green Haven, her roommate leaning above her. She even could feel the throbbing pain in her thigh and shoulder, and blood dripping along her limbs. “Is that you, Night Angel?” It was impossible. Why would Night Angel be here after all this time? They both never liked each other but there was no reason for the former psychiatric institute resident to come and finish what she had started. “Who’s that?” the voice (female) behind her said, puzzled. A voice which was much too soft for the violence of such an action. As soon as Rainbow Dash recognized this voice, her eyes opened wide. No… This also was impossible. Or was it? Another voice, Soarin’s, screaming behind her, along with the sound of his fast steps against the asphalt, finally sent her back to present completely. Rainbow Dash made the most of her attacker’s surprise to grab her arm and catch the switchblade off her hands. It was a rather dangerous handling, and she was lucky Soarin was here to help, or she would probably had hurt herself anyway. Once her assailant was overpowered, she took off the balaclava which covered her face and discovered, just like expected, Muffin, her face distorted by fear and regrets, as if she had just realized what she could have done. “Muffin! What’s wrong with you? You’ve tried to…” Rainbow Dash pressed her hand against her throat. “I don’t understand what have I done to you!” “Nothing at all”, she burst into tears. “You did nothing at all, it’s… I don’t know why I’ve done this. I’m so lost, I can’t take it anymore. I only want it to stop!” Soarin gave Muffin a cup of hot coffee, and she thanked him with a quick smile, still hesitant to look into his eyes. It was hard to face them now she fully realized what the consequences of her actions could have been. It hadn’t been planned. After the washroom attack, and after Rainbow Dash had tried to understand what had happened to her, she had roamed the streets aimlessly for hours, never coming back home and never letting go the switchblade which was now all she had left. Her desperation and rage were such it had eaten her to the core. Before, when Hip Holly, Moon Shadow and especially Sky Skimmer were making fun of her, Muffin had always thought it to be her fault. She wasn’t this enough, or she was that too much. She didn’t deserve to have friends interested about her after what previously had happened to her. But ever since last week, and especially the day before, when she already had been beaten because of the attention Rainbow Dash addressed her, everything had changed. Quickly, she had come to the conclusion that if her life felt like hell, it was because of Rainbow Dash and how “awesome” she was. Blinded by negative feelings, she had gone to the apartment blocks for students where Soarin was living – she was unfortunate enough to know the place – since she had heard her prey spent more time at her boyfriend’s than at home. This was how she had come to this aggression that she now regretted with a bitterness as wide as an ocean. When Rainbow Dash had recognized her and said this mysterious name, something had started inside of her. And when she had heard Soarin’s yell, she had fully realized what it was. If she acted this way, she would be no better than her three torturers. Telling the couple what led her here, Muffin didn’t spare them any detail. What she wanted was at least that they tried to understand. In her mind, it was clear they would never be able to forgive her. Because of this, she also revealed them the story of her fall. How, from a simple teenage girl, she had turned into the outcast nobody wanted to rub shoulders with, and who finally been trapped between the claws of her three “friends”. A part of the rumor about her was true… She really had to go through an abortion. During a party with College students where friends had dragged her, an older boy had more or less forced her to have sex with him, and out of this faux pas had resulted a mistake which could have ruined her teenage years. But what the gossips didn’t tell was that the science teacher everybody took for her lover had helped her in every step of the way. The legal deadline for an abortion had passed and she needed to travel abroad in order to go through this act of surgery. He had accompanied her but had been stopped on their way back, at the airport. Because her parents could afford such a thing, so they had paid for her not to be in trouble with justice. On the other hand, her teacher had been immediately fired, by order from both PTA and the School Board. Once back at CHS, Muffin had learned about the rumors about her, but it had been impossible for her to refute them. None of those she regarded as her friends had believed her, and without their support, how could she convince the whole school? And because this bad business had forced her to repeat a grade, she had found herself alone among many unknown faces, lost and sad that she no longer had someone to turn to. Of course, when Sky Skimmer had invited her to have lunch at the same table than her, Hip Holly and Moon Shadow, she had thought there were at least some persons in CHS for who her past didn’t matter. She had been wrong. From the very moment she had sat with them, abuses had started, and climaxed at lunch hour, today. And this led her to assault the person she thought was the blame for her downfall, though she had been one of the rare ones trying to help her. “I’m so sorry”, she said, as she couldn’t help but sobbing, the steaming coffee cup clenched between her fingers. “Usually, I hate violence so much, it even scares me… But… But… I was feeling so bad that… I cracked. Maybe I’m crazy!” Rainbow Dash put a comforting hand on her knee, in order to make her understand that although she had been really scared, in the end she had been more frightened than hurt. And Muffin wasn’t crazy at all. The young woman’s story really made her think about Sunset Shimmer’s. She too had ended up with the statue of an outcast, and she too had trusted three persons who had abused her in exchange, thinking she would be redeemed by their side. Nowadays, Sunset Shimmer had buried deep her past of tough cookie and victim and had become a young woman who was self-confident, benevolent, strong, who her friends could always rely on. If it had been possible for her, undoubtedly this would be possible for Muffin. And Rainbow Dash would personally take care of the issue. “You know, I have PTSD and I’ve been to a psychiatric institute… What people affectionately call a nuthouse. Even though it’s not always easy, I’m getting by quite fine. Pinkie Pie used to be part of a gang, she had been involved in thefts and very violent fights with knives. Look at who she is now: everybody loves her. She’s full of energy and gives friendship and smiles away, never expecting anything in return. Sunset Shimmer had bullied students, before being persecuted as well. She even had to do community service to pay for her mistakes. Picking papers in the streets early in the morning, emptying public garbage cans, this kind of stuff… It’s nothing glorious and trust me, she gets no proud from this past. But she had been able to put this behind her and to start anew. Nothing’s a lost cause. Get your chin up, walk straight and don’t look back, show the others they had nothing on you. I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but you need to do it. So you can turn the page. So you can connect with yourself again. With who you are inside.” “But, I… No one’s on my side… And I could never tell my parents. I can’t injure them anymore.” “No one? Hey, you have me! I won’t let you down, trust me. And trust my friends as well. I know they’ll help you, because that’s just the way they are. They’re good people.” “Is it true?” Muffin asked, her wet eyes filled with hope. “Would you really do this for me?” “Did I already make a promise I couldn’t keep? Soarin, did I already do such a thing?” “You didn’t.” “I know it isn’t easy after what you’ve been through, but please, put a little faith in me.” In the rest of the school was content with turning a deaf ear about the others’ suffering, it wasn’t her kind. And she knew it, it neither was the kind of her friends. Although they had their little disagreements lately, for Rainbow Dash there was no doubt they all would be behind her. She would never let Muffin overwhelmed by fear, violence and hatred. There were too many unpleasant things going on all over the world. So she would try for best so that those within her reach would be helped. When Twilight met her group of friends, who were accompanied by Muffin, in the front of the main building’s doors, she couldn’t escape their smirks and their looks full of double-entendres. Obviously, Flash Sentry and her had been less discreet than she thought… Nothing of this had been planned, to be honest. The day before, when they were at the Sugarcube Corner like they always were, right after Fluttershy – absent today – had explained them the reason behind her sudden hostility, she had climbed upstairs to know whether Pinkie Pie was feeling alright, while the rest of the group had walked their other friends to her bus station. When she’d got down, she’d met Flash Sentry who offered to drive her home. Though a part of her was still wary and another part kept on thinking they hadn’t much in common, Twilight kept on feeling odd sensations when she was close to him. They already had gone to the Winter Ball together, and he’d done his best to make her forget about their disastrous first date. When he’d asked her whether he could drive her to school from time to time, urged by her desire to get to know him better, she’d accepted, warning him that if she doubted about the least of set-up, she would never speak to him again. He’d accepted her condition. Although they exchanged a chaste kiss before parting, they weren’t a couple. Twilight had decided to protect her heart until she was really sure of his intentions. And, no one knew, but she also had something a bit difficult to explain with another person. “Stop looking at me this way!” she tried to order authoritatively. “Twilie has a sweetie.” “He’s not my “sweetie” … We’re just going to see each other from time to time.” “That’s what Ah call datin’ someone!” “AJ, you haven’t had a boyfriend for a while. I’d never tell about Soarin that I “see him from time to time”.” “Thanks Rainbow Dash.” “But you kiss him behind the school’s status, anyway”, the young woman chuckled. “Come on, leave her alone”, Sunset Shimmer said with a smirk. “Twilight knows what she’s doing.” “Thanks, Sunset.” The teenage girl answered with a sympathetic wink. She was lucky she could always rely on Sunset Shimmer in moments like this. Since she had integrated the gang, Twilight had found an undreamed support inside her, and they both shared a passion for everything scientific she could hardly communicate to her other friends, though she loved them all. Her presence by her side always was a relief, to the extent that sometimes she wondered how she would feel if she had to get away from the group. It wouldn’t happen, thankfully. Muffin, who had witnessed the whole conversation, was really in admirations of their unity, obvious even when they were quarrelling. Back then, she too used to have a bunch of friends but they were nothing like what was under her nose. Undoubtedly, they were aware what they shared together was a precious thing. What a pity one of them was missing, the nice girl with long pink-haired who arrived last year. She had no idea of why she wasn’t with the rest of them, yet she was sure she had seen her earlier, rushing towards her classroom. “I think you girls are awesome”, Muffin shyly said. “That’s because we are awesome!” “Rainbow Dash overdoes it, like usually”, Twilight added. “We’re ourselves, that’s all.” “Eeyup, that’s the secret: we like each other just the way we are.” “Same than AJ”, Pinkie Pie claimed while chocking her friend in her arms. “Come on, we don’t have all day. Are you ready, girls?” All at the same time, they answered yes to Rainbow Dash before forming a circle, arms stretched, doing their rally cry. Students passing them by looked at them wondering what they were doing this time. They knew they could expect almost everything from them, though it never stopped them from being curious, since it was their natural penchant. And when the group dived into the building, walking on the same line with the same pace, determined, Muffin by their side, they didn’t go unnoticed – which already was rather difficult most of the time. Those present in the corridors this morning knew they were up to something, and a small crowd took shape behind them. The fact Fluttershy was absent didn’t seem to cut a swathe the way the presence of this other person did, a person they would never thought they’d see walking with CHS’ superstars. It also was partly what made people so curious about what they were up to. They walked to the eleventh graders’ lockers. Sky Skimmer, Moon Shadow and Hip Holly looked at the bunch coming their way with mouths wide opened, knowing intrinsically they were here for them, yet unsure of what to expect. The fact Muffin was by their side, and most particularly by Rainbow Dash’s side, scared them while at the same time, it made them go green with jealousy and rage. But of course, once in front of their idol, they chose to display the surprised part of them. “Rain—Rainbow Dash… What’s wrong?” “You should be ashamed!” “What are you talking about?” Moon Shadow was able to articulate. “I know you know what I’m talking about.” Her two accomplices saw Sky Skimmer swallowing. She had established herself as their natural leader, and under her influence, the two others had ended up being as filled with resentment and bitterness as she was. It was how they admired Rainbow Dash that had put them together, but it seemed like it also was what had lost them somehow. “I… I…”, the first girl muttered. “No need to try to find excuses! There’s no excuse to your behavior. You say I’m your role model but frankly, I’m not sure I want people like you to admire me. Using someone’s vulnerability in order to feel stronger, using violence to get what you want, maybe it works in politics, but when it comes to actual interpersonal relationships, it’s the last straw of pathetic!” “We weren’t aware how much what we were doing was harmful, I swear”, Hip Holly answered, in tears. “Oh, don’t give me that, please! You used to beat her to steal her money, then you beat her because I started to befriend her but not you, you humiliated her as often as possible, just because you thought she was at your mercy. Do you really think this is an honorable behavior? It rather is the strength of the weak ones!” “She’s right”, Sunset Shimmer claimed while making three steps towards the girls. “I used to be just like you. I thought brutal force was the answer to everything. But it answers nothing, it only brings more misery, more pain.” “When yar bein’ cruel with others, ya don’t make yarself more resistant, ya don’t bond with each other, ya only become slaves of yar own cruelty and in the end yar losin’ who ya really are inside.” “Yes”, Pinkie Pie added. “Once you realize you don’t know who you are anymore, because you chose the wrong path, you’re feeling even worse and you think you’ll never find the right path again.” Each of them had to go through something that could have kept them at the bottom. Each had been through their loads of disillusions, deceptions, angers and malevolence. Each time, they had been able to fight against their darkest demons, though it never was easy, for none of them and for no one else too. There always was another way, this was what experiences of life had taught them. “I… I never wanted that. All we wanted was to be like you. I thought that… I don’t know what I thought anymore”, Sky Skimmer finished, in tears just like her two other friends. It was Twilight’s turn to step on the scene. The ordeals that had sprinkled her existence maybe hadn’t been than what the rest of her friends had to go through, even if she could have been raped by a bunch of guys and the only psychogenic non-epileptic seizure Rainbow Dash had in front of her and Applejack was still engraved in her memory, but she had learned many things just by being by their side. “Friendship isn’t about imposing your will to others, or to be united in belittling the others. Friendship is always being here for the ones you love, not only when everything is fine, but especially when everything seems to go wrong. it’s not being strong for yourself, it’s being strong together. With each other, not against each other. Only with a sincere and resistant friendship will you be able to fight this feeling of guilt and anger you can feel, sometimes, when life is cruel with you.” “But how do we do it?” Moon Shadow questioned. “You could start by asking Muffin to forgive you for all that you put her through”, Rainbow Dash suggested. “Only by starting from here you girls could be able to turn the page.” Muffin, in the background during all this time, stepped forward, while the rest of the group stepped back. A lot of students had gathered around them, and by scanning the crowd, it was easy to see some of them moved by the friends’ speech. They all were staring at Muffin now, wondering what she was going to say with a hint of fever. But she didn’t say anything. She only stood in front of the three young girls, and she waited. It was what Rainbow Dash had suggested her to do if they came to this part of the process, and she didn’t dare to deviate from the established scenario, scared she would say or do something that would ruin everything. She had become like this. By dint of hearing the others calling her “Derpy” and repeating her she was nothing but a numskull, she had eventually started to believe nothing good could ever come from her. But she was wrong. Rainbow Dash’s boyfriend had told her last night, a little before she left them, that since she’d been able to gather so much destructive energy out of despair, if she focused on her goal and didn’t listen to the others, she would prove herself the others were telling her lies. So she kept her chin up, and displayed dignity, waiting for the words her former bullies were about to say. And they were of a disarming simplicity. “Sorry, Muffin.” “We behaved like a bunch of heartless fools with you, sorry.” “We’ll never do this again, I promise.” Now, she held all the cards. Nothing obliged her to accept the young girls’ apologies, which didn’t mean they didn’t owe them to her. A part of her wanted to say that everything was forgotten, but the rest know she wouldn’t forget so easily. She didn’t have to suffer from a few harmful words, it was all the hatred and helplessness of the girls she had been hit with. “I forgive you… But it will take time before I’ll trust you again. I still have bruises on my stomach from last day’s blows and it hurts a lot. I don’t think we could become friends again so easily.” “Alright. I guess we deserve this”, Sky Skimmer nodded while drying her tears with the back of her sleeve. Hip Holly and Moon Shadow nodded too. The road to redemption was long and steep, it needed to be cautious not to slip and fall down, but if they supported each other, they would get on top. And once they would have become who they wanted to be deep inside, then Muffin’s friendship would naturally flow back to them. That was what Sunset Shimmer had experienced. It also was what Pinkie Pie had to go through. They both knew what the road the three friends were about to take looked like, and they knew what fabulous treasures were on the other side of the hill. Among the crowd, Sunset Shimmer had a glimpse of Aria, Adagio and Sonata, who seemed to have witnesses the whole thing. As soon as their leader noticed they had been spotted, and their former fellow addressed them a small nod, Adagio looked away, jaw clenched, and the three friends disappeared among the crowd. Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Really, some persons had issues with the fact of giving in and admit one’s fault. But it also outlined a smirk on her face. Somewhere, she knew that behind their masks of impassibility, they also had remorse. Or they would never had looked away the way they did… They weren’t the only ones who had witnessed everything, hidden inside the crowd. Someone who should had been there had seen it all, and was feeling her throat clenched and tears on the brink of falling. Her best friends. They were extraordinary, the most extraordinary persons she’d ever met. And she had been nothing but hostile with them just because she wasn’t feeling strong enough to face adversity. It always led her to the same realization since yesterday, undeniably – she didn’t deserve them. Shortly after the first class to begin, the crowd scattered and everyone went back to its own business. This morning’s event still was on every mind and every lips, but it left public sphere to become part of the private comment. As long as it guaranteed no one would lash out on Muffin anymore, the group considered their mission completed. The fact others were talking about it didn’t really matter to them, but if it had allowed some persons to understand a few things about themselves, then it was a good thing. All the same, Rainbow Dash was self-satisfied. Oh, not for the good it would probably do to her dear reputation. She couldn’t care less about it. Although she didn’t really believe in these things, she thought if her mother could have seen her, she would have been proud to note that what she had taught her daughter hadn’t fallen into deaf ears. Because she was from a rather modest background, and she had managed to get to a higher level thanks to the strength of her will, Firefly had always taught her that though strength was necessary, and power wasn’t something to fear, it was never at the others’ expense. It came from the depth of the soul, and could only be acquired through experience and integrity. She might have an ego which took a lot of room, maybe she liked to boast a little too much, she was full of neurosis and phobias, and lazy, unable to clean things up behind her, and many other flaws, but she was neither coward nor cruel. When it was needed to fight for the honor of the violated ones, she wasn’t afraid of anything. When it was needed to be here for those she loved, she ran to help them without further questions. And it was her character trait she was the proudest of. It also was what Fluttershy admired the most in her friend’s. She often happened not to say things the best way possible, but there was no surprise with her. Everything was clear. She would never hide anything from her feelings about someone – only about her own person, since she was more vulnerable and sensitive that she wanted to admit. From her spot, she was observing the group. They were doing their best to show that her absence by their side didn’t affect them, like often. Though she knew how the global mood was when one of them wasn’t feeling good. Undoubtedly, they would do anything to help her, although in this case, they could do nothing more but trying to make her focus on something else. It even was the main problem. Not that she didn’t want their help. She was so eager to let go and get comforted by them. But she didn’t want to let go. She would never toughen if she always counted on others to heal her wounds. And there was something else… The teacher for the next course wouldn’t be long now. If she wanted to do what she wanted to do, she had to go now. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and got her, her legs like cotton. Her heart was thumping and she could feel it would be difficult for her not to cry, but she had to do it, for her sake, and for the sake of the whole group. When the four young women saw her beside their tables, they smiled warmly at her. This wouldn’t make things easier for her, conversely. So much kindness was too painful. “Hey Fluttershy”, Rainbow Dash greeted her. “I’ve called you all morning long, why didn’t you answer?” “Yeah, you missed everything, that’s sad…”, Pinkie Pie added. The worse probably was that Pinkie Pie, after the odious way she had behaved with her, kept on displaying benevolence with her, as if nothing had happened. Fluttershy swallowed, and started: “I’m sorry, I… I couldn’t be here. In fact… I’ve realized something this morning. You are… fantastic! I’ve never met anyone like you, girls. What you’ve done to help Muffin, and Octavia before her… I don’t have the words.” “Yar fantastic as well, Fluttershy, ya know”, Applejack tried to comfort her. “No”, the young woman answered, shaking her head. “I know I’m not. I’m a coward and everything scares me. I’m nice with everyone because I’m afraid they would hate me otherwise. That’s why…” She hated herself for that, but she couldn’t help tears to fall off her eyes. Because of this, her friends would probably feel even worse. It only reinforced her impression that all she could bring them were more troubles. “That’s why I’ve decided to take a step back. I need to be alone, to think, without being a burden to you.” “Stop it! You’re not a burden. You’re our friend.” “I am. That’s the problem. I’m relying on you too much, and in the end, I don’t help myself when I do. I have to take stock. To know who I really am. What I can do without your assistance. I need it.” They still could try to convince her she was wrong, and that everything would get better if she held on. However, Fluttershy seemed to be determined, under her tears and her shaking body. Since she felt it was something essential for her in order to move on again, they didn’t have to interfere. She would come back somehow. Just like Twilight came back, like Applejack came back, like Pinkie Pie who never went away… Didn’t they? “Alright, Fluttershy. If you think you need it”, Sunset Shimmer told her. “Yes, I do need it. So… I have to give you this back.” Under her friends’ bewildered eyes, she plunged her hand into her uniform’s skirt and grabbed her Friendship Bracelet that she put on Pinkie Pie’s table. “I’m no longer worth of wearing it.” “Are you out of your mind? You needing to think about things don’t change anything to our friendship. You’re still a part of us.” “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I can’t. it’s better this way. Once I’ll find all the answers I’m looking for, I’ll put it on again. For now, I really feel like I don’t match up to the symbol.” “But…” “Dash, ya have to accept Fluttershy’s decision. She knows what she’s doin’.” Although she was partly feeling responsible for what had happened, and this sudden departure hurt her, and scared her, Applejack also knew that trying to stop Fluttershy from doing this would be sheer selfishness. If they loved her, they had to accept to let her go, if this was what she wanted. And Rainbow Dash soon drew the same conclusion. With a lump in her throat, she told Fluttershy she accepted her choice, and that she was welcome anytime she wanted. The young woman barely had time to nod that their teacher, Mr. Cranky, stepped into the classroom, railing against a problem of traffic jam which had made him arrive late. The man was kind but known as grumpy, and Fluttershy didn’t want to be in the hot seat. She dashed towards her chair, and swallowed up her tears. It was the first step of her transition. To resist for the whole class, for the whole first day without them, without shedding a single tear. In reality, she was going to miss them. Terribly. There wouldn’t be a day, or a minute, without her thinking about the pain she inflicted to them with her decision. But she would stay strong, because it was essential for her recovery. Until she finally felt worth of the most extraordinary persons she had ever met. Author's Note I know it's early... And I know, it's not corrected. I'm still too sick to reread and everything, so I just published it this way and I'll correct potential mistakes later. Sorry And in case, you wonder... Oddly, the next arc is going to be rather funny Welfare Boy (Part 1)Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around Soarin’s shoulders, and put her chin against his chest, throwing a glance at the shadows his lashes projected against his cheeks. Was he sleeping or just pretending so? He was a high-level athlete, used to intense practices and sporting endurance… In no way their little warm-up could have exhausted him. To be sure, she scratched the skin at the base of his neck, and immediately, her boyfriend opened up his eyes and gently slapped her hand. The young woman laughed and rolled on her side, her back falling against the messy sheets. It felt good to relax a bit since the last two weeks had been particularly restless. After she had helped Octavia to escape the claws of a sexual predator, after she had been attacked with a knife by a former classmate, though the latter also was a victim, she had seen her group of friends, one of the rarest solid anchorage of her life, being divided with Fluttershy’s decision to step back. The girls and her did their best not to show the young woman how dismayed they were. They were aware that behaving all too affected would only increase her feelings of guilt, and at the same time, they also thought that displaying cheerfulness without her by their side could make her believe she was in no way irreplaceable. It was very complicated for them, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. It would have happened two years earlier, Rainbow Dash would have been crushed. Thankfully, she now had another pillar in her life in the person of Soarin and it didn’t seem to be about the crumble. Conversely, the more they spent time together, the more their bond was reinforced. She had always thought that falling in love with a friend was exactly what she needed. Not only because she was unable to feel attraction in any other way, but also because it made everything easier. There hadn’t been any “honeymoon phase” between them. They already knew what were each other’s ugly flaws and sides. They knew their reactions and bad habits by heart. And both saw romance the same way: a certain sense of independence and autonomy was necessary. They hated to be considered as one and only entity. They wanted to protect and save their respective identity. “Us” would never supplant “I”. When they happened to talk about the future, it never was about planning everything with a well-defined time frame. What would happen, it would happen in due time. They had their own lives to build first and this detail was a very important one. They rather be together without further questions and they were acting by instinct. This way, they enjoyed their time together best. Just like the moment they were sharing right now. Sex in itself didn’t take much room in the relationship, to which they favored sensuality and liked to experience physical intimacy in another way. At first, Rainbow Dash was scared Soarin would grow wary, but he seemed to be satisfied of the way things were working between them, since the lack of sexual intercourses didn’t mean a complete lack of pleasure. They kissed a bit numbly because of the late time, and Rainbow Dash slipped closer in order to nestle her head against the pit of his neck. Each time they were together this way, she felt as if freed from chains tight around her feet. With him, no need to have sleeping pills to fall asleep, and even in the case when one of her nightmares would catch her back, she knew she would get comfort in his arms. “I love this smell”, she said while sniffing his skin, her face buried against his neck. “What’s the fragrance?” He smelled like sandalwood and vanilla. “My shower gel.” “Well, don’t change anything.” “Usually in movies, the male character is the one saying the female character smells good.” “Truth is stranger than fiction. By the way, sometimes, it’s quite pity… At least, in movies, most of the time there’s a happy end.” “Still worried about Fluttershy?” Her head still buried against his neck, she outlined a bittersweet smile. Soarin knew her well. Even when she was doing her best not to show anything, he always guessed when something bothered her. It was a challenge for her and especially for her rather misplaced pride. It was hard to act tough in front of someone who could read under your sarcasms and shrugs. “In reality, I’m tired… I wish I had a break with dramas…” Soarin opened his mouth, ready to tell her she needed to learn how to let go the control she forced on herself. If she couldn’t do it, she would never be able to fully make the most of the benefits offered to her. She probably was a bit scared of what she would show of herself… For obvious reasons. He couldn’t do so. Rainbow Dash’s phone started to ring, and the young woman got off his embrace in order to grab her phone which she’d put on the bedside table. “Hello? Pinkie?” Indeed, the name on the screen was her friend’s. It was almost 11 P.M, and Rainbow Dash thought the teenage girl would never call so late if she didn’t really need her help. “Yes, that’s me. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” “Not at all”, she replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked around her, trying to spot where her underwear was but couldn’t lean over to get it. Soarin had sat as well and had emerged behind her, his both arms wrapped around her waist, his mouth running along her neck. For all that, she didn’t try to rebuff him. His body against hers released the necessary heat for her not to shrill. “What’s wrong?” “Well…” Pinkie Pie paused over the phone, and it seemed to her friend that she heard her sighing discouragingly. “Fluttershy… Do you think she isolated herself because of me? In relation to Big Mac. You know, sometimes I’m a bit silly, so maybe… I haven’t realized and…” “Wow, I know what you’re going to say. And the answer is no. In no moment have you let Big Mac believe anything. Got to stop now with the hints of unconscious rape culture.” It was quite ironic that while she was saying those words, her boyfriend was busy running his hands anywhere he could on her upper body. As if it were a game. Well, alright, it definitely was a game. And it was nothing but fair reward since she had distracted him the same way, a bit earlier tonight, while the young man was sitting at his desk and imagining strategies for the next Wondercolt game. “But… If there hadn’t been this story with Big Mac, maybe Fluttershy wouldn’t be standing her own ground right now… And we’d still be seven.” “Pinkie, it isn’t your fault, got it? You’re not the blame for their story’s strange turn. Stop fretting.” Yes, this sentimental conflict had been the trigger of Fluttershy’s distance, yet Pinkie Pie had played no conscious role in this. According to Rainbow Dash, the problem came from Big Macintosh who could have been more consistent in his feelings, instead of heading into a love affair built with a base made of clay. “Are you sure?” Pinkie Pie asked again, with a voice still tainted with doubts. “Stop playing with my tits!” “What?” “Sorry, I was speaking to Soarin…” “Oh, I see. I’m hanging up. You’re busy. Thanks for listening.” “No, wait, Pinkie Pie… She hung up.” It didn’t take much insight to spot the young woman’s lack of trust in the words she had said in order to comfort her. Yet she really meant them. Deep down, Rainbow Dash wanted to help Pinkie Pie, so she stopped feeling guilty about something that, anyway, would probably have happened. If only she hadn’t been so distracted… Now her best friend would think she couldn’t care less about her pain, although it was the opposite. Annoyed – but not angry – she grabbed the big pillow against which Soarin’s head had rested a bit earlier, and struck his head several time with it. The young man sheltered himself with his arms, and was laughing at the same time, perfectly aware there was nothing serious in the irritated way she behaved. “Hey! Don’t you know this was important?!” “I only wanted you to chill a little.” “I’m not kidding”, she said, throwing the pillow behind her. “Neither am I.” Soarin put his both hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. “Relieve the pressure on.” “You don’t understand. Pinkie Pie needs me… and she’s always here for me when I need her. It’s a matter of principles.” “But I do understand.” “Well, it doesn’t look like you do.” Of course, she could as well call Pinkie Pie back, apologize and resume their conversation, but now the young woman knew she was with her boyfriend, Rainbow Dash also knew she would never speak naturally and she would do her best to shorten the discussion. She sighed, while staring at the white ceiling. Soon, this image was replaced by Soarin’s face above her. His hair wasn’t like usually, but messy from their previous embraces. Even this way, he was handsome… What she liked best about his face probably was his eyes, of a deep green like she’d never seen before. When these eyes looked at her this way, as if she was the most attractive person breathing on earth, she couldn’t help but think how lucky she was. And how much she loved him. Around them, the canteen seemed to be restless. Once again, Pinkie Pie had been summoned by Principal Celestia in the Events Committee Room. Everybody more or less guessed what it meant: since this wasn’t about the organization of the upcoming Prom Ball, it meant it was about the other event they all were waiting for. However, among all this noisy flurry of excitement, Rainbow Dash muffled a yawn behind her hand, half-lying in front of her tray filled with zucchinis, yellow pepper and mashed sweet potatoes. Something her friends could only notice. Although it was true she never refused a good nap, generally she showed no sign of laziness or bore in front of food. Especially not when she constrained herself to a diet even stricter than usually. Fact she displayed such hints of tiredness in public had something a bit scary. It could mean she hadn’t slept well on the previous night, because of an insomnia or a nightmare, which wasn’t something rare about her but never occurred good things to come. “Are you OK, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight questioned. “You look… flatter than usually.” “The bags under yar eyes are browner than the groceries’!” “Yeah, I know”, she sighed. “I’ve slept at Soarin’s and forgot my concealer home.” “Ah. When something like this happens, drink two glasses of water still lying. This way, water you’d have stored during the night is going to be suppressed more easily. It helps pupils to get decongested.” “Did Rarity teach you this?” “No. Science.” Sunset Shimmer expected Rainbow Dash or even Applejack to rub it in, and it to lead to their usual teasing… It didn’t happen. Like each time ever since Fluttershy had decided to step back and think about their friendship. As always, one single absence was enough to unsettle the whole mechanics of the group. Yet, she knew it, conversely to Applejack, Twilight or Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy was a part of this group only since one year ago, a little before herself. The team already might have had its own way to work before she stepped into their lives. It probably was because this separation, though supposedly not endless, hurt their feelings. Their mood was a bit sunnier than when they thought they could lose one of them forever, nevertheless she could easily sense a sadness from the fact Fluttershy was in the same room, but not by their side. Hoping it would help to lighten the atmosphere, Sunset Shimmer made up her mind about asking Rainbow Dash a question which had burned her lips for a while now. Of course, it was a bit embarrassing, but her friend had already told her things more shameful. “I was wondering… If this is too intrusive, just tell me. Did you do it with Soarin?” “Of course”, Rainbow Dash answered, shrugging. “It doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes it can happen. Also, last night…” She leaned over and whispered something to Sunset Shimmer who gasped when she heard the secret, not in a way that could make believe she was shocked, but rather surprised that Rainbow Dash, so little invested in everything sexual, had no problem confessing it to her. “Was it good?” “Makes you sing the national anthem.” “Hey, could ya speak ‘bout something else, please?” “Yes, AJ and I don’t necessarily want to hear such things.” “But you heard nothing.” “But we guessed.” “Don’t act so Belle of the South! You’ll come to it eventually.” “Surely but not tomorrow.” “I thought you weren’t a sex person”, Twilight told her, shaking a fry under her nose. “I’m not. I’m a Soarin person.” “Fine.” “Fine.” Once again, the squabble stopped here. It had to be noted that, though the jousts had sounded more like what they usually were, no one got riled up. It was like a cake lacking soda which didn’t rise at the baking. “You have to admit that the mood isn’t the same.” They all sighed and took a glimpse a little further, where Fluttershy was eating on her own, slower than usually. Thankfully, before too much gloominess settled, Pinkie Pie arrived, along with Muffin, who sometimes meddled with the gang. Her presence was like a sweet breeze turning their heart away from the harsh reality. Though they all knew the young woman was also very moved by the fact Fluttershy wanted to be away for some time, not to show and not to worry them, Pinkie Pie was behaving in a way even more effusive and bouncy than usually. “You’ll never guess! Clubs Festival’s this weekend!” “Oh… I think everyone guessed, in fact, Pinkie Pie”, Muffin shyly intervened. Of course, it made the person in question laugh… And even if, that was a fact, everyone could guess, the official announcement of this great news made the group smile again. They needed it. The Club Fair, which happened at the beginning of each year, was a campaign for the various extracurricular activities offered by Canterlot High School, intended for the ninth graders. Conversely, the Clubs Festival was designed for every classes, and also for potential sponsors. It allowed to raise funds in order to secure a better financing for the years to come. It was one of the most popular traditions of this school, and like a lot of the events happening along the year, it made Middle School students want to become freshmen in CHS. The mood was casual. Students of various clubs, divided in stands they built at many different spots in the yard, planned original activities in the hope they would garner the biggest crowd. There was a contest and the winners would get a trophy which would proudly stay in the room of the club during the next year. Like each time it was about a competition, Rainbow Dash already was ready to go into battle. This year would be the year of the Sports Department, she was certain. Especially if she had the Queen of Extravaganzas with her, aka Pinkie Pie. “I’m going to participate with the baking club”, the curly pink-haired teenage girl claimed proudly. “We’re going to bake the hugest of all Wedding Cakes and so, we’re going to be in the Guinness Book of Records!” A decision which didn’t please everyone around this table. “Pinkie! The baking club? What about the Lacrosse female team? How could you do this to me? I mean, to us…” “Plus, Ah don’t know if ya know but a Weddin’ Cake means there’s a weddin’ around.” “Or a baking contest. And the Clubs Festival is, first and foremost, a context. I’m hyper motivated!” “Traitor!” Rainbow Dash hurled, sticking her tongue out at her. “Don’t worry”, Sunset Shimmer told her, patting her shoulders. “I’ll participate with you for the Sports Department.” “So will Ah”, Applejack added. “Am part of no club but since Ah can borrow anything Ah want to the Sports Department; Ah think there’s goin’ to be no problem.” “Yes! The two of you plus me are going to beat the crap out of Pinkie’s Domestic Arts Department!” “Don’t underestimate the power of a good baking”, she replied, her mouth filled with brownie. “You stand no chance against the Science Department, anyway.” Rainbow Dash burst out laughing so loud it startled some of the students around them. “There! You wish!” “We’re going to crush you down. Right, Muffin?” She nodded with a smile, thus confirming that she wouldn’t either participate for the Sports Department… From outside, their restless conversation tasted like the outlandishness of better days. No one could guess it was nothing but a reprieve, a bubble of fresh air allowing them to escape, at least for some minutes, to the disarray weighing on their shoulders. As far as Fluttershy was concerned, though she could sense this was a façade, a moment of rest, she neither couldn’t help but feeling drawn by this commotion that was so familiar. When she saw them this way, wacky, ebullient, a bit noisy, a huge nostalgia was taking over her. How she missed it all… And at the same time, she was aware that giving in and coming back to them would be sheer weakness. She had made herself a promise and she wanted to keep it. She would go back to their comforting bosoms only once she would have get straight with her jealousy, and healed the wounds of her heart with her own will. Once she would feel like she wasn’t only a fraud within her own chosen family. “Hi”, a male voice suddenly said. Fluttershy looked away from the table where those she still regarded as her best friend kept on displaying restlessness. In front of her there was a young man she had often seen in school. His white and aqua green hair, short-cropped, his eyes like amber, his uniform perfect… He was in the same class than Twilight and Trixie. But he was a loner, and the teenage girl couldn’t remember she ever saw him surrounded by even a single friend. He probably was another one of these bookworm, studies fanatics. So, it was really surprising to see him here, talking to her. A girl among the other girls. Neither the smartest, neither the silliest. Because of this, Fluttershy’s first reaction was to turn around and check out whether he really was speaking to her… It made him softly laugh. “Yes, you’re the person I’ve just said “hi” to.” “Oh. Hi.” What more could she say? After all, she only knew him by sight, she didn’t even know his name, and she still was a very shy person, never at ease with persons she wasn’t with on a daily basis. “My name’s Thunderlane. And you are Fluttershy, aren’t you?” She nodded, while sipping at her orange juice. “OK, you probably think I’m a pain in the neck, and you rather be alone than speaking to an almost stranger. I get it. If I were you, that’s exactly what I’d be thinking too. I leave.” The boy got up, taking his tray. Then Fluttershy realized she had spoken to no one except her bunny Angel since she had taken the decision to step away from the girls, since she kept on avoiding Zephyr, so she wouldn’t hear him talk about Rainbow Dash, or worse, Big Macintosh. “No, you… You can stay. A bit of company won’t hurt me.” It would be better if she weren’t blushing while saying this… She still had things to work out. A lot of things to work out. The advantage was that Thunderlane didn’t consider it necessary to point her outburst of shyness and sat back as if nothing had happened. “Are you sure I’m not a bother?” Once again, Fluttershy nodded. Though she didn’t know anything about him, in theory, he seemed to be someone nice who only wanted to have a nice chat. There was nothing wrong about it. The year she had spent had proven her it wasn’t a bad thing to socialize a little… “In fact, I’ve noticed you’ve been very lonely lately and I thought I should go and talk to you, since you probably need someone to talk with.” “It’s very kind of you.” “I can’t help it, whenever I see someone who’s sad, I have to try to comfort them.” “Do I look so sad?” “A little…” She hadn’t even realized. Since she had taken this decision, she was sailing on her daily life on automatic pilot mode. All the habits she had lost during the latest year were difficult to get back and especially made her feel lonelier than ever. Maybe Thunderlane was right. She probably looked sad for the others. And they might be thinking it was because a serious ordeal had shaken her gang. It didn’t really help her to feel better. “Can I ask you what happened?” “It’s… complicated.” She couldn’t tell him everything. First, because she didn’t know his character, and she wasn’t the kind of person to confess important things to person she barely knew. Second, because she still feared the image the others could have of her. Telling him her odious behavior wouldn’t particularly show her under a flattering light… “I understand you don’t want to tell me. After all, I’m no one for you and maybe it makes you suffer. But… I know it’s going to sound crazy… I want to help you. Maybe that’s the protective side of me… So, I was thinking I could be your temporary friend until you get better. If you want it, of course.” Did she want it? Fluttershy didn’t know. All she was sure of was that this sudden loneliness, in which she yet had taken refuge for so many years because of her fear of the others, it was a burden for her. After all, maybe that being in company of someone new would help her to understand some things about herself. And it always felt better to share kindness with someone who seemed to be overwhelmed by it. Welfare Boy (Part 2)Thanks to the Clubs Festival, exceptionally, pupils taking part in the various stands were allowed to leave their classroom between two courses, no matter their grade, or even if they belonged to the Guiding Class… This gave way to a happy mess which cheered up daily life a bit. In the whole school there was a palpable excitation, lasting even after the bell had rung. And because teachers knew no student would be really focused on lessons, nothing essential was taught during this week. As freshmen, The Crusaders had been waiting for the coming of this event with a hint of fever. They all couldn’t wait to participate, convinced they could discover they were gifted for PR. Scootaloo was enrolled in the athletics club, in order to be close to Rainbow Dash – except her idol’s specialization were races and she’d chosen pole vaulting, and both practice didn’t take place at the same spot of the stadium. Because Apple Bloom was in the ballroom dancing club, they both could participate with the Sports Department. It allowed them to spend more time with their eldest… As far as Sweetie Belle was concerned, she should have been with the Domestic Arts Department, as a member of the crochet club. Yet, in order not to be alone, she was running for the Sports Department. After school, each department got together to prepare the activities they’d planned beforehand, thanks to a vote by direct universal suffrage. It was a chance for the different clubs of a same department to meet and share new memories. Especially as for the twelfth grade, in charge of leading the groups, it meant something special. They would never have another chance to participate. But what The Crusaders loved the most was what was happening between classes. When Rainbow Dash came and picked them in their room so they could join them in their promotion towards the other students. Each department had to be noticed… They needed to have a maximum of students – those taking part to no stands, since the posts were limited – to come and attend to the events each had organized, in order to get as much money as they could. The more money flew into a department’s cashier, the more the clubs of this department would have better means for the next year. Rainbow Dash had been able to convince the whole school’s brass band to work for the Sports Department. This way, she would be certain to take enough room and to make enough noise to get the attention of each group of friends, each clique. It probably irritated even more those who didn’t appreciate her boasting, but she knew in the end, they would come and see what she’d done anyway, just in case it could be interesting for them. It didn’t mean her two friends and rivals for the cup didn’t have excellent ideas neither. From the other side of the corridor, accompanied by Muffin, and a great number of those called the “techies”, Twilight was more than determined to play her cards right, though she knew the competition would be tough. She needed the uninitiated to discover that sciences could be funnier than they thought. So, to offset Rainbow Dash’s brass band, she’d asked CHS’ cheerleaders, among whom Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, two rivals of the Crusaders were, for their help. Their team was singing odds to the glory of DNA and the periodic table of the elements, and although their speech was filled with errors, all that mattered to Twilight was the lasting effect. “Attend and take part to the most breathtaking scientific experiences ever risked in CHS! You won’t believe your eyes!” Well, maybe what she’d prepared wasn’t that extraordinary, but she had studied the importance of the lexical field in advertisement, and had chosen her words in the way that would have the greatest impact on the students’ curiosity. And she was happy to note that her pile of flyers had decreased. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash would see what she was made of! But the latter thought this wasn’t over yet. With The Crusaders, giving away flyers for the Sports Department, and Sunset Shimmer and Applejack by her side, she was feeling self-confident. Twilight’s little experiences weren’t no match for what she had planned. “Big auction sale! A lot of amazing prize to win, among which a ball gown designed by our CHS most famous fashion designer, Rarity, and a date with the star of one of our national sports team!” They didn’t need to know who this star was. She didn’t want to spoil the surprise. But she knew a lot of students, especially the female ones, would fight in order to win this “prize” – for a price, of course, or it wouldn’t be an auction sale but a stupid lottery. Twilight’s teeth gnashed as she saw the way her friend’s flyers pile was decreasing as well. Sure, the word “star” had another resonance compared to “breathtaking”, but if Rainbow Dash thought it was over now, she was heavily wrong. This was a war and the battles had just begun. A hell of a racket came to disturb their duel. If Pinkie Pie had no brass band and no cheerleader team with her, she had ideas… and most importantly, she had saucepans. For once allied to the Flower Trio, the four teenage girls had grabbed as many utensils as they could in the school’s kitchen and were hitting them with wooden spoon to be heard. Soon, all heads turned to the newcomers, who were able to sneak in among the athletes and scientists. “Giant distribution of the only ones, the ones and only… Pinkie’s rainbow cupcakes!!! Don’t miss it!!!” “Hey! Ah thought ya were supposed to bake the biggest Weddin’ Cake of the world”, Applejack complained. “Yeah, this is only a bonus.” “It’s unfair, Pinkie Pie! Everyone’s going to be hungry at some point!” Twilight intervened as well. “That’s why this is awesome”, the person in question answered with a big smile. She could be proud of herself. With less means and an activity less original, she’d been able to get the same amount of attention, if not more, than their two teams together. The competition between them, though friendly, raged… From where she stood, drown among a crowd on anonymous, Fluttershy couldn’t help a smile hinted with nostalgia. She had decided to step back not even one week ago, and yet, she felt as if she hadn’t been with them for months. It probably came from the fact she hadn’t been much present ever since Big Macintosh and her were on a break. Because seeing them every day from her desk, and even more looking at them now engaging in a merciless competition, a part of her wanted to jump with them into these eccentricities. Even just by being by their side. Fluttershy let a deep sigh out. It was because she thought she wasn’t worth these extraordinary human beings she had taken some time away. But it seemed like she was the only one thinking this. Her friends had always seemed to believe she belonged with them, despite her fear of anything and everything. “Are you okay?” Thunderlane questioned, putting a hand against her shoulder. Drown in her thoughts, Fluttershy had almost forgotten the young man was by her side. It felt like a shock, like being back on the ground too abruptly and she realized how much her group of friends had become a sensitive subject. “I don’t know what’s happened between you but in all likelihood, you don’t hold grudges against them…” If he only knew… If he only knew that in reality, she had let jealousy devour her, she had kept her feelings for her when they wanted to help her, and she had displayed spite towards those who always were reaching their hands for her. What would he say? He was so kind, so obliging… Maybe she would better tell him everything, and maybe he would be understanding… But for now, she just couldn’t do it. Fear. It was this, as always, that was guiding her. And that was the reason why she couldn’t go back to them. They were never afraid to be themselves no matter what, even when mocked, even when looked at condescendingly. “Actually, it’s…” she started. “Complicated?” “Yes”, Fluttershy answered with a chuckle, hiding her mouth behind her hand. Anyway, it was pleasant to have someone understanding her without long explanations. She didn’t know Thunderlane for long but it already happened many times that she started a sentence and he completed it. Maybe she had been completely wrong with Big Macintosh, and they never were meant to be. The tall blond boy had never completed one of her sentence… No. She couldn’t think about this now. She was feeling better about their story lately and she didn’t want to ruin her efforts in the snap of fingers. Thunderlane probably noticed something was bothering her, since he hurried to make her think about something else. “I don’t know what it is for you, but I have no intention of going to the Festival…” “Really? Yet, that’s the last you’ll ever take part in as well.” “Yes, but it never really interested me. I only like being in competition when it comes to studies. Since it’s going to be empty, I’ll go to the library and review. I want to be better than Trixie this year…” “I could review with you; it won’t do me harm… Well, if you want me to come with you, of course.” “I hoped you’d say that…” In reality, she hadn’t planned anything for this weekend. Until now she wasn’t even sure whether or not she wanted to come to the Clubs Festival. Until he told her what he wanted to do. The reason of her decision was simple: she didn’t want to be alone. Or she would be thinking about them. And about him. Actually, Pinkie Pie hadn’t precise one small detail… Indeed, her stand distributed cupcakes but they weren’t free, as the Clubs Festival’s purpose was to raise funds. She couldn’t be satisfied only by winning the first prize but also by earning more money than any other clubs. Although it gathered a large range of activities, the Domestic Arts Department pleased less students than sports, arts (classical) or even sciences. The blame was an old-fashioned and outdated side, sprinkled with a hint of sexism. Yet, everyone loved good food and pretty handcrafted items, right? That was why she was going so much out of her way to succeed. After all, lacrosse was nothing but a way to let off steam for her. Her real hobbies were party planning and baking pastries. Her reputation in the baking field was notorious and enough could gather a crowd. Everyone wanted to have a taste of the famous Pinkie Pie’s rainbow cupcakes! Especially for the affordable price of one symbolic dollar. And at the same time, the students came to admire her savoir-faire in the preparation of the tallest Wedding Cake ever baked. However, Pinkie Pie couldn’t ignore the fact that the nearest stand, Rainbow’s, Applejack’s and Sunset Shimmer’s, with their luxurious auction sale, also was very successful. In fact, a “prize” that was highly coveted had just been put in auction… The date with a national celebrity of the sporting world, who was no one else than Soarin. Far from disappointing those who were interested, who were girls, the sale was at its height and the cost of the two hours face to face with the basketball player were high. “Come to admire the tallest Wedding Cake of the world! And if you buy two rainbow cupcakes, you’ll get one glass of fizzy apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres!” Pinkie Pie claimed on top of her lungs. A promotion that hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. “Hey! Am the one who should be offerin’ fizzy apple cider from MA family!” Applejack got angered. “If that’s the way it is… Attention please, we got a very special offer, instead of two hours, ya can buy a whole mornin’ with the basketball superstar Soarin Skies!” Rainbow Dash, her big wooden hammer in her hand, jolted before looking at her friend. Alright, it was annoying that Pinkie Pie used the Apple’s beverages to achieve her ends, and she also wanted to win, however, she wasn’t willing to win at any cost. It was her boyfriend, after all. “You haven’t asked me if I wasn’t bothered to lend him one entire morning.” “D’ya wanna win or d’ya wanna lose?” “Hem, girls”, Sunset Shimmer intervened in a secret-like voice. “Wouldn’t it be better to focus on the sale?” Especially as this new deal had made prices skyrocket again. Two hours were a good thing, but one entire morning with the Wondercolts leader, here in Canterlot, it felt like getting the moon. And if the lucky girl who was dating this star for real first seemed to be upset by this plot twist, when she heard Pinkie Pie doing another promotion of her cupcakes adding an autograph from the whole team of cheerleaders to the glass of fizzy apple cider, it made her blood boil. She wouldn’t stand for it. “New offer! Exceptional! Instead of two hours, instead of one morning, we offer you one entire day with Soarin!!” This time, it was the person in question, standing next to the trio, and already very embarrassed by all this, who had a word to say about it. For him to accept to be a prize at the auction sale, Rainbow Dash had to promise she would go with him in Cloudsdale for the next holidays, in order to visit his both parents, and Soarin even think it didn’t pay dividends enough compared to what was asked of him. Because, was it useful to precise, he had no desire to spend one entire day with a groupie! “Wouldn’t be a bad thing to ask for my opinion…” But his reply almost went unnoticed among all the frenzy of competition. He should have known… When it came to winning, his girlfriend let no room to chance, even if it meant manipulating the rules! At Twilight’s stand, the atmosphere wasn’t the same at all. The place wasn’t empty, and the experience to come, called the coke bottle, had a little success. The principle was to immerse a famous mint candy in soda, in order to create incredible geysers. However, the young woman and her allies, in particular Muffin, knew that even with this impressive and famous chemical reaction, they would never be able to win the cup. For all that, they wouldn’t give up on the quality of their activities, and would do their best to win the more money they could for the science clubs, which necessary means were rather high. Right before the experience started, Twilight asked Muffin to make their audience wait. There was something she wanted to do… and too bad if that probably wasn’t the right time for it. No. In fact, it surely was the perfect moment for it. She stopped by Pinkie Pie’s stand, and got one of the precious rainbow cupcakes. How her friend could keep on preparing a giant wedding cake while supervising the sales, Twilight didn’t know, but she admired her swiftness and her focus. Out there, a bit at the background of all the restlessness from the Festival, Fluttershy seemed to be waiting for someone by the library’s door. Between two experiences, Twilight had noticed the way she was looking at their various stands. Also, it seemed that she’d arrived very early at her appointment only to observe them from a distance, in secret. She walked to her friend, and with a smile, gave her the cupcake she’d bought for her. Fluttershy stared at it with eyes wide opened, before smiling at her as well. “This is for you”, Twilight simply said. “Err… Alright. Thanks.” Hesitant, she took the hot pastry between her hands, and it smelled good like spices and sugar. Before this moment she hadn’t realized how much she missed this smell. Pinkie Pie’s cakes really were worthy of a restaurant… In fact, she sometimes even baked some for Sugarcube Corner. “I know you need time alone to think, but that doesn’t mean we have to act like we’re perfect strangers. Don’t you agree?” Fluttershy nodded, before taking a bite of her pastry, unable to resist, and too bad for the image it sent of her… It really was delicious! Suddenly, a detail struck the young woman… Twilight also participated at the Festival and by chatting with her, she probably was losing occasions to earn money for the Science Department. Again and again, whatever she did, it disturbed her friend! “I’m alright”, she said after swallowing her mouthful. “You’re not obliged to take care of me, especially as you have more important things to do…” “Don’t worry. It’s clear we can’t measure up to those two”, Twilight answered with a head sign towards Pinkie Pie’s and Rainbow Dash’s stands. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Indeed, they were noisier than any other stand’s supervisors, and it wasn’t a dangerous assumption to say that one of them would probably be the winners of this year’s Festival. What they offered wasn’t that original, but it had to be admit that the communication they’d created around the event was very effective. In the past, calm and quietness were what the young woman was seeking at all costs. Characters that were too flamboyant used to scare her and she always felt bland compare to others. It was different since she had met these four girls (five with Sunset Shimmer and six with Rarity). They had taken her out of her comfort zone and they had driven her into corners more than once, without even realizing. Her break, Fluttershy still thought it to be necessary, however, at the same time, she realized how positive the impact they had on her life was. Even only for she had dared to get away from the group in order to think things through. In the past, she would have been too scared to dare taking the plunge. “You know I’m very observant… I noticed that, sometimes, you really want to come and see us but you hold yourself back. Although I can understand your decision, and I’d never try to influence your choices, I only wanted you to know how much we miss you all. We all hope you’ll come back very soon.” In front of them outlined Thunderlane’s slender yet athletic figure, the boy from the Guiding Class Fluttershy had befriended with. Twilight knew exactly what was his opinion about her, as well as about her friends. Nevertheless, she wasn’t the one who had to tell the young woman. She only hoped she would realize it right on time. Getting away to let the two teenagers review at the library, she couldn’t help one last look behind her shoulder. Twilight could only have a glimpse at them stepping into the building, Thunderlane putting a hand against Fluttershy’s back. Suddenly, an irrational sensation took over her innards. Some kind of foreboding telling her that, sheltered from all eyes, something essential was about to be at play. Something that would have the current situation tip somehow, irreversibly. And she hoped it wasn’t the definite loss of their friend that was at the end of the line. The gang probably wouldn’t survive… Welfare Boy (Part 3)Even behind the walls of the building, with closed doors and windows, it was impossible to escape the echoes of the party taking place in the main schoolyard. The activities offered by the clubs had probably come to an end, and the winning department was about to be announced, if it hadn’t already. After the Festival, some kind of fête was always organized. The school’s music bands performed on an improvised stage, it was possible to picnic on the grass, and games, adding money to the funds of the school, were launched by the teachers. It had seemed to Fluttershy she’d heard the girls say they could perform as Rainbooms… If they did, it meant Rarity had joined them. And here she was, missing all this… Of course, reviewing was important, and the opposite of a waste of time, but she couldn’t help wondering what she would have done if she were with them. She remembered last year was really fun. Although she insisted, she was unable to retain a single world of her Modern History lesson. In front of her eyes, the image of the girls always appeared, and they were laughing in front of skittles or of a distorting mirror. Or they were sipping on fizzy apple cider on the lawn, or on the stage singing and playing their instruments. Maybe Thunderlane would agree to take a break and go at the party… It would allow them to relax a little, and she suddenly felt like chatting. Or like hearing him speak, it didn’t matter. The most important thing was that the air outside was calling her, although she’d always been someone of inside, choosing the soft security of domesticity over the dangers of society. Also, what Twilight had told her was bothering her. Theoretically, it wasn’t a big deal, or something she didn’t already know. Girls had already told her she was welcome any time she wanted, and there had very few chances they would reject her, nevertheless, her desire to go back to them was stronger than ever since their conversation together. Fluttershy wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Not that she had thought about many other things all week long… She took a glimpse at her reviewing buddy, and jumped from surprised when she realized he already was staring at her. The way he looked at her was intense, and she could affirm without mistake that he never looked at her this way. “Do I… have something on my face, or…?” Thunderlane burst out laughing, and it resounded against the library’s walls. “No. You’re pretty, that’s all.” “Oh, thanks.” Fluttershy lowered her head, her cheeks colored with pink. It always felt strange to get compliments from someone, especially from boys. Of course, she didn’t think she was ugly, but didn’t think, neither, that she was so pretty a male representative would need to scrutinize her face. After all, although Big Macintosh already complimented her this way, he never had looked at her this way, even back when they were dating. Or were they still dating? She wasn’t quite sure. From the corner of her eye, she saw Thunderlane putting his pencil back, and put his hands on her hers, lying on her laps, and holding her uniform skirt. It made her jump from surprise again, and this time, her schoolmate only smiled tenderly at her. “I have to confess”, he started. “I lied. I lied about me.” “About you?” she repeated, blinking. She didn’t understand anything. “Yes. I didn’t come to you because you looked sad and I wanted to comfort you. Well, although I really wanted to comfort you… In fact, when I saw you alone, I knew if I wanted to try to approach you, it would be now or never, when you weren’t with your bunch of noisy friends.” Far from soothing the young woman’s heart, these first words increased her tension even more. Fluttershy thought she started to guess what would be coming next. And if he confessed to her what she thought he would confess, she would be stuck in an unpleasant situation. If only he stopped here, she would be saved… But he didn’t stop, much to her regrets. “In fact, from the moment I saw you, I had a crush on you, love at first sight, as they say. I really like you. You’re pretty, tactful, sweet, demure, kind… Everything I love and desire from a girl. I know you don’t know me that well, and that you don’t easily open your heart to those you don’t really know, but I’m going to try anyway… Would you accept to become my girlfriend?” Fluttershy swallowed. This was exactly what she had feared. She had longed for these words so much… Only from somebody else. And, in a way, she still longed for them today, though there were very little chances for things to get better between them. All that Big Macintosh had meant for her couldn’t be erased like white chalk on a blackboard. Although he had hurt her, breaking her heart in two, her feelings for him were still here, and jumping into another affair would be hurting the other the way she had been hurt. It would be a lie, and if her story with Big Macintosh had taught her something, it was that honesty always was the better choice, even if it wasn’t deprived of violent backwashes. It led to what was next. How could she tell Thunderlane this without breaking his heart as well? She could still remember the inner scalding her first reject had felt like, and the indelible mark it left on her soul. Her silence as an answer to his question, however, was enough to make the young man understand his request wouldn’t get him the expected result. He let go of her hands, and leaned against the back of his chair. “Phew! This is that they call a silence that speaks volume!” “No, that’s not the way it is…” Fluttershy started. “Well, it is actually… I’m sorry.” She let out a deep sigh. It would probably be a little trying, but she owed him the truth. Even if only because he had always been very nice with her. “You’re very kind and I’m sure I would’ve been happy with you, but it wouldn’t be a good thing. For now, my boyfriend and I aren’t really separated, and although it’s very complicated between us, I’m still in love with him. I don’t think I’ll be able to forget him so soon. He was my very first love, can you understand?” “Yes, I can understand”, Thunderlane answered with an odd half-smile, looking away. For all that, Fluttershy wasn’t completely convinced. The way he was acting now, an arm leant behind him, and his jaws clenched, didn’t let her know he was taking this graciously. Well, it was understandable, since being rejected never was an easy thing, yet, his behavior didn’t make her think about the pain she felt when Big Macintosh rejected her for the first time. No. Right now, Thunderlane made her think about Rainbow Dash when she lost a competition. And it never was a good thing to see. “I’m sorry”, she said, lowering her head. “You’re sorry? Do you think I even care about the fact that you’re sorry? I should have known you were like this!” Now, his tone of voice was straight out scornful, light years away from the softness and the benevolence he displayed until then. If she was shocked, Fluttershy reassured herself thinking it probably was because he was feeling sad, and it made him act aggressively, the way she acted with Pinkie Pie. The difference was that Pinkie Pie and she had known each other for more than one year, and during this short period of time, they had developed strong bonds of friendship. She really met Thunderlane a few days ago, and felt as if even patience wouldn’t change his attitude. What he confirmed on the next second. “Considering who you’re hanging out with!” “What’s the point with who I’m hanging out with?” she asked, suddenly on the defensive. He could reproach her anything he wanted, but Fluttershy couldn’t get what her friends had to do with that. As far as she knew, none of them really cared about Thunderlane, and even Twilight, in the same class than him, hadn’t said a word about him. “Those little friends of yours! I knew from the moment I saw them with you they would be a bad influence. Only Twilight Sparkle is worth a little something, and yet, her inclination to think she’s the smartest one in the room is a bit annoying. Let’s not even talk about the others… Sunset Shimmer: a real slut. Applejack: an illiterate hillbilly. Pinkie Pie: a big boobs butthead. And Rainbow Dash is the opposite of femininity. She thinks she’s it, but she’s a real horse. I wouldn’t even want to sleep with her if she had a bag on her head! What a gang… I thought you were superior, but now I see that I was wrong.” A monster. This boy was nothing but a monster. How could she be fooled by his smiles and his nice attitudes? Today he had revealed his true face. Deep inside, Fluttershy knew it wasn’t sadness nor disillusion speaking now. He meant every single words he had said. There had been signs, but she had chosen to ignore them. He probably thought he gave her a taste of her own medicine with this pathetic judgement. He was wrong. Although things were complicated with them, they were her best friends. Those who welcomed her with opened arms, without further questions, and who had put up with her fears, her shyness, her malevolent words… Who were ready to let her be back in the gang anytime she wanted, despite what she had done. No one could say such things about them. For once, Fluttershy let the part of her that scared her a little speak. She had to defend the honor of the most amazing persons she had ever met. Her soul sisters. Her second family. She got up and hit her two hands against the table. “How dare you say such things about my friends? You don’t even know them! They are at least a twenty times worthier than you’ll ever be. They’re the most open-minded, funny, kind and generous persons I’ve ever met. Of course, they have flaws, everybody has flaws, but in no way would they dare judging someone on physical traits only or based on stupid gossips. And I’d rather be with them than with a boy who thinks he can wipe his feet on the others just to get what he wants and who doesn’t have a single hint of integrity. If it makes me someone vulgar or not worth it, I don’t care. At least, I don’t pretend I am someone that I’m not!” After this, she gathered her stuff hurriedly, and left without looking back, putting everything inside her bag as she walked, her hands shaking from nervousness, but her chin up. She didn’t hear what Thunderlane said behind her back and whether it were apologies or insults. To be honest, she couldn’t care less about anything he could say. Because Fluttershy had just realized something essential, in the gap of a few seconds. Blinded by her pain, shame and fears, she had been unable to realize that, under her six friend’s influence, she had changed a lot, in the right direction. Before she arrived at CHS, she would never get the courage to confront someone like Thunderlane. She would have curled up, cried and do her best to be in the young man’s good books. In front of her friends, she was free to be herself, the real Fluttershy, without disguise or pretense. She could be jittery, too polite, she could hide behind others when fights started, she could cry, she could be aggressive, even. She was accepted for who she was, with her flaws, her habits, her qualities, her inner resources. Even when she made mistakes, even when she failed, even when she fell, her friends were here to take her hand. Yes, she had been through ordeals, but she wasn’t weak. As a proof, she was still here, standing on her two feet. It was by their side she had learned what real courage was, and she needed them. Like they probably needed her. Now, Fluttershy just couldn’t wait: finding them and tell them everything. Tell them how wrong she was, and how much she wanted to come back. Out of breath, she pushed the library’s door, expecting to be face to face with a hundreds of students in civilian clothes, a glass of cider in their hands, chatting cheerfully while going from stands to stands… But she met face to face with a desperately empty yard. Streamers were scattered around the ground, stands were in the middle of deconstruction, there were no more music, and on the stage, around the back of the field, students of ninth grade were busy taking off the musical supplies. Over. The Clubs Festival was over, and she had missed it all. Her friends no longer were here, which meant she had missed another opportunity to create new memories by their side. Fluttershy was more deceived than ever. All of her good resolutions melted down like an ice cube in a warm beverage, and she felt like crying. But suddenly, seeing The Crusaders busy stripping down Rainbow Dash’s, Applejack’s and Sunset Shimmer’s stands, disillusion let way to hope. Nothing was lost. She still could make it up to them. Pinkie Pie let a streamer burst out and, standing on her chair, put her fist in the air, claiming: “Best Clubs Festival ever!” Very few of the costumers around had a reaction. Since she was living in the bedroom right above the tearoom, most of the regulars were used to the young baker’s eccentricities. Some were amused, others were embarrassed and the ones left were irritated… But for none of them, what was happening right under their eyes had something awkward. Rainbow Dash let out a short laugh, then pulled on a tail of her jacket to recommend her to sit back. In-between, Soarin had joined them, just like Rarity who played on the CHS stage with them. It had been a while since the Rainbooms hadn’t performed, and the four friends had forgotten how much they enjoyed being together to play music. So they promised each other they’d do this as soon as possible – this time integrating Sunset Shimmer, who also could play electric guitar. After Pinkie Pie’s declaration, they all toasted to their very last Clubs Festival, trying to keep all the good things and memories, and not to be caught up by some kind of nostalgia. When Rainbow Dash put down her raspberry milkshake, she couldn’t help but noticing how attentively Soarin was staring at her white gold and fake diamonds cup, that she’d put on the table. “Isn’t my cup beautiful?” she said with a wink. “Yar cup?” Applejack intervened. “Seemed to me we were three to win it.” “Come on, don’t be picky over a detail of possessive pronoun!” “That’s cuz Ah know ya, ya show-off.” “I was only thinking it took a bit too much room on the table”, Soarin said, sheepish. Then, they all burst out laughing, even those who didn’t participate in this micro-quarrel. It was the first time since Fluttershy had decided to get away for a while that they were able to be themselves completely. The festival’s success made them too happy to torture their minds. And so they had decided to wait for the return of their lost member with philosophy. “I don’t care”, Pinkie Pie claimed proudly. “We made the tallest Wedding Cake I’ve ever seen and beat the record of the number of cupcakes ever given away. I know this is going to make me famous.” “Weren’t you already supposed to be famous thanks to your candy omelet?” Sunset Shimmer questioned. “Mah, my time will come.” “What’s a candy omelet?” Soarin asked, obviously off track tonight. “That’s just like a regular omelet, but with sugar instead of salt, and jelly beans inside.” “One hundred percent carious guaranteed”, his girlfriend confessed. “I’d like to taste it”, Muffin said. “Oh, I don’t recommend it” Rarity added, suppressing a chill. “Only our dearest Pinkie can stand something that sweet.” “Not true!! Your little sister Sweetie Belle’s really fond of it. And so is Apple Bloom, in fact.” They still were in the middle of a debate about one of Pinkie Pie’s finest culinary creation when someone they knew very well pushed Sugarcube Corner’s door. Dressed in her uniform, a part of her jacket low on her shoulder, her cheeks on fire and breathless, Fluttershy made a noticeable entrance, and for once, she seemed not to care much. The whole table turned to her and immediately turned silent. To be honest, except Twilight, they all thought the young woman was home. None saw her waiting for Thunderlane in front of the library, busy as they were with their stands’ activities. So it was a great surprise to see her coming in this way. “I’ve been wrong!!” she screamed from the door, apprising costumers who, this time, weren’t used to it at all. After a short astonishment that let the table even more silent – if this was possible – they all started to laugh, arguing this was the less Fluttershyesque introduction they’d ever heard. Far from taking offense, the teenage girl laughed as well, glad to note that things seemed to be on the right path. Now she was the person who had to walk the rest of the road. She came nearer, but didn’t try to find a seat next to her friends. It was a good thing to say she had been wrong but she didn’t want to get her place back without the least of efforts. “Sorry. About everything. I never should have get away from you girls. I haven’t realized I’ve made so many progresses and that it was thanks to you. I was jealous of Pinkie although I knew perfectly she wasn’t the blame and I should never had said the things that I’ve said. I could see nothing but my own pain and anger, and I couldn’t realize all the good things your presence brought to me every day. I wish I could swallow back all the mean words I could have said. I know that’s impossible, so I promise… I’ll do my best to make it up to you all and to be worth of your friendship. Pinkie Promise!” When she heard her say the catchphrase that had become the emblem of their group, Pinkie Pie winked at her. And so, Fluttershy felt a weight leaving her shoulders… For she also let bitterness taking over everything else in the past, and turning her into someone completely different, Pinkie Pie understood and was ready to forgive her, the way she had been forgiven for her misdeeds. Plus, if she ever learned the boy she loved was in love with one of her best friends, she would be in trouble with her own feelings as well. Well, she was in love with no one but this was another detail for another conversation. “I want to go back home…” This last sentence widened the smiles her other friends displayed (as well as Soarin). Home was a protective place for Fluttershy and everyone knew it. She liked to take refuge there when she was too scared or when she was too sad. Her to consider their group as a second home meant a lot… Rarity, as the eldest of the group, positioned herself as the leader, without further question. In any other moment, it would have let way to another debate but tonight they all were so happy of the unfolding of events that none of them noted. “What do you think, girls?” “What a question!” “Welcome back”, Twilight said to cut short to the discussion on the horizon. She took a glimpse at Rainbow Dash and she answered by nodding. The young woman grabbed something inside her bag and got up to walk to Fluttershy. “I think you’ve lost this…” In her hands laid the bracelet their friends gave them when she decided to get away for some time. Each of the girls had kept it successively, in the event of Fluttershy’s return. And it was officially done when Rainbow Dash tied the clasp around the young woman’s frail wrist. Immediately, all the girls got off their chairs and gathered around her for a group hug. It was hard for Fluttershy not to cry. She felt as if she was going back to life after a long sleep and that this day was the beginning of a radiant future. The trip had been long and winding but it was worth the sacrifice. This time, she would never go back. And if sometimes, she was afraid, she knew all she had to do was to stretch out her hand and her friends, the most wonderful (and craziest) girl she ever met, would run to help her and to comfort her through thick and thin. Author's Note Next arc is a bit apart from the rest... Inspire by two films in particular. One features Sandra Bullock and the other Kirsten Dunst. Drop Dead Gorgeous [Preview]Glancing at her calendar, Rarity realized today was the first day of the last school holidays before summer. Time had spent so fast… It undoubtedly meant she could expect to see her little sister Sweetie Belle accompanied by her two lovely friends, and that the young teenage girl would be under her feet all week long. Until she would decide to do her homework. Rarity liked to spend time with the young girl but she hoped the latter wouldn’t come and mess her fabrics up or steal her sewing scissors for her latest artistic creation. Anyway, she was going to be very busy for days and Sassy was ordered not to let Sweetie Belle enter into her workshop in her absence. She fit the black muslin, laces and taffeta dress one last time on the foam mannequin and took one step back in order to admire her latest creation. Perfect. She was sure Hoity Toity wouldn’t believe his eyes. If he didn’t, then Rarity swore she wasn’t Rarity anymore! Author's Note Want to know the rest? Just go there: Volume 3. Yes, yes, it's a trilogy now
Troublemaker (part 1)Summer had been too short. It seemed like yesterday when everyone was going on a trip to have fun near the coast. They worked a bit, talked a lot, and played more, and already, it was over. They would have feel sad if this start of the school year was just another start of the school year. But it had nothing in common with the previous ones. Because this year, our dearest Crusaders were to play with the big boys. High school. Finally. Finally, they would be able to follow the steps of their idols and sisters. No one would take them for little girls anymore. In fact, they would now be counted in the teen category, and not as preteens anymore. They were really proud to display their Canterlot High uniforms. None of them three had wished to go to another school, to the extent that they refused to go to the open house of the other institutions. What was the use if they couldn’t say they were related to these popular students they admired so much? During the year inauguration’s ceremony, students didn’t know their affiliated classes yet, except for those of the Guiding Class, so they were free to sit wherever they wanted. Scootaloo settled beside Rainbow Dash, and Apple Bloom near Applejack, along with Sweetie Belle, what costed them the immediate interest from everyone. Even within the newbies, like themselves, the connection didn’t go unnoticed. None of them ignored Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash had led the female lacrosse team to the finales of the inter-academy championship, where they’d won hands down, as well as Twilight’s intellectual exploits were known and Applejack’s face was famous, even out of the walls of the school. This allowed them to start this year in the brightest manner, especially as they learned they all were in the same class. It was certain, with such an introduction, this year was going to be theirs. They would soon discover their talents and would be popular as well. As a proof, after being almost transparent back in Middle School, outshone by snobbish Diamond Tiara and her inseparable friend Silver Spoon, they were soon surrounding by a big group, fond of anything they would say about the local celebrities. Their former classmates couldn’t believe it, and were sulking in a corner of the room. While conversations went well, an adult dressed in a sweat suit pushed the door of the class, and with just one foot inside, yelled at them to quickly sit down and that these seats would be theirs until the end of the year. The man, tall and muscular, with very short chocolate hair, went to the dais where his desk was. Not a smile crossed his face as he was scanning the room. No one dared to open their mouths. “I’m Mr. Caballeron, your homeroom teacher, and physical education teacher. With me, there’s only one thing that matters: discipline. Do what I say, be the best, and everything will be just fine. But disobey, and you’ll pay the price.” From their seats, the three Crusaders swallowed, with drumming hearts. Excited as they were, they didn’t envision for a single second that High School wasn’t just a chain of big events and participation at clubs. There also were classes to attend, and these classes were taught by teachers… As far as the oldest were concerned, it was the time of novelty. For Twilight in particular, this start of the school year had a very special taste, delicious and with hints of poison at the same time. From now on, she would no longer be with her best friends, laughing and arguing during the breaks. The whole day would be focused on studies, until she would leave this room that was now hers, and she’d meet them for lunch and for a stroll in the city. In her class, not a friendly face. Of course, students from the Guiding Class had friends, but nothing in the atmosphere felt like anything she’d known. And most importantly, none of them deigned to talk to her. She was a threat for them, being the best student of the official ranking, and it seemed to be out of question to be connected with the girl they all dreamed to beat. Even Lyra the chatterbox acted as if they didn’t know each other, while during holidays, she used to warmly wave at her when they met. The only other person she knew a little came to see her, and it didn’t please her much. To be honest, she didn’t trust her at all. Trixie, without her perpetual ninth grade minions, settled herself in front of her desk, armed with her favorite small half-smile. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle”, she said crossing her arms, as if trying to show her there was no way she could even think about shaking her hand. “Hello, Trixie.” “I wanted to tell you that I’ve spent my holidays studying, and that your days of reign are over. This year, it will be MOI, The Great and Powerful Trixie, number one of the top students!” “Err… Alright?” Without another word, the young girl turned around, her chin up and walking arrogantly, and she went to her desk, that was in fact right beside Twilight. And to say the first time she seen Rainbow Dash in seventh grade, she had thought she would never meet someone bragging so much… She’d been wide of the mark. A sigh escaped her lips, as her homeroom teacher in mathematics, who was no one else than Principal Celestia herself, started to explain their schedule for the year. It was the greatest of honor to be a part of this class, her long-time dream… Yet, right now, she would have given everything to be in the room nearby, with her whole bunch of friends. Rainbow Dash let herself fall back heavily on her chair at Sugarcube Corner, under the dumbstruck faces of the whole gang. One minute before, she had dashed towards the washroom without an explanation, while everyone was laughing at a joke from Pinkie Pie. “It’s a disaster!” she claimed dramatically. “What’s wrong, Dashie? Are you feeling sick?” Pinkie Pie asked her immediately, sticking her both hands against her forehead. “It’s worse…” She lifted her wrist, bare, and her four friends gasped in terror, at the same time. Soarin, unsure he could understand, looked at each one of them. “My friendship bracelet is ruined!” “What did happen?” Applejack questioned. “I think that’s the clasp… I’m dead!” “It’s just a bracelet”, Soarin finally dared saying. Immediately, he knew he had just said something stupid. Looks he got from the girls surrounding him were the same ones than those given to lawbreakers who committed a horrible, obscene crimes… He hunched his shoulders, in order to be protected from what was about to fall on his head. “It’s the symbol of our friendship”, Twilight explained. “It reminds us that we’re all connected together.” When Rainbow Dash had been to Green Haven, this bracelet helped her to go through the worst of things. Thinking her two friends were waiting for her outside, thinking about her as well, it gave her courage each time she had thought that, maybe, if she was where she was, it meant she deserved not to be free anymore… She had never confessed it to him, so she chose not to add this argument. But deep inside, something was boiling within. An embarrassing desire, like tingles swarming inside her stomach, to reveal the truth, to make him understand how dear these pieces of white gold were for her. Soarin was lucky that she knew him so well, and knew it probably was nothing but another blunder. With another boy, she wouldn’t have taken it so well. And he seemed to be sincerely sorry for the mistake. It didn’t resolve her problem. “What am I going to do?” “I can fix it for you, if you want me to”, Fluttershy assured, while sipping on her coconut milkshake. “You can do this kind of things, Flutty?” “Of course I can. I really like meticulous work, and I like personalizing my jewelries… It doesn’t bother me at all.” “Oh, sweet! Long live you, Fluttershy.” “Yes, best friend ever!!” Pinkie Pie almost screamed, which made her friend blush immediately. Without the least wavering, Rainbow Dash slid her bracelet on the table. To be honest, she’d thought about giving it to Rarity, but she knew she was very busy with the Fashion Week soon, and guessed it would have taken too much time with her. If Fluttershy could take care of it, it was perfect. When her clasp had started to play up, she immediately had seen it as a bad sign. Something was going to happen, and she wasn’t going to like it. She went to class with a lump in her stomach, and despite the fact everything had been quite fine during this first day of the school year, the feeling hadn’t left her. A little earlier, her basketball practice had strengthened her apprehension. The newcomers weren’t that good, and this year’s leader was younger than she. When the clasp got tangled into her wrist guard, she thought the sky might be falling on her head very soon. This small improvised reunion at Sugarcube Corner with the girls (minus Sunset Shimmer, who was at the Club Fair in order to find an extracurricular activity to do this year) and Soarin refreshed her. Until… Until her clasp gave in and she almost let her items fall into her low-fat vanilla ice cream. The faster Fluttershy would have fixed her bracelet, the faster she would get rid of what could turn into a panic attack if other problems came up. Not wanting to rush her, she really hoped she wouldn’t take too much time. The good news of the day was that Soarin had finally be chosen as leader of the Wondercolts, after three years of good and faithful service as best backcourt. Well, a good news… Because of this piece of information, it had already been three times since they arrived at the tea room that a female student from Canterlot University came to their table in order to ask him questions about basketball university championships. Each time, Rainbow Dash made sure the girl to understand Soarin wasn’t free, since he was dating her, and there was no need to try to lure him with charming smiles. He already was the boyfriend of the coolest girls in all Canterlot… Why would he be with someone else? At least, that was what she kept on saying to herself, in order to stay calm and collected, and not to show how much she didn’t like it. She didn’t either want to be the party-pooper… As if it wasn’t enough that the absence of chain around her wrist had her in the dumps already, although it was a bit irrational. As shown by the fact her friends were here with her. “Well… I wanted to wait a little, but…” Soarin paused. Five pair of eyes conveyed in his direction, waiting for him to open his mouth and kept going. He would have preferred them to be all here, so that none felt as if forgotten, but in front of Rainbow Dash’s gloomy frown, he thought maybe this could give her a bit of positive energy. Somehow, it was one of his biggest flaws. Seeing her sad or discouraged always felt heavy in his heart, and he feel he was ready to anything so she would smile again. “There’s the Canterlot University’s open house this weekend, and it’s only meant for a hundreds of students from local High Schools… I’ve been able to enroll your names in the special guest list. Well… With Big Mac’s help, in fact.” “Big Mac?” Applejack questioned. “He hadn’t told me anythin’ at all.” “It was supposed to be a surprise. In fact, I hope he’s not going to be mad at me for telling you”, he finished sheepishly. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It wasn’t to make fun of him… Well, in fact it was, anyhow. He might have grown up and be smart, somewhere he still was the child she used to play with, who always did something stupid at the least favorable moment. It was adorable. However, his announcement had the expected effect. All the girls seemed to be pleased and Rainbow Dash was laughing. Well, at his expense but he was sort of used to it now and it didn’t change anything to her feelings for him. Although she didn’t say much about this topic. Pinkie Pie was the one who seemed to be the most enthusiastic about the open house. It wasn’t because she’d be able to discover the many sporting disciplines offered by the university, like Applejack and Rainbow Dash, or to look for an association for the protection of animals, like Fluttershy, not even for the amazing catalog of school disciplines, like Twilight. It was because the campus was famous for its great proportion of athletic male students, with attractive features and intelligence. It was a few months now since she started to actively look for a new boyfriend and didn’t find anyone in her tastes. Rarity’s matrimonial blind-dates hadn’t given much and the boy she was chatting with on a forum dedicated to party planning hadn’t shown for a little while. She was losing hope of finding someone to make her laugh like Soarin made Rainbow Dash laugh, holding her hand in the streets and having good fun with her. This open house, she was convinced, was the perfect occasion. She would miss it for nothing in the world.
