Author's Note

For anyone who has experienced or is sensitive to bullying, I must warn you that this chapter does have bullying in it. However, this is the only chapter that has it, and you may skip it if you need to. You don't have to read this chapter but you have been warned. And I apologize if this chapter brings up any trauma for anyone.

Once Bullied, Twice Scared

Slowly, an iridescent glow enveloped them, surrounding their bodies in a barrier of it. Springtrap's doppelgangers fought against the magic that constrained them. But it was too powerful, keeping them very still and not allowing them to wiggle around. After a few minutes of futile struggling, the two copies stopped fighting. They were lifted higher into the air, involuntarily getting brought closer to Springtrap. Seconds later, they found themselves being thrown forcefully against the concrete walls of the building.

“How did you do th-that, Springtrap?” asked the first doppelganger.

“That is for me to find out. And you, well, fuck off!” shouted Springtrap, growing more annoyed by the doppelganger.

The first doppelganger looked at the second one, growling at it. It was the first one created. It should be the only one working for Springtrap. Not the wanna-be doppelganger. Out of curiosity and hope of destroying the enemy, it held out its one hand towards the second doppelganger. If Springtrap could manipulate them, it had thought it could do the same. Yet, no iridescent magic barrier surrounded the second doppelganger. Holding its second hand, it tried again. But to no success.

“What the fuck?” hissed the first doppelganger. “Why the hell did that not work?”

“Because you’re a piece of shit?” suggested the second doppelganger.

“Why, you…” The first doppelganger walked up to the second one, gripping its wrist.

“What? I said the truth.” replied the second doppelganger, acting as innocent as possible.

“You little asshole, I should make yo-”

The two doppelgangers suddenly found themselves being flung into mid-air, flying towards a nearby tree. The first doppelganger hit a tree while the second one slammed face-first into a boulder sitting next to the tree. As both sat up, they saw Springtrap approaching them, his eyes glowing a fierce white color. Both backed up against the tree, hugging the other like a security blanket.

“Enough! You two are a walking migraine,” said Springtrap. “Honestly, I can’t fucking believe how stupid you bitches are. You are almost as dumb as those kids, though, they may actually be smarter than you two.”

“Kids? What are… kids?” asked both doppelgangers in unison.

Springtrap groaned, growing more annoyed by the two idiots that looked like him. Honestly, he felt it was an insult to have two doppelgangers that were lacking the most basic of intelligence. It was surprising to see them talking or even walking with their lack of knowledge. Seeing a shiny piece of metal nearby, he walked over and grabbed it. It was a part of some tin roofing that had been on top of the building. The part which had been sticking up from the ground had gotten rusted to an orangish-brown. Surprisingly though, the part that had once been underground was somehow still shiny, almost brand new. With the metal in hand, he walked back over to his doppelgangers.

“What is that?” asked the second doppelganger, approaching Springtrap.

“Metal, you dumbass,” replied Springtrap in a monotone voice.

“Ooh, I love the shininess of it.” The second doppelganger touched the rusted surface. “Uh, I don’t feel so good all of a sudden.”

As the second doppelganger stepped back, it slowly began to disintegrate. It started at the base of its feet and spread upwards. Springtrap watched in amazement at the sight in front of him. The contour its body slowly disappeared, making the doppelganger look like an opaque version of Springtrap. Eventually, even that vanished into thin air, leaving behind some faint sparkles and puddle of iridescent magic.

Springtrap approached the puddle, watching the sunlight reflecting against its shiny surface. He had not expected the metal to affect his copies. But it was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. And a potential weakness for him. Sticking his finger in the puddle, he watched a few ripples run across the surface. There was an electrical sensation running throughout his whole body as he kept his finger in the pool. It gave him a surge of strength. Closing his eyes, he let himself linger in the newfound power he had.

“Hmm, this is amazing,” muttered Springtrap, losing himself to the intense feeling.

A few minutes later, the puddle of magic that had completely enraptured Springtrap began to float back to the primary source of magic — the control panel. With it now gone, Springtrap turned his attention to the control panel. It was clearly the storage house for all the magic. The only problem was how he was going to gain access to it. He was going to need it if he wanted to make more copies of himself. Assuming he could make more than two that is.

“What the hell did you do to the other doppelganger?” asked the first and only remaining doppelganger.

Springtrap turned to see his only copy walking into the building. He was growing more and more angered by its presence. To his shock, it seemed smarter than the one who had disappeared. That made him wonder if he could create any competent copies. Or if the one in front of him was just a fluke. Wanting to test the doppelganger’s intelligence, he grabbed the piece of roofing and held it out to it.

