The Witchblade EqG: The 13 Artifacts

Three days had passed since the battle at the warehouse district, when Sunset had questioned her little sister about the mayhem around her, she answered that when she was flying out to meet up with her, Sun managed to spot something in the warehouse district. Upon investigation, Sun had found Blood Sword once again on the slaughter, of course this led to an intense battle and Sun wanting to end her once and for all, but unfortunately it either worked too well or Blood Sword escaped, both of them believed the latter was more likely.

It was Friday and Sunset was looking forward to maybe spending a little time with Pinkie Pie, other than at school. They hadn’t even had a proper first date yet, she could count their Spring Break vacation, but everyone was there so one couldn’t really count that as “romantic”. The setting was romantic, but it was hard to get deeply romantic when you had to consider that your adopted mother and aunt, and a handful of your friends were also under the same roof.

Sunset blushed a little, her mind briefly went back to the time that she and Pinkie had sex. Their first time was before the decisive battle against Neighsay, and the second time was after the battle, and that second time was a little more intense to match the mood of their victory. Now it wasn’t like Sunset was a stranger to such activities, back when she was in Equestria and had an older body, she took the occasional mare or stallion to bed, but only those who thought they had a chance, only for her to completely dump them the following day.

The former unicorn facepalmed herself. Jeez, I was such a bitch…

But that wasn’t her anymore, no, she treasured Pinkie, and even though it might be a bit early, she was even considering marriage. Of course, that was way into the future. Back to the point, Sunset wanted to have a proper date and hopefully this weekend would allow her to do so without Blood Sword or any other supernatural shenanigans ruining it.

As Sunset walked through the hallway, she found Rainbow Dash standing at her locker and looking at her cellphone. Sunset walked up to Rainbow and asked, “Hey, what’s up, Rainbow?”

“Oh, hey, Sunset. Nothin’ much, just thinking,” said Rainbow.

“Thinking about what?”

“Well…Dust’s birthday is coming up this weekend, and…god…it sucks that she’s going to be spending it behind bars. I wanted to get her something, but y’know, with it being a prison and all, I have to be careful about what I get her.”

Sunset felt bad for Rainbow, despite everything, Rainbow still liked Lightning Dust, and Lightning still liked Rainbow. Honestly, Sunset found Rainbow’s loyalty to Lightning amazing, well, her Element is Loyalty, but even for humans there was a limit to how long one could wait for someone that they loved. It made Sunset feel a little bad, here she had Pinkie and the one person Rainbow liked was locked away for an – as of right now – indeterminant amount of time.

“Hey, don’t worry,” said Sunset as she placed her right hand gently on Rainbow’s shoulder, “whatever you get her, small or otherwise, she’ll love it. Because it’s from you.”

Rainbow smiled at her friend. “Yeah, but I wish I could give her the ultimate gift of freedom.”

“I know, maybe I could ask Shining Armor to look more into it. Advocate for her to be under surveillance instead of being locked up. I mean, she hasn’t caused any trouble or anything while she’s been there, right?” Sunset asked.

The CHS star athlete shook her head. “No, she hasn’t caused any trouble, I ask every time I come in there, and each time they say she’s been given some privileges for good behavior.” Rainbow waved off her concerns and put on her normal cocky grin. “So, Pinkie tells me you and her have a date this Saturday, got any plans for that?”

Sunset and Rainbow began walking to their next class, and along the way Sunset informed Rainbow of her date plans. “Well, I was just going to go with something simple, since this will be our first date. We’ll grab lunch, head to a movie, walk around some place or we could just drive around on my bike enjoying the scenery. Nothing too extravagant. Although…”

Rainbow raised her eyebrow. “Although what?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her head and said, “It’s Sun.”

“What, she wanna have a fourway with you, Pinkie, and Twilight?” Rainbow asked with a devilish grin.

The former unicorn turned beet red for a moment before she turned to Rainbow and said, “What?! NO! She – why would you ask me that?!”

“‘Cause it’s hot as hell to think about.”

Sunset took a deep breath and resisted the urge to toss Rainbow across the hall. “First off, please keep me, my sister, and our girlfriends, out of your little fantasies.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine……how about you, Sun, and both Twilights?”

“NONE OF US!!”

“Can I at least write them down in a little shipfic?” she asked innocently.

Sunset had a deadpan expression on her face as she took off her backpack, reached in, pulled out a spiral, rolled it up, and bopped Rainbow Dash at least five times on the head.

“Bad Rainbow Dash, bad!”

“Ow, ow, okay I’m sorry! No more sexy fantasies, no matter how hot they are.” Sunset raised the spiral again. “Seriously, I’m stopping!”

Sunset eyed Rainbow for a moment and put the spiral back. “Alright, so, the small issue is this: Sun wants to pay for everything.”

“Wait, what?”

“I told Sun about my date with Pinkie and she gushed, said she wanted to give me her credit card, you know, those ones that are made of metal and have no limit.”

“Yeah……” Rainbow’s eyes widened when it finally clicked. “Holy shit, she’s that rich! And she wants to give you one?!”

Sunset made a wavy motion with her hand. “Eh, technically, she’s giving me one of hers, since we’re technically the same person so it’s not like it’s changing owners or anything.”

Rainbow grabbed ahold of Sunset’s shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. “Why, the hell, won’t you use it?! You could paint the town red the whole day and night!”

“I mean…I could show Pinkie a great time with that, but I just want to have a nice, normal, first date. I mean, back in Equestria, I occasionally dated some nobles just for shits and giggles – and a little fun on the side – but the point is I’ve done the whole extravagant dates, I just want a normal one.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, but she understood. “Alright, I get ya. But you are planning on having a ‘happy ending’, right?”

“You get the spiral again.”

“GAH!”

Sunny Flare was becoming increasingly nervous over the past few days. Something had changed between Sunset and Indigo; they had become more…intense around each other lately. It wasn’t like before when Indigo would just give Sunset a dirty look, now it was more like a look of pure murder, like she was planning Sunset’s death in her mind’s eye and trying to will it into existence. Sunny Flare had asked Lemon what was up with Indigo since the two of them were closer, but Lemon wasn’t of any help, whenever she asked, Lemon would just clam up.

Something was definitely wrong, and she didn’t like it. Mostly because if something went down, it would be on her to stop it before it got that far, and if she didn’t, Sunny would incur the wrath of her mother. Not only that, but if whatever spat they got into somehow got Twilight Sparkle involved, then there would be no end to the hell that would fall onto Sunny’s head if she got injured as a result of Indigo’s stupid obsessiveness with that nerd.