Troublemaker (part 2)Nothing was more excited than the Club Fair! For this occasion, Canterlot High School also had its own open house, where members from the family could come and support their siblings and kids. It was an event that a lot of people would miss under no excuse. Going through the school’s railings, and looking up to the huge horse statue at the entrance of the yard, symbol of the place that used to be one of the most famous stud farm of the country, Big Macintosh felt a little nostalgic. He felt as if he’d lived a thousand years since he left High School. It was good old times, he thought while skirting the main building in order to go to the back schoolyard and to the stadium where the fair was happening. It was the time of his first real crushes… The time he had understood he wanted to do nothing else than contributing to the prosperity of his parents’ heritage. This afternoon, every class of the ninth grade competed in various sporting tournaments, with their homeroom teacher as the team coach. The young man remembered he took part in the relay race, just like his young sister Applejack did and like his even younger sister Apple Bloom was about to do as well. His team didn’t win the race, but he kept a vivid memory of this day. It was a chance to make new encounters while having fun. Quickly, he noticed the small bunch of friends he was looking for. Twilight was the only one missing, the Guiding Class being exempted from the beginning of the school year’s proceedings, in order to directly dive into their advanced program. He knew she probably regretted not to be with everyone, but also that she had an aim for life that was almost more important than anything else, and that she would hold on to it. This girl had always been very serious. A little too serious, sometimes… Of course, Fluttershy was here as well. Since her confession on the night of the fireworks, Big Macintosh hadn’t changed his mind about her. She was softness incarnated, of a loveliness that probably ravished more than one heart, but she wasn’t his type of girls. They were too much alike on many details, and he preferred energy, joie de vivre, and when all the initiatives didn’t have to come from him. However, he could admit the efforts she produced were endearing. She hadn’t turned pathetic, and didn’t make zeal in excess. The fact she could stay herself, while trying her best to stick to the description of his tastes, made her score some points. “Hey, Big Mac, yar here at the right moment. It’s gonna be our girls’ turn soon”, his little sister told him when he met the bunch. He greeted the girls one by one, and as he often did, add no other words. Listening to their conversation always had a little something that was entertaining. “I can’t wait to see Sweetie Belle wearing her uniform… It reminds me of memories”, Rarity sighed with a nostalgic smile. “Rarity, you’re talking a bit like an old biddy”, Pinkie Pie giggled. “Say that I’m old!” “You’re old… What? She asked for it!” she added when her friends all threw threatening glances at her at the same time. “I think it was a way of saying, Pinkie”, Sunset Shimmer said with a smile, in order to calm down the mood. “Duh! I know that!” “Who cares?!”, Rainbow Dash interrupted them, a little abrupt. “The brats are coming.” Indeed, the Crusader’s class appeared on the athletics field, all wearing the mandatory outfit for sport of CHS, made of a tee-shirt embroidered with the school badge, of black shorts with a white stripe on the sides and of long white socks. Immediately, Rainbow Dash went out of her slightly sullen state, and followed by Applejack and Rarity, started to scream in order to encourage the young girls, while shaking small school’s flags. From the field, they spotted them, and made signs with their hands to show they were seeing them. And so, the whole school was going to see a confirmation of the connection between them and one of the most famous gang of friends. Their popularity would blow the roof if they won the relay race with it. They trained really hard all night long, with this as their main goal. They just had to get it started now. Out of the three, Scootaloo was the proudest. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both could boast about a real parental bond with the elders, that she herself didn’t have with Rainbow Dash. The fact that she was here to support her and no one else, it was her greatest victory. She didn’t have to feel disadvantaged from being an only child. Her big sister was a soul big sister… This bond didn’t happen thanks to the chance of birth, but by something else, different yet deep as well, that made her want to jump around laughing. She was going to give all she had inside in order to impress her. And there was more. The homeroom teacher, Mr. Caballeron, was very authoritarian, not to say stiff. He had lectured them a long while on the previous day, saying this relay race was more important than everything else, and that from this was going to follow on the image the others would have of their class for the rest of the year. The pressure was huge, both for them and for their classmates. On the agenda: to win. There were no other options to envision. Their problem was that the rival class, Ms. Prim Hemline’s, welcomed into its midst young people already part of a sporting club, and with quite a reputation from their former Middle School. At the gunshot, Sweetie Belle was the first to go. She wasn’t the fastest, but she gave everything. Knowing that Rarity was here to encourage her was pushing her to try her best. She wanted her big sister to be as proud of her as she could be to have her. Once her turn over, the young girl was in a sweat, her cheeks tinted of an aggressive red. Her first reflex was to raise her head towards the bleachers, from where she saw her sister apparently delighted from her performance. Soon, it was Apple Bloom’s turn to throw herself in the competition. Because she came from an athletic family, and she often helped the eldest in their work at the farm, she was nimbler than her friend. Her advantage was to have a better respiration, and a far better endurance, which permitted her to keep going and to be in a better shape at the end of her turn. She joined Sweetie Belle on a bench and encouraged Scootaloo with all her might, as she was the last to run. Out of the three, she was the most athletic one, and her ease on the track was the brightest of all proofs. The young girl also wanted to make a good impression on an eldest, and put a peculiar zeal in her race. Rainbow Dash was looking, and she wanted to match up to her legend – twenty-one seconds and fifty-four hundredth of a second at the two-thousand-meter race in tenth grade, namely the record for track and field race in High School. Once she reached the finish line, they were happy to note that they’d just beat the former class. Yet, everything wasn’t said and done. Ms. Prim Hemline’s class was the next to race. During the whole race, the three Crusaders held each other’s hands with their classmates, taking the shape of some kind of human frieze all along the edge of the field. The suspense was at its highest, and each heart was beating in unison as the last young runner reached the finish line. Seconds seemed to drop off with an incredible sluggishness, like a tape in slow motion. The second place position. Because of two seconds more. Their disappointment was big, though they all know they’d given everything they had inside. Their homeroom teacher’s shadow suddenly stood out in front of them, large and threatening, similar to that of evil spirits from scary movies. The features of his face had toughened again. Made of stone and metal. “I’m so disappointed for the girls. They really wanted to win.” “Bah don’t ya fret, Rar’, they’ll get well. And they gave everythin’ they had.” “What if we go there and comfort them?” Fluttershy suggested. “I’m sure they would like it.” “What a lovely idea!” “That’s also what I wanted us to do”, Rainbow Dash finished. Without another word, she turned her back on them, and started to go down the bleachers. The other girls looked at each other, shrugged, and followed her. Sunset Shimmer was the only one to be a bit lost… Since the morning, their friend was in a lukewarm mood, wavering between a certain kind of indifference and a passive aggressiveness she hadn’t seen yet. Was it because of her broken bracelet? It was annoying, but even so… In reality, though her bracelet problem was a worry for its incarnation of a negative sign, it wasn’t the main reason of her tension. This morning, when she had seen the date on her calendar, she had felt like a slap in her face. Her mother’s death anniversary was exactly in one month. Like every time, a weariness meddled within herself, gripping her from inside little by little until she felt as if chocking, and couldn’t control her grief anymore. However, this year, the feeling was particularly intense and tenacious. It came from the fact she’d realized that next year, it was going to be five years since her mother had passed away. Suddenly, appeared to her the undeniable fact that she would spend much time without her than she had spent being with her. And it hurt. It hurt like hell. If, to make matters worse, Soarin could stop making eyes at all those starry-eyed girls who supposedly wanted to talk to him about basketball, though in reality they surely wanted to slip their hands under his shirt, it would have helped her. Now wasn’t the right time to agonize over such a consideration. Maybe Applejack was right when she said that a boyfriend was more troubles ahead. Meanwhile, she had to help the Crusaders to get a bit of comfort. It wasn’t going to be easy. Herself couldn’t stand losing, and it was rare that she took that matter well. Lucky for her she wasn’t alone to complete this task. Her friends were here as well. Though she acted a bit cold-shouldered with them, Rainbow Dash was glad to know they were here. For many different reasons. The young girls’ class was hiding away near the benches sheltered from a large part of the audience. When the bunch of friends came closer, they saw a teacher dressed in a tracksuit with the colors of CHS, standing in front of the pupils, his hands on his hips. His voice, sharp like broken glass, resounded inside the alcove. “Second position. Second position?! You’re the shame of this school! Not even able to do something as simple as a relay race. I wonder what’s instead of your neurons… water, maybe. How could I teach anything to a bunch of bunglers such as you? You’ll never do anything with your life, I tell you. Who the hell did give me such a band of losers?” In the front line, the Crusaders kept their heads low, eyes staring at the ground. It broke Rarity’s heart when she saw tears appearing on her little sister’s eyelashes. This teacher was a real boor! No one had the right to talk this way to very young teenagers who were at an age when it was so easy to lose the confidence in any kind of field. She made a step forward in order to tell this lout her way of thinking, and was pleased to notice she was followed by the other girls. They couldn’t let it happen. And not only for their little sisters, but also for the other students of the class. “Who do you think you are to talk this way to these poor kids?” Rainbow Dash intervened first. The teacher turned around, his eyes full of belligerence. The student in front of him was small, and looked scornfully at him, with as much poise, in no instance impressed by his natural authority. A half-smile stood out on his face, before it disappeared. He had heard about this girl. An unstable spoiled brat boasting because she wasn’t bad at sports, but who always defied the adults. A young schemer who thought she was important but who was as silly as the others. She and her gang was everything he hated about young people of today, not enough obedient. With her chin up and her frown, did she try to make him understand that she wasn’t afraid of him? Fine, because he wasn’t afraid neither! Especially as he already knew he was going to have the whole gang in sports, and he already had decided he was going to give them a hard time. “Who do I think I am? And you, who do you think you are, you little chump? I talk the way I want to my students, and I don’t have to have my behavior dictated by a bunch of brainless critters.” “Be careful ‘bout what ya say to us”, Applejack replied. “The school rules say ya have to respect yar students.” “Learn how to talk properly before speaking to me again. Aren’t you able to form a complete phrase?” “Applejack’s got very good grades in English. It’s not her fault if she has an accent”, Pinkie Pie added. “So, you are the former juvenile delinquent, aren’t you? If I were you, I’d be very careful to what I say to my teachers. I’m sure you don’t want to be fired because of your lack of respect for the rules.” “This sounds like blackmail, sir…” “Sunset Shimmer, I presume? That’s perfect timing since you know a thing or two about blackmail.” “Are you thinking students are your footboard or something?” Mr. Caballeron set his attention on Rainbow Dash again, while Rarity, in shock, didn’t know what to say or to do anymore, since she wasn’t even a part of Canterlot High, and though she should have been the more immune of the six. Her friends were attacked, and here she stood, dumbfounded, unable to utter the least of words, even if they were swarming in her throat, looking for a way out. The man came closer to the teenage girl, still looking at him with defiance. He opened his mouth, ready to destroy her… “Mr. Caballeron”, the Vice-Principal Luna’s voice resounded behind the group. “It’s time for your class to receive the ribbon. Congratulations, by the way.” “Thanks, Ms. Luna”, he answered, upset of the interruption. The latter didn’t move from an inch until the teacher was far at the main lawn, followed by his whole class, with sad and wounded faces, far from what they should have looked like. She waited for everyone to be a bit in the front, before stopping Rarity, grabbing her arm. The former student had known the sisters only during her twelfth grade, when they took over the reins from their parents, yet, while this short amount of time, she managed to gather their sympathy. The fact chance had made her be friends with this particular band was a pleasant surprise for both Luna and Celestia, who saw her as some sort of guardian angel for the youngest. “When you’ll have a second, I’d like you to go to Twilight Sparkle’s class. Warn her something happened, and that the Student Board has to keep an eye on Mr. Caballeron. We hired him because of excellent results back in his High School in Manehattan, but we’re not a one hundred percent sure of the choice. Could you do this for me? We don’t want PTA to know, that’s why we need someone absolutely neutral.” “Yes, Miss Luna. I’m going to do it right now.” “Thanks a lot. The Guiding Class will have a break in something like three minutes.” After this, Rarity slipped out discreetly, while the Vice-Principal joined the lawn with the wide smile of the pleasant conversations, not to arouse curiosity. The young woman was going to miss the ribbons presentation, however, she didn’t think Sweetie Belle was going to mind much, at sight of the bitter taste of their victory. If the mission given to her could be a helping hand for her little sister’s future, and avoid that her fragile self-confidence would be crushed by this stupid sports teacher, then it was worth the sacrifice. First holding the handle with the preferred hand, the palm in front of yourself. Keep the thighs tight around the saddle. Stay focused. Relax the upper body, so that the weight of this part doesn’t become a disadvantage. Use the free hand for balance and think about transferring the body from one side or the other at the right moment. With a bit of practice, it wasn’t so difficult to master the mechanical bull. When those techniques were well known and there was no fall, to copy this same pattern on a living bull had nothing mysterious. Applejack did this since she was a little girl. Her parents had quickly noticed she had quite a gift for horse-riding and that she wasn’t afraid to fall or to get dirty. Naturally, she chose bull rodeo, while still helping her mother who liked to secure the cattle by herself – her family rose sheep, for the wool, and a few cows, for the milk. Aged nine, she took part in her first competition, where her strength and dexterity had astounded all the judges. Since this day, she climbed all the steps of the ladder until being the only competitor of less than nineteen to compete with adults. Her pretty face and her freckles had made her the darling of advertisers and sponsors, and they all fought every year to have her as their image, along with her being the muse of the familial products, which had reinforced her popularity. Though this sport had a certain reputation in Equestria, and generated significant incomes, it remained less prestigious than showjumping or horse race. It couldn’t be a real future prospect but rather an entertaining extra. That was the reason why Applejack had chosen to follow the same path than her brother, and to pursue studies in business and management. However, meanwhile, she could make the most of the fun and the pleasure of an activity she was really fond of. And she was making it fully, despite the fact it demanded a constant practice and a lot of diligence. When she was back from school, after she had hung around with the group, and before starting her homework, Applejack would go down in her private practice room where she had her own mechanical bull. First, she set the machine to the maximum, and decreased the level of difficulty little by little, before finishing with the fastest one. It allowed her to test her stability, and to improve it. As often as she could, Apple Bloom would come and watch her big sister. All that concerned rodeos and farm chores had not her interest like it did for her siblings, but she worshipped Applejack so much, seeing her as a role model thanks to her sense of honesty, her simplicity and her integrity, that she was fond of seeing her in action. The eldest also loved the attention, and tried hard to be a person regarded with respect and deference. After all, their little sister had no other parents than their grandmother to turn to in order to forge her image of what’s an adult supposed to be like. That she saw her siblings as some kind of substitutes sounded natural. However, tonight Applejack could see the young girl looked absent. She wasn’t even watching the mechanical bull, but rather seemed to be captivated by her shadow dancing on the room’s floor. Even when the machine started to get crazy and to fall was turning into a dangerous action, she didn’t clap her hands enthusiastically, her mouth wide opened and her eyes starry from excitement. Applejack did a sign for Big Macintosh to turn it off, and went off the bull to speak with her little sister. Even once she was in front of her, Apple Bloom didn’t react, still lost in thoughts. She had to snap fingers in front of her face for her to get out of her lethargy. Something might have happened… “What’s wrong, sugar cube? Ya got the face of when ya bite into a rotten apple.” “Nothing’s wrong, I swear”, the youngest answered. If she refused to tell her the truth, it wasn’t because she lacked trust in her. She knew Applejack wasn’t the kind to get carried away about what turned out to be an injustice. What bothered her was that the whole matter almost took a wrong turn on the previous day, if there hadn’t been Luna’s intervention, and she didn’t want to risk her sister’s reputation. At the same time, she had to admit her sister neither was the kind to be satisfied of such a big lie. Never, if she didn’t worry about anything, Apple Bloom would’ve lacked attention during one of Applejack’s practice. If she insisted in remaining speechless about the problem, she would be grilled until she would spill the beans. She sighed. Her desire to confess went stronger and stronger as the seconds passed, and her big sister tried to survey her with her eyes. “Can ya promise me ya won’t make an apple pie about it?” “Pinkie Promise!” Deep inside, Apple Bloom thought her eldest had clues about the issue. It wasn’t as if nothing special had happened lately. “In fact, since the Club Fair yesterday, Mr. Caballeron is even nastier with us. He been very mean with Scootaloo all day long…” “Why Scootaloo in particular?” “Cuz she been the last one to race and he thinks she’s Rainbow Dash’s sister. He always yells humiliatin’ things on her, like she’s a dimwit and stuff like that. We all scared of him so we don’t dare to say anythin’” The preteen girl had kept her head low during the whole confession, mesmerized by the floor as if it was the watch of some hypnotizers. To go into details about what the teacher said to her friends, especially to Scootaloo would hurt too much, so she had only revealed the visible part of the iceberg. All the same it was enough to increase Applejack’s anger. Today, they had a gym class with him and he had tried to exhaust them more than possible, especially taking it out on Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer, who were the pair he took the strongest dislike of. But none of them could escape, just like the rest of the class, who wondered what they had done to make this man so bitter. And it was only the beginning of the school year… There was no way they would sit by it. This last grade was too important, especially for those hoping a scholarship in sports. If no one did anything, the whole class’ future would be compromised and the ninth grade’s self-confidence was going to be crushed and buried into earth, before it could even bloom normally. If he wanted to play, he didn’t know yet against who he was taking a bet.
Troublemaker (part 3)On this Thursday night, the Bellehorse Bar was almost only filled with students, and with young working persons wearing suits and ties. The television showed a polo match, which was a rather popular sport with the petty bourgeoisie, and no one really paid attention to it. In the background, music wasn’t aggressive, and purred like the sound of an engine. The dancefloor was as empty as the VIP corner. The gang had thought the place to be neutral enough for a little crisis meeting. Their conversations meddled with these of the others, no one would pay attention to what they would be talking about, while at any of them houses was taking the risk that a parent would listen – except maybe at Rainbow Dash’s but her neighborhood was too far for a week night. The latter, precisely, had arrived late, accompanied with Soarin. Ever since, she hadn’t unclenched her jaw, and only took part with groans and monosyllabic answers. That her boyfriend had been approached by a girl from his College, a Wondercolts’ fan, wasn’t the detail that was going to fix up her black humor. Sunset Shimmer had been warned not to pay attention to her. She would get over it. All she had to do was to avoid to upset her, and to wait for the situation to improve by itself. Quickly after they ordered their drinks, they struck up a feverish conversation about Mr. Caballeron. The fact he mistreated the Crusaders’ whole class, and in particular Scootaloo, was the final straw. They were tough, they could take the blows so far as possible… But the youngest ones, who still were fragile and some kind of work in progress, would risk never to get over something so cruel. “Rarity warned me Vice-Principal Luna asked the Students Board to keep an eye on him”, Twilight sighed. “The problem is that we need proofs if we want to start a procedure against a teacher, and even with these, nothing tells us PTA is going to agree to act.” “So what? Are we goin’ to let our lil’ sis sufferin’? Am sorry but Ah can’t do that.” “I haven’t said that. I’m only bringing the precision that it’s going to be very thorny, even with proofs.” “Well, what if we take charge of these proofs first?” Sunset Shimmer suggested. “Which kind would they need?” “Maybe a recording…” “No way. Smartphones are forbidden during his course, and we can’t hide one with our sports uniforms anyway.” “Can’t we hide sumethin’ in our bra? I doubt he’d check around there.” “Why not in our panties while we’re at it?” Pinkie Pie questioned, laughing. “Oh, maybe I could hide a loudspeaker in my hair!” “I think the word you’re looking for is ‘a tape recorder’, Pinkie Pie. A loudspeaker is meant to scream.” “Silly me, I always get them mixed up”, she giggled. “I’m going to have my period… I tell him my stomach aches, and I record what he says before the course begins”, Rainbow Dash finally intervened. Observing Soarin from the corner of her eyes had her so much on pins and needles that she thought taking part in the conversation she was here for would be a good way to soothe her stress. It was hard, since she could hear the silly goose he was chatting with from where she stood. “Why not?” Twilight answered. “But nothing tells us he’s going to believe you. We need a plan B, just in case.” “Well, I don’t know, it was nothing but a suggestion.” She shrugged and drank a long swallow from her beer, under the flabbergasted eyes of her friends. Obviously, though the situation irritated her too, too much couldn’t be expected from her tonight. It would be no use to make a comment about it. And so, none of the girls picked up on what Rainbow Dash had said, rather looking for a potential plan B suggested by Twilight. “Wouldn’t that be easier if it were Apple Bloom recording?” Sunset Shimmer suggested as well. “Didn’t you say she has Mr. Caballeron as her lifestyle teacher, Applejack?” “It’s true. She just has not to be caught red-handed, and this isn’t goin’ to be a slice of apple pie!” “Indeed, but if Apple Bloom is caught in the act by Mr. Caballeron, things could get worse”, Twilight consented. “Oh, I know”, Pinkie Pie said, bouncing on her seat. “Let’s pour pentothal in a cake, make him eat the cake, and then interrogate him in the girls’ locker room.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. The rest of the band looked at each other for a couple of seconds, puzzled, and then burst out laughing. Pinkie Pie, easily entertained, also laughed heartily. In reality, she hadn’t said this in order to cheer her friends up, but because she thought this would be a good solution, in all honesty. When Soarin returned to the couch, he was surprised to see everyone falling about laughing. According to what Rainbow Dash told him before they met the gang at the bar, they were here to discuss about a teacher who made their lives hard. He hadn’t expected the mood to be so relaxed. “Looks like things aren’t that bad”, he said with a smile. “Not at all!” Rainbow Dash hurled, drier than a day of heatwave. “But you would know it if you’d been there from the beginning.” And so, as suddenly as it had started, the four friends’ giggles stopped. They all looked at their glasses, no longer daring to talk about the main topic. What they hoped for now was for Soarin not to insist or they knew what would happen. In front of this deadly silence, Soarin hailed a waiter and asked for a glass of fizzy water. By his side, he could see his girlfriend finishing her bottle of beer in one gulp, before screaming that she would have another of this. Without going into the details of what had caused that, she already had confessed to him that her liver was damaged and she needed to avoid to drink too often. It was a weekday. She had school on the next morning. And yet, she wasn’t reasonable. Alright, the matter with this teacher seemed to be very tough, but according to him, this wasn’t a reason to get drunk the way she did, especially as she had to hit the road to get home, and she couldn’t permit herself to leave her scooter around here, like when they first went there together. One beer should have been enough. “Maybe you shouldn’t be drinking on a night before school”, he whispered. She turned dark eyes to him, teeth clenched, and for a second he thought her look was going to kill him. Obviously, he just made a mistake with his piece of advice, given without the least of bad intentions. In no way, had he tried to lecture her, or to tell her how to behave. Except she didn’t know about that. And it was too late. The harm had been done. If only her words to remain strangled inside her throat… No way. Her bile was getting up, impossible to fight. Soon, it was going to be out, spit of words, sharp like broken glass. “And maybe you should go f*ck yourself!” Rainbow Dash grabbed her coat, her bag, and without a word for anyone, left the bar on the run. Never before had she talked to him this way. Even back when they argued as children, she never had words that harsh. He hadn’t expected something like that. From cold, the mood became arctic. Everyone was so dumbstruck that none of them dared to move, not even Soarin. When he decided to follow her, apologizing to the band, he met face to face with the almost empty sidewalks of the surroundings. No Rainbow Dash around. Something might have happened. Something he had said or done before. There was no way she could get that mad at him this way for no reason whatsoever. This wasn’t the way they were together. They were on the same exclusive wavelength, two fingers of the same hand. Friends as much as lovers. Rainbow Dash didn’t appear at the two first classes of the morning. She didn’t neither answered Applejack’s, Pinkie Pie’s, Sunset Shimmer’s, or even Fluttershy’s messages, who the friends had told everything about the previous night. It never happened before for her to skip school one month before her mother’s death anniversary. Until then, she always came, dragging around her inconsistent mood, and she hadn’t played hooky since her return from Green Haven. This was what Applejack feared the most with her absence. During her depression, it happened that she missed whole days of school, sometimes she left in the middle of the day or only appeared on the afternoon. She was always either stoical or tensed, and could burst out crying at the most unexpected moment. When she accepted to go somewhere with her and Twilight, which was rare, and was gained through endless negotiations, she was almost neurasthenic, smiling little, if not at all, and wavering between constant shrugs and high-level stress. Her friends had enough things on their mind with the imminent gym class to worry about Rainbow Dash’s mental health. Although it was difficult, she had to keep her worries to herself. If what she feared happened to be real, then she would tell it to the girls. And so, she was somewhat relieved to see her best friend stepping inside the locker room, while they were changing clothes before the gym class to start. She looked neither as overwhelmed or nervous as on the previous night, and came closer to the bench where her gang was with hesitant steps, a bit like a scared child on the first day of school. “I’m sorry, girls… about last night. And about the other days as well. I really wasn’t cool at all, sorry. Lately I’ve realized that soon my mother will be dead for five years and it made me edgy. But I’m feeling better now. I’ve taken a quarter of Zoloft, it did me good. I shouldn’t have left the way I did, could you guys forgive me?” For the first time, she told Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy aloud the fact she sometimes needed to have tranquilizers, each time she could feel something coming up to the surface. It was hard to confess for someone as proud as her. If she spoke up, it was because she was feeling secured and knew she wouldn’t be judged. Without planning anything, each of the girls got up at the same time and stepped closer in order to hold her in their arms. This way, Rainbow Dash understood her friends indeed forgave her. As far as the other important person in her life was concerned… Well, she hadn’t answered to any of his messages neither, too ashamed to know what to say. He would have to wait until the next day, on his university’s open house. “I got something to cheer you up”, Fluttershy confessed, searching through her bag after the group had parted and said how much they loved each other. She took out Rainbow Dash’s friendship bracelet, which clasp she’d been able to fix up. The jewel seemed like new, and by way of appreciation, she received another hug from her friend. “Thanks. You don’t know how happy I am to have it back. Being without it felt like being deprived of an organ, I swear it’s true.” “I’m happy that you’re happy. I poured my heart in it.” As the locker room was now empty, the girls stayed with Rainbow Dash while she changed her clothes. They’d probably be late, and with Mr. Caballeron in charge, there was no doubt that the reception wasn’t going to be friendly. It scared Fluttershy a little, of course, but she thought that with her friends to support her, she could get well without scrapes. On the previous night, they had arrived to the conclusion that the best to do was to make Sweetie Belle record the teacher’s speech, rather than Apple Bloom, since her bond with Rarity, whom he didn’t know and didn’t intervene, would have less consequences on the rest of the mission. Meanwhile, they had to put up with him, without being doormats nor shaking him like some soda can. On their way to the class, the group stopped once again, this time at the washroom. Once again, it was because Rainbow Dash had a problem. But at least it would be a good excuse to explain why they were late. Since the weather was still mild, this year’s gym program started with athletics. It complicated Mr. Caballeron’s task a little since it was one of the flagship discipline for the students he took a dislike to. To ridicule her or to humiliate her because of her capacity was impossible. He had to wear her out, to make her regret her poise, and to push her at the end of her physical limits. As soon as they arrived on the athletics field, he stood in front of them, both fists on his hips – one of his favorite intimidation pose – towering them with the most severe look he was able to perform. “You’re at least ten minutes late! I can give detention to you all for a whole week because of this, you know.” “No, you can’t! The school rules state a punishment has to be equal to the committed misdeed.” “You answer back again, Sunset Shimmer, and it’s going to be two weeks of detention.” “I needed a tampon so we went to the washroom. What? You’d prefer that I’d spew blood everywhere?” This image wasn’t really appealing; she was aware of that. She didn’t care, and even, she’d done it on purpose. There was no need to act nice with Mr. Caballeron. He wasn’t the kind to soften when in front of someone harmless, conversely. The least of weaknesses let him know there was something to crush under his giant feet. “Are you trying to say that you need to be five just for a matter of periods? You’re f*cking kidding me! Just because your father’s a part of PTA doesn’t mean you can do anything you want.” “And just because you’re a teacher doesn’t mean you can talk to us like we’re shit. We’re not your doormats!” After these words, Rainbow Dash skirted Mr. Caballeron, with the intention to go and throw some javelins far from him before the situation would become even worse. “Come back here, I’m not done with you yet!” Mr. Caballeron grabbed the young girl’s wrist, and twisted her arm to the extent that she couldn’t help but yelp from pain. At the same time, the brand new clasp of her bracelet gave in again, and each of the items fell on the lawn. Rainbow Dash wanted to take them back, but her teacher kept on gripping her arm, and pulled her towards him for her not to move. “You are going to stop talking to me this way, or I swear I’m going to make you regret it, you f*cking jerk!” “And how are you going to make her regret it?” Sunset Shimmer questioned, arms crossed and eyes dark. “We’re all witnesses”, Applejack went on. “You insulted and threatened her.” Fluttershy, hiding behind her classmates, didn’t dare taking part in it, scared to become another one of Mr. Caballeron’s target. If it ever happened, she could never go through it without crying… However, she noticed that a part of the other students around were watching as well, and some kind of silence numbed their air. Cornered, the teacher immediately let go Rainbow Dash’s arm who, once freed, immediately leaned over in order to gather the pieces of her bracelet, with tears in her eyes. “If that’s the way it is, you… You’re going to spend the whole class running around the track.” “As if it was a punition.” He opened his mouth, but in front of the blaming looks, he beat in retreat and went to the benches, where he knocked over one of the ice buckets where were bottles of water for the students. This violent gesture made everyone jump and made understand to those who hadn’t been a part of the argument that in no way he would let things the way they were. It wasn’t over yet. His authority had been driven into a corner, and though the teacher knew today’s game was lost for him, he also knew he would have the last word. In this merciless war, he was going to be the celebrated winner. It wasn’t a bunch of brainless brats who would scrap him. They would see. All of them. They would see. And in particular the young jackanapes named Rainbow Dash, and her stupid little sister, Scootaloo. “You did good to tell me about it. We have to do something and quick!” Twilight couldn’t believe what she just heard. Superintendence was right to stay wary of Mr. Caballeron. This heinous character had nothing to do in teaching. A teacher was supposed to be a role model, a life guide, and to teach how to survive in the adult’s world, thanks to knowledge. At least it was the image she always had of the job. Pity that her friends had no proof of the altercation. Even with the other students’ testimonies, it was going to be quite little in the balance of PTA justice. They needed something, anything, in order to react and to cut the slaughter short before it was too late. It had completely taken away her excitement from visiting Canterlot University. The College was known as Equestria’s most prestigious institution of knowledge, and one of the widest campus of the world, which range of proposed disciplines could make you feel dizzy. Yet, the prospect of this day had formed the pattern of her week. To enter the Guiding Class had been her ambition from her very first day at CHS. Now that it was her reality, she realized how much studies weren’t the only thing that mattered in her life, conversely to what she always thought. To be parted from her friends, in a room where almost no one spoke to her, and where the only things the pupil took care of were their books, reminded her who she used to be a little too much. She had changed since she knew them. Of course, studies still were her number one passion. However, she felt concerned about other things. Hanging around with her friends, even if it was to argue, even if it was to talk about things that were no affair of state, it also mattered to her. Despite it all, when the group finally arrived in front of the campus, Twilight couldn’t help stars from hanging at her eyes. She slowed down, opened her mouth wide, like a child in front of a giant Christmas tree. The green lawn, perfectly mowed, attracted rays of sun like nothing else. The stone paths were clean and roomy… And what about the buildings? She couldn’t believe it. Made with white and red bricks, which the highest towers caressed the clouds in the sky, they were inches and inches long, with inner courtyards pierced by arches looking out over the rest of the yard. All the stressing affairs of this first week of class was forgotten. She couldn’t wait to explore it all… to see the library, the science rooms. High School had been impressive, but College was something else. Everything she always dreamed of. The place was swarming with students and teachers, and activities were proposed to the high school’s students that had been invited. Twilight didn’t know where to start. And she wasn’t the only one! Pinkie Pie was almost drooling from envy in front of this audience of mature and seemingly intelligent boys, and Rainbow Dash couldn’t wait to talk with members of the sports teams. She wondered where her boyfriend could be… “Well, Ah offer ya sumethin’”, Applejack told her friends. “No more talkin’ ‘bout Mr. Caballeron today and we’ll make the most of this day. What dya think?” They all answered it was a very good idea, before gathering their hands to yell their team cheer that surprised some of the students passing them by. Quickly, however, it seemed obvious that each had different focus of attention and desires. The next thing they offered then was to part in smaller groups and to meet in two hours in order to take stock of the situation and to go a few activities all together. Everyone nodded. Since her earliest childhood, Fluttershy knew she wanted to be a vet. Canterlot University offered a program in life sciences, which gave access to the competitive exams of the vet specialized schools. It was for her that her family had decided to move to Canterlot, so she wouldn’t be alone in an unknown city when she would be in age. Like her, Applejack already knew what she wanted to learn. She had made inquiries years in advance, and thanks to Big Macintosh, knew exactly everything she’d have to do to get enrolled, and all the offered course unit of the campus for Business and Management. So, they both went together… For these reasons, but also in order to find the pretty blond girl’s big brother. Fluttershy held hope of spending a bit of time with the boy she was in love with. There were no hidden reasons and she had imagined nothing special. All she wanted was to be by his side, to know whether he hated her or not, and whether he could enjoy to be by her side. As far as Sunset Shimmer and Twilight were concerned, they shared the same interest in experimentations, chemistry, mathematics and astronomy. They both teamed up to visit the College’s scientific hub, as excited as if they were going to the gig of the century. Last but not least, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash launched together an attack on sports teams and clubs. They also both knew they would better look for a discipline to be enrolled in first, being the only ones who hadn’t planned their future a long while ago. Although Pinkie Pie had envisioned something in communication, with the intention of turning her taste for parties into something real. To be honest, the latter was here especially for the boys. She was very envious of Rainbow Dash and Soarin, and wanted to fall in love for good. The boyfriends she had until then only been nice little flirts, and she didn’t have the chance to experience a real love story yet. There might be someone that was made for her. Someone kind and fun. Able to follow her lead. One of her problems was that when a boy did like her, she couldn’t even notice. No matter how much she liked members of the so-called stronger sex, there were so many things on her mind she could hardly interpret gestures and looks. Maybe someone she knew well secretly loved her, and she was passing him by. The young woman couldn’t stop dragging her friend from one stall to another, speaking to everyone, and gathering all the pamphlets she could. Each time, Rainbow Dash displayed a tensed smile, after looking around by wringing her neck. Although she was here in order to discover the campus, she also was looking for Soarin. They both hadn’t made up yet. She wanted to apologize, to tell him how she regretted she’d talked to him this way, and to explain what was stressing her. He had been so nice and patient with her, she had no right to treat him that bad, just because she was feeling nervous and didn’t like him to have so many fans. After all, it was rather flattering to know her boyfriend was idolized. It meant she had good tastes. Unfortunately, the young man never was in her field of vision. It was as if he’d vanished away from the face of earth, and everything was in action so she wouldn’t be able to tell him about her remorse. Of course, all it would took was a message on his phone, but as she hadn’t answered his latest ones, she thought it to be strange and daring. Although, maybe, if she specified that she wanted to apologize… No. Never keep a trace of a moment of weakness. Someone patted her shoulder, and Rainbow Dash almost could’ve been knocked over with a feather when she discovered the face of her ex-boyfriend, along with her other ex-boyfriend. What were they doing together? They never been friends, and even barely acquaintances! If Pinkie Pie displayed a wide delighted smile, she wanted to bury herself inside a hole like a mouse fleeing from granules of rat poison. “Holy cow! Rainbow Dash!” One of them said. “Still cute as can be, my goodness!” It was supposed to be a compliment. Surely. But Tornado could wrap his words in all the glucose of the world, she couldn’t forget what the boy who had just spoken told her on the day they parted: ‘sleeping with you feels like making love to a plank of wood!’ “How come you two became good friends?” she asked, mumbling. “We met in the same Economics and Management class, and it happened we had someone in common”, Fireball answered, slipping his hands into his short purple hair. They exchanged a knowing look, and Rainbow Dash knew it was a hint about herself. So, these two had finally became close because they both had dated her and both experimented her lack of interest for sex? It was just her luck to be on their way at a moment when everything in her life seemed to be going awry, and Soarin and her were on bad terms. The first one of them, Tornado, was part of her baseball team in ninth grade. He was two years older than her, and all the girls used to be crazy for him. Because she was the only one to display no interest whatsoever in his pretty face and muscles, he courted her constantly until she gave in. He had been her first one, and the experience took a turn for the worse. Their separation happened in screams and stained her ninth grade in CHS with a particular mark. It was on this day he had struck her with his little killer comment that she’d never been able to forget. On the next year, Fireball appeared in front of her. He was the same age than her former boyfriend, but wasn’t part of the same clubs or classes. He had a sweet smile, was fond of athletics and old cinema, just like her. He was the one who kissed her and who said he was in love with her. Unfortunately, like Tornado before, sex was what ruined their relationship. The young man wanted to make love each time they saw each other and couldn’t stand for her to reject him. Irritated by his lack of patience and understanding, this time it was Rainbow Dash who took the decision that they should part. And then, he revealed his real face – the one of the demon. To see them again, knowing they were now friends didn’t delight her at all. She could hear them from here, busy comparing their sexual prowess, in order to know which one of the two made what best. Just to think about it made her want to puke her cheese macaroni. While Fireball was shamelessly starting to hit on Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash was wringing her neck and pulling herself on her tiptoes, hoping she would take a glimpse at Soarin’s tall and athletic figure. Tornado was talking to her, yet none of his words seemed to print into her mind. She had to run away… Far. The farthest she could. “What do you think about it?” the young man’s voice with sugary accents asked. She shook her head and looked up, with wide lost eyes. “Excuse me… What were you saying?” “We could both show you and your friend the campus. There’s nothing better than a student already enrolled to explain everything.” This invitation, if it could seem attractive to Pinkie Pie, was the height of horror for Rainbow Dash. In order to please her best friend, she could make an effort… But no. That was behind her. A smile appeared on her lips as she saw her savior in the crowd, with his dark blue messy hair clumsily pushed back from his face, and his peaceful attitude that always made her stomach and heart warmer. Finally, she was going to be able to send the two boys packing, and to warn Pinkie Pie it was a really bad idea to let herself get charmed by Fireball. This guy was a real oaf! He maybe was cute and husky but he didn’t have a single clue about interpersonal relationships. Her smile nevertheless melted down when she saw Soarin approaching, and she realized he was surrounded by girls. Still these cursed groupies! Couldn’t they let him breath? And… couldn’t he let them know he wasn’t interested? Why did he always have to be nice with everyone? In all honesty, the real problem wasn’t for him to behave nicely with other girls. It all took root in a much deeper fear, on which she never went into details. These girls had something she didn’t have, something she wasn’t sure to be able to give to Soarin. And he was human, after all. Of course, since she never told him about it, he couldn’t guess… But right now she was blinded by deception. She would never shut her two exes up with a boyfriend surrounded by nymphets… If that was the way it was, he would see how it felt like. Rainbow Dash already showed him a picture of the boys. He knew who they were. She made sure he noticed her, and at the moment he put his eyes on her, she turned to Tornado, grabbed his arm and displayed a beguiling smile which she didn’t even know she was able to make. “You know what? That’s a wonderful idea! Show me your gymnasium and locker rooms.” Her former boyfriend rose his neck, triumphant. While she was going toward the back of the campus with the two boys and Pinkie Pie, she turned around to catch a glimpse at her current boyfriend. The way he was staring at her, with a mix of deaf bitterness she knew too well, broke her heart. Too bad for him. She hadn’t come here in order to worsen their situation, but he had it coming.