‘What the fuck are you doing?” asked the doppelganger, stepping away from the piece of metal. “Keep that thing away from me, asshole.”

Springtrap ignored his doppelganger’s demands and continued pursuing him with the metal object. It managed to dodge Springtrap’s first attempt at jabbing it with the metal. Luckily, it had an opening, allowing it to jump out of the way as another attack got launched upon it. They continued like this until the copy had backed itself up against a nearby tree just outside the electrical building. With nowhere to go, it watched as Springtrap approached it. The metal roofing was inching ever so slowly towards its body.

“Would you really destroy your only remaining doppelganger?” asked the doppelganger, desperate to not end with the same fate that befell the second one.

Springtrap didn’t care to answer his doppelganger’s question. He wanted to test a theory, regardless if he would lose a copy. Once he figured out how he created them originally, he could do it tenfold. So, with a gleam in his eyes, he jabbed the jagged piece of roofing into his doppelganger’s abdomen. Within moments, the copy began to dissipate into a series of sparkles. The sparks seemed to eat away the doppelganger’s body more quickly than the second one. Like the one before it, it left an iridescent puddle of concentrated equestrian magic. With the copy now gone, the scrap metal fell to the forest floor.

“Interesting. So, either this scrap has some powerful properties to it.” He picked up the scrap metal off the floor. “Or this...magic or whatever it is, doesn’t like any metal that isn’t a part of it.”

With the scrap metal in his hand, he walked back over to the control panel. The sparks flew from the inside, nearly hitting him in the face. He set the metal scrap down and held his hand over the exposed area. The sparks flew from the panel to his hand, traveling through his circuitry. A rush of energy flowed through him, causing his ears to start erratically twitching as he tried to contain it. Once he had enough magic inside of himself, he pulled his hand away from the control panel.

Holding his hand out, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine a doppelganger of him. He started to see the doppelganger, every single aspect of it: the size, shape, color, smell, and even his temper. Shockingly, the image seemed to be crystal clear in his mind, like a photo in the highest resolution possible. With the vision in his head, he opened his eyes and saw that faint outline of his new doppelganger was beginning to appear. He could feel a tingling sensation running through his wires and joints. For a moment, he almost felt like he was alive instead of being encased inside of a rusted animatronic. After a few seconds, a complete carbon copy of Springtrap stood in front of him.

“Hello, I am Springtrap.” said the newly formed doppelganger.

“No, you’re not. You’re dumbass number one,” replied Springtrap, lowering his hand.

“Okay, my name is Dumbass Number One.” The doppelganger said.

“Yep. Just a fluke,” mumbled Springtrap as he grabbed a piece of wood off the floor. “Now, do you consent to me using you as a test dummy?”

“No-”

Springtrap swung the piece of wood at the doppelganger’s head, sending it stumbling backward. Unfortunately, the wood did not affect it like the piece of metal did. The only thing it did was anger the copy, which charged at Springtrap. He was quick to move out of the way, letting his doppelganger slam right into the side of the control panel. Springtrap couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw the sight of his brainless copy struggling to get off the floor. It was comparable to a drunkard after a long night at the bar. Though, the drunkard would look less drunk if they stood beside his doppelganger right now.

“Okay, so wood of any kind won’t affect you.” Springtrap tossed the piece of wood. ‘Good to know.”

“What the fuck, Springtrap?” asked the doppelganger as it finally got to its feet. “I am not going to be your-”

Springtrap had grabbed a piece of glass from one of the broken windows and now was charging at his copy. With the surprise advantage, he had enough momentum to jump and slam the shard into his doppelganger’s eye socket. He let go of the shard and saw it was jammed deep into its eye socket, almost cutting the eye in half. Springtrap ducked as his doppelganger ripped out the glass shard, with his eye attached to the end of it, and tossed it at him. To his dismay, it was apparent that glass was just as useless as wood was.

‘Well, I guess any glass is just as useless as wood. That’s great. Just. Great.” said Springtrap, walking out of the building for a moment.

Looking around, he saw nothing but grass, trees, dirt, rubble, and a bunch of old concrete blocks. Aside from the concrete blocks, there were no new materials for him to experiment with on his doppelgangers. The sound of footsteps approaching him made him turn around to see said copy running at him. Like an agile cheetah, he stepped out of the path and watched as his copy rammed its body into a big boulder.

“Well, guess I can cross rocks off the list now too,” said Springtrap, picking up a concrete block and examining it.

“Well, that fucking hurt.” groaned the doppelganger. “You move a lot faster than me.”

That’s because I have more brain matter inside my head than you, asshole. For all I fucking know, you have nothing, not even air up in your dumbass skull.” replied Springtrap as he turned to face his doppelganger, the concrete block on hand.

