Before the Friendship Games: Sour Sweet

by CapNTilfy

Rating: teen
Tags: Lemon Zest, Drama, Equestria Girls, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Slice of Life, Sour Sweet, Shadowbolts (EqG), Sad
Length: 26477

Sour Sweet has been miserable for as long as she can remember. Little does she know what lies ahead for her... Book Three of the Crystal Prep Chronicles: Before the Friendship Games

Throughout her life, Sour Sweet has been miserable. Any moments of happiness she has are fleeting, at best. She grapples with this and many other things, unaware of the changes that lie ahead...

Book Three of the Crystal Prep Chronicles: Before the Friendship Games

The chapter "Struggle" contains a suicide attempt.

Part of "Not Just Any Old Continuity", which includes
Not Just Any Old Trilogy
The Anon-A-Miss Saga
TimberTwi Tales

Check out all of my stories here!

Published 2018-06-09 05:20:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-06-26 22:39:39 UTC

Loneliness

Author's Note

Eight days until the Friendship Games.

Loneliness

Sour Sweet rolled over on the floor in her bedroom, waking up. She stretched, popping her back and wincing. She sighed heavily and looked out the window. Well, at least the outside doesn't look as shitty as the inside. Her bedroom was nearly as empty as the house she lived in. A whole house. To herself. Almost, but not quite as empty as she felt inside on a day-to-day basis.

She changed into her uniform and went downstairs to an empty kitchen with nobody to greet her. As she looked around the house, she saw all the holes she had punched into the walls over the course of her stay. She'd rather be alone than spend one more second with...them.

The mere thought of those people made her blood boil and was the primary reason all those holes were punched. The whole reason for her suffering. She shoved the issue into the back of her mind. Life was hell enough as it is, she didn't need more bullshit to deal with.

Sour Sweet sighed heavily again and left her house.

Thankfully, the wait for the school bus was practically nonexistent. She'd rather get this day over with so she could wallow in misery by herself.

Now, Sour, you know you're not alone...

Sour Sweet blinked, then sighed deeply.

What the fuck do you want? she asked.

What I want is simply to remind you that you're never alone. Not as long as I'm around!

Fuck off, I'd rather be lonely than deal with you! she thought.

It barked a laugh. As if you have a choice in the matter!

Sour winced. It was right. It was always right.

Before the conversation could continue, the bus reached Crystal Prep Academy.

"Time for another day at Hellhole High!" Sour blinked. Stop calling it that!

But you know it's true! is said in a singsong tone.

Sour sighed deeply. It was right. It was always right. She left the bus and walked towards the entrance. Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Sunny Flare talking to some random student. Sour shrugged and moved on. None of my business, so why should I care?

Suddenly, unbidden, a painful memory resurfaced.

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

Sour clutched her head and winced, holding back tears. She took a deep breath, then exhaled, calming herself down. She went inside Crystal Prep.

She wandered the halls, avoiding eye contact. She was not in the mood for interaction if she could help it. She found her first period class, then entered.

"Well, that was a thing that happened." she muttered under her breath. First period classes were boring as hell, and she knew hell. She walked the halls again, noticing banners for something called the "Friendship Games". Sour rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Friendship. Hah! Those games have nothing to do with friendship. All it is is the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts beating the crap out of the Canterlot High Wondercolts every three years!" Shaking her head, Sour Sweet walked into her second period class.

Sour made a sputtering noise as she left the classroom. "Seriously, some of that shit should be common knowledge!" She sighed. She saw Jet Set and Upper Crust pass her by. Sour sighed. I'd hate to admit it to anyone, but I'm jealous of couples. They have happiness. They have each other. Me? I have misery...and a sour side.

Is that what you're going to call me? it asked angrily.

If it pisses you off that much, then yes! Sour Sweet thought.

So be it. thought Sour Side.

What were you expecting? Something edgy? Something that'll get you all the hot guys? Oh, wait. You're not real. So fuck you! Sour Sweet thought as she went into her third period class.

Third period had ended, and to Sour's surprise, Sour Side had remained silent for longer than normal.

You rang? asked Sour Side.

Sour Sweet slapped the palm of her hand to her forehead and dragged it all the way down to her chin. She sighed, then rolled her eyes. "Moving on!" she muttered under her breath. She walked the halls until she reached her next class.

Fourth period had ended, and Sour was struck with an empty feeling. She sighed, then winced again as those words echoed in her mind.

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

She sniffled a little, then calmed herself down. Hopefully next period will keep me occupied. she thought as she entered her fifth period class.

It was lunchtime. Sour Sweet always preferred to keep to herself during this period. If anyone came so much as a foot near her, she'd give them a death glare they'd never forget!

Just you and me, Sour. Just you and me. Sour Side thought.

Oh, shut up. I know you can't leave me be, but can you at least be quiet or something? Sour Sweet thought as she rolled her eyes.

So be it. Sour Side thought.

Not risking a 'thank you' in case Sour Side would return, Sour Sweet gave a nod of satisfaction and ate her lunch alone.

By the time lunch had ended, Sour Sweet saw Lemon Zest. She owes me for fucking up during gym! Sour followed Lemon until she had a chance to speak with her. "Hey, Lemon." she said.

"Hey Sour." said Lemon.

"I just wanted to thank you for playing on my team during gym...Until you completely screwed it up!" said Sour.

Lemon Zest clenched her hands into fists, then looked Sour Sweet straight in the eyes. "You know what?" she said, "Maybe you screwed it up and don't have the balls to admit it!" she said as she put her pointer finger right in Sour's face. "I know saying it makes me a hypocrite, but would it actually kill one of us to not throw each other under a bus every goddamn time we get the chance?!" She fumed. "I am getting so sick of this 'every person for themselves' herd mentality. But you want to know what the worst part of this is?" she said, her voice cracking.

Sour Sweet stared at Lemon Zest, shock on her face.

"The worst part" continued Lemon Zest, unaware of the tears that were falling from her eyes. "is that even though I'm justifiably pissed off, I'll eventually fall right back into the whole 'herd mentality' and it'll be me against the world unless fate is so kind enough to have me on a team so that when they fuck up, I'm the lucky one to throw them under the goddamn bus!" she collapsed and burst into tears, sobbing in the middle of the hallway.

Sour Sweet backed away slowly, leaving Lemon Zest to deal with her emotions on her own.

Just Another Day

She can't treat you like that! thought Sour Side. Maybe she needs to be taught a lesson.

Sour Sweet blinked. You want me to teach a "lesson" to someone who just had a complete mental breakdown in the hallway? What the hell is wrong with you?! she thought.

Think of it this way. Those people pushed you around and look where doing nothing got you. An empty house with nobody in it! You have to make it known that you won't take any shit from anyone! Sour Side thought.

Sour Sweet's eyes narrowed and her blood boiled. You know what? You're right. she thought. Sour Side was always right.

Sour Sweet went to her sixth period class as she formulated a plan with Sour Side.

Telling Principal Cinch is pretty straightforward. thought Sour Sweet.

You don't seem to have a problem with it. thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet shrugged. Meh. Whatever works.

Keeping her eye on the time, Sour walked up the stairs to Principal Cinch's office. She knocked on the door.

"Come in." said the principal from behind her office door.

Sour Sweet slowly approached Principal Cinch, wringing her hands as if to show uncertainty.

"Principal Cinch...I have an issue with Lemon Zest." Said Sour Sweet.

Principal Cinch raised an eyebrow. "And that issue would be?"

"Lemon told me she had feelings for me, and that has been troubling me for some time now." Sour Sweet said.

While what she said was true to an extent, Sour Sweet had left out the fact that she turned Lemon down in a harsh manner. That was what had been troubling her, not the fact that Lemon had confessed her feelings.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

Sour again felt a pang of guilt, but the deed was done.

Principal Cinch paused for a moment. "Very well." she said. "I will address the situation tomorrow. I have a busy day ahead of me today."

"Thank you, Principal Cinch." Sour Sweet said as she left the office.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! You're not my type!"

The words echoed in Sour Sweet's mind like a cave.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! You're not my type!"

Sour clenched her teeth as the memory persisted.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! You're not my type!"

"Stop." Sour said silently.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! You're not my type!"

"Stop it!" She said, louder.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you! You're not my type!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

She collapsed on the floor and covered her head with her hands, then cried.

The warning bell for seventh period rang.

Quickly regaining her composure, Sour Sweet ran to her next period.

Sour Sweet sighed heavily as she left her classroom. Why do I want to be lonely if all it does is make me miserable? Am I just a glutton for punishment?

Sometimes I wonder. thought Sour Side.

You're not helping! Sour Sweet snapped. She sighed again and put her head in her hands, making a sputtering noise. Why me? Why do I have to put with this bullshit?

She slowly trudged towards her eighth period class, mumbling under her breath.

"If only there was a way to literally kill time..." Sour said under her breath. "I'm so goddamn bored!"

Maybe you should make a friend.

Sour Sweet burst into a laughing fit, startling everyone in her vicinity. That's the funniest thing I've ever heard from you! she thought.

I'm not joking.

Sour rolled her eyes. Oh, please. I thought you wanted me all to yourself!

Whatever gave you that idea? thought Sour Side, feigning innocence. I'm just saying is all.

Whatever. Sour Sweet thought. Not my thing.

So you'd rather be lonely and miserable? thought Sour Side.

That's how I've lived most of my life so far, so why stop now? thought Sour Sweet.

Again, I'm just saying is all. thought Sour Side.

"Whatever." Sour Sweet said under her breath. When she turned around she noticed a student. "The fuck are you looking at?" she said, scaring the student off. She then sighed heavily and moved on to her final class of the day.

The final class of the day had ended, and Sour Sweet had all but sped out of the classroom once the bell rang. "It's about goddamn time!!" she nearly shouted. She ran to the buses excitedly and boarded immediately. Waiting for the bus to move, she closed her eyes, focusing on the motor of the bus.

She nearly fell asleep as the bus brought her home. Realizing where she was, she bolted out of her seat just in time. "Wait!"

The bus driver braked suddenly, causing all the passengers to lurch forward. He gave Sour Sweet a nasty look. "Next time, pay more attention!"

Sour Sweet gave the bus driver a nasty look in return and gave him the bird. "Fuck you, man." she said.

Before he closed the bus door, he sighed. "Sometimes I think they don't pay me enough for this shit..."

Sour opened her door, then slammed it shut. She was alone. Again. She felt tears out of the corners of her eyes. "What is wrong with me?" she said as she started crying. "Why do I do this to myself?" she said between sobs. Within a few minutes she had calmed down.

She cooked herself a dinner, then just stared at the holes that she punched in the walls until it was time to go to bed. Sour Sweet laid on her bedroom floor and let sleep claim her.

Sour Sweet found herself with an audience of people. No distinguishing features, nothing remarkable about them...except for the fact that the people in question were those people. Feeling her rage boil, Sour Sweet found two sharp swords and mercilessly slaughtered all of them, screaming with fury as tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't let up. Not for one second. Even as her last victim fell, she continued shrieking with anger as her tears continued to fall. Then she woke up.

Rough Start

Author's Note

One week until the Friendship Games.

Rough Start

Sour Sweet rolled on her bedroom floor, sighing heavily. "Why do I always fall apart even after I've killed all of those people?"

Sour nearly jumped as her phone rang. "Shit!" she yelped, and grabbed her phone. She felt her temper rise almost immediately once she saw who was calling.

Now calling: Cinnamon Flash

"What the fuck does he want?!" Sour Sweet yelled, then took a deep, calming breath. She put on her best smile, despite it being a phone call. Sour Sweet found that smiling helped her keep Sour Side at bay unless she wanted her. She picked up the call. "Hello, Mr. Flash!" she said as sweetly as she could.

"Hello, Sour." He said.

Sour Sweet gritted her teeth, his very voice angering her. "To what pleasure do I owe this call?" she said.

"Have you paid your rent today?" he asked.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Flash?" Sour asked. "I paid it two days ago."

"Blueberry Dazzle lost it shortly after you gave it to her. You know how forgetful she can be." Cinnamon said.

"I...see..." Sour Sweet said, clenching her free hand into a fist and holding back her anger.

"See to it that you get the rent to me before next Sunday. And if you so much as talk back to me, you will be evicted. On. The. Spot." Cinnamon said.

"I understand...Mr. Flash." Sour Sweet said, tears streaming down her face.

"Good day." Cinnamon said, and hung up.

Once the call ended, Sour Sweet let out a wail of rage and punched another hole in the wall. "God fucking dammit!" she shrieked. "They always do this to me!" she collapsed on the floor and sobbed uncontrollably.

Cinnamon Flash and his wife Blueberry Dazzle were Sour Sweet's landlords, and sadly also the constant source of her misery. This wasn't the first time either of them had pulled that "Blueberry Dazzle is forgetful" bullshit. She always had to pay rent more than once a month. She would have moved out long ago, but she had no friends or family to go to. She would be out in the street. Homeless. She had no choice but to suck it up, grin, and bear it. How much longer she could do so, she didn't know.

After Sour Sweet had finally calmed down, she quickly changed into her uniform and made a mad dash for the bus stop, making it with barely a second to spare.

Once she boarded the bus, Sour Sweet sighed heavily. Fuck those two with a rusty metal pipe fresh out of a furnace! Sour Sweet fumed to herself. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something. Anything to get her mind off of her current situation. She made a sputtering noise as the bus to Crystal Prep departed her pickup spot.

Sour Sweet entered Crystal Prep, still simmering with anger over her call with one of her landlords. She wandered the halls, hoping for some sort of distraction. She turned around and spotted Lemon Zest, visibly shaking with fury.

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

Sour Sweet could feel tears coming, but held them back. She knew what she did and why she did it. So why did she feel so guilty about it?

Lemon Zest stopped, her face inches away from Sour Sweet's. "How could you?" she said."I bared my soul to you that day, hoping that something wonderful would come from it. Instead, I got rejection. Which would have been fine, but it wasn't just any rejection. Nooo. You had to go bipolar on me. The one time I let my guard down in front of a schoolmate, and you go all bitch mode on me. That was one of the worst days of my life. Do you know how long that day has haunted me? Do you have any idea what I've been through because of it?!"

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

Sour Sweet kept her expression neutral, because she feared that if she didn't she would go berserk.

"Now, that incident alone was bad enough." Lemon Zest continued, tears streaming down her face. "But to go and tell Principal mother fucking Cinch about it? That's a new low. Even for you." She laughed bitterly. "I think it's pathetic, really. That you went out of your way to make me miserable not once, not twice, but three times! What kind of sick, twisted, sad and lonely person are you that you get off on watching me break down in front of you? Do my tears of pain amuse you? Am I just some kind of sentient punching bag for you to take out your frustrations about your life on me?!"

Sour Sweet dropped her neutral expression, letting a little bit of her anger out. "You don't know anything about me." she said, the tone of her voice low and threatening. "And leave my home life out of this!" she snapped.

"Oh!" said Lemon, outraged. "Like you left the confession of my feelings to you out of this? The way I see it, I was just playing by your rules! Turnabout is fair play, you motherfucking sociopath!" Lemon's voice increased in volume, but not enough to catch the attention of the other students passing by. Lemon Zest's expression changed from rage to realization as her eyes widened. "I think I get it now."

Sour Sweet raised an eyebrow, her expression of anger fading.

Lemon laughed softly. "It all makes sense now. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out..."

Sour Sweet's expression remained unchanged.

"You're jealous of me." Lemon said. "I have the home life you don't have. The life youwishyou had. Neither you nor I have any friends, but I come home to a family that loves me. You, on the other ha-"

"Shut the hell up!" said Sour Sweet, her voice now rising in volume. Her expression turning from neutral to angry. Looks like I have my distraction, for better or worse...

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

"When you're here, you take out your frustrations on me because at the end of the day you know you have nothing to return to. Like I said: pathetic." said Lemon.

"I said shut the fuck up!" Sour Sweet said. She let more of her anger out, making it harder and harder for her to hold back the tears.

"No. I won't." said Lemon Zest."Because you crossed the line, telling the Principal about something that was meant to be confidential. Between you and me alone. Come to think of it, your name doesn't make any sense. You're not sour, and you sure as hell aren't sweet. All you are..." she said, lowering her volume to that of a whisper. "Is bitter."

Sour Sweet let out a majority of her anger. She was trembling, seething. "Not. One. More. FUCKING. Word." she said through gritted teeth. Breathing heavily, she had begun to give Lemon Zest a death glare of her own.