Sunny Flare sat in the library, her head resting against the table as she kept a book up to cover the fact that she was half asleep. All this running around was stressing her out and it didn’t help that her mother was breathing down her neck at school and at home. It was moments like these that granted her some peace to rest and think. Sunny Flare felt a presence next to her and turned her head slightly to the left to see who it was, thankfully it was somebody she knew.

“Hey, Sour,” said Sunny tiredly.

Sour Sweet pulled out a chair and sat down next to her friend, looking at her she said, “You look great!…If you were going for the ‘stayed-up-all-night’ look.”

Sunny merely smiled, she had learned long ago how to tell when Sour was being an ass, being considerate, nice, or sarcastic. Right now, she could tell that she was concerned. “I feel like it…I’m not sleeping well lately…”

“Because of Indigo and Sunset?” Sour asked rhetorically.

“Not just them, but my Mom, too!” Sunny ran her hands through her hair as she groaned in frustration. “All she cares about is this damn school’s ‘reputation’, and to that end she wants me to make sure that Indigo doesn’t put Sunset in the hospital or worse! AND she needs me to make sure that Indigo doesn’t rape Twilight to the point that she ends up in an effing mental hospital or kill herself!” Sunny ended her little rant with her forehead hitting the table.

Sour grimaced, she could see that her friend was under a lot of pressure, and now that the school’s social pecking order had been tossed on its head thanks to Sunset’s little show of power, Sunny Flare’s status as Queen of CPA had diminished slightly. She still held some power among the student body, but they feared Sunset Shimmer more than her, so if Sunny requested other students harass Sunset or Twilight, the former would – without mercy – end them. Personally, Sour didn’t fear Sunset that much, considering her…situation…there were worse things to be afraid of. However, Sunny didn’t have something like the Blood Sword to fall back on, she was completely at Principal Cinch’s mercy.

“Sorry – not sorry –your mom’s a total bitch,” said Sour. “You shouldn’t have to deal with all this just because she’s losing control.”

“Thanks, Sour, but…what else can I do? Aside from running away, but where too?” Sunny joked.

Sour rubbed the back of her head as she muttered, “I wouldn’t mind if you ran to me…”

“What was that?”

The bipolar girl stuttered and quickly said, “I-I-I mean, you can come to my place, like, crash there or something.”

“Smooth, Sour, reeeaaalll smooth. Heh, heh.”

Shut up! You’re the last person, demon, whatever, I need criticism from!

Sunny Flare smiled at the offer. “Thanks, I might actually take you up on that offer someday. But I need to figure out how to keep those two alphas from killing each other or tearing down the school in the process.”

“You know, we could actually take care of all her problems real quick. A little slice and dice action for Indigo and Cinch, and hell, why not kill off Sunset and Twilight while we’re at it?”

I’m not killing them.

“Please, it’s not like you care about them. C’mon, you can make her happy. You can relieve that stress of hers with just a swift slash of the blade and remove all her headaches easily. Plus, I’m sure she’d have more time for you~”

Sour…actually considered that for a moment. It was true that she didn’t like seeing Sunny stressed like this, and quite frankly, Principal Cinch irritated her to no end, most of the students felt the same way. And killing her would make way for Dean Cadence to take over as Principal, Sour liked Dean Cadence, hell, you’d be hard pressed to find any student who didn’t. She could solve the school’s problems and her friend’s problems quickly and with as little pain as possible.

No…Cinch is a bitch, but…she’s still Sunny’s mother. I can’t just…we just can’t kill her like that…Plus she’d be all alone, she has no relatives or dad around to help her.

“Okay, okay, be a coward. But here’s something to think about…” It was here that Sour felt the presence of the Blood Sword, as if it had manifested itself right next to her left ear as it whispered, “What if she asked you to do it?”

Sour quickly turned to her left, but just like the times before, the Blood Sword apparition disappeared before she could lay eyes on it. Although, that question lingered in her mind. What if Sunny Flare asked her to kill her mother?

Sunny Flare looked at her friend for a moment, trying to see what it was she was looking at, but then remembered that she was a little off so she cautiously asked, “Hey, Sour, you alright?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine…really,” Sour replied. “I just…you know me…and the way my head is…”

Sunny reached over and gently placed her hand on Sour’s right shoulder. “It’s alright, I know. I’m not afraid or anything, I just want to make sure you’re good.”

“I am.” More so when I’m with you.

Twilight was walking down the hall to her next class, Sunset was right beside her, her left arm wrapped around the teen genius’ waist as they walked side-by-side. Admittedly, there was a time that walking in such a fashion would’ve made her blush and try to hide her face behind her books. And while she still did blush, she wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest, quite the contrary, she liked it. She liked how Sunset made her feel safe, and how she made her feel good about herself.

Lately though, Twilight was getting a little worried. The brief moments that Indigo and Sunset occupied the same space made the atmosphere extremely hostile, even more now than before. Also, she couldn’t get over that there was something else going on, whenever Sunset and Indigo traded glares, there was something in their eyes, a look of knowing, of unfinished business, and a need to crush the other. Sunset and Indigo were two physically strong girls, as well as intellectually strong, although Twilight would argue that Sunset had more brains than Indigo did. That being said, they acted like a couple of wild animals, two alphas vying for the same territory, or in her case, the same mate.

So…this is what it’s like having two girls fight over you, Twilight thought. While this would be every boy’s fantasy, the circumstances of this situation are less than pleasant. It feels like it’ll only take one thing to set either of them off and there won’t be a thing I or anyone can do to stop it. I know Sunset promised that she wouldn’t kill Indigo, but…if they get into another fight, and Indigo says something to push Sunset over the edge, I’m fairly certain that promise will go out the window…

Sunset noticed how quiet her lover had become, usually she would chatter on about the last class she had, which was cute in a nerdy way, and by no means did Sunset find it annoying, but it did make her curious as to what Twilight was deep in thought about. “Hey, Sparky, what’s on your mind?”

Twilight frowned a bit, but answered, “I’ve just been wondering, ever since that last encounter we had a couple of days ago, it feels like Indigo’s…I don’t know, gotten more confident, bolder? Has she tried to do anything to you?”