Troublemaker (part 4)Author's Note Yes! We're Saturday (or Sunday for some of you) and there's a new part of the story published. That's because this chapter is one of the longest of the story, so I thought it would be faster this way Unless, you prefer the story to be published on Sundays/Saturdays? Troublemaker (part 4) It seemed to the girls that only a hundreds of persons could be on the list of the invited pupils to the open house. Caught in the excitement, they all forgot this was the rule only for their school and Crystal Prep. Students from the other cities could come in an unlimited number and some even arrived on fully-packed buses. Because of this, Fluttershy and Applejack had to move through a dense crowd, so noisy it seemed as though they’d never be able to speak in peace. To find where Big Macintosh could be wasn’t an easy task. Indeed, stands weren’t distributed according to the field of studies, but according to each availability and fondness. Of course, they were able to find students hosting an activity about the animal shelter where Fluttershy sometimes worked as a volunteer. They also got the chance to speak with a rodeo amateur who recognized Applejack. However, one of the young girls was a bit hungry for more. She had imagined herself, chatting with him on the campus’ green lawns. They would have shut themselves away, and he would have explained her everything she needed to know. Maybe with a bit of luck, she could even have renewed her confession, and this time, he would have answer positively, though deep inside, she doubted things could change so quickly. If she couldn’t find him at all, anyway, nothing would be happening. Yet, he’d assured to his sister he’d host an activity today. It meant he probably was somewhere around, and they hadn’t searched hard enough yet. When Applejack nudged her, showing something with her chin at the same time, her panicked eyes got lost for a handful of seconds… And finally, a wide smile, uncontrollable, appeared on her face. His stand was so crowded they probably had passed it by and missed it earlier today. An even more dense crowd was pressed against the table with canopy he’d erected on this side of the main yard. On the banner right above his head, drinks and pastries were painted. Beside him, another boy, with brown hair and blue eyes, that Applejack thought she already had seen before, was talking in a loudspeaker, as if hoping to attract more people, though getting to the stand already was difficult. To open up the way through this flood of people, it was a whole strategy. Fluttershy couldn’t count how many persons stepped on her feet, pushed her shoulders, back, or even knocked her head. She apologized every time, as if she was the blame, and Applejack couldn’t find enough courage to tell her it was better to tell all those rude ones to go to hell. “Ah thought we’d never get there”, she told her big brother once she and her friends had arrived. “True it’s crowded”, Big Macintosh answered. “Hello, Fluttershy.” “Hello…” She wished she could help blushing, but she couldn’t. All he had done was to greet her, there was nothing to swoon for! Sometimes, when she reacted so disproportionally, she hated herself. He wasn’t going to change his mind about her if she kept on behaving like a small critter intimated by anything. “Dya know Caramel, AJ? He used to live in our neighborhood…” “Yeah, I do remember! Hi”, she said with a small wave of her hand. “Hi”, the young man answered before taking back his loudspeaker. Applejack could see Fluttershy was expecting something… But how could she make sure she’d be alone with Big Macintosh with such a huge crowd? Food and free drinks on such a sunny day? Nothing surprising in the success of their stand! There might be a way to get him away from here, even for a few minutes. Ah, yes, there was one. She didn’t even need to look for some far-fetched or forced explanation, the way she did last summer. This time, there was no chance for Big Macintosh to get suspicious. “Hey, big bro, can Ah try that stuff? This way, Ah could do it next year if Ah like it.” He seemed to be thinking for a few seconds, his eyes going from Applejack to Fluttershy, then to Caramel. When the latter nodded with a thumb up, then he answered to Applejack’s request with his classical ‘eeyup’. After they traded their place, and she had worn his apron, a bit too large for her, Big Macintosh found himself next to her friend, who couldn’t believe how lucky she was, but tried hard not to let show how fast her heart was beating, and how damp her hands were. The young man explained his sister where to find the stock and in what dose to pour the apple juice in the glass, then he offered Fluttershy to visit the surroundings. She accepted without further ado, and less than one minute later, they were both waving goodbye. He started to show her where the sciences building was, explaining that in her case, she would never have to attend the same class than students in chemistry, physics, astronomy, etcetera. Then, he chose to bring her to the dormitories, all split a bit everywhere on the campus. She knew the young man was as shy as her and was surprise he was feeling so at ease with her that he hardly couldn’t stop speaking. For all that, she didn’t want to delude herself. Maybe it meant he regarded her as a very good friend, which already was amazingly lucky. To finish this little improvised visit, Big Macintosh decided to show her the tower from which was aired the university’s channel. It was located at the top of the building, and from the last floor with a complete bay-view window all around, there was an unobstructed view on the city. It was a sight she would be delighted of. Plus, the place was rather intimate and he have an idea that she didn’t like sites that were noisy and swarming with people. She was a calm personality, not fragile but very sensitive. Softness and kindness were two of her main qualities, and she had many. And she was a very pretty girl, with it… As they were getting to the ultimate floor, after a short journey in the elevator where they ceased to speak or to look at each other, as soon as she saw the whole city at her feet, Fluttershy couldn’t stop her eyes from shining. It was stunning! All Canterlot was visible, even beyond the Royal Palace. She could even have a glimpse at her area, and the Apples’ farm, at the farthest end. And, though she suffered from fear of heights usually, here she was able to lower her head without feeling nauseous. He knew this view by heart. On the other hand, he had never seen Fluttershy as marveled yet. Really, she was a delight. The kind of girl to be beautiful without the least of efforts, just by being herself. The kind of girl that was being presented as the ideal that any normal men wanted to be with. Another would probably had taken his chance in front of a confession from her. And here he was being finicky, just because she didn’t fit his requirements. It was probably stupid. He knew couples that had formed though one of the person wasn’t at all the type of the other. A lot of them were working just fine, and some even were solider. Fluttershy suddenly felt his eyes on her. Once again, she blushed, unable to do otherwise. He smiled at her… And she relaxed. If it didn’t get on his nerves, then it already was a good thing. There was something like stuck inside her throat, asking her to get out. She tried to hold it back, memory of the previous time still fresh in her mind. Her heart would never cope with being rejected again. Yet, something seemed to be slowly getting up, knocking against her vocal chords for her to let it out. Clenching her eyes and fists with all her might didn’t slow it down, no matter how hard she tried. And, Big Macintosh was looking at her in a funny way when she did this. He would take her for a real moron if she went on! “I know you already told me I wasn’t your type of girl, and I came to term with it. But… I’m unable to kill my feelings for you. Yet, I did my best. But it’s impossible. Even if you can’t or don’t want to answer, you have to know it. If I keep it all for me, my heart’s going to explode. I love you, that’s the way things are. Sorry. I just can’t help.” She hated herself. She hated herself because she let it out, that something. Now, not only did Big Macintosh think she was an idiot, but he’d also think she was a nuisance with it, and couldn’t take “no” for an answer. The damage was done, but she regretted. Oh, how she regretted! She could never look into his eyes again, if at all. So, her heart skipped a few beats when he put his hand on her shoulder, and the other under her chin, in order to lift up her face. A tender smile was floating on his own face, and he had plunged his green irises into hers, of a turquoise like a gemstone. Of course, it had nothing of the intensity into Soarin’s eyes when he was looking at Rainbow Dash… But it already was the beginning of something. All she hoped now was that his words would fit his actions, and he wouldn’t repeat what he told her back in Fillydelphia. “Imma gonna be honest with ya. Ah don’t think Am in love…” It hurt. Fluttershy had wanted to get her body and face out of his hands, now burning her like scalding metal. If it was to say such things, he didn’t have to act nicely. It almost was more painful this way. “And Am not really good at sayin’ stuff like that so don’t be mad at me if Am a lil’ clumsy. Ah think ya have a lot of great qualities. Ah could look at yar face for hours without bein’ weary cuz yar the prettiest gal Ah ever known. Ah can’t guarantee Ah’ll give ya what ya expect or Ah’ll make ya happy, but… Maybe we could try. Who knows? Maybe two shy persons together, it’s like minus plus minus, and we’re gonna defeat our flaw thanks to bein’ you and me.” Now, it was as though no words could ever come out of her mouth. Fluttershy was in the middle of a dream. Had he just said he wanted to be with her after all? Though he had said he wasn’t in love with her, it truly was what his words meant. She tried to suppress the tears coming in her eyes, but couldn’t. They weren’t sad, but happy tears, after all. Nothing to be ashamed of. Her heart beat faster when she saw him leaning. Fluttershy hoped for a kiss, while being a bit scared… When finally, he put a peck against her forehead, she was almost reassured. It was a good compromise. And, he wasn’t about to heal from his shyness by magic, just like she wouldn’t too. While they were going away together after looking at the Canterlot’s view for a while, unaware of time going by, she was feeling as if walking on air. Though they didn’t hold each other hands, the fact of being side by side while knowing that she could now call him her boyfriend, it was a delightful sensation, even better than everything she had imagined. It was worth the tears, all those nights filled with hope. It was worth the journey through the campus, and everything that had happened until this very moment. She could never forget this wonderful day. It was a day to end up on the scrap heap. Maybe not one of the worse, but definitely one of these days when nothing goes right. It was in the same movement that this all crappy week, anyway. From the moment her bracelet broke, she knew things would turn out badly. To meet face to face with her exes and to discover they now were friends had been the disgusting boozy cherry on top of the failed pie. In all honesty, she would rather climb into a plane on the verge of crashing than spending time with them. Meaningful, when her phobia was known. She hadn’t planned to stay in their company. But seeing Soarin once again surrounded by girls had pushed her to make this enormous mistake. Now, she knew her lesson, and she wouldn’t do the same mistake again. It was outrageous to notice how neither of them had changed. College hadn’t made them more mature or intelligent. It was wonder what she found in them, out of their good appearance. Undoubtedly some kind of boasting side, which she identified with. At least, now she understood what she really needed in a relationship. She didn’t need a perfect reflection of herself, but someone who’d she shared things sometimes a bit far from who she was, someone able to blow on her embers in order to stop her from burning everything on her way. She needed Soarin, that was all there was to know. He was the only one who knew her good enough to know when she needed to be channeled, but imposing nothing, just by being himself. He was the only one who knew her deeply, beyond her image of braggart, also accepting what lied under the surface, even ugliness, weakness and fear. When, as she was walking with him, Fireball and Pinkie Pie, between the locker room of the lacrosse team, Tornado wrapped an arm around her shoulders the way he used to do back when they were dating, she knew it was about time to put an end to the masquerade. Her love story with the young man had only lasted for one semester, but she had learned to know him and his reactions. Each time he tried to get closer to her, it was because he wanted to make love. And each time, her body had tensed completely, and this time wasn’t an exception. She had used the excuse of an urgent need to go to the bathroom in order to take away Pinkie Pie. In the washroom, she had warned her best friend about her intentions – she didn’t plan to meet them. She also had explained her how dating Fireball would be a bad idea, refreshing her memories about the way they broke up. When Pinkie Pie had sent the young man a message to tell him she was feeling sick and wanted to go back home, he answered her with an insult. QED. The moment they had to meet the rest of the group approached, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t feeling good, and chose instead that her friend tell them she’d meet them later downtown. With her inconsistent mood, she was too scared to say something she would regret. It was better if she could calm down for a while before going. Canterlot University’s basketball room was twice bigger than CHS’. It might be so thrilling to play here! However, she would never get this chance. In High School, everything still was possible, but university basketball was way too important to hope rules would be knocked down especially for her. No team would ever hire a backcourt player of less than 5,24 feet, no matter how gifted she was. Rainbow Dash took a ball lying around the floor, and made a few dribbles, for no reason. In the middle of the field, she tried to score a basket, and unsurprisingly, her ball missed the net of something like 3 feet. Steps resounded behind her, and she turned around, ready to mumble apologies if it happened to be someone from the College, here to call her to order. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she realized that someone was no one else but Soarin. They stared at each other for a while, unsure of what to say. Something told her she might as well run into his arms, telling him how sorry she was about everything, but on the other hand, her pride whispered to her it was all his fault after all. She didn’t want to let that bad part of her win. Really, she didn’t. Yet, it was the side which won, and turning her back on him in order to get the ball back, she hit him with her biting question with a harsh voice. “Did you have fun?” Immediately, she bit her bottom lip, regretting she had given in. Of course, since her back was on him, he couldn’t see it. “I could ask you the same thing, with your exes and all…” Alright, she had it coming. However, this bitter answer drove her in another corner, and when she turned around in order to face him, there were flames in her eyes. Hostilities were about to happen. May the best team win! “At least, I’m not always surrounded by skanks strutting at my feet. Soon you’ll be able to have your very own harem.” “So, you’re going to lay all the responsibilities on me?! I can’t believe it!” “Ah, because I’m the one who started, maybe?” “Started? Can you hear what you’re saying?! We’re no longer five, you know.” It wasn’t right. And even, it wasn’t going to fix things up. But she couldn’t control her words and gestures anymore… With an abrupt move, she threw the ball in her hands straight into his face, and thankfully, he was able to avoid it on time. It probably wouldn’t have miss its target if he didn’t have such good reflexes. “Since you think I’m so immature, just take off. Come on, I’m not holding you back.” “I never said you were immature… But sh*t, you’re treating me as if I’ve cheated on you, or something like this! I’m only being nice with people who’re nice to me as well. What the hell are you expecting from me?” “I don’t know, maybe you not to behave as if you were single.” “I’m not behaving as if I were single. You’re the one who sees things this way. I can’t reject everyone, just because I’m dating you. And frankly, how dare you lecture me when you’ve strutted with your exes all over my campus?!” “I did this because of you, if you really want to know.” A clearing of throat stopped them. Soarin recognized Wave Chill, a Wondercolt, the one he had made a favor to by taking his place at the climbing facility, and thanks to who, in a certain way, he had been able to find Rainbow Dash. So many times had he thanked him for this gift from above… Far from having regrets, conversely, the young man wondered how did they get there while one week ago everything was perfect between them. By the way his girlfriend looked at his teammate, a way telling him he’d better get the hell out of here as soon as possible, Soarin knew this chance of a truce wasn’t going to come true. She was determined to duke it out. “Can’t we argue alone?” she said as if she wanted to hit him with her words. Immediately, the young man turned as red as a chili, mumbled apologies, and flee without further ado. As long as the opponent wasn’t in the middle of a basketball match, he’d never been very brave when in front of aggressiveness. Rainbow Dash and Soarin were now closer, a few feet away. For all that, she wasn’t going to extend an olive branch. And he hadn’t forgotten what she had said before they were interrupted. He was the blame. He didn’t know how or why, but he was the blame. “Did you ask him to come?” she asked, still aggressive. “You really thought you would get away with this so easily?” “I didn’t. And honestly, before thinking “I could get away with this”, it would be better if I knew what I did wrong.” “What you did?! What you did?! Now that Sir is leader, Sir is surrounded by groupies and you still wonder what you did wrong.” “Here we are. She’s jealous. It’s ridiculous! I don’t even know these girls, what do you want me to do with them? Go back on earth.” “I can’t.” “You can’t, or you don’t want to?” “I’m jealous of them because they’re sexual!!” Her revelation instantly cut any other words going up in his throat. Soarin saw tears appearing in the corner of his girlfriend’s eyes, though she did her best not to let them fall. How long could they remain this way, hurting each other more and more, before she finally told him the truth hidden behind this sudden crisis? Yet, she knew she could tell him anything. And if she hadn’t let him guess what was wrong with her by trying to make him be jealous as well, they could have avoided these three days of torture – and this argument. Now that he knew, everything was clearer. The problem wasn’t the fact he was nice with these girls; it even wasn’t the girls themselves. It was what they represented. This, he could understand. “Why didn’t you tell me before? It feels like… You don’t trust me.” “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that… What if you left me? For now, everything’s fine, you’re satisfied with things such as they are, but nothing tells me you won’t grow tired after some time. You could choose a pretty girl who has sex on a regular basis, because you’re no superhero, you’re only human.” Here. She let it out, the naked truth, deprived of any tricks. What clenched her stomach each time she saw one of his fans around him, by means of charming smiles and fluttering eyelashes. She always had this fear deep inside her guts, but since he was leader and his popularity had increased, her fear had grown to the extent of taking over all the rest. It hadn’t been very smart from her to make him furious with her exes the way she’d done. If she could, Rainbow Dash would’ve slapped herself for having done such a terrible nonsense. Traces of hostility had now disappeared from her face, and she was ready to step in his direction. If only she still wasn’t worried about this answer that was slow to arrive. What she’d said was true. He was nothing but a human being, and he had needs, needs he knew she couldn’t fulfill, or at least, not immediately. There was just a little detail she omitted, and which changed everything. “But the other girls… They’re not you. You’re the only one I’m fond of, the only one who I’d like to have sex with, like you said. Because… I’m in love with you. Desperately.” Someone already told her he was in love with her. In fact, it was Tornado. But it never had the same impact on the inside of her body. Alright, she wasn’t keen of things which were overflowing with sentimentality, yet this wasn’t completely what it was. It also was a truth, and it felt good to hear it, whatever her pride might say about it, especially as it came from him, Soarin. Who she was in love with as well, though she didn’t dare saying it out loud yet. “But… What if it never happens? For how long will you be able to put up with something like this? I have no right to deprive you from this, it would be unfair.” “We’ll figure it out. Thanks to communication, like right now. I believe in us.” It seemed to Rainbow Dash, no matter what she could say, that he would always find a way to block her remarks. Far from upsetting her, it was exactly what she needed to be reassured completely. Yes, she would always be a bit scared, somewhere inside. It didn’t make much difference now… And, with Soarin by her side, there was nothing she could overcome. Her last wall shattered into million pieces, the young woman finally decided to put an end to her stupid pride, and ran to the boy she loved, wrapping her arms around his neck. Because she was too small, and was wearing sneakers, she could hardly stay on her tiptoes, and finally moved her embrace around Soarin’s waist, who was holding her tight as well, with all the tenderness he had inside. Earlier, she felt as if it would be impossible for her to stop frowning… Instead, she now had the sensation that her smile could never disappear. Everything was so much better when the truth was unleashed rather than buried deep inside. Zephyr had met his little sister Fluttershy a bit earlier, happier than ever. He had no idea about what could make her feel so good, but she really was radiant, surrounded by the girls of her bunch of friends, minus one – he couldn’t help but to notice. When he asked a question about her absence – instead of asking why his little sister suddenly was so cheerful – Pinkie Pie confessed she was upset, because she on the outs with Soarin or something like this, and she’d told her she would be going to score a few baskets in order to relax a bit. It made his blood boil, and immediately, he went running in the direction of the basketball room. It wasn’t a place he was used to go yet, so he got a little lost before meeting a member of the team by chance, who was on his way. “If I were you, I’d avoid to walk around there”, the young man brought the precision. “Soarin and his boo are seriously arguing!” Zephyr barely had thanked him for showing him the way and he had dashed towards the place, his heart lighter than air. His time had finally arrived. There was troubles ahead between Rainbow Dash and her lanky basketball player, which meant they would maybe part, with a bit of luck, and she could notice there was someone head over heels for her, who would never make her sad or angry. All jolly, he stepped into the room, which seemed to be plunged into silence. This detail should have let him guess… But like often, he chose to ignore the clues, focused on his so-called chance. His enthusiasm plummeted straight towards the waxed floor. Soarin and Rainbow Dash were still here, but they weren’t busy arguing. They were kissing, slowly and softly, like in a movie. His heart in shreds, Zephyr went the other way, without a sound, so silently the two lovebirds hadn’t even noticed his presence. One more failure. It was discouraging. However, for once in his lifetime, he didn’t want to let go, the way he did so many times. One day, Rainbow Dash would be his, he would keep on doing anything for it. It took a lot more to pull him down, oh yes, so much more.
Troublemaker (part 5)Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Rainbow's Blues (part 1)She scratched the arm of the velvety chair, unsure of where she should start. To be here again after so many years felt almost unreal. If she’d been told she’d come back off her own initiative, Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have believed it. Yet, she knew, she wasn’t there for no good reason. She needed it. It was hard to accept. In front of her silence, Dr. Horse felt she would need a little help in order to start the conversation. It wasn’t easy to be back in therapy after she did without anything for so long. “How do you feel?” She looked up from the chair, her eyes on him furtively before she sighed, and started to stare at the carpeting instead. Back then, there was no carpeting but a wooden floor, she remembered… “I’m not feeling very well. I mean… not quite comfortable.” “On the phone, you’ve said you wanted to talk about what happened to you this weekend. It was your mother’s death anniversary, wasn’t it?” “It was”, she sighed again. “Last Saturday.” “Fine. Then, tell me about Saturday.” Once again, it was a bit complicated for her to know where to start… There was so much to say about this unordinary day. Like every year, when she had woken up, she had felt heavy, with the deep desire to go back into bed and to spend the whole day crying under her blankets. But like every year, she had chosen the second option which always bloomed in her brain after the first one. And which wasn’t any better, in fact. Yes, she probably would have to start here. They were holding hands, in each other’s arms. Rainbow Dash displayed the delighted smile of great excitement, but Fluttershy was shaking from head to toes. It was an experience she never thought to be going through one day. “Are you ready?” the multicolored-haired teenage girl asked. “I’m not.” “Come on, don’t be such a sissy. All you have to do is dare. Close your eyes, sometimes it helps. I’m counting to three and we do it at three, alright.” “Not alright.” If she listened to her, she would never answer any other way, and they would never dare. When known how much the activity for both costed, it would be a great waste. Rainbow Dash forcedly dragged her friend with her, and jumped. Fluttershy had no other choice than to follow. If one of them kept her eyes closed as recommended, the tightest she could, the other one kept them opened wide. She wanted to see everything, to feel everything – the danger, the sensation of being about to break her neck, and the pleasure launching after the rise of adrenalin. The high-pitch shriek Fluttershy let out all along the plunge had nothing in common with Rainbow Dash’s, rounder and more enthusiastic. Even when their fall was stopped by the bungee cord, she didn’t shut it up. She needed a few more comes and goes, less violent than the first ones, so they finally both stabilized and so that the voice of one of them stopped to resound in the valley. A supervisor came to look after them, in order to get them off the necessary equipment. When he was busy taking off her harness and the rest, she was able to see how bad Fluttershy’s state was, worse than on the roller-coaster at the latest fun fair. She wouldn’t be surprise to see her throwing her breakfast up in the grass… if she had one. To be honest, the young woman wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s first choice to be her companion in bungee jump. Soarin, Rarity and Sunset Shimmer were working, Applejack had a practice session, Twilight was devoting herself into the writing of a thesis, and Pinkie Pie was helping the Cakes with a big order for a wedding. She was the only one free, so through spite, she had begged her to be her partner to try this new thing. It was some sort of an unsettling experience. The goal of this was to test her limits, to prove herself she was alive by flirting with death. Yet, what was supposed to help her focus on something else had many similarities with the accident she was trying so hard to get out of her mind. Despite it all, she had liked it. Enjoyed it, even. To the extent that she tried to convince Fluttershy to climb back for another jump. The second time, and now she knew what to expect, it would be different. A bit less double-edged, she thought. But it happened to be impossible to know whether or not this would be true. Her friend was pale, complaining about her head spinning, and being on the verge of apoplexy. She even was crying. It seemed clear there was no way she would climb back up, no matter how much money her friend had paid for it. It already was huge, as impressionable as she was, that she had agreed to come in here, and that she’d been able to make her jump the first time. Insisting would be taking too much advantages of her limitless kindness. And so, she didn’t insist. At least, she could say she’d done it. What a pity it left her a bit dissatisfied. This awful day was still young, and she would have to find something else to do in order to fill it. She didn’t even want to envision the other option. Surely because it was too safe, too comfortable… The phone rang, cutting Rainbow Dash short in the middle of her sentence. She looked at Dr. Horse making a sign with his hand and picking up. The person at the end of the line might be saying something really important since the psychiatrist didn’t open his mouth before at least one minute. “Fine… Give her ten milligram of Tercian, it’s enough.” Then he hung up, focusing back on the young woman in front of him, nervously playing with the rims of her skirt. The first time he saw her facing him in this same office, she had one side of her head shaved, a distant look, messy hair and her face was covered with bruises and scratches. Now she was starting at his bobble loafers, as if the simple fact of looking into his eyes would mean nothing had happened between her first day here and now. As if she hadn’t changed, hadn’t grown up. Hadn’t learned anything. “Still with Tercian, uh?” she whispered, almost for herself. “Yes. It remains the most effective remedy in some of the cases…” Silence. Brief memories went through her mind. Screams. Fright. Darkness. More screams. She shook her head, in order to focus back on the present days, and finally rose her eyes to meet Dr. Horse’s. “Probably.” “You were saying you were feeling bad to have force your friend Fluttershy…” “Ah, yes. That’s what I was saying, yeah.” The young pink-haired woman barely had talked to her since they were back from bungee jump. Even far from the place, she kept on shaking, and had refused Rainbow Dash to give her any kind of comfort. A bit earlier in the morning, she’d confessed him she had a date with Big Macintosh, for a romantic day together. They would only take a walk, a few pictures on the way, and then eat something. Although it was nothing unordinary, there were no need to explain that this little something pleased Fluttershy, who was feeling happy just by spending a few minutes by her boyfriend’s side. Because she didn’t want to be alone today, Rainbow Dash went with her to meet the boy. Like most of the time, he was accompanied by Zephyr, Fluttershy’s brother, who had decided it was his duty to give his blessing to each of their date together. In fact, this detail always outraged Rainbow Dash. His sister was old enough to know what to do. She didn’t need a chaperon as if she was some kind of retarded. As soon as they arrived, Fluttershy flew into Big Macintosh’s arms, as if she had been the victim of the most violent of aggression. Alright, she never really been the brave type, but all the same… What was the use of acting such as a big baby?! Did she really want her moron of big brother to keep on treating her the way he did? And, she made her appear as the bad one. “What have ya done to her?” Big Macintosh questioned, unsure of how he could get comfort to his girlfriend. “Say what! Only bungee jump. Please, she’s not dead!” “I’m not but I could have been!” Fluttershy whined, looking up, on the verge of tears, at her boyfriend. “Ya know she’s easily scared. Why didn’t ya ask to somebody else?” “Like me”, Zephyr intervened. “Like not even in your wildest of wildest dreams, you dimwitted!” The worse of this all was that Rainbow Dash realized how odious she was behaving with everyone. She wanted to talk to them in a very different way, but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t help it… They had a way of making her go on pins and needles. All of them were acting as if everything was for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Couldn’t they see how life was a disgusting thing? She was lucky they weren’t too annoying, and most importantly, that they knew she had mitigating circumstances. Not answering her provocations, Big Macintosh, still holding Fluttershy in his arms, offered her to come and share an ice-cream with them. It was a very kind offer, but too little compatible with what she felt like doing. To tell the truth, since months, she had something in mind, and she was thinking that today was the perfect day to get this idea on track. “Don’t you rather want to go and get a tattoo with me? Sunset Shimmer told me if we wanted one, she would make a special price for us!” “It’s nice of you but I had enough strong sensations for today… or even for the whole year”, Fluttershy whispered. “Come on, please… No need to make something huge, just a small one would do.” “A tattoo must mean something to ya or it means ya don’t really need it.” “You’re nothing but a bunch of chickens! I’ll go on my own, too bad for you”, Rainbow Dash finished, shrugging. Once again, the fact she was talking to them this way hurt her heart deeply, and yet, she was unable to display a single hint of benevolence. Each time they opened their mouths and said something, she felt as if her friends had all been watered down into glucose syrup. She turned her back on them and decided she was better off alone, since things were this way. The couple’s voices resounded behind her, telling her goodbye, and she answered with a wave, not turning around. A few seconds later, she saw Zephyr walking by her side, a wide smile upon his juvenile and stubbly face. “What the hell are you doing here?” Yes, being on her own was going to be difficult, however she wasn’t yet so desperate she needed company at any cost, especially when it was such an unbearable one. “You’re right, they’re a couple of chickens… I’m going to get a tattoo with you.” “Like, for real?” “I swear!” This scenario changed the rules. To get a tattoo was a fancy, a sudden and reckless desire. For all that, she had her head screwed on right. If Zephyr got tattooed with her, she would have a witness to tell everyone how brave she’d been, and how stoical she’d remained once in front of the needle. As a little girl, her mother congratulated her or bought her a lollipop each time she didn’t screamed nor cried during her vaccines and the application of disinfectant on her many boo-boos. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it, she repeated to herself. “Well, then, follow me. But I’m warning you, if I catch you boohooing, it’s seriously going to piss me off.” “I won’t boohoo. Come on, I’m a man.” “Stupid remark…” Despite this cutting comment, the young man stayed by her side, never losing his smile. One needed to see the pride with which he was strutting in the streets of Canterlot, just because he was alone with her. Unceasingly, she rolled her eyes and gave him single-syllable answers each time he asked her a question, yet he remained in the sunniest of moods. They arrived in front of the tattoo workshop when his cheery face vanished away all of a sudden. Behind the window, one of the employees showed a patron what the various needles she was using looked like. Zephyr froze, and turned paler than a corpse. She heard him swallowing, and as she was pushing the door open, Rainbow Dash saw the young man wasn’t following. “Get your ass off! It takes very long and I don’t have all day!” “Well… All things considered, I’m staying here and I’ll wait for you to be done, alright? I don’t think I want to get a tattoo after all…” “Sheesh, don’t wait for me and go back home. I don’t want to be seen with such a wimp!” Usually, such a comment from her would have been enough to make him change his mind. Not today. Today, he didn’t need to be asked twice to turn back and flee as fast as he could, far from mean, mean needles. Rainbow Dash shrugged and stepped into the workshop. She would never have bear him for so long, anyway. This guy had a gift to make her mad when she was feeling good, so there was no need to insist on this very special kind of Saturday… The bell announcing a new costumer resounded above her head. Immediately, Sunset Shimmer, who was at the reception desk, looked up from her magazine and smiled happily at her. She had tied her red and yellow hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a white tee-shirt with a mustard yellow jacket, along with black jeans torn all along her legs which appeared when she leaned against the counter in order to wave her friend. “Are you alone?” she asked, pleased to have a familiar face at her working place. “Yeah, I see Pinkie Pie tonight but for now, everybody let me down.” “Not cool… Are you here for me or did you make up your mind for a tattoo?” “Option number two.” “Awesome! Do you know what kind of tattoo you want?” “Well, not really… I thought about the cloud and thunderbolt, you know… Like my necklace and my bracelet”, she said, shaking her wrist. “Let me see…” Sunset Shimmer looked closely at her item, then grabbed a pencil and a notebook that were near her on the counter. With a few lines, she was able to make a sketch looking exactly like the item on her bracelet. She showed her friend the result. “Like this?” “Perfect! You’re gifted in drawing.” “No, it’s nothing at all. Well… Let’s see when it’s going to be possible…” After she pushed away her notebook, she grabbed another one under the counter, and turned the page at full throttle. It took Rainbow Dash a few seconds to understand what her friend meant. Before she got any farther, she grabbed her wrist, and plunged a firm look into her blue eyes. “Are you saying you can’t do this right now?” “Well… I am. I thought you knew. Our book is full at least until next week. Maybe I’ll find one hour and a half for you Saturday a week on.” “I don’t want to do it Saturday a week on. I want to do it now.” “I’m sorry, it’s impossible. No artist is free, we’re overbooked, and as I’m still minor I’m forbidden to tattoo someone unless there’s an adult to supervise me.” “We could find an arrangement. Don’t need to tell your boss.” “It’s impossible, Rainbow Dash. I have to be at the reception desk. If I tattoo you and anything bad happen, it would be the workshop’s responsibility.” “You know what? Forget it!” After this, she grabbed Sunset Shimmer’s sketches notebook, torn off the drawing her friend had done, rolling it into a ball that she threw in her direction. “Don’t take it personally, Dash.” “How do you want me to take it? I thought we were friends. Can’t you even do it for your friend?” “Precisely. You’re my friend, so I don’t want to take such a risk. Listen… I know today isn’t an easy day for you, but…” “Shut up. Don’t say another word.” Above all, never evoking what this day meant to her. If she said so much as the words “your mother”, she could scream of frustration. It was the day when no one could address this topic. She was feeling as if people were trying to stab her whole body with daggers. “Rainbow Dash…” “Stop! You don’t want to do this? Fine. Don’t do this. But don’t ever speak to me again.” Why had she said something like this? Sunset Shimmer was a precious friend, always ready to defend her. Just because she was refusing to give in to one of her whims, and for good reasons, she had thrown this at her face. It was unfair, and she was aware of this. Nevertheless, instead of apologizing like she was dying to, she turned around and left the tattoo workshop in a hurry, even bumping into a female costumer stepping into the boutique. If she apologized, she knew what was going to happen… Sunset Shimmer would want to talk about her mother. And she refused to do that. It was better this way, and too bad if she was mad at her. She deserved it, anyway. Her story could have stopped here. She could have go back home and get satisfied with her first option in the dead silence and emptiness of her house. Yes, if she hadn’t been able to convince Pinkie Pie to go to this club, things could have stayed this way. “This friend… Pinkie Pie? You didn’t know her four years ago…” “That’s right.” “So, does she know about your mother?” “She does. All my friends know, even Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy.” “It means you’re able to talk about it.” “I don’t know if that’s the right word to say. I’m always staying on the surface of things.” It probably was one of her biggest issues. The fact she refused to speak about this topic openheartedly, even with the persons that were the dearest in her heart. Soarin hadn’t even been told about what she’d been through before this gloomy night… It allowed her to keep on pretending, as if nothing had happened. As if at night, when she got home, she wasn’t in front of absence and empty space. As if her nightmares were completely over. “Your friend Pinkie Pie was with you for the night, am I right?” She nodded, aware that he was expecting more. And also aware that what was left to tell wasn’t glorious either. “Was everything alright?” “You can’t say that. It was… worse than the rest!” After leaving Sunset Shimmer in this very little friendly way, she went to the Silk Road’s giant luxury mall, where she would never go usually. People running errands here were of the same social rank than her, yet she wasn’t feeling like one of them. It was the kind of persons her father would have liked her to meddle with. Those who were on the magazines, designed as the future of the country, fashionista princesses, and high finance wolves in the making. Everything she could never be, even by forcing her own nature. There were glances at her, all along her stroll, or rather her buying frenzy, but Rainbow Dash didn’t mind. She bought a very sexy new dress, black, with a lowcut at the back and sophisticated high heel pumps that Rarity wouldn’t have denied, but that she wouldn’t ever wear again. Then, though she hated to stay inactive for hours while someone was fingering her skin, she went to a spa and even asked for a professional makeup. Thus painted, she met Pinkie Pie at the opposite side of the city. The area they went to, to be honest, had a very bad reputation. It even was its major feature. Still with this sensation of flirting with danger… Her friend couldn’t resist the invitation. Any occasions to party – what Rainbow Dash promised her – were good to take. That the place was famous for not being really welcoming past midnight didn’t really matter. She’d been part of a gang, after all. She could defend herself. All she’d have to do would be to tell her former leader’s name. At least, it was what she said to her friend when she agreed to come with her. They both made a big impression when they stepped into the club they’d chosen. There were very few girls of their social world around here, though Pinkie Pie wasn’t really from the same class than Rainbow Dash. It didn’t matter neither. They were not there to flirt, but to dance the night away. It all started really good. Rainbow Dash led her friend on the dancing floor from the very beginning, and both spent one hour laughing and moving their hips at the sound of dubstep which they were keen of around here, without anything particular to happen. That was when they went to the bar in order to get some drinks that things started to get out of hands. They had just ordered a round of tequila shots when a stranger offered to pay for their next drink. They both knew the men and boys going in that club weren’t the desirable kind, so Pinkie Pie politely refused. But Rainbow Dash said yes, unsure of why she did. Of course, the stranger in question, dressed with leather pants and a grey tee-shirt with the name of a metal band printed on it, wanted to keep them company. The way he was hitting on the young woman lacked subtlety and she couldn’t help but laughing at him. How lucky that he thought she was laughing at his jokes… Probably because he thought the fact she accepted a drink and she let him talk to her had another meaning. Indeed, when they went back on the dancefloor, the man followed them. They hoped they would lose him among the crowd, but he was stubborn and tenacious, and able to find them. From then on, determined to get what he thought she owed him, he stuck to Rainbow Dash, trying to grab her hips, to take her hands, if not to kiss her… She rejected him from the very start, but the more his advances were insistent; the more aggressive she became. “Piss off, you asshole! Stop sticking to me like glue with her calloused hands and your rotten breath!” she finally yelled at him. It hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. The man, tipsy, lost his kind of lecherous smile, and his face became as hard as reinforced concrete. He grabbed Rainbow Dash’s wrist and shook her with all his might. “Who the hell do you think you are, you little slut! Who allowed you to call me an asshole?” “I’m calling you whatever I want!” she laughed in his face. “I’m going to beat the f*ck out of you, you slut!” It was at this moment that the man was punched in the nose by someone else. Feeling it coming, Pinkie Pie also grabbed her friend by the wrist, and begged her to follow her outside. They had to run away. These guys weren’t joking. They weren’t Sunset Shimmer’s former friends, nor Trixie, Lightning Dust or even Mr. Caballeron. They were real criminals. What they were able to do was at the front page of newspapers. But the man who had hit on her hadn’t come alone. He had a whole bunch of friends with him, all as suspicious-looking as him, and they tried to block the way. “We’re not done with you, the little prick-teasers. If you follow us without scandals, we’ll only rape you.” Right then, both thought this would be their final hour. What saved them was that the other guy was in trouble in his fight with their invisible benefactor. He needed backup to help him getting rid of him… or her. It drew the club’s bouncers’ attention, who ran to the place of the action, armed with stun guns. If they were intercepted by security, they would call the police. What would happen next couldn’t be more logical. They were minors and were forbidden to be here. Their parents would be warned, they would spend the night in a drunk tank for teens, and would have to pay an expensive fine. This time, they had no other choice than running away. They ran breathlessly, in a straight line, after escaping by the fire issue, to make sure no one would catch them. They ran until they were far enough from the club not to fear anything. Though they were athletes, they felt as if they’d run after smoking a whole pack of cigarettes. Hands on their knees, each had to wait to catch their breath before being able to speak. Once the adrenalin down, there was something feverish in the air. At least, that was what Rainbow Dash was feeling. “Phew! That was close! Fun, wasn’t it?” “Fun?!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “Fun? We could have croaked!” Rainbow Dash’s smile fell back. In the half-dark, in front of her, her friend had red cheeks, and temples were beating in an irregular way. Frowning, her usual smile had deserted her. And she knew. She knew this time; she had gone too far. For good. Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer… It was nothing in comparison. Everything she had put her other friends through on the same day in the past, it was nothing either. Pinkie Pie was angry, and yelling at her, what she thought to be almost impossible, as rare as an avalanche in the middle of a desert. “But…”, she tried to argue. “There’s not ‘but’!”, Pinkie Pie cut her short. “Those guys were criminals! They threatened to rape us and it’s nothing fun. Who can tell whether they wouldn’t have stabbed us and left us in a gutter or who knows what else?” Everything her friend said was true, and because she knew it was true, and she was fully aware of what they’d just risked, she was feeling horrible. Even trying hard, she couldn’t help but shake, from head to toes and even her whole face. Tears were coming up soon… It probably was the reason why Pinkie Pie’s tone went less on the reproach mode. For all that, she didn’t go soft on her. There were things she needed to hear, and too bad if she didn’t like them. “I know you’re suffering and this is a very hard day for you. You wish you were able to forget everything… But that’s not the way you’re going to feel any better and face the truth. Wake up! It’s as self-destructive as swallowing pills, and it won’t fix up anything. It never will! This day is going to come back every year and you’ll have to deal with it!” This time, tears were here. They were soaking her cheeks, making everything which had stayed stable until then shake. Pinkie Pie was right. The only problem was that Rainbow Dash didn’t feel ready to deal with all this tonight. It probably was the best moment for her to, yet each of the words sounded unbearable to her. Just like the rest. She stepped back, staring at her friend who seemed to have understand what would happen next. Arms stretched out, she made a step forward, but Rainbow Dash stepped back again, and when her foot met a garbage can which had been pushed down the ground, she turned around and ran away once more. Pinkie Pie’s voice calling her resounded behind her, but she stopped running only once sure she was even more lost. Most importantly, until she was certain she couldn’t be caught back. So, she let herself fall along a wall and let her pain burst out. Tears she had shed the last time she spoke to her father were nothing in comparison. It was as intense as it had been on the day she realized her mother was dead and gone forever, many days after her funerals, when she woke up from her sideration state. Something became clear in her mind at this right moment – she would never be really healed. She had thought so, but it was impossible. Her mourn hadn’t been done the right way, and here she was, hurting herself and hurting the ones she loved, as if she was trying to make them feel as bad as she. Supposing that they would ever speak to her again… Author's Note This new chapter excpetionnally gets published today, because tomorrow night, my BFF and I are having a GoT marathon!
Rainbow's Blues (part 2)She wasn’t proud of herself. This story was nothing glorious, conversely. After she had cheated death even closer than on the morning, and dragged with her one of her most precious friend, she happened to be on her own in an unknown area, crying rivers. Anything could have happened to her… In fact, once again her eyes were staring anywhere but at Dr. Horse, who probably was trying to interpret each of the micro-emotions from her face. Rainbow Dash heard him clearing his throat, and the sound of his pencil moving along the paper of his notepad. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see him picking up his phone and calling Miss Red Heart in order to command her to come and give her a room. But he didn’t. All he did was staring at her and asking her what she did after this unfortunate episode. To be honest, when she had stepped into his office, she had no intention of telling him what happened next. A part of the end of this day was very intimate and he didn’t need to know… Shrugging, she decided not to tell him about what was the most private. A heavy and icy rain had started to fall while she was crying. It was late, she was distraught, and she felt as if no one could save her. While she went looking for a cab, unsure of where she’d ask it to go, a face appeared in her mind. He could understand and find the words… She wouldn’t try to put him in jeopardy, the way she did with Fluttershy and most importantly with Pinkie Pie. Now it was too late and the harm was done, she knew her lesson. What Rainbow Dash had forgotten was that taxis didn’t come around this area easily, and she had to walk under the rain for at least one hour, barefoot since she’d broken one heel of her expensive pair of pumps. When she finally found a car which agreed to bring her to the university district, it was so late she feared she’d done all this for nothing. Rain hadn’t stopped when she climbed at his floor – she knew the entrance code by heart – and she knocked on the door. The whole building was plunged into silence, if not for light sounds she didn’t identify immediately. Then it came back to her mind. Right above his desk, he had hung a black board on which he wrote complicated scientific calculations Rainbow Dash knew quite well. Her mother used to do the same. It meant he wasn’t asleep. A few seconds later, a disheveled Soarin dressed in a pajama opened the door. His eyes opened wide when he saw her, not only because it was late at night, but also because her general state was rather piteous. Her beautiful professional makeup was butchered. Her mascara formed some kind of cracks in the middle of her foundation. Her eyeliner had dripped and made her look like she had received two punches under her eyes. As far as her lipstick was concerned, it no longer covered her mouth, but was going awry, towards the black on her left cheek. To make matter worse, her soaked hair hung like an old worn out towel along her shoulders, and the wet material of her dress stuck against her skin, freezing her whole body. “Dashie…? What happened to you?” She didn’t know whether it was the worried sound of his voice, or the sole fact of being in front of him, but the gates opened again, and she burst into tears, her face into her hands. Immediately, Soarin made her step inside, and closed the door behind him. Then he softly took her in his arms, and patiently waited for the shakes of her body against his shoulder to decrease. If he said anything before she was quieted down, he feared she would break down again. Meanwhile, he was patting her back and whispering words of comfort. The dampness of both her tears and dress came and wetted the clothes of his pajamas, but it didn’t matter. What kind of boyfriend would he be if he let her in such a state of distress without trying to comfort her? When he felt her tears had run dry, he brought her to the edge of his bed so she could sit. Her fishnet stockings were torn off at the heel and ball of the foot… Little pieces of gravels had even come to lodge themselves around here. Whatever had happened to her was serious. “You’re going to tell me everything, alright? But first…” Quickly, he went to his small bathroom and came back with two towels and a wet flannel. Soarin gave her the flannel so she could clean up her face, put the first towel on her hair and the second one around her shoulders, rubbing them with a little something anxious. “Now I’m all yours. Tell me…” Her eyes in the vague, like absent, she opened her mouth and explained, in a summarized, dreary and monotonic way, that today was her mother’s death anniversary, and then everything she had made Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer and most importantly Pinkie Pie go through. “If you only knew how bad I’m feeling about this”, she said looking straight into his eyes. “I’ve been horrible! They’re going to hate me and they won’t ever speak to me again.” “Don’t say that, I’m sure they won’t…” This time, Soarin slightly rubbed the towel on her head, since she hadn’t touched it yet, her arms looking like bubblegum hanging along her body. Then, with his thumb, he wiped away remains of tears on her cheeks, and cupped her face with his two hands. “They know what this day means to you. They’re good friends, you know… They love you. And so do I.” Alright, maybe it wasn’t the perfect moment for such a confession, but he just couldn’t help it and let it escape his mouth. A very brief display of joy went through her magenta eyes, then she lowered her eyes on her two hands on Soarin’s laps, still shaking from cold. It was late. She was frozen. She was scared of anything that could happen if she left the soothing warmth of this small apartment to be on her own in her big empty house. To be alone… No, not tonight. Not after all this. It was the best way for her to go insane again. “Can I… sleep here tonight?” It was in no way an answer or even a comment about what he had just said. Rainbow Dash wished the words could go out of her mouth, yet neither did she want Soarin to believe she had said them in the confusion of the moment, or only to please him. The young man didn’t point out her omission. It would have been no use. And it wasn’t what she was expecting from him. “Of course you can. I’m going to get you pajamas, alright? Plus, it won’t hurt you to change your clothes, conversely. You could fall sick.” “Thanks”, she whispered. She was staring at the vague again. Her mind seemed to be unable to think, like a completely blank page refusing to be filled with words. She had to clasp her hands not to let herself go. Her fear was to go back to her state of psychological shock, which she was in for a few days after her mother’s death, and of which she went out with a violent and destructive suddenness. Meanwhile, Soarin was rummaging through his closet, from which he got a tee-shirt and shorts that might be thrice larger than the young woman’s waist. Even with a bit of imagination, it was the only articles of clothing he could find that would at least fit her. “Here… Put this on”, he said, putting the clothes by her side. “Do you want hot milk with a touch of honey? It will help you to relax.” “It’s nice of you. Thank you, Soarin.” She answered still with her absent stare, and kept it while taking her clothes off, while Soarin got busy in his tiny kitchen, his back on her not to risk to see her naked by accident. Hot milk with a touch of honey was something from their shared childhood. On the winter nights, it always was what her mother used to prepare for them after they’d played in the snow and came back frozen from their snow ball fights. Better than anyone else, he knew how this little sweet something was able to warm her heart. But while milk warmed up on his old hot plate, he was obliged to leave her alone with her thoughts. Soarin almost jumped when he heard the sound of her voice. Her words barely were audible, so he had to prick up his ears in order to listen to what she was saying. Maybe it wasn’t even addressed to him… “Do you know what’s the worse? It’s not to have witnessed her accident… No. What kills me is each time I think about what might have been her very last seconds… I just can’t, it’s so horrible!” Soarin stopped what he was doing as she burst into tears again. In a bit less violent way, but… It was the first time she confessed it out loud, repeating it to somebody else than herself. It didn’t make things easier to put up with, but at least, truth was out. Yes, what she had been through was traumatizing. It had launched an avalanche of misfortunes, a scar deeper than all the rest, and which would never be healed completely. However, it wasn’t the images of the blazing plane making a nosedive towards the ground which shocked her the most, in her memories and her nightmares. It was the thought that her mother probably understood, behind her shaft, that she wouldn’t escape and it was her end which was coming closer. This, she couldn’t come to term with. It wasn’t how this extraordinary person should have left the world, but old, warm in her bed, and surrounded by whom she loved the most and who loved her too. Soarin turned off the hot plate, hurried to prepare the cup of milk and came back to Rainbow Dash. He put the cup on the low table behind him, and held his girlfriend in his arms, the way he did a bit earlier. She hung at his shoulders, and the muffled hiccups she choked in his ears broke his heart in two. He couldn’t imagine the pain she was going through at this very moment. This time, waiting for her to calm down on her own seemed a little complicated, so Soarin made sure she would look at him, while drying the tears she kept on crying with the back of his sleeve. “I’m not going to tell you commonplaces, things people often don’t even mean… I’m not going to lie to you either, telling you it will get better with time, because I know it won’t erase anything… What I can tell you is what I’m convinced of. Whatever happened, these last seconds… They have been for you. She loved you so much.” Maybe it wasn’t much. But these few words, said in all sincerity, were able to make her sobs stop, without her being sure of why it did. It didn’t change anything to the awful truth, yet it was a small detail which added a bit of softness to the whole. Rainbow Dash remembered… A few days before the beginning of the show, when she went to encourage Firefly on the runway strip, the way she always did, her mother had given her this necklace with a tricolor thunder out of a white puffy cloud, telling her she had it drawn especially for her, and that she would wear it on the day she would become a pilot herself. Right before climbing into her plane, she smiled at her tenderly and declared: “I’ll fly for you today, my Dashie. As always.” If Soarin hadn’t been here, she didn’t know what she would have done. Because he had known Firefly longer than any of her friend actually did, he knew perfectly who she was, and how much she adored her daughter – to the extent of creating tensions between her and her husband many times. She could never thank him enough for what he was doing for her. Seeing she seemed to feel better, he slipped the cup of hot milk into her hands. She was less cold now, and the steaming cup against her palm did her some good she really needed. She was very lucky to have Soarin by her side, a boyfriend who she could share everything with. So understanding, so patient, so soothing. And she still hid him things. Dark things she still was ashamed of today. Too often, she had been scared that telling him about this period of her life would change the image he had of her, but now she realized it was a bad understanding of the benevolent nature of the young man. She had to tell him. What happened after her mother’s accident. After she swallowed her hot milk in silence, Rainbow Dash put the cup on the closest prop, and took the hand which was not stroking her back tenderly and which he had put on her laps. Words were difficult to get out yet she had to tell them. He couldn’t be the only one not to know about something that important and serious. It wasn’t easy, yes, but she didn’t have the choice now. He wasn’t hiding her anything, not even the most hideous of his weaknesses. It was her turn to open the rest of her heart to him. “Do you remember on my birthday party; the bubble pack I tried to conceal?” He nodded, and waited for her to go on. “These sleeping pills… I take them since my mother’s death. Because… I have to tell you about what happened next. And it’s rather ugly.” “You can tell me about anything you want. I’ll be here to listen and I’ll never judge you. You know it, don’t you?” This time, she was the one nodding. He had given up on the little strokes along her spine and was now holding her two hands in his. Large and always warm. She liked his hands so much… “Right after the accident, I fell into some kind of daze, like a zombie. When I realized Mommy was gone forever, I went out of this state and made a severe depression. I experienced the accident again through nightmares, I didn’t want to see anyone, I was paranoiac, I didn’t want to do anything neither, except running, running until my whole body ached. Sometimes I was having this thing… they call it psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. It looks like epilepsy attack but it’s longer and the causes aren’t the same.” Rainbow Dash felt Soarin’s hand clasping hers. If he could touch her palms, he would feel the droplets piled up here within a minute of explanation. She swallowed, and went on. Now it was too late to turn back. “It’s because of all this that…” Break. Deep sigh. “It’s because of this that I made a nervous breakdown one night. I could no longer face my loneliness, my nightmares, Mommy being gone, my crisis… So I took a bottle of whisky in my father’s office, and painkillers, and I tried to kill myself.” She saw a shadow passing through Soarin’s face, and immediately, the look in his eyes changed. Not from deception, which she had feared, but from something else. Some kind of despair, and fear, mixed with the realization that he could have lost her forever. Her boyfriend opened his mouth to make a comment but she stopped him, putting on his lips a hand she had taken off his sweet embrace. “Let me finish… You have to let me go all the way or else I’m scared I’ll never find the strength to tell you this again.” Once sure he wouldn’t try to add anything, she resumed her story. “I lied on the bathroom floor, hoping I would die quickly… I don’t know for how long did I remain this way, before deciding to get up and to go in my bed instead. But I immediately lost my balance and my shoulder bumped into the mirror before I fell back on the floor. Well, that’s what my father told me… He’s the one who found me. I’ve been in the coma for a few days. And after this, on the advice of the doctor who had taken care of me, Dad decided to send me to a hospital.” “To rest?” “No. Not this kind of hospital. A psychiatric institute for minors.” It probably was the most difficult part of all this confession. Of course, her depression hadn’t been a stroll in the park, but everything surrounding her suicide attempt was hazy, a bit like a remote dream. When memories she had from her stay in Green Haven were dreadfully crystal clear. She had a quick glimpse at Soarin. Despite the fact he promised not to judge her, she couldn’t help but being scared of his reaction. What would he think about her now? For sure, he wouldn’t see her anymore as the awesome character full of self-confidence she was doing her best to stay. But the look on his face remained unchanged. So, she went on. “I guess these were the worst days of my life… I bet you never had to wear a straitjacket… There’s nothing in the world that’s more humiliating.” Rainbow Dash suppressed a chill. It was as if she could still feel the hessian was clasped against her chest, and the straps against her back. Somewhere on the Web, she had read the use of straitjackets were exaggerated on works of fiction, and they were in reality used for the most violent of patients… In Green Haven, at the least display of aggressiveness a little too noisy, they had it out, often accompanying it with a strong dose of Tercian and most terribly, of a short stay in The Room. The Room was the worse of worst things. “The girl I had to share a bedroom with had issues with blades of any kind. One day, she’d been able to steal a switchblade in a store and to come back from a group outing with it. She stabbed me… Here… And here…” First, Rainbow Dash showed Soarin her left forearm, then her upper right thigh. Indeed, he already had noticed ugly scars around the two spots, that she wasn’t really trying to hide. He always thought it probably was due to her daring nature, as she had fallen so many times from the huge tree in her garden on which she tried to climb all the time while playing. Soarin would never have guessed it came from stabs. For the second time since her story began, he dared saying something. “Why did she do that?” “She said it was to set me free. Since I wanted to die, she was going to help me. But I no longer wanted to die at this moment. I was better, thanks to Dr. Horse and Miss Red Heart. It was a bit before I was able to leave the institute, but I had to celebrate my fourteenth birthday there because of that. They were scared it would create another trauma.” Here. In the end, it hadn’t been so terrible. She had thought she would never be able to enunciate, but everything had gone out naturally, just like when she confessed it to Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, and even Pinkie Pie. That was how she realized. Speaking about it again was a good thing. If she was able to speak about it again, she would get rid of everything that still blocked her each time she was thinking about it, each time this cursed day came back on her calendar. It was the moment when she decided to see Dr. Horse again, and to resume the conversations she had let hanging when she left Green Haven and refused to continue her therapy. Her story to the doctor stopped here as well. It was all the psychiatrist needed to know. What happened next was her own business. But something happened next. “Why haven’t you told me before?” Soarin asked her. “I was scared. Scared it would be too hard, scared that… you’d think I was dysfunctional and broken. Do you think I’m broken?” There were uncontrollable hints of despair in her voice. “You’re not broken. Just a little cracked apart.” In silence, he went to put the cup into the sink. One in the morning. It was more than the moment to go to bed, what Soarin pushed her to do while he was preparing the tableware for breakfast. He had his back on her and didn’t see anything… The shorts he had given her were so large for her it fell at her feet when she tried to get up. Discreetly, Rainbow Dash picked it up and put it on a cushion, before slipping between the sheets. When Soarin turned off the lights and lied down beside her, he wasn’t much surprised that she curled up against him, the tip of her nose rubbing against the cotton of his pajama top. She was snuggled so close he couldn’t ignore the warmth of her own body, her fragrance with hints of spice – and a bit of tequila – and her bare legs wrapping around his thighs. Although he had a lot of self-control and wasn’t the type to be obsessed by sex with women, it was hard for him to master his reactions. It wasn’t any girl who was glued at him like this… It was the one he was deeply in love with, the one he couldn’t stop thinking about night and day. With another girl, it would have been easy for him to turn around and fall asleep without further ado. Rainbow Dash looked up to him with questioning eyes. His tension was more than palpable. She almost felt as if she was lying next to a marble statue. Even if she was rather naïve in certain conditions, she was far from being stupid. It wasn’t that hard to understand what put him in such a state. In the past, she had always been with boys in constant need. Each time, she started by refusing, and finally given in when she had enough. But at no moment did Soarin tried to slip one of his hands lower when they were cuddling or even tried to lay her down on his bed when they were kissing. It fit her just right. Affection was enough for her, and in her mind, daring thoughts never grew. If sometimes, something sexual went across her mind, it was as fast and meaningless as any thoughts of her daily life. Questions about sexuality she had asked herself until then were limited to “since I’m not this and I’m not that, then what am I?” For the second time in her life, another body made her want to have a closer contact, even if it was rather chaste for now. Soarin being so tense wasn’t strange nor was it insulting in her opinion. He probably was scared to do something he shouldn’t be doing. It was up to her to show him that she wasn’t afraid and that she was feeling ready to explore something new and a bit different with him. He opened his eyes wide as he saw Rainbow Dash sitting up straight, shifting the weight of her body in order to sit on top of him, a thigh at each side of his hips, and leaning over to kiss him. Before her lips touched his, Soarin gently pushed her back by the shoulders. In the half dark, he couldn’t completely distinguish the features of her face. She seemed to be composed, if not sure of herself, but he had to be certain. “Nothing obliges you to do this, you know. We can perfectly sleep together without anything like this to happen, the way we did back in Fillydelphia.” “It’s okay if it’s with you.” “But… What if… I mean… I don’t want to hurt you.” “Let’s say we establish a code. If I don’t say anything, everything’s fine. If I say “orange”, it means “slow down” and if I say “red”, it means “stop”.” In front of his bewildered face, Rainbow Dash took one of his hands and put it under her tee-shirt, right beside her belly button. “I know everything’s going to be fine.” “Alright, then…” From the moment their lips met, the whole thing flowed naturally, as if they already knew each other by heart. Yet everything was unseen and fresh. It was different to be together this way. To notice how broad his shoulders were, how soft and gentle his hands were, never intrusive. To smell the real perfume of her skin, its delicacy, how firm her stomach was, shaped by boxing and climbing. At only one moment did she use their code… To show him how to stroke the right way, so he could get more intense sighs out of her mouth. For all the rest, they were on the same wavelength. It even was intoxicating, to see how their harmony, made of nuances and complementarity, was working even in the intimacy. “Be nice, alright? Doesn’t seem like yet this part’s fragile”, she told him, eyes to eyes. Both at the same time, they burst into laugh. It was the first time of the whole day that Rainbow Dash was laughing heartily, or even that she was laughing, period. She’d missed this sensation so much… Then, it was replaced by something else. Pleasant too, but in another way. Yet it took her a couple of minutes to be perfectly at ease, and to push aside what Fireball told her on the day they broke. Soarin didn’t seem to think he was making love to a plank of wood… He rather seemed to be enjoying the experience, and even complimented her on how beautiful she was, which she wasn’t quite used to. Once she finally felt a hundred percent comfortable, it was as if she rediscovered what intimacy of this kind really felt like. Came back to her sensations she had almost forgotten, and that none of her former boyfriends had been able to make her feel, since desire wasn’t shared. There only had been one boy whom it had been possible with, but even this time hadn’t been as pleasant as tonight was. She loved Soarin, not like a friend or a brother. From the deepest of her heart, even if it still was quite hard to for to say it out loud. It was the detail changing everything. Something she would never had thought possible. Sitting on his bed, Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin coming back with two glasses of fresh water, the blanket only covered the bottom part of her body. It had always fascinated her, how easy it was to be walking around naked in front of the other, once more than just kisses had been shared. Without trying to put things back in place, as soon as she had drunk her glass, Soarin put them back on the closest support, and they both slipped back between the blankets, in the messy bed. “This is my favorite part”, Rainbow Dash said as she snuggled between Soarin’s arms. “Just for this very moment… It is worth it.” “I can only agree.” “Who would have thought we would be here, one day?” “I did. I always knew. We’re meant to be.” “Sheesh, you’re so sappy!”, she said, laughing. “But you love me…” “It’s true.” He knew it would be much complicated for her to say these three words. The only person she used to tell them most gladly was her mother… It didn’t matter. This answer fit him. Deep inside, he knew. And the most dazzling proof of it wasn’t the fact they had made love together tonight. It was that when with him, she didn’t need sleeping pills or any kind of medicine, in order to fall asleep with no fear. The safety she was feeling by his side… It was worthier than any words of the world.