Lemon Zest smiled. "Good." she said, then she shrieked in fury and swung her right arm with all of her might, planting it straight on Sour Sweet's jaw.

Of Fights and Confrontations

Upon Lemon Zest's shriek, several students fled the hallway.

Caught off-guard, Sour reeled for a moment. She recovered quickly, rubbing her jaw. Perfect. Just what I wanted and needed. She let out all of her anger.

Moving faster than anyone could anticipate, Sour kicked Lemon in the stomach, hard.

Lemon fell to the floor and doubled over, fighting back the wave of nausea she felt from Sour's kick. She let out a groan as Sour loomed over her. Sensing a chance, Lemon crouched and launched herself like a torpedo with all her strength, headbutting Sour in the stomach.

Sour staggered a few feet, collapsed, then threw up on the floor. When Sour finished getting sick, she lifted her head. Her face was a dark shade of crimson, and her breathing was heavy. Oh, she is fucking dead!

"All of my pain..." said Lemon, tears streaming down her eyes. "All of my heartache..." she rushed towards Sour. "Is because of you!" She gave Sour a swift kick to the head, followed by a boxing of the ears. That action had pushed Sour over the edge, and she felt her tears falling.

Sour grabbed Lemon by the ankles, causing her to fall to the floor with a thud, her head nearly hitting it. Before she could get back up, Sour was directly in Lemon's face, tears in her eyes and an open wound on her cheek, bleeding slightly. "Pain? Heartache? You know nothing about either of those things." she whispered, punching Lemon in the face twice before receiving a headbutt, causing Sour to fall back.

"Then teach me, oh Enlightened One!" Lemon said sarcastically, with a flourish of her right hand, using her left to wipe off the blood from her nose. She then began to charge towards Sour.

Sour responded in kind.

Before either girl could get in another shot, Radiant Hope and Dean Cadence arrived, restraining Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet respectively.

"What on earth has gotten into you two?!" said Dean Cadence.

"Oh my god, you're both bleeding!" said Radiant Hope.

"I'm fine!" shouted Sour Sweet.

"Let me at that goddamn bitch! I've had enough of her bullshit!" yelled Lemon Zest.

"Enough!" bellowed Principal Cinch. Sour, Zest, Hope and Cadence all stopped at the sound of Cinch's voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

Lemon and Sour both started talking at the same time, then got angry again, and had to be held back again by Radiant Hope and Dean Cadence. Principal Cinch pinched the bridge of her nose. "I've heard enough." she said. "Lemon Zest. Sour Sweet. Go to the nurses office to get patched up. If I hear of one more incident involving you two I'm sending you both home for the day."

Lemon and Sour glared at each other.

"Do I make myself clear?" said Cinch, her patience long since lost.

"Yes, Principal Cinch." said Lemon and Sour, blushing.

The bell for the first class of the day rang as Lemon and Sour went to the nurse's office, avoiding eye contact with each other to avoid fighting again.

"Good lord, what happened to you two?!" exclaimed the nurse. Sour and Lemon were unresponsive. "A fight, huh?" she shrugged. "Kids these days..."

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

Dammit, I wish I could wash that memory from my brain! Sour Sweet thought, resisting the urge to bang her head on the wall. She sighed deeply.

You and me both. Thought Sour Side.

Finally. After all this time, something we agree on! Sour Sweet thought excitedly.

First time for everything. Thought Sour Side.

Indeed. Thought Sour Sweet.

So...where to go from here? Sour Sweet thought, before heading over to her second period class.

Second period class. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. I could've told you that! as she made it to her class.

Second period class had ended and Sour Sweet ran out of the classroom. As she walked the halls she overheard several students speak of the fight she had with Lemon Zest.

"That was intense!"

"Dude...Sour would've totally won had staff not interfered."

"You kidding me? I think it was a tie!"

"That's the first time I saw blood being drawn here!"

Distracted by all the commotion, Sour Sweet failed to notice Sunny Flare, and the two bumped into each other.

"Watch where you're going, you upper middle class bitch!" Sour Sweet snapped.

Sunny Flare slowly got up and smiled. "So...I saw the fight."

"Good for you!" Sour Sweet said, her voice dripping with sweetness and sarcasm. "Now fuck off, I'm not in the mood to talk!" she yelled.

"Hold on a moment." Sunny said, grabbing Sour by the shoulder. "What happened between the two of you?"

Sour Sweet blinked, then snickered. "Oh, please! Since when do you care about people other than yourself?"

"You'd be surprised, Sour. You'd be surprised..." said Sunny. "Besides, you seem like you could use a friend."

Sour blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "What's in it for you?"

"Why, Sour!" Sunny said, in a tone of mock surprise. "Whatever makes you think I have an ulterior motive?"

Sour rolled her eyes. "Because you're you, dumbass!" she yelled. "I don't think you've ever done anything without an ulterior motive!"

Sunny Flare rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sour Sweet...you know me so well! It's like we're becoming friends or something."

Sour rolled her eyes and made a frustrated grunt. "Fine. If it gets you off my back, I'll tell you anything." God, I hate this bitch.

"That's the spirit!" Sunny said.

Sour told Sunny about Lemon's outburst in the hall, but left out her confession. She didn't want any other people to know. Sour then followed it up by telling her about the fight, even though she knew it happened.

Sunny made a hissing noise through her teeth. "Ouch." she said. "Rough day."

"Rough day?" said Sour. "Rough day?! Rough life is more like it!" she said, unaware of the tears she was shedding. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd rather be alone and miserable than spend one more minute next to you!" Sour said, walking away.

Third period, here I come. Thought Sour Sweet.

Self-Talk

Third period went by swiftly as everyone gave her looks. I should have known people would be all over the fight, but I just couldn't help myself. It didn't matter to me that it was self-destructive, I just needed an outlet! Thought Sour Sweet.

Keep telling yourself that. thought Sour Side.

I'm telling that to you. thought Sour Sweet.

Which, in technical terms, means that you're still telling yourself. thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. Whatever. Let's move on, shall we?

The warning bell for fourth period rang, and Sour Sweet checked her phone. She didn't want to deal with them if she can help it, but more often than not she had no choice. She sighed heavily, at least grateful that she had no messages. She walked into class with what little peace of mind she had at the moment.

Fourth period was a breeze, but Sour Sweet was being cautious. She didn't want any personal contact with anyone, and woe betide the person foolish enough to cross her path.

Being a bit overly dramatic, aren't we? thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. Fuck off. she thought.

She quickly bolted to her fifth period class, avoiding eye contact as best she could.

It was now lunch time, and Sour Sweet sat at her own table. The entirety of Crystal Prep Academy knew that it was in their best interests to leave her be during lunch, as several stupid and unfortunate students can attest. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Any student that came close the table would be given a glare unlike any other, and all would wisely pass her by.

And yet...she found herself jealous of people sitting together. Smiling. Laughing. Doing and feeling things she can't remember ever feeling or doing. She turned her head away to prevent passers by from seeing a stray tear fall from her eyes. She allowed herself a sniffle before calming herself down. I don't want to cry in public if I can avoid it. Sour Sweet thought.

You're going to have to let it all out eventually. Sour Side thought. It's not healthy to hold it all in.

Sour Sweet barked a laugh despite her best efforts to suppress it. That's a good one. she thought. My apparently sentient coping mechanism is telling me what isn't good for my mental health.

Yeah, I know. It's ironic. thought Sour Side. But you know that it's true.

Why do you care so much anyway? Aren't you supposed to be anger incarnate or something? Sour Sweet thought.

Think about it this way, Sweet. thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Sweet?"

Well I can't just go calling you Sour. Don't want to get us both confused! thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet shrugged. Fair point, I guess.

Anyway. Think about it like this: I'm a part of you. I guess for want of a better phrase, I'm inside of you. You essentially created me because those...people use their positions as landlords to extort money from you. It's true that I'm sort of a manifestation of your suppressed anger, but I only come out when I feel it's warranted. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. You're telling me shit I already know.

Fine. thought Sour Side. Bottom line: Your pain is my pain. Your suffering is my suffering. I feel what you feel. It may sound selfish, but I don't want you to get hurt if it means I get hurt in the process. That's why I care.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes again. How noble of you. she thought sarcastically.

I can't be angry all the time anyway. Do I sound angry right now? Sour Side thought.

Nope. thought Sour Sweet. I guess that would tire both of us out if I was always angry. she sighed heavily. But I always feel miserable. Thanks to those... people! She punctuated the last word by banging her fist on the table, drawing glances from nearby students.

Don't worry, Sweet. We'll be rid of them someday. thought Sour Side.

Hopefully sooner rather than later. thought Sour Sweet.

You and I? thought Sour Side. We'll figure something out. We're smart.

Sour Sweet allowed herself to have a genuine smile. Yeah. she thought. We are and we will.

The warning bell for sixth period had rang.

Sour Sweet panicked. "Crap! I don't want to be late for class!"

Sixth period was absolutely boring as all hell, but Sour Side was there to keep her company.

So. I suppose we never really "spoke" at length before. thought Sour Sweet.

Not much to talk about. Since you and I are basically one and the same, we have the same likes and dislikes. thought Sour Side.

True. thought Sour Sweet. And we both know everything about each other. Still...It's nice to have someone or something to talk to. Even if it isn't really talking.

The warning bell for seventh period rang, and Sour Sweet rushed to her next class.

Sour Sweet nearly fell into a laughing fit during class, but she managed to hold it back. She had remembered seeing a shirt someone wore that she thought fit her situation well at the moment. Right as soon as she got out of the classroom, she look it up on her phone. It was a t-shirt that read I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every minute of it!

Sour Sweet burst into the laughing fit she successfully avoided during her seventh period class, much to the fear and confusion of the students around her. If I had enough money, I would so buy that shirt! she thought.

Her laughing fit lasted long enough for the warning bell for eighth period.

As Sour Sweet left her eighth period classroom, she noticed posters announcing tryouts for the Friendship Games. She shrugged. "Sure, why not?" she thought out loud before heading straight to her final class for the day.

Her final class over, Sour Sweet ran to the buses and sat down, eager to get home. But if she was so eager...why was she crying? Why? the thought repeated itself in her mind until she turned off the light in her bedroom, crying herself to sleep.

Downward Spiral

Author's Note

Six days until the Friendship Games.

Downward Spiral

Sour Sweet's phone rang, abruptly waking her up.

"Shit!" she yelped, startled. She looked at the phone.

Now calling: Blueberry Dazzle

Sour Sweet growled, clenching her fists. "I am not in the mood for this shit!"

Sadly, you know you don't have much of a choice. Thought Sour Side.

Yeah, yeah. I know, Sour Sweet thought as she sighed heavily. She picked up the phone, put on her best face and answered the call.

"Hello, Mrs. Dazzle!" Sour Sweet said, forcing enthusiasm and cheer into her voice.

"Hello, Sour Sweet." Said a voice that always made Sour cringe and die a little on the inside.

Sour Sweet faltered momentarily, then smiled again. "What's up?"

"Please forgive me for misplacing your rent, Sour Sweet." Blueberry said in the most condescending tone possible. "You should probably pay double just to make up for it." Sour Sweet gritted her teeth and raised her free hand, giving her phone the middle finger while holding back all of her rage. "Oh, by the way...how's your 'imaginary friend' doing?" Blueberry asked. Sour Sweet could practically feel Sour Side trying to claw her way out in an effort to give that bitch a piece of her mind.

Neither Blueberry Dazzle nor Cinnamon Flash believed that mental illnesses were real, let alone Sour Sweet's bipolar issues. They just thought it was all an act for attention and pity, and they always mocked her by calling Sour Side her "imaginary friend".

Sour Sweet's breathing quickened and she trembled with absolute fury. With all of the effort she could muster, she kept her voice down and her tone positive. She forced a laugh. "She's...doing...just...fine." she said, struggling to keep her composure.

"Good to hear, Sour Sweet. I was simply checking in on you. Good day." Blueberry hung up.

Sour Sweet nearly let out a shriek of rage, but the voices she heard outside distracted her. She walked over to the nearest window and looked outside to see that Twilight girl and...Lemon Zest.

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

The memory echoed through her mind again, and she ran outside to confront Lemon. She ran outside and got close enough to get their attention. "Aww, look at you two!" She said sweetly. Lemon and Twilight both turned their heads. Twilight tensed up, and Lemon snarled. "You should get a room!" Sour said. "Don't think you can worm your way out of this one, Zest! There's no school staff to stop us!

"What are you even doing here, Sour?" said Lemon as she started fiddling with her phone.

"Well, this is the neighborhood I live in!" Sour said sweetly. "What'syourexcuse?!" she yelled.

"I was jogging. Twilight here just happened to be in the area." said Lemon. Twilight waved shyly.

"Well good for the both of you!" said Sour, slowly walking toward them.

Twilight started backing away slowly. Sour took notice of this.

"Oh, don't worry, Twilight! I won't hurt you..." Sour said sweetly. "It's her I'm after!" she gestured to Lemon. "We have a score to settle, after all!" Twilight continued to back away slowly.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sour." said Lemon.

Sour laughed. "Then what was yesterday's fight all about?"

Lemon's expression hardened. "You told Principal Cinch about my confession! You crossed the line and I was pissed! Of course I'd want to kick your ass! I lost my temper!" She finished fiddling with her phone. "Twilight!" she said.

"Eek!" Twilight yelped upon hearing her name.

Lemon tossed her phone at her new friend. "Catch!" she said.

Twilight was momentarily stunned, but then surprised herself by catching the phone. She gave Lemon a look of confusion. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

Her temper at its limit, Lemon shouted "Just read the fucking note and do it! I'm losing control here!" Twilight jumped, startled at Lemon's sudden outburst. She looked at the note, nodded, and ran away.

Sour's face twisted into a mocking grin. "New buddy's got your back, huh? Well I'll make sure she can have what's left of you when I'm finished!" she screamed as she rushed towards Lemon.

"We'll see about that!" said Lemon as she rushed towards Sour. "What the hell is your deal, anyway?" she said as she threw a punch at Sour's nose. Strong enough to make it bleed, but not to break it.

"You tell me!" Sour said. "You're the expert, apparently!" She kicked Lemon in the side, making her stagger. "You hit all the right spots. Yes! I admit I'm jealous!"

"So why me?" asked Lemon as she recovered from Sour's kick. "Surely there's other students you can pick on!"

"Oh, how noble of you!" said Sour.

"Hey, I'm sure someone would end up sticking up for that person even if they didn't stick up for themselves!" said Lemon as she dove under Sour and grabbed legs, forcing her to topple to the ground. "CPA may be a hellhole, but I still have faith in humanity!"

Sour laughed. "Listen to you, you sound like a cliche superhero!"

"Said the cliche alpha bitch!" Lemon said.

Sour rolled her eyes. "Does anyone ever wonder why the alpha bitch is the way she is? Doesn't she deserve sympathy?"

"Really?!" shouted Lemon. "You're playing the victim card?!" she said as she ran toward Sour.

"Did you ever bother to get to know me?!" said Sour.

"'Did I ever bother to get to know you?'" Lemon Zest yelled as her whole body was trembling with absolute fury. "'DID I EVER BOTHER TO GET TO KNOW YOU?!'" Tears were streaming down her face. She ran towards Sour Sweet at a speed that surprised both of them, then pinned her to the ground. "I tried to get to know you when I confessed my feelings to you! And you turned me down! LIKE. THE. BITCH. YOU. ARE!" she punctuated the last five words with the strongest punches she could muster to Sour Sweet's face. Before she could strike a sixth time, Sour saw a man grab her by the arms and lift her up. "Let me go!" Lemon shrieked. "I'm not done with her!"

Before Sour could take any further action, a woman picked her up off of the ground. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Unable to hold back her lingering fury, Sour stepped back and yelled "I don't need your pity!" The woman moved back a step, raising her arms and giving her space. Sour turned around and walked back to her home slowly. She opened the door, then slammed it shut. As the sound of the door echoed throughout the empty house, Sour Sweet collapsed into tears.

Struggle

After calming down from the aftermath of the fight, Sour Sweet sighed heavily as she hugged herself and settled into a corner of her house. She felt frustrated with herself, refusing the help of a kind stranger in the heat of the moment. Her pride wouldn't allow her to walk back to the woman, and knowing that made it hurt all the more.

"I miss physical contact." Sour said as she sniffled. "I haven't felt a hug from another person in so long." She leaned against the corner as she slid down, burying her face in her hands. "I see people around me all happy and fulfilled...and here I am, stuck in an empty house thanks to the 'generosity' of those people," Sour spat out the last two words of her sentence. "I'm always alone, and I always force myself away from other people who just want to be nice."