Sunset was in a bit of a situation, she lied to her big sister about what happened that night at the warehouse district, and she never told said big sister about Indigo possessing the Glacier Stone. On top of that, she hadn’t even informed Twilight, honestly that was for the best. The last thing Twilight needed to worry about was that her abuser had gained magical powers comparable to Sunset’s. If she was worried just from staredowns, then there was no telling what kind of panicked state that would put her in. Thankfully, Indigo hadn’t made a move on Twilight, yet. And that’s what bothered her, perhaps it was due to the fact that Indigo knew that Sunset was much stronger and more well versed in the use of her Artifact, and could easily destroy the jock at her leisure.

Regardless, it became more vital for Sunset to protect Twilight, now more than ever. “Nope, she hasn’t. But I think our last brawl made it clear that I could break more of her bones if she even thought about pulling another stunt like she did. I’m seriously thinking about breaking her legs next time, have her laid up and in a wheelchair for a few months outta keep her away.”

“I’ll pretend like I didn’t hear you threaten a fellow student.”

Sunset and Twilight turned around and saw Dean Cadence approaching them. The flame haired teen smirked and replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Dean Cadence.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” said Cadence with a knowing grin. Unfortunately, her grin didn’t last long. “Sorry, but Twilight, I need you to come with me.”

Twilight’s expression became one of worry. “W-What’s wrong, did I do something? Did I forget to do something?”

Cadence put her right hand in a stopping motion and said, “No, Ladybug, you’re not in trouble…but Principal Cinch wants to see you in her office, now.”

Sunset released Twilight and whipped around fast. “Are you kidding me?! What does that bitch want with her?!”

Cadence shot Sunset a stern look. “Sunset, watch your mouth. I don’t like her either – and I’m being very generous with my words there – but this is official school business. So, I’m told anyway.”

“What did she want to see me about?” Twilight asked.

“Not sure, she was very vague about it. I don’t want to force you, I personally don’t want you anywhere near her, but…”

Twilight nodded, she understood. Only she, Sunset, and Cadence knew of Principal Cinch’s intentions regarding Twilight, and how she turned a blind eye to her abuse at the hands of her fellow students because she served as an outlet for all their frustration. It was because of Cinch’s intentional negligence that Twilight had become CPA’s whipping girl, with no one lifting a finger to stop it, and was also the one responsible for keeping Cadence in the dark. To be fair, part of that was Twilight’s fault, as she didn’t want to burden or get her surrogate big sister in trouble. For Cadence she still blamed herself for not paying more attention to what was happening in their school, unfortunately, so long as Cinch was still in charge, any effective changes she wanted to make or enforce would be overwritten by the Principal as she had the final word.

“Fine, then I’m coming with her,” said Sunset.

“It’ll be alright, Sunset, go ahead and go to class,” Twilight assured.

Sunset cupped her girlfriend’s cheek and looked into her eyes, “Babe…I don’t want you near that woman, I definitely don’t want you there alone.”

Twilight placed her hand over Sunset’s, enjoying the warmth that it had brought to her cheek. “I love how much you care about me, and how much you want to protect me. But even I know you can’t always be around to protect me, and I can’t always rely on you as a crutch. I have to face people like Cinch on my own, no matter what happens.”

Sunset really didn’t want to let her see Cinch alone, but neither did she want to rob Twilight of a chance to grow stronger. Twilight had a point, Sunset couldn’t always be there to protect her from people who were jerks and all around assholes, Twilight needed to learn how to stand up for herself, and deep down, Sunset felt proud of her for taking this step. The flame haired teen gave her girlfriend a kiss on her forehead, causing the genius to blush.

“You know I’ll be tracking you the whole time, right?”

“Yes, and I know you’ll come in, hands blazing if anything bad happens.”

Cadence couldn’t help but gush at the scene before her. “Oh my god, you two are so precious!”

Both of them blushed and chuckled nervously.

With that out of the way, Cadence led Twilight to Principal Cinch’s office. She had been called to the Principal’s office a couple times, mostly for praise and the awarding of a certificate or trophy due to her high marks in the academics. Looking back on all of that, Twilight saw it all for what was. She could only assume that Principal Cinch knows that Twilight knew about everything that she had done, so why this meeting? After a bit of walking, Twilight and Cadence arrived at the door to Principal Cinch’s office, it was more intimidating now, knowing the kind of person who awaited her behind that door.

Twilight glanced at her surrogate big sister and asked, “Are you…coming with me?”

Cadence released a frustrated sigh as she crossed her arms, she then glared daggers at the door, more specifically, at the person who was behind it. “Unfortunately, no. Principal Cinch as requested that I not be present when she speaks with you…” Cadence leaned down a little and gave Twilight a hug. “Whatever happens, I want you to tell me everything. No more keeping these things to yourself, okay Ladybug?”

Twilight hugged her back and whispered, “I won’t, I promise.”

“Okay…” Cadence released Twilight and knocked on the door. “Principal Cinch, I have Twilight Sparkle here to see you.”

“Ah, please send her in, Miss Cadenza.”

There was a noticeable tightening of Cadence’s jaw at the nonchalant manner in which Cinch spoke, as if she was not at fault for anything. Cadence opened the door and allowed Twilight entry into Cinch’s office, she slowly closed the door behind Twilight, leaving the two alone inside. Twilight walked towards Principal Cinch’s desk; she calmly took a seat on the available chair. The young genius nervously began fiddling with the edge of her skirt, seeing that the Principal’s chair was turned around, not even facing her, and somehow that was even more nerve wracking than if she was staring right at her.

Twilight cleared her throat and said, “Ahem, y-you wanted to see me, Principal Cinch?”

The chair slowly swiveled around and revealed Principal Cinch, her narrowed, calculating eyes peering at Twilight through her sharp rimmed glasses. “Yes, I did, Miss Sparkle. Tell me, are you familiar with the Friendship Games?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well? Please speak up child,” Cinch calmly ordered.

“Oh, um, yes. It’s a competition between Crystal Prep Academy and Canterlot High School, it was established as a way to promote unity and friendship between our two schools and to be held every four years. And, if I am correct, the next Friendship Games will be at the end of this month,” said Twilight.

Cinch nodded and brought her fingertips together. “And do you know who has won every single Friendship Games since its establishment?”

“Crystal Prep.”

“Exactly.” Principal Cinch pushed away from her desk and stood up, she walked around to the front of her desk and stood before Twilight. “We always win. Although, recently, I’ve come into the knowledge of CHS gaining ground in some areas. Despite their recent incidents, morale at that school has been unusually high lately, their test scores are also heading in an upward trend, along with sports. This simply cannot be allowed, there are some who are even thinking that they could actually be a challenge to us.”

