Behind the Bleeding Veil

The swerve. The swerve is when a story has been going in one direction suddenly takes a turn to another. This is different than a plot twist which recasts everything that has happened prior in a brand new light. Up until now our fair ladies (and one gentleman) have retained a friendship despite suffering PTSD from their previous encounter with evil. Now, however, things take a turn for the worse. This is the swerve. The point where everything changes, goes bad, and sets up the horrible events to come. No, this isn't Rarity's death. That's still to come. What this is, is what allows that death to have the effect that it does. So let us . . .

Huh? Oh; who am I? I am the narrator of course. A bit more prominent in the first couple chapters, I decided to step a bit for the last few. Oh, you know I'm the narrator, but who am I? Patience dear ones. All will be revealed at the end. I promise. You won't like the answer but that's not for right now. Now let us begin with Twilight, Flash, Sunset, Adagio, Pinkie, and Sonata already at brunch. They're sitting outside a little bistro; talking, laughing, joking, awaiting the arrival of the others; the first of which is Apple Jack.

The bright, mid morning sun glistened off Apple Jack as she approached the table where the others sat. Her blonde hair radiated with the reflected sun light, her dress beamed bright, causing it to look as if it were almost glowing. She had a bright, bold smile on her face. It was the smile of one who had been imprisoned unjustly for years but who was set free. Little chip walked beside her, holding her left hand. His smile was almost as big as hers. He smiled because she smiled. Children always smile when their mother smiles.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey," Pinkie said cheerfully. She could how deeply happy Apple was and had come to one conclusion as to why. "So, are you part of 'the family' now?" she asked with heavy innuendo in her voice. She wanted to ask more but with Chippy present, she knew her inquires had to be couched as much as possible.

"Well, let's just say I have far more in common with you, Sonata, Sunset, and Adagio than I do with Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash," Apple responded with good humor; enjoying the hints and word play.

"EEEEEEEEEE!" squealed Pinkie

"Welcome to the sisterhood!" exclaimed Sonata, and she and Pinkie ran up and hugged Apple Jack.

Twilight turned to Sunset and gave her a look that said - Is this a lesbian thing? Sunset turned her head and put up both her palms in front of her to say - Hey, this ain't my thing. This is strictly a Pinkie and Sonata thing.

"I'm happy for you Apple Jack," Flash said with genuine warmth. "For you and Rarity both."

"Yeah and now you don't look like a cow dyke either," Sonata added gleefully.

Adagio spit the orange juice she was drinking out in shock. "SONATA!" she exclaimed in a shocked, scolding voice.

"Well she did and I can say dyke because I'm a lesbian. Just like a black person can say . . . "

"SONATA!" Adagio shouted before she could have a chance to finish what surely would have been a self destructive sentence.

"Oh right," Sonata replied, suddenly understanding the mistake she was about to make. "Good save."

"Good save from what?" Rainbow Dash asked as she had just come into ear shot. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on, only Sonata looked embarrassed, Adagio looked mad, and both Pinkie and Sonata were hugging Apple Jack.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Pinkie shouted and ran over and hugged her. Sonata followed suit. After they were done Rainbow went up and hugged Apple Jack.

"From getting punched by you if I would have let her finish," Adagio replied a soft smirk.

Everyone gave a little chuckle and Rainbow looked at them all; confused. She then shrugged and figured it wasn't important and moved on.

"So how is everyone this morning?" Rainbow asked.

"Apple Jack and Rarity are a couple now!" Pinkie blurted out, unable to control herself.

Rainbow looked at Apple who turned away, blushing.

"About da - darn time," she said; correcting herself when she saw Chippy standing beside his mother. "Congratulations AJ. You two were made for each other."

"Thanks Rainbow. So how was that show last night?"

Rainbow suddenly crossed her arms over her chest. She looked down and began to grind her right foot into the sidewalk. She moved her head as though she dropped something extremely important on the ground and was looking for it.

"Rainbow?" Sunset asked gently but with great concern. "Is everything ok?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah it is. We just had a little argument. She went back to her parent's place. It's nothing. I was planning on apologizing today. You know how it is. Friends fight sometimes; that's all." She tried to play it off but her voice carried to much concern.

"Oh we get it. Last night was a train wreck after you guys left," Pinkie said in a voice that was way to happy sounding for the words she said.

Rainbow looked at the others in fresh confusion but also relief. If their night was as bad as hers and Fluttershy's then maybe she could avoid explaining it. "Well, glad it sucked for everyone then. Well, maybe not for Apple Jack and Rarity from the sounds of it."

"I'm sure there was plenty of sucking going on for them," Sonata said straight forwardly; with no hint of trying to make a joke from her innuendo.

Apple Jack gave her a light smack to the back of the head. When Sonata turned around to ask why; Apple nodded to where Chippy stood and Sonata realized she had crossed a line. "Sorry," she said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, she should be on her way with Rarity," Apple said to Rainbow. "You'll be able to apologize shortly."