Sour got up, and walked around the empty house. "They always tell me I should be grateful that I have this house. That without them, I'd have nothing." An unbidden memory surfaced in Sour Sweet's mind.

"Who needs a bed when you can just sleep on the floor?" said Blueberry Dazzle.

Sour Sweet shut her eyes tightly, feeling the tears threatening their return.

"You're going to have to pay extra for all the holes you've been making!" said Cinnamon Flash.

Sour Sweet kept her eyes shut, taking in the sounds of nature in an effort to calm herself down. She heard children laughing in the background and sighed. "What I wouldn't give right now for someone to tell me everything's going to be okay. That this will all be behind me someday." She sniffled. "To give me a hug and gently stroke my hair, saying that they've got my back." Her voice cracked.

I so desperately wish I could calm you down like that. Thought Sour Side.

"I know. Me too." Sour Sweet said, holding back the tears she knew were coming. "I wish I could just burn this goddamn house down just to spite those two, but I know that wouldn't end well for anyone." She sniffled again. "I just feel so powerless! Nothing I do will ever please them!" Sour Sweet let her tears free. All of the sadness and anger she felt from her situation was released as she convulsed with emotion. "I can't take this anymore, Sour Side." she said between sobs. "I just want to end it all."

You don't really mean that. Thought Sour Side.

"Don't I? We both know what I feel at all times, so you must be trying to convince yourself that I'm not serious about this." Sour Sweet said as she got up. "It's a win-win situation. I die, and they can't hurt me anymore. I'll be free and nobody will miss me."

I would miss- Sour Side thought before being cut off.

"You're part of me, of course you'd say that!" Shouted Sour Sweet. "That's the same as saying I'd miss me." her voice lowered to a near whisper. "At this point, I doubt that." she said as she walked to the kitchen.

Think about what you're doing! Sour Side thought.

Sour Sweet sighed. "I already have." she said as she picked up a knife she left laying on the counter. She stared at it, seeing her reflection in it. Tears were still streaming down her face as her eyes were red and puffy. A painful memory surfaced in her mind.

"Sour Side is real!" Shouted Sour Sweet.

Cinnamon Flash scowled at Sour Sweet. "Don't you dare talk to me like that!" He yelled back, shoving his pointer finger into her face. "Just for that outburst, I'm increasing your rent!"

Sour Sweet's eyes widened. "You can't do that!" she said, furious. Blueberry Dazzle slapped her hard, causing her to tumble to the floor.

"We're in charge here. We control the rent, the house and the rules. Ergo...we control you." Said Blueberry, grinning wickedly.

"You should be grateful we're letting you stay here." said Cinnamon. "If wasn't for our generosity, you'd be homeless right now!"

"But-" Sour raised a finger before she was cut off.

"I don't want to hear it!" shouted Cinnamon. "If either of us hears another word against us, even a tone of voice we don't like, we will kick you to the curb. Are we clear on the matter?" Cinnamon's face was bright red from anger.

Sour Sweet stayed frozen in place for a moment. "Yes...sir." she said, lowering her head so the couple wouldn't see her cry.

"Good." Cinnamon said, calming down. "We expect the rent within the week. And honey?" he said to Blueberry as she looked at him. "Try not to lose the rent this time." he said with a knowing wink. The door was slammed shut and Sour Sweet burst into tears, bawling uncontrollably until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

Sour Sweet held the knife in her hands, the sharp end pointed at her heart. Sweat was pouring off of her forehead as she tightened her grip to ensure it wouldn't fall out of her hands. Clenching her teeth, she tensed up her muscles and was about to thrust the knife into her body when she shouted "STOP!"

What? I didn't say that. Thought Sour Sweet.

"You didn't. I did." said Sour Side.

What? How? Thought Sour Sweet.

Sour Side let go of the knife and let it drop to the floor. "I don't understand it either, but right now, that's not important! Don't be a dumbass, Sour Sweet! Nothing's worth killing yourself over!"

Is it? Thought Sour Sweet.

Sour Side rolled her eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh. "Oh, for fuck's sake, girl! I told you once before: you need to make a friend! You saw how Twilight and Lemon helped each other out back there! You could be a part of that! You wouldn't be so lonely."

You're right. Thought Sour Sweet. You're always right.

"I know." Said Sour Side as she smiled. She blinked, then Sour Sweet collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

Author's Note

For any of you wondering why the scene in this chapter is different from the one depicted by Sour Sweet herself, that will be explained. I just wanted to avoid confusion before it hit the comments section.

A New Day

Author's Note

Five Days before the Friendship Games.

A New Day

Sour Sweet woke up in the kitchen, confused. "What...what happened?" she asked.

I'm not sure you want to know. Thought Sour Sweet.

"Wait. If you know, then why don't-" Sour Sweet was cut off as memories from the previous night all but assaulted her mind. She gasped, putting her hands to her mouth in shock. "Oh...oh, god." She hugged herself and sniffled. "How did that happen? You took control of my body!"

I have only one idea. Thought Sour Side.

"Oh, shit." Sour Sweet said, coming to the same conclusion. "I can add 'multiple personalities' to my laundry list of insanity."

Look, it was either that or we both die. thought Sour Side.

"I know, I know." said Sour Sweet. She put her hands on her forehead. "I just can't believe that I tried to kill myself last night." She shuddered. "Okay. I think I officially hit rock bottom last night."

I'd be inclined to agree. thought Sour Side.

"Well at least there's nowhere to go but up." Sour Sweet said.

Look at you, being all optimistic. Thought Sour Side.

"Hey. Whatever keeps us alive, right?" Said Sour Sweet.

Right. Thought Sour Side.

"So...where do we go from here?" Asked Sour Sweet.

Well, we could settle things with Lemon Zest. And by that I mean bury the hatchet. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet stroked her chin in thought for a moment. "Well, it's better than nothing at this point. But I doubt she'll want to come here again on purpose after our fight. We might have to set something up at Crystal Prep tomorrow."

Whatever works! thought Sour Side.

"Indeed." Agreed Sour Sweet. "You know, we can't just stay in here all day. Surely there's something we can do outside. The weather looks great out there!" She ran outside and took a deep breath then exhaled, sighing with contentment. She put her hands behind her head and lied down on the grass, staring at the sky. "What are we going to do about Blueberry and Cinnamon?" she asked.

I wish I knew. Thought Sour Side. But hey, the Friendship Games sound like a good enough distraction.

"They do." said Sour Sweet. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to vent some aggression on Canterlot High students."

I wouldn't get too rough. Wouldn't want to be the cause of a potential loss, now would we? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet laughed. "Crystal Prep? Lose? That's a good one. We always win."

There's a first time for everything. Thought Sour Side.

"Be that as it may, I don't see us losing." Sour Sweet said as she got up off of the grass, wiping away the blades that stuck to the back of her clothing.

I'm just saying. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet started walking around the neighborhood, taking in the sights and sounds. She didn't often go outside unless she had to. She took another deep breath and exhaled, feeling free for the first time in her memory. Hmm. Not a whole lot going on. Sour Sweet thought.

Well it is a Sunday, after all. Thought Sour Side.

"Man, why are Sundays usually so boring?" Said Sour Sweet as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Your guess is as good as mine. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet shrugged. "Oh well."

"Hey-o!" Said a newcomer from a distance. Sour Sweet turned around to see Indigo Zap, wearing a wide grin. "What's up, Sour?"

Sour smiled. "Oh, not much. What brings you out here?"

"You mean besides the fact that I live here?"

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sure. Let's go with that."

"Jogging. What about you?" said Indigo.

"Getting some fresh air. I've been cooped up in my house for far too long, and I think it's high time I changed that." said Sour Sweet.

"Cool. Wanna hang out?" said Indigo, putting her hands on Sour Sweet's shoulders.

Sour Sweet blinked as she processed Indigo's request. "Umm...what?" She said, scratching her head.

"I asked if you wanted to hang out." said Indigo as she took her hands off Sour's shoulders.

Indigo doesn't seem to be all that bad. Thought Sour Side. Sure, she can be a little obnoxious sometimes, but everybody's got flaws.

Sour Sweet shrugged. "Eh. Sure, why not?" she said to both Indigo and Sour Side. "What do you want to do?" she asked Indigo.

Indigo put her hands behind her head and folded them together. "Well, I was jogging. Do you jog?"

"Not really." Said Sour Sweet. "I don't exercise all that much, but I'd be willing to give it a try."

Don't overexert yourself. Thought Sour Side.

I'll try not to, but I could really use the exercise. Thought Sour Sweet.

I'm just say-

I know, I know. Sour Sweet thought, cutting off Sour Side. You're just saying. "Well, then." Sour Sweet said as she did some stretches. "Let me get all warmed up first."

"Take your time." Indigo said, smiling. "I've got plenty." After a few moments of silence, Indigo asked "So, have you given any thought to the Friendship Games?"

Sour Sweet nodded, still in the midst of her warm-ups. "It'd be a nice distraction from the tedium that is my life." A moment later, she finished. "Okay. Let's do this!" The two jogged side by side at an even pace, neither one trying to overtake the other. Yet. Eventually, like all things involving the students of Crystal Prep Academy, it became a competition.

"Race you to that fire hydrant!" Indigo said, pointing to a fire hydrant far off in the distance.

Feeling her natural competitive spirit kick in, Sour Sweet smiled. "You're on!" The two paced themselves at the beginning, but picked up speed as they both got closer. They jockeyed for position, nearly pushing each other out of the way or almost succeeding in shoving their opponent to the ground. Indigo tripped Sour Sweet, and she fell to the ground with a yelp.

By the time Sour got up, Indigo was leaning on the fire hydrant, a smug look on her face. "I win!" Indigo declared proudly.

"What the fuck, Zap?" Shouted Sour Sweet.

"All's fair in love and war." Indigo said, still smiling.

"Well, it's war now!" Said Sour Sweet.

Indigo raised an eyebrow. "Best two out of three, then?"

"You know it! Except this time, we'll compete in a physical activity of my choosing...jump rope!"

Changes

Author's Note

Four days left until the Friendship Games.

Changes

Sour Sweet woke up early in the morning feeling a slight pang of anxiety.

It's okay, Sweet. I'm here for you. We've got this! Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet smiled. Thanks. I needed those words of encouragement. She got up, got dressed and found a notepad. She wrote down "This. Ends. Today. On a field of my choosing. - Sour" and tore the page off. She folded it, then put it in her pocket. "Here we go." she said as she took a deep breath and left her home.

She arrived at Crystal Prep Academy shortly after the doors had been unlocked. She walked through the halls until she found Lemon Zest's locker and stuck her not to it. I know it sounds ominous and threatening, but at least it gets a message across. She thought.

Next, she made her way to the counselor's offices. She found one of the more well-known guidance counselors, Radiant Hope. As Sour Sweet approached her, she took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay, if Lemon Zest has spoken to you, I'm sure you know about the...encounters we've been having with each other." She winced from a pang of guilt.

"Yes." Said Radiant Hope, nodding. "And you would like to do something about that, I take it?"

Sour Sweet nodded. "Yes, that's the reason I'm here. I want to bury the hatchet. I've been through one hell of a lot lately, and I think patching things up with her might be the first step to improving my life."

Hope smiled. "That's quite insightful of you, Sour Sweet."

Sour Sweet blushed and put a hand to the back of her head. "Not really. I just want my life situation to improve, and I'm willing to take any steps necessary to do so. You know, anything that won't get me in any trouble, that is."

"So you want to have a session with her?" Asked Hope.

"Yes, but I don't think she'd be comfortable sitting right next to me. Maybe I should come in during one of her sessions." Said Sour Sweet.

"Hmm." Hope stroked her chin. "I suppose that would work. Tell you what. Why don't you come back a little later. Lemon has an appointment with me shortly before the first class starts. I'll make arrangements, and then you can come in."

"Oh, thank you, Radiant Hope!" Sour Sweet said, then ran and hugged Hope. "I see why you're the most popular out of all the counselors."

Hope giggled. "You don't have to go that far, Sour."

Sour Sweet blushed, then backed away. "Sorry about that. I got a little carried away."

Hope smiled. "Don't worry about it. Now why don't you find something else to do while I get prepared?"

"Will do!" Said Sour Sweet, and she left the offices.

Do you really think this will work? Thought Sour Side.

Honestly, I don't know. But it's better than the alternative. Thought Sour Sweet.

And that would be? Thought Sour Side.

Continuing to be miserable, constantly getting into fights with Lemon Zest, remaining friendless, always alone. Thought Sour Sweet.

Okay, okay. I see your point. Thought Sour Side.

The doors to Crystal Prep Academy had opened as students came flowing through the hallways. Sour Sweet chose a hiding spot near Lemon Zest's locker and kept an eye out for her. She saw her walk up to her locker and read the note. She took the bait! Thought Sour Sweet. Now all I have to do is wait for the right opportunity.

A few minutes had passed, and Sour Sweet slowly began to feel nervous.

You're not getting cold feet now, are you? Thought Sour Side.

No, but I am starting to get a little uneasy. Thought Sour Sweet. However, this needs to be done. She walked towards the counselor's offices and walked up to Radiant Hope's office. She could faintly hear Lemon Zest speaking in a panicked tone.

"Did Dean Cadence put you up to this? Or did Principal Cinch?"

Sour Sweet took a deep breath, then opened the door. "They didn't. I did."

Sour Sweet stayed behind after Lemon Zest left. She wiped a tear from her eye. "Wow. I needed that way more than I thought I did."

Hope smiled. "So it would seem."

"Hey." Sour Sweet said. "Can I stick around for a little bit? My issues with Lemon were just the tip of the iceberg."

"Of course." Said Hope. "My next appointment isn't for a while."

"Thank you." Said Sour Sweet. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I know this is supposed to be a safe space, but I'm scared. The things I want to tell you are things I wouldn't dare tell other people."

"If you don't feel comfortable saying something, then I don't mind if you don't say it."

"Thanks. Hearing that makes me feel better." Sour Sweet said with a smile. "Over the past few years, I've been having dreams about me killing crowds of people. At the very least, I know who the crowds are supposed to represent."

Radiant Hope simply nodded.

"The crowds represent two people. Their names are Cinnamon Flash and Blueberry Dazzle, and unfortunately, they're my landlords." Said Sour Sweet. "They are the worst people to ever walk the planet, and the dream I have is my fantasy of paying them back for all the ways they've treated me." Her hands clenched into fists as she felt her anger boil at the mere mention of their names. "They've always believed that Sour Side was an imaginary friend, not a part of me like I keep insisting!" She banged a fist on the table, nearly startling Radiant Hope.

Radiant Hope nodded again.

"They charge me ludicrous amounts of rent. I can barely get by on my own! I'd have moved out long ago, but I have no friends or family to move in with!" Sour Sweet said, fresh tears falling.

"How did you even meet these two?" Asked Radiant Hope.

Sour Sweet laughed bitterly. "As if I had a choice in the matter."

Hope gave Sour Sweet a look of confusion. "I don't understand." She said.

Sour Sweet sighed deeply. "It's true that they own the house and everything...but the real reason I call them my landlords is because I refuse to acknowledge them as my parents."

Past

Author's Note

I'm going to try to step out of my comfort zone and write chapters of varying length, not just in the 1-1.3k range. Writing "Frijoles Shadows" was a learning experience for me, and I want to experiment.

Past

Radiant Hope blinked as she processed what Sour Sweet had said. "So you have abusive parents." She said, putting her hand to her chin.

"That's putting it lightly." Said Sour Sweet. " I suppose this is a good place to start...."

Blueberry Dazzle, Cinnamon Flash and Sour Sweet all sat in the living room together.

"We have had just about enough of this 'Sour Side' nonsense, Sour Sweet." Said Blueberry Dazzle.

"Your mother's right, Sour. It's time to stop pretending." Said Cinnamon Flash.

"You've had just about enough?" Sour Sweet shouted. "I'm the one who's had enough! How many goddamn times am I going to have to say it before you believe me?!"

"Don't you dare speak to your parents like that!" Cinnamon Flash slapped Sour Sweet.

Sour Sweet fell to the floor, then curled into a ball and began crying.

Sour Sweet sniffled as she took a tissue and blew her nose. "That's not even close to the first time something like that had happened, but it was the start of a breaking point for me..."

Blueberry Dazzle and Cinnamon Flash stood next to Sour Sweet in her room, looming over her like a pair of vultures.