“Oh…I guess that’s…bad?” Twilight dared ask.

Cinch walked over to her trophy case, which held every prize that Crystal Prep had won before and after her becoming principal of the school. “The reason why the elite of Canterlot, and the gifted of this city, come to this school is because we are the best, our reputation is everything. If a little public school shows that it can stand on par with us, then how can we claim to be the best?”

Twilight nervously cleared her throat again and asked, “I…I’m sorry, Principal Cinch, but…w-what does this have to do with me?”

Cinch nodded and walked back towards Twilight. “I am putting together a team that will take our school to victory and utterly crush those little urchins.” The CPA principal took a piece of paper off her desk and handed it to Twilight.

The young genius took ahold of the list and mentally read the list of names. Crystal Preparatory Academy Team: Royal Pin, Jet Set, Upper Crust, Neon Lights, Sugarcoat…The first four names were familiar to her. Jet Set and Upper Crust were a well-known couple amongst the CPA student body, Upper Crust was among those who caused her grief, mostly in the form of degradation about her looks and how she’d never get a man. Guess the jokes on her, I got a girlfriend. Jet Set would join in with Upper Crust’s jabs as well, Royal Pin was among the male instigators when it came to harassing Twilight, he was being groomed for a life of political prestige and was well on his way to becoming a sleazy politician. Now that she thought about it, he groped her butt a few times. Neon Lights, well, he didn’t really do much, the guy was pretty mellow and minded his own business, so Twilight was indifferent when it came to him. Sugarcoat was good, now that they were friends it was nice knowing she’d have someone nice on the team.

It was the next set of names that made Twilight furrow her brow. Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, Sunny Flare…Indigo Zap…AND ME?!!! Twilight shot up from her seat and looked at Principal Cinch with complete disbelief and a bit of anger. “P-P-Principal Cinch, y-you can’t b-be serious! Y-You want me to be on the Friendship Games team, w-with THEM?!”

Principal Cinch had to admit, this was the first time that Twilight Sparkle had shown any kind of emotion that wasn’t submissive, but Twilight sounded outright outraged. “Yes, I do. The others have exemplary skills, Indigo is of course our strongest in the physical department, but you, my dear girl, are the strongest intellectually. With the others’ brains added to your already brilliant mind, we’ll destroy CHS in any academic category, and while the others are physically strong, Indigo Zap is by far our strongest athlete.”

Twilight shook her head. “P-Principal Cinch, with all due respect, I cannot be on a team with any of them! Especially not with Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, and most of all, NOT Indigo Zap! Do you have any idea what she’s done to me?! Not to mention her friends?!”

Principal Cinch nodded as she gently placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder and guided her down to sit. “I know very well what has transpired between you and Miss Zap, as well as my daughter and her friends.”

“I’m not just talking about what happened in the equipment shed! Indigo…Indigo Zap has been…” Twilight gritted her teeth, but pushed through her shame and said, “She’s been molesting me, raping me, on school grounds! I can’t be on a team with someone who’s done such things to me!”

Cinch headed back to her chair and sat down before addressing Twilight. “I am well aware of what Miss Zap has done to you, but since that incident, she hasn’t done anything to you or approached you, correct?”

“Well…no…no she hasn’t.”

Cinch smiled a little. “That is in part my doing. I made it clear to Miss Zap, my daughter, and her friends, to cease their harassment of you or there will be severe consequences. You have my word, Miss Sparkle, they will be cordial towards you, and if they are out of line, for whatever reason, you can report it directly to me and I’ll take care of it.”

Twilight thought about it for a moment, it was true that Indigo and that group of girls hadn’t done anything to her. Part of it, if not most, was due to Sunset’s threat, and her beatdown of all four girls, but it seems that Principal Cinch also had a hand in keeping them under control. Still…

“I’m sorry, Principal Cinch, but I can’t do it. CPA has won all its Friendship Games competitions before me, and I’m sure it’ll still continue to win without me.” Although, personally, I’m rooting for CHS at this point. “If there’s nothing else, Ma’am, I would like to return to class.”

Cinch sighed heavily and opened one of her drawers. “I was afraid you were going to say that.” The older woman took out a file and showed it to Twilight. “Do you know what I hold in my hand, Miss Sparkle?”

“…No…”

“This folder pretty much represents all of your accomplishments here at Crystal Prep. Your grades, your attendance, awards, everything. Of course, this is only a physical copy. Now,” Cinch turned her computer around so that it was facing Twilight, “here’s the digital copy of your record.”

Twilight looked it over for a moment, but what she saw was already making her face morph into one of horror. “W-What is this?! I…my grades…my attendance! This is wrong, this is all wrong!”

“It could be wrong, or it could be your official record from this point forward. Who’s to say that you slacked off during your last year in high school, it’s not a very good look Miss Sparkle.” Cinch turned the screen around and placed the folder on her desk. “Here’s my offer to you, Miss Sparkle, join the Friendship Games team, and help guarantee Crystal Prep earns another notch in its victory belt for another four years. If not, I’ll make sure you’re blackballed from every reputable college and university from here to Manehattan.”

“Y-You can’t do that!” Twilight exclaimed as she stood up from her seat.

“I can, and I will. But it shouldn’t have to come to that, should it? All I’m asking is for you to do is to show a little school spirit and help your classmates in a friendly competition,” said Cinch sweetly.

“You’re holding my academic future hostage, how is this fair?!”

Cinch put her fingers together and gave a more sinister smile. “Consider this a lesson of the world, Miss Sparkle, one that you can’t learn from a book. Life is not fair, not always will things go your way, I would’ve thought your experiences thus far would’ve firmly planted that lesson into your mind my dear.”

Twilight felt like crying right now, but she didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing her shed tears.

“Now, Miss Sparkle, the next words I want to hear from you are, ‘I’d be honored to join the Friendship Games team, Principal Cinch’.” Twilight sat back down, her head tilted down, and was about to open her mouth, but was stopped when Principal Cinch said, “And please look at me when you speak, Miss Sparkle, do not forget your manners.”

The teen genius gripped her skirt hard but did as she was told and raised her head to look Cinch in the eyes. “I’m honored to be placed on the Friendship Games team, Principal Cinch.”