Rainbow's Blues (part 3)The hand shaking her shoulder was gentle and caring. Thanks to this, Rainbow Dash knew she wasn’t home, and that the person trying to wake her up calling her name in a whisper wasn’t her father. Then, she remembered. The rain. Her arriving at Soarin’s. She’d finally told him the truth and… They’d fallen asleep into each other’s arms, naked like new born children. The touch of his skin, soft and firm, was like resting on a bed of velvet. This night had been one of the most pleasant she had spent since ages, and although she’d waken up a few times, in no way going back to sleep had risen any anguishes from her. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Soarin’s face in front of her. He was wearing his sports clothes and his phone and a bottle of water were on his laps. “I’m going to run a bit”, he said in a low voice, as if they were spied on. “There’s a breakfast for you on the table. You can have a shower, anything you want.” “Alright? Do you want me to go and run with you? It won’t hurt me.” “Rest again. You need it”, Soarin answered, stroking her face. Since he was insisting, why should she struggle? Rainbow Dash let her head fall back on the pillow, and heard him crossing the small apartment to get to the door, and leave. Suddenly, the silence and empty space beside her seemed to be a little less mellow and soothing. What made this place so warm was his own presence. Her hair messy, she sat back up and stroke the space beside her. It seemed she still could distinguish the outlines of his body. If it hadn’t been so cliché and sappy, she would willingly had rolled over the bed while inhaling his perfume against the sheets. Instead, she got up, and tried to unearth the pajamas Soarin had given her on the previous night, along with her panties and bras that might be somewhere. She was lucky the studio had no building opposite or the neighbors would have had a chance to play peeping Toms. The breakfast cooked by her boyfriend looked tasty. Tomato-flavored omelet, green tea, muesli, low-sugar brioche and even her infamous detox made from hot water, lemon juice and Cayenne Pepper… He had forgotten nothing of what she liked best, or what she needed to start the day in the finest mood. Almost as if he had foreseen it. After all, it had been a few weeks since she’d arrived here with a toothbrush that she put inside his bathroom glass “just in case”. Maybe he knew this day would eventually come, since on the night before, he had admitted he always knew they would one day be what they were now for each other. Whatever it was, this attention was adorable. She couldn’t even cook ready-made pancakes without burning them… Cooking wasn’t her field of expertise at all. Neither was cleaning up things. In short, if one day they’d come to settle down together, her duty would be massages – and selecting good movies to watch. Those were tasks which fit her perfectly. Rainbow Dash ate her breakfast with appetite, while wondering how she could do him a favor to thank him. Sure, Soarin hadn’t done all this in hope of getting something in return, but he was so kind and benevolent she thought he deserved a little reward. Nothing came to her mind… So, she decided to wait until he got home and see. After a quick shower, she changed to wear her expensive black dress, but without her ruined stockings and wondering how she would be walking with broken heel. After a couple of seconds of reflection, she decided to break the second heel. This way, she had a pair of flat shoes which had costed her the trifle of one hundred and fifty dollars. And yet, it wasn’t that expensive for luxury shoes… Unsurprisingly, when she started to examine the shelves, after she’d made the bed the best she could, there Rainbow Dash found basketball video games, class books and a few novels. DVDs of his collection had nothing of a surprise as well. For a few seconds she was tempted to search in his laptop computer, in order to see whether he was hiding compromising files, but she changed her mind, since it was a private life intrusion she wouldn’t have enjoyed much neither. Searching through his pants and socks drawers, on the other hand… It was a bearable offence. A half-smiled outlined on her face when she dug up magazines with naked women on the cover from under a pile of luxury undergarments. “Ah, you act like you’re not interesting but you like to peep at playmates’ boobs, uh? You little dirty mind!” Curiosity, once again, pushed her to open one of these magazines, so she could see what it was all about. The central poster left her completely impassive. Artistically speaking, it was rather debatable, and she thought the anatomical details looked strange, a bit like looking inside of a school book about human body. She shrugged and went back to the summary. It happened to be this kind of magazines where naked girls were nothing but a sexy bonus. The rest of the articles were pretty serious. With real editorials, interviews from writers, and even political commentaries. When the entrance door opened, she still was sitting on the floor, plunged in the reading of a topic about diamonds trafficking in Sierra Leone. She looked up and didn’t have enough time to hide the magazine, blushing from embarrassment. It wasn’t really the fact she was caught in the act of reading one of his sexy magazines that embarrassed her, but rather the one that said she’d searched through his stuff in order to get it. Before Soarin could even utter any word, she mumbled clumsy apologies. “I put that back in place.” “It’s too late, you’ve seen them, now…” “Yes. Well… Don’t worry. Got to let nature take its course. Well, it kind of eludes me because I am what I am, but these stuff are pretty normal, even I know that.” “Could we please talk about something else?” “Yes, you’re right.” She got up, closed the magazine, and put it back on the closest support. Immediately, Soarin stepped forward and put it back in place without trying to hide it. In a quick glance, he saw she had made his bed and cleaned her plate and crockeries from her breakfast. “I’ve tried not to make a mess.” “You can make all the mess you want”, she answered, pecking her forehead. Another would have had a rather bad reaction from discovering she had searched and unearthed a sexy magazine. Of course, his cheeks had colored, and his eyes were a bit fleeing, but in the end he was accepting this part of himself, the way he did for many other things. As he had warned her many times: he was the very resentful and vengeful kind, but for this it took very deep dishonesty. Far from being ashamed, he knew his flaws were a part of him, and never tried to deny them. “I’m going to have a shower… Do you want us to go somewhere together, after this? We could go to your favorite arthouse cinema or I don’t know, whatever you want.” “It’s very nice of you but I think I’m going to meet my girls. I know they’ve planned a brunch this morning at Sugarcube Corner, and I’d like to join, so I could apologize for yesterday. I’ve been very horrible with them…” Although Soarin repeated her they wouldn’t hold it against her since they knew how important this day was, Rainbow Dash didn’t want to behave as if their friendship was granted and that it meant she could do anything she wanted without any apologies to give. She owed them. Soarin nodded, stretched out his hand and gently pulled her closer, until her body was against his body and he was able to hold her in his arms. “I understand. And I encourage you to do it. You’re right, we must never take things for granted and think there’s no risk to ever lose them.” “Yes… That’s what I used to think and look… It’s been four years since she’s gone… Well. Thanks for being you. I like you so much!” It still wasn’t a “I love you”, but it was what was the closest… In order to accompany her word, she tenderly pecked his lips, her arms around his neck. Soarin let her do so with great pleasure, and when their kiss became a little needier, she knew she’d need a certain will in order to get out of his warm embrace. “Well, maybe I can stay two or three minutes longer… Or five. No, ten… Okay, fifteen.” The small bell resounded above her head, and all it took to Rainbow Dash to spot her friends sitting at one of the large tables near the window was a couple of seconds. They all six were here, even Rarity, and were laughing out loud while talking. She hesitated for a short while. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, after all. They looked so relaxed and she would arrive and spoil the mood one more time… It was without taking into account Pinkie Pie who saw her near the door, and made her a sign to step closer. Seeing her enthusiasm and the way she smiled, her friend didn’t seem to hold a grudge against her about last night’s disaster. But Rainbow Dash had seen, after the rumors she had suffered from, the quickness with which her friend had been able to forgive everyone, without some of them to make any effort at all to try to make it up to her. It didn’t mean she’d have nothing to do and everything would be forgiven by the snap of her fingers. With courage in her heart, she walked to her group of friends, who quickly let a free space for her to sit with them. Yet, Rainbow Dash didn’t do it right away. She was feeling she didn’t really deserve this chair until she had apologized in due form. And, this way, the evil would be rooted out right from the beginning. The conversations stopped on their own when the girls noticed she didn’t settle with them, but was standing, her head low and her hands together, her cheeks colored as if she’d rubbed them with a metal sponge. “Fluttershy, sorry I had forced you to try bungee jump with me although you’re afraid of heights, and sorry I spoke bad and barely said you goodbye. Sunset Shimmer, I’m sorry about how I treated you when it wasn’t your fault. And Pinkie… Pinkie I’m sorry I put us in danger the way I did. I’m ashamed and I regret it. If you girls only knew how much I regret all this. You’re the best friends someone could ever have and I don’t deserve your mercy.” She was on the verge of crying, a lump in her throat. For someone as proud as she was, it was never easy to apologize, especially for things that serious. It was to recognize she had this bad side deep inside of her, this side that scared her. How Soarin was able to come in terms with even his ugliest of flaws, she didn’t know but she admired this aptitude with all her soul. “No one blames you, Rainbow Dash”, Sunset Shimmer started. “We all understood how bad you were feeling yesterday.” “Yes”, Fluttershy went on. “I was very scared; I admit but I wasn’t angry.” “Only really traumatized”, Pinkie Pie finished, which settled a strange silence between them. All the girls looked at her, and the pink-haired young woman realized that, once again, she had let her mouth say out loud a thought that was going through her mind, without thinking about the consequences. She nervously giggled a little “oops” and got up to grab Rainbow Dash’s hand. “I’ve told you very harsh things yesterday, because I was scared too, but I’m not mad at you. I know how difficult this day is for you.” “So, you forgive me? I promise I’ll never do that again.” “Of course, we forgive you”, Sunset Shimmer told her with a wink. “Do we look like we’re angry?” “You don’t, but… Pinkie Pie was right last night. This day is going to come back every year… What would happen if I act like an idiot again?” Although she had decided to go back to see her psychiatrist, there still was a risk, unless she would spend this day locked up in The Room, just in case, she could get carried away again by bad memories and all the pain it had launched. Her friends were too precious for her, and in no way Rainbow Dash wanted to take the risk to lose them one day. Without them, she would be lost, good to be double-locked up. She could never had been back on tracks if they hadn’t been there… Because even now, she refused to tell herself her struggle against depression could have been won thanks to her sole will and strength. She saw Applejack outlining a small smile at her words, and she got up to join her at the other end of the table. She took her hands in hers and looked straight into her eyes, such as her implacable honesty often told her to do when she wanted to convey a message the best she could. Because of this, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but swallowing. “It’s easy. Instead of tellin’ us nuthin’ at all, ya’ll talk to us and we’ll listen. Except Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, we all knew it was yesterday and none of them even tried to take time to help ya.” “She’s right”, Twilight intervened. “We also want to apologize, for we let you on your own on such a day.” “I should have invited you to hang around the boutique. I would have prepared you that awful puffed rice green tea with raspberry macarons you like. Yet I’ve been thinking about you all day long…” “And, instead of thinking about the accident, why wouldn’t you take an advantage from this day to remember all the wonderful memories you shared with your mother? She was a dynamic person, always positive, she would never have stand to see you as sad.” “I always forget Rarity, you and Applejack had known her…”, Pinkie Pie added with a small voice. Yet, it was the case. On the seventh grade and the first months of the eighth grade, Firefly was still alive and welcomed her daughter’s new friends with open arms, delighted to see she had been able to befriend with someone else than Soarin, after her family had left Cloudsdale. Applejack, Twilight then Rarity had met with this woman with a strong character, who taught her only child a peculiar sense of dignity, pushing her to be very open-minded, to be tolerant, but also not to be a push-over, and not to be scared to show off, no matter if it bothered the others. “This is your own life, Rainbow Dash, not the neighbor’s. If you’re excellent at something, be proud of it, make the others know. If it bothers them, it’s their problem. As long as you stay true to yourself, there’s nothing to worry about. Integrity is the only thing that matters in the end.” She often repeated her this doctrine, which the three girls also had benefitted. She was a person who commanded respect, without the need to do anything for it, simply thanks to an undeniable charisma and self-confidence, which on its own were able to stop tongues wagging. The three other girls had only heard about her, and always very favorably. No one could deny the influence she had on her daughter, who was doing her best to respect the life principles Firefly had tried to teach her. Undoubtedly, Twilight was right. She had focused too much on the horror that day meant to her, on the emptiness her mother let behind her, and on everything that had happened after the accident, though she should have make the most of it to remember her with everything that was flamboyant and honest with her. All the love she gave her. All the laughs, the games, the secrets. But for this, she had to do something, something she never had the courage to do until then. Without this move, she would never turn the page and change her prospects in the future, the huge gap under her feet. Something told Rainbow Dash it would be much easier with her friends by her side. “Would you agree to come with me somewhere? There are chances for it not to be very funny, but… It’s important for me.” “Why would it bother us, darling?” “We all come with you. We owe you this”, Twilight finished in the name of the other girls, whom she didn’t need the agreement of to know they’d be alright. In reality, they owed her nothing at all. However, a friend’s role is to help her other friends when they need you, and she needed them. The place where she brought them was a bit outside of town. Like many other persons without a religion, Firefly had been cremated, and in her testimony, mandatory for every pilot of the Royal Acrobatic Aerial Fleet, she had specified she wanted a part of her cinders to be buried at the roots of a tree, and that the other part was stocked in what was called a room of remembrance. These rooms were in a very plain building, with no embellishments nor arabesque decors. A plate with the deceased person’s name was engraved into marble, and those who wanted to pay tribute to them came and put down bunches of flowers, messages on post-it, and everything they thought worth of them. Rainbow Dash had never been there. She knew where her mother’s room of remembrance was, but to visit it was something else. Until then, she’d always considered it to be an insurmountable ordeal on her way. To be honest, she thought no one ever visited this place, not even her father, and she was mad at her own selfishness. And so, she was pleasantly surprise to see that many persons had let messages for her mother, flowers and small items. It even was added a few medals for merit she had won by being a volunteer to bring humanitarian aid parcels at some places of the planet. On the other hand, what saddened her was that she wasn’t sure there was something from her father among all those homages. Yet, she knew he was suffering from her absence… to the extent of drinking too much, being unable to look at his daughter because of the striking resemblance between their two characters. He probably was too busy fleeing… This was the reason why Rainbow Dash had decided to stop running straight forward, trying to avoid the fall of rocks along her way. Today, she was looking reality into her eyes and she was telling her she would never let her win again. Yes, it was unbearable to think she was gone forever, but her friends were right. Firefly would never want that for her only child. On the day of her twelfth birthday, her mother had told the story of her delivery, which made laugh everyone around, and embarrassed Rainbow Dash… And she had finished her little one-woman show in a way that moved them all to tears. “The moment they put your small wrinkled body against my breasts, then I knew what true love really meant.” More than any other words, she would never forget these. That was what she had to remember of her mother. Not her horrible death, but her extraordinary life. Girl from a low middle-class environment, pushed to manage on her own at an age where her own daughter was still going to high school, she had many casual works in order to pay for her pilot school, married a man from one of the wealthiest families in Equestria, then went back to study at College once married and pregnant, and climbed the social ladder thanks to her strength of will. Far from being too permissive, she had always taught her daughter respect and politeness, but also a freedom to think and act, and that it wasn’t necessary to fit in the standards to become someone. At each stupid act, she explained her it was from mistakes a person learned. Always, she had as a goal to make out of her daughter, whom she loved more than anything in the world, an adult who would be regarded with admiration. While Rainbow Dash was going in the direction of the plate wearing her name, the six friends remained in the back. They were here to support her, but this was something she had to do on her own. She stroked the letters engraved in the marble, little by little taking into account everything it implied. With this visit, she made the death of her mother something unalterable. Impossible to lie to herself now, to tell herself if she shut her eyes for long enough, her mother would appear, hold her in her arms and tell her everything was over with a stroke in her hair. Her throat was knotted. She couldn’t help it. Not to cry was an aim out of her reach, so Rainbow Dash let the tears roll along her cheeks, not trying to conceal them, nor to wipe them neither. They were serene silent sobs… They confirmed that she would never accept this injustice from life, but that she had finally decided to put up with it, so she could walk forward for real, without bouncing back every year at the same period. “Since I’m bad at lovely declarations, I’ve taken this poem from this movie you used to like so much… ‘Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. Silence the pianos and with muffled drums, bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead, scribbling on the sky the message She Is Dead. Put crepe bows round the white necks of public doves, let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. She was my North, my South, my East and my West, my working week and my Sunday rest, my moon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood. For nothing now could ever come to any good.’ I miss you, mommy…” Her words got strangled and she had to stop here. All along her reading, her voice trembling, she had been strong, but the barrier had just broken. This necessary evil was like pulling a dressing off. Painful on the moment, but it had to be done. Each of them knew if they had to be in a situation of distress, Rainbow Dash would be a helping hand. Many times, she had intervened in order to take defense of their tarnished honor, or to give them courage in the worst of moments. Their friendship was the type that no ordeal could shatter. As long as they were together, they felt like they could face and overcome anything. They were each other’s strength. Lights to guide them in the rainy days. “It’s a good thing you’ve taken this decision”, Dr. Horse told her, glancing at her from under his glasses, like always. “How are you feeling now?” “Relieved.” Of course, the struggle against herself wasn’t over yet, or else she would never have come back to Green Haven after many years, to resume her therapy where she left it when she left. However, a step had been made. She had taken the bandage off her eyes, this filter sheltering her from reality, still a little impalpable. Now, things could only go in the right direction. She would do anything for it, anyway. The psychiatrist checked out what time it was on his wrist watch, then put his pencil and notebook on the table by his side, testifying the session was over. He had let her tell everything she wanted, without any limit of time, though his time was precious. Rainbow Dash was glad he did. To talk about it had done her good, allowing her to get rid of a weight coiling her back. Without embellishing anything, without trying to play the good girl. Such as things were or such as she had felt them. The truth, even if it had nothing bright and shiny. The only thing she had kept to herself was the intimacy shared with Soarin, although it had helped her to get better. It would be her little secret. Between him and her. Rainbow Dash and Dr. Horse exchanged commonplaces typical of an end of session… But when she was about to leave his office, the latter called on the young woman. “Tell me… Are you still convinced your father hates you?” A quick smile passed through her face, a bit bitter. Back when she was committed, her violence against her father was even sharper than today. She held a terrible grudge against him for sending her here, for not trying to reach out his hand to help her. Because of this, some of her words about her father had been really harsh during their previous face to face. “Yes”, she answered despite the nuance existing now. “Fine. Let’s talk about it deeper next week?” “Next week, yes.” And she closed the door behind her. Leaning against the wooden door, she sighed. With these few words, he meant he was ready to resume the therapy for good. Every week, she would come back where she swore she would never go back again. Green Haven. Hell on Earth. Yet, today, walking through the sterilized corridors, she felt as if this place wasn’t that horrible. Everything was modern and clean. Too modern and too clean, maybe. As deprived of personality as possible, this was sure. It wasn’t the place itself that put a knot inside her throat, as she was walking towards the exit. It was what had happened there. What these walls contained of shades from the human soul. And the smell of antidepressants. The lack of huge windows giving view to the garden with many trees and the emerald-colored lawn. The lack of anything that could make someone smile. But being finally outside and breathing the fresh air of freedom at the top of her lungs, Rainbow Dash understood it all belonged to the past. She only came here in order to complete what was a work in progress. She could go in and go out as an autonomous person. It wasn’t a mental health patient anymore who was crossing the garden to reach the gate, it was a young woman who had traveled three quarters of the road to closure and who was doing her best to finish the remaining quarter, with her chin up. Honest with herself. The way her mother would have liked her to be.
Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 1)Just beside their tray filled with Jerusalem artichoke linguine and sweet chestnut-apple crumble, Twilight and Pinkie Pie put a newspaper, and started to rummage through the pages, the unicorn-headed pen of one of them in their hands. “Do we agree?” the girl with straight hair asked. “Something we can do on weekends, downtown and with flexible schedules?” “Yes. If that’s possible, something not too physically difficult.” “Oh yes, this is a good idea. I can’t carry heavy things.” At the same time, they leaned over their newspaper, and started to read announcements, following the lines with their fingers, ready to circle the ones they liked best. Obviously, they had conferred together in advance before organizing their search. The rest of the band, with them at the table lunch, was staring at them without understanding the purpose of all this. “What you two are up to?” Sunset Shimmer, sitting next to Twilight, asked. She wrung her neck in order to have a glimpse at what the two friends were rummaging through with such a seriousness. “I need money to get me a new laptop… With my birthday and my grandmother’s tip, I don’t need it in loads, but even so…” “And my oven is dead”, Pinkie Pie went on. “My parents are on a part of the planet where they can’t be reached, like almost always, so I have to find a solution on my own so I’ll be able to buy a new one.” “And that’s why we decided to find ourselves a casual work.” Everything was clear now. This mystery wasn’t a real one, and quickly, the biggest part of the table resumed their current activity. To celebrate their six months as a couple, Rainbow Dash and Soarin had gone to the restaurant together and exchanged gifts, since they both thought Valentine Day to be commercialized and idiotic. She’d spent a lot of money in order to buy him wireless headphones so he could do his sports with music when they weren’t together and he’d done the same giving her a polaroid camera of the latest fashion as a present. It was flat, white with a rainbow on it and she claimed she loved it more than her own life - which could sound worrisome, coming from her. Each time it was in her hands, she couldn’t help but taking pictures during breaks, like some were addicted to selfies. It was this year’s revelation: she enjoyed taking pictures. The problem of this new vocation was that everything else seemed to be of a lesser importance. Like geometry classes, asking the gardener not to let the climbing rose die, or paying her canteen in place of her father… To get her focus on another kind of topic was something like a miracle. She would probably get over this whim eventually, as soon as she would have had her guitar chords repaired, for example… or received her delivery for 35 mm film roll. On the other hand, Fluttershy was really interested by her two friends’ conversation. Her and Big Macintosh were dating for less than Rainbow Dash and Soarin that , but she often thought they would become more like a couple if they gave each other gifts as a sign of their feelings… For now, all they did was walking hand in hand, having strolls in parks and outings together, and chastely kissing to say goodbye. In all honesty, the young woman was happy, but a little unsatisfied. It wasn’t exactly what she had imagined. When she asked advices to Rainbow Dash, the latter told her it would be counterproductive to compare. Each couple was different, especially as their characters, shy and reserved, had little in common with Soarin and her, swifter and fiercer. To give her boyfriend a gift maybe would be a good way to unlock something, since she was dreaming of passionate confessions and fantasizing of a great love story like in the novels she liked to read before going to sleep. Her trouble, and it really held her up, was that Pinkie Pie and Twilight had organized this search together. In comparison, she didn’t really need money. What her parents gave her for her “young woman” expenses basically was enough. Wouldn’t they regard her desire to work as a whim equal to Rainbow Dash’s new interest for photography? She nervously fingered the tie of her school uniform and sighed deeply. It was foolish to be afraid. They were her friends and they were always up to mutual assistance. “Would it… bother you if I started searching for a casual work with you? I’d like to buy a gift to… somebody… ?” The two teenagers looked up from their newspaper, and blinked for a few seconds, a bit stunned. They knew Fluttershy was very shy and rather jittery, with a likelihood to be a push over. In front of a little scrupulous boss, she would probably get trapped, not mentioning what could potentially happen if a patron scolded her… But after all, if she wanted to try this experience, why not? It even was better if she was helped by her two friends, rather than attempting to do this on her own. “Of course, it doesn’t bother us. Come closer”, Pinkie Pie said with a wide smile. Reassured, Fluttershy stood up and put her chair between the two girls, while at the other side of the table, Rainbow Dash was busy taking a polaroid of her half-empty tray, in order to compare it with the full tray of earlier. Applejack rolled her eyes, and took a mouthful of her pasta dish. “What kind of job are you guys looking for?” Sunset Shimmer questioned. “Bosses often object to hiring high school students because they need an authorization from their parents and well, they’re obliged to respect a lot of rules…” Out of them all, she was the only one to have a job outside of school. Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s indifference came from the fact they never really knew the necessity of earning money on their own. The first girl was paid by sponsors and her own family for the photo shoots and the advertisements she shot. If it asked a certain effort, it had nothing comparable with a regular job with rules and schedules to respect. As long as the second girl was concerned… Her father forbade her to work, considering he could support his daughter financially without her getting her hands dirty in a fast-food. Without the precious parental authorization, it was impossible to find a work as a minor. It also included brands of sports items which asked her to be their image. When she’d accepted a photo shoot for a roller-skate brand, Mr. Rainbow Blaze had threatened to press charges. For all that, she hadn’t feel concerned by all this to the extent of giving her friends a piece of those more than important information. “How did you do for the tattoo workshop?” “My boss is my grand-uncle by marriage… Yes, it’s string pulling.” “So nobody would want to hire us?”, Fluttershy asked, already discouraged. “That’s not what I said”, Sunset Shimmer answered, shaking her hands. “But it may happen to be a little more complicated than what you girls expected. There probably isn’t a lot of announcements for high school students in your newspaper…” Indeed, most of the announcements more gladly asked for College students, whether this was in connection or not with their chosen discipline. For all that, there was no way they would give up. They needed money, and were resolute to do their best in order to find a job that would help them to reach their goal. It was more than a question of money. It was a question of determination. “Ah? No, never mind, Rainbow Dash. Thanks anyway.” Twilight hung up, aggrieved. They would never find a job! As a last resort, the three young girls asked their friend to see with Soarin whether the Royal Aerobatics Fleet wasn’t looking for secretaries, or assistant to the secretaries, during the weekends. The answer Rainbow Dash just gave them was unequivocal. Once again, they were too young and too inexperienced for such a work. Since answering to announcements happened to be unsuccessful, they both had decided to go and solicit enterprises and stores spontaneously. They had worn their most beautiful clothes, hadn’t forget to bring around résumés, cover letters and parental authorizations. The end of the afternoon already was under way, and they hadn’t find anything yet. Their age and lack of experience, as well as their choice to work exclusively on weekends always was a problem. Everywhere, they were repeated that College students had a better profile. Thinking door-to-door would be more effective, Fluttershy had given a rendezvous to Big Macintosh for around the end of the afternoon, so they could spend a bit of time together before going home. She had thought if the girls and her would find a job and could start by the next weekend, then she wouldn’t have much time to share with him, and this way, she would make it up to him. Of course, she hadn’t foreseen their search would be so unsuccessful. At first, the young woman thought it would be best to postpone this date. This way, Twilight, Pinkie Pie and herself would have been able to keep on searching. Her two friends talked her out of doing this, disappointed, and certain it was compromised for today, anyway. With a bit of luck, something would be available tomorrow. It was the hope they were sticking to. And so they decided to greet Fluttershy’s best friend, before going back home, where they maybe could go on a job scrawl on the Internet, just in case a casual work would be available somewhere. On this November day, the air outside was freezing, and people felt snow wasn’t far away. When they were chatting together, a white and fleeting smoke escaped their mouths. People around didn’t take long strolls in the streets, and were walking hurriedly. Fluttershy didn’t want to have Big Macintosh waiting in this freezing cold. He already was spending a considerable amount of time outside in order to photograph people for the site. It wasn’t fair to make him suffer from the same treatment after work, especially as they were supposed to relax together. Having a glimpse of his back, a wide smile appeared on her face. It was impossible for her to hide it. The prospect of being with him, especially after something so trying, always was pleasant, if not exciting. He never said much, but she liked the fact there were no pressure since she wasn’t quite a talker neither. With him, she knew her modesty would be understood. When he turned around and saw him smiling enthusiastically as well, her heart skipped a pleasant beat. Fluttershy thought that, really, he was even more handsome when he was smiling. Him doing it so scarcely made the thing precious and delightful. As soon as she was near him, he took her hand, and pecked her cheek. The young woman was so pleased by this sudden public display of affection that she didn’t immediately notice her big brother was here as well. Seeing Twilight and Pinkie Pie with her, Zephyr’s eyes reviewed the surroundings behind them. Fluttershy knew who he was expecting to see… Unbelievable. With how Rainbow Dash was treating him, he kept on hoping. Yet it was more than obvious she had no interest for him. Even her dating Soarin hadn’t calmed down his ardors. She hoped she never seemed so pathetic to Big Macintosh, or she would never recover from it… Her brother was the only one who she displayed character with, this character she had deep inside herself, which she often was ashamed of, since it was colored with a hint of cruelty that scared her in others, and even more in her. And so, conversely to her friends and Big Macintosh, Zephyr wasn’t much surprised when she addressed him this little remark: “Rainbow Dash is attending the Wondercolts from Canterlot University’s latest basketball game… You know, her boyfriend’s team. Her boyfriend who isn’t you.” This year, her brother had decided to go back to College. Naturally, he subscribed to the same university as his coworker and only friend, which meant he often had the occasion of meeting with the boy he regarded as his rival. More than this, even… Soarin was known by all the students fond of sports, and they were many. This little acerbic remark made his jaw clench, but proud, Zephyr tried his best to take it with dignity. It happened to him rarely enough for it to be noticed. Eager to change of topic, he chose to speak to his little sister’s two other friends. He never been a perceptive person, but even him could notice their smiles were façade, and that in reality they weren’t as happy as they tried to appear. As evidence, the pink-haired dynamo, the one who always scared him a little, hadn’t screamed anything yet, nor bounced everywhere, nor raise her fist in the air – nor the three at the same time. “Is there something wrong?” “True ya’ll look like yar under the weather”, Big Macintosh added. Well, Fluttershy, snuggled against him, seemed to be quite alright. It wasn’t hard to understand it was because she was with him. All the same, he also had felt something wasn’t normal. Pinkie Pie hadn’t said anything yet. And this really was a bad sign. “We all are looking for a casual work, since we all three need money…” “Eeyup, this Ah know”, Big Macintosh answered to Twilight. This fact made Zephyr’s eyes opened wide. His little sister needed money? Yet, he knew she had pocket money, and their parents even were more generous with her since she “at least had grown a brain”. Obviously, she was hiding things to him, and until then she always confessed everything to him… Even though in reality, she hadn’t confessed to him that she had a crush on his coworker, and chose to tell it to her best friends instead. It probably was the natural course of things. She had him for years, unable to bond with anyone else because of her shyness, and now she had a solid group of friends and a boyfriend. What a long way traveled in such a short amount of time! “And no one wants to hire us. They all say teenage girls are too clumsy, and too often stuck at their cellphones.” “What about Sugarcube Corner? Ain’t ya doin’ extra work there sometimes, Pinkie Pie?” “We asked, but Mrs. Cake told me she couldn’t afford to hire the three of us. And we want to be all three together. To support each other.” “Oh, Ah see.” “Same thing with fast food restaurants”, Fluttershy went on. “They agree to hire one of us or two of us, but never all three together. I start thinking we’ll never find anything.” It was just like Fluttershy, Zephyr thought. If something was on her way, she’d always choose to go back home rather than trying to go through anyway. The best for her was what was sure and very little dangerous, even figuratively. Tenacity had never been her thing. A personality trait both brother and sister shared. Usually, he was no help or comfort to her, and was likely to pat her shoulders telling it wasn’t serious and she could always try again later. He knew well then that she would never try again on something she considered as a failure. Not this time. This time, he would be her savior. And even Big Macintosh wouldn’t rival him. Back when he was looking for a job, before he was hired by Canterlot Street Style and returned to College – in fashion and merchandising – he had made the encounter of a man whom he had kept connection with, just in case. The latter had let him know that if he ever lost his job, he would hire him. He was convinced that all he had to do was ask, and the man would hire the three young girls. Especially as he owed Zephyr a favor because he had accepted to deliver a parckage around the East area, in exchange of his silence. It was his chance or never to appear as a hero. If Fluttershy could tell it to Rainbow Dash with it, she would probably be impressed by the wideness of his network. Every chance was good to take. “I know someone. If I tell him about you, I’m sure he’ll agree to hire you.” “Really? What would we have to do?” Twilight questioned. “Selling items to tourists. Well, these are wandering booths, never settled at the same spot, but don’t worry, he has the authorizations for that. It’s legit.” The three girls glanced at each other. Of course, they could find better comfort and working conditions, but it was their only option left. The situation was urgent for Pinkie Pie and Twilight; they couldn’t allow to spend more time searching. Since they had nothing else in prospect, they agreed to let Zephyr talk about them to his friend. If he accepted and they didn’t find anything else, they’d have this option at hand. The sooner they could start, the better it would be. After a few minutes and discussions, they all let the couple alone to spend time together. Fluttershy didn’t have so much time in hands to spend face to face with her boyfriend. And although she loved her friends, she also liked being without them from time to time. Zephyr, on the other hand, was very satisfied about how things were turning out. His little sister would forever be grateful, although he ignored why she needed money so bad. It didn’t matter to him. The way his good deed would restore his image was the only thing important in his mind. And with a bit of luck, he would gain compliments from Rainbow Dash for this beautiful gesture of altruism… At least that was something! Last night, Pinkie Pie had phoned to Twilight who had phoned to Fluttershy. They had done researches on Internet and hadn’t been able to find an announcement fitting their requirements. After a discussion of thirty minutes, the three young girls had drawn the conclusion that they would accept Zephyr’s offer. It wasn’t the work of their dreams, but it was a work. When they met this morning, on their way to their classrooms, they could talk about nothing else than this. Each had different questions that tickled them, yet they were rather enthusiastic at the prospect to start. They wouldn’t even have to work for a very long time. By the end of their probation period, they would probably have enough money for their mutual spend. Every morning, the girls met on the way half their classrooms and the Guiding Class’s. They chatted together until the bell rang, and then Twilight went in her own room. The other pupils studying with her never hung around in corridors before or in-between the courses. As soon as they arrived, they went to their classroom, opened a book, a notebook and they reviewed. Back in days that seemed now foreign to her, she too was like this. Nothing mattered outside of studying. She had no friends, and no other will than to review and learn. When she saw her classmates, Twilight was ashamed of her former behavior. She used to pass by so many simple pleasures of life… Her dream hadn’t change, it was a fact, and getting a Royal Scholarship in order to study astrophysics in Canterlot University still was her number one project, the ambition of her youth. However, this wasn’t the only thing that mattered to her anymore. And in no way was she envious of those she rubbed shoulders with in her class. Oh, they could believe they were at the pole position to steal her title of student number one just because she wasn’t spending twenty-four hours a day with her nose plunged into books. She wasn’t neglecting any detail and still had the intention of ending this year as the valedictorian. Sunset Shimmer, Applejack and Rainbow Dash already were here. They were chatting and laughing, while one of them showed the others the pictures she had taken on the previous day with her polaroid camera. As they approached, the three others noticed it was nothing but pictures on which appeared Soarin, playing basketball . And after this, she would keep on claiming there was nothing to prove that she was in love… It didn’t matter. They also had their little scoop, and it was almost as exciting as the crushing victory of the Wondercolts. To be convinced of it, their dazzling sunny mood was enough… Pinkie Pie fell on Rainbow Dash’s neck and made her shoulders move as if she was in a nightclub. “Wow, what’s happenin’? Did ya girls swallowed happy pills or sumethin’?” Applejack asked in front of this wave of outlandishness more exuberant than usually. “No need”, Pinkie Pie giggled. “If there’s something they should never give her, that’s this!” Rainbow Dash claimed while putting her pictures back inside her bag. It would be a lie to say that this kind of behavior didn’t annoyed her at least a little, yet the young woman chose not to make a comment about it to her friend. She knew that anyway, it wouldn’t stop her. So, it was best to let her act freely. It was Sunset Shimmer who devoted herself in order to stop this little mystery. “A good news in prospect?” “Yes”, Twilight answered, proud of herself. “The girls and I had found a job.” “Congratulations! What is it?” “In fact”, Fluttershy said. “My big brother found it for us.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow Dash producing some kind of groan that she decided to ignore. In all likelihood, if Zephyr thought it would have any kind of positive impact on Rainbow Dash, he was wrong right across the board. “We’re going to sell souvenirs to tourists”, Pinkie Pie claimed. “I can feel I have the streak of a good businesswoman.” “You’re going to scare them, hell, blaring like this”, Rainbow Dash hurled, rubbing her ears. Sunset Shimmer let out a small chuckle, patted her friend’s shoulder, and resumed the conversation. “This is great! Is it going to be in one of these small boutiques surrounding the Royal Palace?” “Not really… They’re traveling booths. So, we’ll never be at the same spot every day.” Surprisingly, Twilight saw her three friends looking at each other in an odd manner, as if they were on the same wavelength that they were the only ones to decipher. “What’s wrong?” she dared asking. “Well…” “This type of thangs are scams. The stuffs are kinda… fell off the back of a truck.” “Really? You think so?” Twilight suddenly felt like empty of energy. It didn’t seem good. She didn’t really want to be meddled into something that was on the verge of legality. What if it ruined the future she was trying to prepare for herself? It was a huge risk. On the other hand, neither Fluttershy nor Pinkie Pie seemed to be disheartened from their friends’ revelation. Although Rainbow Dash testified them they would have to read the contract with a lot of attention, and make sure the enterprise wasn’t inconsequential, even offering to make it verified by her father’s attorney, they swore Zephyr promised everything was legit and there was no reason to worry. All the same… She would go and see, give it a test, because she really needed this money, but she would pay attention and at the least suspicious display, Twilight promised herself she would give up and tell her friends. Yes, they wanted to work, nevertheless, they weren’t ready to put themselves in danger for that. Well, it was what she hoped.
Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 2)Disappointing. That was the first word which had come to the three young girls’ minds when they discovered the details of their new job. Everything costed five dollars. The booths they were working at eventually were nothing but foldable tables on which they spread their gewgaws. They had no chairs to sit on and nothing to shelter them from the wind. Unfortunately, the weather was particularly cold on this day and the wind was so strong the small parasols supposed to protect them had bent in less than five minutes. To make matter worse, the jackets which were their uniforms were too large for them and did in no way replace the warmth of a good coat. Of course, they were at a good spot, near the Royal Palace, right behind the huge square where the funfair took place each summer, as well as other events. However, the many tourists passing them by had no interest in their stock. The very affordable prices didn’t change a thing to this fact. Their only comfort came from the fact that this was a temporary work. Whether they sell things or not, their pay would be the same, though a bonus was promised to them in case of good sales. After a few weekends, they would gather enough money and could finally go back to their former lives… if not take the time to unearth a more gratifying job. The most annoying part probably was that they weren’t allowed to leave their booths in order to go to the toilets, nor to buy something hot to drink. It was a while now since they had finished Twilight’s thermos of coffee. To lure customers, they had to keep on yelling how affordable their products were and to enumerate them. Royal Palace models, small flags, cups with the Queen’s face printed on it… Was this method useful? If asked, Twilight would have answered “rather repellent”. “I wonder what’s the use of shouting our heads off”, she said while blowing on her hands. “Be positive, Twilie, if we keep trying, we’ll eventually get results.” “I wish I could be as enthusiastic as you are, Pinkie.” “I’m not even trying to shout. I don’t like shouting, and people tend to scare me a little.” “Oh no, don’t fret, Flutty, people are nice.” “Yes, very nice… Just not interested”, Twilight sighed. And to say that right now, she could have stayed in the warm in order to review her geometry and her matrix calculations… Of course, she had brought her lessons with her, but it was impossible to read with the wind blowing her pages and lifting her hair off her face. A flash of hope outlined in their hearts when they saw the girls nicknamed the Flower Trio coming in their direction. Since Rainbow Dash was dating Soarin, the gang saw them less than they did before. They regarded the threat embodied by the girl over, and the others way too focused on other topics than trying to “steal” their Breezie. Not that they stopped following Zephyr around, but rather that they considered they didn’t need to do this by sticking to his bottom anymore. However, as soon as they were near them, the three friends immediately understood the three girls weren’t here in order to encourage them, nor even to comfort them. “What the hell is this horror?” Daisy started. “Even the cashiers from Maremart are dressed better than you.” “At least, we have a job”, Pinkie Pie replied. “Well, I have a job”, Rose corrected her. “I help my mother at her flower shop.” “This isn’t a job; this is a favor.” “It’s better than selling schlocky craps”, the last girl finished. They burst into noisy and overacted laughs, holding their ribs while pointing their fingers, the way they often did. Twilight had to hold herself back very hard not to make them run off with the help of their broken parasols. What held herself back was thinking about the new laptop she wanted to buy… She didn’t want to get fired after how difficult it had been for them to find this job. “Hey, don’t you have better things to do than pissing people off?” The Flower Trio froze, and no other sound escaped their mouths painted in fuchsia pink. Their nightmare was confirmed when they turned around and discovered Rainbow Dash accompanied by her basketball player of a boyfriend, whose hand she was holding. For once they thought they could make fun of Twilight Sparke the egghead without Applejack or her to interfere… And here she was all the same. It felt as if she had a sixth sense to detect troubles about to happen from miles. “Mind your own business! This square doesn’t belong to you!” “Yeah, but these are my best friends… So, get the hell out of here before I kick your butt.” “Who do you think you are?” Rose questioned, her fist clenched. “We’re not dirt or something… Come on and fight if you dare!” Rainbow Dash only had to take an abrupt step forward the Trio and they immediately ran off, while swearing they would get her next time. A lot of talking but little action, like usually. Really, she wished one day someone would have the courage of the words… as long as no knives were to be include into the fight. Blades were for cowards, anyway. And those with psychological problems with them, of course. The teenage girl turned to her friends behind their booths. “Well, how is it going?” “Not good”, Twilight answered, shrugging. “We almost haven’t sold anything since we began”, Fluttershy added. “But maybe the tables are going to turn”, Pinkie Pie said, showing something far away with her chin. They all turned around and discovered a tourist bus had just parked near the square. In all likelihood, they were going to the palace. If they could get them to come here before they get into the castle, who knew, maybe they could sell a few more items. “Palace models, cups with the effigy of the royal family, Equestria flags! Affordable, affordable!” the young woman was shouting while shaking her arms. None of them could believe it when a few tourists got near her booth in order to take a look at her items. Pinkie Pie kept on behaving as if she was selling fruits and vegetables on a market. It would never work… Yet, within a few minutes, a part of her stock disappeared, and the sound of coins clicking against the iron of her little cash box could be heard. “How does she do it?” Twilight asked Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. “By the way”, Fluttershy intervened. “What are you two doing here?” Soarin and her looked at each other with a knowing smile. All the time, the young man still held his girlfriend by the hand. Although he hadn’t said anything, his emotions were written on his face. “There’s a very good stringed-instrument maker around here”, he explained. “So, I bring her so she would finally fix her guitar’s chord.” “Soarin wanted to hear me play and sing…” “You haven’t yet?” “No, I haven’t had this chance yet.” While they were talking, two teenagers from the Crusaders’ class had stepped nearer, and were looking at the items with an odd interest. They stayed a little in front of Pinkie Pie and Twilight’s tables, watching them with a little benevolent air. But Fluttershy, as the good soul ready to protect the weak and the defenseless, let them come nearer without caution, even smiling gently at them. She really was too much of a soft touch… If someone would break into her house to rob her, she would give them anything, as long as the person would ask convincingly. And what came around went around. Before she could even react, the two imps had stuffed sixty-five dollars of items in their coats’ pockets and school bags. With a few mockeries, they got away from the booth, running straight in front of them. If the boss ever discovered she had been robbed, Fluttershy knew it, the stolen total would be taken on her salary. And her pay was precisely fifty-five dollars a day. There was no way she would stay in the cold for nothing in the end. She shouted them to stop, but of course, the two boys acted as if they hadn’t heard. Especially as in reality, she hadn’t shouted loud enough, and with too soft a voice. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. And to say that when they met, the young woman was an escort girl… Who could have guessed? She was so gullible and lacked of experience… Without hesitation, she gave Soarin her guitar case, and went to go after the two boys. When they realized they were followed, they tried to quicken their pace. But being young wasn’t an advantage for them today. In less than a minute, they both happened to be pinned against the ground thanks to a shoulder strike fit for a Roller Derby competition – unless it was lacrosse. “I can’t believe it! Do they spread the word to be looking for trouble every time I’m around, or what?” Rainbow Dash questioned while giving back to Fluttershy her stolen stock. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome… As if I’d let them do this.” Soarin leaned over and whispered something in his girlfriend’s ear, who nodded. Fluttershy and Twilight both looked away, both for a very different reason. The first girl was thinking about Big Macintosh, with who she couldn’t be today and who she missed a lot, and she didn’t want to seem jealous. The second girl always was a bit embarrassed in front of these kind of displays, and felt as if she was a bit of a voyeur if she watched them. A problem not shared by Pinkie Pie, obviously. “It’s a good idea”, Rainbow Dash claimed to the young man with a smile. He put a quick peck on the reddish tip of her nose, and then she turned to her friends. “We’re going to buy a gewgaw each…” “It’s soooooo nice. You’re damn cute together.” The teenage girl chose to act as if she hadn’t heard Pinkie Pie. It was the best she could do in order not to die from embarrassment. She really didn’t like to be said to be “cute”, meaning adorable. It was a bit too sappy for someone as awesome as her. “You’ve already done so much by saving my stock.” “It pleases us”, Soarin answered with a smile. As if they were in their own world, the couple arranged on the change they both had, then decided to spend everything – twenty dollars, ten from Soarin and ten from Rainbow Dash. “It will be a funny cup for when I drink hot milk at your place”, the young woman told her boyfriend, showing him a cup with the face of the Queen printed on it. “We could personalize it if you want… to make it look a bit punkish.” “Oh yeah. That would be very sweet!” It was the biggest item they bought, rather focusing on pens, flags and small notebooks. For all that, the three girls didn’t complain. Except Pinkie Pie, thanks to the bus of tourists, it almost was equal to what they already had sold since the beginning of the afternoon. “When will you be done working?” Rainbow Dash asked once their purchases over. “Not before six”, Twilight answered. “But first we’ll have to help tidying the spot.” Once again, the couple looked at each other, like in their own private bubble. It seemed like they could understand each other without a word. This was something Pinkie Pie was envious of and wanted in her future relationship. She wasn’t the only one, in fact. Fluttershy too wanted that in a close future, Big Macintosh and her could do the same. “Might be long enough for us to go to the stringed-instrument maker and all… Would you guys like to meet us at Sugarcube Corner after work? So you could warm up around a hot drink.” “But we’re going to bother you.” “Yes, maybe you want to be alone together.” “We’re alone together since last night”, Soarin said, softly laughing. “One hour in your company isn’t going to kill our relationship, don’t worry.” “Yeah, completely. After this, we’ll both go to the movies and watch “Leave Her to Heaven”. If we offer you to come, it means it doesn’t bother us.” “Well, alright then…” “Awesome. See you later, in this case, around six and a half.” After greeting them, the couple got away, arm in arm. At first, they all thought it would look weird to see their friend with a boy she was in love with – no matter what she claimed. All her love affairs had ended awfully until then, and most importantly, she displayed some kind of misplaced pride when it came to feelings of love. If she didn’t have much difficulty to talk open-heartedly about her family problems, it wasn’t the same thing with everything that had to be with sentimentality. Yet, it needed to be said: her and Soarin were the perfect match. When she was with him, she was able to find an absolute balance between affection and casualness, all this with a disarming natural. Pinkie Pie, self-proclaimed their number one fan, somehow was bothered by a small detail. It reminded her too much that she was single. She too wanted a sweetheart who she could stroll with, go to the movies and get peck on the tip of her nose. Because of a mystery she yet had to explain, she only met with stupid ones, or boys only interested into her generous breasts. If only she could meet a childhood friend as well… But she didn’t have any other childhood friends than her sisters. At least, it comforted her that she would soon be able to buy a brand new oven and fulfill her lack of affection with homemade sweets. Yes, because industrial crap… Thanks, but no thanks! It always was so full of sugar and fat. They weren’t unhappy that this first day of work came to an end. It wasn’t because of how hard it was, not really, but rather because of bore and cold. After Rainbow Dash and Soarin’s departure, they might have had something like three costumers, and among them a young boy changed his mind at the last minute. When six o’clock rang and their boss arrived with his truck, they were hurried to close up. It didn’t take much time to put everything into cardboard boxes, putting away the parasols and tablecloths, folding the table, doing the count of the day’s income, which weren’t very satisfying. Pinkie Pie was the one who had sold the most, with a total of exactly one hundred dollars, and Fluttershy was at the lower bar of their small ladder, with barely forty dollars in her little iron box. The young man almost felt as if she didn’t deserve the seventy-five dollars their boss was giving her. Including the fact that if her friend hadn’t been here, she would have done less loss than benefits. In fact, she hadn’t even done any benefits at all. This situation really embarrassed her. It didn’t stick to her morals. “I’m truly sorry”, she claimed in a whisper. “For the theft, I mean. I’d understand if you don’t want to pay me.” “Don’t be silly. You’ve worked hard all day long in the cold. Of course, I’m going to pay you.” He patted her back while giving her the small wad of banknotes, and Fluttershy felt she had no other choice than to take it. Maybe it was misplaced modesty, yet, she kept on feeling the guilt of doing something wrong. Seeing her gazing at her money like dumbfounded, the man, which name was Mr. Savvy, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, a gesture that meant comfort. “Well, if you really want to be forgiven, you still can help me putting away the supplies and boxes into the truck.” “Alright”, she claimed with a smile. It probably wouldn’t be enough to repair the moral misdeed, but if it fit the boss, it fit Fluttershy as well. She could sense that if she kept on insisting, she was going to make herself appear as someone weak, and easy to manipulate. Since she had sold less than the others, it was logical that she was doing more than the others. However, when she turned around and remembered the beginning of the afternoon and the weight of the cardboard boxes, Fluttershy had to swallow. She wasn’t quite into physical efforts – though a bit more than Twilight – and she now had to lift up and carry heavy things. Not very clever. But it was too late, now. She had done everything there was to do in order to be in this situation. She went down the flatbed, and with her eyes looked for the lightest box of the whole. It was hard to say… Roughly, they all were the same weight. If she couldn’t make up her mind quick, Mr. Savvy was going to do it instead. “Hey, Fluttershy, what are you doing? Twilie and I are waiting for you”, Pinkie Pie said, now wearing a red coat. Indeed, their friend was at the very end of the street, small like a dot, leaning against a lamppost and busy reading one of the books she'd brought with her. “The boss asked me to help putting these away.” Pinkie Pie’s eyes went from the track to the cardboard boxes to her friend. With her strength and her slowness, for sure, if Fluttershy tackled this task, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were going to wait for them for quite a while. It wouldn’t bother Twilight much, since she’d have more time for her reviewing, but even so… Only one option was left to her: to take over the operation in order to guarantee the best of finish. “I take charge of this. You tell Twilight and warn her I’ll meet you guys directly at Sugarcube Corner.” “But…” Fluttershy figured that Mr. Savvy didn’t really care who took charge of the supplies as long as it was done quickly enough, yet she couldn’t help feeling even more embarrassed when Pinkie Pie took the box she had in her arms and that she had lifted up with so much trouble. She was the one he gave this mission to, because of the almost theft that could have happened at her booth, not even taking into account her small sells. And, was it really reasonable to let her friend do all this on her own? On the other hand, the two lovey-doveys probably were waiting for them, and it was impolite to let them wait for too long, were they her friends or not. It was a dilemma she had to resolve urgently. She had to take her decision. Right now. She was still thinking it through that Pinkie Pie already had done two round trips. Each time, she asked Fluttershy to move aside a bit. That was how she made up her mind. Rather than doing her a favor, and doing herself a favor as well, she was bothering her by standing on the way. Her friend was a member of the female lacrosse team, a former member of a gang, she wasn’t weak and even less defenseless. She’d probably get by better without a clumsy oaf of her kind by her side. “Well, I let you take this in charge, then…” “Yes. It’s going to take me a maximum of ten minutes. Don’t fret!” Fluttershy hesitated one more second, then left the place while looking back from time to time. Pinkie Pie seemed to be so busy that she didn’t even notice her absence. However, as she was getting nearer of the place Twilight was waiting them on, a question popped up into her mind… Where was Mr. Savvy hiding?
Working is Beneficial For Your Health (part 3)Now wrapped up in her coat as white as snow, trembling despite her crossed arms, Fluttershy appeared in front of Twilight. The latter looked up from her advanced physics book with a smile. She felt as if this day would never be over… She couldn’t wait to be warm at Sugarcube Corner! “Can we leave now? It’s almost six and a half.” “Yes. Let’s hurry. I’m freezing to death.” Twilight put her book back into her bag, and she needed a few more seconds before noticing something was wrong. Pinkie Pie wasn’t here. She told it to her best friend who opened her eyes wide before being touched by some kind of illumination. Since Fluttershy was in love, sometimes she was as absent-minded as the missing member of the group. “She helps Mr. Savvy putting things away. She’ll meet us there as soon as she’s done with it.” This additional piece of information should have reassured the teenage girl. She hadn’t disappeared, after all, she was only a few meters away. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know the town and would get lost on her way. Yet, immediately, an unbearable weight coiled her stomach and she felt her throat clenching. Although the man who was their boss had been rather sympathetic with them today, when he distributed them their very first pay, there was something sinister about him, unexplainable. Since Sunset Shimmer and Applejack told them to beware, Twilight hadn’t helped being wary of almost anything. She had noted the serial numbers of some of the items, for example, just to make sure they weren’t counterfeit and she had carefully recounted her bank notes and check out whether they were fake ones or real ones. It escaped rationality, and rationality was the adjective which described her best. Yet, something was growing inside of her. A fear like from out of nowhere. No. More than a fear, an anguish. Something was going to happen. She didn’t really know what. But it was a fact. They had to go back to the truck. Pinkie Pie put down the last cardboard box. It hadn’t taken her more than five minutes. With all the love she had for Fluttershy, she just knew she wouldn’t have packed it off so quickly if the teenage girl had done it. Now, all that was left to do was to tell the boss goodbye and to go to Sugarcube Corner running. She should have asked her friend to order her a double hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. She rubbed her hands together and came near Mr. Savvy, sitting on an upside down box and busy counting today’s takings. She wondered what demanded so much focus in the view of their poor turnover. “Sorry”, she said, clearing her voice. “We’re done. Can I leave now?” The man looked up from his notebook and looked beyond Pinkie Pie’s shoulders. Everything which was piled up outside was now inside the truck. And her two friends weren’t here anymore. At least, they weren’t right beside them but far enough not to have a glimpse at what they were doing. He put his pen and notebook beside him, and walked to the teenage girl. A hand was put around her shoulders, that she looked at, bewildered. “You did an excellent job, today, Pinkamena. I’m so proud of you.” “Well… Oki doki loki.” “I could have another job for you, something that would be not as thankless and with a much better pay. With a physique such as yours, I know you’ll be very successful.” “Prostitution, you mean?” “Did I say that?” No, indeed, he never said this word. Was it necessary for her to understand what this was all about? Talking about her physique, telling her she would earn more money… Some of the girls from the Rebellious used to be escorts and other things of the kind, and she knew how this kind of work was camouflaged. “No thanks”, Pinkie Pie answered, pushing away Mr. Savvy’s hand which had slipped along her back. “What a pity. You have potential.” Once again, he put his hands on her, and this time, his palm cupped her thigh. As soon as she tried to resist, he became more insistent, grabbing her by the waist. Soon, she found herself stuck against the truck’s wall, Mr. Savvy’s body leaned completely against hers. He couldn’t stop repeating he knew she wanted it secretly, his lips crushed against her neck. Pinkie Pie tried her best to struggle, and to push him away, but the whole thing happened to be rather difficult. Especially as he wrung the arm she had been able to get off above her head, to make sure she wouldn’t be able to escape his wandering hands, which seemed to soil her everywhere at the same time. Who did he think he was trying to assault? She wasn’t only the nice young woman she seemed to be. Deep inside, something bad was concealed behind party’s streamers. It was like bitterness resurfacing, acrid and corrosive. A devil was shouting inside her belly, commanding her to let him out and to blow out between her hands. The best probably would have been to make it shut up, to choke him in the depths. If the man hadn’t tried to slip his hands under her sweater, it would have been a possibility. But he had just crossed this limit tainted with danger. There was a box cutter on one of the cardboard boxes, which gleaming blade was out. Twisting herself, she was able to free her arm, the one which wasn’t wrung, and she stretched it until she could reach the extreme tip of the shaft. As soon as it touched her fingers, instincts from the past came back and with it, the devil she wished she had killed forever. Quickly, Mr. Savvy took a step back, the tip of the box cutter aimed at his throat. The teenage girl in front of him seemed to be completely different. Her curls which made her hair look like some giant pink cotton candy was now flat against her shoulders, and in her blue eyes burned a flame of sourness which made his limbs shake. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked trying to sound mocking but with a voice filled with traces of terror. “What do I think? That I’m going to pierce a dirty asshole’s skin! Don’t you know what it costs to assault a member of the Rebellious?” “This ultra-violent gang of teenagers? I thought it had been dismantled years ago.” “It’s the case!” a female voice screamed behind them. When Pinkie Pie looked away from Mr. Savvy and realized Twilight and Fluttershy had just climbed into the truck and seen her in such a state, a feeling of unprecedented shame took over her whole being. It was enough to calm her down. Now she had let evil inside her out, the only way to get rid of it for good would be to go the whole hog. After all, nothing told her this guy wouldn’t try to rape another girl of her age if she let him go. “Pinkie Pie… You know this isn’t anything like you. Don’t do such a thing, you might regret it.” “This bastard wanted to rape me! He deserves a punishment.” “This isn’t about him… This is about you. You’ve been able to escape the hell you fell into, and look what you’ve become… Don’t ruin everything now. You’re so much worthier than that.” Until then, Fluttershy had stayed in the background, as always scared by displays of violence. However, it was about one of her best friends and she could feel Twilight was going to need her assistance. Of course, she hadn’t met Pinkie Pie back when she was a gang member. It didn’t stop her from loving her the way she loved the other girls. Like a sister. It was her duty as a friend to help her. “It’s true”, she intervened. “This isn’t you. Not the real you. You’re scared and I understand that better than anyone else. But think about your future, think about your family, how disappointed and sad they’d be to know you’re here again. The Pinkie Pie we all know is still around, I know.” They could see their friend was still hesitating. Although she seemed to be on the verge of giving in, something stopped her from giving up. So Twilight decided to slowly step closer. “He hurt you… And he deserved to pay for it. But if you do what I know you want to do, you’ll be the one paying for it at the highest price. We don’t want to lose you, never and for no one.” She referred to the rumors about her past which could have disastrous consequences. This time, Pinkie Pie herself thought she would be thrown on scrapheap, hated by everyone and fired from school, without any other prospect than going back to her parents’ farm, where she would have been on her own most of the time, since she had no interest whatsoever for any kind of rocks. Tears in her eyes, she let go of the box cutter, and pushed Mr. Savvy away before rushing outside the truck. Fluttershy was able to follow her in order to comfort her, but it wasn’t the same for Twilight, who he grabbed by the wrist. “Where do you think you’re going? You friend tried to kill me, and you all will pay for it. First, I’m going to call the police.” A half smile appeared on the young woman’s face. “Well, do it. My big brother is the police chief of downtown Canterlot. I’m going to explain him your products are counterfeits, and that you’ve tried to abuse a minor, he’s going to be very interested.” Of course, Pinkie Pie had a history of juvenile delinquency which could disadvantage her in case of a complaint. However, with her as a witness, and her flawlessness, plus the fact Shining Armor knew Pinkie Pie very well and knew she wasn’t the kind to use violence for no good reason, she didn’t doubt the balance of justice would lean on their side. Thankfully, things would never get this far. Mr. Savvy let her go as well. Right before she left his damn truck, he screamed at her that they were fired. As if they would come back to work for him after everything that had happened. They may had lost their jobs, but they had kept their friend. It was the only thing important. When she met her friends, Pinkie Pie was sitting on the ground, a little farther, and was crying against Fluttershy’s shoulder. The young woman was patting her shoulder softly, like a mother to her child. “I’m sorry”, she kept on repeating. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. We’re not upset. We were scared for you, that’s all.” “I’ve tried to struggle, but I couldn’t.” “Stop crying and blaming yourself”, Fluttershy added. “Everything’s okay. Nobody’s angry.” “I am! I’ve almost gone crazy. It was very close.” “But you didn’t and it’s all that matters.” Twilight’s phone started to vibrate. At the end of the line, Rainbow Dash told her Soarin and her had spent more time than they thought at the stringed-instrument maker’s, and were barely out. They offered to meet them near their workplace instead of Sugarcube Corner directly. This way, they could go there together. Pinkie Pie shook her head no. She needed a bit of time before showing her face to her friend. On the night of her mother’s death anniversary, she had a speech in order to shake her a little, and although both situations were different, she now felt she wasn’t the best person to give pieces of advice like these. Herself hadn’t completely come to terms with her past. Inside her heart, she made a solemn promise. She would always do her best to get rid of this dirt stuck in the corner of her soul. Her friends were right… This wasn’t like her at all, this violence and this anger. She was nothing but joy and love, and it was about time to let joy and love take over the rest. They didn’t understand. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had promised to bring them to someone willing to hire them for a job. Yet, they were taking their time, telling them there was no need to hurry. In Twilight’s opinion, this behavior was not professional. She couldn’t help feeling not at ease. Even if the person in question was really permissive, it also was rather impolite. Her confusion increased when she realized they were taking the road to Carousel Boutique. Unless it was an acquaintance of the place’s owner… But if it was the case, there was no reason for it to be Rainbow Dash and Applejack who introduce them. Inside the shop, Rarity’s assistant, Sassy, welcomed the girls as if they were important dignitaries and led them to the boudoir of the backroom, where the privileged costumers did various fitting. They were served tea and biscuits. But there was no trace of anyone to be introduced to them and vice-versa. “Can I know what we’re doing here?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know but it’s cozier than Mr. Sleazy’s booths!” “I wasn’t asking the question to you, Pinkie…” “Ya’ll going to understand. Just a little patience, folks.” And the activities resumed. The bunch was chatting, seemingly relaxed, while savoring their beverages and snacks, yet Twilight was unable to get casual. Usually, she was fond of puzzles… However, this one looked too absurd for her to be able to enjoy its subtleties. Not that subtle, in fact. Soon, Rarity appeared at the threshold of the boudoir, smiling. She was wearing a white sweat-dress with large stitches with a black belt around her waist, and the whole looked amazingly elegant on her. She sat with them on one of the room’s couches. “Sorry I’ve made you wait for so long. I had a very important meeting.” Twilight looked beyond her friend’s shoulder. No one. It seemed obvious that the place they had to go to was right here, and the person they had to meet was right under their eyes: Rarity, no more no less. “Is that you… for the job?” she asked again. “Well, yes. Didn’t girls tell you?” “To be honest, we wanted it to be a surprise.” “Good work. I’m surprised”, Fluttershy declared. “Not me”, Pinkie Pie claimed. “Your macarons are goooood!” Rarity smiled to her friend, but didn’t say anything. It was nice, this little suspense, nevertheless, she didn’t think it was much worth of interest. The best was to get to the heart of the matter. It wasn’t a job interview, of course, but still the teenage girls had to know what was expected of them. “When Rainbow Dash and Applejack told me what happened to you, I’ve wondered why you haven’t thought of asking me first.” “Yeah, we’ve been a little stupid not to think about it. Or at least, not to suggest them to”, Rainbow Dash affirmed, nodding. “Let’s not mind and go straight to the point. Here is what’s going to happen… Do you know who is Sapphire Shores?” “What? The star of Equestrian pop?” Once again, their friend smiled, this time with a little nod. Twilight looked a little lost, since she wasn’t really aware of the latest trends when it came to music or movies, enjoying the pleasure of a good book over anything else. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, on the other hand, looked as excited as hyperactive kids on speed. “She asked me to create the outfits of her upcoming tour. It’s an enormous order, a key for my future and my career, and it happens that I’m going to need petites mains to help me out. I’m warning you, I can only pay you four dollars an hour for a huge amount of work, but if you aren’t afraid of the responsibility and hard work, I will hire you girls with pleasure. It will be less… dangerous.” “Are you sure we got the capacities?” “Twilight, voyons. Of course I do. I wouldn’t ask you this if I didn’t think you had the skills to finish this task successfully.” “Rarity, you’re the best!” Pinkie Pie fell on the young woman’s neck, and hold her in a restless and lively embrace. It was the typical kind of the teenage girl’s reaction, however, Rarity was a little less used to it, since she was seeing the group more sporadically because of her work. To be honest, the fact to hire her friends for the job also was a way for her to spend some time with them. She knew that then, the rest of the gang would come to her boutique as well, to support and even assist them. This way, she would feel a little less this painful sensation to be an honorary member of her own bunch of friends. Though she kept doubts about her abilities and most importantly, she hoped this casual work of responsibilities wouldn’t slow her down in her reviews, Twilight was now at ease. They were safe with Rarity, an adult with respect for them, and who loved them. Above all, she would protect Pinkie Pie, who needed to hold a course in order not to drift. In a way, it wasn’t that surprising if there was something the others didn’t understand between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. An invisible bond that had them understanding each other instinctively about things the others couldn’t really feel concerned about – not even Applejack, for who her parents’ absence, although sometimes painful, wasn’t accompanied by a total lack of family life, of arms to catch her in case of a fall back. These arms, it was them, all six, who had to incarnate them. They had to be united, despite the disagreements, despite everything else. Author's Note Next chapter will be... a bit special. There had been a clue in one of my blog posts
The Big Fight (part 1)Since weeks now, Applejack had impatiently waited for this day to arrive… And finally, only seven days were left until she’d take off for the all-category Equestria rodeo championship in Las Pegasus! This year, the competition was during Christmas holidays and the whole Apple family was really excited to go South for the occasion. It would change them a little to have a great weather for the end of the year celebrations, since in Canterlot, a very biting cold already struck since days. Her upcoming week would be organized around practice, and nothing but practice. That was the reason why she’d invited her friends to come and see one of them, so she could spend a little time with them after school. Sunset Shimmer was the only one missing, since she had her own practice today. Since she belonged to the volley club, each of her Monday and Friday afternoons were dedicated to this activity. In the others’ opinions, it was a good thing. She would be able to get new friends out of her circle. While admiring Applejack on her mechanical bull, the four young women were busy talking about what they planned to do on the end of the year celebrations. Twilight was going to ski with her parents in the Crystal Mountains, and didn’t want to go. Her parents, as well as Shining Armor and Cadence, were going to ask her to go out in order to make the most of the snow, when everything she wanted was to stay warm and review, along with catching up her overdue reading. Pinkie Pie would see her parents, like she did twice in the year, at the occasion of her birthday and at the occasion of these celebrations. She was really excited by the prospect of seeing her whole family again, especially Maud, who was her favorite sister, though the teenage girl never said such a thing out loud. They all were having their own tradition, an exchange of candy necklace, and the preparation of these candies seemed to obsess her more than anything else. As far as Fluttershy was concerned, she would stay in Canterlot and spend Christmas with her parents. Her family was very traditional and did nothing eccentric at this period. On the eve of 24, they would eat a meal which consisted into parmesan and poppy biscuits, of goat’s cheese and apple puffs, of champagne fondue and of sweet chestnut-flavored ice-cream Yule log. In short, the typical meal of the country for this night of the year… Then, they would play a board game until midnight tick and open their presents. It wasn’t extraordinary, but Fluttershy loved this comforting and comfortable simplicity. Now that the ‘ordeal’, aka Halloween, was over, she was way happier and relaxed to soon be on holidays. It was the opposite for Rainbow Dash... Halloween was fun, and she’d been very proud to sport her costume of Clara Bow in “Wings”, her favorite movie – also one of Firefly’s favorite. On the other hand, Christmas, the moment of the year dedicated to families, had everything in common with hell. All those trickling sappiness on TV, and above all, all those people happy to be surrounded by the ones they loved… Disgusting. And most importantly, depressing. For this reason, she was the only one not to express herself about the end of the year’s celebrations and her schedule for the night. This detail intrigued Fluttershy, whom it seemed her friend had done something last year on the same period. She was afraid to ask… But took the risk to ask anyway, in order to know why. “What are you going to do, Rainbow Dash? Don’t you have a little something planned?” She shrugged. “Meh, no. I think I’m going to spend my Christmas Eve face to face with a honey and almond ice-cream pot and Jimmy Stewart…” “Who’s this Jimmy Stewart?” “He’s an actor, Fluttershy”, Pinkie Pie pointed. “A dead actor…” “Hey, don’t say that! James Stewart is eternal!” “’It’s A Wonderful Life”?” Twilight questioned her friend. “Yep!” She rolled her eyes, unsure whether it was sad or laughable. Obviously, Soarin was going to Cloudsdale for Christmas and she’d refused to come with him. Yet she knew his family well… “So, it means you’re going to be all alone?”, Fluttershy asked with a hint of horror in her voice. She couldn’t envision that someone could be alone during such a period. Christmas was supposed to be a moment of sharing and happiness… The magic of daily life. It was so sad! There had to be something to do. As her friend, it was her duty to make sure she wouldn’t have to go through something so tragic. In fact, she even wondered why the others offered her no help. “Yes. My father would rather spend his end of the year’s celebrations in the air than with me, this is the way things are and that’s all… And if he didn’t, we’d have nothing to say to each other and it would feel worse, anyway. It’s better off like this.” “What about Soarin?” “He asked me but I refused. This too is better off like this… Ask Pinkie Pie what happened last year.” “We were all busy chatting while eating our Christmas soup, and Dashie broke down and cried. It was very sad.” She had tried. She had made an effort. But she hadn’t been able to do it. Yet, Pinkie Pie’s family wasn’t anything like her, and was neither the most expressive and expansive people of the world. And even among them, her pain resurfaced and blew up on the table. Since her mother’s death, Christmas had never been the same again. Since the very first year, her father chose to let her between the Green Haven’s staff hands rather than taking her with him, under the excuse that she had arrived just two weeks ago. During the only visit he did when she was there, he explained her it would have been too difficult for him to deal with it. Yet, even Suri the Unraveling and Angel Wings, her dear roommate, been allowed to go back home for the Christmas Eve. Ever since, this period had become one of the period of the year she wasn’t anticipating at all. She was lucky there was only two periods of this kind, or else her life would’ve turned into a real nightmare! She also was lucky because she wouldn’t need to keep talking about this topic. Well, if what happened could be called being ‘lucky’… Indeed, under the four friends horrified eyes, Applejack had just fell off her mechanical bull. And it wasn’t a small fall. She had been knocked down back, and had hit the back of her head when bumping against the floor. Immediately, the young women gasped in shock, before dashing to the other side of the plastic fence. Twilight, who always had a small bottle of water in her bag, gave a few swallows to Applejack, who opened her eyes one second later. They all were relieved. Undoubtedly, their friend had been shaken, but she seemed to be alright. When she sat back, massaging the back of her head, her gestures were precise and she didn’t tremble. Pinkie Pie opened her palm wide in front of the young woman’s eyes. “How many fingers do I have, AJ?” “In all, or just the hand in front of me?” “Well…” “You got to be very accurate with numbers. It’s serious.” “Err… Are you sure everything’s okay?” Rainbow Dash questioned, frowning. Of course, the young woman didn’t seem to be raving, however there was something odd in the way she talked. Something… foreign. A hit on the head could have consequences people didn’t always think about. “I fell; I can’t see how in the world would I be alright.” “Oh my goodness! AJ, your accent…” Pinkie Pie claimed with horror. “It’s gone!” “Which accent? I have always talked the way I am talking now.” The four girls looked at each other, dumbfounded. She couldn’t even realize that the way she talked, with these small hints from the South of United States, where she was born and where her grandmother was born as well, had disappeared. Applejack stood back up and looked at the surroundings. Clippings with her face on them, advertisements posters for the promotion of apple-flavored drinks… And this awful device of torture, in the middle of the room. She didn’t understand. “Did I climb on this thing and fell because of that? What an idea I had to do such a dangerous activity. You should have stopped me.” Once again, the bunch of friends couldn’t help but looking at each other, more and more stunned by what they saw and heard. Rodeos were one of Applejack’s favorite pastime, if not her very favorite. She was excellent at it, and couldn’t spend a day without at least a bit of mechanical bull practice or a horse-back ride around the estate. “Stop you? Applejack, come on… Rodeo is… your life!” “If you excuse me, I strongly doubt it. I only like coding, web design and the “Star Crop” TV Show!” “WHAT?” the young girls yelled at the same time. There! It was even worse than what they thought! They had to bring her to see a doctor. It was a disaster. Usually, the group was chatting in the corridors, in order not to let Twilight with the control freaks from the Guiding Class right from the beginning of the day. This morning, when passing by her classroom, Sunset Shimmer was surprised to see her friend already inside, leaned over a book. She hoped she and the girls hadn’t argued like one year ago, when they thought they could part indefinitely. In all honesty, back then, Sunset Shimmer still thought she too could grant an access to this elite class, thanks to her grades in mathematics… And quickly, she accepted the truth. Too many things had happened, her grades had drastically lowered. Especially, when thinking it through, she rather be in a normal class where she could spend time strengthening her bond with her new bunch of friends. The comfort she felt when she saw all four of them chatting at their tables was quickly cut short. Something was wrong… And it wasn’t only because of the faces filled with dismay that – almost – all of them displayed, because now she could understand that even in such a tight group of friends, everything wasn’t a bed of roses. No, it was something else. Like a rock floating on a soup, or a printing stain in a newspaper. Rainbow Dash was sitting at Applejack’s seat, and Applejack was at her desk, while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were staring her, the expression on their faces between panic and horror. As she came closer, she realized the young blond girl wasn’t sitting there randomly. Her back almost broke in two, she was laughing her heart out, with a Power Ponies comic book under her nose. Her reading engrossed her so much that, when Sunset Shimmer greeted her, Applejack ignored her. “What the hay is happening? Since when does Applejack read comic books?” “Since yesterday”, Rainbow Dash mumbled. “She has made a terrible fall off her mechanical bull”, Fluttershy went on. “And ever since, she’s all…” Pinkie Pie finished, patting her temples with her forefinger. “You know; I can hear you! How boring you all are!” the person in question complained. And, without even a glance at them nor Sunset Shimmer, who was stunned with her eyes as widely opened as her mouth, she left the table to isolate herself in a corner, with her friend’s comic book in her hands. “Hey! My Power Ponies! I haven’t even read them yet!” Each had hoped that, thanks to time spent with her family and friends, in a familiar environment, on the next morning Applejack would have get her memory back at the same time as her mind. When she arrived at school, hatless and fond of her History book, they all knew they had hoped for too much. During the first break between the coming of two teachers, she gave Rainbow Dash her comic book back, still without a hint of Southern accent, then spent the rest of her free time playing video games on her smartphone. It wouldn’t have been much of a surprise if she played at her favorite rodeo game… Except it was the latest edition of Marecraft! Unfortunately, things didn’t get any better during the whole morning. Twilight had been right to have palpitations last night, when her friend recited the square root of five thousand without even thinking about it… Chemistry course. Experience: mixture by titration of redox. The first one to find the point of equivalence was Applejack, even before Sunset Shimmer, and while Rainbow Dash was still wondering what on earth meant this extraterrestrial language. They all almost let fall their test tubes on the ground, starting with their teacher. And if at least things were different during other courses… But they weren’t. The pretty blond girl participated as much as Pinkie Pie, and conversely to her, her answers were always correct and her chosen words were always clever. In a few hours of class, the news went all over the twelfth grade. Everyone talked about it in the corridors. Something they all ignored might have happened for this situation to exist. However, no one had any doubts that Applejack was a hidden egghead finally coming out of the closet. Twilight Sparkle should start worrying… The group succeeded to be gathered for lunch… Much to their surprise, the school’s gang of nerds, called the “techies”, lured Applejack at their table in order to speak with her about “Star Crop”. Though she swore she’d met her friends later, they had to state this obvious – she would never come back, way too obsessed by her new hobbies. “How did we happen to be here?” Twilight sighed, more than annoyed. “If she keeps behaving this way, they’re going to make her go into the Guiding Class with me… Oh no. I could never compete against one of my friends.” She started to breath quicker and soundly, as if she was on the verge of a panic attack. Pinkie Pie forcefully made her drink a glass of water until Twilight pushed her aside asking her if she turned crazy. To which her friend nodded with a large smile. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. The whole story was a complete nonsense, the most complete of all nonsense she’d ever seen, and yet she had watched every of the Keystone Cops movies. Applejack, an egghead, a nerd? All her life turned around rodeo and Sweet Apple Acres! When she wasn’t with them, she practiced, or she rode a horse, or she worked on the farm. Her leisure, her readings… Everything about her was country-related. It always been this way and it would never be any other way. Her true character hadn’t been finally revealed in broad daylight, it might be buried inside the wanders of her concussed brain. Conversely to what Twilight said, if things kept on being this way, she wasn’t going to go to the Guiding Class, but directly to Green Haven! And it was out of question. Out of question that her best friend would be locked up and drugged with Tercian. “What’s happening to Applejack?” The group looked up to the new person who had just asked this question. Here was Flash Sentry, his tray in his hands and his guitar over his shoulders, with his usual leather jacket instead of the supposedly mandatory uniform jacket. He'd been discreet since Trixie’s little set-up. A slap in the face probably had set him straight… The fact remained that he was the first one who came to ask them about their friend’s mental health. The first one to display a curiosity colored with worry, rather than mixed with the excitation of seeing a freak. “She fell yesterday at her rodeo practice, and ever since, she isn’t acting like herself”, Twilight answered with a smile. “Not acting like herself? Try being someone completely different! Our best friend…” Rainbow Dash threw an aggrieved glance at the techies table and saw Applejack laughing at a joke from Micro Chip, one of the figurehead of the band. Until then, she scarcely used her computer if it wasn’t in order to make her bookkeeping or to watch rodeo videos and now… The teenage girl let her head fall against the table, even more saddened, and was welcomed by a gentle stroke on her back from Pinkie Pie. “What’s sure is that she will easily find a partner for the Winter Ball.” Without asking for permission, Flash Sentry put his tray beside Twilight, who seemed to be pleased by this new plot twist. She was the only person around this table who looked any enthusiastic, although one minute before, she was as desperate as her friends. “The ball… I just couldn’t wait to go with you all”, Sunset Shimmer claimed as if to rub it in for good. The Winter Ball was at the end of the week, right before Christmas holidays. If Applejack wasn’t back to normal until then, they all could feel it: they would lose her forever. Fluttershy said the doctor told Big Macintosh the hit on the head his little sister had received wasn’t serious and that things would go back in place slowly, yet it never stopped them from feeling afraid. “Did you… hum… plan to go with someone?” Flash asked Twilight. “I didn’t. No one invites me and since only at the Prom Ball students are allowed to invite someone who isn’t a part of the school…” “Would you like to go there with me? I mean… If you’re not still mad at me…” “That would be great!” In her shoes, Rainbow Dash would probably had think twice before saying yes, or at least check out whether Trixie wasn’t somewhere around the corner watching them. But after all… Her friend was old enough to take her own decisions. If she had decided to forgive Flash Sentry for being a part of this little scheme, it was her business and nobody else’s. She didn’t have the right to tell her how to behave. And, at least there was someone smiling around them. The more she glanced at the nerds’ table, the more she could feel Applejack getting away from them and herself, and the sicker she was. It felt almost as if she was losing another member of her family.