"Come now, Sour Sweet." Blueberry Dazzle said in a sickeningly condescending tone. "You're supposed to listen to us. Every child should listen to their parents."

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and made a grunt of frustration.

Cinnamon glared at Sour Sweet. "Don't you dare look at us like that! We're your parents. We make the rules around here!"

Something had snapped within Sour Sweet. All of her frustration, all of the powerlessness she felt, the anger she had pent up after all the years of torment had shot up to the surface. Having completely lost control of herself in a fit of rage, she shrieked "I DON'T HAVE ANY FUCKING PARENTS!" and lunged at her father. Grabbing him by the collar, she repeatedly banged his head on the wall as hard as she could.

Initially frozen in shock, Blueberry Dazzle quickly regained her composure. She grabbed Sour Sweet by the waist and tore her off of Cinnamon, who was in a daze. Gathering all the strength she could muster, she pinned Sour Sweet down on the floor until her husband recovered.

"Let me go, you bitch!" Sour Sweet shouted, tears streaming down her face. "You aren't fit to be called parents!" Sour spat out the final word. "You are both twisted, sadistic fucks!"

Having recovered from Sour Sweet's assault, Cinnamon stood up and got into her face. "How dare you!" He whispered, trembling with fury.

"'How dare I?! You've got some serious nerve...Mr. Flash."

Much to Sour Sweet's surprise, Cinnamon Flash didn't lash out at her like she expected him to. Rather, he smiled slowly, as though a sinister idea was forming in his mind. "Very well then, Sour Sweet." He said. "I believe I can make arrangements so that we all get what we want."

Against her better judgment, Sour Sweet decided to listen.

Sour Sweet sighed heavily. "I just wanted them out of my life so badly I was willing to do just about anything. I should have kept in mind who I was dealing with, that I was making a Faustian bargain."

"Wait, what are you doing with all of my stuff?" Sour Sweet said, panicking. Movers were taking everything out of her room. Her bed, her posters, her nightstand. Everything.

"You agreed to the terms, Sour Sweet." Cinnamon Flash said, grinning. "Blueberry Dazzle and I are moving out. You get to live on your own."

"B-b-b-but I didn't think you were going to take everything from me!" Sour Sweet stammered, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Oh, by the way...if we cannot be your parents, we'll settle for being your landlords." Said Blueberry Dazzle. "We expect rent by the end of the week. Enjoy independent living...with your imaginary friend."

Once everything was cleared out, Sour Sweet let out a wail of rage and punched a hole in her bedroom wall.

Sour Sweet sniffled. "And that's how this all began. I've been living alone in there ever since, and those people still torment me! It's like I can't escape them!" Radiant Hope walked over to Sour Sweet and gave her a hug. Sour Sweet nearly jumped at the contact, then broke. For the next few minutes she bawled uncontrollably, grateful for the physical contact from an adult that truly cared about her well-being.

Tryout Time

Now that was a much-needed release. Thought Sour Sweet as she left Radiant Hope's office. Here's hoping I have the energy for the tryouts!

You should. There's always the pent-up energy you have from your rage. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and smiled. Yeah, you've got a point there. She thought.

Sour Sweet walked into the tryout area and looked around. She noticed the usual people. Sugarcoat was just staring blankly, like a cat at a wall. Sour then saw Lemon Zest and and waved at her, smiling for the first time since she couldn't remember. Indigo Zap gave Sour a wink with a grin when spotted. Sunny Flare was just staring at Lemon for some weird reason. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Principal Cinch speak.

"This first round of tryouts will involve academics." announced Principal Cinch. Nearly half of those waiting groaned.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the love of..." She muttered under her breath. "The hell did you guys expect, moto-cross racing?!" she shouted.

Principal Cinch pinched the bridge of her nose. "As I was saying...the first round of tryouts will involve academics. The top fifty scores will move on to the next round. To your seats!" All students went to their seats. "And...begin!" said Cinch.

Don't suppose I'm cheating with you on my side? Sour Sweet joked.

If I had eyes, I'd be rolling them right about now. Sour Side thought. Sour Sweet stifled a giggle and started to focus on the test.

After some time, Principal Cinch shouted "Pencils down!" there was a noise of pencils being put on the desks. "The results of these tests will be posted later today in the hallways." She said as Dean Cadence went to pick up the tests. "Dismissed!"

Lemon and Sour met each other in the hallway. "How good do you think we did?" Lemon asked.

"If neither of us made the top ten, I'm burning this school to the ground." said Sour. Lemon stared at her. Sour laughed. "Geez, I'm only kidding!" Lemon laughed. "Or is that what I want you to think?!" said Sour. Lemon blinked. They both laughed harder together. "Oh, man. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that!" said Sour as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Lemon smiled.

The warning bell for the next period sounded off. "Well, I should get to class. Catch you later!" said Lemon. She was stopped by Sour Sweet's arm on her shoulder. Lemon turned around to see Sour still in tears.

"Thank you...for giving me a second chance." said Sour, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Hey, what are friends for?" said Lemon, smiling.

Sour sniffled. "You have no idea how much hearing that from you means to me, Lemon Zest." She shot over to hug her tightly, then broke, bursting into tears.

Lemon smiled. "You'd be surprised." she said softly while hugging an emotional Sour Sweet. Once she calmed down, they broke the hug and went their separate ways.

After her class, Sour Sweet arrived in front of the results. Lemon wasn't too far behind. "Well, we didn't make the top ten..." she said. "We made the top five!" she said, a huge grin on her face.

Sour and Lemon high-fived. "Was there ever any doubt?" Lemon said and smiled. "So, what do you think's next?"

Sour shrugged. "Could be anything. Handball, Art...ooh, hopefully paintball's one of the events!"

"Karate? Maybe video games?" said Lemon.

"Anything goes! We should just be prepared for anything." said Sour. "Hey, there's a notice just under the rankings."

Notice: Second round of tryouts will be held after next period in the track field.

"Good to know." said Lemon. "You nervous, Sour?"

"Of course not!" said Sour. "We've got this!"

The warning bell sounded off.

"See you later!" said Sour.

"Laters!" said Lemon, and the two went to their next class.

Sour Sweet walked out of her class and stretched. I'm almost sad that today is over. Thought Sour Sweet.

Never thought I'd hear that from you. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet smiled. There's a first time for everything. She thought as she walked over to the track. Principal Cinch was waiting patiently for all the remaining competitors.

"As you've all no doubt realized," said Principal Cinch. "This tryout will be physical. The top eleven fastest lap times will move on to the Friendship Games." There were murmurs of excitement among the students.

Lemon cracked her knuckles. "Aww, yeah! Now we're talking!"

Sour grinned. "Nice. I've got plenty of excess energy to run off!"

One by one, the students gathered over to the track. Sour Sweet noticed Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, and Sugarcoat on the field, waiting their turn. "Tough competition out here, huh?" said Lemon.

"Well, this is Crystal Prep." said Sour.

"Sour Sweet!" called Principal Cinch.

Sour grinned. "Looks like it's my turn!" she said.

"Not that you need it or anything, but good luck!" said Lemon.

"You're right." said Sour. "I don't!" and went off to take her position.

Sour Sweet stretched a little, then took her mark. She thought of her landlords, and it filled her with rage.

"Go!" Said Principal Cinch.

Sour Sweet ran with all of her might. When she finished, she walked back to Lemon. "Whew!" she said, wiping sweat off her brow. "Think you can beat that?" she said, nudging Lemon gently.

"Lemon Zest!" called Principal Cinch.

Lemon smiled. "I guess we're about to find out." Once at her mark, she did a couple of stretches just to be sure. "Time to pucker up and fuck her up!" Principal Cinch raised an eyebrow. "What? I consider it a motivational phrase for me!" Lemon laughed sheepishly. Cinch rolled her eyes.

"Go!" Said Principal Cinch.

Lemon ran as fast as she possibly could. When she finished, she nearly collapsed on the floor. "Oof...I...guess I...overdid it...a little..." she managed to say between gasps."

"The results will be posted shortly." said Principal Cinch.

"Rest up, Lemon. You kicked ass out there." said Sour as she handed Lemon a bottle of water.

"Thanks." said Lemon.

"The results have been posted!" said the Principal.

Competitors for the Friendship Games
Indigo Zap
Lemon Zest
Sour Sweet
Sugarcoat
Sunny Flare
Neon Lights
Trenderhoof
Suri Polomare
Jet Set
Upper Crust
Royal Pin

"There was never any doubt." smiled Lemon.

"You said it!" said Sour.

The two walked arm in arm to the final period of the day.

Author's Note

Yeah, I know. A whole bunch of copy-pasting. =/ I'll try to limit that if I can, but I figured seeing the tryouts from Sour Sweet's perspective would be cool.

Never Alone

Author's Note

:heart:This chapter is dedicated to Equestria Girls, which celebrates its fifth anniversary today! Happy birthday, Equestria Girls! :heart:

Never Alone

After the final period, Lemon and Sour exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch outside of school. They smiled at each other. "You're no longer alone, Sour Sweet." said Lemon. "If you need anything, I'm just a text away."

Sour's eyes welled up with tears. "Dammit...how many times am I gonna cry today?"

Lemon put her hand on Sour's shoulder. "But those are tears of joy." she smiled.

"Tears are tears." said Sour.

Lemon rolled her eyes and smiled. "All that matters is that I'll be there for you if you need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on."

Sour sniffled and hugged Lemon. The school bus horn honked. "Oops! Gotta book it! Remember, text me if you need someone to talk to!" Lemon broke the hug, waved goodbye to Sour and boarded the bus. Sour waited until Lemon was in a seat where she could see her, then waved excitedly.

It's nice to finally have a friend, isn't it? Thought Sour Side.

You're damn right it is. Thought Sour Sweet as she boarded her bus.

Sour Sweet opened the door to her empty home and sighed heavily. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Sour Side." She said.

You'd be dead. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me." She said, making a sputtering noise. "But you're right. I would be dead. Hell, if it wasn't for you, I might have even killed myself sooner. No friends and my...landlords are evil incarnate. I didn't have anyone to talk to."

Sour Sweet had just returned from middle school with her report card in hand, quaking and sweating with fear. It's going to be okay. She thought to herself. I passed all of my classes, so I should be fine! She slowly walked up to the house and opened the door as she felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Mom? Dad?" Sour Sweet called out nervously. "I'm home!"

Cinnamon Flash was the first of her parents to walk out from the kitchen. Cinnamon was a lanky man with light brown skin and eyes of indigo. His hair was short and a shade lighter than the majority of his daughter's hair. The look on his face was one of expectation.

Blueberry Dazzle entered shortly after. She was slightly overweight, but she didn't mind. Her skin was a light blue, and her hair matched the color of the streak in Sour Sweet's hair. Her eyes were a few shades darker than her skin. She, too, had a look of expectation on her face.

Sour Sweet nervously handed her parents her report card and stayed put, despite every instinct in her body telling her to run. She could feel another bead of sweat drop from her forehead. The silence was getting unbearable for her as her mother and father read the report card.

Finally, the silence had been broken. "Sour Sweet?" Asked Cinnamon.

"Y-y-y-y-yes, dad?" Sour Sweet stammered, trying to get a hold of herself.

"What is this?" He said, practically shoving the report card in her face.

"I got good grades! I passed all of my classes!" Sour Sweet said.

"Not by our standards!" said Blueberry Dazzle. "We want you to get grades good enough for Crystal Prep Academy, Sour Sweet, and we expect nothing less from you! Now go to your room!" Sour Sweet ran up to her room, crying the whole way.

"Unbelievable." Muttered Cinnamon. "She got an A+ in nearly all of her classes, but then she got a B+! She needs to study harder."

Sour Sweet laid on her bed, crying into her pillow. Why can't my parents ever be happy for me? She thought. They insist that I should study more, but I feel so lonely! I keep telling them I want to make friends but they always tell me that they would get in the way of studying. She sighed heavily.

Man, your parents are assholes, said a voice from nowhere. Sour Sweet nearly jumped, then looked around her room.

"Who said that?" she said, finding nobody in sight. She shrugged. "Must've been my imagination."

Sure. The voice said. I'm your imagination. Let's go with that.

Sour Sweet blinked. "Oh, crap." She put a hand to her forehead. "It's finally happened. My parents have literally driven me crazy. And I fucking hate them for it!" Sour Sweet gasped loudly and put her hands to her mouth in shock. "What was that?!"

That, The voice said, would be me.

"Where did you even come from?" Sour Sweet said, still trying to grasp the situation.

I guess I have to spell it out for you, huh? The voice said. You created me so you would never be alone, even if you were the only person wherever you were.

"This...is going to take some getting used to." Sour Sweet said.

"You and I have come a long way since then." Said Sour Sweet.

That we have, Sweet. That we have. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet lied on the floor and closed her eyes. "Good night, Sour Side."

Good night, Sweet.

Ups and Downs

Author's Note

Three days until the Friendship Games.

Ups and Downs

Sour Sweet woke up, stretching and yawning. She put on her school uniform and heard her phone buzz.

Hey Sour, got a minute before classes? - Sent by Lemon Zest

Is everything okay? - Sent by Sour Sweet

Honestly, I don't know. I just had a dream that I want to tell you about... - Sent by Lemon Zest

Are you sure you can't just text it to me? - Sent by Sour Sweet

I'd rather speak to you about it face to face, if that's okay with you. - Sent by Lemon Zest

If you insist. - Sent by Sour Sweet

I do. Thank you for understanding. - Sent by Lemon Zest

Hey. What are friends for? - Sent by Sour Sweet

Feeling slightly worried, Sour Sweet headed off to Crystal Prep.

Sour Sweet arrived at Crystal Prep and kept an eye out for Lemon. She hoped nothing bad happened to her new friend, but whatever it was she'd do anything within her power to help Lemon out. Sour finally spotted Lemon and ran over to her, putting her arm in front of Lemon.

"Hey." Sour said. "What's wrong?"

Lemon took a deep breath. "I had a dream that you were batshit McFucking crazy and you chased me with a chainsaw. I hugged you and..." Lemon sighed, averting her gaze. "You melted into a puddle of blood. I killed you..."

Sour stared at her, her jaw agape.

Lemon raised her hands and put them in front of her. "It's not a reflection of how I see you as a person!" she said, panic in her voice.

Sour blinked. "I can understand why you would think that, but why are you freaking out on me?"

Lemon sighed. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose you as a friend."

Sour suppressed a laugh. "Come on, I'm not going to call off our friendship over a dream about you killing me."

Lemon smiled. "You're not?"

"Of course not!" said Sour. "I have dreams about killing people all the time!" Though calling them people is a bit of a stretch. She thought.

Lemon blinked.

Sour laughed sheepishly. "Yeah...pretend you didn't hear that."

They shared a laugh.

"Your dream just means you feel guilty about the figurative and literal blood on your hands from our fight on Saturday." said Sour.

Lemon rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"Then why did you want to talk to me about it?" asked Sour.

Lemon shrugged. "I just felt compelled to tell you. That you should know about it. Because I felt that if I didn't, that'd be lying by omission in my book."

"Well I'm touched you'd go out of your way to tell me about it." Sour smiled. "But I have to get going. See you later?"

Lemon smiled. "See you later."

Well, that was a relief. I was worried something terrible had happened. Thought Sour.

You and me both. Thought Sour Side. To first period then?

To first period. Thought Sour Sweet.

Lunch period arrived quickly, and Sour Sweet eagerly looked for Lemon Zest. She had found her sitting at a table all alone, looking upset.

Sour Sweet walked over and noticed the look on her friend's face. "Hey, something happen? You look like my sour side on a good day."

Lemon snickered. "Well, here's the thing..." She told Sour about her conversation with Sunny.

"Ah, I see." said Sour. "She can be a real pain in the ass sometimes!" she snapped.

"I know, but still..." Said Lemon.

"Hey now, don't let her get to you." said Sour, placing an arm around Lemon.

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised her comment about your existence didn't piss you off." said Lemon.

"Oh, it does." said Sour. "I'm just going to wait until I see her to wallop her in the face!"

"Hey now, don't let her get to you." said Lemon, placing an arm around Sour.

Sour giggled. "Yeah. I guess you're right." she sighed.

"Besides, you're not lonely." said Lemon. "You've got me now."

"Us against the world, huh?"

"Well I don't think I'd say that..." Lemon said.

Sour shrugged. "Eh. Whatever works for you."

"Hi, Lemon!" said a new arrival. "Uh...hi...Sour."

"Hey, Twilight!" said Lemon. "How's it going?"

Twilight stayed silent, pulling at her hair.