The older woman nodded. “Good girl, now, please see my secretary for a hall pass. You may go.”

Twilight got up and went to the door, spoke to the secretary, and walked down the empty hallway towards her class. She stopped at a wall of lockers and began to cry, it wasn’t fair, she hadn’t done anything wrong, why was it that everyone other than those she loved seemed determined to make her suffer? Why was being exceptionally smart immediate grounds for being tortured, for being ridiculed, for being used?

“Hey, you alright?”

“I’m…I’m fine…just please leave me alone,” said Twilight through her sobs.

“I can’t really just leave after seeing you cry like this, what’s up Twi?”

Twilight wiped her eyes and looked to her right to see who at least been kind enough to ask if she was alright. And she wished she hadn’t. Standing there, leaning against the locker, was Indigo Zap, her abuser, her molester, the girl who was disturbingly obsessed with her. “I-Indigo!” Twilight jumped back a couple of feet. “Why are you here?!”

Indigo smiled a little and said, “I was just walkin’ around. But then I heard crying, and I saw you.” Just then her expression turned serious. “Someone make you cry? Who was it?!”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Why would you care?! People have been hurting me in this school since day one! You never cared about them hurting me before, you never stopped them, so why are you angry that someone hurt me?!”

Indigo actually had a look of shame on her face, much to Twilight’s surprise. “That’s fair…I didn’t protect you like I should’ve, I didn’t have the guts to stand up to all these assholes…maybe then things would be different. But I can change Twi!” Indigo said as she took a step forward. “I didn’t stand up for you then, and I realize that I should’ve, but I can still make up for that if you’d give me a chance.”

“And how about when you…when you raped me, repeatedly! How can you ‘make up’ for that?!” Twilight accused.

Indigo lowered her head and sighed. “I…I was a bit aggressive with how I showed you I cared…but I promise I’ll tone it down.”

“Why?! Why do you even care about me, you can have any girl in this school, so why ME?!” Twilight demanded, tears still flowing down her face.

Indigo looked up and began walking towards Twilight, the young genius, to her courage, she didn’t walk away, she stood straight and tall and looked her in the eyes. Indigo reached out with her left hand and gently brushed a tear from Twilight’s face, Twilight flinched a little, but stood her ground, nonetheless. “Because I’m in love with you, Twilight.”

Twilight’s eyes widened with shock. “You…You can’t be serious…”

“I am, I’m in love with you Twilight Sparkle. Don’t worry though, I can protect you now more than ever.” Indigo wiped another tear, from Twilight’s face, but this time made sure the droplet remained on her finger. “I have power now, Twi, power enough to keep Sunset in check. I haven’t had it long, but don’t worry, I’ll get a hold of it.”

At that moment, Twilight watched as the teardrop on Indigo’s finger instantly froze and became ice right before her eyes. Twilight gasped upon witnessing this and looked at Indigo with shock. “H-How did…?”

“I’ll keep you safe, from here forward.”

Indigo winked at Twilight and began walking away, Twilight’s legs turned to jelly as she collapsed onto the floor with disbelief. The girl she most feared, the girl who had caused her more harm than the rest of the students, had powers.

Adagio and her sisters had been holed up in the motel room for almost a week, a week since that incident in the apartment building, a week since they caused the deaths of not only some gangsters, but also every single person in that building, as well as the first responders who came to investigate. At first, Adagio was a bit frightened by the power of the music box, but that changed over the course of the week. Adagio learned more about the music box, most importantly, the power of the song. Whenever it was just Adagio singing the song, the range of the box’s effects were minimalized to about fifteen meters, give or take. However, this also depended on volume, how much louder she sang could increase the range of the box’s effects, the most she could push was about sixty meters on her own. However, that range drastically increased whenever all three of them sang.

When the Siren sisters sang as one, the range was amplified to greater distances. They also found out that people didn’t necessarily need to be in range to hear the song, the box seemed to radiate an energy that caused the horrific deaths, the song, and their negative emotions, fueled it and made it stronger. They tested this in several places across Manehattan, trying hard not to attract the police. One of the first places they tested the music box was at a hideout for a notorious and rightly hated gang, they sold drugs, women, guns, and were responsible for a number of murders, both related to rival gang members and innocent people.

The Sirens paid them a visit, it was all too easy to get in, they used the outfits they wore whenever they were out “working”, that got them through the front door really fast. Once inside, Adagio took out the music box, it wasn’t hard to dredge up negative emotions, she had plenty of them. One that fueled the box the strongest was when she thought about Sunset Shimmer and all the damnably horrible things she would do to her for trapping them in this world. With that emotion of hate, the box opened and the song began to play, Adagio sung the words and the gangsters around her began to die off in differing ways much like the gangsters who tried to kill them.

Some committed suicide, others killed each other, some had their internal organs explode, while a few rotted away. Adagio experimented with the volume of her voice, singing low and having Aria and Sonata see how far the effects reached. Aria peeked around a corner and found some of the gang members who were just out of range but stayed where they were, one of them spotted her and fired their weapon, causing Aria to quickly back away. When Adagio saw this she sang louder, and in so doing, the range extended. Aria peeked again and watched as those same gangsters who shot at her started to go insane and die off one after the other.

They continued this pattern until it was becoming apparent that the police were getting a little too close for comfort. But that didn’t matter, they knew everything they needed to know, at least as far as Adagio was concerned. Aria and Sonata were not as convinced, they may know how the music box worked, but that didn’t mean that they knew what it was. They spent more than a thousand years roaming the planet, and yet they hadn’t ever heard or seen something like the music box. If there was an age of powerful magic and supreme deities in this now magicless world, they came a thousand years too late.

Sure, there were times when they came across the occasional reservoir of magic, some humans who were of ancient lineage who possessed magic, but people like that were far and few between, and none of them had the power that they sought, the power to get them back home. But with the recent events in Canterlot City, and now the acquisition of this music box, Sonata and Aria, even Adagio, were starting to think that they hadn’t really been looking as hard as they thought, that there were mysteries and powers in this human world that were either on par or surpassed that of Equestrian magic.

Adagio sat in the armchair that was by the window, she had the music box in her lap, a single hand atop its lid as if the inanimate object was a pet that the lead Siren wanted to keep close. Aria was lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling, while Sonata was watching something on TV, they remained in silence for a few minutes, but the silence was broken when Adagio spoke her thoughts, “We need to head back to Canterlot City.”