The Big Fight (part 2)Apple Bloom was happy she had chosen to subscribe at the ballroom dance club. For a while, she looked for a hobby, as she could see her siblings spending a lot of time doing theirs, and she had finally found it. She really liked to dance, particularly the demanding rhythm of Quickstep and the extravaganza of Lindy Hop. This activity stimulated her a lot, yet she was happy to get home and to rest in front of the television. It felt good to take off her shoes, to savor Sweet Apple Acres’ Red Delicious and Pippin stuffed roll cakes without having to think things through. Today, like every day, Apple Bloom announced her arrival… No one answered, neither Big Macintosh, Applejack or Granny Smith, so she said to herself they all might be at a meeting or something of the kind. The preteen girl didn’t wonder so much… Her family’s habits weren’t quite the same than anywhere else. Her cakes on a tray with a big glass of fresh milk, she turned on the TV to watch cartoons. It was her favorite thing to watch when no one was home. She didn’t want them to keep on treating her like a child, and made this her own little secret. She was in High School now, after all… Everything would had happened like any other day if Apple Bloom hadn’t noticed something new which wasn’t there before, after a few minutes spent on the couch. Under the huge flat-screen television set of the lounge, the newfangled video-game console took center stage, and by its side, were put an abundance of video games. Curious, the young girl got nearer in order to observe this little marvel of technology… It was the one that could be brought outside! Her mouth wide opened in admiration, she stroked the black plastic casing, already seeing herself doing wild games with the rest of the Crusaders. Maybe they would even find their purpose and it would be in the video game area. Who knew? Perhaps they were professional gamers on the become. Suddenly, something struck her. It was nothing normal. No one was the type to be fond of new technologies around her. Big Macintosh already had his own video-game console and when Applejack wanted to play at something else than the rodeo applications on her phone, she came and played in his room. None of them had ever spent hours and hours playing, though. She pricked up her ears. There were sounds upstairs. One of her siblings might be there. Fine. She needed new information about the newbie. It was better to know than being disappointed in case this was a mistake or an impulse which would lead to a return in the next days. Apple Bloom climbed the large stairs leading to the second floor, where her big sister Applejack had her suite – a huge bedroom adjoined to her private bathroom, with a bubble bath she borrowed from time to time. If she wasn’t home, she would go and visit Big Macintosh instead… Maybe he only wanted a brand new console and he hadn’t had the time to put it upstairs yet, taken by a sudden meeting or unfinished chores. The door’s room was ajar. Apple Bloom pushed it softly, and all while knocking, spoke to the eldest. She knew she was here since she could hear her tapping on her keyboard… Fast. Very fast. “AJ, do ya know what’s dis… OOOOOOH!!!” Apple Bloom thought she would faint. Her sister’s room… What in the world had happened? Yesterday Big Macintosh had said she was ill, and this morning, she barely had time to have a glimpse of her, hurried by Granny Smith like never before. But she hadn’t imagined this at all. It probably was more than serious. Every Applejack’s rodeo trophies were on the floor, and instead, figurines of a famous sci-fi TV show took center stage. Posters of the same TV show upholstered the walls which until then were decorated with pictures of her winning rodeos, of her family, as well as of her friends. Leaning over her computer, glasses on her eyes and wearing her complete school uniform, with jacket, tie and sleeveless sweater, the eldest sister paid no attention to the youngest, way too focused on her task. “What the… what the… What the hay is happenin’ to ya?” “Oh, Apple Bloom, I haven’t heard you coming. I don’t know what you’re talking about. The things on the floor are strange. I don’t understand why I want to keep these… What’s your opinion? How much would this one cost on eHay?” she asked showing one of the trophies on the floor, a huge one with a bull shape, decorated by a blue ribbon. He sister… wanted to sell her own prizes on the Web? Applejack would never had done such a thing! These trophies meant the world to her, spending each of her weekend mornings polishing them and talking to them like they were her own babies. As an answer, Apple Bloom screamed on top of her lungs. Where was her big sister and who was this person pretending to be her? Today, like it happened during the latest two days, once again Applejack had refused to hang out with her friends after school. She had more important stuff to do, since, according to herself, Sweet Apple Acres’ internet site needed a good restauration she was the only one able to offer. She had even lectured Twilight for she preferred going out rather than studying. Like each time one of them was absent for a wrong reason, the rest of the group wasn’t in high spirits. Gathered at their favorite place at Sugarcube Corner, in order to avoid the biting cold of December, they were sipping on their favorite drinks unenthusiastically. They all felt that what was going on was out of their control. Previously, they’d been able to go through ordeals with a bit of imagination. This time, it seemed the solution wasn’t within their reach. The strike was particularly harmful to Twilight. Her biggest fear, to be the rival of one of her best friends on an academic level, was about to become a reality. Indeed, thanks to her very recent excellent grades in every single subject, people talked more and more about a possibility to have Applejack enrolled in the Guiding Class. Of course, she had to wait and see how the situation would evolve, but the prospect was probable. All it took was for the Homeroom Teacher to agree and the student in question to agree as well. As her Homeroom Teacher was no one but Principal Celestia herself, and considering how zealous her friend was when it came to courses, she had no doubt that if offered, Applejack would accept. And there were many other problems… “What is this thing about wanting to be called ‘Apple Jewel’? Does anybody know where it comes from?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly irritated. General shrugs. The five friends thought that if Rainbow Dash didn’t know, then none of them did. Their gang had started with them both, and they knew each other since the longest time, to the extent that, back in eighth grade and the beginning of ninth grade, the rainbow-haired teenager had spent more time living in her friend’s house than in hers. However, the situation was painful and distressing for each of them. And it infested the whole functioning of the school, as well as her own family’s working. Indeed, since her head had knocked the ground, Applejack had given up on her chores at the farm, and Big Macintosh now had a heaviest workload, although in was in the middle of mid-term exams – just like Zephyr and Soarin. As far as young Apple Bloom was concerned, she looked depressed all the time, and had spent the previous day at the nurse’s office, in the complete disinterest of her eldest. “It’s just not Applejack to let Apple Bloom in such a state”, Fluttershy softly said, staring at the whipped cream of her cappuccino. “Because this isn’t our Applejack. There’s an alien inhabiting her body”, Pinkie Pie went on, imitating a zombie. “Like in ‘The Invasion of the Body Snatchers’!” “How on earth do you know this movie?” Rainbow Dash asked with a bit of bitterness. “You’re the one who showed it to me. Dashie got a lot of old strange movies home.” “They’re not old strange movies! They’re great classics.” “Alright, they’re not strange. They’re just old!” “A great classic is timeless, it means it never gets old… Ask Rarity.” “Don’t you think it would be more productive to refocus?” “Thank you, Sunset Shimmer”, Twilight replied, sighing. “There’s more serious topics to discuss about… Like Applejack in the Guiding Class! I don’t want to compete against Applejack!” “Do you really think this is the most serious of all topics? Not that AJ no longer is AJ?” “Or maybe it’s like in ‘The Stepford Wives’… She’s a robot! This movie was shown to me by Maud, Dashie.” “As long as it wasn’t the awful remake… And Pinkie, could you please stop with your cinematographic references? There’s no alien invasion and no humans turned into robots!” It was hopeless. When they started arguing over trifles, they had to wait for things to calm down on their own, and avoid to stick your oar in one of the girls’ argumentation. After more than one year spent by their side, this was what Sunset Shimmer had learned. What she’d learned as well was that when one of them was injured or harmed, it was the whole group that suffered from it. That was how close they were. As their best friends, they had to do something in order to help Applejack but they all felt they were helpless. And somewhere, they probably were thinking that if the young woman was happy this way, they didn’t have to intervene. But was she happy? None of them could be sure, so out of desperation, here they were arguing about many different things. It didn’t help much but at least, it gave them the impression of not staying with their arms crossed, waiting for something to happen. The tearoom’s bell resounded, and the group as a whole turned around to look at the door. In secret, they hoped it would be Applejack, her hat on her head, back to her old self by magic… Of course, this wasn’t the case. But maybe were they about to get fresh news from the situation since the person who had just come hurtling in Sugarcube Corner was Big Macintosh. Immediately, Fluttershy’s face was embellished with a charming smile, after being so gloomy right before, and her eyes lightened up like a Christmas tinsel when she saw her boyfriend. Just like Rainbow Dash with Soarin, because of the mid-terms exams, she hadn’t seen him much during the last two weeks. However, conversely to her friend who seemed to be alright with the fact, she couldn’t help being afraid. Indeed, even when she had worked for Rarity, they had spent more time together than now… What if he realized he didn’t miss her? After all, when he had accepted to be with her, he had said he wasn’t in love. Nothing could prove her he was in love now. Well, if it were the case, she would have been unable to detect it. Fluttershy didn’t really have the time to get reassured, since Big Macintosh stopped by their table and barely looked at her, obviously here for another reason than spending time with her. “Girls, the situation is serious!” “What’s happening, Big Mac?” Pinkie Pie questioned. “It’s Applejack… She refuses to go to her photoshoot for our new apple-flavored tea drinks. And she also decided she’ll never take part in a rodeo again! You gotta help me!” At the same time, the five girls gasped in shock, and it draw the attention of the whole tearoom, silent for a very short while. This wasn’t funny anymore. It was highly grave. A good part of the incomes generated by the family brand came from Applejack’s image, and not only thanks to her pretty face and her athletic body, but also and most importantly because she was a star in her discipline. All this was a well-oiled mechanism which each link was essential for the complete machine to work out fine. The most worrying detail, out of the financial aspect, was that by refusing to model for the brand, she was refusing to help her family. Applejack. Applejack couldn’t refuse anything to her family, it was the most important thing of her life, along with her friends. More important than her passion for rodeo, more important than anything alive on earth. It went beyond becoming the school nerds’ muse, or even beyond giving up on her hobbies and friends. It was a total denial of who she really was inside. They could not let that happen. No matter what it would cost, no matter how long it would take, they were going to save their friend. Now it was their number one priority. Author's Note Not really satisfied with this part... But if you like it, then it's alright with me
The Big Fight (part 3)Friday. While the other students were getting prepared for the Winter Ball, the gang was gathered in town, following Applejack around. The Las Pegasus rodeo contest was on Sunday and if the young woman didn’t leave tomorrow morning, she could never get there on time to participate. It was the last chance to save their friends. It bothered Twilight a lot to tell Flash Sentry not to count on her tonight if this last investigation didn’t give results, but at the same time she knew none of them would want to dance and have fun knowing that the more time went by, the more Applejack was getting away from her friends and family. On the previous night, the five girls had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and had spent time with her. Since memory couldn’t be back on its own, they had decided to force its hand a little. Rainbow Dash had brought the previous grades’ yearbook, and they all looked at the pictures together, as if everything had happened light years ago, although they weren’t much older now. Since it hadn’t been enough, she then tried to hypnotize Applejack but had to admit the obvious – she wasn’t very gifted for this. Fluttershy had then suggested to show her videos of her former rodeo exploits… Maybe moving pictures in familiar places would have a satisfying effect. But the girls quickly had grown weary of Applejack’s comments, denigrating this activity which had long been her favorite one. No side of it had escaped her sharp tongue… Well,the honest side of her was alive, that was at least something. So, as a last resort, even if it would hurt her, Twilight had claimed that the best thing to do was to tell her about her late parents. This, she was sure, will touch her heart deeply. It had been as heavy a defeat as the rest. Their friend had determined that they would probably be prouder of her now than when she no longer “used to gesticulate like an idiot, riding a poor defenseless animal”. Mission results: complete failure. Discouraged, but not defeated, they had sworn not to let go and to keep on trying anything to make sure the young woman to be herself again, even if it would ruin their Winter Ball and would take them the whole holidays to succeed. Christmas holidays were nothing special, anyway, Rainbow Dash had claimed under a general roll of the eyes. Here was why they were now following Applejack as discreetly as possible in Canterlot’s streets, at four in the afternoon, instead of being busy to mistreat their faces and slip their bodies into ball dresses made in Rarity. Applejack, wearing her complete uniform twenty-four hours a day, with the matching coat that even Twilight never bothered to wear, bare-headed and hair loose, was going from comic books stores to IT boutiques since she’d left school. She was buying more figurines than Rainbow Dash bought sneakers pairs in a month, and went out with electronic circuits and other computer equipment that Twilight described each time, with quavers in her voice. This time, she was out of a store with scarcely neat windows and a shady inside, with something their friend described them as being a IP protection server, which, she thought costed something like the trivia of nine hundred Equestrian dollars. Rainbow Dash looked around them, while Applejack, like each time since they were following her, was gazing at her purchase with expert eyes, but deprived of the least display of happiness. She needed a new shock, if possible a hit on the head, she had decided. Why? When she had been in her state of stupor after her mother’s death, it was a shock which helped her to snap out of it – a tough emotional shock which had led to an attack, but well… Since it was the last thing on their hands, so be it… Near Applejack there was an enormous Christmas wreath decorated with bells and bows. If one of them was able to untie it and to make it fall on the teenage girl’s head, with a little luck it would generate the expected shock. “Pinkie… Follow me, we’re going to try something! Fluttershy, Twilight and Sunset, try to distract her so she wouldn’t move.” “Received loud and clear!” Crouching and hiding behind cars parked along the sidewalk, both girls got nearer the spot where Applejack was still standing, putting her purchase back into her paper bag. It was now or never… Yet, while the rest of the group was about to start their part of the mission, an unexpected fact happened. The Flower Trio, their arms full of packages from the big main mall, had just arrived in front of the young woman, who bumped into them without seeing them, and, head in the clouds, didn’t bother to apologize. The three girls, outraged by the insult, caught her back and, grabbing the young woman by the arm, forced her to stay where she was… right under the wreath but also in front of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who had to go back hiding where they had just been. “Hey, who do you think you are, hillbilly?! Just because you suddenly turned into an egghead doesn’t mean you should believe you’re superior to others.” “To be smart doesn’t spare you from being polite. Look at your friend Twilight… At least, she apologizes.” “I haven’t seen you”, Applejack simply answered. “I’m busy, I still have to buy an overvoltage cable and a storage adapter.” “Don’t try to confuse the issue with your fancy words. And stay here! We’re talking to you!” Since the young woman had turned her back on them in order to resume her purchases, Daisy had just pulled her arm again, so strongly she almost fell. The group was looking at this scene, unable to believe their eyes. Usually, Applejack would have defended herself, or at least would have admitted she’d been wrong, and, she wasn’t that easy to make stumble. She was even famous of her impressing strength, and her agility. The consequences of this hit on the head decidedly were endless – and embarrassing. “I’m not trying anything. I told you I was busy. Please, leave me alone.” Under everyone’s flabbergasted eyes, she burst into tears and blamed the Flower Trio for being mean with her. Once again, it was beyond belief and was nothing like the Applejack they all knew and loved. The Applejack who only shed a few discreet tears when something really touched her deep inside, but who never let herself go hose down, especially in front of the others. “Look at her bawling like a baby.” “Your courage has blown at the same time than your brain, or what?” “Do you want us to call your mom so she could give you a pacifier, baby?” “MY MOM IS DEAD!!” Applejack yelled, more in tears than ever. Alright. They couldn’t stay here, watching their friend drowning and being ridiculed, as if they hadn’t seen anything special. Above all, Rainbow Dash hated the fact the Flower Trio kept on laughing about her tears, although they had just spoken about something very painful for Applejack. Too bad for the shock, now taking defense of her best friend was more important… She went out of her hiding place. “Is this the only thing you have to do, laughing about the others’ weaknesses, bunch of wimps?!” “Oh, look at who’s here… Stupid flunky Rainbow Dash. Are you going to bawl as well because your mom has died? Boohoo, mommy!” Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw. She felt like her fist was itchy, but since Applejack, who couldn’t stop crying, was in a high level of stress, she thought it was best not to be violent in front of her. Who could tell what her reaction would be? Sunset Shimmer waved at her in order to know if the rest of the group should intervene, but she showed with a nod she’d rather have them waiting a little. “I knew you never really were clever but I never thought you’d also be petty. It’s been a while since you’re getting on my nerves and frankly, if you keep on laughing at AJ or if you talk about her mother again, or about mine again, I think it’s going to escalate very quickly.” “What? Are you threatening us? Go back to your bin, loony!” This time, Rainbow Dash’s face got colored from toughness and anger, flushed red. They could provoke her abundantly, they could mock her small height, her physical aspect, they could call her stupid all day long, even, it didn’t matter to her, since she knew who she was and what was her worth, but it was out of question to take her past and to make fun of her trauma in order to belittle her. She made the knuckles of her fist crack, ready to show them what the ‘loony’ had in store. “So this is the way you want to play? Fine. Since that’s the way it is… It’s war!” “Lily, film this! We’ll need proofs for when we’ll report it to the police.” “Stop it, stop it, please, don’t fight”, Applejack kept on sobbing. Rainbow Dash hesitated for a few seconds… She wanted to defend her friend at any cost, but at the same time, she didn’t want to have problems with the police. Or she knew what to expect… On the other hand, maybe the shock of a good fight could bring Applejack’s memory back. It was nothing like another hit on the head, but maybe that would be enough… She didn’t have time to verify her theory since, ignoring her orders, Pinkie Pie had just emerged from her hiding place, and she pounced her Lily, who had caught her smartphone in order to film the row to come, and tried to get it off her hands. “Hey! Give it back to me!” Perfect. While the two young women were fighting over the phone, Rainbow Dash could take care of that Daisy she couldn’t stand anymore. A mischievous half-smile outlined on her face and, understanding what was going to happen to her, the teenage girl in front of her whispered a ‘oh oh’ which said a lot. Then the rest of the group emerged as well, some trying to stop Rainbow Dash to flatten her rival like a pancake in the Roller Derby way, and others trying to stop Pinkie Pie from being a smartphone robber. In the middle of this confusion, Applejack was still crying rivers, and begged everyone to stop fighting, arguing it scared her a lot, under general indifference, although she was the one everybody was supposed to defend or attack. In the global pandemonium, Pinkie Pie was able to steal the phone, but Rose took it back quickly, before it slipped off her fingers again. The item flew in the air for a few seconds, as if time was slow down like in a movie, and it directly crashed onto Applejack’s head, the corner of it hitting the middle of her forehead, before falling back on the ground, broken. “My phone!!!” Lily yelled, who went out of the scrum to get it on Applejack’s feet – or rather on Applejack’s laps. The young woman grabbed it before she could, and looked up to her in a strange way. “What the hay is happenin’ here? And why are ya’ll fightin’?” “AJ, your accent!” Fluttershy claimed so loud it made everyone jump. “It’s back!!” “Back? Ah don’t understand a word of what yar sayin’!” She got up, dusted herself, and looked at her outfit with eyes wide opened. In front of her bunch of friends gazing at her with a peculiar attention, Applejack patted the top of her head, examined the content of her bags, puzzled. She didn’t even seem to realize she was hurt at her forehead, where a small crimson pearl had appeared. “Why am I kitted out this way? Where’s my hat? Did ya ask me to run an errand for ya, Twilight? And why are ya’ll lookin’ at me like that?” Still bewildered, she didn’t understand neither when her friends stepped to her and jumped at her neck for a group hug. They all said they were happy she was back to normal. A nervous smile on her face, she looked at the Flower Trio escape with their famous sense of discretion, laughing at the group they called stupid, like usually, and that she didn’t understand as well. Something had happened, it was certain. Applejack didn’t know what, and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It sure was connected with herself, somehow… “Dear Rainbow Dash, In fact, I’m writing this to you because I know you’ll be home for Christmas, but that’s a group letter. I know it would’ve been quicker to send you all something on your email box, but you know how I prefer classical handwriting letters to IT. I think it’s too impersonal and the pleasure is spoiled. Funny, but I don’t have any accent when I write. Well, it’s not funny, it’s the same for everyone in fact, but I just realized because in reality, let’s face it, there’s not many occasions for us to write letters nowadays. Apples are more likely to use their phones. Phones are fine too but you’re probably waiting for a call from your Soarin honey so a letter it will be. The weather here in Las Pegasus is wonderful, something like 22°C, which I’m sure you’re far from having in Canterlot. I’m not writing this to tease you, though it would be much fun, but to tell you and the girls that I’ve won the rodeo contest. In all honesty, I have no idea how I’ve done such a thing since I know I probably didn’t practice a lot this week, even if I can’t remember a single detail. So, how can I know this? Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom are acting really weird each time I’m trying to ask them what could have happened. They refuse to answer, but I have an idea that it should had nothing to do with rodeos or even with bulls – if not with any animals of any kind. In my box, I’ve found a whole lot of emails from people interested by purchasing my trophies… as if I could get rid of my babies! I’ve also discovered emails announcing figurines of a TV show I can’t even remember the name of would soon be available. I tried to watch it in my hotel room… Who the hay is following this kind of silly stuff? It’s so old-fashioned and even I think the words they’re using are only scientific by the names. There were posters of this stuff everywhere on my bedroom’s walls, and someone has hidden my personal pictures under a pile of old dusty blankets which are inside the barn. If this is one of your jokes, I have to say this isn’t funny at all. You can prank me without spending your father’s money. I know there’s great tensions between the two of you, but you’re going a little too far now, I’m sorry to tell you. If this isn’t a prank, then I don’t understand a thing. Would it be possible that I fell on my head or something like this, last week? Well, I guess this is all I wanted to tell you. I wish you a good Christmas Eve, although you hate this celebration, and I see you very soon. We got a whole lot of things to do. Pass the letter to everyone and thank them for me. Don’t stuff your face too much with ice-cream, think about your stomach and liver, and good Jimmy Stewart! Yours affectionately, Your best friend, Applejack.” Rainbow Dash looked up from her mail, a smile on her face. Obviously, Applejack had not calculated correctly how long it was to send a letter from Las Pegasus to Canterlot, since the Christmas Eve wasn’t before two whole days. At lease, it made no doubt: she was herself again. At a hundred percent. As far as revealing her what happened during this week was concerned, she refused to do so for two reasons. She promised not to and she could keep the pictures taken by the school’s techies of their already disappeared muse dressed in a cosplay of “Star Crop” to prank her one of those days! Author's Note See? Totally medically inaccurate!
Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 1)Rainbow Dash parked her scooter in front of the building’s railings. It was a beautiful starry and clear night, with a wind from the South to warm up the cold air of January. Behind her, Pinkie Pie was snoring under her pink helmet, her mouth wide opened and her cheek against her friend’s back. As soon as the purr of the engine stopped, she jumped and muttered an incomprehensible sentence made of words with no connections together, and deprived of any verbs. “Hem… We’ve arrived, Pinkie.” “Oh yes, we’ve arrived! Dashie, you’re driving soooo fast, you’re a champion.” “I know I am. But I haven’t driven that fast.” “Yes! Go, go Wondercolts, go, woooo!” Under her friend’s dumbstruck eyes, Pinkie Pie, obviously back on her feet, mimicked the steps of majorettes throwing sticks in the air. Thankfully, no one was around the parking lot at such an hour… Well, once thought through, it was rather easy to understand since there were only four occupants left in this small apartment block for students, which emptied slowly when the university dormitories had been renovated. Rainbow Dash liked her friend very much, but she kept on being amazed, and quite often embarrassed by the treasures of enthusiasm and madness the curly-haired teenage girl was able to display. What was the thoughts on her mind looking like? Wondercolts didn’t even have majorettes but cheerleaders, just like almost every sports team in Equestria, whether they were professional or amateur. “What I’ve always thought is true: you’re even more random when you’re plastered!” “It is true-ue!” she chanted soundly. A few hours before, CHS lacrosse female team had disputed the third game of the season and had won. Their victory had even been overwhelming, one of the biggest score ever recorded during an interschool championship. To celebrate this, Rainbow Dash had invited the whole team and her bunch of friends to have a drink at the Bellehorse Bar, where they had been welcomed as heroines. Since they were there, they had taken an advantage from it to eat and the party had extended so late that Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack had all gone home when the last girls had left the bar. One week before, Rainbow Dash’s gastroenterologist had warned her… The state of her liver had deteriorated, and she had to learn how to live avoiding alcohol as much as possible if she didn’t want to go through the experience of having an ablation at the age of twenty-five. Because of this, she had only drunk one beer, and had spent the rest of the party sipping ice-tea and juices… which gave her the strange feeling of being Twilight Sparkle! Pinkie Pie hadn’t controlled herself at all. She even poured her heart into the party and had drunk unreasonably. Broken because of her excesses once it was over, she was unable to drive home or to pay for a taxi. This was how she’d found herself sleeping against Rainbow Dash’s back, riding her scooter with her. She was lucky that the latter always kept an additional helmet inside the trunk of her vehicle, just in case. “Pinkie… It’s almost midnight, you should go home and rest. And take an aspirin.” “Do you want to sleep here, Dashie? You live so far… so far… so far… Out there, in another galaxy. Just like Captain Harlock, whee!” “In your small singled bed? Thanks, but no thanks. If my father’s home and he realizes that I’m not, he’s going to beat the shit out of me.” “Well, too bad for you. We could’ve eaten ice-cream and laughed until the break of dawn!” “Yes, yes, Pinkie”, she answered, patting her back. The young woman took off her helmet, and laughed at herself at each of her clumsiness, then she zigzagged until her building’s front door. Seeing it even was difficult for her to find her keys, Rainbow Dash suggested she could help her, but Pinkie Pie assured she could do this on her own. Yet, the teenage girl stayed and watched, to make sure she was home, safe and sane. While starting her scooter, she took a glimpse at the desolate façade of the building, grey and in an advanced state of decaying. Ivy unceasingly climbed along the walls, the frames of the windows were rotting away, and the roof urgently needed to get repaired. Even the main front door was painful to look at, with orange scotch tape stuck to keep together the broken upper glass. Inside, the building didn’t look much better. The janitor didn’t seem to bother herself with cleaning the communal areas, and the corridor’s wooden floor was in ruin. The apartment in which Pinkie Pie was living wasn’t even ten square meter. Her very small kitchen touched the low table she was taking her meals on, itself neighbor with her bed, which was stuck against her desk, which gave way to a tiny bathroom composed of a tiny shower cubicle. How could she manage to bake delicious cakes in such conditions, no one but herself knew. She got the key off her lock with difficulty, then made the few steps separating her from her bed, on which she let herself fall. Pinkie Pie knew she had to take her makeup off, to wear her pajamas and to wash her teeth, but now that she was lying, she didn’t feel in the mood for moving at all. Too bad for all this. It was knocks on her door, violent like in nightmares, which woke her up. From the moment when she sat up in a jump, she felt her head like in a vise, with the sensation that each knock was going to blow up her brain. Her head span as soon as she put a foot on the floor, and her stomach was knotted like a salad in a spinner. When she tried to slip her fingers through her hair, she struggled with a huge knot, and Pinkie Pie knew just by the way her skin stung that she’d let her makeup drip along her face. While she was surfacing, the knocks went on. She looked at the time on her cupcake-shaped clock above her door… Who could knock on her door at seven and a half in the morning? “Yes?”, she asked in an unusual hoarse voice when opening her door ajar. In front of her, there was her cantankerous janitor, Miss Sour, dressed in a silky bathrobe which made her look like a badly stuffed sausage, her huge pink bun already backcombed. Well, at least, when it came to having an awful makeup, Pinkie Pie was feeling less alone… “What is it for?” “You’ve made an awful lot of noise when you came back last night!” “Oh yeah, that was exceptional. Sorry… “Whatever. I’m here to give you this. I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but you were home very late…” She took a folded crumpled piece of paper out of her bathrobe, put it in her hands, and not even waiting for her to say “thank you”, Miss Sour turned around to go back home. Her head like cotton, and her stomach still as traumatized, Pinkie Pie closed the door behind her, and leaned against it in order to unfold the paper that had been given to her. Her shock was huge when she saw her address above the mention “eviction notice”. Was it because she was a bit too noisy last night when she played majorettes in the parking lot? Because it was a little not worth it… What was Pinkie Pie doing? Since this morning, Rainbow Dash sent her messages to which she never answered. She wanted to know wether she was recovering from last night’s bender, and hoped she wouldn’t spend her entire day in bed, although she had to admit it was nothing like her. Surprise to see that the girls and Twilight weren’t in the corridors, she took off her headphones and took a glimpse inside her classroom… The door was closed. Something important probably was happening and the others didn’t know. Shrugging, Rainbow Dash sent another message to Pinkie Pie, and walked in the direction of her own classroom, in which her other friends most likely were already. As soon as she opened the door, an outburst of plaudits welcomed her. First, the teenage girl opened her eyes wide, then blushed, and eventually ended up taking poses of the winner intoxicated by the ovation. Obviously, the Wondercolt’s crushing victory hadn’t stayed confidential, only exchanged by lacrosse amateurs, such as an insiders’ trend. Undoubtedly, that was because her team aimed for the interschool championship’s cup for the third time in a row, and a lot was expected from her and Pinkie Pie. While she was going to her table, she received compliments which made her feel prouder and prouder at each step. When she put her bag to sit, she saw Applejack looking at her from the corner of her eyes, like only she could do when she could sense something was coming around. “Ah hope ya won’t start telling us ‘bout how good ya been all day long!” “Hey! I haven’t said anything yet!” she protested. “Ah know ya. It’s for prevention.” “Can’t I be at least a little happy? We smashed those Trottingham’s Lambs! When you have a team of a sport such as lacrosse, you don’t call yourself the “lambs”. That was so obvious we would kick their asses!” “Yeah, ya can be happy but look at Sunset, when she wins at volleyball, she doesn’t bore us all day long with how good she did.” “We’re in no way as good as the female lacrosse team”, the latter said, embarrassed to find herself thrown into this conversation she hadn’t taken part in yet. “I can’t help it if we’re the best. No team has ever made an All-Kill of three victories in a row at the interschool championships and I’m willing to do anything for us to be the first ones.” “I’m sure you girls can do it”, Fluttershy said timidly. “So do I. Especially as we also have Pinkie Pie… she’s the best goal of all Equestria!” “By the way, where’s Pinkie? She was really drunk last night.” “Yeah. I think she might be struggling with one hell of a hangover. I’ve sent her at least five messages and she hasn’t answered to none of them yet.” They all had seen how many drinks she had gulped last night… So many they couldn’t tell the exact number. However, they also knew it took much more to defeat the young woman. Her energy was so overflowing she kept on bouncing and hopping in the corridors while the others were dragging their feet and stuffing themselves with medicines in order to get rid of their headaches. Her absence had nothing very surprising, conversely to the fact she’d answered to no message yet. It was nothing like her not to give any news when the others were worried about her health. They all were reassured when they saw her on the doorstep. But it was quickly cut short. In front of the outburst of plaudits, her reaction was none; no smile nor enthusiastic thanks. Even more dreadful, her hair was straight, and it never happened of her own free will. Each time it had happened, it was a phenomenon that even Twilight and Sunset Shimmer, the group’s scientists, couldn’t identify. Indeed, she was the only person they knew whose mood could be determined thanks to her hair. Seeing the worried looks of her friends, she dropped her bag on the floor and buried her face inside her arms. The jolts made by her shoulders finished to convince them something was wrong about her. From memory, they had seen Pinkie Pie this way only when she was pushed to her limits, or in a particularly distressing state of panic. They all gathered around her desk, and rubbed her back and shoulders in a way they thought was comforting. They were waiting for her to stop crying before asking what was happening, but had to resign seeing how long her crisis was. “Calm down, Pinkie Pie, and tell us what’s wrong”, Fluttershy whispered to her. “Yes, we can’t guess if you don’t tell us”, Sunset Shimmer went on. “And we can’t help you neither”, Applejack added. “We’re all there for you if you need, you know this”, Rainbow Dash finished. Her cheeks still flooded with tears, and her vision blurred, Pinkie Pie took a crumpled paper out of her bag and put it between her teammate’s hands without a word. This piece of paper was rather meaningful on its own, anyway. The five girls all gathered around Rainbow Dash in order to read what their friends had just given her. And the shock was the same for them all. “An eviction notice in the middle of Winter? They can’t do that! It’s forbidden by the law. I can ask Mr. Habeas if you want, he will confirm us… “No, Dashie”, Pinkie Pie finally managed to mutter between two hiccups. “Not in this case… The owner is in a situation of personal bankruptcy and the building has been sold to auction. The new purchaser is going to destroy it and to build a private pay parking lot instead, so he has the right to evict us in so short a time because of this. I’ve searched information on Internet this morning, and I’ve called the Society of Free Attorneys who helped me after I got arrested with the Rebellious.” Each of her friends were so bewildered by this news that none of them dared to say anything for a few seconds. Undoubtedly, it explained why the building was falling apart completely… And this explanation didn’t bring any relief on their friend’s suffering heart. Yet, there might be a solution to this problem. “Did ya call yar parents?” Applejack questioned. While sniffing, Pinkie Pie nodded, and wiped away her tears, finally calmed down, with the back of her sleeve. “I’ve tried but they’re studying Zoroastrian Granites from the Grand Canyon. There’s no telephone network where they are. I don’t know what I’m going to do…” “I can ask my father to rent you a room in our house. There are plenty of it which are empty and he’s never home, anyway. Well, except when he decides it’s been a while since he hadn’t yelled at me for the fact that I’m existing, of course…” “Thanks, Dashie, but I can’t.” More than anything in the world, she didn’t want to become a burden for her friend, who already had a lot of domestic and personal issues to deal with, though it would probably have given her the presence she was obviously longing for. The problem was that she really didn’t want to be stuck between Rainbow Dash and her father during their unceasing arguments. “There’s still Sweet Apple Acres. We got enough room for six…” “I’m sure my parents would also accept to accommodate you for a little while. If you can put up with Zephyr.” “Go at AJ’s, Pinkie”, Rainbow Dash hurled. “I’d be more than glad to lend you our guest room until you find something better”, Sunset Shimmer finished. They all were ready to take her at their places. It was adorable, and Pinkie Pie was glad, more than words could say. Nevertheless, she refused to become the official squatter of her friends’ spare rooms, to impose herself in their daily life, among their habits, and take an advantage from a shelter and food provided by others. Even if she surely would have enough many to participate to these family life… Precisely, this was their family life. She would feel embarrassed to impose herself this way, and would feel in the way, even with the greatest of kindness surrounding her. Author's Note Like the name of the chapter does not indicate, this isn't the last chapter
Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 2)The sadness one of them could feel had always an impact on the rest of the group. They were working like the connected parts of the same body: what affects one limb was resounding with those linked to it. It was even more true when it was about Pinkie Pie. She had one particular role inside their gang. Her overwhelming energy often was enough to reinflate the soul’s punctures of their age. Seeing her slowed down and defeated branded her friends deeply. All morning long, she hadn’t uttered a word, her eyes lost in the vague, and all morning long, she had rejected her friends’ help. No matter how much they insisted, the arguments they used, Pinkie Pie refused to cross the bridges they were building along her way. At lunch time, she had gathered her stuff and announced the girls she was going back home to sleep in what still was her apartment until the end of the week. She wasn’t focused at all, and she didn’t want to be a burden for the rest of the group with her mood as flat as her hair was straight. Nothing had stopped her. Pinkie Pie had hit the road. The whole day had gone with the slowness of heavy weather, yet when strolling in the streets, the sky was dark and a frosty smoke was going out of the lips. By the end of the courses, however, the girls had finally envisioned a solution for their friend. She didn’t want to meddle with everyone’s family life, this they knew. They all lived with their parents, and although Rainbow Dash’s father was more absent than the opposite, this house was his. Nonetheless, they had a friend who wasn’t bothered with such a problem. Without stopping by in town in order to drink something hot, they called Big Macintosh, who hadn’t seen his girlfriend for days, and went directly to the Carrousel Boutique, where Rarity was expecting them. None had explained the young woman the reason of their visit, but as soon as they pushed the door of the boutique, she immediately noticed something was missing. Like an odd empty space, an air pocket shocking by its lack of substance. She let her assistant Sassy take care of the costumers, and told her friends to go upstairs in order to have a well-deserved hot tea. Sitting at a desk, they found Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s little sister, busy doing her homework. She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had subscribed to different after-school clubs and their activity as Crusaders was focused on the weekends. After they all settled down in a silence worthy of funerals, and that their friend had served them something to get warm, she asked what was their visit about and where was Pinkie Pie. “The building she’s living in is going to be destroyed by the end of the week…” “And her parents are out of reach.” “We all offered her to come at our places but she’s refused.” “Yar the only one that can help us, Rar’…” The fashion designer suspended her action, her teapot half the way between her cup. Out of all the news which regularly shook their students’ lives, this was one of the worse. Being without a roof above the head was of another level than an issue with rumors, or a heartbreak. Pinkie Pie was fundamentally benevolent and didn’t deserve such a fate. “What can I do to help her?” “Well, maybe you could accommodate her for some time? You’re on your own, so she’ll probably be less embarrassed because of your “family life”.” Of course, they were asking for this favor without the certitude that Pinkie Pie would agree to this solution… It didn’t mean they couldn’t try. With a bit of persuasion, who knew, maybe they’ll be able to get her to listen to reason. “Oh My, I’d love to do her such a favor! Unfortunately, my parents are travelling abroad and I got Sweetie Belle home. I don’t have enough space to accommodate three persons. Maybe I could ask Sassy…” “She doesn’t want to come at our places, so she’ll never accept someone she knows as barely as Sassy to welcome her home”, Rainbow Dash declared in a defeated voice. This weariness reached each of the girls present, and they all looked down, not even touching their smoky cups. From her chair, Sweetie Belle witnessed the rare vision of the group on the verge of the point of no return, that the decrease of perspectives turned into ragdolls thrown in a dumpster. In their minds, they were actively looking for a resolution, too much drown into their own thoughts to realize they were doing this at the same time. Yet, a sigh pierced through the listlessness, full of surrender and fatalism. “It’s hopeless!” Fluttershy said right after. “Pinkie Pie’s going to be homeless.” Big Macintosh was sitting on her left. He hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived, only holding his girlfriend’s hand for comfort, and glancing sadly at Applejack. His reaction made Fluttershy jump, when he let go of her hand in an unfriendly way. It was so surprising from him it even drew the whole gang out of their intense reflections. In the same way, he got on his feet, and a frown outlined on his ordinarily impassible face. When he opened his mouth, his voice had notes even deeper than usually. “How is that possible to be so negative and coward?! Can’t ya even try to say sumethin’ that help for once?” After those words, he grabbed his things and left the boutique unapologetically. This completely inconceivable behavior from the shy tall blonde boy rooted everybody to their chairs, Sweetie Belle included. Big Macintosh losing his temper was very sporadic, and generally, it never was in front of witnesses. Fluttershy, once the shock passed, couldn’t help but bursting into tears. She couldn’t understand what she had said or done to make him so angry. It seemed to her like her behavior had been nothing different than how she always acted, and he appeared to be rather used to it now. The person who really needed help was Pinkie Pie, and she was mad at herself for gathering so much of everyone’s attention, especially as all her friends surrounded her in order to comfort her. If only she could control her tears, she would do it without the least hesitation… but she couldn’t. She couldn’t at all. Once again, the cleaning lady might have felt sorry for her and her pitiful culinary talents. Covered by a shrink wrap that shone under the fridge’s light, she found a sweet potatoes and tofu curry, a lentils soup and a piece of vanilla cheesecake with a raspberry coulis. That was perfect, since her stomach was agonizing! But before even thinking about eating – hoping she would be able to eat more than during lunch – Rainbow Dash had a very important mission to fulfill. It was an idea she had on her way home, riding her scooter. After Big Macintosh’s feat, the group had decided to go home, and to think about what they could do in order to help Pinkie Pie and her sticky situation. When she’d found, Rainbow Dash had called all the other girls, before she even took off her coat and shoes, and they all had agreed. Nothing told her it would work, but once again, it didn’t cost anything to try. So, she had put her stuff in her room, and had gone down to see what she could have for her dinner, before having a shower, doing her homework – if she thought about that – and going to bed thanks to a sleeping pill, since she knew she would never fall asleep naturally with everything that was on her mind. Because her phone was still upstairs, she grabbed the landline to make the number she wanted. A few rings resounded, and Rainbow Dash thought he would never pick up the phone. But just when she was about to give up, she heard on the other side of the line this voice with a Western accent, typical of her boyfriend. “Sorry, honey, I was having a shower… I had practice tonight.” “Why are you apologizing, silly? You answered, didn’t you?” “Well… Yeah, I did. I don’t know”, Soarin finished with a little embarrassed laugh that made her roll her eyes. As much as he could be smart and quick-witted, sometimes he still was the current klutz she’d met twelve years ago. Well, that was rather attractive… most of the time. “There’s more important. Something really serious has happened and I need your help. Well, in some kind of way.” “What’s happening? Are you feeling bad?” “This isn’t about me. It’s about Pinkie Pie…” It probably wasn’t right, but Soarin was a bit reassured. Of course, he wished nothing bad to Pinkie Pie, who never missed to make him laugh and who he was fond of, but since he knew in details what Rainbow Dash had been through since her mother’s death, he was always worried about her health. After all, he’d done a small investigation and now he knew all it took was a little unpleasant even to ruin years of treatments in the case of PTSD, which was his girlfriend’s illness. Nonetheless, not to offend Rainbow Dash, he showed nothing of his relief, and instead asked what was happening to the other young woman. Rainbow Dash told him a summary of the facts… What didn’t make him understand how he could help Pinkie Pie. “The apartments of your block aren’t expensive, are they? Do you think there’s one that would be free for her? I’ll pay the rent until her parents are back.” Soarin didn’t ask her with what money she wanted to pay such a spending… There were things with her that were best to expect from her own mouth. However, he was no fool and knew Rainbow Dash never spent all the money her father gave her… She wasn’t that fond of shopping sprees, and when she bought herself clothes, it almost never was on the Silk Street, she didn’t buy eccentric and useless gadgets unless it was to satisfy her long-time passion for cinema, and she never ate in fancy restaurants. And as far as the apartments of his block were concerned… It was easy to know whether one of them was free since the corridors were narrow and when someone was moving out or in, the noise was such that no one could pass it by. “I’m sorry, Dashie, there’s nothing free. Maybe once we’ll have to grades of mid-term exams…” “Shoot! It would’ve been perfect. She couldn’t have used the excuse of our family life and everything.” “Well, I still can try to inform and tell you as soon as I know something gets free, but I doubt it would be by the end of the week.” “Thank you, Soarin.” “It’s nothing special, and I haven’t really been helpful.” “Thanks, anyway… Do we see each other tomorrow? We could prospect apartments for her together.” “Alright. I’ll pick you at school by the end of the day.” After a few commonplaces, they both hung up. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help a smile. No doubt, her boyfriend had a big heart! They were scarce to accept to spend the end of the afternoon looking for a studio for someone else, instead of making the most of their lover. Wonderful things didn’t always happen in her life, but as long as Soarin and her gang were a part of it, she was convinced that nothing could ever bring her down. Provided that they didn’t lose Pinkie Pie forever, of course… This morning, more than any other mornings, Fluttershy was impatiently waiting to see Applejack meet the rest of the group in the corridors. She was miles away since last night. Her night sleep had been restless, peopled with nightmares of misery and on many occasions she had woken up with the feeling of having two hands clenched around her throat. There were many things frightening her… The least new event, the least defy, insisting look, suspicious sound or dark corner had her heart beat faster into her chest, starting cold sweat and the desire to curl up somewhere safe. But this was something shaking her differently. A new kind of fear, like she never experienced before. The kind of fear which could change everything. Making everything no longer the same, forever. To be able to win over this love affair had been an everyday struggle. At each minute she had to face things that were new for her, fears she had never thought could exist. They were different, more insidious. And they hurt more as well. Now that she had gained a piece of her dream, Fluttershy dreaded it to shatter in her hearts like crystal glass. The most awful of it all was that she didn’t know at all what she’d done or said to start the crisis. It seemed to her that in no way she had acted differently from the Fluttershy she always been. Of course, Pinkie Pie’s situation worried everyone. And after all, she and Big Macintosh had known each other for a long time and they also were friends. It was rather logic for him to be thin-skinned because of it. But all the same… It wasn’t the first time their group had such a pressure to go through, right? As soon as she saw the blonde teenage girl in her field of vision, Fluttershy’s eyes sparkled. Applejack was with Rainbow Dash and both were talking in a way that seemed rather grave. In fact, the first thing they did when they arrived was asking the other girls if they had news from Pinkie Pie. And the answer was the same for each of them – no. It wasn’t that she wasn’t worried about her friend’s concerns… but now, Fluttershy could no longer dare asking Applejack the question on the verge of her lips. Yet, she knew, if she didn’t ask, it would take over her thoughts and cause an interference with the thread of her day. She really wanted to get over it so she could focus entirely on Pinkie Pie. Eyes and head low, she came closer to her friend, and pulled on her uniform’s sleeve with a small hesitant gesture. Yet it was enough to draw Applejack’s attention. “Did… Big Mac talk to you?” Applejack scratched her head and looked at her friends one by one. None of them had forgotten about the surprising plot twist of the previous day. It had taken a lot of patience and diplomacy to reassure Fluttershy after the blonde boy had left, and it only contributed to hang heavy in the already oppressive atmosphere. It happened again at this moment… The teenage girl shook her head no before explaining. “When Ah tried to talk ‘bout it with him, he said he had work to do at the West orchard… After that, he’s left home and Ah haven’t seen him again yet.” “I see. He answered none of my messages so I wondered…” Applejack could see how her friend was disappointed, just by the look on her face. She wished she could tell her words of comfort, saying this dark episode was nothing but a rough patch. But she had to be honest with her. She didn’t know anything more than her friends did. Except maybe one thing: Big Macintosh, just like her, had inherited the stubborn side of the Apples. It meant that there were chances for things not to get better anytime soon. It was nothing pleasant to feel Fluttershy’s anguish, and to know that none of them could do anything to help her, but all they could do was to wait. Romantic relationships required understanding and communication, and things about love couldn’t be forced. She tried to smile in order to reassure her group of friends but the weak grimace she gave them wasn’t even able to work as a sham. Right now, the young woman was feeling as miserable as ever. She wasn’t even able to pretend in order to spare those she regarded as sisters. Pathetic. She was pathetic. Suddenly, like from out of nowhere, Sunset Shimmer arrived in front of the group, breathless, with her cheeks red. Her hair seemed to be scarcely brushed and she hadn’t buttoned her coat properly. “I’ve just received a message from Pinkie Pie!” Just by looking at her, her friends knew she wasn’t here to announce a good news. Her eyes had bags, and her makeup failed to hide her waxy complexion of bad nights. If Rarity had been there, she’d rushed to make some adjustments, certifying her nothing could justify to get out in such a pitiful state. Nonetheless, her general appearance didn’t matter to her four friends. It was the message she was bringing which caught their complete attention. They all seemed to have their hearts on the verge of their eyes. “So, what is this message saying?” Twilight urged her. “Since she has nowhere else to go, and doesn’t want to go to a Group Home, and CHS doesn’t have a boarding, she’s decided to go back to her parents’ farm. She’s leaving on Friday! We have to find a solution before Friday…” “With Soarin, we’re going to look for an apartment for her to rent…” “What if you guys can’t find one? You need a lot of documents in order to rent an apartment”, Sunset Shimmer questioned. “I thought we could get an arrangement with the owner, like putting my name on the lease first, and then changing it for Pinkie Pie.” “And what if no owner agrees to this stuff? And what about yar father? Would he agree for ya to put yar name on a lease in town?” Eager to help her friend at any cost, Rainbow Dash hadn’t thought about this possibility. And Soarin already had his name on a lease, and according to the law, owners were the only ones allowed to live in several accommodations. It was a nightmare. Each time they thought they came up with a solution, something came and thwart their plans, and they were back where it all started. They felt as if being trapped in an endless labyrinth. “But what are we going to do? We can’t let Pinkie Pie leave this far!” “I know Fluttershy, but I think we’re running out of solutions. After all, our friendship can resist anything, can’t it?” “Do you know where Pinkie Pie’s family live when not working?” Rainbow Dash asked. “There’s no internet connection and no phone line. And mails are weeks long to arrive, since their postal service waits for a certain number of letters before distributing! If she were going to Fillydelphia or even Las Pegasus, I don’t say, but…” “Wait. We haven’t explored all the possibilities yet”, Twilight suddenly intervened, her eyes bright as if she’d just found the most incredible invention of the century. “Really? D’ya think ‘bout anythin’ else, Twilight?” The young woman nodded. Her self-confidence puzzled the others, but since they were here, they could as well listen to what she had to say. “I haven’t told about what’s happening to Pinkie Pie to Shining Armor yet. He’s a policeman, he has a lot of connections… Many owners can thank him for his interventions on robberies and aggressions, and feel they owe him something. It’s worth the try, don’t you think so?” When Twilight had evoked her older brother, all had thought this was about asking his charming fiancée to accommodate Pinkie Pie. Of course, their reactions had been to think it was going to be another failure. But none of them had envisioned things under this new angle. It was what drag such a discerning reflection out of Rainbow Dash: “This is why you’re the smartest one in the room…” A reply Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have denied. Twilight blushed, and wrapped locks going out of her bun around her forefinger, before returning to a more dignified behavior. After all, she was the number one student of the number one class… Nothing said her plan would work, but it almost was one their last resort as a try, the ultimate gamble before the final victory or the personal failure, and they wanted to give it a shot. Anyway, it was best than staying with their arms crossed, crying over how cruel life could be, sometimes. Author's Note Those 8 downvotes and 14 upvotes annoy me... Lets new reader think the story's so-so
Ending Pages and New Chapters (part 3)Pinkie Pie sighed deeply and put the last newspaper-wrapped kitchen utensil inside her cardboard box. Where was that adhesive strip roll already? It wasn’t easy for her to find the items she needed with the tears blurring her vision. Life in Canterlot hadn’t always been easy, but she had come to appreciate it. She appreciated it so much she felt now it was where she truly belonged. The simple idea of going back to Rock Farm wrung her stomach and clenched her throat like a pliers would. To get to her family’s house, a long trip in train was needed, then another ride on a bus until the closest village. From here, the road was hard to cross for bigger vehicles and the only solution left was walking. As a whole, the trip was two days long. It was shorter with a car, but Pinkie Pie wondered whether she’d be able to go such a distance without having a nervous breakdown. Maybe it was best for her to let someone else do that for her… And at the same time, how was she going to transport all this traveling by train and bus? It was impossible, even for her. When she arrived here, a few years ago, she didn’t possess as many things. Except clothes and some of her favorite plushies, most of what she had had stayed in Rock Farm, where she used to think she would go back quickly. Back then she didn’t want to stay in Canterlot, and she would have done anything to stay in the lands of her childhood, as dreadful and deprived of fun as it was. She thought her parents didn’t love her anymore, and wanted to get rid of her. She had been different from the rest of her family since always. At the Pies’, everything turned around boulders and rocks, and all the rest was regarded as futile. Maud was the only one understanding her, despite her character diametrically opposed to hers. It didn’t stop Pinkie Pie from loving each of her family’s members deeply, and it made her hardly accepting what she considered as a forced exile. Back then, the Rebellious was all she had found to express her sadness and anger. The release had been dangerous, but also undoubtedly effective. When she painted the town red with Wind Wisher, she didn’t think about her pain and her fear of being abandoned, if not forgotten by her own blood. Although it felt strange, now that she was thinking about it, she didn’t keep only negative memories of that period. Because she was very faithful to her, Wind Wisher was treating her with respect and always gave her full regard. She especially remembered the day her and her her gang’s leader had chased down and beat the crap out of a man who had raped one of her friends. Probably her most violent memory of this short confusing past, however, it stayed engraved in her mind as the first moment when she’d felt she was useful again. Then, of course, she had met the girls. The group formed by Applejack, Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash already was solid, and had been through some ordeals which had reinforced their feelings of friendship, nonetheless, Pinkie Pie had no problems fitting in this new gang. Immediately, they made her feel that they didn’t regard as a bad person because of her past. They always felt sorry when they evoked some things by accident… They were always here to listen to her and to comfort her. If one of them was in trouble, the others did their best to make sure they could help her. Pinkie Pie lifted her arm and gazed at the bracelet around her wrist. The balloons representing her were shining among the other items, star, sun, thunder, diamond, apple, butterfly… How was she going to survive without the sound of their voices, their silly arguments, their laughs? Without Twilight’s nervous breakdowns, Applejack’s rustic expressions, Fluttershy’s soft voice, the dresses that Rarity created especially for them, Rainbow Dash’s show off and Sunset Shimmer’s lucidity? They were her second family and leaving them would be an equivalent of going back in time for her. In Rock Farm, she wouldn’t have any other choice than working to earn a life, unless she could apply to the High School from the closest town, but it was something like sixty miles away from her house, and it would never feel like going to CHS, meeting her friends, displaying pride at being a Wondercolt… Three knocks on her door made her jump. When she looked around her, Pinkie Pie realized she still was in this apartment that already had ceased to be hers, surrounded by cardboard boxes and suitcases, an adhesive strip roll in her hands. She wiped away her tears with the back of her arm, and got up to open the door. It probably was Miss Sour to know when she could be leaving the place… It was quite a surprise when she saw her friends on her doorstep. They all wore their CHS uniform and were smiling, which bewildered Pinkie Pie… As if they were glad they were finally getting rid of the hysterical pink-haired girl with her high-pitched voice. “What is it for?” she asked with a small gloomy voice. “We’re here to bring you some news which is sure to make you as happy as it makes us happy”, Twilight claimed. Pinkie Pie shrugged and let them in. They needed to be agile to slalom between the cardboard boxes, and the apartment, already small for one only person, once the five girls inside, now looked like a poor industrial hen coop. “What is this news? I don’t have much time, I still got all this to do…” “Forget about your tape, Pinkie”, Rainbow Dash announced. “You’re not leaving anymore.” “Unless the building isn’t going to be destroyed, I don’t know how could such a thing happen.” The girls looked at each other. They really were thinking Pinkie Pie would have hit the roof seeing them here, and hadn’t expected such a cold-shouldered and distant welcome. “We racked our brains and we found a solution to yar problems”, Applejack went on. “A solution you can’t refuse”, Sunset Shimmer said. “Yes”, Fluttershy finished with her usual discretion. As if she hadn’t heard them, the teenage girl closed her latest cardboard box with the adhesive tape which, lacking a scissor, she cut with her teeth. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel happy her friends were going out of their ways so much for her… But it was a fact, each time they arrived with a solution to offer, it was something she just couldn’t do. There was no way Rainbow Dash would use her father’s money to pay her rent until her parents were available again, no way she would settle down at Rarity’s, who had her personal habits, or in Sunset Shimmer’s guest room, whom parents had barely decided to trust her again at a hundred percent, even less at Twilight’s, whom she didn’t want to bother in her studies… In front of her lack of enthusiasm, Rainbow Dash decided to take matters in hand. She grabbed Pinkie Pie by her wrist, and forcefully led her to the girls, so that she would listen to them. “I got a lot of things to do yet, Dashie… It’s important.” “This is important as well”, Fluttershy assured her. “Pinkie Promise…” “Eeyup, Pinkie Promise and everythin’!” “Alright… You have one minute”, Pinkie Pie sighed. After all, it didn’t cost anything to listen. Once she would have politely refused once again, she could go back to her work. “I’ve talked about your situation with Shining Armor”, Twilight started. This didn’t begin well. If their solution was to make her stay at Cadence’s, Shining Armor’s fiancée, they were inflating the wrong balloon. It was as out of question as the rest had been. “At first, we thought he could get you an arrangement with some owners so they could rent you an apartment or a room somewhere… But he had a far better idea. Something none of us has thought of, yet it was so easy, so simple… Almost right in front of us.” “And so?” the person in question asked, already losing patience. “He talked about you to Mr. and Mrs. Cake… It happens that above Sugarcube Corner, they have a room they wanted to rent to someone, but they agree to let you stay there for free. It has its own bathroom, and you’ll be free to use the kitchen of the tearoom as much as you want. In exchange, they’d like you to pitch in on Saturdays when the place is crowded and that from time to time, you babysit their twins.” Indeed, the couple had two two-years-old babies, Pound and Pumpkin, and often complained about the lack of seriousness from the babysitters they hired. Each time they had a very important order as caterers, they called Pinkie Pie for help, whether it was for deliveries, baking, or staying behind the counter. In exchange, she could plan parties in the tearoom… This time, it had nothing in common with their other solutions. What was offered didn’t come with no conditions, as if she owed it. There was something she could do in exchange of the favor. She would be useful, not a bother. And she wouldn’t interfere with anyone’s life. Suddenly, she felt her hair puffing again, even before she could say the least of words. So, immediately, she fell on her friends’ neck, who formed an affectionate circle around her. “It’s the best news ever!” She wouldn’t go back to Rock Farm. Neither now or ever. It was here, in this city, with these friends she loved so much, where she truly belonged. Everything probably wouldn’t be a bed of roses, nor games and fun, but at least, she wouldn’t be on her own. Abandoned by everyone. Maybe outside, the sky was grey and the weather was cold, but for Pinkie Pie, sun was shining all across the world. Right behind Sugarcube Corner, the whole street was blocked for two hours, with Canterlot City Hall’s authorization. The street was rather narrow, but it was the only solution not to bother the good work of the tearoom, already filled with costumers on this sunny – yet cold – morning. Applejack parked her pickup the closest to the door she could, where Pinkie Pie already was waiting for her. Behind the pretty blond girl, the rest of the group was walking. Those with a vehicle had all parked too, a little further in town. The others were straight out of the bus. Although what was now Pinkie Pie’s former apartment was ridiculously small, the teenage girl’s cardboard boxes were many. It had to be said it was rather difficult for her to throw things away… And she had been in such a hurry to pack up that she hadn’t really taken some time to sort out things. Ten persons wasn’t too much to carry everything fast. Applejack and Big Macintosh had already spent three hours to load the pickup, on the previous night… The latter, getting down the vehicle, quickly glanced at his girlfriend, but he looked away when Fluttershy tried to smile at him. By agreeing to help Pinkie Pie moving out, he knew he would be obliged to be in the same space than her. Yet, he had insisted to be here as well. Who knew? Maybe being close to each other would have a positive impact on their relationship? He would remember how pretty he thought she was, and never willing to be antagonizing, kind and devoted to the others… Maybe by focusing on her many qualities, the ones which had made him want to give her a chance, she wouldn’t suffer too much from the comparison. Although both had to admit this wasn’t the purpose of them being here. And Rainbow Dash, her sleeves rolled up, was quickly to remind them this fact… Just in case they all had forgotten why they were gathered this morning. “What about we get it started? There are many things to do and my bed is waiting for me…” Well, Soarin’s bed, rather, since they’d decided to spend the rest of the day together, but she feared that bringing this piece of information to light would have her friends mistaking on what they were going to do. Which meant sleeping, eating and playing Gran Turismo. “Rainbow Dash, you’re sensitivity incarnated”, Rarity replied. “Sorry to be myself, Miss Perfection. By the way, are you really going to carry cardboard boxes dressed like that?” Indeed, the young woman was wearing an outfit made of an emerald velvet suit, with a blue pencil skirt, an elegant lacy blouse, stockings embroidered with black roses and pumps, added with golden jewelries. All the other movers du jour were dressed casually, if not neglect for some, even Fluttershy, and her chic of big events clashed so much with their own style they all felt as if being straight out of the gutter. “You can’t be real!” Rarity chuckled. “I’ll help Twilight with the organization, voyons!” “Oh, so I’m organizing?” “Of course, you do… You’re the best for these kind of tasks.” “I didn’t know we’ve chosen who does what in advance.” “We didn’t choose”, Pinkie Pie assured with a smile, as if their small argument was just another entertainment. “What if we get it started and think about this type of questions bit by bit? Pinkie Pie surely can’t wait to be settled down…” “It is truuue! Dashie, your boyfriend’s the best!” “Of course he’s the best”, Rainbow Dash answered, shrugging. She grabbed the first cardboard box she saw and soon, was followed by everyone. Maybe there was only one floor, but it was no picnic. They had to climb stairs in spiral which didn’t help them to see correctly in front of them. The first round was the hardest one, but after the second one, they all were perfectly experienced on what to do, and on who was doing what. As it had been outlined by Rarity, quickly Twilight became the head of the operations. She was the one giving the assignments, who said where to put the boxes not to bother the flow… As for Rarity, all she did was repeating Twilight’s orders, posturing herself as the Monday morning quarterback spending more time on her manicure than surveying anything. Anyway, her help would be essential when it would be time for Pinkie Pie to unwrap and decorate. At this moment, her flawless sense of taste would be very useful for her friend to feel good at her new home. While she was carrying a box with “bathroom” written on it, the star of the day’s phone started to vibrate inside her jeans back pocket. She was glad Big Macintosh was coming her way to take the relay… Especially as this call was from her parents! She could nothing else than picking up. She absolutely needed to tell them with she harassed their vocal messaging service all week long, to the extent of saturating it. “I’ll take it downstairs”, she screamed at everyone’s attention. On her way, she skirted Fluttershy, busy carrying plushies and pastry utensils. Arriving in the room that was going to be her best friend’s new apartment, she was surprised to discover that every boxes were already brought up and that behind her, Soarin was carrying the very last one. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes seeing how Zephyr was staring at Rainbow Dash’s boyfriend, when the latter wrapped an arm around her waist and pecked her forehead. Couldn’t he see how ridiculous his behavior was? The girl he was in love with loved another boy, it was the way things were, and he needed to come to terms with it. She would never choose him. “Well, since we have to wait for Pinkie to come back, Ah suggest us to take a short break and have a drink.” “Good idea, AJ”, Twilight answered, sitting on one of the cardboard boxes. “I’ve brought bottles of water for everyone.” “And then, she’ll act surprise because we choose her for organizing”, Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “Ah… Am goin’ to the toilets.” This sudden announcement from Big Macintosh was welcomed with a general indifference, except for Fluttershy. Since the beginning of the morning, she was trying to get a moment where she could have a conversation with him, in order to know what wrong she had done to make him feel so angry against her. Something told her it was now or never, and that if she didn’t take the chance, she could never get the situation straight. Unfortunately, she was stopped of doing so by Rarity, who had just noticed a snag in her sweater, and offered to fix it, since she always had her sewing kit with her, and that no one had better things to do right now, anyway. It seemed like an eternity to Fluttershy. While the others were chatting cheerfully, she was restless inside, eaten by a muffled anguish she just couldn’t wait to calm down. Meanwhile, behind Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie had just hung up with her parents. Like often, the complete family had wanted to speak with her, and like often, she was the only one really saying things, except with Maud, of course, with whom she always talked more easily. Meeting face to face with Big Macintosh surprised her a bit, but once this surprise was over, she addressed him one of her warm friendly smiles. “We were pretty fast, I’m so happy! Well, ten persons, it’s a lot of persons to move things from an apartment that was barely ten square meters. What a pity Shining Armor and Cadence couldn’t make it, don’t you think so? This wouldn’t have been possible without them. I think I’m going to bake them a cake to thank them.” As soon as Rarity lifted up her glasses with a satisfied smile, assuring her she’d just made a masterpiece out of her mistreated sweater, Fluttershy bounced on her feet and rushed towards the toilets. “Well, Ah say… This pee’s probably an emergency”, Applejack joked. The rest of the conversation disappeared for the young woman. The toilets, in the corridor, were empty, the door ajar. Her anxiety increased, and she almost felt as if she couldn’t stand straight on her legs anymore. Her heart was about to blow up, crushed by thousands of high-heels. She breathed in, breathed out… Nothing changed. It couldn’t calm down. Out of desperation, she opened the window in front of her, and offered her face taken over by sweats to the coolness of the winter’s wind. She thought she could feel her fears slowing down. Until she lowered her head and looked down. Then, her eyes widened and she held herself back from screaming. Big Macintosh was holding Pinkie Pie in his arms, and the pink-haired teenaged girls was stunned, unsure of what to do. The way he embraced her had nothing friendly, this, even she knew. It was more than Fluttershy could handle, because deep inside, she always knew. Without further ado, she hurtled down the backstairs, then once down there, crossed Sugarcube Corner running, under the dumbstruck glances of all the costumers. Author's Note @Midday Giggle... So, what time is it in Ecuador, now? (I admit, I've published the story a bit earlier than usually today) Next arc, two very famous characters are going to appear... Want to guess who?