"Oh, Twilight. You don't need to worry. I don't bite." said Sour Sweet. "Unless you give me a reason to!"

"Eek!" Twilight flinched.

"Go easy on her, Sour, she's a friend too." said Lemon.

"If you say so." said Sour.

"So...um..." Twilight said nervously.

Lemon smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Twilight. "It's okay. There's no reason for her to be hostile towards you."

Twilight calmed visibly, but still seemed nervous. Lemon glanced at Sour. Sour simply shrugged, causing Lemon to roll her eyes.

Sour then sighed. "Okay. I won't be hostile towards you." Sour said. "At least not for today!" She blinked. "Dammit, Sour Side!"

Oh, come on! I just wanted to have a little fun! Thought Sour Side.

I get that, but now's not the time! Thought Sour Sweet.

Fine. Thought Sour Side.

Twilight simply stared at Sour. "Are you...okay?" she asked.

Sour sighed again. "I'm...bipolar." She noticed Twilight looking hesitant, so she smiled at her. "It's okay. You're not walking on eggshells here, it's no secret."

Twilight let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding. "That's a relief. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's a sensitive subject for you."

Sour shrugged. "Eh, I'm used to it."

"Before we go any further..." said Lemon, becoming visibly tense.

Sour looked at Lemon. "Is something wrong?"

Lemon took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sour. I told Twilight everything."

Sour's expression became blank. "You told her...everything." she repeated. "What do you mean by 'everything'?"

"I mean everything. Even..." Lemon could feel tears coming, fearing the aftermath of her next few words.

Sour slowly got up from her seat. "Even...even what?"

"Even what happened at the session with Radiant Hope." Lemon said. "I'm sorry I haven't told you everything, but I was just so excited about what happened that I didn't think of how it would affect you and our new friendship."

"You told...Twilight." Sour said, her tone surprisingly neutral. Twilight looked at Sour, then at Lemon. She began pulling her hair slowly. Were it not for the other students eating and speaking in the cafeteria, the silence between Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest would have been deafening. They both stood motionless, looking at each other for what seemed like ages. Sour, still trying to process what she'd heard and Lemon, afraid for one of her two only friendships.

"You told Twilight. That I had no friends. That I was lonely." Sour said as she finally broke the silence. "That I have no family."

"Sour..." said Lemon.

"You told Twilight about my self-loathing...that I cried out my tears while fighting with you." continued Sour.

"Sour, I-" Lemon said, sniffling.

"You told Twilight fucking Sparkle that I tried to kill myself?!" said Sour, shedding tears of her own. "Lemon Zest...I told you those things in front of Radiant Hope because I trusted you. That it would just be between the three of us. You, me, and Radiant Hope."

"Sour Sweet...I'm sorry." said Lemon, who immediately put her hands to her mouth.

"You're...sorry." said Sour. "Given what happened between you, me, and Radiant Hope..." she said, narrowing her eyes. "That was a very, very poor choice of words.", Sour Sweet's voice cracked. "As you said that session; 'That's not going to cut it, and you fucking know that.'"

Twilight stopped pulling her hair and simply stayed still, afraid that any sudden movement would incur Sour Sweet's wrath.

"I trusted you, Lemon. I told you my deepest and darkest secrets that day, and you told someone else. I don't care if she's your friend, you should have at least asked me first." said Sour, now shaking.

"Sour..." said Lemon, her voice quavering.

"No." said Sour. "Not another word. I...I need some time alone right now." Sour said and walked away, leaving her tray of food half-eaten. She stopped after a few steps. "Oh, and Twilight?"

Twilight tensed up as she felt the chill of fear spread throughout her body. "Y-y-y-y-yes, Sour?" she stammered.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this. If you do and I find out..." she turned around and walked back to Twilight, mere inches away from her face. Her eyes were still teary and puffy. "I will bite. And I will bite hard, Twilight Sparkle. Do we have an understanding?"

Twilight shrank, trembling with fear. "Y...y...."

"That's all I needed to hear." said Sour as she walked away with what little composure she had remaining.

"Sour..." said Lemon, reaching out a hand.

"DON'T." said Sour, her voice quavering. "Don't make this any harder than it already is for the both of us." she walked away from Lemon Zest and Twilight Sparkle. She left the cafeteria, then broke.

Time of Need

Once Sour Sweet had calmed down, she sighed heavily. I can't believe Lemon Zest did that. She thought.

But she apologized. Maybe you should go talk to her. Thought Sour Side.

I don't know if I'm ready to face her just yet. Thought Sour Sweet. That was excruciating... She wiped a tear from her eyes.

I know. Thought Sour Side. I was there.

Sour Sweet sighed again. She took a look at her surroundings to see nobody. She didn't want anyone to see her getting all emotional. She may not like her reputation as a psychotic person, but she'd be damned if she let anyone she didn't trust see her vulnerable again! Speaking of which...

I wonder if Radiant Hope has an opening. Thought Sour Sweet. I sure could use her help.

Sour Sweet had arrived at the guidance counselor's offices. "Hello." She said to the man behind the desk. "Does Radiant Hope have any openings?"

"Let me check." Said the receptionist. He checked through the appointment times on the computer. "It looks like she has an opening now if want to see her."

"Great!" Said Sour Sweet. She walked up to Radiant Hope's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Said Radiant Hope, and Sour Sweet opened the door. "Hello, Sour Sweet." She said. "What's on your mind?" Hope said with a smile.

Sour Sweet sat down, hugged herself then sighed deeply. She told Hope what had happened during her lunch period, including Lemon's apology. She didn't want to make Lemon seem like the antagonist, even if she was upset with her. Once she finished, she sagged into the couch and made a sputtering noise, covering her face with both of her hands.

"Well." Said Radiant Hope. "That's rather unfortunate."

"That's putting it mildly." Said Sour Sweet. "I know she apologized, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to talk to her again. The wounds are still fresh. I mean, this is the first friend I ever made. Ever. It really, really hurt." She said as she sniffled, feeling as though she was going to cry again. She took a deep breath and exhaled, calming herself down.

"That's understandable." Hope said in a sympathetic tone. "Do you need any tissues?" She asked, reaching for a small rectangular box on her desk.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'm going to be okay." She said, finally taking her hands off of her face and smiling. "I just needed someone to talk to. You know, to vent."

"Aww, that's sweet of you! But you're not my type!"

Sour Sweet flinched, and Hope had noticed. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Sour Sweet sighed heavily. "I don't know. I keep on hearing myself turn down Lemon Zest's romantic advance, and it's been driving me up the wall!" She made a frustrated grunt. "It's like it's supposed be a constant reminder that I should feel guilty about it all the damn time!"

Hope folded her arms. "It sounds to me like you're beating yourself up over it."

"Am I though?" Said Sour Sweet. "I thought I had gotten over that, but this is the first time I've heard it in my head since before I made up with Lemon."

"Do you think it'll persist until you make up with her?" Asked Hope.

"God, I hope not. But the answer is probably 'yes'." Sour Sweet said, heaving yet another sigh. Before she knew it, she spoke again.

"Sorry, Sweet. I wanted to get a few words in edgewise." Said Sour Side.

Wait, what?! Thought Sour Sweet. Seriously, warn me next time you're going to pull something like this!

Radiant Hope blinked. "So. You must be Sour Side."

"Yeah, that's me." Sour Side said. "I just wanted to personally thank you for being the first adult Sweet and I can legitimately trust." She walked over and gave Radiant Hope a hug.

Hope smiled and returned the hug. "You're welcome, Sour Side." They broke the hug as Sour Side sniffled.

"Speaking with you has really been a great help. I think I speak for the both of us when I say I don't know where we'd be without you..." Sour Side's voice cracked as she trailed off, sniffled again, then broke. Finally, after all these years. The tears she had to hold back. The tears she could never cry. The tears she so desperately needed to release fell.

Sour Side... Sour Sweet thought, surprised by her alternate personality's unexpected outpouring of emotion. Now she understood how powerless Sour Side had felt with her inability to comfort herself. This was the pain she had been feeling after all this time. At long last, she could let it all out with someone to comfort her.

After several minutes, Sour Side had finally calmed down. "You have no idea how long and how badly I needed that, Radiant Hope." She said, blowing her nose. "Again. Thank you." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

Sour Sweet opened her eyes. "My god." Said Sour Sweet. "I had no idea..."

I know you didn't. Thought Sour Side. That's why I wanted to speak to her.

"Are you feeling better?" Asked Sour Sweet.

Much better. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet smiled. "Sour Side's right. Neither of us can thank you enough."

Hope smiled in return. "Always happy to help."

"Speaking of which...is there anything you can do about my 'landlords'?" Sour Sweet asked.

"I'll see what I can do, but I think you'd need concrete proof before we do anything hasty." Said Hope.

Sour Sweet sighed. "I understand. And again, thanks for everything, Hope." She said as she walked towards the door.

Hope smiled. "You're quite welcome, Sour Sweet."

Hidden Depths

Sour Sweet left Radiant Hope's office, closing the door.

Sorry for taking over without any warning. Thought Sour Side.

Don't worry about it. You really needed that release, apparently. Thought Sour Sweet.

Yeah. That's kinda why I did it in the first place. Thought Sour Side.

If I could hug you, I so would. Thought Sour Sweet.

I know. Same here. Thought Sour Side.

Let's get on with the day, shall we? Thought Sour Sweet.

Let's. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet walked a couple of steps and ran into a person. She nearly fell over but her hand was quickly taken, immediately standing her back up.

"Thanks." Sour Sweet said to the person. She blinked. "Um...have we met? I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

"My name is Crystal Clarity." She said with a smile. "I'm one of the guidance counselors here." She extended a hand.

"Nice to meet you." Said Sour Sweet, accepting the invitation to the handshake. The warning bell for the next period rang.

Sour Sweet yelped. "I have to get to class! Thanks again!" She said as she ran out of the office.

After sixth period, Sour Sweet walked over to a window and simply stared out of it. She sighed.

Don't worry, Sweet. It'll be okay. Thought Sour Side.

I sure hope so. Thought Sour Sweet.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Said a voice behind Sour Sweet. She turned around to see Indigo Zap.

Sour Sweet sighed. "I don't know if I want to talk about it." She said, resting her head on her hands as her elbows were supported by the windowsill.

Indigo shrugged. "Suit yourself." She began to walk away, only for Sour Sweet to grab her, preventing her from going any further. "Changed your mind?" She asked.

Sour Sweet laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess I did." She let go of Indigo, then sighed. "I got into a bit of a fight with Lemon Zest. I don't want to go to into much more detail than that."

Indigo made a hissing noise through her teeth. "That sucks." She said, putting an arm on Sour Sweet's shoulder.

Sour Sweet smiled, grateful for physical contact from a peer. "Yeah, it does." She said. "But I'm sure we'll bury the hatchet. I just need some time away from her to regroup, that's all."

"That's understandable." Said Indigo.

Sour Sweet blinked, as though suddenly realizing who she was talking to. "Wait...I thought you were supposed to be one of the most obnoxious students around here. Why are you being so nice to me?"

Indigo laughed. "Oh, please." She said. "I'm not some one-dimensional character. Sure I can be obnoxious sometimes, but I can also be a sensitive and caring person. Just like I'm sure there's more to you than being a little...unpredictable."

Sour Sweet raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice of words."

Indigo grinned. "Would you prefer 'bipolar'?"

"While that's more accurate, I'm good with either." Said Sour Sweet. The warning bell for seventh period rang. "We should continue this conversation later." She said.

"Agreed." Said Indigo. "See you after class!"

Seventh period had ended, and Sour Sweet began searching for Indigo in earnest. As she walked down the halls, someone tousled her hair from behind.

"Looking for someone?" Asked Indigo, wearing her trademark grin.

Sour Sweet smiled. "I was, but then she messed up my hair." She said as she fixed her hair.

Indigo rolled her eyes and smiled. "So. Bipolar?"

Sour Sweet nodded. "Yeah. I'm bipolar. I acknowledge that I have it, but I don't let it define me."

"I imagine it's hard to not let it define you because of your occasional outbursts." Said Indigo. Sour Sweet glared at her, and she held up her hands in defense. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Indigo said. "I'm just saying, I meant no offense."

Sour Sweet sighed. "I don't know how to respond to that." She said, making a sputtering noise.

Indigo put a hand behind her head and sighed. "Yeah, that was probably out of line. I'm sorry."

"No. It's okay." Said Sour Sweet. "I'm just glad a peer is willing to talk to me, despite my 'reputation'." She clenched her teeth. "Damn Principal Cinch. I hate that word!"

You and me both. Thought Sour Side.

"You're not alone there." Said Indigo. "I think she's almost as obsessed with the thing as much as the word itself!" She sighed heavily. "Man, I hope the wrong people didn't overhear that."

Sour Sweet smiled. "If they did, we'd have known by now."

"Yeah, you've got a point there." The warning bell for eighth period sounded off.

"Onward to the next class, I guess." Said Indigo.

"Yup. Onward to the next class." Said Sour Sweet.

Eighth period had ended, and Sour Sweet sought out Indigo again. She began looking everywhere just in case her hair got messed up again because she let her guard down.

Great. Now I can add paranoia to my list of issues. Thought Sour Sweet.

At this point, you ought to call them volumes. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet smiled and rolled her eyes. Quiet, you. She thought as she continued to look around. Huh. I wonder where she is?

Your guess is as good as mine. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet shrugged. Maybe she's busy with something else. You know, probably being obnoxious.

I don't think that's a fair thing to say after the conversation the two of you had. Thought Sour Side.

What? Indigo herself admitted to being obnoxious from time to time. Thought Sour Sweet.

Hey, I'm just saying. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. Whatever. If you say so. The warning bell for the final period of the day rang. Oh well. She'll probably show up after the next period.

Sour Sweet left her final class of the day in search of Indigo. She scoured the hallways, but was unable to find any trace of her. Eh, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself. Sour Sweet thought, and left Crystal Prep.

She arrived home and opened the door. All was quiet and calm. Sour Sweet sighed heavily. "Another day gone..."

At least Indigo was nice. Thought Sour Side.

"That she was, Sour Side. That she was." Sour Sweet smiled. The rest of her day was spent chatting with Sour Side and eating dinner. She then went up to her room and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Author's Note

Yeah, I realize that some of this chapter will come off as rushed. Next one will be better. =)

Missing Friendship

Author's Note

Two days until the Friendship Games.

Missing Friendship

Sour Sweet woke up on her bare floor and sighed heavily. "Here we go again with another day." She said.

Okay, I know yesterday was rough, but today couldn't possibly- Sour Side was cut off.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Sour Side. I swear to god." Sour Sweet said, gritting her teeth.

Fine. I get it. Don't tempt fate. Thought Sour Side.

"Thank you. Now then, let's move on." Sour Sweet said as she got dressed. "Ready to take on the day?" She asked.

As I'll ever be. Thought Sour Side.

"Then let's get this over with." Said Sour Sweet.

Sour Sweet arrived at Crystal Prep and decided to roam the halls since she had plenty of free time. She'd been here for quite some time, but there were halls she was unfamiliar with. It was a nice change of pace to see something she hadn't before. She thought she heard voices off in the distance. "Please tell me there aren't any extra personalities in there with you, Sour Side..." Sour Sweet said.

Nope. Thought Sour Side. Just me, and me alone. So to speak.

Sour Sweet released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She came closer, and could make out the voices.

"Twilight...you don't have to-" Said a familiar voice before it was cut off.

"I'm going to fucking tell you, Lemon Zest! I've gone too damn far for nothing, do you hear me?!" shouted Twilight.

Sour Sweet's eyes widened. She had never heard Twilight Sparkle shout before, let alone swear. She never seemed the type to do so.

"Okay...I understand." Said Lemon Zest.

Sour Sweet decided not look through the window, lest she be discovered. Whatever was about to happen sounded grave. Why are they even in there? Thought Sour Sweet.

"I'm going to need this." Twilight said. "I feel so terrible, divulging people's secrets like this, but if it helps you defend yourself, I'll do it. No matter how painful it may be."

Sour Sweet gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Oh, god. What's going to happen in there? Should I stay? Should I intervene? She nearly jumped out of her skin when Twilight shrieked. Sour Sweet risked a peek inside and saw Twilight and Lemon Zest holding hands. They were too preoccupied with each other to notice her, but she immediately ducked away just to be sure.

Twilight's relinquishing of secrets and screaming had caused Sour Sweet to freeze in place. She told her body to move, then commanded it to move. As the screaming in the room continued, Sour Sweet stopped commanding her body and went straight to begging. "I don't want to hear any more...I just want to move." Sour Sweet whispered.