Sonata snapped her head in Adagio’s direction, and Aria shot up into a seated position, both sisters looking at the eldest as if she had just spoken blasphemy.

“I’m sorry, we need to do what now?!” Aria asked.

“Dagi, you can’t be serious!” Sonata exclaimed.

“I am, we need to head back to Canterlot City.”

Aria jumped out of the bed and stomped towards Adagio yelling, “Why the fuck do we need to go back there for?!”

“Because it might be the only way for us to get back to Equestria.” She noticed the confused looks on both her little sisters and began to clarify. “It’s been bugging me for some time now, how is it that that little Equestrian Princess, Twilight Sparkle, got into this world not once, but twice? And how was Sunset Shimmer sent to his world?”

Aria and Sonata glanced at each other, now that Adagio had brought it up, how had the purple pony girl entered this world? Surely Star Swirl was long dead by now, so there was no way he was banishing ponies one after the other, so that only left one conclusion.

“There’s a portal back to Equestria!” Aria and Sonata exclaimed at the same time.

“Precisely, and Sunset Shimmer knows how to use it, and more than likely knows its location. So, I say we march into that city, and demand she tell us where it is and how to use it,” Adagio held up the music box and added, “or else.”

“Wait, wait, how the hell do we know that that music box is powerful enough to fight against their magic? We know it can cause people to go insane and make them die in some really fucked up ways, but that doesn’t mean it’s powerful enough to beat them,” said Aria.

Adagio looked at the box, her eyes briefly shined scarlet as a sinister smile appeared on her lips. “I can feel it, Aria. This music box also wants to go to Canterlot City, it’s as if it knows there’s something there that it wants.”

“I-I don’t know, Dagi, maybe we should find out more about that music box? I mean…wait, are you planning on taking it back to Equestria with us?” Sonata asked.

Adagio nodded. “Of course, Sona, with this music box, and with our powers restored once we’re back home, we’ll be the most powerful beings in all of Equestria, they’ll do as we say or face the consequences.”

Aria liked the idea of going back home, but something was still worrying her, the sentiment was shared with Sonata. They were starting to wonder if this crusade was due to Adagio’s decision or the music box’s? There was no doubt that Adagio held deep resentment for Sunset Shimmer, and to an extent so did the two of them, but that had tapered down to mild anger. With Adagio, well, she didn’t exactly hide her hatred of Sunset Shimmer, nor did she hide what she’d do to the girl when they met up again, and to be honest, they were a bit worried.

“This won’t be like the last time,” Adagio placed the music box in the chair and walked over to Aria. She took the middle Siren’s hands into her own and looked her second youngest sister in the eyes. “Trust me, Aria, Sonata, I know I’ve made mistakes, I’ve messed up and gotten us into this mess…But please, I’m asking you to trust in me one last time my little sisters. Believe that I’ll get us back home, I promise that I will.”

Sonata got up from the bed and joined Aria and Adagio. The two youngest Sirens had followed their big sister ever since they were young pups, they lost their parents, took on a malevolent power in order to survive, and now they had a chance to get back to the world they lived in, to return to the vast oceans of Equestria, and to no longer be confined to the land and feel weak and helpless.

“Okay, Dagi, we’ll follow you,” said Sonata.

Adagio smiled, but then turned her attention back to Aria. “What say you, Aria?”

The middle Siren furrowed her brow a little and said, “Promise me something, Adagio. Promise me that if this goes sideways–”

“Aria I won’t fail you I–!”

“I’m being serious!” Aria interrupted. “I want you to promise me that we’ll…we’ll ask for help.”

“WHAT?!” Adagio exclaimed as she backed away a step.

Aria ran her hand through her hair and sighed heavily. “I’m tired, I’m seriously tired of all of this. I’m tired of being angry all the time, I’m tired of us whoring ourselves to random humans just so that we can scrape by and live another day…I want you to give me your word, Adagio, if this plan fails, no more scheming or anything, I don’t even care if it’s humiliating and we have to beg, we ask Sunset Shimmer if she’ll allow us back in Equestria.”

Adagio balled up her fists and said, “If we do that, she’ll more than likely have that pony princess lock us up for our crimes centuries ago, as well as the crimes we’ve committed against her friends!”

“I’d rather be locked up back in Equestria and in our true forms, than be locked up here and have to stay in this weak body for the rest of our lives! But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to give everything I got to help with your plan, okay! Promise me that, Adagio, at least this way, we’ll get to go home one way or another,” said Aria.

Adagio wanted to yell at Aria, but she could see it in her eyes, she wasn’t going to budge on this. Aria could be stubborn and sometimes Adagio had to assert her authority to get her to do as she was told, but not this time, she could tell that Aria wouldn’t be swayed no matter what Adagio said. Her pride didn’t want her to agree to this, because that would mean she was accepting defeat as a possibility, and Adagio did not take defeat lightly. However, Adagio knew that if Aria wasn’t going to come along with her, then Sonata might not either. The two of them shared a room together and most likely Aria shared her opinions, and even more likely was that Sonata probably agreed with Aria. In order for this to work, all three of them were needed, so, it was with intense reluctance that she answered.

“Alright…” Adagio spoke evenly and calmly. “If – IF – my plan fails, we’ll…b-beg Sunset Shimmer to return us to Equestria. Happy?”

“No, but I’ll take it. So, when do you want to leave?” Aria asked.

“As much as you may not like it, we’ll have to use the music box and take a car,” Adagio saw that Sonata was about to raise an objection so she quickly added, “We’ll make sure that it’s someone who’s complete scum, but not so much that the police will be looking for the vehicle.”

“Okay…can it be a RV with a kitchen? I miss cooking,” said Sonata.

Both older sisters face palmed, but they still smiled.

“WHERE IS SHE?!”

Cinch glanced up from her stack of papers and pointed her gaze at her front door. She recognized the voice, and quite frankly, she was surprised that it took her this long to come and speak to her.

“Miss Shimmer, I’ll need you to calm down,” said the voice of her secretary.

“Don’t tell me to calm down! That witch has a lot to answer for! Is she in there?!” Sunset demanded.

Principal Cinch rolled her eyes and pressed the button next to her phone. “Let her in.”

No sooner had she’d said that did Sunset Shimmer throw open her door, and just as quickly slammed it closed. The teenage girl marched up to Cinch’s desk and slammed both her hands onto the older woman’s desk, rattling all the items on her desk and almost caused the stack of papers to fall over.