The weight of the block was no problem for Springtrap. Being trapped forever inside an animatronic had that one advantage. Using his robotic strength, he tossed the block at his doppelganger. The concrete hit its leg, knocking it to its knees. As it’s one knee slammed down, it landed on the concrete block and shattered it. Looking at his doppelganger, Springtrap bolted for the building. Just as he had his hand on the door handle, he heard an all too familiar sound of thundering footsteps. Springtrap ducked into the building, his body landing solidly on the floor as the door slammed shut with a loud clang.

“Ouch...” was the last thing the doppelganger said as its body dissipated back into a puddle of magic.

Pushing himself off the floor, Springtrap walked over to one of the windows and looked out. He saw that the sun had risen well over the horizon. The light nearly blinded him as he held up his hand to keep it from shining in his eyes. Half the morning went by all because he had gotten so focused on figuring out his doppelganger’s weakness, though the effort did reward him with some much-needed information, which was essential. Springtrap walked over to the door and opened it just as the puddle of magic floated back into him.

“Well, I am glad it took half the morning and a door slamming to see that any metal that is not a part of my doppelgangers will destroy them,” said Springtrap. “And that they return to whatever source created them.”

Springtrap stood over the control panel, his hand outstretched above the opening. A wave of sparks and magic drifted into his hand, running his arm and settling in his primary power source. Now with more magic under his control, he again repeated the process of creating another doppelganger. Thankfully, the process didn’t seem to affect him, though he wondered how many he could make before it would. Not long after, there was a fully completed copy of him standing in the doorway. He needed the new doppelganger to do a job for him.

“You able to speak dumbass number two?” asked Springtrap, snapping his fingers in the doppelganger’s face.

“Yes, I am. Also, I reject that name,” answered the doppelganger.

“Yeah, well, it’s the only name you’re getting. So take it and shove up your ass,” said Springtrap as he jabbed his finger into its chest. “Anyway, I have a mission for you.”

“What’s the mission?” asked Springtrap’s copy.

Springtrap gripped his doppelganger’s shoulder tightly, making it jump in response. The mission was going to solve another question he had about his doppelgangers. Sure, it was enough that they sounded, acted, and looked like him, but he had to know if they had his memories as well. If they did, it would make his job a lot easier. As it is, he knew it was going to be a headache trying to locate the kids, especially since they had a group of smart teenage girls helping them out and keeping them hidden away.

“I need you to go to Canterlot High. Find the girls you have seen in my memories and follow them to the location of where they are hiding the damned kids,” replied Springtrap as he walked the copy out the front door.

“What am I supposed to do when I find those wretched kids?” The doppelganger asked.

Springtrap groaned in frustration. “Once you’ve found out where they are hiding those fucking brats, come back here and tell me. And for fuck’s sake, stay away from metal and don’t get caught.”

“Okay,” replied the doppelganger.

“Now, go,” said Springtrap, waving his hand towards the door.

A sensation similar to static electricity ran up Springtrap’s arm, causing his arm to jerk uncontrollably for a minute. He looked up to see his copy walking out of the door as if on command. That made him wonder if he could control an army of himself. If he could have that kind of power, both the girls and the kids wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Once his copy was an adequate distance away, he returned his attention to the control panel and the magic it held inside. Springtrap wanted to find a way to store the magic with him. If he were going to be learning how to control an army with it, he would need a secure way to ensure he had a plentiful stash of it.

“Now, how do I access that stash of yours?” hissed Springtrap, examining the control panel.

He recalled how he had absorbed the magic to make the doppelgangers. Maybe if he could do that and have the magic stored inside of his power module, it would work. There was only one way to find out. He held his hand over the open control panel for the fifth time or so that morning and prepared himself for what was to come. Just as before, the magic diverted itself from the wires, it flowed through and flowed upwards towards his hands. As it entered his circuitry, he felt an all too familiar buzz run everywhere in his body.

“Whew, that is addicting, like the high I got whenever I shot up some heroin. Man, do I miss being alive,” muttered Springtrap in a daze of the almost-warmth like sensation.

A few minutes later and Springtrap had to pull his arm away from the panel. The tingling sensation in his circuits was becoming too unbearable for him to continue with absorbing the magic. But he could feel the power of the magic that now got stored in his power module. It made him feel almost invincible, which he delighted in. Tapping into the magic stored in himself, he created another doppelganger. He noticed that with a large amount of magic now stored inside, creating the copy took minimal effort.

“Welcome to the world, dumbass number three,” said Springtrap as the new copy turned to face him. “You have a critical job to do. But you won’t be alone. So, stand in the corner.”