Feeling the dedication and kinship between Twilight and Lemon reminded her of the friendship she broke off with Lemon the day before. Tears started to stream down her cheeks. Why did Lemon have to tell Twilight? Yes, she apologized...but why did it hurt so much? Sour Sweet was brought out of her thoughts by Lemon's voice.

"Twilight...are you sure of all of those things?" Lemon Zest said in a tone of awe.

Yes..." Twilight said. "I had to double and even triple check...but yes. There's no doubt about any of them." She sounded as though she wasn't quite finished crying.

"Twilight...I don't know what to say..." said Lemon.

"Lemon...before we leave this room, I want to make something abundantly clear." said Twilight.

"Yes?" said Lemon.

"This will be between you and me, and we will both carry this to our graves if we can help it." said Twilight.

"I agree." Lemon said. "I can't believe you went to all that trouble just for me..."

"Hey." said Twilight, her voice quavering. "What are friends for?"

That had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Sour Sweet finally found the will to get up and leave. She ran through the halls, not caring if she ran into someone. She just had to get away! Unable to contain her emotions, she let a sniffle slip through, then a sob. By the time she was running at full speed, she had broken. Before she knew it, she bumped into someone.

She looked up and saw Sunny Flare. In the amount of time it took for Sunny to blink, a tidal wave of emotions swept through Sour Sweet. Initially, she was sad. Then sadness gave way to embarrassment. Embarrassment gave way to anger, and she lashed out. "I don't want to hear a goddamn word out of your mouth or so help me I'll turn your entire fucking skin black and red to go along with your shade of blue!" she shouted, then continued to run off. The warning bell for first period had rang, and she stopped in her tracks. She took a deep breath, then exhaled, finally regaining control of herself. She sighed heavily as she entered her first period class.

Getting Through the Day

First period had passed. Hey. How are you holding up? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet pulled at her eyelids with both of her hands. About as well as I could be, considering. She thought.

"Miss Sweet?" Said a masculine voice, snapping Sour Sweet to attention. She blinked.

"Do I know you?" Asked Sour Sweet, raising an eyebrow and cupping her chin in thought. "You look vaguely familiar to me."

"My name is Royal Pin." The student standing before her said. "You may have passed me by on occasion in the hallway."

Recollection came to Sour Sweet almost instantly. "Oh, right!" She blushed, smiling nervously. "I'm sorry, I don't usually pay attention to other students." She blinked. "Wait...Royal Pin?" Her eyes widened in realization. "You're part of the team for the Friendship Games."

Royal Pin nodded. "That is correct." He said and raised both his arms. "There's no need for you to apologize, I completely understand being immersed in one's own world." He chuckled softly. "We've all been there."

Sour Sweet smiled. "So, why are you speaking to me?" She asked, feeling slightly confused.

Royal Pin shrugged. "Why not? Is there something wrong with striking up a conversation with no ulterior motive in mind? I simply wish to get to know a teammate so we can work together towards a common goal: victory. That's all there is to it." The warning bell for second period sounded off. "Well, I must take my leave. Good day, Sour Sweet."

"Goodbye, Royal Pin." Said Sour Sweet.

Well, that was a thing that just happened. Thought Sour Side.

What are you talking about? He seemed nice enough. Thought Sour Sweet.

True. Thought Sour Side. I just think it was odd that someone approached us just to make small talk.

I guess. Thought Sour Sweet. Anyway, let's be off to second period!

Yes. Agreed Sour Side. Let's.

Sour Sweet exited her second period classroom and heard a voice behind her. "Yo." She turned around to find a student wearing sunglasses with dark gray hair. He wore an expressionless look on his blue-skinned face. "Sour Sweet, yes?" He said.

Sour Sweet blinked. "I'm sorry...do I know you?"

The student shook his head. "I wouldn't expect you to." He extended his hand to offer a handshake. "Name's Neon Lights. Some people call me Rising Star, but I can't for the life of me figure out why."

Sour Sweet shook Neon Lights' hand. Neon Lights...why does that name-oh! "Ah, I see." She said. "You're part of the team for the Friendship games." She broke the handshake. "I'm Sour Sweet." She said, gesturing to herself. "Any reason you want to speak to me?"

Neon Lights shrugged. "Principal Cinch says she wants all the team members to meet each other. I was just taking some initiative, that's all." He said.

"You and Royal Pin both." Said Sour Sweet, smiling.

"Royal Pin met with you first?" Neon Lights said, then sighed. "Damn. Lost a bet." He muttered under his breath.

Sour Sweet blinked. "What did you say?" She said, giving him a look of confusion.

"Nothing important, just a wager on who'd get to who first." Neon Lights said. "It's nothing you need to worry yourself over."

Sour Sweet shrugged. "Well, if you say so." She said. The warning bell for third period rang. "Well it was nice meeting you. See you soon!" She said as waved goodbye, then ran off to class.

Third period class had ended, and Sour Sweet left her classroom. "Ugh. That was one of the most boring classes I've ever been in."

Someone right behind her sighed. "No kidding. I almost banged my head on the desk just to keep my brain active." Sour Sweet turned around. She saw a pink-skinned teenager with her purple hair partially covered by a pale yellow headband. "You're Sour Sweet, right?" She asked.

"Yes." Sour Sweet replied. "Let me guess. You're part of the team for the Friendship Games."

The student blinked, momentarily surprised. "That was one lucky guess...m'kay?" She said. "I'm Suri Polomare. I didn't realize you and I shared a class. Then again, pretty much nobody around here pays any attention to one another."

Sour Sweet nodded. "Yeah, that's true. But whenever we do pay attention to each other, it's almost always over a competition." She sighed. "Don't you ever think that there should be some sort of change around here?"

Suri folded her arms and scoffed. "Not really. That's how it's been around here for years. Why mess with success?"

"I'm just saying, that's all." Said Sour Sweet.

Suri rolled her eyes. "Well, you're entitled to your own opinion...m'kay?" The warning bell for fourth period rang, prompting Suri and Sour Sweet to part ways.

You've been awfully quiet, Sour Side. Is everything okay? Thought Sour Sweet.

Yeah, everything's fine. Thought Sour Side. I just find all of the different perspectives of the students here interesting, that's all.

You had me worried there. You're almost never that silent. Thought Sour Sweet.

Sour Side scoffed. Oh, please. It's not like I'm just going to up and disappear, leaving you alone permanently.

Sour Sweet shuddered. Yeah, I'd rather not even think about something like that. She thought as she reached her classroom.

Sour Sweet exited her classroom. I wonder how Lemon Zest's doing. I haven't seen her since yesterday's lunch. She nearly bumped into two people while lost in her thoughts.

"Doesn't anyone ever pay attention around here?" Asked one voice.

"How many people do we have to bump into today?" Asked another.

For once, Sour Sweet knew who was talking to her right off the bat. "Jet Set. Upper Crust." She said, blushing sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I've got a lot on my mind."

Jet Set sighed. "Next time, please watch where you're going. Upper Crust and I have bumped into several other people today, and the day's not even half over!"

Upper Crust thought for a moment. "You know, dear...It's possible nobody's paying attention to their surroundings because the Friendship Games are just around the corner." She said with a smile.

Jet Set slapped the palm of his hand to his face and made a sputtering noise. "Of course! That makes total sense." He said. "I can't believe that slipped my mind!"

Sour Sweet felt a memory from earlier in the week resurface. She could feel heat in her face, blushing again. She didn't want to pry too much, but she had to know. "Um." She said, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. She got right to the point. "I've been wondering. How did you two meet?"

Jet Set put a hand to his mouth in shock while Upper Crust simply said. "Oh, goodness. I don't think anyone's ever asked us before, have they?"

"Indeed not, dear." Said Jet Set. "Why do you want to know?"

Sour Sweet sighed. "To be quite frank, I'm a little jealous." She admitted. "I live alone. I have almost no friends. I kinda of want to know if there's some kind of secret to finding the right person."

Jet Set and Upper Crust looked at each other for a moment. They were about to speak when the warning bell for fifth period rang. "Dammit!" Sour Sweet muttered under her breath as the two ran off to their classes. Sour Sweet made her way to her own class. I'll get an answer from them sometime later, I suppose.

Lunchtime had arrived and Sour Sweet grabbed her food. She noticed a student, all alone at a table. I can relate to that... Sour Sweet thought. She decided to walk over to him. The student took notice as she drew closer and he panicked. "No, it's okay." Sour Sweet said in a reassuring tone. "I'm not going to hurt you." Right?

Spoilsport. Thought Sour Side.

I'm trying to be nice here, you can have your fun later! Thought Sour Sweet.

The student eyed her warily, sweat dripping just below his two-toned vermilion hair. His bespectacled blue eyes stayed fixed on her, as though he was prey trying to find the right moment to escape. "How do I know I can trust you?" He said.

Sour Sweet sighed. "I suppose my reputation proceeds me." Fuck that word! She thought. The student remained still, keeping his eyes on her. "Wait." Sour Sweet said. "Didn't I see you speaking with Sunny Flare last week?"

The student's face softened from fear to sadness. He sighed. "I don't want to talk about it." He looked away from Sour Sweet. "But never mind that. Why are you even talking to me?" He asked. "Aren't you normally, you know, abrasive?" He flinched like it was a natural reflex.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "Only if you give me a reason to. Besides, I already said I'm not going to hurt you." She turned her head. "I think I've done that to enough people lately." She said sadly.

The student readjusted his glasses. "I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you." He said.

Sour Sweet smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it."

The student blinked. "If you say so." He said. "My name is Sunburst."

"Sour Sweet." Sour Sweet said. "Say, I've noticed you wear your uniform in an odd way. Kind of like a cape. Isn't that against dress code or something?"

Sunburst shrugged. "I guess not. If it was, I'd have been told by now. Besides, You and some of the other students here wear your uniforms in unusual ways as well."

Sour Sweet cupped her chin. "Yeah, you've got a point there. Never occurred to me why we do it, though. I'm just glad we're able to express individuality while still wearing them."

Sunburst smiled. "I hear that!" The two shared a laugh.

"So, why a cape?" Asked Sour Sweet.

Sunburst thought for a moment. "I suppose it comes from all the fantasy novels I've read. Being able to cast spells must be so cool! I mean, can you imagine what it would feel like? The rush of power you feel throughout your body, the incredible feats you'd be capable of!" He sighed and propped an arm on the table, his eyes half-lidded as if he was daydreaming. "There are some days that I feel like I'd give just about anything to see some real magic..." He glanced at his phone. "Oh crap! I completely lost track of time! Sorry, Sour Sweet! I gotta get going!" He ran off before Sour Sweet could say another word, then she spent the rest of her lunch period alone. The warning bell for sixth period sounded off, and she made her way to her classroom.

Sour Sweet left her sixth period classroom, expecting to bump into someone or even something. She looked both ways in the hall to double-check. Satisfied, she roamed the hall.

Well it's not like you're going to get trampled all of a sudden. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. Don't. Tempt. FATE! Thought Sour Sweet. I mean, seriously! At this point I might as well make a declaration and follow it up with "What could possibly go wrong?" while I walk into traffic blindfolded holding onto a lightning rod in a goddamn thunderstorm! She found herself panting from anger.

Holy crap, Sweet. Calm down! It was just a joke! Sour Side thought.

Life is a joke. Sour Sweet thought. People are just the punchlines.

What's got you on edge all of a sudden? Thought Sour Side.

I haven't heard from my landlords in a while. That probably means they'll contact me soon and demand my rent. Sour Sweet thought.

Wouldn't surprise me. Thought Sour Side. The warning bell for seventh period rang, and Sour Sweet headed off to class.

Sour Sweet exited her class. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Indigo Zap leaning on a locker. "Booga-booga." She said in an uncharacteristic monotone. Sour Sweet blinked, and Indigo laughed. "I'm just messing with you." She said.

Sour Sweet smiled and rolled her eyes. "Oh, you." She said. "So what do you want?"

Indigo grinned. "Just wanted to kill some time with some small talk."

Sour Sweet folded her arms. "Okay, then. Anything in particular?" She said, leaning against a wall.

"What sort of events do you think will be in the Friendship Games?" Indigo asked.

Sour Sweet shrugged. "Hell if I know. Don't they usually keep that sort of thing under wraps until the last minute?"

"I don't know too much about the Friendship Games myself." Indigo said, putting her hands behind her head. "I just wanna kick some CHS ass."

Sour Sweet grinned. "I hear that." They gave each other a high-five. "Do you think they'll put up a fight?"

"They always do." Said Indigo. "But Crystal Prep always wins."

"Always." Said Sour Sweet. The warning bell for eighth period went off. "See you later!" Sour Sweet said, and went off to her next class.

"Okay." Sour Sweet thought out loud. "School day's almost over." She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Eager to go home?" Asked someone behind her. Sour Sweet turned around to see Dean Cadence.

"A little, I guess." Said Sour Sweet as she shrugged. "Not that today's been a bad day, I'm just feeling a little drained."

Cadence smiled. "I understand, Sour Sweet. School can be a really exhausting experience." She put a hand on Sour's shoulder. "But as you said, the day is almost over."

Sour Sweet smiled back. "Yeah. I can tough out one more period easily."

Dean Cadence leaned closely into Sour Sweet. Sour stepped back a little, feeling uncertain. "I wouldn't do this under normal circumstances, Sour Sweet, but I want you to have this." Cadence put her hand into one of her pockets and produced a small slip of paper. She discreetly handed it to Sour Sweet.

"What is-" Sour Sweet unfolded the piece of paper and gasped, nearly dropping it. "Is...is that what I think it is?" She struggled to keep her emotions under control. On the slip of paper was Cadence's signature and a phone number.

Cadence nodded, smiling. "It is. Any time you need me, if you just want to talk or there's some sort of emergency, you can now contact me personally."

Sour Sweet sniffled. "I-I don't know what to say." She said, her voice quavering.

"You don't have to say anything, Sour Sweet. Whatever I can do to help you, I will." Cadence said as she embraced her in a gentle hug. Sour Sweet broke immediately and stayed in Cadence's arms until the warning bell for her final class rang.

The final period of the day had ended, and Sour Sweet was ready to make a beeline for the buses. "Sour Sweet." A dreadfully familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Yes, Principal Cinch?" Sour Sweet said, hesitant to look behind herself.

"I would like you to assemble all twelve team members tomorrow for a meeting." Said Principal Cinch.

Sour Sweet turned around, confused. "Twelve? I thought there were only eleven of us."

"There were," said Cinch. "But something tells me Twilight Sparkle may take an interest in joining."

"Oh, really," asked Sour Sweet. "Well, the more the merrier!" She said cheerfully. "I just hope she doesn't ruin everything!"

Principal Cinch raised an eyebrow. "Indeed." She said. "That is all."

Nice ad-libbing there. Thought Sour Sweet.

But there was a bit of truth to it. Thought Sour Side.

Nonetheless, it got her out of my hair quickly. That's what matters. Thought Sour Sweet. Now then, let's go home.

Sour Sweet opened the door to her empty house. "Home sweet home." She said, nearly flopping onto the floor. "Ugh. School can be a real bitch sometimes."

What are you talking about? Outside of classes, all you did was make small talk! Thought Sour Side.

"I did, and it was tiring! I'm not used to speaking to other people without threatening them! You have any idea how much effort I put into holding back that shit?" Said Sour Sweet.

I can only imagine. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "Quiet you."

The remainder of the day had been uneventful for Sour Sweet, and she didn't mind one bit. She lied on the floor to fall asleep.

Are you excited for the Friendship Games, Sweet? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet smiled. "Of course I am! I just wanna kick some ass and feel good about winning."

Straight to the point, eh? Thought Sour Side.

"Yep. Now enough talk. I need to conserve as much energy as possible for Friday." Said Sour Sweet. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her away.

Overhyped

Author's Note

The Friendship Games are tomorrow.

Overhyped

Sour Sweet slowly opened her eyes, stretching and yawning. She rolled over on the floor and got up.

Goooood morning! Thought Sour Side.

"Good morning." Sour Sweet muttered. "Well. Tomorrow's the Friendship Games."

Yep. Thought Sour Side.

"Rather scintillating conversation, isn't this?" Said Sour Sweet, rolling her eyes. "Let's both remain quiet until I'm fully awake, shall we?"

Agreed. Thought Sour Side.

Now fully awake and in her uniform, Sour Sweet walked out of her house and to the bus stop.