“What in the hell is wrong with you?! You put Twilight on the same team as those BITCHES!?!” Sunset spat.

“Language, Miss Shimmer,” Cinch scolded.

Sunset’s left eye twitched. “I’m sorry, did I give you the impression that I’m someone who gives a fuck about my ‘language’ right now! I get why you want her on the team, but those four, especially Indigo Zap, hell no! She’s been through enough with regards to Indigo Zap to be in constant contact with someone like that raping bitch!” Sunset leaned closer, almost getting in Cinch’s face. “Take her off the team, now!”

Cinch laced her fingers together and looked Sunset in the eyes. “Did she also tell you what’s at stake if she does not comply?”

A flicker of flame went off over Sunset’s right shoulder. “I think you should be more concerned about what’s at stake if you don’t do it.”

“Is that a threat, Miss Shimmer?”

“For now, it’s a strong suggestion. Trust me, you’ll know when I’m threatening you,” said Sunset.

Cinch tapped her fingertips together for a moment as she hummed in contemplation. After a moment, Cinch smirked a little and said, “Well, unfortunately, I cannot reverse my decision. But might I offer a compromise?”

Sunset leaned back and crossed her arms as she glared at the school principal. “Go ahead.”

“As it so happens, I have one last opening on the team. It was originally going to go to Fleur de Lis, but…as you well know…she’s no longer with us. With that being the case, I need another student to fill the spot, and compared to the others, you stand out amongst the rabble. Just like the others on this team. Look at it this way, it’s a win-win for the both of us. You go on to defeat CHS and get another win for CPA, and you get to be around Miss Sparkle and ‘protect’ her from those you feel she needs protection from,” Cinch offered.

Sunset thought about the offer, it would be so easy to end this all. One fireball to the face and the issue would be solved, yes Sunset would have to be on the run for a little while, but ultimately, Twilight would be safe. Sunset sighed, she knew that would just cause Twilight more stress. And at least Sunset would be able to keep Indigo and those other four in check, plus Sugarcoat would be part of the team so that would be an extra pair of eyes to help keep an eye out.

“Fine, but if any of them try anything, I won’t hesitate to put them in their place and when it comes to Indigo…” Sunset glared at Cinch more intensely. “Her arm won’t be the only thing broken this time around. Understand?”

Cinch smiled contently and nodded her head. “That’s fine, I’ve already made it clear to them that they are not to cause Miss Sparkle any trouble or they will suffer the consequences. If they step out of line, you have my permission to make sure they stay behind it. Is that satisfactory?”

“No, but it’ll do.” Sunset began walking towards the door but stopped to look over her shoulder at Cinch. “The next time you pull this kind of shit, you remember how badly this could’ve ended, and how grateful you should be that Twilight’s the only thing that’s keeping me from unleashing holy hell on everyone in this school.”

With those words spoken, Sunset opened the door, exited, and slammed the door behind her. Principal Cinch released a long sigh, she didn’t want to show it, but Sunset Shimmer made her nervous. Things started to change around the school since her arrival, and the way she carried herself, as if she had power, power higher than even Cinch herself had, that worried her. Did Sunset Shimmer possess some sort of political clout that she wasn’t aware of? Or was it something else? Did Sunset have information on Cinch?

“Calm down, you’re stressed…”

Without the protection of Mayor Mare, Cinch had to walk a fine line. If something truly bad happened there was no way to sweep it under the rug, and Cinch wasn’t a fool, Sunset Shimmer came to Twilight Sparkle’s rescue when she found out about Indigo’s little plan, so she had little doubt that her warning of raining “holy hell” on the school was not to be taken lightly.

Sugarcoat walked down the hallway to her next class, as she did, she contemplated what was told to her today by Sunset and Twilight. Apparently, they had all been selected to participate in this year’s Friendship Games. Sugarcoat had suspected a while back that she and her so-called “friends” would be picked for the team this year, and back then she was indifferent about it. Sure, it would look good on a transcript, her last big victory before exiting high school. However, in the recent couple of months, Sugarcoat had changed, especially when it came to how she viewed her social circle and herself.

All this time she thought she was taking the path of less resistance, believing herself smart because she found a way to avoid the same fate as Twilight. Despite the lewd and lascivious methods of which she used to curtail any and all hazing from the student body, all it amounted to was reducing herself to the school’s local whore. If nothing else, that was worse than being a whipping girl, at least Twilight had the fortitude to endure their hazing, their ridicule, their spite, all of it. And it was that that Sugarcoat saw herself as weak, and the fact that it took her this long to grow a spine and stop her group from seriously hurting Twilight was unforgivable, at least to herself.

Sugarcoat wished she had more time with Twilight, more time to make up for not being the friend she needed, the friend they both needed. Perhaps the two of them together could’ve weathered the abuse, be there for each other and keep the other from feeling like fate was constantly kicking them to the ground. If she was lucky, perhaps they might end up going to the same university? If that was the case, then they could start over, have a fresh start, she could be the friend that Twilight deserved, while Sunset could be the girlfriend definitely deserved. Still, that didn’t mean that Sugarcoat couldn’t be a better friend now, denouncing her group of “friends” was a good start, and hanging out with her around school was another.

Perhaps I should suggest “hanging out” outside of school? Not that I would know what to do.

Before, whenever her old group would get together, it was either at her house, or one of theirs. During those times, they’d just gossip about what was happening at school, tell a dirty joke at Sugarcoat’s expense, listen to some loud – and at times interesting – music that Lemon Zest brought with her. Other times they’d plan out who’s day they were going to make miserable when school started the following Monday, or sometimes play a Truth or Dare game, of which Indigo took a bit of pleasure in making either herself or Lemon perform dirty acts with each other, or to her, whenever one of them mistakenly requested dare.

Just thinking about it made her shiver with disgust. It would be a bit of a challenge as she had never had a normal sleepover before, but it would be interesting to have one with those two. However, Sugarcoat’s contemplating was abruptly ended when she bumped into someone she was dreading to meet alone.

Standing before the pigtailed girl was Sour Sweet, looking at her with a small, admittedly scheming, smile. “Hey, Sugarcoat.”

“Sour Sweet,” Sugarcoat deadpanned.

Sugarcoat made to walk around Sour Sweet, but the slightly taller girl moved to intercept her. “We need to talk, do you mind?”

“Actually, I do, I’ll be late for class,” said Sugarcoat plainly.