Rainbow nodded and sat down. Apple Jack sat as well with Chippy on her lap. Everyone began to fill Rainbow in on what she had missed; how the had gotten really heated and dark, and how everyone finally confessed to how they were really feeling and dealing with the aftermath of their battle with Morgorith. And as much as they could with a two year old present, how each couple made up when they went home. It sounded bad but cathartic. Rainbow had just gone home and wallowed in guilt. It wasn't until she had talked to Scootaloo that she had felt better.

After about an hour, though, they realized neither Rarity or Fluttershy had shown up yet. Confused and a bit concerned, Apple decided to give Rarity a call to see what was going on. She didn't think it was anything major, but wanted to check just to see. Rarity's phone rang and rang, eventually going to voice mail. Really concerned now, Apple Jack called again. Her call was just about to go to voice mail again when she finally heard Rarity issue a quiet and fearful hello.

"Uh, hey Sugar Cube. Um, we's was all wonderin' when y'all was going to get here." Apple Jack was scared now. Something wasn't right but she tried her best to sound cool and calm.

"Oh, yes, that. I, um, I won't be coming. Um, Fluttershy left this morning before I got back. Apparently something bad happened last night and she didn't want to stay here any longer so I decided to go up after her to make sure she's ok."

"What, wait," Apple said gripped in a sudden panic. She quickly put her phone on speaker so everyone else could hear. "Fluttershy left because Rainbow Dash?"

Everyone gasped and Rainbow began to panic internally.

"E, yes. So I'm going after her," Rarity nervously responded.

"Well, why don't we all go then? Rainbow here said she wanted to apologize," Apple replied back in full panic mode. Something was going that was far bigger than Rarity was letting on.

"NO!" Rarity shouted as though she were a parent who's finally had enough of an unruly child's behavior. She then took a moment and continued in a more normal voice. "I just think it's best if I go alone. You know, it's a sister thing." Rarity immediately regretted saying that as she could almost hear Apple Jack tense up over the phone.

"Yeah, Rarity, but it's also a friendship thing too. Fluttershy is our friend, Rainbow has known longer than any of us, she deserves a chance to apologize in person. And," Apple Jack's voice got really quiet, "I want to be with you."

There was a long pause before Rarity spoke again. "I know but I don't want to be with you," she replied softly, full of sadness and regret.

Everyone gasped again and Apple stammered, "But, but, last night, this mornin' . . . "

"Were a mistake Apple Jack. Oh, god damn it; I love you Apple Jack and it makes me want to throw up. I can't, I just can't. I'm not a lesbian."

It was then that Pinkie grabbed Apple Jack's phone from her and let lose with a level of anger that almost no one thought Pinkie could possess. "Listen here you tight assed, little cunt; what the fuck is wrong with being a lesbian? Huh? What is being a lesbian beneath you? Are me and Sonata beneath you? Sunset, Adagio? I'm sick of people thinking that somehow being gay is a curse. I'm fucking proud of who I am. I'm fucking proud of Sonata! I love her with all my heart and wouldn't give up what we have for anybody. Not for my religious freak parents, and certainly not for a stuck up bitch like you who cares more about her fucking image than the fact she's found somebody she loves and who loves her. And being with Apple Jack wouldn't even make you a lesbian! We know you like dick. You're bisexual, get over it!"

Another pause then Rarity yelled, "Apple Jack! Did you put me on speaker?"

Apple grabbed her phone back from Pinkie. "I'm sorry Rarity! I just thought the others should hear about . . ."

"About what Apple Jack? About us? About that perfect life you had all planned out for us without even asking me what I wanted or how I felt?"

"Uh, no! Fluttershy. So they all could hear about Fluttershy."

"Well you got Rainbow there; ask her! I'm done with you. I'm not a lesbian, I'm not bisexual. I'm heterosexual. Got that. Thinking about what we did makes me want to vomit! You hear that? You want to go gay because no man could live up to your dead boyfriend? - FINE! But leave me alone! I never want to see or hear from you again!" With that she turned her phone off.

Apple Jack looked stunned and then burst out crying which caused Chippy to start crying. Children also cry when mommy cries. Sonata, Twilight, and Flash all tried to comfort her. Pinkie scowled and thought of how she would hunt Rarity down and gut her like a fish.

Sunset turned to Rainbow who just sat frozen. "Rainbow, what happened last night?"

Rainbow slowly turned to Sunset, her eyes wide in fear. "What?" she simply said.

"What happened? Last night. That couldn't've been a normal argument. What happened?"

Rainbow just looked at Sunset with that same expression on her face for a bit and then suddenly stood up and slammed her chair in. "I don't need this fucking shit! OK? I don't need you butting in to my fucking personal life! You know what? I'm fucking done with this. I'm out. Fuck you all!" With that, she stormed off and rode away.

"What the hell is happening?" Twilight asked in deep confusion.

"I don't know," Adagio said coolly. "But that whole outburst was fake. I've seen enough human flip outs to spot a real one from a fake one. That, that was all for show and a reason to get out of here."

"What should we do?" asked Sunset. "Call Fluttershy?"

"No," answered Twilight. "The way things are going; she probably wouldn't talk to us anyways. Apple Jack needs us now. We'll work things out with the others later, once everyone has had a chance to cool down."

They never did.