Any idea when Principal Cinch wants you to grab everyone? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet shrugged. Nope. I suppose I'll go ask her just for clarification.

Better to err on the side of caution. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet nodded. Yup. The bus pulled up to the stop, and Sour Sweet boarded. She hardly paid attention to what the student on the bus were yammering about, but curiosity got the better of her this time around.

"...Friendship Games are tomorrow, can you believe it?!"

"What events do you think there'll be?"

"How badly are we gonna beat those losers from Canterlot High?"

No surprise there. Everyone's excited for the Friendship Games. Thought Sour Sweet.

So are you. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and smiled. Of course I am, Sour Side. It's all about winning, remember?

Winning isn't everything, Sweet. Thought Sour Side.

You're right. Winning isn't everything... it's the only thing that matters! Thought Sour Sweet.

If Sour Side was capable of sighing, it would have done so.

Sour Sweet arrived at Crystal Prep, and the hallways were filled with students chatting excitedly about the Friendship Games.

I guess that's pretty much all I'm going to hear about today. Thought Sour Sweet. Off to the principal's office I go. Sour Sweet kept her eyes open all the way to Principal Cinch's office. She had almost bumped into people enough times around here already. She reached the office and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Principal Cinch said from behind the door. "Come in." Sour Sweet opened the door and entered. "Ah, Sour Sweet. What brings you up here?" Asked Principal Cinch.

Sour Sweet hesitated for a moment. While she greatly disliked the principal and for the longest time wanted nothing more than to tell her off in a torrent of obscenities, she understood what it would cost her if she ever did so. Not to mention she always came off as intimidating, or even that she was in her office at this very moment. She snapped herself out of her thoughts, aware that Cinch would get impatient if she kept quiet. Principal Cinch never liked having her time wasted. "Yesterday, you told me to get all of my teammates, but you didn't tell me when to do so or where to assemble them." Sour Sweet said.

Principal Cinch sighed. "I suppose you're right. Very well then, how about this: gather everyone in a room of your choice during lunch."

Sour Sweet smiled. "That works for me. That's all I wanted to know. Thank you!" She said, and left the office for her first period class.

First period had passed, and all the students including Sour Sweet left the classroom. She sighed. Ugh. Sometimes classes can be so freakingboring!

Amen, sister. Amen. Thought Sour Side.

You'd think CPA would try to make their classes a bit more enjoyable, but noooo. Thought Sour Sweet.

Testify! Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet returned her attention to her surroundings, not risking another potential collision with a fellow student. As much fun as that exchange was, I don't want any distractions on the way to class.

Very well. Thought Sour Side.

Second period passed, and Sour Sweet left the classroom to hear more chatter about the Friendship Games.

If I wasn't as into the Games as everybody else here, I'd be going crazy! I almost want someone to talk about something else. Almost. Thought Sour Sweet.

You can always talk to me, you know. Thought Sour Side. Quite frankly, I'm getting borderline sick of hearing about the games. It'd be a nice change of pace.

Sour Sweet shrugged and sighed. Well you won't have to wait much longer. The games are tomorrow.

Yeah, but then CPA's gonna talk about our victory for the next few days after! Complained Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. I suppose you have a point there. Maybe if we're lucky the next class will bore me into a stupor.

Now who's tempting fate? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet folded her arms and scowled. Oh, shut up.

Third period passed, and Sour Sweet left the classroom while trying to tune out the chatter for the Friendship Games.

You know, you could always just cover your ears with your hands and shout "LALALALALALA!" Thought Sour Side.

Oh, please. If I did that, I'd look and sound like an idiot! Thought Sour Sweet.

Just a suggestion. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and shook her head as she walked to her fourth period class.

Fourth period passed, and Sour Sweet massaged her temples. "I think I've got a freaking headache." She sighed. "That ear-covering option sounds good right about now..."

Told you. Thought Sour Side.

Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in. Thought Sour Sweet. I just want lunch to come around so I can keep my mind occupied.

Lunch had finally began, and Sour Sweet ate as fast as she comfortably could. "Now." She said, cracking her knuckles. "Let's round everyone up!"

Shadowbolt Roundup

Sour Sweet kept her eyes peeled for her fellow Shadowbolts as she all but ran though the hallways.

Aren't you going to try not to bump into anyone? Thought Sour Side.

Nah, I think I have a decent chance of bumping into any of the other Shadowbolts if I'm not careful. Thought Sour Sweet.

You're crazy. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet nearly stopped in her tracks and slapped the palm of her hand on her forehead, sliding it all the way down to her chin. A voice in my head that's also apparently a split personality just called me crazy. No fucking duh, I'm crazy! I believe we've established this a long, long time ago! Thought Sour Sweet.

Calm down, Sweet! What's gotten into you? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet took a deep breath and sighed. It's like the Friendship Games are the only freaking thing anyone around here is capable of talking about! Seriously, give it a rest! I get it! We're all hyped!

Haven't we already gone through this? Thought Sour Side.

Possibly. Thought Sour Sweet. But I needed to vent. Thanks for listening.

Any time. Thought Sour Side. Now how about we grab everyone?

Sour Sweet grinned. Let the hunt begin!

Sour Sweet found Neon Lights wandering the halls. "Neon Lights?"

Neon looked up at Sour Sweet. "Yes?"

"Principal Cinch has tasked me with getting the team together so we can all formally meet. I'll take you to the room I chose." Sour Sweet said.

Neon Lights shrugged. "Eh, sure. Why not?"

"Great!" One down, ten to go.

As soon as she left Neon Lights alone in the room, Sour Sweet came to a sudden realization. "Crap! I should have started in the cafeteria! Jet Set and Upper Crust are likely eating at their table!" She made a frustrated grunt and hurried back to where she started. She ran past Sugarcoat, then screeched to a halt. "Oh, good. That's one less person I have to look for. Go inside, we're going to have a team meeting."

Sugarcoat frowned. "You sure it's not an orgy?"

Sour Sweet blinked, then slapped the palm of her face. "Just get in there!" she said, gritting her teeth. What's with her and sex, anyway? I'd ask her, but I'm worried about what she'd tell me. Oh well, nine remain. She sprinted to the cafeteria.

Sour Sweet ran into the cafeteria and was grateful to see that Jet Set and Upper Crust were still at their table. She walked over to the table while keeping track of the time. "Jet Set! Upper Crust!" The couple looked up from their meals. "Hurry up and finish. Principal Cinch wants the team to formally meet, and I'm here to guide you to the room."

"Understood." Jet Set and Upper Crust said simultaneously.

That was easy. And two for the price of one as well! Seven left.

Upon leaving the cafeteria, Sour Sweet noticed Royal Pin, looking nervous with his shoulders tensed up. He slowly walked up to her. "Miss Sweet." He said. "I've noticed you moving back and forth, coming and going with other students. Is something the matter?"

Sour Sweet smiled. "Not at all. In fact, I've been looking for you. Principal Cinch wanted me to gather the team together as part of a 'formal introduction' of sorts."

Royal sighed, relaxing his shoulders. "Oh, thank goodness." He said.

Sour Sweet raised an eyebrow. "What did you think was going on?" She asked.

Royal laughed sheepishly. "Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me. If something odd occurs and I see it, I always assume the situation is worse than it really is."

"Well, you don't need to worry anymore." Said Sour Sweet. "Now let's get you to the rest of the team." Six left!

Sour Sweet had left the room in search of her remaining teammates. Any ideas on where to find them? She thought.

Sorry, I've got nothing. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet sighed. Okay. Fine. When in doubt, ask about!

After asking several people, Sour Sweet once again found herself back in the cafeteria. Goddammit! She thought. This is becoming ridiculous and tedious! She scanned the cafeteria and found Suri Polomare sitting next to Trender. Oh, thank fuck! She walked up to their table. "Hey, you two. Formal team meeting by order of Principal Cinch. Follow me." Four to go!!

Sour Sweet exited the room and took a look at the time. "Aw, crap!" She blurted out. Time was running short. She'd have to book it if she wanted to find everyone in time. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She took out her phone, pulled up a video, then set the volume to max. She extended her arm out and turned her head in the opposite direction, using her free hand to plug the ear that was facing away from her phone. She lifted her thumb, scrunched her face muscles to brace herself, then pressed her thumb on her phone.

Nearly everyone in the hallway started as her phone filled the corridor with airhorns, with a couple of students cowering on the floor. I'm probably gonna get in trouble for this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Two seconds later, she tapped her phone again and the airhorns stopped. Sour Sweet turned her phone's volume back to its default setting and looked up. Scores of students glared at Sour Sweet, until a sound echoed throughout the hall.

The sound of airhorns once again filled the hall and increased in volume until Indigo Zap pushed her way through the throng of students. She pressed her phone with her thumb, cutting off the noise. "I hope you know how many you people you just pissed off, Sour Sweet." She said, wearing her trademark grin on her face.

Sour Sweet folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Believe me, Indigo. I do." She shook her head rapidly, forcing herself to focus. "Look, I called you over here because Principal Cinch wanted me to get all of the team members together for a formal meeting."

Indigo blinked. "So you've been getting us all one by one? Wouldn't it have been more efficient to have them follow you around as you looked for the other teammates?"

Sour Sweet's jaw dropped, and she remained motionless for a couple of moments. She snapped back to attention. "Excuse me for just a second, Indigo. Stay right there."

Indigo put her arms behind her head. "No worries. I'm not going anywhere."

"Great." Said Sour Sweet. She ran to the nearest exit and burst through the doors. She took a deep breath, then let out a shriek of unholy rage that traumatized a poor chihuahua whose owner just happened to be taking it for a walk at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sour Sweet walked back into Crystal Prep and returned to Indigo Zap. Indigo patted Sour Sweet on the back. "Feeling better?" Indigo asked.

Sour Sweet sighed. "A little, yeah."

"Great!" Said Indigo. "Now let's get going already!"

Sour Sweet left the room. "Okay! Now all that's left is to find..." She sighed heavily. "Great. The last three people I need to see. Twilight, Lemon, and Sunny." She made a sputtering noise. "I knew this was coming. Might as well bite the bullet." She wandered the halls until she found Sunny Flare looking around as though she was afraid of something.

"Sunny." Sour Sweet said. Sunny Flare yelped and turned around, then sighed deeply. "Come with me. Principal Cinch wants the team to meet."

Sunny Flare stared at Sour Sweet. "Okay. Fine." Sunny said. "Let's get this over with." She sighed again.

"I don't like this any more than you do!" Sour snapped. "I know what you've been doing to Lemon Zest. If I had my way,I'd make you bloodier than her and me after both fights combined!" She took a deep breath and exhaled. "If she did anything to hurt you, you more than deserved it."

Sunny clenched her hands into fists, her face turning red. "You don't know what I've been through, you obnoxious bipolar bitch."

Sour rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Get off your high horse, then go fuck yourself and the horse you rode in on." Before either of the girls could take action, their attention was diverted by a person clearing their throat. Sour's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! H-h-hi, Radiant Hope!" she said, smiling sheepishly.

"Hello, girls." said the guidance counselor. "Am I interrupting something important?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"N-n-n-not at all!" said Sour, raising her hands in defense. "Sunny Flare and I were just going to meet the rest of the team for the Friendship Games, but we got distracted and started a...heated debate." Sour gave Sunny a meaningful look. "Right, Sunny?" she asked. Sunny Flare nodded.

Hope looked at the two skeptically. "As long as that's all you were doing." she said. "We've had enough fights here on campus over the week as it is." she turned around. "Goodbye, girls. Try not to get into any trouble." Hope said as she walked away.

As soon as the two were certain Hope was out of range, they glared at each other.

"Later?" Sunny said, her eyes narrowed.

"Later." Sour said in agreement. "Let's just get this shitfest over with before we seriously try to kill each other on the spot."

Sour Sweet led Sunny into a room filled by Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Suri Polomare, Neon Lights, Royal Pin, Jet Set, Upper Crust and Trender.

Sunny waved to her teammates, then folded her arms. "All we need now is Lemon Zest."

"And Twilight Sparkle." said Sour.

Sunny blinked. "Wait, what? When did Twilight decide to compete? She's not the type for this sort of thing!"

"I'm pretty sure Principal Cinch 'convinced' her to join." Sour said, rolling her eyes.

"You mean like how Lemon 'convinced' us into playing nice for the Friendship Games?" said Sugarcoat.

Sour sighed. "Lemon might have a point, though. We've always treated each other like crap for the most part. Except for you, Royal Pin. You're all right." she smiled. Royal smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.

"That doesn't justify her actions, Sour." said Indigo.

"Maybe not, Indigo, but did all of you really believe something like this wouldn't happen?" Sour said. "Lemon and I have gotten into a fight in the hallway, everybody seems to like making each other paranoid..." She put her head in her hands and sighed again. "Something had to give eventually and that something was Lemon Zest. Is it really such a bad thing to try to be friends?"

Sunny rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh, please. Get off of your soapbox and get Lemon and Twilight so we can all move on with our lives."

"Shut the fuck up, Flare!" yelled Sour, getting in her face. "I don't care what sort of bullshit caused you to be the Queen Mother of all bitches, but if I hear one more goddamn word out of your mouth I swear to god I will find two pairs of the sharpest scissors in this school and jam each of them into both of your lower holes as hard as I fucking can!"

Silence engulfed the room, save for Sour's heavy breathing after her rant.

"I'm getting Lemon and Twilight." Sour said, opening the door. She slammed it so hard it startled everyone in the room.

"Gah! What is that woman's problem?!" Sour Sweet said, fuming. Fuck her. I have more important things to worry about. She wandered the halls in search of Lemon Zest and Twilight Sparkle. As she passed by a hall, she thought she heard Twilight's voice. She inched closer, and she could understand what she was saying.

"Now you listen to me, Lemon Zest. You arenothinglike Principal Cinch. You and I just had a fall from grace. But you know what? The best part of falling is that you can get back up again...because when youdoget back up, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world!" Twilight said as her voice quavered.

Sour Sweet sighed. "I hate to interrupt the moment you two are having, but you guys need to come with me. Principal Cinch wants you two to meet the rest of the team."

"Sour..." said Lemon.

"Let me cut you off right now, Lemon. One." She raised her pointer finger. "We'll talk after team introductions. "Two." she said as she raised her middle finger, making a peace sign. "It'll be just you and me. It's always been just between you and me."

Lemon nodded in understanding.

Sour pointed to Twilight. "I don't want her getting any more involved than she already has." She looked at Twilight. "Understand?"

Twilight blinked, then nodded.

"Good." said Sour. "Now that we've reached an agreement, let's get this over with."

Classroom Blitz

Author's Note

The following chapter takes place after the team meeting.

Classroom Blitz

Once Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest reached a secluded spot, Sour gave Lemon a death glare. "What the goddamn fuck, Lemon Zest?!" she all but yelled. "It was bad enough that you told Twilight about my personal life, but now you get into everyone else's? I thought you were better than that!"

Lemon sighed. "I know what I did was wrong. I was just...so damn tired of being pushed around that I decided it was about time I pushed back. I know it doesn't justify what I did."

"Quit bullshitting me, Lemon. I know you're protecting Twilight because she did the digging. I heard enough of the conversation you two had in the hallway." said Sour. Lemon's eyes widened in horror. Her jaw hung open as her brain struggled to form the words she wanted to say. "I won't tell anyone that Twilight did the digging." she smiled. "I'm not always petty and vindictive."

Lemon was still frozen in place from shock. All she could do was blink.

"Lemon? Are you okay?" said Sour as she waved her hand in front of Lemon's face. She remained silent and still. A smirk slowly crept onto Sour Sweet's face as she had an idea to snap Lemon out of her shock. She leaned into Lemon's ear and said in the softest tone possible "Lemon Zest...I love you."

"WHAAAT?!" Lemon shrieked.

Sour giggled. "That snapped you out of it. I think we woke up the dead in the process though. I wasn't expecting that strong of a reaction."

"Not cool..." she said under her breath.

"Could you say that again? I didn't hear you. My ears are still ringing from your outburst." said Sour. Lemon looked up at her with tears in her eyes. Sour gasped.

"I said 'not cool'." Lemon's voice cracked.

"Oh, shit! I'm sorry! I thought you were over me after all this time! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" said Sour, feeling guilty.

Lemon sniffled. "So did I, Sour Sweet. So did I..."

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Sour, trying to put a hand on Lemon's shoulder.

"I...need some time to think, okay?" said Lemon.

"I understand...take all the time you need." said Sour as she felt a lump in her throat.