“Ah…” Sour Sweet’s sweet smile suddenly shifted to a scowl as she grabbed Sugarcoat by the collar of her shirt and threw her against the lockers. She then slammed her left hand against the lockers right next to Sugarcoat’s head and glared at her intensely. “Too bad, because I want to talk to you.”

Sugarcoat tensed up, did she know that she saw? “W-What do you want to talk about?”

Sour Sweet shrugged. “Well, you don’t call, you don’t talk to us. It seems like you’re actively avoiding your friends.”

Sugarcoat’s brow furrowed a bit. “Friends? Collaborators, close acquaintances, a clique, but ‘friends’? No. And as to the ‘why’, gee, I wonder, could it have something to do with the fact that we kidnapped Twilight, tied her up, and threatened sexual harm on her while videotaping it? Or maybe it has to do with the fact that you almost mutilated her?!”

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. “Okay, I was off my meds that day, I apologize, but my parents have been shoving them down my throat lately, so I’m ‘sane’. As for Sparkle, since when did you give a shit about her?”

Sugarcoat stood a little taller and narrowed her gaze at Sour. “Because I wasn’t too far off from becoming just like her, becoming this school’s whipping girl, abused from every angle and from everyone one in this damn school! Compared to her, you, me, everyone, are cowards!”

“Ooooh, how righteous coming from the school whore.” Sour slammed her left hand against the locker again, causing Sugarcoat to flinch. “Don’t pretend you’re above me and the girls, or anyone in this school, you’re still the same. You’re just clinging close to Twilight Sparkle because she’s with Sunset Shimmer, because you’re hoping that Shimmer will protect you if you’re close to Sparkle. Or are you earning your protection by eating them both out?”

“Fuck you!” Sugarcoat pushed Sour Sweet away and stared angrily at her. “I’m not doing that anymore, I won’t! This school can come after me for all I care, I’ll take it, I’ll take everything Twilight took and then some, because I’m through! I’ll leave this school and I’ll start over with her and become someone who’s worthy of forgiveness and who can help people! So, either hurt me or get the hell out of my way!”

Sour Sweet straightened out her clothes, a neutral expression was on her face as she looked upon Sugarcoat. Slowly, the bipolar girl walked towards Sugarcoat, the pigtailed girl tensed up again as her back hit the lockers. Sour Sweet kept walking forward until she was invading Sugarcoat’s personal space.

“If that’s what you want, so be it.”

Just then Sour pushed her left knee forward and parted Sugarcoat’s legs, before the bespectacled girl could react, Sour’s left hand grabbed Sugarcoat by the throat and with her right hand she pinned Sugarcoat’s left hand to the locker. Sugarcoat tried to call out for help as she felt the pressure on her throat quickly tighten, it was strange, she felt the need to fight back, to resist. But there was an oppressive air around them, like gravity had doubled around her and was keeping Sugarcoat from fighting back.

“You’ll always be a slut, Sugarcoat.” Sour squeezed harder and made Sugarcoat flail, doing the same to Sugarcoat’s left hand to the point that it felt as if it was going to break. “No matter what you do, no matter what you say, you’ll always be the girl who fucked her school all to keep herself from being bullied, but in the end, ended up becoming something worse. I’ll consider letting you go, but only if you agree to do me here, what do you say?”

Sugarcoat continued to let out croaking, gagging sounds as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head.

“Speak up, Sugarcoat, I can’t really hear you!”

The pigtailed girl began feeling around with her right hand, her mind, in a brief moment of clarity, remembered her grandmother’s heirloom. She hurriedly reached into her skirt pocket and slipped the Heart Stone over her wrist, once it was on, she took out her hand from her pocket. The effects of the Heart Stone were instant, she could see a black aura rising around Sour Sweet, but now she could see something else. Standing behind Sour Sweet was a being made of red light, it had the same silhouette as Sour Sweet, but it’s face looked demonic, sharp teeth and slit eyes. It had its arms draped over Sour Sweet while its head was right next to Sour Sweet’s left ear, as if it were whispering to her.

Sugarcoat reached out and pressed her right hand against Sour Sweet’s chest, Sour Sweet thought nothing of it, believing it to be a desperate, futile attempt to stop her. With her consciousness starting to fade, Sugarcoat screamed loudly in her mind, “GO AWAY!!!”

The Heart Stone shined brightly, something that caught the demonic presence off guard. The light that the bracelet emitted pulsed and released a wave of energy that shot through Sour Sweet with enough force to make Sour Sweet release Sugarcoat. Not only that, but the black aura disappeared, and right with it the demonic presence.

Sugarcoat slid to the floor and fell forward onto her hands and knees, the pigtailed girl coughed and took in deep wheezing breaths of air. Thankfully, the Heart Stone seemed to invigorate her recovery as the pain around her throat and wrist was starting to fade as her strength returned steadily but quickly. Sour Sweet, on the other hand, had landed on the floor, back first. The wind had been knocked out of her, and for all intents and purposes, it appeared as if she was knocked out.

Sugarcoat slowly stood up, using the lockers for balance as she did. She…She almost killed me! S-Sour Sweet was about to choke me to death! Was…Was that her or was it that-that demon thing?! Sugarcoat managed to get some strength back, noticing that Sour Sweet was knocked out completely, with that in mind, she decided to get as far away from Sour Sweet as she could, eager to put this event behind her. I need to…to talk to Sunset…I don’t want to admit it, I don’t want to bother her with my problems, but right now I’m too fucking scared to think about that!

After a minute, Sugarcoat had vacated the area, leaving Sour Sweet on the floor. Sour Sweet started to stir and then coughed a few times as she rose into a sitting position. “Ow, what the hell hit me?” Sour Sweet looked around, seeing that she was in the hallway. “Why am I lying on the floor in the middle of the hall…? Oh crap, don’t tell me I blacked out and…!”

Sour Sweet immediately inspected her clothes, there were no signs of bloodstains, nor did it appear that whatever did occur it didn’t occur in the hallway. She then checked herself again, unfortunately, there were a number of sleazy guys in the school who wouldn’t think twice about taking advantage of an unconscious girl. Thankfully it seemed she was unmolested, she breathed a sigh of relief, but it still didn’t answer the question at hand.

“Whatever…” Sour Sweet got up and dusted her skirt off. “Probably late for class by now…oh screw it, who cares.” With that said, Sour Sweet began her walk to her classroom, unaware that the Blood Sword’s voice was strangely silent.