Disappeared (part 1)It asked her a lot of courage to make that call. Yet, Fluttershy knew that if she didn’t do it, something could remain obstructed. And she didn’t want this. Pinkie Pie was her friend, she simply adored her. It was clear what was happening wasn’t her fault at all. She exhaled deeply before patting the small green phone on her screen. A couple of seconds after this, first rings started to resound in her ears. A part of her hoped the young woman wouldn’t pick it up. This cowardly part she hated about herself but which she couldn’t help. Often, she was thinking to herself that the best thing to do would be to curl up in a cocoon where nothing could filter. Anything but clashing with the world. It wouldn’t help her much, of course, and that was the reason why she decided to handle things. This, plus the fact her behavior of last morning had been very impolite and this was a no-no. Despite this unconscious and instinctive wish, Pinkie Pie’s voice finally resounded at the end of the line. “Oh, Fluttershy, are you feeling better?” “Better?” she asked, surprised by the question. “Yes, girls told me you rushed towards the toilets before you disappeared so I came to the conclusion that maybe you were sick. You know, it’s no big deal, everyone has gastroenteritis one day. Or more than one day, if you’re under a high-fiber diet. Are you under a diet with a high-fiber food? You know, like eating a lot of cabbages…” “Uh… What?” It’s been more than a year now she had met her group of friends, yet, she was still puzzled by some of Pinkie Pie’s lines. It was as if each time she thought she had finally explore all of her eccentricities, she discovered new ones. Really, it wasn’t always easy for her to fit in. Never, when she used to dream about how it would feel like to have friends, she’d envisioned talking about intestinal diseases. Nonetheless, she had to admit that the whole “sickness” matter was a good thing. This way, she didn’t need to find an acceptable excuse for her sudden fled in the middle of her friend’s move. “Weren’t you sick?” Pinkie Pie asked with a hint of astonishment. “Well… I was. But the thing with cabbages lost me!” Pinkie Pie burst out laughing at the end of the line, and Fluttershy had to hold herself back from asking what was so funny in what she’d just said. Because, out of her cowardice side that she didn’t like, she had another facet, which this time she feared for being cruel and mean. It revealed only in certain circumstances, rare circumstances, but it was there, concealed inside of her, and since her argument with Big Macintosh and what she had seen last morning, it was starting to go up to the surface in a way the teenage girl didn’t really like much. Like a salvation, the signal of a second call displayed on her phone, forcing her to shorten her conversation with her friend. Pinkie Pie, obviously in great shape, assured her there were no problems, and that she could understand her urge to go back home if she was feeling sick. After they told each other goodbye, the young woman hurried to answer that second call. She wasn't particularly at ease with this one as well… Indeed, the name on her screen was Big Macintosh’s. Like each time they got in touch with each other since their ‘argument’ (but did they really argue?), her hands started to shake and her heart to throb. Even gulping was painful. When she answered “hello?” with a tickle of voice, Fluttershy thought she could hear her boyfriend sighing in the receiver. But maybe it was only her imagination… “So, you were sick last morning?” Truly, they all had spread the word. She would have liked not everyone thought she got home because of this disgusting disease. It was nothing to be ashamed of, and obviously, it embarrassed no one much, but she didn’t really understand why a part of her didn’t like what it implied and the impact it could have on the image the others had of her. She was feeling the same way each time she had to buy sanitary napkins at the grocery… “Yes”, she answered, hoping her shame couldn’t be guessed over the phone. “Are you feeling better now?” “Yes, I am.” Silence. It seemed that, out of those commonplaces, they had nothing to say to each other. Yet, when they were together, they were able to have conversations. Not free-flowing ones, of course, since none of them were the chatterbox kind. But they talked, even so. What had happened for them to be in such a situation? Right before, everything was perfectly fine, and Fluttershy thought she had been at least able to make him attached to her, and suddenly, without warning, everything had crumbled down, and she still didn’t understand why. All it would take would be to question him about this… Yet, she kept her mouth shut, waiting for him to add something. Anything. After all, he was the one who called, wasn’t he? “Ah have to tell ya sumethin’.” “You do?” Sigh. It was probably going to be of a very little comfort, but at least it seemed not to be something easy to say. “Ah think we should take a break.” “A break? Why? What have I done?” Fluttershy was struggling not to show anything. Inside, she was in ruin. As if a storm had come and shattered everything upside down in her body. If she stared at the walls carefully, she was sure she could see them shaking. “Ya didn’t do anythin’. It isn’t like this. Ah thought Ah could do it but now Am not that sure…” “Of what are you not sure? I don’t understand, especially if I haven’t done anything wrong.” “Am not sure Ah can understand mahself… Hence the break. Ah need to think about you and me. Ah need to know where Ah wanna go. Would ya prefer me to force mahself and lie to ya? Ya would suffer even more.” “But I’m already suffering! My heart’s in pieces!” “Sorry. Ah always been sincere with ya. Ah can’t tell ya a lie now. Trust me, ya won’t be feelin’ any better if Ah did.” “So, what? Why can’t you have me anymore?” Her voice was broken. There was no way she could keep on holding back her emotions. She felt as if she had never been so hurt. Tears were scorching her eyes, and all her body seemed to be burning in flames. It was so unfair. She’d always been kind and affectionate with him. She had done anything for him to end up loving her, and yet, despite all her efforts, she had failed at everything. The only thing she had been good at was making him want to take a break which she hated. “It’s more complicated than that, Fluttershy. Ah still mean everythin’ Ah told ya about yar qualities, but Am not sure Ah can handle such a thing. It’s better that we part for some time, it will help the both of us. Ya’ll see.” “I won’t see anything!” And out of rage and desperation, she hung up on him and threw her phone at the other side of her room. The phone bounced against her closet before falling on the ground in a crash of plastic. She would never be able to stop crying. Because no one had ever made her feel as miserable as she was right now. And she had school on the next day. Applejack would probably know and ask her how she was feeling. She didn’t want to talk about it. Especially not in front of Pinkie Pie. For a short while, she even wished that Pinkie Pie had never existed… What a weird day! Fluttershy had been constantly sullen, spending most of her time lost in thoughts, and had refused to tell them what was wrong. No one knew anything. Pinkie Pie, glad to be able to stay in Canterlot with her friends, was a busier bee than ever, proving it was something possible. Sometimes it even felt a bit too much, as if she was trying to conceal something that made her feel uncomfortable. With Applejack and Twilight, they had spent some time trying to find theories to explain both behaviors, but had drawn no satisfying conclusions. And now, because of this, she was going to be late for her volleyball club. Without tooting her own horn, Sunset Shimmer thought she was pretty good. Maybe she wasn’t at Rainbow Dash, Applejack or even Pinkie Pie's levels in their respected discipline, yet, she was doing well enough to get encouragements from their team coach on a regular basis. What a pity she’d waited twelfth grade before subscribing to one of the school’s clubs! When she had chosen to study here in CHS rather than in Crystal Prep where she had been accepted as well, it also had been for all the activities offered by the school. Then, she had first been so busy bullying the others, only to be too busy trying to make amends by Adagio, Sonata et Aria’s side that she had completely neglected the rest! Often, she wondered where she would be right now if Adagio hadn’t ordered her to steal Rainbow Dash’s gym bag and then strongly suggested her to take part in this silly revenge. Out of this very bad thing had only come out wonders. Finally, she was happy to go to school every morning when she woke up. She was in a hurry to reach the gymnasium, jogging in order to warm up before practice, when she felt someone softly putting a hand on her shoulder. Who could try to get her attention this way? Usually, when it was required, her name was shouted… When she turned around, however, Sunset Shimmer understood. Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ Pon-3, one of their local celebrities, had another particularity out of her precocious talent for mixing… She was born mute. It was the reason why music was so important in her life. For her, it represented a very efficient way to communicate. On the previous year, she and Sunset Shimmer were in the same class. When everyone else was ignoring her, the young woman, always in a sunny mood, had been the only one still greeting her with gentle waves, while shaking her head to the sound of the electro music she almost listened to all the time. “Is everything OK?” Sunset Shimmer asked her, while taking a look at the clock on the wall. If she didn’t hurry, she would be extremely late, and practice would start without her… Yet, her eyes widened in some sort of shock when she saw her schoolmate answering by a negative nod. “Oh, what’s happening?” Vinyl Scratch was already leaning over her tablet, busy writing what she wanted to tell Sunset Shimmer. Her wrist was moving at full throttle against the virtual keyboard, and judging by how long her text seemed to be, her problem was nothing trifling. She turned the electronic device around, and Sunset Shimmer read out loud what was written on the screen. “Do you know my girlfriend Octavia? She’s in your class. Brown hair, pretty, British accent, plays cello. It’s been a month since she’s stopped coming to school and no one, absolutely no one has news from her. She doesn’t pick up the phone and I believe she no longer leaves her home.” Indeed, Sunset Shimmer didn’t have to think hard to notice the teenage girl hadn’t come to class since a little while. Everybody had first thought her to be sick, then with courses and worries, it had almost turned into nothing special to hear silence resounding each time her name was called by teachers during attendance. She had never really thought about what could have happened for Octavia to stop coming so suddenly. If she remembered, she was really liked by other pupils, talking with everybody, and she was really gifted in her field of expertise, so much that she could see herself doing nothing else than playing cello professionally. Her couple with Vinyl Scratch hadn’t really shocked, neither. Of course, two girls together were something titillated the boys’ imagination, but as a whole, their couple hadn’t provoked the expected scandal. It had to be said that they were quite reserved in their displays of affection, which helped. Yet, here in CHS, like anywhere else, there were little hoodlums ready to do anything to establish their powers over the others. All the same, it didn’t tell her what Vinyl Scratch was expecting from her by telling her this. “I’m sad for Octavia, but… What does it have to do with me?” Immediately, Vinyl started to write back on her tablet. Once she was done, just like before, Sunset Shimmer read out loud what was written. “Maybe Octavia would accept to talk to you and your friends. She always says your friendship’s a good example for the others and is really inspiring. She used to have a group of friends back in Trottingham and you remind her of them. I’ve tried everything, and you’re my very last chance. Please, help me.” Of course, it was satisfying to see some persons regarded their group as more than CHS’ noisy inseparable gang, always seeking attention, consciously or not. Nonetheless, if Octavia refused to even talk to her closest friends, and even to the girl she loved, she couldn’t get what her and the others could do about it. They only were teenagers, after all, and they had their own problems to deal with. It would be easy to say no, to tell Vinyl it was none of her business, and that it was her problem to fix. But something, which she just couldn’t explain, touched her deeply in this story. “Well, I’m going to have a quick word about this with my friends, but there’s no guarantee. Alright?” Vinyl nodded, wrote on her tablet that even just trying was very nice of her, and that she would owe her something in return. When she fell on her neck for a quick hug, Sunset Shimmer told herself it was the kind of reward she really liked to get. And that even if the girls refused to help Octavia and Vinyl, she would do her best to know what was going on, anyway. During all her volleyball practice, Sunset Shimmer had troubles not to think about the favor Vinyl Scratch wanted her to do. What was the most troubling was the fact everybody had put up with Octavia’s absence, without the least of questioning. If it was this way for such a likeable student, so what was it like for those who were considered outcasts, or worse, who weren’t liked at all? Maybe there had been other desertions and no one had taken note of them. By the end of practice, she had eventually realized she had the answer to her question. She didn’t even have to think really hard. The sudden absence of Sonata, Adagio and Aria after they've been arrested hadn’t stirred up enthusiasm. Since they weren’t really popular, almost no one had been shaken up by them no longer being there. Their return, discreet after the events of the fun fair, had happened in the same indifference. Sometimes, even Sunset Shimmer forgot she could meet them around the corner, and each time it happened, her heart skipped a beat from fear and tension. Pinkie Pie’s high-pitched laugh snapped her out of her reflections. Why was she laughing? Twilight had cappuccino cream on the tip of her nose. It often was enough to start such a reaction from the young woman. So it was nothing unusual, if it was not for Fluttershy’s jaded face, in the background since the morning of the move. Since it seemed like none of the girls had noticed anything, Sunset Shimmer chose not to highlight this. They were at their favorite table at Sugarcube Corner, sharing their usual after-club and afterschool snack, made of hot drinks and pastries (low-fat and low-sugar for some of them). Since it still was too cold to stay outside or behind the stadium’s bleachers, it was there they went every day without exception. Winter was especially rough this year. Undoubtedly, this was the perfect moment to tell them about what had concerned her for two hours. They all were here, in familiar surroundings, and in the best relaxation conditions possible. And this, although Fluttershy kept on seeming even more uncommunicative than usually. “Since we’re all here, I want to tell you guys about something”, she started innocently. Immediately, five heads turned around. It was a bit intimidating, to be honest. They knew each other quite well now, true, yet Sunset Shimmer kept a slight anxiety inside of her, telling her she still was expected to do something bad. “It’s no government matter, don’t worry”, she said with a slightly embarrassed laugh, scratching the back of her head. “Come on, what’s this all about?” “Yes, we’re all listenin’ to ya”, Applejack added. “Well… How can I start? Earlier, before volleyball, Vinyl Scratch has “talked” to me. There’s no sign of life from her girlfriend Octavia since something like one month. She won’t reveal herself to anyone, not even to Vinyl. It also seems like she no longer get out of her home. She asked me to talk to it with you.” Seeing the lack of reactions from her friends, Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help being disappointed. She had expected this mystery to intrigue them a little more, especially Twilight and Rainbow Dash, fond of whodunit novels with conundrums to see through. If asked, she would have bet such a real-life plot would have immediately catch her attention. “What does it have to do with us?” Fluttershy asked. It seemed to each of them they heard her voice for the first time today. And finally, they noticed that, maybe, something was wrong with their friend. But it was almost sure she wouldn’t tell them anything if they ask her what was happening to her. “Nothing, in theory, I admit but Vinyl Scratch explained me Octavia had a real admiration for our friendship. It reminds her of her former group of friends from Middle High School, back in Trottingham. And so, the girlfriend thinks there might be a chance Octavia would agree to talk to us.” “Alright, that’s clearer, but if she doesn’t talk to her GF, Ah can’t see why she’d tell us anythin’.” “That’s exactly what I thought, but I promised I’d try.” Of course, in reality, she’d only promised to tell them about it, not to try to start a dialogue with Octavia. It was a white lie she thought was necessary. Not sure of why it mattered so much to her, she had to try. And she deeply hoped it would at least move one of her friends. “I’d be happy to help, but I’m not sure I’m the most appropriate kind of person for this kind of mission”, Pinkie Pie said, acting serious, which didn’t match at all with the cupcake’s crumbs she had all over her mouth. Yes, obviously, although she had her loads of bumps on her road to life, the teenage girl maybe wasn’t the perfect fit for this kind of mission, as she called it. Depending on what happened to Octavia, her overwhelming energy could happen to be irrelevant. However, it was nice of her to, at least, have the will to help. “Well, I… I can check out whether Octavia has an activity on social networks. It could enlighten us about her real situation.” “You would really do this, Twilight? You’re the best!” Without further thinking, Sunset Shimmer took her in her arms. Twilight whispered a weak ‘I haven’t done anything yet’ but had no other reaction, silently waiting for the young woman to loosen her embrace. Why had she done such a thing? She had no idea. To see that at least two of her friends were ready to assist her with this matter, it moved her. Especially as Applejack claimed that if she could be of any help, she would do it with pleasure. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were the only ones who hadn’t said anything yet. The first girl didn’t show any interest. As far as the second girl was concerned, after looking lost in thoughts for a few minutes, she declared that she would help as well, depending on what Twilight would discover. She had been away from school for months herself and would have been glad if someone outside of her gang had worried about her like this. Maybe she was mistaking, but it seemed to Sunset Shimmer that she didn’t talk about people from her former school, but about one person in particular. Author's Note Yes, Vinyl Scratch is mute, although it's a cliché. But I think it's always a good thing for people with disabilities of any kind to be represented.
Disappeared (part 2)The next day. Sugarcube Corner again. The scene looked like the scenes of the previous days. Nonetheless, something had changed. Pinkie Pie wasn’t with them. Well, she was, but not around their table. Today, the temperatures were lower again. It explained why the tearoom was overcrowded, and as soon as the band had arrived, the Cakes had asked for her presence behind the counter. Because it was the deal and she owed them to have a roof to live under, she’d obeyed without further thinking. The girls all understood, and had promised to give her a full account on Octavia’s online activities as soon as possible. Twilight had brought her computer to high school, purposefully for the inquiry. Because in Equestria people don’t really have a surname, researches on SNS were a little more complicated than elsewhere. The Marebook network, official copy of its American counterpart, was adapted to this peculiarity, although it rendered manipulations longer. She’d finally found traces of her, after a few computing mishaps – wifi throughput not being on top of its shape because of the weather conditions. The last of her messages dated back to a little earlier before she completely deserted CHS’ corridors. And the least one could say was that they were rather… bewildering. In theory, it was nothing but a succession of unrelated sentences. The only thing certain was that these messages weren’t the happy type. The teenage girl had taken off every of her photo album and deleted anything related to school and cello. She had also demanded her list of friends to erase all the pictures in which she had been identified. “Obviously, something terrible has happened to her”, Twilight drew the conclusion from it. “But what do you think this might be?” Sunset Shimmer asked her, eager to know more. “I’m sorry. Psychology isn’t my field of expertise.” Indeed, it was much easier for her to speak about stars and black holes than to see through the mysteries of the human soul. But all the same, it seemed Sunset Shimmer that her insight and rationality made her someone appropriate to draw other personal conclusions from the elements she possessed. “Your Octavia can’t stand the sight of herself, this is what it means!” Applejack stated. “It’s clear. She doesn’t want anyone to look at her face anymore. Only when you can no longer bear yourself something like that happens. Or when you think you’re ugly but I never felt she was the kind of person to be riddled by her complexes”, Rainbow Dash went on. Of course, the latter wasn’t as thoughtful as Twilight, but when it came to darkness of souls, she and Pinkie Pie undoubtedly were in the best positions to speak about the matter. “Do you think she could be going through depression?” “I’d stake the motorbike I still don’t have yet on it!” “And what do you think could be the cause of it?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Well, there, I can’t tell! There’s too many possible risk factors. All I can say for sure is that it’s not a heartbreak.” Indeed, it hadn’t seemed to her that Octavia and Vinyl’s relationship was going downhill. Conversely, they looked really happy when they were together. With these words, unable to hold herself back, and scarcely interested with the matter despite its intriguing plot, Fluttershy took a glimpse at the counter. The others hadn’t noticed, but Big Macintosh was here, and he hadn’t stopped by to see her at any moment. She had told no one about their break, imagining Applejack knew. Nothing was sure now. Indeed, if her friends were into the secret, she would have asked her how she was, would have tried to comfort her, but they hadn’t spoken to her about it at all. Surely it was because he hadn’t stopped by to see her neither that his sister hadn’t noticed he was around. He was at the counter, and was talking with Pinkie Pie. Well… Pinkie Pie was the one doing all the talk, actually, and from where she was, Fluttershy couldn’t hear a word she was saying. There were fewer chances for them to be chatting about her, at sight of their relaxed and smiling faces. Like a cloud passing her by, she heard Rainbow Dash’s voice, still speaking about Octavia’s sudden disappearance. “Sunset Shimmer and I will visit her at her place tomorrow. We’ll use the excuse of homework. Maybe it will work.” As far as Fluttershy was concerned, it seemed obvious her friends didn’t need her to see through the mystery. Not that poor Octavia’s lot didn’t matter to her. Conversely, she thought it to be sad and frightening at the same time. The main problem was that she was so caught up in her own heartache that she couldn’t give this all the attention it deserved. Each time she glanced at Pinkie Pie with Big Macintosh, her stomach ached, and a fear like nothing before took over her body. Until now, she had always put this down to the description of his type of girl the young man gave her on the first night where she had confessed. It probably still was the case… No, it wasn’t. Suddenly, obviousness struck her, and she felt knocked down. All this time she had put lacy blinders on her face not to see what was yet transparent. And sure it was even more painful than the rest. From that very moment, everything no longer existed for her. Octavia and her depression, her friends debating about what might have happened to her, laughs and other conversations of the tearoom. It only remained Big Macintosh happily chatting with Pinkie Pie, surrounded by the murkiest halo of stormy nights. She needed to know. It would hurt her but at least she would have certainties. So, when she saw Big Macintosh walking to the exit door, she apologized towards her friend and got up from her seat. It was only then Applejack noticed her brother had been in the same room. Weird… Usually, he always stopped by to say hello to the other girls, and even in a hurry, he always stayed at least one minute in order to be with Fluttershy. In fact, his behavior had been the same since Pinkie Pie’s move. He made his very best to avoid Applejack as much as he could, and when she would ask him how things were with Fluttershy, he avoided her question with another question. She took a discreet glimpse at the window behind her. Despite the mist from cold, she thought she saw her friend running after Big Macintosh. The cold outside was biting, and Fluttershy regretted she hadn’t thought about taking at least her scarf. The first time she had screamed his name, he hadn’t heard, or he had pretended he hadn’t heard. On the second time, she screamed louder, and he finally turned around with a certain amount of stolidity. Smoke like a ghost was escaping her lips as she was trying to catch her breath. For a few long seconds, they only stayed face to face, not really looking at each other, nor doing anything at all. When Fluttershy eventually looked up, he couldn’t help but see fear in her eyes. Not the kind of fear she usually displayed when in front of a new or stressful situation, no, a fear of another kind. A fear of knowledge. “You say you’ve always been honest with me, don’t you?” He nodded. “So, I want you to answer my question honestly… Are you in love with Pinkie Pie?” She just couldn’t believe she had been able to say this horrible sentence out loud. Yet she had. It was even more tormenting than she thought. But she knew, to ignore would be even worse. An absolute ordeal. She needed to know, to tear off the dressing once and for good. She was already hurt, anyway, it could never be worse. “I am”, he simply confessed. She had been wrong. There was always a possibility for things to get worse. Under the shock of hearing out loud what she already knew, her cottony knees were unable to stand, and she let herself all on the snowy ground, out of breath and her vision erased by a thick curtain of tears. The fact he didn’t come closer to enquire about the way she was feeling, and that he let her on her own with her pain was almost as unbearable as the rest. She was feeling torn apart, shattered into a million pieces scattered all over town. If it had been someone else, anyone else, yes she would have been sick as hell but she would have accepted it. That it was one of her closest friends, whom she had fought for, who she had brought comfort to so many times, and whom had done the same for her, it was the detail that made all the matter even harder. Brusquely agonizing. The building in which Octavia was living was one of those dark and old buildings that were to be found all over Canterlot’s working class areas, with a janitor living at the first floor, watching who was getting out and who was getting in. In order to be able to climb where they wanted to go, after they had checked the names of the mailboxes, Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer had to lie and say the father of one of them envisioned to buy and renovate buildings of the surroundings. At first reluctant, the janitor finally welcomed them warmly as soon as she learned what was the name of the father in question. It didn’t particularly make her feel comfortable to use the name of Rainbow Blaze in order to achieve their ends. The lesser possible did she have to evoke their filial connection, the better she was. She hated for people to think that if she succeeded in something, it was thanks to his money. Octavia was living in an apartment at the last floor, right under the roofs. Both teenage girls ignored what her parents were doing for a living, but they for sure weren’t of those who were rolling in money. It wasn’t much a surprise, since the young woman only had been able to pursue her studies thanks to her gift for cello. Because she was really promising, many Colleges already had offered her a complete scholarship if she agreed to swell their ranks next year. This gift would probably save her from a life far more difficult than what the two girls who came to visit her were used to. Though she didn’t have the manners related to her social rank, and wanted to get off this financial influence in the future, Rainbow Dash didn’t know what starvation was like, nor how it felt like to have difficult end of the month. Sunset Shimmer, as far as she was concerned, came from a family of the upper middle-class, like every of her friends, except Applejack, whose family wealth even exceeded her best friend’s. The walls of the corridors had probably been white one day, but now displayed colors of mildew. The light supposed to illuminate the whole was so pale they almost felt like caught in the middle of a scary movie, and expected at any moment to see a girl whose face was hidden by long black hair coming from one of the doors. To get things worse, a suffocating scent of frying and rancid cooking floated in the air. “It’s no surprise the girl is depressed while living in such a hellhole…” “Yes”, Sunset Shimmer went on. “She’s always so presentable, with that very elegant accent, so I’d never have thought.” “You know, it’s best to beware of appearances like the plague!” A smirk appeared on the teenager’s face. She knew a lot about appearances… Like Fluttershy, for example, so shy and fearful, who had almost tried prostitution. And what could she say about her former group of friends, who you’d gladly think butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth, as long as you didn’t look the details too hard? They stopped in front of what seemed to be the apartment the young woman lived in. The painting on the door was flaking, and the bull’s eye seemed to be blocked. Graffiti was decorating it, calling the residents ritzy on the become and sellouts. It wasn’t very inviting… But the gruesome detail was that the door was ajar. Who could let the doors half-open in such a place? Weren’t they scared of a potential robbery, although they would bet there weren’t a lot of expensive items inside this apartment? A scream from inside resounded, and the two friends didn’t think much through before dashing in. Just one glance had been enough… Especially as a second scream resounded as well, this time a female mature voice calling the name of the person they were coming to visit. It was not easy to spot where in the apartment the cries came from, especially as they didn’t know the place at all. They found the source of this racket in the bathroom. The least one could say was that what they discovered was nothing comforting. Octavia was struggling with an older woman who she looked like, her mother for sure, and she had a utility knife in her hands, and her wrists were flooding with blood. The teenage girl’s mother, who had probably tried to wipe her daughter’s arms with a towel, looked up and saw the two young girls, listless at the doorstep, and begged them to help her with a quivering voice. For a few seconds, Rainbow Dash was on the verge of fainting. One of the rare residents from Green Haven whom she befriended with had tried to kill herself by cutting her wrists, and her image had haunted her for a long while. A sudden nausea wrung her stomach, and she had to lean against the door frame, since everything around her had started to spin around. What snapped her out of her torpor was Sunset Shimmer’s voice, catching her phone in order to call emergency services. From the corner of her eye, she had the time to catch a glimpse at Octavia getting up and trying to pounce on her friend, her utility knife darted at her. Gathering all of her top athlete strength, Rainbow Dash was able to grab Octavia, holding her arms in her back. The young woman was still firmly holding her utility knife in her hands, and was moving about as much as she could, her eyes drown in tears. “Let me go!! Let me go!! I want to die and you won’t stop me!! Let me go!!” “Octavia, please stop, I beg of you”, her mother was crying. “You shut the f*ck up! You can’t understand me! None of you can understand! Let me go!” Once her shock passed, Sunset Shimmer came to assist Rainbow Dash, trying to control Octavia, who kept on struggling like a devil, crying and swearing how no one could understand her will to get over with life. The problem was that she precisely was in front of two persons who could understand this better than anyone else. Although Sunset Shimmer had never acted on, conversely to her friend, she had envisioned it more than once, and more than once, she had almost given in. “How can you be sure we can’t understand?” she tried to tell her. “Shut up! I don’t want to talk with you, I don’t want to talk with anybody. I just want it to stop. Please, let me make it stop.” “You’re so in pain you feel like there’s no way out. Everything disgusts you, you’re scared to fall asleep, scared to wake up in the morning… The more time is passing by, the less you want to speak, to see people, or your own reflection… The plain fact of opening your eyes is a nameless torture. Sometimes, you feel as if you were unable to breath, choking. The world no longer has anything to offer for you, even what you used to love the most makes you sick, and you want to cry all the time, but even when you cry, it doesn’t make you feel better. Nothing can make you feel better. Trust me, I’ve been there too, I know what I’m talking about… But if you do that, it would be worse. You’ll hate yourself if you fail, and you know the others will look at you like some monster’s fair, like half of a human being. They will stare at you, have the front to tell you that you lacked courage… And you’ll hate yourself even more. Trust me, it’s not worth the pain… It’s not worth the pain…” As Rainbow Dash’s speech went along, delivered with tears strangling her throat, Octavia had finally ceased to struggle, and the two young women were now sitting on the tiling floor. Octavia was crying like a baby, trembling from cold… And let go her utility knife to curl up into a ball as soon as Rainbow Dash loosen her embrace. Her mother ran to her in order to hold her and wipe away the blood on her arms. Then, Sunset Shimmer get her phone back and called the emergency services. If the drama hadn’t enlightened them much more on what kind of trauma could have degraded Octavia, they both had understood that a horrible and terrible thing had happened to her, and that the angst eating her from inside was so unbearable she no longer had taste for life. Yet, both knew that although life still offered its loads of unpleasant things, there also were things worth living for. They thought maybe, they really were the appropriate persons to show her there was another way and that all wounds eventually heal one day, even if some of them were longer to close up. Author's Note I know, it's a bit sad. Hope you're not too shocked! (It still fits the Teen rating, right?)
Disappeared (part 3)They had to wait a moment while a doctor took charge of Octavia, making sure her life wasn’t in danger, before it was possible for visitors out of her mother to see her. For Rainbow Dash, this waiting time had been particularly difficult. The smell of hospitals reminded her of the one floating in corridors and between bedrooms, back in Green Haven. And while having a hot tea near the vending machine with Sunset Shimmer, she had seen a father getting out of the elevator in tears. Unable to help, she had imagined this man could have been her father on the morning after her attempted suicide. He too had to wait until someone gave him some news. He too might have experienced this fear that, maybe, things hadn’t exactly gone the right way. But when thinking it through, she said to herself chances it happened this way were scarce. Of course, she didn’t pretend her father was a monster, not even in her mind, yet a part of her still believed things might have been different for him, since she only was his daughter, and not the kind of daughter he wanted her to be. On the other hand, she had no doubt as far as her mother was concerned. Waiting time might have been horrible… This thought was the most disturbing one of all. Up until now, her memories had always dictated her that her mother had died instantly, and never been brought to the hospital. So why had she had this flash of her father, pacing up and down in front of a intensive care room while she was waiting on a chair, unable to move nor to think, in another room, with someone speaking and doing gestures in front of her? It made no sense. “Rainbow Dash… Are you okay?” Sunset Shimmer asked as they were walking to the room where Octavia rested. “I’m fine. I was just thinking. Nothing serious.” She had no doubt she could confess to Sunset Shimmer, who would listen, and even, who would comfort her, but she didn’t want anyone to worry about her when they were going to visit someone who had just tried to kill herself and who might be suffering way more than she did right now. It wasn’t about her, and it was best this way. Sometimes, not to be the main focus had something kind and mellow. Sunset Shimmer knocked two little times at the door, and hearing their friend’s mother’s voice behind, they stepped inside together. Octavia was half lying, dressed with a hospital gown, her wrists bandaged, with a drip at one of them. There were grey circles under her eyes and her skin was as pale as the bed’s sheets. The most comforting thing, however, was that she displayed a face that was more peaceful than earlier. Her mother was sitting on the chair by her side, and leaped on her feet as soon as she saw the two teenage girls. “I could never thank you enough. I don’t know what would have happened without you. Thank you, a hundred times, thank you. You’ve saved my daughter.” “We couldn’t let her this way. What are friends for?” “How—How did you know?” the person in question inquired. “I’ve made sure I wouldn’t see anyone anymore. Each time someone called me, or worse, rang at my door, whether it was Vinie or somebody else, I never answered…” “She yelled at me each time I wanted to let them in. All she wanted to do was lock herself in her room and cry, she didn’t even want me to comfort her.” The two young women looked at each other, not really surprised by what they heard. It truly was the behavior of someone who had been through something terrible, and sinking deeper and deeper into the obscurity of depression. However, them being here right on time to prevent a disaster to happen was sheer coincidence. Unless Vinyl Scratch had asked them this favor because she could sense something awful was about to take place, but she hadn’t told anything about this. “In fact, it’s an accident… Vinyl asked me to try to see if my friends and I could get any news from you, and… here he went. That’s all.” “Ah? Vinyl?” Octavia said, lowering her head to stare at the sheets. “Yes, we’re here thanks to her. She’s really worried about you; you know… It’s very hard not to be able to help the ones you love, not to be able to know why they seem to suffer so much.” If Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash were here to bring Octavia some comfort, and to guide her in what she would have to undertake in order to get better, they also came all this way in order to soothe the fears of someone else, and to know what had happened to her. They wouldn’t force Octavia to talk about it if she didn’t want to, but they also knew she could never hope to get better if she didn’t unburden herself. And if they didn’t know, it would be harder for them to show her a path forward to recovery. “Mom… Can you leave us alone for ten minutes, please? I just want to tell them a thing or two…” “Well… Yes, of course, honey.” Her mother pecked her forehead, and unhurriedly slipped out of the room. It surely was difficult for her to part from her daughter after what she had tried to do. They didn’t have to force themselves to guess mother and child probably were really close before the tragedy they were about to discover unfolded. Only once sure her mother was away, Octavia started to tell what had happened to her. She would eventually learn about it one day, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to tell them if her mother had stood by her side. She was far too ashamed. If she agreed to confess to these two, it was because they seemed to know how it felt like not to be able to get over with a trauma. The beginning of the school year dated back to a few months only, after all, and Octavia still had in mind the words Mr. Caballeron had about Rainbow Dash. Her mother was dead, and she had been in a psychiatric institute because of that. “This grade is very important for me. I absolutely must get one of the scholarships for talents Colleges are granted. It’s the only way I could make up a decent life. That’s why mom has decided to spend all her saved money to pay me additional cello lessons with a renowned teacher. His name is Mr. Royal Riff and he says he’s the best tutor for classical chords instruments.” Nothing confirmed it yet, but the two teenage girls were starting to imagine a theory more than probable concerning the rest of her story. Of course, they didn’t interrupt Octavia, and let her tell her story entirely. It was important that she felt listened, even before she would feel supported and understood. “At start, everything was perfectly fine. I really enjoyed the lessons, and I made huge progresses. One day, I came in class with Vinyl, just to show her how much I’ve improved. On the same day, Mr. Riff offered to give me additional free lessons to, I quote “completely reveal my true talent to the world”. All I had to do was to tell no one about it. I didn’t think twice. I should have.” From then on, it became difficult for her to keep on speaking. So that she could feel she wasn’t alone and had all the comfort she denied herself until then, Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash each sat at one side of the bed, and held her hand in theirs. “It started quite innocently. He used to compliment my outfits, to say I was pretty with my hair like this, that I could become one of the greatest cello player alive. And, little by little, he started to rove his hands over my shoulders, then my hips, then my thighs as well… Until he…” She broke up. “I don’t understand what I did to deserve it. I swear I haven’t tried to turn him on or to mislead him. I love Vinyl and I could never betray her. All I wanted was to stack all the odds in my favor to have a better life, and now my life is worse than it ever was. I’m feeling so dirty and soiled, it’s unbearable!” Unable to go any further, she burst into tears again. It wasn’t necessary that she carried on, anyway. They understood what trauma she had been through. This type of pain was the worse a woman could experience. When physical integrity gets destroyed, everything else crumbles. Neither Sunset Shimmer or Rainbow Dash had been through this kind of damage, and both thought it probably will be more difficult than they had thought to advice and help her. “What am I going to do now? I’m so disgusting! And I could never look into my girlfriend’s eyes again after this.” However, they knew a thing or two that could be useful for the young woman… “You know; Vinyl loves you deeply. When you really love someone, you’re willing to accept almost everything, which also means being by their side and help them to get better. She definitely wants you to be happy and I know for sure she won’t ever be mad at you for something that wasn’t your fault at all.” “Dash is right. I’ve seen how scared she was… Not being able to know how you were feeling pushed her to ask for our help. She’s good people and I know she’ll understand and do her best for you to recover.” “But how could I ever recover? He’s still around, giving lessons in Canterlot. He could as well had done it to dozens of other girls already… Even if I finally recovered, I could never turn the page if I know I could meet him right around the corner.” This was a fear Sunset Shimmer could understand. Though it wasn’t the same context at all, she had felt this way many times after her former group of friends got arrested, and when the girls came back to CHS. It had stopped eventually, since she was supported and above all, because of what had happened at the fun fair, she knew that Adagio, Sonata and Aria would never try to hurt her again – although Sonata alone wasn’t a real threat. The solution probably laid here. To make sure Royal Riff would never be a threat to Octavia again. For this purpose, there was only one possible alternative, and Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure the person in question would accept. “What if I tell you there’s a way for him never to hurt anyone again?” “Is there one? If you’re thinking about reporting it, I can’t. My family would never be able to pay a good lawyer, and he definitely would have a good one…” “No need to report. Our friend Twilight’s brother is a policeman. He could help us. All you’d have to do would be what I tell you to. I have a plan.” Each time someone said they had a plan, Rainbow Dash knew it never turned out so well. She didn’t know what Sunset Shimmer had in mind… However, she looked determined and confident. After all, it was one of those ‘plans’ that had foiled her, more than one year ago, and led her where she was now… Maybe the right thing was to trust her? Because she hadn’t been out since one whole month, Octavia could hardly breathe. It seemed to her the air outside was too thick and her blood had ceased to run through her veins. Her heart was shaking from anxiety. What if she wasn’t able to get what she wanted? She caught her breath when she heard someone opening the main door, and sounds of steps resounding against the waxed wooden floor. The lump inside her throat seemed to have widened again, blocking the rest of her body. Her head was spinning… What she was about to do wasn’t nothing special. From this moment was going to depend the rest of her existence. Aware the stakes were very high, Octavia shut her eyes and clenched her fists. To breath, to stay focus on her breathing. In, out, in, out. Visualize negativity and watch it fly away. Rainbow Dash had assured her this quick relaxation method would help. And indeed, when she opened her eyes again, she felt ready. Yes, she still was scared of him and of the rest of the events, but she knew this was something that had to be done. In order to get better eventually, she had to go through this. When the door of the Roller Derby track got opened, Royal Riff’s tall body outlined in the middle of the dark room. Just by acknowledging his presence, Octavia felt as if his body was pressed against hers, his breath against her neck, and his hands… His hands probably were what she dreaded the most about him. She knew how brutal and dangerous they could be. As he came nearer, his face became clearer. His white hair, his cold golden eyes. This wicked sardonic smile she hated so much. “Octavia… You don’t know how happy I am that you’ve called me. I really like the place you chose. So original.” When the music teacher stepped closer to her, an arm stretched in her direction, Octavia stepped back, with as much harshness as her elegant face could contain. Fighting her fear of him in order to achieve her ends was the most difficult thing for her. Because ordinarily, this fear had her paralyzed. “Don’t come nearer!” This man had ruined her life. Before she knew him, she was full of perkiness, she had faith in the future. To be a part of CHS meant a chance to change the stream of her life, to become who she wanted to be. People liked her, she had friends, she had found the person her heart belonged to, despite their many differences. And, one day, he had put his hands on her, and nothing had been the same ever since. Everything was now covered with a veil of disgust, smelling like blood. The immaculate blank to fill she called future suddenly turned into a thick black smoke, stopping her from seeing in front of her. Tonight, she wanted to regain control. She would probably be scarred for life, but at least, she wouldn’t live in fear eternally. At least, she wouldn’t try to shorten her existence because of these scars. Tonight, she would fight to regain at least a little of what had been stolen to her. She was worth something. She was strong. He would never destroy her again. “I haven’t asked you to come here so you can keep on perpetuating horrors. If I’ve asked you to come, it’s to let you know something. It’s over. You will never hurt me again.” Octavia had poured all the determination inside her heart to say these words. As she delivered them, she realized she sincerely meant them all. After a few seconds of wavering, the only answer she got was a burst of laugh from Royal Riff. In all honesty, she had expected it. He never took her threats seriously, undoubtedly because he knew they wouldn’t have much weight on the rest of the events, and there was no reason why he should start tonight. He stepped to her one more time, and she stepped back as well. “What are you talking about? I never harmed you.” “Stop it! You know exactly what I’m talking about. You… You’re a lecher and you should be behind bars!” Once again, he burst into laugh, overacting his effects by holding his sides. Yet for a short while, she wondered if she hadn’t exaggerated things in her mind. Maybe he only wanted to be nice with her and she… No. She hadn’t had visions, or misread his actions. He was laughing at her because he didn’t believe in what she was saying. In fact, in the snap of fingers, his cheerful expression changed, and on his face appeared a smirk she knew too well, his pupils narrowed, and he took off the mask of the respectable music teacher to wear this of the sexual predator. “Conversely, I did you good. Stop acting goody-goody, Octavia. I know you liked what we were doing together.” “Never! I never liked anything. You’re a rapist, and I’m going to make sure everybody knows. It’s over.” “It’s over. It’s over, she says. I’m curious to see how you’re going to do that. Look at you, you’re shaking and I haven’t even touched you yet. I got you, Octavia. I’ll always be a part of you, whether you like it or not.” “No, you won’t. You mean nothing to me, and you will never.” It wasn’t completely true, and she knew it. Somewhere he was right. What he had done to her would never leave her memory, and she would obviously think about it again, she would obviously be scared again. These events would never leave her. But she could also make sure the scar wouldn’t be as deep as he thought, by stopping his actions. She could make sure this traumatic accident wouldn’t part her from the rest of the world. She wanted to feel alive again, and he wouldn’t stop her to, no matter how much he threatened her. Or perhaps, because he was threatening her. Now, according to what Sunset Shimmer had recommended her, she had to push him to confess, somehow. “If that’s what you’re thinking, then you’re an idiot. And you aren’t an idiot, are you? Although… Asking me to come here, alone, in the middle of the night is a bit silly from you. You do know what is going to happen, right? Of course, you know it, Octavia.” Yes, she knew it. He could do so; she wouldn’t stop him. Not really, at least. Just long enough to get what she wanted. Royal Riff was now a few inches away from her, his face deformed by arousal and anticipation. It was the same dreadful face she had seen so many times and which always meant the same thing. So, she tried to run away in order to escape, but the Roller Derby track wasn’t that big, and it wasn’t easy to move in the dark. Quickly, she slipped on the slightly glassy wooden floor and stumbled. The music teacher didn’t have a lot of efforts to provide in order to catch her back. In no time at all, he shifted her so she was facing him, and kept her pinned against the floor, weighing against her. Like she had done so each time it happened, Octavia screamed and struggled, and just like he had done each time, he was smiling while slipping his hand along her body towards her uniform skirt. He knew after some time she would stop to move, understanding nothing would help and nothing would stop him from going all the way. When suddenly, all the lights of the rink were turned on at the same time, Royal Riff was forced to stop what he was doing. This was something he probably hadn’t expected at all as he came here. All it took him was a few seconds to spot Sunset Shimmer among the bleachers, sitting beside Rainbow Dash who held a camera in her hands, which lens was darting at the rink. The red-headed teenager clapped at the performance, which didn’t set Royal Riff in the best of moods. “What the hell are you doing here? Get out!” “Are you kidding? We want the rest of this wonderful masterpiece”, she told him with that typical smirk of hers. “Yes”, Rainbow Dash outbid. “I’m sure it’s going to be a real blockbuster… The music teacher who raped his students. Please, don’t bother for us.” Of course, he knew what this meant. And he just couldn’t believe it. This little dimwit of Octavia had tried to frame him. Who the hell did she think she was? He wasn’t anybody, and she was only a kid from a poor neighborhood. And as far as her two friends were concerned, this wasn’t a problem at all. He would take care of them his own way and make sure they would be so traumatized they would never dare to tell anyone. On the other hand, he hadn’t neither expected his victim to make the most of this strange wavering moment to attack him. Finally freed from his deathly embrace, she also freed her leg and kicked him right between his thighs. Royal Riff crumbled from pain, and Octavia took her chance to stand back up and run towards the bleachers where her classmates were. Something told her that as soon as she would have reached those benches, she would finally be saved from hell. Thanks to Rainbow Dash who had filmed everything thanks to her infra red-light lens, they had now enough elements to charge the teacher. But he managed to get it together on time to stop her. As soon as he was near enough, he grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her close to him. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done yet! And you two”, he yelled at the two young women, still filming. “Turn this off or I swear I’ll make you regret it! Do you want me to do to you the same thing I did to her? I’m sure you’re going to like it as much as this b*tch did!” “Are you really sure about that?” A male voice behind him suddenly said. Once again, Octavia made the most of her former teacher’s surprise to escape. She ran as fast as she could to the bleachers, where Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer, satisfied they had everything they needed now, welcomed her in their arms. Turning around, Royal Riff discovered a policeman in his uniform, who had a younger coworker with him, also dressed in his uniform. At first, he thought this was a prank… Disguised actors in order to scare him. Then he had to realize the obvious: the trap which he fell into was way more complicated than what he had first thought. “Mr. Royal Riff, this is captain Shining Armor and his assistant Timber Spruce, from Canterlot police. A very good friend of the family”, Rainbow Dash finished with triumph in her voice. “You’re over”, Sunset Shimmer added, like rubbing it in. “She warned you.” Sheltered into the teenage girl’s arms, Octavia threw a harsh and defiant glance at the music teacher, with her chin up. She had won and he had lost. Like her friend said, she had warned him. Whatever would happen to her now, he would no longer hurt her. At least, not in the way he thought. Shining Armor already was placing his hands behind his back, tying them with handcuffs, while Timber was warning a car to come to the appointed spot. “Royal Riff, you are under arrest for sexual assault and attempted rape on a minor. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court of law.” This mandatory litany of each arrest was clear and known by everyone. It never stopped Royal Riff from keeping on threatening the three teenagers, promising it wouldn’t end so easily and he still had power over Octavia who no longer was looking at him. Yet, it hadn’t been easy and even, it had been painful but she had done it. She had done it. She had confronted this man who curdled her blood, she had confronted her fear, and even risked another trauma but it hadn’t been in vain. Now she had the keys to find her way in life back, the life she had put on the side of the road. To find the pleasure of playing cello back. To find her taste for life back, her taste for others. To see the person she loved still while no longer being afraid to lose her forever. Because she already had a 35 mm camera for her cinematographic experiences, when she invested into this machine, more modern and provided with an infra-red system, Soarin had asked her the most daring of questions: did she really need it? Now, Rainbow Dash was convinced about it... She did. This advanced equipment was of a greater usefulness. Without it, she would have never been able to send this sexual predator in jail. In Equestria, as long as it was proven in a satisfying way, a rape was subject to a sentence of a minimum of twenty-five years, unreducible. Of course, like in every other part of the globe, the most difficult task was to bring these satisfying evidences, nonetheless, as far as was concerned the matter they cared about, it had good chances to give good results. Thanks to every participant’s efforts, Octavia seemed to be on the good path for a brighter future. She could get along and, slowly, sort her life out again. It wouldn’t be easy, but she would succeed. If there was something she had learned from all her misfortunes, it was that she was stronger than she thought. Once sure everything was settled, and before bringing the criminal to his custody, Shining Armor decided to go and talk to these who made this arrest come possible. In addition to Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash, both serving as witnesses, Twilight had also made her contribution. She was the one settled at the rink’s lightning desk in order to illuminate the place at the best moment. At first, when his little sister and her two friends had come in his office to explain him their plan to frame a teenage girls’ rapist, the young captain had doubts about the admissibility of the evidences and about the execution of the whole scheme. In an ironic way, if he had trusted the small group, it was because he had kept in mind the arrest of Sunset Shimmer’s former group of friends, which had gone beyond all expectations. He had also been working hand in hand with the juvenile delinquency department on many occasions, and knew he could get their help once again on that. The young woman had a long way to go since he handcuffed her at the door of a motel room. She had changed her company, but she also became a more relaxed, cheerful and benevolent person. Today, she looked exactly like any other high school students. Or at least, just like any of the girls from this one of a kind bunch of friends. He stopped in front of the three girls, busy talking about what had just happened. How they had been scared things would not be going according to their plan, or feared that Octavia would be even more damaged because of this… although Rainbow Dash was boasting about being the new Scorsese of detective documentaries. That was so Rainbow Dash. Each knew that behind the show off side there was someone with more sensitivity that it seemed, even Shining Armor. Before he could even express how glad he was to the three teenage girls, his little sister spoke to him. “Thanks for accepting to follow us on this one… We always put you in delicate situations…” “I’m the one who should thank you. The Crushlotters’ and Rebellious’ arrests… The one of the teenage robbers… and now Royal Riff’s… You don’t realize, but each time, my career makes significant advancements thanks to you.” “Maybe I should enroll in police force in the future. I think I’m also awesome at arresting bad guys. Would you like to recruit me in the future, Shining Armor?” “Rainbow Dash! You weren’t alone to prepare this trap… Wasn’t it Sunset Shimmer’s idea to begin with?” “Maybe, but I’m the one who obtained the keys of the rink thanks to my Roller Derby captain, and I had the camera.” “That doesn’t mean you should take all credit for the action.” Shining Armor rolled his eyes, and saw Sunset Shimmer doing the same. The young woman certainly also was used to hear those two squabbling this way, to the extent that she knew it was no use trying to stop them or to comment. Things always ended up on their own, anyway. This time wasn’t any different. Vinyl Scratch’s arrival put an end to the quarrel. The teenage girl had canceled a performance in a trendy nightclub in order to rush and meet her girlfriend she hadn’t seen for a whole month. It was impossible not to notice her when she arrived somewhere. Indeed, out of mixing and music, she seemed to be fond of tuning cars, and displayed a white vehicle decorated with blue thunders, with a personalized bumper and its matching spoilers, and each time she was going out, behind her resounded the booms of the electronic music she listened to thanks to two speakers integrated into her doors. In fact, it always was interesting to see Octavia, which uniform always was perfect, getting out of this tawdry car. The contrast was rather fun. Her reaction when she saw her girlfriend arrive was to get rid of the emergency blanket which had been put around her shoulders, and to run to Vinyl Scratch, who welcomed her by holding her in her arms. The little bunch witnessed the scene from afar, and none of them could heard what Octavia was saying to Vinyl, who answered her in sign language. In fact, it surprised Sunset Shimmer. “Well! I didn’t know Octavia could use the International sign language.” “Of course she does. Last summer, when I made my initiation, I met her at Canterlot’s Mute and Deaf Center. She told me she was on an upgrading training. What do you think they’re saying to each other?” “Sappy things, I bet. I don’t really want to know.” “You probably say the same sappy things to Soarin.” “Not at all”, Rainbow Dash replied in a suspiciously vehement way, her cheeks pinkish. “Soarin and I are only doing cool stuff.” “Forget about it. She prefers to act smart… even if we do know what’s the truth.” “Oh yeah, and how do you know that, Twilight Sparkle?” “One week in Fillydelphia with you. I’m really observant.” Once again, Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Here they were again. Really, not much was needed for those two to start bickering. In reality, they all knew, they loved each other and regarded each other as surrogate sisters. But like all sisters in the world, it was impossible for them to spend a whole day without one of those small verbal disputes. It had to be said they truly were quite different, whether it was of personal aspirations than of characters. Yet, these differences didn’t stop them from liking being together. It also was the case for the rest of the gang, and partly what made the magic of their friendship. Or at least, it was the case up until recently. Because things had turned strange one week ago. Since Pinkie Pie’s move, in fact, when Fluttershy had suddenly disappeared without a word for anyone. Big Macintosh, who yet was her boyfriend, hadn’t even tried to know how she felt, and last time he had been at the Sugarcube Corner without a stop to see her, the way he usually did. Something had happened, of this they were sure. “Hey… Does one of you knows what’s up between Fluttershy and Big Macintosh? I felt like it has become quite weird between them.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and shrugged. They had felt it too but no one had told them anything. “Seems like even Applejack doesn’t know. And Big Mac tells Applejack everything.” “Rainbow Dash, you know Big Mac very well… “Hey, just because we slept together once, it doesn’t mean I know him by heart. He’s not someone who confesses easily. What’s certain is that Fluttershy isn’t fine.” “I’ve noticed it too”, Twilight nodded. “And I don’t want to say stupid things but I think there’s a connection with Pinkie Pie. But I don’t know which one…” Although she didn’t know Big Macintosh that well, on the other hand, Rainbow Dash knew Pinkie Pie perfectly. Since she was living at Sugarcube Corner, she looked like her old self, yet her friend had noticed a slight awkwardness about her when it came to Applejack’s brother. She wasn’t the type of girl who stole boyfriends, this was a certain thing. It wasn’t what Rainbow Dash feared. She rather feared that Big Macintosh had tried something, unsure of why she could sense such a thing. Or maybe she was. The fact remained that she didn’t like this new tension, and didn’t foreseen something good for the rest of events. Although traditional love affairs kept a blurred side for her, despite her own love story with Soarin, there was something she knew. As soon as a boy problem appeared in a female friendship, even of the solidest kind, it was always difficult to land back on your feet. And was Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie’s friendship a solid one? A few days ago, Rainbow Dash would have answered yes immediately, but today, she wasn’t that sure anymore. Author's Note A very famous character will be at the center of next arc...
Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 1)“Stop it, Soarin! Can’t you be serious for two minutes?!” Coming from Rainbow Dash, the interjection held hints of bath faith. Indeed, seriousness was in no way the first adjective coming into mind when thinking about her. In fact, at the beginning of their little session, she was the one who couldn’t stop playing with her pencils and doing stupid faces at Pinkie Pie from her table. At the start of the week, she had received a call from her father, who had received one from school. Rainbow Dash’s grades in science had been plummeting ever since the beginning of the semester. If they didn’t get at least a bit better, her going to College would happen to become a little complicated. In her opinion, it didn’t really matter. She’d go to College anyway, thanks to a sporting scholarship. Having the average grade in chemistry and physics wouldn’t change this fact. But Mr. Rainbow Blaze hadn’t agreed with his daughter. He hadn’t reared a dunce. She had to get better grades or she wouldn’t be able to celebrate her birthday this year. Plus, her mother, naturally gifted in maths and physics, just like him, wouldn’t have liked her to let down those courses. It was this argument that had decided her. When hearing about it, of course, Twilight had volunteered to help her, except Rainbow Dash still had in mind the way she aided her to catch up her hold-up of missed courses during her stay at Green Haven. For nothing in the world did she want to go through this again. First, her mind was made up on Sunset Shimmer. She also had excellent grades in mathematics and sciences, since she seemed to want to focus her studies on molecular biology research. If, in the end, it happened to be Soarin helping her, it was because she had spoken to him about it, and he had volunteered, arguing it would be perfect to make them spend some time together – although she stayed so often at his place to sleep that she had started to leave a few of her personal belongings. Their main problem was that when one was motivated to work, the other one wasn’t. Now it was Soarin playing up. And in a way that made Rainbow Dash blush, as she didn’t want the persons at Sugarcube Corner today to take her for a ditz who liked to be cuddled in the corners, like in these stupid novels for girls that she hated. As if the whole world was focusing on her… Yet, there truly were a few persons captivated by the couple. More precisely one person. Pinkie Pie. Busy behind the counter, as soon as she had a moment, she would look at their table, hands under her chin, a tender smile plastered on her face. Even if they didn’t do anything for it, they were so cute. She knew Rainbow Dash tried hard to keep her image of a tough cookie, but that in secrets of eyes and ears, she was full of small attentions for Soarin, and she liked when he took good care of her. Love between those two was obvious. They were the stuff dreams are made for, since she didn’t have a boyfriend yet. Self-proclaimed their number one fan, thanks to them Pinkie Pie was living a love affair by proxy, as if they were the latest trendy TV show. What they had was perfect, according to her own definition, since they first were friends before being lovers. And it made their chemistry even more obvious. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t think she had ever felt something like this for anyone. It might be so pleasant… Yet, she was aware such a complicity was rare. As probable as unearthing a black diamond. Seeing one from up close is the chance of a lifetime. Of course, she was getting along fine with a boy she was chatting with on the internet since long ago, and whom she finally had seen a picture of, however she was far from having deep feelings for him. Undoubtedly, it would be easier if he were living in Canterlot and not in the “boondocks” of Hooftington. Four teenage girls stepped into Sugarcube Corner, and Pinkie Pie snapped out of her fantasies. She displayed her widest professional smile, but saw three of them directly going to Rainbow Dash and Soarin’s table. The fourth girl seemed to have disappear. Yet she was sure there was a fourth one. They stood in front of the couple with stars in their eyes. “Oh my God, Rainbow Dash!” “What?” The young woman looked up from her chemistry book. Right when she finally focused on her studies, someone had to come over and bother them. The three girls in front of them seemed to be slightly younger than her, and were standing in front of her like they would in front of an international celebrity. “What is it for?” “I’m Sky Skimmer, and this is Moon Shadow and Hip Holly. We’re in eleventh grade and we admire you since we’ve arrived at CHS. We attend each of your games and competitions. We’re your most fervent fans.” “You’re the best athlete of all Canterlot.” “Hey, it’s true I’m rocking it! But the job of my most fervent fan is already taken by Scootaloo.” What else could she answer? She knew she was good, only equaled by Applejack, but Applejack took part in no school competitions. Plus, long before those three, Scootaloo had displayed a great devotion to her, and conversely to them, she knew and liked the young girl. It didn’t stop her from enjoying the compliment, of course. She was Rainbow Dash, after all, and although her ego wasn’t as huge as she tried hard to make believe, it took room anyhow. “Well, of course, we don’t want to steal anybody’s place”, the third girl finally said, now she had stopped to stay dumbstruck like in front of a swarm of chocolate-flavored ice-creams. “We only wanted you to know how much we admire you.” “It’s the first time we dare talking to you. Until now we were way too impressed.” “Just don’t be. I only bite if I’m bitten first”, she claimed with a wink. This little insignificant gesture from her launched a wave of high-pitched yelps from them. It was too much, even for Rainbow Dash. Alright, she was an excellent athlete, alright, she was cool, but she wasn’t Countess Coloratura. It didn’t deserve such a frenzy. Remained silent until now, Saorin cleared his throat in order to show he was here as well, and explained the three teenage girls that although their attention was sweet, and Rainbow Dash was flattered, it was about time for them to resume working. Their first reaction was to bounce on the spot. “Wow, Soarin talked to us!” Moon Shadow claimed. “We love your couple”, Hip Holly went on. “Yes. We think you’re the perfect match for each other.” “That’s because Soarin is as awesome as I am.” Her boyfriend tried to glance annoyingly at her, frowning, and she understood that by taking part of the three teenage girl’s enthusiasm, there were risks for the conversation to last longer than expected. They had a lot to do, and since she seemed to be their idol and role model, it was her duty to show them a good example. “He’s right. We have to work, sorry, girls. It’s important.” “Oh yes, sorry. We won’t bother you anymore. It was so great to be able to speak with you, even a little.” “Since we’re at CHS, don’t hesitate to come and speak with me more often. Only right now, I’m busy.” “We really can do this? So awesome! It’s a dream come true.” “We’ll do it, then. Have nice reviews!” A few seconds later, they crossed Sugarcube Corner’s door, without even ordering something to eat or drink. This encounter had been a bit strange, however Rainbow Dash was always happy to be complimented. Though she knew she’d never be friends with them – they were too extreme for her tastes – she’d found them sweet and rather awesome… since they were her fans! Right before focusing back on those boring chemistry lessons, another person drew her attention. Someone it seemed she’d already seen in Canterlot High School’s corridors, but who had been absent for a long while. In fact, she even was convinced the young woman was in her class last year. But when she wanted to see her again, she had disappeared. The young woman in question went to that empty street near Sugarcube Corner, the same where Pinkie Pie had been framed by Lightning Dust. There, Sky Skimmer, Moon Shadow and Hip Holly were expecting her. Like they often did, they were talking about Rainbow Dash but the difference was that this time, they had been able to speak with her. Their palpable excitation made them even more bouncy than they’d been in front of their idol. “Have you heard the way she speaks? If we want to be as awesome as she is, we’d better start boasting a little.” “Yes, but you also need to be serious when it’s necessary.” “What about her hair? And her outfit? The jacket she was wearing is very expensive, it was satin…” “That’s because her father’s very rich. To be awesome is a high price to pay. And let’s not forget about her organic low-fat diet, which gives her a firm body. It’s really expensive too.” All three at the same time, they turned to their other friend, the one that had been in the background all the time. In reality, she wasn’t their real friend. They had accepted this retaking student by their side only because she had been in the same class than Rainbow Dash, was in the same athletics club, and she was also from her neighborhood – which meant her parents had money. With the reputation preceding her, and her lopsided eyes, she could count herself lucky that they’d taken her in their group. “Derpy, here you are! You took your time”, Moon Shadow said, putting her hands on her hips. “We told you to be discreet, not to play sluggard.” “Sorry, I wanted to drink a milkshake. It’s wrong to waste food.” “Moron! Who told you to order anything?” “But Pinkie Pie actually spotted me and asked me what I wanted to drink…” “We should have told her to wait here.” “Well, let’s go straight to the point”, Sky Skimmer claimed while walking to her. “How much money do you have?” “Err… Fifty dollars.” “What? Only fifty dollars? You really are no help! What the f*ck do you want us to do with fifty miserable dollars?” “Maybe I could get fifty more by tomorrow morning…” “We don’t need money tomorrow morning; we need money now! I want to buy the same energy drinks than Rainbow Dash.” “But that’s all I have and Mom asked me to run errands for her.” “What, do you refuse to give it to us? I thought we were your friends, Derpy!” “Muffin… My name’s not Derpy, but Muffin.” “And you answer back, with that. B*tch!” On these words, Sky Skimmer made one more step in her direction, and slapped her under the silly giggles of her three associates. When she tried to defend herself, she received another slap, and Hip Holly and Moon Shadow took an advantage from it to steal her handbag. Without even a single care about her protestations, the three teenage girls had fun sending her bag from hands to hands, and when it landed inside those of their “leader”, she ordered the other two to hold Muffin while she was stealing the money in her wallet. “You don’t even have fifty dollars but forty dollars and forty bits! You said you had fifty!” “But I had a milkshake.” “And you want us not to call you Derpy? You really are retarded! You’d better bring us fifty more dollars tomorrow morning or we’ll no longer be your friends. You don’t want not to have friends, do you?” Tears in her eyes, the young woman with golden hair nodded. All she got was a push and an interdiction to follow them at the mall. When the three young women had left the street, Muffin, who couldn’t take it anymore, let herself fall on the ground, her head against her knees. Her sobs were resounding in the narrow street, but no one came to comfort her. What had she done to deserve all this contempt? She had always been nice with her classmates, she had never looked for trouble. Because what had happened to her had resulted in the firing of her former science teacher, whom she appreciated a lot, everybody had let her down. And it wasn’t her fault if she was born cross-eyed. The surgery to get them a bit straighter was very expensive, and hadn’t better their position a lot… Muffin wanted to find someone to blame for what was happening to her, in order not to end up believing she was the real problem. Being nice probably wasn’t fashionable enough. It was better to be “awesome”, whatever this was supposed to mean. If only this kind of persons didn’t exist… She was sure she would feel better, and all her problems would disappear. Hearing the screams from the bleachers, Cloud Kicker looked up. She was expecting to see Rainbow Dash’s friends, though normally they never interfered this way during practice. Instead there were three teenage girls with rainbow wigs on their head, shaking a small CHS flag. “Do you know them?” she asked her partner, in the middle of her warm-up. “More or less. They said they’re my fans…” She tried her best to ignore them in order to stay focused on her stretching exercises and practice. Didn’t they know how crucial this year was for her on a sporting level? She really wanted to get this scholarship thanks to sports so she could go to College, though she wasn’t sure yet of what she wanted to learn there. It could remain this way if only they weren’t disturbing the whole team with their strange encouragements. They already had enough of the cheerleaders! Both their tumbles and slogans were frequently polluting the atmosphere, to the extent that Rainbow Dash knew their litanies by heart. Of course, she really enjoyed being a source of inspiration for the three young girls. However, there was a kind of attention which pleased, and a kind of attention which was a little too intrusive. And they actually were more likely to be part of the second category. Something told her that if she wanted it to calm down, she’d have to go and talk to them. A few days ago, when she first met them at Sugarcube Corner, it hadn’t taken a lot of time to convince them that they’d better retreat and let her study. As soon as they understood they were the ones she was coming to, all three teenage girls bounced at the same time, tight in each other’s arms. It was a bit ridiculous, to be honest. They’d already talked and met a several times at school. “We’re here for support”, Hip Holly started as soon as the greetings ended. “It’s so cool to attend athletics practice… I didn’t imagine it to be this way. There are so many various disciplines”, Moon Shadow went on. “You’re very supple”, Sky Skimmer finished. “Well… Certainly…” For once, Rainbow Dash wasn’t really sure what to answer. Indeed, athletics offered a very large choice of disciplines and wasn’t limited to races and pole vaulting. Indeed, she was very supple, at least as much as the other athletes on the field and tracks, since it was one of the essential quality for this kind of sport. She wasn’t going to reel off her life story to them, that at four, her father had forced her to have ballet dancing lessons and her teacher used to say she was “as straight as a wooden broom” – and she was in no way interested by leaps and pointes, anyway. In fact, if she had come to them, it wasn’t in order to have a conversation with them. Each second spent chatting with them made her lose some muscular flexibility. “I’m sorry, girls, but you can’t stay… Or if you really want to stay, you’ll have to do it quietly. You’re distracting the other athletes. And to be honest, you embarrass me a bit.” “Oh, sorry, Rainbow Dash! We’ll only look at the show, we promise.” “The show…? It’s just practice”, she answered, raising an eyebrow. “That’s because you really are our model. So every time we see you, it’s feels like attending a real show.” It was rather flattering, and Rainbow Dash liked flattery a lot. The only concern was that when it came to these three, she couldn’t help but being slightly ashamed and she thought as much fondness held a noxious side, something over the top that she didn’t enjoy. It probably came from the fact they were really effusive and that overflow of fervor made her feel awkward. She had the impression that they weren’t impressed by the real Rainbow Dash, but by an image they had of her, like the one from a distorting mirror. “It’s a good thing to have a source of inspiration… Myself, I have someone who inspires me every day but I know this person’s unique and I’ll never be her in any way.” Once again, they didn’t need to know that she was talking about her mother. If there was a topic she didn’t want to discuss with those almost strangers, it was this one. “It’s best to be yourself. Plus, I’m so awesome I’m truly inimitable!” Well, show-off in small dose couldn’t do any harm. This was about being yourself, wasn’t it? So be it, she was herself! Something told her, seeing how enthusiastic they reacted after her punchline, that she wouldn’t get rid of them this way. The best was to cut short immediately. “I go back there or I’ll have to start my warm-up all over again. You’ll stay quiet, won’t you?” “We promise, Dash!” It was enough for her, and Rainbow Dash jogged down to Cloud Kicker, who hadn’t wait for her to start the first phase of practice without her. She had to start over a part of her warm-up, as suspected, before joining her partner on the track, for a little endurance and preparation jogging. Yet, though she was on the right track, passing by the bleachers, Rainbow Dash spotted Muffin, dressed for sport, sitting on the lowest rank of seats, looking at the runners with envy. When she’d gotten home after Sugarcube Corner, she had to rack her brains in order to find who was the teenage girl she had had a glimpse of at the back table. When she had found, a few days later, as she was starting to fall asleep, she had jumped so abruptly in the bed that she’d woken up Soarin in the process. In ninth and tenth grade, Rainbow Dash and her were in the same class. She was a very demure yet smiling young woman, who had her small bunch of friends and was part of both the chemistry and athletics clubs (though she never saw her running or throwing anything). The fact she had a slight disability because of her eyes never seemed to bother anyone. Sometimes, when Rainbow Dash did her morning run all around her neighborhood, she could meet her walking her dog. And, a bit like it happened for Octavia, suddenly, she vanished away. Disappeared. No one really knew what had happened to her… But the sure thing was that one of the science teacher had been fired at the same time than her disappearance. From here, rumors had started to go round, stating as truth that they both probably had lived a forbidden love story which had led to their expulsion. This rumor also said that Muffin had gotten pregnant and had to abort. Rainbow Dash didn’t believe one bit of this story but the fact remained that her young classmate seemed to be no longer a part of the school. Now, she fully realized she had been back for quite a while now but that her forced absence had obliged her to repeat a year. Obviously, she identified with her a little. After all, she also had to desert the school’s corridors for quite some time and personal reasons, and the only thing that had prevented bad rumors about her was that a lot of pupils were scared of her and of Applejack. She let Cloud Kicker know she could go on without her, and trotted in direction of her team coach, supervising everyone’s performances, a chronometer in his hands. “Mr. Fire Streak… Why isn’t Muffin practicing with all the others? I never see her on the track.” “And you won’t see her any time soon. She’s supposed to do hurdles race, but she is incapable of jumping without stumbling in her own feet!” Rainbow Dash looked behind her at the bleachers where Muffin still sat – as well as her three fans who were waving at her but whom she chose not to answer. The young woman was staring enviously at the athletes, and even from afar, the look on her face made her understand how eager she was to run. It was something she could spot for miles around… Jogging down, she caught back Fire Streak again, who had gotten away in order to supervise the practice of shot puts. “If I may, I don’t think she’s going to get any better if she stays sitting around looking at the others.” “Sorry, but she’s too much of a bother for ‘the others’, like you said, and I can’t spend the whole hour helping a student who will never be at any competitions.” “What if someone from the team takes her under her wing? I’m OK to do this.” “You?! Rainbow Dash, are you aware that you’re our best runner? You can’t waste your precious time helping another person. You have to practice.” “My speed won’t lower just because I’ve helped her a bit, and you know it. It’ll be just for fifteen or twenty minutes, so she could at least participate a little.” “Fine… Take fifteen minutes to explain her a thing or two. You’ll lose patience before it’s over, anyway. But after this, you go back to practice and make sure Cloud Kicker wouldn’t be partnerless for the whole practice time.” “Thanks a lot, coach! You won’t regret it!” At no moment had she stopped to jog in order not to lose tonus. Thanks to this, all it took were a few strides to be face to face with Muffin, who she waved at so she would go down and meet her. The teenage girl was surprised and first thought Rainbow Dash was waving at someone else. Since she had returned to CHS, they hadn’t talked with each other at all. Before that, they said hello to each other and sometimes spoke a bit together… Everything was different before, anyway. “What’s wrong? Do you need me to get something for you in the locker room?” “Not at all. What made you believe I did? I’m here to help you practicing.” Muffin widely opened her golden bright eyes. She’d expected anything but this. It was impossible that, among all the athletics club members, the largest one of CHS, the number one student came and offered her help. To her. The one girl rumors said to be a hidden lolita, a demon in a disguise of innocence, but also a lost cause of clumsiness. Just because they used to speak together didn’t change the facts. A doubt assailed her. What if it was a trap? Rainbow Dash was her three “friends”’ idol and she always feared the worst from them. She would never recover if this popular student humiliated her in front of everyone… Yet, something special pushed her to give her a try. Although she often boasted a lot, Muffin also knew Rainbow Dash had a solid group of friends and she had never seen her lashing out at someone weaker. Conversely, she rather seemed to be the kind who liked challenges, and to choose to tie-break with persons as tough as her, if not who thought nothing of her. That was what made her accept this aid. Without a care about the consequences. Nor about the eyes on her. Just spending time with someone who would treat her nicely, for a change. It couldn’t do her any harm, couldn’t it?
Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 2)A bit before lunch time, Pinkie Pie, along with the Flower Trio, had been summoned by Vice-Principal Luna to get to the Events Committee’s room. Since the Winter Ball had passed, it could only be about the two other big events to come at CHS. Which one of the two, it didn’t really matter to her. All that mattered was to know there was something fun to plan. All jolly by the end of this short meeting, the young woman went to join her friends at their favorite table of the cafeteria. The coldest days were gone, and her favorite season, spring, would soon arrive. She was still able to live in Canterlot, and although she also still was single, and Big Macintosh acted weirdly around her, sometimes, and Fluttershy was always sullen, she was feeling in great shape. She chose a slice of zucchini and goat cheese pie and two slices of chocolate fondant cake, thanking the lunch ladies in a much too enthusiastic way, what other persons usually never did. A bit further, Sunset Shimmer was waving at her, and the teenage girl went to join her bunch of friends, already settled. Even before thinking about putting down her tray, Pinkie Pie felt the need to tell them what she had been summoned for. The one time someone had a good news… None could say they had been that many since the new school year began. “Guess what! I’ve been chosen to plan the Prom Ball! Isn’t it super-duper amazing?” “Pinkie… You’re Head of the Events Committee. Of course, you’re the chosen person to plan this ball”, Twilight pointed. “That’s pretty much what you do for every single ball since ninth grade…” Rainbow Dash added, before swallowing a mouthful of her favorite energy drink. Because she was fond of parties and really had a gift to plan them like no one else in CHS, it was natural to see her integrate the Events Committee from her very first year in High School. At first, the Head was a girl named Surprise but when she got graduated, Pinkie Pie was the one elected unanimously, or almost, to be her successor. Three persons only had voted against her – probably Daisy, Lily and Rose, had she decided after an investigation. The young woman eventually put down her tray and started to laugh embarrassingly, while sitting next to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “True it was obvious… Sometimes I’m so silly I even forget how silly I am!” “Well, we don’t!” This killer comment, delivered in a harsh way, and tainted with sourness, had just escaped Fluttershy’s lips, much to everyone surprise. Although she was acting strangely lately, and was very temperamental, no one would have guessed she could display so much verbal hostility towards one member of their gang. Immediately, Pinkie Pie’s sunny mood seemed to melt down like ice. Without another word, eyes lowered towards her dish, she nibbled a piece of her pie so ridiculous it would even have looked tiny to a rodent. If she refused to defend herself from the spitefulness she had been struck with, the others had none of it. It wasn’t a way to talk to a friend, although this friend really said stupid things, sometimes. Alright, they were often bickering about insignificant things, but none of them really were mean towards each other. They simply knew too well each of their flaws and soft spots. “Fluttershy!” Twilight lectured her. “Pinkie Pie hasn’t done you any harm, it’s not really kind of you to talk to her this way. I’d apologize right away if I were you.” “Well, you’re not me, that’s lucky!” Applejack, sitting in front of Twilight, discreetly waved at her, to inform her not to go any further. She didn’t have time to add anything, anyway, since Fluttershy claimed she wasn’t hungry anymore, though she’d barely touched her dishes, and she left the table, saying they would meet in class. Obviously, Applejack had some pieces of information the others lacked. The whole scene let them so puzzled that they didn’t dare saying anything else during a whole minute. The silence was only broken by Rainbow Dash’s three fans, decidedly gifted to arrive at the most awkward moments. The latter couldn’t help an irritated sigh, but tried not to act too aggressively with the three young girls. After all, they had nothing to do with the quirky atmosphere hovering over the group yet known to be unbreakable. “How do you do… since yesterday?” A little clingy, those fans… Just because she had told them they could speak to her whenever they wanted to didn’t mean they had to come her way and say words each time she appeared within their field of vision. “We’re really fine, thank you”, Hip Holly answered. “And even better since we’re in front of you”, Sky Skimmer went on. “Hearing you speak; it almost sounds as if you guys were in love with me… I don’t like girls, you know that, right?” Obviously, they took her reply as a joke since they soundly burst into laugh, which drew the attention of the tables around them. All this attention looked cute at the beginning, but now it started to get a little creepy. “No, I’m serious.” “Well, we know that since you’re dating Soarin. You’re so lucky. He’s hot!” “Wow, looks like you’re completely missing the point, here.” Once again, the three teenage girls reacted by laughing to a thing Rainbow Dash had said in all honesty. She knew her friends might think this was a good thing for her ego and her dear reputation and thought she probably was happy to have fans that devoted to her, but they kept on making her feel awkward, with the way they idolized her, always too much while being not enough. “Look”, Moon Shadow told her with pride. “We took the same thing than you: quinoa and figs salad, tofu sauté with broccolis, this sort of greenish smoothie and the energy drink with a black can.” “Are ya sure ya wanna eat this?” Applejack intervened. “Even us found it hard to eat, sometimes.” What she meant was that the kind of diet athletic girls like her and Rainbow Dash constrained themselves with during intense periods of practice could taste rather stern to those not used of eating without sauce nor salt addition. “We want to get the same body than Rainbow Dash, so if that’s what it takes, we’re going to do it”, Sky Skimmer answered. “But Dashie isn’t only dieting, she also does a lot of sports, even on weekends or during her free time.” “And those energy drinks are… how can I say this? They taste really special.” Sunset Shimmer knew a lot about that topic. Right before starting her volleyball club, she wanted to try them, hoping it would bring her more strength since she hadn’t done sports in an intense way since ages… She hadn’t even drunk her first and last can completely. “And it’s meant to give you energy when you’re run-down. Plus, their effects on health had often been disputed.” To the precision brought by Twilight, the three friends shrugged, maintaining that if Rainbow Dash drank them on a regular basis, then it couldn’t harm them neither. It felt as if, whatever was said to them, just as long as their idol and mentor did something, they wanted to do the same. There was a serious lack of personality issue here, according to the general opinion of the girls, who had all changed their minds about these invading fans. Rainbow Dash thought she needed to find a way to send them back. While they were here, they couldn’t eat their lunch peacefully, and most importantly, they couldn’t discuss the one issue that really mattered – Fluttershy’s odious behavior. In fact, for fans concerned about anything their model said or did, they didn’t seem to worry a lot about what consequences this absence could have on the group. A little further in the cafeteria, Rainbow Dash spotted Muffin who had just filled her tray. As always, all the students of any grades she tried to sit down with refused her to do so. This kind of stupid behavior, paying attention to groundless gossips and accepting them as face value without a care about how it felt like for the victim, she had already seen it when Lightning Dust had tried to frame Pinkie Pie for her revenge. It was one of the things that got on her nerves in the way CHS worked, though it also was fantastic on many details. She half-got up from her chair, and waved widely, speaking loud enough for a good part of the cafeteria to hear. Her popularity could be useful and she wasn’t about to bother to use it. If it could help Muffin in any way, then she would be happy. “Hey there, Muffin!! Come and lunch with us!” But the young woman, who she had talked a lot with last night, and who was smiling and kind with her, avoided her eyes and went to take refuge at the other end of the room, to make sure Rainbow Dash wouldn’t come to get her. She had blushed and displayed a frightened look, the same Fluttershy could have sometimes, when she was afraid – which meant almost all the time. As soon as she had called her name, she had noticed the face of her three fans getting tensed, and they didn’t need more to take the decision to leave them alone. There was no doubt: something was happening, and she wasn’t going to like it. Once again. It seemed like lately, she was caught in a spiral of unpleasant events stringing together like pearls on a necklace. The last straw would be if her father would announce her he had found a new woman to replace her mother, and the rusty circle would be complete! They knew her habits and how she worked. All they had to do was to stay by the washrooms and make sure no one else would step in. The three girls also knew Rainbow Dash and the gang rather used those outside after lunch, since they had returned to their favorite spot behind the bleachers with the coming of warmer temperatures. Nearly at the exact second they planned, Muffin appeared in front of them. As soon as she saw them, she tried to turn back but Sky Skimmer commanded the others two to catch her back and to bring her inside the washrooms, that they closed behind them by blocking the main door with buckets and brooms they had borrowed beforehand. This way, they made sure they wouldn’t be bothered or caught in the act. The game was over. Because she also knew them well, Muffin tried to escape by locking herself inside one of the toilets. Maybe if she could stay here long enough, they would eventually give up and call it a day. Her attempt wasn’t quite fruitful since Moon Shadow and Hip Holly caught her back once again, and pinned her against the wall so she wouldn’t flee. It wasn’t easy, since she was struggling as hard as she could, but all the same, they were able to make sure she would look into Sky Skimmer’s eyes. Muffin felt delicate fingers buried inside her flesh when she grabbed her chin. They buried so deeply that her jaw hurt. How could such a graceful and subtle hand be the source of such a destructive strength? The surrounding half-darkness of the washroom turned out to be less and less thick, and yet the room seemed filled with an oppressive aura that made everything on the brink of the bearable. “We warned you last night… Don’t ever speak again to Rainbow Dash!” “But I haven’t spoken to her again, just like you said…” “Shut it! Don’t interrupt me! Even if you don’t talk to her, you’re still polluting her atmosphere with your distasteful presence. You don’t deserve to breath the same air than her. By the way, if I were you, I wouldn’t even bother going in athletics at all. No one wants to be seen with a retarded of your kind!” Muffin heard her two companions chuckling after their friend’s comment. They probably were expected to do what was expected from them without complaining, in order to humiliate her even more. She addressed her classmate her coldest and toughest look, but all she got was a violent slap from her interlocutor. The searing pain on her cheek made her feel as if her heart was thumping like crazy inside her face. “Why the f*ck do you think you’re entitled to look at me this way?” The young woman’s voice was as sharp as sandpaper. “It’s no use pretending you got nerves now. We all know who you really are… Derpy. Behind your cross-eyed innocent face, there’s a little slut f*cking with older teachers in the science room. You’re the sh*t on which the world wipes its feet and that’s all you deserve. That’s why I’m here. To take care of your case.” Muffin hadn’t immediately noticed the item Sky Skimmer was holding in her hand. She heard the sound of the blade getting out, saw the metal’s reflection and understood even before she had a glimpse of the knife what was about to happen. She could no longer conceal her emotions behind a desperate attempt at having temper. It was as if even her eyes had started to shake. The dread wringing her innards resounded so much it almost turned into something solid. Her chest was tensed; her pulse had sped up like after an electric shock. A devious smile distorted Sky Skimmer’s face, to the extent that her gracious features were now all twisted, and the weak light from the room even accentuated the expressions on her face. “You do know what I’m going to do, if you ever speak to Rainbow Dash again or even dare being within her field of vision? I know you know… I’m going to cut your f*cking ugly face. This way, anywhere you’d go, you’ll get nothing but kicks in the butt. If I were you, I’d take the decision not to get out of my room forever. It would spare you additional pain and trouble…” Muffin’s eyes opened wide. There was something about the young girl, like an insane excitation such that she couldn’t escape the obvious – she was serious and would go for anything if it meant she would never see her again interfering with her plans to become her idol’s best friend. So, she tried to struggle again, despite the embrace, shaking both arms and legs in the hope it would save her from her assailants. In vain. The two students were holding her too strong and she was too weak to be able to get rid of them. She still had a chance if she could push Sky Skimmer… Undoubtedly, she had guessed her intention… She got a new slap, on the same cheek than earlier, which slightly knocked her. A thin trickle of blood suddenly appeared along Muffin’s lower lip, her eyes filled with tears, tears of suffering, dread and anger directed at every of the persons present in the room, herself included. Once again, her classmate grabbed her face and her cheek felt so numb she could hardly find enough strength to keep on struggling. The tip of the blade was dangerously getting nearer. Although her rival had said she would do what she wanted to do only if she never approached Rainbow Dash again, she was taken over by doubts. She seemed on the verge of doing it. And then, something emerged. Something even Muffin hadn’t seen coming, but which clasped around her throat so swiftly she could hardly recognize her own actions. With her feet, she hit one of Sky Skimmer’s legs, who was obliged to yield under the shock of the violence. Moon Shadow and Hip Holly were so surprised they weren’t able to react immediately, and Muffin could take possession of the switchblade knife her attacker had in her hands. Tears were flooding her face, and a rage like never before scalded her from inside, such rage that she wasn’t even really aware of what she was doing, blinded as she was by hate. Always, she was kind to others, and had done her best to fit in and be accepted. Here was the way she was thanked for that… Being belittled, threatened, beaten, hurt with words as much as with hits, if not more. What was happening now was too bad for them, for them all. They had it coming. “I hate you! I hate you all! I’m going to cut you in pieces if you come close to me again! I’m going to kill you all! And I’ll start with your f*cking Rainbow Dash!” She kept on yelling those words while shaking the blade in front of her, without the least care about where she struck or whether or not she would hurt one of her classmates. Meanwhile, the three girls lacked assertiveness and had entrenched in the last toilets of the back of the room, curled up against one another. Their faces no longer display this jubilation of absolute power. Conversely, everything about them was trembling, and even when they called Muffin crazy, their voices was shaken by quavers. They owed their salvation only to the teenage girl’s own fatigue, when she eventually crumbled against the tiled floor, her face streaming with tears. Her shoulders were taken over by jolts, and though she still held on to the knife firmly, she had stopped to scream and gesticulate. That was how they could escape her fury, now it was empty. Moon Shadow had the idea to steal Muffin’s backpack on the way, while Hip Holly and Sky Skimmer, though still shocked inside, spilled on her head one of the buckets, full of dirty water, before inflicting her kicks in her hips so she would be too knocked down by pain and shame not to try to pursue them, since she still had the knife. They had launched the mechanics of a very dangerous game when they started to bully Muffin, first with mockeries between them, then little by little, with violence and humiliations. Now they could see the limits. Maybe it had gone too far… And maybe it was too late as well. Who could say what their prey's next reaction would be if she had to be the victim of their bullying one more time? Rainbow Dash looked at her wrist watch. The athletics field was desert, except for the cheerleaders practicing at a long distance. And to think that the girls were waiting for her at Sugarcube Corner… She was supposed to stay only fifteen minutes. It had been, of course, providing that Muffin wouldn’t have been so late. On the day before, she had offered to help her after school so she could work on her breathing and on how not to hurt herself when falling. Though embarrassed, the other girl had accepted and they had decided of when and where to meet. Tonight the Wondercolts were playing against the Fillydelphia’s Cavalier, one of the best university basketball team, and for nothing in the world did she want to miss this game, essential for Soarin, who put a lot of pressure on himself since he knew they would have to beat them. This mishap would completely reschedule what she had planned. Rainbow Dash wanted to wait more but also had to face the truth that Muffin wouldn’t come now. She was ten minutes late, which was huge when know how much time she could grant her, and although the stadium was large, there was no one coming. Something had probably happened, she thought while grabbing her back and turning back to school. Seeing what had been her mate’s reaction earlier today when she’d invited her to have lunch with the gang, she might have suspected it. It couldn’t be because of a word or an action from her, since they hadn’t seen each other at all in-between. She didn’t know why this story got her so stressed up. In reality, she barely knew Muffin. They could scarcely say they had befriended. Yet, each time she thought about it, she frowned and her stomach was shaken unpleasantly. All along her way back, Rainbow Dash hoped to meet with this straw-like hair and these crossed eyes with a small embarrassed smile. But the only person she met along the way was Vice-Principal Luna, surprised to see her at school as she had no club activities tonight. Right before leaving the place in order to meet her friends, she received a message from Pinkie Pie, telling her they were at their table and asking whether they could order without her. She answered them to go ahead without her, then went by the washrooms near the cafeteria. Her determined walk slowed down when she got closer. In one of the garbage cans was a grey backpack with bubbles on it that she immediately recognized, as clear as if she saw it every day. Just to be sure, Rainbow Dash took one of the straps with between her fingertips, and lifted it in order to examine it closer. No doubt, this was Muffin’s bag and it was empty. Her nose crooked, she looked inside the garbage can and found an empty wallet and an organizer smeared with red on which cover the word ‘slut’ was written. Her heart skipped a beat from the moment she understood. Panic-stricken, she looked all around her but an empty and silent corridor was all she found. It explained why Muffin hadn’t come. Something ugly had happened and it happened here, between Canterlot High School’s walls. Was she still here or had she gone home? She didn’t know. And she couldn’t leave and ring at her door since she didn’t even know which house was hers. Even if she would have had her number, there was a possibility she wouldn’t have answered anyway with the stuff inside her bag disapparead. All that remained was in the trash by her side, and as she wanted to go there anyway in the first place, Rainbow Dash made a few steps to the washroom’s door. In appearance, the place seemed to be as empty as the corridors, however, she quickly spotted an abandoned shoe near a toilet. Getting closer, she discovered Muffin, lying on the floor, seemingly unconscious. Unable to control herself, she leaped backward, a hand over her mouth. Her legs were shaking and her heart was thumping. She couldn’t help it, each time she saw someone in such a state, her past was catching her up. There was a kind of violence which had no impact whatsoever on her, that she could even try to satisfy, undoubtedly this part of aggressiveness and anger inside of her which had never vanished away. And there was a kind of violence she was unable to put up with, sending electric shocks all over her body, if not completely paralyzing her. The temptation to turn back and to run away was huge, but Rainbow Dash got a hold of herself, focusing on her breathing, just like she had learned at both yoga and Pilates. She couldn’t leave Muffin on her way, especially if she had been the victim of an assault. After all, she already had to face this kind of violence when she had helped Octavia, a couple of weeks ago. Although her hands kept on trembling, she shook the girl’s shoulders softly, calling her. She was reassured when she noticed her eyes were actually opened… though in reality, it didn’t mean anything. “Leave me alone”, Muffin said toughly while pushing away her hand in an imprecise yet firm gesture. “To leave you alone? In your state? No way! You have to see the school nurse and…” “I’ve told you to leave me alone”, Muffin repeated, this time more vehemently. “I only want to help you, OK? I don’t mean you any harm, I swear.” When she saw her sitting back up, Rainbow Dash thought she had been able to convince her to go to the school’s nursery. But from the moment their eyes met and she took into account the level of hatred against her on her face, she understood things weren’t going to be that easy, this time. “You don’t understand English? I don’t want any help from you! That’s because of you that my life’s a hell. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” And she shoved her, then with all the strength left inside her body, she got up before leaving the washroom at full throttle. Her statement had Rainbow Dash so bewildered she stayed dumfounded on the tiled floor, wondering what on earth had she done to deserve such a strong dislike from the young girl. And to think that she couldn’t wait to be with the girls… She had even sped up to get to Sugarcube Corner after her strange face to face with Muffin, and she had thought chatting with her friends will make her focus on other topics. Rainbow Dash had seen jollier atmospheres at wakes. Their usual conversations didn’t sound natural in the least, and Fluttershy wasn’t taking any part in it, looking through the window as if she dreamed to be anywhere else but here. Because of this, her green tea latte felt heavy in her stomach and she had to force herself to swallow each additional mouthful. Whatever she did, Muffin’s issue couldn’t get out of her mind. So, since the mood wasn’t really good anyway, she decided to tell her friends what was worrying her. Maybe a bit of chivalrous injustice would help things to get back in place. At least, her story had the advantage to concern each of the girls, even the dreaming one, who had eventually turned around. Rainbow Dash forgot no detail, to make sure they understood the situation such as it was. Maybe her friends would be able to soothe her foreboding, the one telling her things would not stop here. She had just forgotten none of them was the kind to bury their head in the sand. “I’d like to tell you I’m surprised”, Sunset Shimmer sighed. “Unfortunately, I know a thing or two about bullying and I can tell you it’s awfully common.” Before she became a victim herself, she also been a bully. She used to choose those she wanted to attack among the most fragile and vulnerable ones, and from the moment she had what could make them stumble, she used it against them. Back then, it was all she had found in order to get the admiration and respect she was seeking for so hard. It was only later she had realized that hurting the others would never make her gain what she wanted. Instead of it, she had received only dread and dislike, and no one who she could turn to. It was easy to lash out at someone as fragile as Muffin. Because of the rumors about her which, when coupled with her physical disability, made her a perfect victim, she probably wanted to be accepted again in any way. “Yet I’d like to know who did this to her… And what it has to do with me. I’ve always been nice with her.” “Maybe that’s the problem”, Twilight highlighted. “You’re pretty popular, and it can cause jealousy.” “If Ah were ya, maybe Ah’d stay away as much as Ah could. For her own sake.” “You want me to stay with my arms crossed while she’s insulted, beaten and stolen and although there seem to be a connection with me? Like, seriously?” “Don’t take it personally. We just sayin’ ya better not meddle with it too much. So things won’t get worse, ya know.” “AJ is right, Dashie”, Pinkie Pie added, nodding. “This is a very delicate issue.” “Not you, Pinkie! You know better than anyone else here what these kind of rumors can do…” Indeed, she knew it. And it was the point. The way Rainbow Dash had treated those who were mean with her hadn’t helped to improve her situation. How they did their mockeries had even been more insidious after her intervention. Muffin was part of the Event Committee, and she had talked to her on several occasions. She was a likeable person and she didn’t want her to suffer even more from the others’ persecution because her connection with the basketball player bothered some of them. Somehow, Rainbow Dash knew her friends were probably right, but she couldn’t help it. Injustices were likely to waken her the weak and the defenseless protector part of her. And the fact Muffin had said she hated her, she didn’t like it at all. She knew a lot of people were irritated by her boasting side and she couldn’t care less, as long as those she loved and liked knew who she really was inside. Maybe there was the rub: she liked this teenage girl who was of a pleasant company, and it made her words towards her even harder to swallow. “Why do we even care about this girl, anyway? Everybody has problems, can’t she just put up with it on her own?” Fluttershy hurled with a shrug. Like most of her interventions since almost one month, it shocked the bunch of friends. Usually, she was kindness incarnated, always having a word to comfort the others, always hoping things would go for the best, always paying attention to the sufferings of others… Enough was enough. All this time, none of them had said anything and had let her be unpleasant or mute all day long without any questions. Now they had to know what had changed for her to behave the way she behaved. This wasn’t a good way to treat those who worried about yourself. Her chance was that Pinkie Pie was the first one to root out the evil. Since she understood very well her friend’s sensitive true nature, she always tried her best not to hurt her too much. “Flutty, what’s the matter lately? We can’t recognize you. If something’s weighing on your shoulders, you know you can always unburden it to us.” “And what is it you’re going to do to help me, Pinkamena Diane Pie? You’re not even able to find a place to live on your own, so you know what I’m doing with your advice?” “Hey, Fluttershy, don’t lash out on Pinkie! She’s trying to comfort you; you could at least show a bit of gratitude.” “The way you show gratitude by abandoning your dearest friends because of a little half-point less?” For Twilight, this reply felt like a heavy knock on the back of her head. None of the other girls around had tried to remind of her this very short period about which she held terrible grudges against herself. They all wanted to avoid her to be taken over by guilt… And today, Fluttershy, the least likely to put bad memories back on track, was throwing her past lack of scruples straight at her face. It really was a topsy-turvy world. Feeling the others wouldn’t be long before taking Twilight’s defense, and it would probably make her say other things Fluttershy wasn’t meaning for real, Pinkie Pie tried to defuse the situation again, suggesting everyone to stop the debate here. Big mistake. “You have no right to tell me what to do. By the way, I would shut it if I were you, just to avoid to say another one of the stupid things you have a knock for uttering.” “But I…” “Don’t ‘but I’ me! I’m fed up of hearing you hollering all the time with your insufferable voice. Go back to your cakes and stop annoying me!” “Fluttershy, stop this NOW!” Rainbow Dash suddenly yelled, slamming her fist against the table. If there was something she couldn’t tolerate at all, it was when someone hurt Pinkie. It was the same thing with any other of her friends, of course, but from the very beginning of their relationship, she and Pinkie had always been protective toward each other. It wasn’t even something they could explain. Things were this way. And everybody knew it. She loved Fluttershy and absolutely didn’t want to show her hostility, know how sensitive her soul was, but this time she had gone too far. She could feel bad, she could be angry and say things she would regret, it happened to anyone, but it was different from being mean on purpose, with the desire to deeply hurt the one receiving all the hate. When she behaved this way, she couldn’t see the difference between her dear friend and those who were beating Muffin. Her fit of anger had been able to cut short the jolt of animosity which had been launched. Fluttershy, as if understanding now the weight of everything she had said before, lowered her head to stare at her half-empty latte cup, and didn’t add a word. As far as Pinkie Pie was concerned, her hair slightly deflated, she got up from her chair under the sad glances of the rest of the gang. “I… I think Mrs. Cake said she needed me tonight to keep an eye on Pumpkin and Pound. I’m going to do my homework now or I would never be able to do it after”, she simply said, before gathering her stuff and leaving their table. Without a hint of enthusiasm, she said goodbye to the girls and quickly disappeared behind the backdoor which led to her room upstairs. Following her departure, for a few seconds, a deadly silent hovered over the reduced bunch, before Rainbow Dash started to speak again, this time calmer yet firm. “What are you always lashing out on Pinkie? She was on the verge of crying.” It was the words which broke Fluttershy’s barrier and immediately, she burst out in tears. Noisy tears which made her body jolt completely. All the pain she was keeping inside and disguised into aggressiveness finally escaped the cage into which it had been a prisoner for way too long. It was too heavy a burden. She had to confess, so that her friend could understand her situation. So she could stop being this horrible person she deeply hated. “It’s… Big Mac…” she finally confided between two hiccups. “He doesn’t want to be with me anymore! We’re having a break… and ever since… ever since I have no new from him… I even avoid my own brother… because… because I’m scared he… told him about us…” To be honest, they all had suspected something of this kind. Not to see they hadn’t dated even once since their argument, one had to be blind. On the other hand, most of them didn’t know what role Pinkie Pie had in the whole story. In theory, her only connection with the events Fluttershy had described was that this break took place around the moment she had been thrown out of her former apartment. No one dared asking this question, but they didn’t need to. The person in question went on without anyone to add anything. “He’d told me I wasn’t his type… But since we… we were together, I thought… I could make him change his mind. I was wrong… Last time, when I saw them chatting, it struck me suddenly. So I’ve asked him… And he confirmed. He will never love me, because… he loves another girl. He loves Pinkie Pie.” “Big Mac?!” Rainbow Dash claimed, incredulous. Back when they had their one-night stand, Applejack’s brother had confessed her he always thought she was cute and liked girls of her kind, dynamic and self-confident, because they were everything he was not. For all that, she would never have suspected even for a minute he could eventually have feelings for her curly-haired friend. For her, as well as for the others, it seemed clear that, whatever might be his type of girls, he had chosen to date Fluttershy thanks to what made her so charming: her benevolence and delicacy. He was good when he was with her. Especially as Fluttershy was very considerate with him, and had made sure she wouldn’t be a suffocating type of girlfriend. “Did you know that, AJ?” This question from Twilight was reasonable. She had a very close relationship with her older brother and also was his confidante. Plus, Applejack had actively contributed into gathering the two, whom she had always thought to be the perfect match for each other. “Ah did”, she sighed. “He told me a few days ago… That’s why Ah didn’t want to take part in this. He made me promise not to tell ya.” Everything was clear now. And at the same time, everything got trickier with the explanations. Those love matters had complicated the relationships between various members of the group, yet renown as one of the solidest of all CHS. As often when love matters interfered into friendship matters. What could they do to improve this situation? Feelings weren’t things controllable, and talking with everyone concerned wouldn’t change a thing. It was understandable that Fluttershy felt awkward when in presence of Pinkie Pie, although the young woman had no blame in the story and didn’t deserve such a treatment. This all made the days to come particularly difficult. For everyone. And even the most optimistic among them started to wonder if their gang would resist the trials. They never had to go through such a crisis. It would be a decisive ordeal for the future. Either they went through it with their heads up, either everything they had built would come tumbling down like a house of cards. Author's Note Sorry for mistakes in the last part, it was really late and I was pretty tired! Next chapter will be published on Sunday exceptionally and you'll have the SoarinDash I promised
Behind the Shelter of Hate (part 3)The advantage of having parents who owned a dealership of vintage luxury vehicles, it was the possibility to borrow some of the jewels for a pittance. Soarin liked this advantage a lot, and additionally of his black Ford coupé, he had asked his father to lend him a motorcycle. When she had climbed with him after the Wondercolts’ game and he had asked her whether she’d like to go for a ride, Rainbow Dash had begged him to take her away… the farthest he could. It was mid-week and they both had school tomorrow but he felt his girlfriend needed to relax. So, he had dashed in the direction of the freeway, not really paying attention to the destination. Her arms wrapped tight around his waist, her head leaning against his back, little by little along the way, she had started to release her tension. Instead of a dinner in an Italian restaurant he had planned – she particularly worshipped macaroni and cheese – they had stopped in a small bar along the road, filled up with truck drivers and bushwhackers. Their meal had been two avocado, spinach and tofu club sandwiches with a stein of beer, but it didn’t really matter to Soarin in reality, as long as she looked satisfied of her night. Instead of asking her questions about what was tormenting her, he’d tried to amuse her with anecdote of his game and they had a darts game that finally had her completely smiling in the end. When he’d offered to bring her home, Rainbow Dash had let him know she’d rather sleep at his place. The young man hadn’t needed to be asked twice and had dashed through the night. Midnight was around the corner when they reached the parking lot. It had been a few miles now that Soarin had noticed his girlfriend grip around his waist had loosened up… His intuition was confirmed when he turned off the engine of the motorbike. Through the opened visor of her helmet, Rainbow Dash’s eyes were closed. As softly as he could, he shook her shoulders. The young woman’s eyelashes fluttered a few seconds and she looked around absent-mindedly, as if she’d forgotten where she was before. “Are we home yet?” she asked with an even huskier voice then usually, while taking off her helmet. “Yes.” “Sorry I fell asleep… I really had a bad day! Well… I mean, until I was with you.” “Yes, I’ve understood it this way”, Soarin answered with a sweet smile. He reached out his hand and flattened strands on top of her head, that had erected because of static electricity. His always understanding attitude towards her, Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure she deserved it. What she was certain of, on the other hand, was that she was very lucky to have him in her life. He didn’t need to do extraordinary things in order to soothe the pains of her soul. A smile, a meaningless affectionate gesture, and she had this sensation that nothing was wrong with the world. All she desired now was to be in his apartment, sheltered in his arms. She would tell him what tormented her, and he would listen, comforting her by trying to put things into perspective, like he always did. And to think that, sometimes, he could be incredibly clumsy… Because in moments she needed it the most, he could also have so much wisdom she still could hardly believe it came from him. Her childhood best friend, with who she used to watch all the movies which her father forbade her to see, on the old VCR they had back in their former basement. With who she used to play basketball at the backyard, but also hide and seek, bicycle races all around the neighborhood, among many others, who she used to take defense of at school, when the others boys made fun of his sensitivity… “Do you remember when we secretly watched “The Gremlins” over and over again? We used to love the character of Marla and I don’t even know why!” “Yes, I remember very well. Each time, we were like “Ah, here comes Marla!”, so happy to see her.” “She doesn’t even do anything special in the movie, except smoking and speaking a lot.” They both laughed softly. It was not so far from them, and yet it sounded so foreign… The amusing thing about all this was that although things had changed in their relationship, it also was still the same in many ways. What was different were the gestures in particular and what those gestures meant for each other… Although when she thought about it deeper, Rainbow Dash knew, inside her heart, that even back then she was in love with him. But she had never believed it was more than a deep sense of friendship until she saw him again years later, and her heart finally understood. Unable to control it, she hid a yawn and Soarin knew it was about time to get home. The young man searched through his gym bag and took out a set of keys he threw into Rainbow Dash’s hands. “Just climb and warm up the blankets. I’ll meet you as soon as I’ve parked the motorcycle at the rightful spot.” “Are you sure? I’m not agonizing yet!” “I am. Go ahead. I’ll be quick, I promise.” “Alright.” After a smile, she got away, not without taking one last glimpse beyond her shoulders, while he was putting his helmet back on in order to park the precious vintage motorcycle in a safe place. The neighborhood wasn’t dangerous, but one was never too cautious. Such a machine was quite expensive and he didn’t own it. If someone stole it, it would be Soarin’s father who would be in a delicate position towards the insurance. It wasn’t a long way to go to reach the door of the building yet the place wasn’t illuminated enough. In fact, one of the rare lampposts around seemed to have given up the ghost. Rainbow Dash hurried. In her mind, started to grow a little idea… She was going to light the scented candles Spitfire and Fleetfoot offered Soarin for his birthday, arguing that his apartment smelled too much like motor oil (it didn’t bother Rainbow Dash). She was going to get the attars and they could massage each other for ten minutes before going to sleep. If some persons she knew, if not her very close friends, knew her fond of this kind of exchanges, undoubtedly her dear reputation would end up in a bad state, but she trusted Soarin that what they were doing when they were alone would remain a secret. The others didn’t have to know that the girl called ‘Killer Dash’ liked massages lit by candles and skin to skin soft embraces. As she was about to open the door, a sound behind her caught her attention. However, when she turned around to take a look, she saw nobody. In reality, she couldn’t see clearly even when blinking. It probably only was a trick from her imagination, but just in case, she quickly put the key inside its lock. She barely had done this that she felt a presence behind her and the cold of metal against her throat. Someone was here, arms wrapped around her shoulders, and the blade of a knife almost on her neck. Suddenly, a white dread blocked her whole body from inside and she was shaken by cold. Her heart was about to explode. It felt as if she wasn’t in front of this door anymore, but years before, pinned against the floor of her room at Green Haven, her roommate leaning above her. She even could feel the throbbing pain in her thigh and shoulder, and blood dripping along her limbs. “Is that you, Night Angel?” It was impossible. Why would Night Angel be here after all this time? They both never liked each other but there was no reason for the former psychiatric institute resident to come and finish what she had started. “Who’s that?” the voice (female) behind her said, puzzled. A voice which was much too soft for the violence of such an action. As soon as Rainbow Dash recognized this voice, her eyes opened wide. No… This also was impossible. Or was it? Another voice, Soarin’s, screaming behind her, along with the sound of his fast steps against the asphalt, finally sent her back to present completely. Rainbow Dash made the most of her attacker’s surprise to grab her arm and catch the switchblade off her hands. It was a rather dangerous handling, and she was lucky Soarin was here to help, or she would probably had hurt herself anyway. Once her assailant was overpowered, she took off the balaclava which covered her face and discovered, just like expected, Muffin, her face distorted by fear and regrets, as if she had just realized what she could have done. “Muffin! What’s wrong with you? You’ve tried to…” Rainbow Dash pressed her hand against her throat. “I don’t understand what have I done to you!” “Nothing at all”, she burst into tears. “You did nothing at all, it’s… I don’t know why I’ve done this. I’m so lost, I can’t take it anymore. I only want it to stop!” Soarin gave Muffin a cup of hot coffee, and she thanked him with a quick smile, still hesitant to look into his eyes. It was hard to face them now she fully realized what the consequences of her actions could have been. It hadn’t been planned. After the washroom attack, and after Rainbow Dash had tried to understand what had happened to her, she had roamed the streets aimlessly for hours, never coming back home and never letting go the switchblade which was now all she had left. Her desperation and rage were such it had eaten her to the core. Before, when Hip Holly, Moon Shadow and especially Sky Skimmer were making fun of her, Muffin had always thought it to be her fault. She wasn’t this enough, or she was that too much. She didn’t deserve to have friends interested about her after what previously had happened to her. But ever since last week, and especially the day before, when she already had been beaten because of the attention Rainbow Dash addressed her, everything had changed. Quickly, she had come to the conclusion that if her life felt like hell, it was because of Rainbow Dash and how “awesome” she was. Blinded by negative feelings, she had gone to the apartment blocks for students where Soarin was living – she was unfortunate enough to know the place – since she had heard her prey spent more time at her boyfriend’s than at home. This was how she had come to this aggression that she now regretted with a bitterness as wide as an ocean. When Rainbow Dash had recognized her and said this mysterious name, something had started inside of her. And when she had heard Soarin’s yell, she had fully realized what it was. If she acted this way, she would be no better than her three torturers. Telling the couple what led her here, Muffin didn’t spare them any detail. What she wanted was at least that they tried to understand. In her mind, it was clear they would never be able to forgive her. Because of this, she also revealed them the story of her fall. How, from a simple teenage girl, she had turned into the outcast nobody wanted to rub shoulders with, and who finally been trapped between the claws of her three “friends”. A part of the rumor about her was true… She really had to go through an abortion. During a party with College students where friends had dragged her, an older boy had more or less forced her to have sex with him, and out of this faux pas had resulted a mistake which could have ruined her teenage years. But what the gossips didn’t tell was that the science teacher everybody took for her lover had helped her in every step of the way. The legal deadline for an abortion had passed and she needed to travel abroad in order to go through this act of surgery. He had accompanied her but had been stopped on their way back, at the airport. Because her parents could afford such a thing, so they had paid for her not to be in trouble with justice. On the other hand, her teacher had been immediately fired, by order from both PTA and the School Board. Once back at CHS, Muffin had learned about the rumors about her, but it had been impossible for her to refute them. None of those she regarded as her friends had believed her, and without their support, how could she convince the whole school? And because this bad business had forced her to repeat a grade, she had found herself alone among many unknown faces, lost and sad that she no longer had someone to turn to. Of course, when Sky Skimmer had invited her to have lunch at the same table than her, Hip Holly and Moon Shadow, she had thought there were at least some persons in CHS for who her past didn’t matter. She had been wrong. From the very moment she had sat with them, abuses had started, and climaxed at lunch hour, today. And this led her to assault the person she thought was the blame for her downfall, though she had been one of the rare ones trying to help her. “I’m so sorry”, she said, as she couldn’t help but sobbing, the steaming coffee cup clenched between her fingers. “Usually, I hate violence so much, it even scares me… But… But… I was feeling so bad that… I cracked. Maybe I’m crazy!” Rainbow Dash put a comforting hand on her knee, in order to make her understand that although she had been really scared, in the end she had been more frightened than hurt. And Muffin wasn’t crazy at all. The young woman’s story really made her think about Sunset Shimmer’s. She too had ended up with the statue of an outcast, and she too had trusted three persons who had abused her in exchange, thinking she would be redeemed by their side. Nowadays, Sunset Shimmer had buried deep her past of tough cookie and victim and had become a young woman who was self-confident, benevolent, strong, who her friends could always rely on. If it had been possible for her, undoubtedly this would be possible for Muffin. And Rainbow Dash would personally take care of the issue. “You know, I have PTSD and I’ve been to a psychiatric institute… What people affectionately call a nuthouse. Even though it’s not always easy, I’m getting by quite fine. Pinkie Pie used to be part of a gang, she had been involved in thefts and very violent fights with knives. Look at who she is now: everybody loves her. She’s full of energy and gives friendship and smiles away, never expecting anything in return. Sunset Shimmer had bullied students, before being persecuted as well. She even had to do community service to pay for her mistakes. Picking papers in the streets early in the morning, emptying public garbage cans, this kind of stuff… It’s nothing glorious and trust me, she gets no proud from this past. But she had been able to put this behind her and to start anew. Nothing’s a lost cause. Get your chin up, walk straight and don’t look back, show the others they had nothing on you. I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but you need to do it. So you can turn the page. So you can connect with yourself again. With who you are inside.” “But, I… No one’s on my side… And I could never tell my parents. I can’t injure them anymore.” “No one? Hey, you have me! I won’t let you down, trust me. And trust my friends as well. I know they’ll help you, because that’s just the way they are. They’re good people.” “Is it true?” Muffin asked, her wet eyes filled with hope. “Would you really do this for me?” “Did I already make a promise I couldn’t keep? Soarin, did I already do such a thing?” “You didn’t.” “I know it isn’t easy after what you’ve been through, but please, put a little faith in me.” In the rest of the school was content with turning a deaf ear about the others’ suffering, it wasn’t her kind. And she knew it, it neither was the kind of her friends. Although they had their little disagreements lately, for Rainbow Dash there was no doubt they all would be behind her. She would never let Muffin overwhelmed by fear, violence and hatred. There were too many unpleasant things going on all over the world. So she would try for best so that those within her reach would be helped. When Twilight met her group of friends, who were accompanied by Muffin, in the front of the main building’s doors, she couldn’t escape their smirks and their looks full of double-entendres. Obviously, Flash Sentry and her had been less discreet than she thought… Nothing of this had been planned, to be honest. The day before, when they were at the Sugarcube Corner like they always were, right after Fluttershy – absent today – had explained them the reason behind her sudden hostility, she had climbed upstairs to know whether Pinkie Pie was feeling alright, while the rest of the group had walked their other friends to her bus station. When she’d got down, she’d met Flash Sentry who offered to drive her home. Though a part of her was still wary and another part kept on thinking they hadn’t much in common, Twilight kept on feeling odd sensations when she was close to him. They already had gone to the Winter Ball together, and he’d done his best to make her forget about their disastrous first date. When he’d asked her whether he could drive her to school from time to time, urged by her desire to get to know him better, she’d accepted, warning him that if she doubted about the least of set-up, she would never speak to him again. He’d accepted her condition. Although they exchanged a chaste kiss before parting, they weren’t a couple. Twilight had decided to protect her heart until she was really sure of his intentions. And, no one knew, but she also had something a bit difficult to explain with another person. “Stop looking at me this way!” she tried to order authoritatively. “Twilie has a sweetie.” “He’s not my “sweetie” … We’re just going to see each other from time to time.” “That’s what Ah call datin’ someone!” “AJ, you haven’t had a boyfriend for a while. I’d never tell about Soarin that I “see him from time to time”.” “Thanks Rainbow Dash.” “But you kiss him behind the school’s status, anyway”, the young woman chuckled. “Come on, leave her alone”, Sunset Shimmer said with a smirk. “Twilight knows what she’s doing.” “Thanks, Sunset.” The teenage girl answered with a sympathetic wink. She was lucky she could always rely on Sunset Shimmer in moments like this. Since she had integrated the gang, Twilight had found an undreamed support inside her, and they both shared a passion for everything scientific she could hardly communicate to her other friends, though she loved them all. Her presence by her side always was a relief, to the extent that sometimes she wondered how she would feel if she had to get away from the group. It wouldn’t happen, thankfully. Muffin, who had witnessed the whole conversation, was really in admirations of their unity, obvious even when they were quarrelling. Back then, she too used to have a bunch of friends but they were nothing like what was under her nose. Undoubtedly, they were aware what they shared together was a precious thing. What a pity one of them was missing, the nice girl with long pink-haired who arrived last year. She had no idea of why she wasn’t with the rest of them, yet she was sure she had seen her earlier, rushing towards her classroom. “I think you girls are awesome”, Muffin shyly said. “That’s because we are awesome!” “Rainbow Dash overdoes it, like usually”, Twilight added. “We’re ourselves, that’s all.” “Eeyup, that’s the secret: we like each other just the way we are.” “Same than AJ”, Pinkie Pie claimed while chocking her friend in her arms. “Come on, we don’t have all day. Are you ready, girls?” All at the same time, they answered yes to Rainbow Dash before forming a circle, arms stretched, doing their rally cry. Students passing them by looked at them wondering what they were doing this time. They knew they could expect almost everything from them, though it never stopped them from being curious, since it was their natural penchant. And when the group dived into the building, walking on the same line with the same pace, determined, Muffin by their side, they didn’t go unnoticed – which already was rather difficult most of the time. Those present in the corridors this morning knew they were up to something, and a small crowd took shape behind them. The fact Fluttershy was absent didn’t seem to cut a swathe the way the presence of this other person did, a person they would never thought they’d see walking with CHS’ superstars. It also was partly what made people so curious about what they were up to. They walked to the eleventh graders’ lockers. Sky Skimmer, Moon Shadow and Hip Holly looked at the bunch coming their way with mouths wide opened, knowing intrinsically they were here for them, yet unsure of what to expect. The fact Muffin was by their side, and most particularly by Rainbow Dash’s side, scared them while at the same time, it made them go green with jealousy and rage. But of course, once in front of their idol, they chose to display the surprised part of them. “Rain—Rainbow Dash… What’s wrong?” “You should be ashamed!” “What are you talking about?” Moon Shadow was able to articulate. “I know you know what I’m talking about.” Her two accomplices saw Sky Skimmer swallowing. She had established herself as their natural leader, and under her influence, the two others had ended up being as filled with resentment and bitterness as she was. It was how they admired Rainbow Dash that had put them together, but it seemed like it also was what had lost them somehow. “I… I…”, the first girl muttered. “No need to try to find excuses! There’s no excuse to your behavior. You say I’m your role model but frankly, I’m not sure I want people like you to admire me. Using someone’s vulnerability in order to feel stronger, using violence to get what you want, maybe it works in politics, but when it comes to actual interpersonal relationships, it’s the last straw of pathetic!” “We weren’t aware how much what we were doing was harmful, I swear”, Hip Holly answered, in tears. “Oh, don’t give me that, please! You used to beat her to steal her money, then you beat her because I started to befriend her but not you, you humiliated her as often as possible, just because you thought she was at your mercy. Do you really think this is an honorable behavior? It rather is the strength of the weak ones!” “She’s right”, Sunset Shimmer claimed while making three steps towards the girls. “I used to be just like you. I thought brutal force was the answer to everything. But it answers nothing, it only brings more misery, more pain.” “When yar bein’ cruel with others, ya don’t make yarself more resistant, ya don’t bond with each other, ya only become slaves of yar own cruelty and in the end yar losin’ who ya really are inside.” “Yes”, Pinkie Pie added. “Once you realize you don’t know who you are anymore, because you chose the wrong path, you’re feeling even worse and you think you’ll never find the right path again.” Each of them had to go through something that could have kept them at the bottom. Each had been through their loads of disillusions, deceptions, angers and malevolence. Each time, they had been able to fight against their darkest demons, though it never was easy, for none of them and for no one else too. There always was another way, this was what experiences of life had taught them. “I… I never wanted that. All we wanted was to be like you. I thought that… I don’t know what I thought anymore”, Sky Skimmer finished, in tears just like her two other friends. It was Twilight’s turn to step on the scene. The ordeals that had sprinkled her existence maybe hadn’t been than what the rest of her friends had to go through, even if she could have been raped by a bunch of guys and the only psychogenic non-epileptic seizure Rainbow Dash had in front of her and Applejack was still engraved in her memory, but she had learned many things just by being by their side. “Friendship isn’t about imposing your will to others, or to be united in belittling the others. Friendship is always being here for the ones you love, not only when everything is fine, but especially when everything seems to go wrong. it’s not being strong for yourself, it’s being strong together. With each other, not against each other. Only with a sincere and resistant friendship will you be able to fight this feeling of guilt and anger you can feel, sometimes, when life is cruel with you.” “But how do we do it?” Moon Shadow questioned. “You could start by asking Muffin to forgive you for all that you put her through”, Rainbow Dash suggested. “Only by starting from here you girls could be able to turn the page.” Muffin, in the background during all this time, stepped forward, while the rest of the group stepped back. A lot of students had gathered around them, and by scanning the crowd, it was easy to see some of them moved by the friends’ speech. They all were staring at Muffin now, wondering what she was going to say with a hint of fever. But she didn’t say anything. She only stood in front of the three young girls, and she waited. It was what Rainbow Dash had suggested her to do if they came to this part of the process, and she didn’t dare to deviate from the established scenario, scared she would say or do something that would ruin everything. She had become like this. By dint of hearing the others calling her “Derpy” and repeating her she was nothing but a numskull, she had eventually started to believe nothing good could ever come from her. But she was wrong. Rainbow Dash’s boyfriend had told her last night, a little before she left them, that since she’d been able to gather so much destructive energy out of despair, if she focused on her goal and didn’t listen to the others, she would prove herself the others were telling her lies. So she kept her chin up, and displayed dignity, waiting for the words her former bullies were about to say. And they were of a disarming simplicity. “Sorry, Muffin.” “We behaved like a bunch of heartless fools with you, sorry.” “We’ll never do this again, I promise.” Now, she held all the cards. Nothing obliged her to accept the young girls’ apologies, which didn’t mean they didn’t owe them to her. A part of her wanted to say that everything was forgotten, but the rest know she wouldn’t forget so easily. She didn’t have to suffer from a few harmful words, it was all the hatred and helplessness of the girls she had been hit with. “I forgive you… But it will take time before I’ll trust you again. I still have bruises on my stomach from last day’s blows and it hurts a lot. I don’t think we could become friends again so easily.” “Alright. I guess we deserve this”, Sky Skimmer nodded while drying her tears with the back of her sleeve. Hip Holly and Moon Shadow nodded too. The road to redemption was long and steep, it needed to be cautious not to slip and fall down, but if they supported each other, they would get on top. And once they would have become who they wanted to be deep inside, then Muffin’s friendship would naturally flow back to them. That was what Sunset Shimmer had experienced. It also was what Pinkie Pie had to go through. They both knew what the road the three friends were about to take looked like, and they knew what fabulous treasures were on the other side of the hill. Among the crowd, Sunset Shimmer had a glimpse of Aria, Adagio and Sonata, who seemed to have witnesses the whole thing. As soon as their leader noticed they had been spotted, and their former fellow addressed them a small nod, Adagio looked away, jaw clenched, and the three friends disappeared among the crowd. Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Really, some persons had issues with the fact of giving in and admit one’s fault. But it also outlined a smirk on her face. Somewhere, she knew that behind their masks of impassibility, they also had remorse. Or they would never had looked away the way they did… They weren’t the only ones who had witnessed everything, hidden inside the crowd. Someone who should had been there had seen it all, and was feeling her throat clenched and tears on the brink of falling. Her best friends. They were extraordinary, the most extraordinary persons she’d ever met. And she had been nothing but hostile with them just because she wasn’t feeling strong enough to face adversity. It always led her to the same realization since yesterday, undeniably – she didn’t deserve them. Shortly after the first class to begin, the crowd scattered and everyone went back to its own business. This morning’s event still was on every mind and every lips, but it left public sphere to become part of the private comment. As long as it guaranteed no one would lash out on Muffin anymore, the group considered their mission completed. The fact others were talking about it didn’t really matter to them, but if it had allowed some persons to understand a few things about themselves, then it was a good thing. All the same, Rainbow Dash was self-satisfied. Oh, not for the good it would probably do to her dear reputation. She couldn’t care less about it. Although she didn’t really believe in these things, she thought if her mother could have seen her, she would have been proud to note that what she had taught her daughter hadn’t fallen into deaf ears. Because she was from a rather modest background, and she had managed to get to a higher level thanks to the strength of her will, Firefly had always taught her that though strength was necessary, and power wasn’t something to fear, it was never at the others’ expense. It came from the depth of the soul, and could only be acquired through experience and integrity. She might have an ego which took a lot of room, maybe she liked to boast a little too much, she was full of neurosis and phobias, and lazy, unable to clean things up behind her, and many other flaws, but she was neither coward nor cruel. When it was needed to fight for the honor of the violated ones, she wasn’t afraid of anything. When it was needed to be here for those she loved, she ran to help them without further questions. And it was her character trait she was the proudest of. It also was what Fluttershy admired the most in her friend’s. She often happened not to say things the best way possible, but there was no surprise with her. Everything was clear. She would never hide anything from her feelings about someone – only about her own person, since she was more vulnerable and sensitive that she wanted to admit. From her spot, she was observing the group. They were doing their best to show that her absence by their side didn’t affect them, like often. Though she knew how the global mood was when one of them wasn’t feeling good. Undoubtedly, they would do anything to help her, although in this case, they could do nothing more but trying to make her focus on something else. It even was the main problem. Not that she didn’t want their help. She was so eager to let go and get comforted by them. But she didn’t want to let go. She would never toughen if she always counted on others to heal her wounds. And there was something else… The teacher for the next course wouldn’t be long now. If she wanted to do what she wanted to do, she had to go now. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and got her, her legs like cotton. Her heart was thumping and she could feel it would be difficult for her not to cry, but she had to do it, for her sake, and for the sake of the whole group. When the four young women saw her beside their tables, they smiled warmly at her. This wouldn’t make things easier for her, conversely. So much kindness was too painful. “Hey Fluttershy”, Rainbow Dash greeted her. “I’ve called you all morning long, why didn’t you answer?” “Yeah, you missed everything, that’s sad…”, Pinkie Pie added. The worse probably was that Pinkie Pie, after the odious way she had behaved with her, kept on displaying benevolence with her, as if nothing had happened. Fluttershy swallowed, and started: “I’m sorry, I… I couldn’t be here. In fact… I’ve realized something this morning. You are… fantastic! I’ve never met anyone like you, girls. What you’ve done to help Muffin, and Octavia before her… I don’t have the words.” “Yar fantastic as well, Fluttershy, ya know”, Applejack tried to comfort her. “No”, the young woman answered, shaking her head. “I know I’m not. I’m a coward and everything scares me. I’m nice with everyone because I’m afraid they would hate me otherwise. That’s why…” She hated herself for that, but she couldn’t help tears to fall off her eyes. Because of this, her friends would probably feel even worse. It only reinforced her impression that all she could bring them were more troubles. “That’s why I’ve decided to take a step back. I need to be alone, to think, without being a burden to you.” “Stop it! You’re not a burden. You’re our friend.” “I am. That’s the problem. I’m relying on you too much, and in the end, I don’t help myself when I do. I have to take stock. To know who I really am. What I can do without your assistance. I need it.” They still could try to convince her she was wrong, and that everything would get better if she held on. However, Fluttershy seemed to be determined, under her tears and her shaking body. Since she felt it was something essential for her in order to move on again, they didn’t have to interfere. She would come back somehow. Just like Twilight came back, like Applejack came back, like Pinkie Pie who never went away… Didn’t they? “Alright, Fluttershy. If you think you need it”, Sunset Shimmer told her. “Yes, I do need it. So… I have to give you this back.” Under her friends’ bewildered eyes, she plunged her hand into her uniform’s skirt and grabbed her Friendship Bracelet that she put on Pinkie Pie’s table. “I’m no longer worth of wearing it.” “Are you out of your mind? You needing to think about things don’t change anything to our friendship. You’re still a part of us.” “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I can’t. it’s better this way. Once I’ll find all the answers I’m looking for, I’ll put it on again. For now, I really feel like I don’t match up to the symbol.” “But…” “Dash, ya have to accept Fluttershy’s decision. She knows what she’s doin’.” Although she was partly feeling responsible for what had happened, and this sudden departure hurt her, and scared her, Applejack also knew that trying to stop Fluttershy from doing this would be sheer selfishness. If they loved her, they had to accept to let her go, if this was what she wanted. And Rainbow Dash soon drew the same conclusion. With a lump in her throat, she told Fluttershy she accepted her choice, and that she was welcome anytime she wanted. The young woman barely had time to nod that their teacher, Mr. Cranky, stepped into the classroom, railing against a problem of traffic jam which had made him arrive late. The man was kind but known as grumpy, and Fluttershy didn’t want to be in the hot seat. She dashed towards her chair, and swallowed up her tears. It was the first step of her transition. To resist for the whole class, for the whole first day without them, without shedding a single tear. In reality, she was going to miss them. Terribly. There wouldn’t be a day, or a minute, without her thinking about the pain she inflicted to them with her decision. But she would stay strong, because it was essential for her recovery. Until she finally felt worth of the most extraordinary persons she had ever met. Author's Note I know it's early... And I know, it's not corrected. I'm still too sick to reread and everything, so I just published it this way and I'll correct potential mistakes later. Sorry And in case, you wonder... Oddly, the next arc is going to be rather funny
Welfare Boy (Part 1)Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around Soarin’s shoulders, and put her chin against his chest, throwing a glance at the shadows his lashes projected against his cheeks. Was he sleeping or just pretending so? He was a high-level athlete, used to intense practices and sporting endurance… In no way their little warm-up could have exhausted him. To be sure, she scratched the skin at the base of his neck, and immediately, her boyfriend opened up his eyes and gently slapped her hand. The young woman laughed and rolled on her side, her back falling against the messy sheets. It felt good to relax a bit since the last two weeks had been particularly restless. After she had helped Octavia to escape the claws of a sexual predator, after she had been attacked with a knife by a former classmate, though the latter also was a victim, she had seen her group of friends, one of the rarest solid anchorage of her life, being divided with Fluttershy’s decision to step back. The girls and her did their best not to show the young woman how dismayed they were. They were aware that behaving all too affected would only increase her feelings of guilt, and at the same time, they also thought that displaying cheerfulness without her by their side could make her believe she was in no way irreplaceable. It was very complicated for them, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. It would have happened two years earlier, Rainbow Dash would have been crushed. Thankfully, she now had another pillar in her life in the person of Soarin and it didn’t seem to be about the crumble. Conversely, the more they spent time together, the more their bond was reinforced. She had always thought that falling in love with a friend was exactly what she needed. Not only because she was unable to feel attraction in any other way, but also because it made everything easier. There hadn’t been any “honeymoon phase” between them. They already knew what were each other’s ugly flaws and sides. They knew their reactions and bad habits by heart. And both saw romance the same way: a certain sense of independence and autonomy was necessary. They hated to be considered as one and only entity. They wanted to protect and save their respective identity. “Us” would never supplant “I”. When they happened to talk about the future, it never was about planning everything with a well-defined time frame. What would happen, it would happen in due time. They had their own lives to build first and this detail was a very important one. They rather be together without further questions and they were acting by instinct. This way, they enjoyed their time together best. Just like the moment they were sharing right now. Sex in itself didn’t take much room in the relationship, to which they favored sensuality and liked to experience physical intimacy in another way. At first, Rainbow Dash was scared Soarin would grow wary, but he seemed to be satisfied of the way things were working between them, since the lack of sexual intercourses didn’t mean a complete lack of pleasure. They kissed a bit numbly because of the late time, and Rainbow Dash slipped closer in order to nestle her head against the pit of his neck. Each time they were together this way, she felt as if freed from chains tight around her feet. With him, no need to have sleeping pills to fall asleep, and even in the case when one of her nightmares would catch her back, she knew she would get comfort in his arms. “I love this smell”, she said while sniffing his skin, her face buried against his neck. “What’s the fragrance?” He smelled like sandalwood and vanilla. “My shower gel.” “Well, don’t change anything.” “Usually in movies, the male character is the one saying the female character smells good.” “Truth is stranger than fiction. By the way, sometimes, it’s quite pity… At least, in movies, most of the time there’s a happy end.” “Still worried about Fluttershy?” Her head still buried against his neck, she outlined a bittersweet smile. Soarin knew her well. Even when she was doing her best not to show anything, he always guessed when something bothered her. It was a challenge for her and especially for her rather misplaced pride. It was hard to act tough in front of someone who could read under your sarcasms and shrugs. “In reality, I’m tired… I wish I had a break with dramas…” Soarin opened his mouth, ready to tell her she needed to learn how to let go the control she forced on herself. If she couldn’t do it, she would never be able to fully make the most of the benefits offered to her. She probably was a bit scared of what she would show of herself… For obvious reasons. He couldn’t do so. Rainbow Dash’s phone started to ring, and the young woman got off his embrace in order to grab her phone which she’d put on the bedside table. “Hello? Pinkie?” Indeed, the name on the screen was her friend’s. It was almost 11 P.M, and Rainbow Dash thought the teenage girl would never call so late if she didn’t really need her help. “Yes, that’s me. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” “Not at all”, she replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked around her, trying to spot where her underwear was but couldn’t lean over to get it. Soarin had sat as well and had emerged behind her, his both arms wrapped around her waist, his mouth running along her neck. For all that, she didn’t try to rebuff him. His body against hers released the necessary heat for her not to shrill. “What’s wrong?” “Well…” Pinkie Pie paused over the phone, and it seemed to her friend that she heard her sighing discouragingly. “Fluttershy… Do you think she isolated herself because of me? In relation to Big Mac. You know, sometimes I’m a bit silly, so maybe… I haven’t realized and…” “Wow, I know what you’re going to say. And the answer is no. In no moment have you let Big Mac believe anything. Got to stop now with the hints of unconscious rape culture.” It was quite ironic that while she was saying those words, her boyfriend was busy running his hands anywhere he could on her upper body. As if it were a game. Well, alright, it definitely was a game. And it was nothing but fair reward since she had distracted him the same way, a bit earlier tonight, while the young man was sitting at his desk and imagining strategies for the next Wondercolt game. “But… If there hadn’t been this story with Big Mac, maybe Fluttershy wouldn’t be standing her own ground right now… And we’d still be seven.” “Pinkie, it isn’t your fault, got it? You’re not the blame for their story’s strange turn. Stop fretting.” Yes, this sentimental conflict had been the trigger of Fluttershy’s distance, yet Pinkie Pie had played no conscious role in this. According to Rainbow Dash, the problem came from Big Macintosh who could have been more consistent in his feelings, instead of heading into a love affair built with a base made of clay. “Are you sure?” Pinkie Pie asked again, with a voice still tainted with doubts. “Stop playing with my tits!” “What?” “Sorry, I was speaking to Soarin…” “Oh, I see. I’m hanging up. You’re busy. Thanks for listening.” “No, wait, Pinkie Pie… She hung up.” It didn’t take much insight to spot the young woman’s lack of trust in the words she had said in order to comfort her. Yet she really meant them. Deep down, Rainbow Dash wanted to help Pinkie Pie, so she stopped feeling guilty about something that, anyway, would probably have happened. If only she hadn’t been so distracted… Now her best friend would think she couldn’t care less about her pain, although it was the opposite. Annoyed – but not angry – she grabbed the big pillow against which Soarin’s head had rested a bit earlier, and struck his head several time with it. The young man sheltered himself with his arms, and was laughing at the same time, perfectly aware there was nothing serious in the irritated way she behaved. “Hey! Don’t you know this was important?!” “I only wanted you to chill a little.” “I’m not kidding”, she said, throwing the pillow behind her. “Neither am I.” Soarin put his both hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. “Relieve the pressure on.” “You don’t understand. Pinkie Pie needs me… and she’s always here for me when I need her. It’s a matter of principles.” “But I do understand.” “Well, it doesn’t look like you do.” Of course, she could as well call Pinkie Pie back, apologize and resume their conversation, but now the young woman knew she was with her boyfriend, Rainbow Dash also knew she would never speak naturally and she would do her best to shorten the discussion. She sighed, while staring at the white ceiling. Soon, this image was replaced by Soarin’s face above her. His hair wasn’t like usually, but messy from their previous embraces. Even this way, he was handsome… What she liked best about his face probably was his eyes, of a deep green like she’d never seen before. When these eyes looked at her this way, as if she was the most attractive person breathing on earth, she couldn’t help but think how lucky she was. And how much she loved him. Around them, the canteen seemed to be restless. Once again, Pinkie Pie had been summoned by Principal Celestia in the Events Committee Room. Everybody more or less guessed what it meant: since this wasn’t about the organization of the upcoming Prom Ball, it meant it was about the other event they all were waiting for. However, among all this noisy flurry of excitement, Rainbow Dash muffled a yawn behind her hand, half-lying in front of her tray filled with zucchinis, yellow pepper and mashed sweet potatoes. Something her friends could only notice. Although it was true she never refused a good nap, generally she showed no sign of laziness or bore in front of food. Especially not when she constrained herself to a diet even stricter than usually. Fact she displayed such hints of tiredness in public had something a bit scary. It could mean she hadn’t slept well on the previous night, because of an insomnia or a nightmare, which wasn’t something rare about her but never occurred good things to come. “Are you OK, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight questioned. “You look… flatter than usually.” “The bags under yar eyes are browner than the groceries’!” “Yeah, I know”, she sighed. “I’ve slept at Soarin’s and forgot my concealer home.” “Ah. When something like this happens, drink two glasses of water still lying. This way, water you’d have stored during the night is going to be suppressed more easily. It helps pupils to get decongested.” “Did Rarity teach you this?” “No. Science.” Sunset Shimmer expected Rainbow Dash or even Applejack to rub it in, and it to lead to their usual teasing… It didn’t happen. Like each time ever since Fluttershy had decided to step back and think about their friendship. As always, one single absence was enough to unsettle the whole mechanics of the group. Yet, she knew it, conversely to Applejack, Twilight or Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy was a part of this group only since one year ago, a little before herself. The team already might have had its own way to work before she stepped into their lives. It probably was because this separation, though supposedly not endless, hurt their feelings. Their mood was a bit sunnier than when they thought they could lose one of them forever, nevertheless she could easily sense a sadness from the fact Fluttershy was in the same room, but not by their side. Hoping it would help to lighten the atmosphere, Sunset Shimmer made up her mind about asking Rainbow Dash a question which had burned her lips for a while now. Of course, it was a bit embarrassing, but her friend had already told her things more shameful. “I was wondering… If this is too intrusive, just tell me. Did you do it with Soarin?” “Of course”, Rainbow Dash answered, shrugging. “It doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes it can happen. Also, last night…” She leaned over and whispered something to Sunset Shimmer who gasped when she heard the secret, not in a way that could make believe she was shocked, but rather surprised that Rainbow Dash, so little invested in everything sexual, had no problem confessing it to her. “Was it good?” “Makes you sing the national anthem.” “Hey, could ya speak ‘bout something else, please?” “Yes, AJ and I don’t necessarily want to hear such things.” “But you heard nothing.” “But we guessed.” “Don’t act so Belle of the South! You’ll come to it eventually.” “Surely but not tomorrow.” “I thought you weren’t a sex person”, Twilight told her, shaking a fry under her nose. “I’m not. I’m a Soarin person.” “Fine.” “Fine.” Once again, the squabble stopped here. It had to be noted that, though the jousts had sounded more like what they usually were, no one got riled up. It was like a cake lacking soda which didn’t rise at the baking. “You have to admit that the mood isn’t the same.” They all sighed and took a glimpse a little further, where Fluttershy was eating on her own, slower than usually. Thankfully, before too much gloominess settled, Pinkie Pie arrived, along with Muffin, who sometimes meddled with the gang. Her presence was like a sweet breeze turning their heart away from the harsh reality. Though they all knew the young woman was also very moved by the fact Fluttershy wanted to be away for some time, not to show and not to worry them, Pinkie Pie was behaving in a way even more effusive and bouncy than usually. “You’ll never guess! Clubs Festival’s this weekend!” “Oh… I think everyone guessed, in fact, Pinkie Pie”, Muffin shyly intervened. Of course, it made the person in question laugh… And even if, that was a fact, everyone could guess, the official announcement of this great news made the group smile again. They needed it. The Club Fair, which happened at the beginning of each year, was a campaign for the various extracurricular activities offered by Canterlot High School, intended for the ninth graders. Conversely, the Clubs Festival was designed for every classes, and also for potential sponsors. It allowed to raise funds in order to secure a better financing for the years to come. It was one of the most popular traditions of this school, and like a lot of the events happening along the year, it made Middle School students want to become freshmen in CHS. The mood was casual. Students of various clubs, divided in stands they built at many different spots in the yard, planned original activities in the hope they would garner the biggest crowd. There was a contest and the winners would get a trophy which would proudly stay in the room of the club during the next year. Like each time it was about a competition, Rainbow Dash already was ready to go into battle. This year would be the year of the Sports Department, she was certain. Especially if she had the Queen of Extravaganzas with her, aka Pinkie Pie. “I’m going to participate with the baking club”, the curly pink-haired teenage girl claimed proudly. “We’re going to bake the hugest of all Wedding Cakes and so, we’re going to be in the Guinness Book of Records!” A decision which didn’t please everyone around this table. “Pinkie! The baking club? What about the Lacrosse female team? How could you do this to me? I mean, to us…” “Plus, Ah don’t know if ya know but a Weddin’ Cake means there’s a weddin’ around.” “Or a baking contest. And the Clubs Festival is, first and foremost, a context. I’m hyper motivated!” “Traitor!” Rainbow Dash hurled, sticking her tongue out at her. “Don’t worry”, Sunset Shimmer told her, patting her shoulders. “I’ll participate with you for the Sports Department.” “So will Ah”, Applejack added. “Am part of no club but since Ah can borrow anything Ah want to the Sports Department; Ah think there’s goin’ to be no problem.” “Yes! The two of you plus me are going to beat the crap out of Pinkie’s Domestic Arts Department!” “Don’t underestimate the power of a good baking”, she replied, her mouth filled with brownie. “You stand no chance against the Science Department, anyway.” Rainbow Dash burst out laughing so loud it startled some of the students around them. “There! You wish!” “We’re going to crush you down. Right, Muffin?” She nodded with a smile, thus confirming that she wouldn’t either participate for the Sports Department… From outside, their restless conversation tasted like the outlandishness of better days. No one could guess it was nothing but a reprieve, a bubble of fresh air allowing them to escape, at least for some minutes, to the disarray weighing on their shoulders. As far as Fluttershy was concerned, though she could sense this was a façade, a moment of rest, she neither couldn’t help but feeling drawn by this commotion that was so familiar. When she saw them this way, wacky, ebullient, a bit noisy, a huge nostalgia was taking over her. How she missed it all… And at the same time, she was aware that giving in and coming back to them would be sheer weakness. She had made herself a promise and she wanted to keep it. She would go back to their comforting bosoms only once she would have get straight with her jealousy, and healed the wounds of her heart with her own will. Once she would feel like she wasn’t only a fraud within her own chosen family. “Hi”, a male voice suddenly said. Fluttershy looked away from the table where those she still regarded as her best friend kept on displaying restlessness. In front of her there was a young man she had often seen in school. His white and aqua green hair, short-cropped, his eyes like amber, his uniform perfect… He was in the same class than Twilight and Trixie. But he was a loner, and the teenage girl couldn’t remember she ever saw him surrounded by even a single friend. He probably was another one of these bookworm, studies fanatics. So, it was really surprising to see him here, talking to her. A girl among the other girls. Neither the smartest, neither the silliest. Because of this, Fluttershy’s first reaction was to turn around and check out whether he really was speaking to her… It made him softly laugh. “Yes, you’re the person I’ve just said “hi” to.” “Oh. Hi.” What more could she say? After all, she only knew him by sight, she didn’t even know his name, and she still was a very shy person, never at ease with persons she wasn’t with on a daily basis. “My name’s Thunderlane. And you are Fluttershy, aren’t you?” She nodded, while sipping at her orange juice. “OK, you probably think I’m a pain in the neck, and you rather be alone than speaking to an almost stranger. I get it. If I were you, that’s exactly what I’d be thinking too. I leave.” The boy got up, taking his tray. Then Fluttershy realized she had spoken to no one except her bunny Angel since she had taken the decision to step away from the girls, since she kept on avoiding Zephyr, so she wouldn’t hear him talk about Rainbow Dash, or worse, Big Macintosh. “No, you… You can stay. A bit of company won’t hurt me.” It would be better if she weren’t blushing while saying this… She still had things to work out. A lot of things to work out. The advantage was that Thunderlane didn’t consider it necessary to point her outburst of shyness and sat back as if nothing had happened. “Are you sure I’m not a bother?” Once again, Fluttershy nodded. Though she didn’t know anything about him, in theory, he seemed to be someone nice who only wanted to have a nice chat. There was nothing wrong about it. The year she had spent had proven her it wasn’t a bad thing to socialize a little… “In fact, I’ve noticed you’ve been very lonely lately and I thought I should go and talk to you, since you probably need someone to talk with.” “It’s very kind of you.” “I can’t help it, whenever I see someone who’s sad, I have to try to comfort them.” “Do I look so sad?” “A little…” She hadn’t even realized. Since she had taken this decision, she was sailing on her daily life on automatic pilot mode. All the habits she had lost during the latest year were difficult to get back and especially made her feel lonelier than ever. Maybe Thunderlane was right. She probably looked sad for the others. And they might be thinking it was because a serious ordeal had shaken her gang. It didn’t really help her to feel better. “Can I ask you what happened?” “It’s… complicated.” She couldn’t tell him everything. First, because she didn’t know his character, and she wasn’t the kind of person to confess important things to person she barely knew. Second, because she still feared the image the others could have of her. Telling him her odious behavior wouldn’t particularly show her under a flattering light… “I understand you don’t want to tell me. After all, I’m no one for you and maybe it makes you suffer. But… I know it’s going to sound crazy… I want to help you. Maybe that’s the protective side of me… So, I was thinking I could be your temporary friend until you get better. If you want it, of course.” Did she want it? Fluttershy didn’t know. All she was sure of was that this sudden loneliness, in which she yet had taken refuge for so many years because of her fear of the others, it was a burden for her. After all, maybe that being in company of someone new would help her to understand some things about herself. And it always felt better to share kindness with someone who seemed to be overwhelmed by it.
Welfare Boy (Part 2)Thanks to the Clubs Festival, exceptionally, pupils taking part in the various stands were allowed to leave their classroom between two courses, no matter their grade, or even if they belonged to the Guiding Class… This gave way to a happy mess which cheered up daily life a bit. In the whole school there was a palpable excitation, lasting even after the bell had rung. And because teachers knew no student would be really focused on lessons, nothing essential was taught during this week. As freshmen, The Crusaders had been waiting for the coming of this event with a hint of fever. They all couldn’t wait to participate, convinced they could discover they were gifted for PR. Scootaloo was enrolled in the athletics club, in order to be close to Rainbow Dash – except her idol’s specialization were races and she’d chosen pole vaulting, and both practice didn’t take place at the same spot of the stadium. Because Apple Bloom was in the ballroom dancing club, they both could participate with the Sports Department. It allowed them to spend more time with their eldest… As far as Sweetie Belle was concerned, she should have been with the Domestic Arts Department, as a member of the crochet club. Yet, in order not to be alone, she was running for the Sports Department. After school, each department got together to prepare the activities they’d planned beforehand, thanks to a vote by direct universal suffrage. It was a chance for the different clubs of a same department to meet and share new memories. Especially as for the twelfth grade, in charge of leading the groups, it meant something special. They would never have another chance to participate. But what The Crusaders loved the most was what was happening between classes. When Rainbow Dash came and picked them in their room so they could join them in their promotion towards the other students. Each department had to be noticed… They needed to have a maximum of students – those taking part to no stands, since the posts were limited – to come and attend to the events each had organized, in order to get as much money as they could. The more money flew into a department’s cashier, the more the clubs of this department would have better means for the next year. Rainbow Dash had been able to convince the whole school’s brass band to work for the Sports Department. This way, she would be certain to take enough room and to make enough noise to get the attention of each group of friends, each clique. It probably irritated even more those who didn’t appreciate her boasting, but she knew in the end, they would come and see what she’d done anyway, just in case it could be interesting for them. It didn’t mean her two friends and rivals for the cup didn’t have excellent ideas neither. From the other side of the corridor, accompanied by Muffin, and a great number of those called the “techies”, Twilight was more than determined to play her cards right, though she knew the competition would be tough. She needed the uninitiated to discover that sciences could be funnier than they thought. So, to offset Rainbow Dash’s brass band, she’d asked CHS’ cheerleaders, among whom Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, two rivals of the Crusaders were, for their help. Their team was singing odds to the glory of DNA and the periodic table of the elements, and although their speech was filled with errors, all that mattered to Twilight was the lasting effect. “Attend and take part to the most breathtaking scientific experiences ever risked in CHS! You won’t believe your eyes!” Well, maybe what she’d prepared wasn’t that extraordinary, but she had studied the importance of the lexical field in advertisement, and had chosen her words in the way that would have the greatest impact on the students’ curiosity. And she was happy to note that her pile of flyers had decreased. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash would see what she was made of! But the latter thought this wasn’t over yet. With The Crusaders, giving away flyers for the Sports Department, and Sunset Shimmer and Applejack by her side, she was feeling self-confident. Twilight’s little experiences weren’t no match for what she had planned. “Big auction sale! A lot of amazing prize to win, among which a ball gown designed by our CHS most famous fashion designer, Rarity, and a date with the star of one of our national sports team!” They didn’t need to know who this star was. She didn’t want to spoil the surprise. But she knew a lot of students, especially the female ones, would fight in order to win this “prize” – for a price, of course, or it wouldn’t be an auction sale but a stupid lottery. Twilight’s teeth gnashed as she saw the way her friend’s flyers pile was decreasing as well. Sure, the word “star” had another resonance compared to “breathtaking”, but if Rainbow Dash thought it was over now, she was heavily wrong. This was a war and the battles had just begun. A hell of a racket came to disturb their duel. If Pinkie Pie had no brass band and no cheerleader team with her, she had ideas… and most importantly, she had saucepans. For once allied to the Flower Trio, the four teenage girls had grabbed as many utensils as they could in the school’s kitchen and were hitting them with wooden spoon to be heard. Soon, all heads turned to the newcomers, who were able to sneak in among the athletes and scientists. “Giant distribution of the only ones, the ones and only… Pinkie’s rainbow cupcakes!!! Don’t miss it!!!” “Hey! Ah thought ya were supposed to bake the biggest Weddin’ Cake of the world”, Applejack complained. “Yeah, this is only a bonus.” “It’s unfair, Pinkie Pie! Everyone’s going to be hungry at some point!” Twilight intervened as well. “That’s why this is awesome”, the person in question answered with a big smile. She could be proud of herself. With less means and an activity less original, she’d been able to get the same amount of attention, if not more, than their two teams together. The competition between them, though friendly, raged… From where she stood, drown among a crowd on anonymous, Fluttershy couldn’t help a smile hinted with nostalgia. She had decided to step back not even one week ago, and yet, she felt as if she hadn’t been with them for months. It probably came from the fact she hadn’t been much present ever since Big Macintosh and her were on a break. Because seeing them every day from her desk, and even more looking at them now engaging in a merciless competition, a part of her wanted to jump with them into these eccentricities. Even just by being by their side. Fluttershy let a deep sigh out. It was because she thought she wasn’t worth these extraordinary human beings she had taken some time away. But it seemed like she was the only one thinking this. Her friends had always seemed to believe she belonged with them, despite her fear of anything and everything. “Are you okay?” Thunderlane questioned, putting a hand against her shoulder. Drown in her thoughts, Fluttershy had almost forgotten the young man was by her side. It felt like a shock, like being back on the ground too abruptly and she realized how much her group of friends had become a sensitive subject. “I don’t know what’s happened between you but in all likelihood, you don’t hold grudges against them…” If he only knew… If he only knew that in reality, she had let jealousy devour her, she had kept her feelings for her when they wanted to help her, and she had displayed spite towards those who always were reaching their hands for her. What would he say? He was so kind, so obliging… Maybe she would better tell him everything, and maybe he would be understanding… But for now, she just couldn’t do it. Fear. It was this, as always, that was guiding her. And that was the reason why she couldn’t go back to them. They were never afraid to be themselves no matter what, even when mocked, even when looked at condescendingly. “Actually, it’s…” she started. “Complicated?” “Yes”, Fluttershy answered with a chuckle, hiding her mouth behind her hand. Anyway, it was pleasant to have someone understanding her without long explanations. She didn’t know Thunderlane for long but it already happened many times that she started a sentence and he completed it. Maybe she had been completely wrong with Big Macintosh, and they never were meant to be. The tall blond boy had never completed one of her sentence… No. She couldn’t think about this now. She was feeling better about their story lately and she didn’t want to ruin her efforts in the snap of fingers. Thunderlane probably noticed something was bothering her, since he hurried to make her think about something else. “I don’t know what it is for you, but I have no intention of going to the Festival…” “Really? Yet, that’s the last you’ll ever take part in as well.” “Yes, but it never really interested me. I only like being in competition when it comes to studies. Since it’s going to be empty, I’ll go to the library and review. I want to be better than Trixie this year…” “I could review with you; it won’t do me harm… Well, if you want me to come with you, of course.” “I hoped you’d say that…” In reality, she hadn’t planned anything for this weekend. Until now she wasn’t even sure whether or not she wanted to come to the Clubs Festival. Until he told her what he wanted to do. The reason of her decision was simple: she didn’t want to be alone. Or she would be thinking about them. And about him. Actually, Pinkie Pie hadn’t precise one small detail… Indeed, her stand distributed cupcakes but they weren’t free, as the Clubs Festival’s purpose was to raise funds. She couldn’t be satisfied only by winning the first prize but also by earning more money than any other clubs. Although it gathered a large range of activities, the Domestic Arts Department pleased less students than sports, arts (classical) or even sciences. The blame was an old-fashioned and outdated side, sprinkled with a hint of sexism. Yet, everyone loved good food and pretty handcrafted items, right? That was why she was going so much out of her way to succeed. After all, lacrosse was nothing but a way to let off steam for her. Her real hobbies were party planning and baking pastries. Her reputation in the baking field was notorious and enough could gather a crowd. Everyone wanted to have a taste of the famous Pinkie Pie’s rainbow cupcakes! Especially for the affordable price of one symbolic dollar. And at the same time, the students came to admire her savoir-faire in the preparation of the tallest Wedding Cake ever baked. However, Pinkie Pie couldn’t ignore the fact that the nearest stand, Rainbow’s, Applejack’s and Sunset Shimmer’s, with their luxurious auction sale, also was very successful. In fact, a “prize” that was highly coveted had just been put in auction… The date with a national celebrity of the sporting world, who was no one else than Soarin. Far from disappointing those who were interested, who were girls, the sale was at its height and the cost of the two hours face to face with the basketball player were high. “Come to admire the tallest Wedding Cake of the world! And if you buy two rainbow cupcakes, you’ll get one glass of fizzy apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres!” Pinkie Pie claimed on top of her lungs. A promotion that hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. “Hey! Am the one who should be offerin’ fizzy apple cider from MA family!” Applejack got angered. “If that’s the way it is… Attention please, we got a very special offer, instead of two hours, ya can buy a whole mornin’ with the basketball superstar Soarin Skies!” Rainbow Dash, her big wooden hammer in her hand, jolted before looking at her friend. Alright, it was annoying that Pinkie Pie used the Apple’s beverages to achieve her ends, and she also wanted to win, however, she wasn’t willing to win at any cost. It was her boyfriend, after all. “You haven’t asked me if I wasn’t bothered to lend him one entire morning.” “D’ya wanna win or d’ya wanna lose?” “Hem, girls”, Sunset Shimmer intervened in a secret-like voice. “Wouldn’t it be better to focus on the sale?” Especially as this new deal had made prices skyrocket again. Two hours were a good thing, but one entire morning with the Wondercolts leader, here in Canterlot, it felt like getting the moon. And if the lucky girl who was dating this star for real first seemed to be upset by this plot twist, when she heard Pinkie Pie doing another promotion of her cupcakes adding an autograph from the whole team of cheerleaders to the glass of fizzy apple cider, it made her blood boil. She wouldn’t stand for it. “New offer! Exceptional! Instead of two hours, instead of one morning, we offer you one entire day with Soarin!!” This time, it was the person in question, standing next to the trio, and already very embarrassed by all this, who had a word to say about it. For him to accept to be a prize at the auction sale, Rainbow Dash had to promise she would go with him in Cloudsdale for the next holidays, in order to visit his both parents, and Soarin even think it didn’t pay dividends enough compared to what was asked of him. Because, was it useful to precise, he had no desire to spend one entire day with a groupie! “Wouldn’t be a bad thing to ask for my opinion…” But his reply almost went unnoticed among all the frenzy of competition. He should have known… When it came to winning, his girlfriend let no room to chance, even if it meant manipulating the rules! At Twilight’s stand, the atmosphere wasn’t the same at all. The place wasn’t empty, and the experience to come, called the coke bottle, had a little success. The principle was to immerse a famous mint candy in soda, in order to create incredible geysers. However, the young woman and her allies, in particular Muffin, knew that even with this impressive and famous chemical reaction, they would never be able to win the cup. For all that, they wouldn’t give up on the quality of their activities, and would do their best to win the more money they could for the science clubs, which necessary means were rather high. Right before the experience started, Twilight asked Muffin to make their audience wait. There was something she wanted to do… and too bad if that probably wasn’t the right time for it. No. In fact, it surely was the perfect moment for it. She stopped by Pinkie Pie’s stand, and got one of the precious rainbow cupcakes. How her friend could keep on preparing a giant wedding cake while supervising the sales, Twilight didn’t know, but she admired her swiftness and her focus. Out there, a bit at the background of all the restlessness from the Festival, Fluttershy seemed to be waiting for someone by the library’s door. Between two experiences, Twilight had noticed the way she was looking at their various stands. Also, it seemed that she’d arrived very early at her appointment only to observe them from a distance, in secret. She walked to her friend, and with a smile, gave her the cupcake she’d bought for her. Fluttershy stared at it with eyes wide opened, before smiling at her as well. “This is for you”, Twilight simply said. “Err… Alright. Thanks.” Hesitant, she took the hot pastry between her hands, and it smelled good like spices and sugar. Before this moment she hadn’t realized how much she missed this smell. Pinkie Pie’s cakes really were worthy of a restaurant… In fact, she sometimes even baked some for Sugarcube Corner. “I know you need time alone to think, but that doesn’t mean we have to act like we’re perfect strangers. Don’t you agree?” Fluttershy nodded, before taking a bite of her pastry, unable to resist, and too bad for the image it sent of her… It really was delicious! Suddenly, a detail struck the young woman… Twilight also participated at the Festival and by chatting with her, she probably was losing occasions to earn money for the Science Department. Again and again, whatever she did, it disturbed her friend! “I’m alright”, she said after swallowing her mouthful. “You’re not obliged to take care of me, especially as you have more important things to do…” “Don’t worry. It’s clear we can’t measure up to those two”, Twilight answered with a head sign towards Pinkie Pie’s and Rainbow Dash’s stands. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Indeed, they were noisier than any other stand’s supervisors, and it wasn’t a dangerous assumption to say that one of them would probably be the winners of this year’s Festival. What they offered wasn’t that original, but it had to be admit that the communication they’d created around the event was very effective. In the past, calm and quietness were what the young woman was seeking at all costs. Characters that were too flamboyant used to scare her and she always felt bland compare to others. It was different since she had met these four girls (five with Sunset Shimmer and six with Rarity). They had taken her out of her comfort zone and they had driven her into corners more than once, without even realizing. Her break, Fluttershy still thought it to be necessary, however, at the same time, she realized how positive the impact they had on her life was. Even only for she had dared to get away from the group in order to think things through. In the past, she would have been too scared to dare taking the plunge. “You know I’m very observant… I noticed that, sometimes, you really want to come and see us but you hold yourself back. Although I can understand your decision, and I’d never try to influence your choices, I only wanted you to know how much we miss you all. We all hope you’ll come back very soon.” In front of them outlined Thunderlane’s slender yet athletic figure, the boy from the Guiding Class Fluttershy had befriended with. Twilight knew exactly what was his opinion about her, as well as about her friends. Nevertheless, she wasn’t the one who had to tell the young woman. She only hoped she would realize it right on time. Getting away to let the two teenagers review at the library, she couldn’t help one last look behind her shoulder. Twilight could only have a glimpse at them stepping into the building, Thunderlane putting a hand against Fluttershy’s back. Suddenly, an irrational sensation took over her innards. Some kind of foreboding telling her that, sheltered from all eyes, something essential was about to be at play. Something that would have the current situation tip somehow, irreversibly. And she hoped it wasn’t the definite loss of their friend that was at the end of the line. The gang probably wouldn’t survive…
Welfare Boy (Part 3)Even behind the walls of the building, with closed doors and windows, it was impossible to escape the echoes of the party taking place in the main schoolyard. The activities offered by the clubs had probably come to an end, and the winning department was about to be announced, if it hadn’t already. After the Festival, some kind of fête was always organized. The school’s music bands performed on an improvised stage, it was possible to picnic on the grass, and games, adding money to the funds of the school, were launched by the teachers. It had seemed to Fluttershy she’d heard the girls say they could perform as Rainbooms… If they did, it meant Rarity had joined them. And here she was, missing all this… Of course, reviewing was important, and the opposite of a waste of time, but she couldn’t help wondering what she would have done if she were with them. She remembered last year was really fun. Although she insisted, she was unable to retain a single world of her Modern History lesson. In front of her eyes, the image of the girls always appeared, and they were laughing in front of skittles or of a distorting mirror. Or they were sipping on fizzy apple cider on the lawn, or on the stage singing and playing their instruments. Maybe Thunderlane would agree to take a break and go at the party… It would allow them to relax a little, and she suddenly felt like chatting. Or like hearing him speak, it didn’t matter. The most important thing was that the air outside was calling her, although she’d always been someone of inside, choosing the soft security of domesticity over the dangers of society. Also, what Twilight had told her was bothering her. Theoretically, it wasn’t a big deal, or something she didn’t already know. Girls had already told her she was welcome any time she wanted, and there had very few chances they would reject her, nevertheless, her desire to go back to them was stronger than ever since their conversation together. Fluttershy wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Not that she had thought about many other things all week long… She took a glimpse at her reviewing buddy, and jumped from surprised when she realized he already was staring at her. The way he looked at her was intense, and she could affirm without mistake that he never looked at her this way. “Do I… have something on my face, or…?” Thunderlane burst out laughing, and it resounded against the library’s walls. “No. You’re pretty, that’s all.” “Oh, thanks.” Fluttershy lowered her head, her cheeks colored with pink. It always felt strange to get compliments from someone, especially from boys. Of course, she didn’t think she was ugly, but didn’t think, neither, that she was so pretty a male representative would need to scrutinize her face. After all, although Big Macintosh already complimented her this way, he never had looked at her this way, even back when they were dating. Or were they still dating? She wasn’t quite sure. From the corner of her eye, she saw Thunderlane putting his pencil back, and put his hands on her hers, lying on her laps, and holding her uniform skirt. It made her jump from surprise again, and this time, her schoolmate only smiled tenderly at her. “I have to confess”, he started. “I lied. I lied about me.” “About you?” she repeated, blinking. She didn’t understand anything. “Yes. I didn’t come to you because you looked sad and I wanted to comfort you. Well, although I really wanted to comfort you… In fact, when I saw you alone, I knew if I wanted to try to approach you, it would be now or never, when you weren’t with your bunch of noisy friends.” Far from soothing the young woman’s heart, these first words increased her tension even more. Fluttershy thought she started to guess what would be coming next. And if he confessed to her what she thought he would confess, she would be stuck in an unpleasant situation. If only he stopped here, she would be saved… But he didn’t stop, much to her regrets. “In fact, from the moment I saw you, I had a crush on you, love at first sight, as they say. I really like you. You’re pretty, tactful, sweet, demure, kind… Everything I love and desire from a girl. I know you don’t know me that well, and that you don’t easily open your heart to those you don’t really know, but I’m going to try anyway… Would you accept to become my girlfriend?” Fluttershy swallowed. This was exactly what she had feared. She had longed for these words so much… Only from somebody else. And, in a way, she still longed for them today, though there were very little chances for things to get better between them. All that Big Macintosh had meant for her couldn’t be erased like white chalk on a blackboard. Although he had hurt her, breaking her heart in two, her feelings for him were still here, and jumping into another affair would be hurting the other the way she had been hurt. It would be a lie, and if her story with Big Macintosh had taught her something, it was that honesty always was the better choice, even if it wasn’t deprived of violent backwashes. It led to what was next. How could she tell Thunderlane this without breaking his heart as well? She could still remember the inner scalding her first reject had felt like, and the indelible mark it left on her soul. Her silence as an answer to his question, however, was enough to make the young man understand his request wouldn’t get him the expected result. He let go of her hands, and leaned against the back of his chair. “Phew! This is that they call a silence that speaks volume!” “No, that’s not the way it is…” Fluttershy started. “Well, it is actually… I’m sorry.” She let out a deep sigh. It would probably be a little trying, but she owed him the truth. Even if only because he had always been very nice with her. “You’re very kind and I’m sure I would’ve been happy with you, but it wouldn’t be a good thing. For now, my boyfriend and I aren’t really separated, and although it’s very complicated between us, I’m still in love with him. I don’t think I’ll be able to forget him so soon. He was my very first love, can you understand?” “Yes, I can understand”, Thunderlane answered with an odd half-smile, looking away. For all that, Fluttershy wasn’t completely convinced. The way he was acting now, an arm leant behind him, and his jaws clenched, didn’t let her know he was taking this graciously. Well, it was understandable, since being rejected never was an easy thing, yet, his behavior didn’t make her think about the pain she felt when Big Macintosh rejected her for the first time. No. Right now, Thunderlane made her think about Rainbow Dash when she lost a competition. And it never was a good thing to see. “I’m sorry”, she said, lowering her head. “You’re sorry? Do you think I even care about the fact that you’re sorry? I should have known you were like this!” Now, his tone of voice was straight out scornful, light years away from the softness and the benevolence he displayed until then. If she was shocked, Fluttershy reassured herself thinking it probably was because he was feeling sad, and it made him act aggressively, the way she acted with Pinkie Pie. The difference was that Pinkie Pie and she had known each other for more than one year, and during this short period of time, they had developed strong bonds of friendship. She really met Thunderlane a few days ago, and felt as if even patience wouldn’t change his attitude. What he confirmed on the next second. “Considering who you’re hanging out with!” “What’s the point with who I’m hanging out with?” she asked, suddenly on the defensive. He could reproach her anything he wanted, but Fluttershy couldn’t get what her friends had to do with that. As far as she knew, none of them really cared about Thunderlane, and even Twilight, in the same class than him, hadn’t said a word about him. “Those little friends of yours! I knew from the moment I saw them with you they would be a bad influence. Only Twilight Sparkle is worth a little something, and yet, her inclination to think she’s the smartest one in the room is a bit annoying. Let’s not even talk about the others… Sunset Shimmer: a real slut. Applejack: an illiterate hillbilly. Pinkie Pie: a big boobs butthead. And Rainbow Dash is the opposite of femininity. She thinks she’s it, but she’s a real horse. I wouldn’t even want to sleep with her if she had a bag on her head! What a gang… I thought you were superior, but now I see that I was wrong.” A monster. This boy was nothing but a monster. How could she be fooled by his smiles and his nice attitudes? Today he had revealed his true face. Deep inside, Fluttershy knew it wasn’t sadness nor disillusion speaking now. He meant every single words he had said. There had been signs, but she had chosen to ignore them. He probably thought he gave her a taste of her own medicine with this pathetic judgement. He was wrong. Although things were complicated with them, they were her best friends. Those who welcomed her with opened arms, without further questions, and who had put up with her fears, her shyness, her malevolent words… Who were ready to let her be back in the gang anytime she wanted, despite what she had done. No one could say such things about them. For once, Fluttershy let the part of her that scared her a little speak. She had to defend the honor of the most amazing persons she had ever met. Her soul sisters. Her second family. She got up and hit her two hands against the table. “How dare you say such things about my friends? You don’t even know them! They are at least a twenty times worthier than you’ll ever be. They’re the most open-minded, funny, kind and generous persons I’ve ever met. Of course, they have flaws, everybody has flaws, but in no way would they dare judging someone on physical traits only or based on stupid gossips. And I’d rather be with them than with a boy who thinks he can wipe his feet on the others just to get what he wants and who doesn’t have a single hint of integrity. If it makes me someone vulgar or not worth it, I don’t care. At least, I don’t pretend I am someone that I’m not!” After this, she gathered her stuff hurriedly, and left without looking back, putting everything inside her bag as she walked, her hands shaking from nervousness, but her chin up. She didn’t hear what Thunderlane said behind her back and whether it were apologies or insults. To be honest, she couldn’t care less about anything he could say. Because Fluttershy had just realized something essential, in the gap of a few seconds. Blinded by her pain, shame and fears, she had been unable to realize that, under her six friend’s influence, she had changed a lot, in the right direction. Before she arrived at CHS, she would never get the courage to confront someone like Thunderlane. She would have curled up, cried and do her best to be in the young man’s good books. In front of her friends, she was free to be herself, the real Fluttershy, without disguise or pretense. She could be jittery, too polite, she could hide behind others when fights started, she could cry, she could be aggressive, even. She was accepted for who she was, with her flaws, her habits, her qualities, her inner resources. Even when she made mistakes, even when she failed, even when she fell, her friends were here to take her hand. Yes, she had been through ordeals, but she wasn’t weak. As a proof, she was still here, standing on her two feet. It was by their side she had learned what real courage was, and she needed them. Like they probably needed her. Now, Fluttershy just couldn’t wait: finding them and tell them everything. Tell them how wrong she was, and how much she wanted to come back. Out of breath, she pushed the library’s door, expecting to be face to face with a hundreds of students in civilian clothes, a glass of cider in their hands, chatting cheerfully while going from stands to stands… But she met face to face with a desperately empty yard. Streamers were scattered around the ground, stands were in the middle of deconstruction, there were no more music, and on the stage, around the back of the field, students of ninth grade were busy taking off the musical supplies. Over. The Clubs Festival was over, and she had missed it all. Her friends no longer were here, which meant she had missed another opportunity to create new memories by their side. Fluttershy was more deceived than ever. All of her good resolutions melted down like an ice cube in a warm beverage, and she felt like crying. But suddenly, seeing The Crusaders busy stripping down Rainbow Dash’s, Applejack’s and Sunset Shimmer’s stands, disillusion let way to hope. Nothing was lost. She still could make it up to them. Pinkie Pie let a streamer burst out and, standing on her chair, put her fist in the air, claiming: “Best Clubs Festival ever!” Very few of the costumers around had a reaction. Since she was living in the bedroom right above the tearoom, most of the regulars were used to the young baker’s eccentricities. Some were amused, others were embarrassed and the ones left were irritated… But for none of them, what was happening right under their eyes had something awkward. Rainbow Dash let out a short laugh, then pulled on a tail of her jacket to recommend her to sit back. In-between, Soarin had joined them, just like Rarity who played on the CHS stage with them. It had been a while since the Rainbooms hadn’t performed, and the four friends had forgotten how much they enjoyed being together to play music. So they promised each other they’d do this as soon as possible – this time integrating Sunset Shimmer, who also could play electric guitar. After Pinkie Pie’s declaration, they all toasted to their very last Clubs Festival, trying to keep all the good things and memories, and not to be caught up by some kind of nostalgia. When Rainbow Dash put down her raspberry milkshake, she couldn’t help but noticing how attentively Soarin was staring at her white gold and fake diamonds cup, that she’d put on the table. “Isn’t my cup beautiful?” she said with a wink. “Yar cup?” Applejack intervened. “Seemed to me we were three to win it.” “Come on, don’t be picky over a detail of possessive pronoun!” “That’s cuz Ah know ya, ya show-off.” “I was only thinking it took a bit too much room on the table”, Soarin said, sheepish. Then, they all burst out laughing, even those who didn’t participate in this micro-quarrel. It was the first time since Fluttershy had decided to get away for a while that they were able to be themselves completely. The festival’s success made them too happy to torture their minds. And so they had decided to wait for the return of their lost member with philosophy. “I don’t care”, Pinkie Pie claimed proudly. “We made the tallest Wedding Cake I’ve ever seen and beat the record of the number of cupcakes ever given away. I know this is going to make me famous.” “Weren’t you already supposed to be famous thanks to your candy omelet?” Sunset Shimmer questioned. “Mah, my time will come.” “What’s a candy omelet?” Soarin asked, obviously off track tonight. “That’s just like a regular omelet, but with sugar instead of salt, and jelly beans inside.” “One hundred percent carious guaranteed”, his girlfriend confessed. “I’d like to taste it”, Muffin said. “Oh, I don’t recommend it” Rarity added, suppressing a chill. “Only our dearest Pinkie can stand something that sweet.” “Not true!! Your little sister Sweetie Belle’s really fond of it. And so is Apple Bloom, in fact.” They still were in the middle of a debate about one of Pinkie Pie’s finest culinary creation when someone they knew very well pushed Sugarcube Corner’s door. Dressed in her uniform, a part of her jacket low on her shoulder, her cheeks on fire and breathless, Fluttershy made a noticeable entrance, and for once, she seemed not to care much. The whole table turned to her and immediately turned silent. To be honest, except Twilight, they all thought the young woman was home. None saw her waiting for Thunderlane in front of the library, busy as they were with their stands’ activities. So it was a great surprise to see her coming in this way. “I’ve been wrong!!” she screamed from the door, apprising costumers who, this time, weren’t used to it at all. After a short astonishment that let the table even more silent – if this was possible – they all started to laugh, arguing this was the less Fluttershyesque introduction they’d ever heard. Far from taking offense, the teenage girl laughed as well, glad to note that things seemed to be on the right path. Now she was the person who had to walk the rest of the road. She came nearer, but didn’t try to find a seat next to her friends. It was a good thing to say she had been wrong but she didn’t want to get her place back without the least of efforts. “Sorry. About everything. I never should have get away from you girls. I haven’t realized I’ve made so many progresses and that it was thanks to you. I was jealous of Pinkie although I knew perfectly she wasn’t the blame and I should never had said the things that I’ve said. I could see nothing but my own pain and anger, and I couldn’t realize all the good things your presence brought to me every day. I wish I could swallow back all the mean words I could have said. I know that’s impossible, so I promise… I’ll do my best to make it up to you all and to be worth of your friendship. Pinkie Promise!” When she heard her say the catchphrase that had become the emblem of their group, Pinkie Pie winked at her. And so, Fluttershy felt a weight leaving her shoulders… For she also let bitterness taking over everything else in the past, and turning her into someone completely different, Pinkie Pie understood and was ready to forgive her, the way she had been forgiven for her misdeeds. Plus, if she ever learned the boy she loved was in love with one of her best friends, she would be in trouble with her own feelings as well. Well, she was in love with no one but this was another detail for another conversation. “I want to go back home…” This last sentence widened the smiles her other friends displayed (as well as Soarin). Home was a protective place for Fluttershy and everyone knew it. She liked to take refuge there when she was too scared or when she was too sad. Her to consider their group as a second home meant a lot… Rarity, as the eldest of the group, positioned herself as the leader, without further question. In any other moment, it would have let way to another debate but tonight they all were so happy of the unfolding of events that none of them noted. “What do you think, girls?” “What a question!” “Welcome back”, Twilight said to cut short to the discussion on the horizon. She took a glimpse at Rainbow Dash and she answered by nodding. The young woman grabbed something inside her bag and got up to walk to Fluttershy. “I think you’ve lost this…” In her hands laid the bracelet their friends gave them when she decided to get away for some time. Each of the girls had kept it successively, in the event of Fluttershy’s return. And it was officially done when Rainbow Dash tied the clasp around the young woman’s frail wrist. Immediately, all the girls got off their chairs and gathered around her for a group hug. It was hard for Fluttershy not to cry. She felt as if she was going back to life after a long sleep and that this day was the beginning of a radiant future. The trip had been long and winding but it was worth the sacrifice. This time, she would never go back. And if sometimes, she was afraid, she knew all she had to do was to stretch out her hand and her friends, the most wonderful (and craziest) girl she ever met, would run to help her and to comfort her through thick and thin. Author's Note Next arc is a bit apart from the rest... Inspire by two films in particular. One features Sandra Bullock and the other Kirsten Dunst.
Drop Dead Gorgeous [Preview]Glancing at her calendar, Rarity realized today was the first day of the last school holidays before summer. Time had spent so fast… It undoubtedly meant she could expect to see her little sister Sweetie Belle accompanied by her two lovely friends, and that the young teenage girl would be under her feet all week long. Until she would decide to do her homework. Rarity liked to spend time with the young girl but she hoped the latter wouldn’t come and mess her fabrics up or steal her sewing scissors for her latest artistic creation. Anyway, she was going to be very busy for days and Sassy was ordered not to let Sweetie Belle enter into her workshop in her absence. She fit the black muslin, laces and taffeta dress one last time on the foam mannequin and took one step back in order to admire her latest creation. Perfect. She was sure Hoity Toity wouldn’t believe his eyes. If he didn’t, then Rarity swore she wasn’t Rarity anymore! Author's Note Want to know the rest? Just go there: Volume 3. Yes, yes, it's a trilogy now