"Thank you." said Lemon as she slowly walked away.

As soon as Lemon turned a corner and was out of Sour's sight, she trembled, curled her hand into a fist, and punched the locker closest to her. "DAMMIT!" she shouted as her tears fell to the floor. She slumped against the locker and slid down to the floor. "Why did I have to go and fuck it up like that?" she said between sobs.

Sweet...you know it's not your fault. Neither of you knew she'd react that way. Thought Sour Side.

"I know, Sour Side. But I still can't help but feel bad about it!"

The warning bell for sixth period rang. Sour Sweet sighed heavily and calmed herself down. "Let's just get the rest of the day over with, okay?"

If that'll make you feel better. Thought Sour Side.

"I hope it will." Said Sour Sweet.

Sixth period was done, and Sour Sweet trudged out of the classroom. "Well, I don't feel all that better." She made a sputtering noise.

Well, there wasn't any guarantee that you would. Thought Sour Side.

I know, I know. Thought Sour Sweet. I just want something to distract me for a moment, that's all.

There was an audible gasp as Sour Sweet felt herself bump into another person. She nearly fell over but kept her balance. Standing in front of her was Sunburst, with his glasses slightly askew from his run-in with her. "Are you okay, Sour Sweet?" He asked.

Sour Sweet gave Sunburst a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got lost in my own little world...again." She rolled her eyes as though she intended her action to punctuate her sentence. "That seems to happen a lot lately."

Sunburst smiled. "I know what that's like. Everybody seems to bump into each other from time to time around here. Why people never seem to pay enough attention in the halls is beyond me." He said with a shrug.

"Same here." Said Sour Sweet. "You'd think they'd wise up after falling on the floor several times." The two shared a laugh as the warning bell for seventh period rang. "Schoolwork calls." She muttered under her breath. "See you later, Sunburst!" She waved goodbye, heading to her next class.

Seventh period had finished, and Sour Sweet stretched once she left the classroom. She popped a muscle, causing her to grunt in pain. "Gah! That hurt."

Maybe you should exercise and stretch more often. Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. What are you, my personal trainer?

Someone's got too keep a look out for your well-being. Thought Sour Side.

So what, you want me do jumping jacks in the hallway during passing period? Sour Sweet thought.

It couldn't hurt. Thought Sour Side.

It'd hurt my pride. Thought Sour Sweet.

If Sour Side was capable of rolling its eyes, it would. The warning bell for eighth period rang.

Let's move on, shall we? Thought Sour Sweet.

Let's. Thought Sour Side.

Eighth period wrapped up. Oh, thank god today's almost over! Thought Sour Sweet.

Eager to return to your isolation? Thought Sour Side.

Eager to leave school. Thought Sour Sweet. I'd like some quiet time before the Friendship Games tomorrow.

I suppose that's understandable. Thought Sour Side.

Yep. Thought Sour Sweet. Things are gonna get crazy, so I might as well recharge as much as I can. She cracked her neck. "Shit!" She yelped. "That hurt!" She blushed from embarrassment as a few students glanced in her direction. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." She said, smiling and waving them away.

Maybe now you'd want to exercise and stretch more? Thought Sour Side.

Sour Sweet scoffed. Hey now, I'm pretty well built as it is. Besides, I always stretch before exercising or a sport.

Okay, you've got me there. Thought Sour Side.

Thank you. Thought Sour Sweet, smiling and nodding in satisfaction. The warning bell for the final period rang and she made her way to the next and last classroom of the day.

"Freedom!" Said Sour Sweet upon exiting the classroom. "Glorious, glorious freedom!" She resisted the sudden urge to pirouette in the middle of the hallway, lest she look ridiculous. "Time to get outta dodge!" She headed towards her bus and got on. She leaned back and heaved a contented sigh, closing her eyes and tuning out the yammering of the students.

Sour Sweet flung the door to the house open and shouted "Nobody, I'm home!" She put her hand to her ear, smiling. "Ahhhh..." she said, feeling blissful. "Silence. At long last. Silence." She closed the door. She walked into the bare living room, and an idea formed in her head. Taking out her phone, she took pictures of the entire house. Her room, the empty living room, all the holes in all the walls that she punched. The entire house. I'll consider these photos "Exhibit A". She thought, a grin forming on her mouth. Satisfied, she walked up to her room to mentally and physically prepare herself for the Friendship Games.

Night had fallen, and Sour Sweet found herself getting tired. "Well, tomorrow's the big one."

Indeed it is, Sweet. Indeed it is. Sleep well! Thought Sour Side.

"Thanks. Goodnight!" Sour Sweet said, falling asleep within an hour.

Friendship Before the Games

Sour Sweet woke up. "Well..." She said. "Today's the day." She got up, then stretched and yawned. "Let's do this!" She said as she changed into her school uniform. Once finished, she ran out of her room, and then the house. She had decided to leave the house early because she knew she'd start to feel antsy if she woke up late. Being late to school was one thing, but being late for school on the day of the Friendship Games is something else altogether!

The bus had arrived, and Sour Sweet hopped in and found herself a seat. She leaned back, staring at the ceiling of the bus. She closed her eyes, tuning out the chatter from the students on the bus.

Sour Sweet got off the bus and noticed Lemon Zest run into a bush. Sour Sweet raised an eyebrow and decided to see what she was up to. Being as quiet as she possibly could, she snuck into the bush and put her hand over Lemon's mouth. Lemon started and screamed, then turned around.

"Hey." Sour said. "What are you doing in here?"

"Jesus fucking Christ almighty on a goddamn pogo stick, Sour Sweet! You scared the fuck out of me!" Lemon whispered sharply.

Sour smiled sheepishly. She regained her composure quickly. "I'm sorry." she said.

"It's okay." said Lemon.

"No. It's not." said said Sour.

Lemon blinked, then realized what Sour was really apologizing for. "Look, neither of us knew I'd react like that. It's in the past." she said.

Sour sighed. "I know, but I still can't help but feel guilty. I mean, we were on the verge of rekindling our friendship, and I had to say those stupid, stupid words!" her voice cracked.

Lemon looked at Sour. "Hey now, I know you didn't mean to upset me. It was a total accident. I couldn't help the way I felt...and apparently still feel about you." Lemon said, blushing slightly. "It's like I want to move on, but I can't...like I won't let myself...but I don't want to drive you away." she said, feeling a lump in her throat. "Because I'm scared that if I do drive you away..." she trailed off, sniffling. "You'd feel that you have nothing left to live for." Lemon's breathing hitched.

"Lemon..." Sour said, putting her hand to her mouth.

"Please don't kill yourself, Sour Sweet!" Lemon began sobbing. "I...I don....I don't know what I'd do with myself if you did!" She shot over to Sour and hugged her tightly. "I want to do everything within my power to prevent that from happening!"

Sour smiled, tears of her own flowing. "Lemon...I promise you I won't. I've been having sessions with Radiant Hope ever since the one we had together. That day truly was an eye-opener for me. I never feel like I'm alone as long as I have a guidance counselor like Radiant Hope...or a friend like you." she said as she gently stroked Lemon's hair in an effort to calm her down.

Upon hearing Sour Sweet refer to her as a friend, Lemon Zest lost any sense of rational thought and let out all of her emotions. She focused on all that she had been through, mentally and emotionally, over the past week and let out an ear-piercing howl of anguish that could be heard by all outside. Drained, but still crying, Lemon went limp in Sour Sweet's arms until Radiant Hope found them.

Once Radiant Hope brought the pair into her office, Sour Sweet explained everything. Lemon was asleep next to her, as her emotional outburst took nearly all of her energy.

Hope gave Sour a meaningful look. "You did the right thing, Sour Sweet."

Sour gave Hope a confused look. "I...I did?"

Hope nodded. "Lemon's release of emotions was strong, to say the least, but it's a sign that while she'll still feel the pain for some time to come, she's beginning to truly heal."

Sour raised an eyebrow at Hope.

Hope smiled. "It means that since she let it all out, she had forced herself to accept that you would simply be friends."

Sour frowned. "You make it sound bad."

"But it's not, Sour." said Hope. "It's all part of the healing process."

Lemon opened her eyes and got up slowly. "What...happened?" her eyes shot wide open as everything came back to her. "Oh, shit! What time is it?! Did I miss the Friendship Games?!"

Sour smiled. "No, you didn't. You've only been out for like an hour. You've still got two hours left."

Lemon took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay, there's still time then."

"Time for what?" asked Sour.

"I'll explain later. Thanks, Hope!" said Lemon as she took Sour by the hand and left Hope's office. She took out her phone. Once they reached the bushes, Lemon and Sour stopped.

"What the hell is going on?!" asked Sour.

Lemon grinned. "I made a wager with Indigo last night." she said.

Sour blinked. "You what?"

"I made a wager with Indigo last night." Lemon repeated.

"Oookay...so what does this have to do with us being in the bushes?" asked Sour.

"I bet Indigo that she couldn't humiliate Sunny Flare in public in an absolutely ridiculous manner." said Lemon, grinning widely.

"Oh, fuck." said Sour, grinning from ear to ear. "This is gonna be good."

"It will be. She said she wouldn't do it for money, just one condition." said Lemon.

"And that's why we're hiding in these bushes?" asked Sour.

"Yep. The condition was that I record it on my phone." said Lemon.

Target's in position!- Sent by Indigo Zap

Recording...NOW!- Sent by Lemon Zest

Out of nowhere, the sound of airhorns came rushing towards Sunny Flare as she jumped from being startled. The source of the noise was coming from a person in a gorilla suit, throwing sardines at its target, landing an occasional bullseye.

Lemon and Sour were howling with laughter as the former managed to record the whole scene despite shaking with mirth.

At long last, the moment was here. Sour Sweet was waiting in line while Dean Cadence was looking over a checklist. Sour Sweet noticed Sunny Flare join the line. The two simply stared at each other, neither one willing to start up a conversation. The silence continued as more students joined the line until both were broken.

"Dean Cadence?" said Twilight, cutting in line. "I'm not really sure where to go."

Cadence walked away, holding up a finger. "One second, Twilight." she said.

"You could try the end of the line." said Sour, causing Sunny to smile slightly despite herself.

Twilight turned around and adjusted her glasses. "What did you say?"

"Just that someone as smart as you should definitely go first." said Sour.

Twilight raised her arms defensively. "I...I didn't mean to. I was just asking."

Dean Cadence returned. "This is the right bus, Twilight. Go ahead."

"But...I didn't mean to cut in front." Twilight said.

Sour folded her arms. "Well it's too late now!" she said. She sighed as Twilight boarded the bus and took her sweet time talking to Indigo Zap. After Twilight moved to the back, Sour Sweet smiled. Ready to kick some ass, Sour Side?

Damn right, I am! Thought Sour Side, and Sweet boarded the bus.

End of Book Three of The Crystal Prep Chronicles: Before the Friendship Games

What's So Wrong With A Little Competition?

"Jump rope?" Asked Indigo as she put a hand to her mouth, snickering.

Sour Sweet raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Yeah, jump rope. Got a problem with it?"

"No, not at all!" Said Indigo, still struggling not to fall into a laughing fit. "I just never thought of you as the rope-jumping type."

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and frowned. "Oh, and I'm sure you don't have something you enjoy that other people would laugh at because it doesn't match up with your personality?" Indigo averted her gaze and muttered something unintelligible. Sour Sweet blinked. "What was that? I couldn't hear you." She said, putting a hand to one of her ears.

"I said I like Barbie dolls, okay?!" Indigo snapped, blushing. "Please don't tell anyone." she said, embarrassed.

Sour Sweet smiled and put a hand on Indigo's shoulder. "See? That wasn't so hard now, was it? And I didn't even come close to laughing."

Indigo smiled in return. "Okay, okay. Enough talk. Let's do this!" She said, narrowing her eyes.

"Bring it!" Said Sour Sweet.

"Wait!" said Indigo, holding up her hands. "We don't even have a jump rope."

Sour Sweet blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Oh. Right. Follow me and I'll get one from my home. Unless you have one at yours?"

Indigo sighed. "Nope. I don't. Let's just get moving already."

The duo had arrived at Sour Sweet's house, lightly sweating. Indigo grinned. "Think you've got enough energy for this?"

Sour Sweet smiled. "I could ask you the same thing."

Indigo barked a laugh. "Come on, I'm one of the more athletic students at Crystal Prep! I've got plenty of energy to spare!"

"If you say so." Said Sour Sweet. "Be back in a minute!" She said as she went inside. Indigo folded her arms and started tapping her foot, whistling while she waited. A minute later Sour Sweet ran out of the house with a jump rope in her hands, grinning from ear to ear. "Are you ready?" She asked, practically giddy with anticipation.

Indigo rolled her eyes and smiled. "As I'll ever be, I guess. You go first."

"With pleasure." Said Sour Sweet. "One. Two. Three. Four." She counted as she jumped, steadily increasing her speed. A few moments had passed as she continued. "Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty." Indigo watched in mild interest as time continued to pass. "Thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four." Indigo began tapping her foot in impatience and checked the clock as minutes ticked by. "Seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two." Indigo stifled a yawn and stretched as she watched Sour Sweet continue. "Ninety, ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three." Indigo made a sputtering noise as she took out her phone, turned the volume to max and covered her ears. "One hundred, one hundred one, one hundred two, one-ack!" Sour Sweet yelped as the sound of airhorns broke her concentration. She tripped over her rope but regained her footing almost immediately. She shot an angry glare at Indigo.

"What? I was getting bored." Indigo said with a smug look as she leaned against a fence.

"Oh, I'm sure you were!" Snapped Sour Sweet. "Seriously. Not cool!"

Indigo shrugged. "What's done is done." She said as Sour Sweet handed her the jump rope. As Indigo began jumping and counting, Sour Sweet let a mischievous grin cross her face.

Time for a little payback. Sour Sweet thought. She waited for the right moment to exact her revenge. Once Indigo got up to the eighties, Sour Sweet ran over to her and screamed in her ear. Indigo let out a yelp and tripped, falling face first into the grass and getting a mouthful of grass and dirt. She spat everything out of her mouth and got up, her face red with rage.

"What? I was getting bored." Sour Sweet said, imitating Indigo's voice.

"Fuck you."

"Hah! You wish." Sour Sweet said. She narrowed her eyes. "Tiebreaker?"

"Tiebreaker." Agreed Indigo. "Let's make it something more luck-based, shall we? That way neither of us can cheat."

"So you're saying...rock, paper, scissors? What the hell is with us and kids stuff?! Couldn't we do something like, I don't know, paintball?"

Indigo stretched her arms out, gesturing to the entire neighborhood. "Do you see any paintball places around here?"

Sour Sweet sighed and sagged in defeat. "Okay. Fine. Rock, paper, scissors it is."

"Ready?" Said Indigo, standing a few feet away from Sour.

"Ready." Said Sour.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" The two said at the same time. Both had rock. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Both had paper. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Both had scissors.

"Oh, come on!" Shouted Indigo Zap. Suddenly, her phone went off. "What the?" She took her phone out of her pocket. "Oh, crap!" she said as her face blanched. "I have to go. We'll settle this later!"

Sour Sweet grinned. "You're damn right we will! See you later!" She waved as Indigo ran off, then went inside.

Well, that was a thing that just happened. Thought Sour Side.

Where were you? Thought Sour Sweet.

I was just an observer, I didn't think there was much of a point if I caused you to lose focus. Thought Sour Side.

Well, that was considerate. Thought Sour Sweet.

I know. You're welcome. Thought Sour Side. Sour Sweet sighed. You're nervous about tomorrow, aren't you?

Yeah. It's going to be an emotional roller coaster, I can just feel it. Thought Sour Sweet.

Are you going to mention what happened last night? Thought Sour Side.

About my suicide attempt? Yes. About you taking control of my body? No. It's bad enough I have a reputation for being the angry crazy bitch at Crystal Prep. Mentioning I apparently have a split personality would just be adding fuel to the fire. Thought Sour Sweet.

I see your point and I totally understand your decision. Thought Sour Side.

Thank you. Now, do you have any other ideas to pass the time? It can't be too physical, the tryouts are tomorrow! thought Sour Sweet.

The rest of Sour Sweet's day was uneventful, much to her and Sour Side's utter boredom. Sour Sweet groaned in frustration. "I can't believe we wasted all that time doing nothing!" She sighed heavily.

You were so bored after challenging Indigo Zap, neither of us could think of a damn thing! Thought Sour Side.

Oh well. What's done is done. Thought Sour Sweet. She laid on the floor and let sleep overtake her.