Again, there was a tingling sensation in his arm as the doppelganger followed his command. It was a thrill to see that he had so much control over them. Of course, they were reasonably dumb, but with an army of them, it wouldn’t be much of a hindrance. The only real problem he faced was their weakness — metal. He knew that if the girls were to find out about the vulnerability, it would devastate his army. And that was something he couldn’t afford happening if they were to battle the girls. Not if he wanted to finish his fight against the kids and be victorious. So, he would have to teach them to avoid any metal. But, first, he had to assemble the army before he could get to that stage.

“Those stupid-ass girls about to see what messing with my plan will get them.” Springtrap’s eyes glowed a ghastly white as he spoke. “Death and a little payback. Especially for the fucking redhead…”

*** *** *** ***

The copy was walking through the woods, pushing past branches and twigs. In its head was flashes of Springtrap’s memories, guiding it to its location. Unfortunately, they came and went by so quickly that the doppelganger barely had any time to memorize them. And the forest it was in was very vast, almost like the Costa Rican rainforest. That resulted in it walking into numerous trenches and ditches. It had also gotten stuck in quite a few mud puddles along the way. Muddied and a little lost, it eventually reached the edge of the woods.

Now standing on the edge of the forest, it now had to deal with trucks, cars, buses, motorcycles driving by very fast. The sidewalks weren’t much better for it, either. There were people with coffee cups in hand, people looking down at their phones and not paying attention to it, and there were people hurriedly running amidst the already bustling crowd. Though it wanted to back out, it’s mission was clear, and it couldn’t just walk away. It cautiously took a step forward and almost immediately was knocked back by a violent gust of wind caused by a massive truck driving past.

‘Woah...that is dangerous.” muttered the doppelganger to itself. “Better be careful next time.”

It tried again to cross the street. Unluckily, a car was headed straight for it. Somehow, it managed to jump back, nearly avoiding contact with the side view mirror. It watched the road, making sure there were no cars or trucks to hit it. Seeing none, it started to cross the street and make its way to CHS. Yet, just as it reached the other side, a motorcycle came barreling towards it. Tired of being hit, it held out its hand and slammed it down onto the motorcycle’s front tire. The impact sent the driver flying over the doppelganger’s head and landing on the ground a few feet away. When the driver started to get up, the copy bolted for the school, disappearing just as the driver was about to scold it.

As it walked down one of the quiet backstreets, the doppelganger came across a large, wooden fence with a hole in the side of it. Walking up to it, it peeked through the hole. There was a large, empty yard that consisted of dirt and a few weeds here and there. No plants were in sight, making it look very similar to a desert in a drought. Curious, it stuck its forefinger into the hole. That action resulted in something biting down on it. It quickly yanked its finger back only to find the plastic cover stripped from it, exposing the metal endoskeleton underneath.

“What the fuck bit me?” asked the copy, shaking the slobber off its finger.

Looking through the fence, it saw a dog staring back at him, baring its teeth at it. It retracted its fist to break it and kill the dog, but it remembered its primary mission and lowered its fist. As much as it wanted to kill the dog, it had other plans due to Springtrap’s demands. Leaving behind the dog, it continued walking down the street.

Twenty minutes later, after a few wrong turns and several near misses with people, it finally made it to the school. A wave of 100 or more students passed by it, forcing the doppelganger to duck behind some nearby bushes. Once the coast was clear, it bolted for the nearest tree. The doppelganger spotted the girls about 300 yards away from where its hiding spot was – a safe distance for it to remain hidden from them. But it wasn’t close enough to hear their conversations, which it figured was a bad thing. Though, Springtrap had said to follow them, not eavesdrop on them. So, it just thought that the spot was good enough for the time being.

When the girls started to walk into the building, it darted into the bushes that surrounded the school. The doppelganger regularly lifted and dropped its head, following the girls as they made their way through the hallways. With them being in the building, it hoped that they would stay in its line of sight. Or it would fail the command and end up scrap metal courtesy of Springtrap.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, unaware that they were getting spied upon, the girls stood outside their first-period class, their backs to the windows. Twilight hesitating to walk into the classroom, afraid to be surrounded by a big group of students. She had begun to adjust to having the girls around her, but she wasn’t so sure she was ready to have more than that. Not even with their support alongside her. Her hesitation was something that didn’t go unnoticed by her friends.

“You okay, dear?” asked Rarity, a worried tone in her voice. “Is it your wings that you’re worried about?”

“Yeah…” whispered Twilight Sparkle as a few students pushed past her, entering the classroom.

As their arms brushed against her back, she froze. For a while, she looked at them, wondering if they felt her wings beneath the fabric. But to her surprise, they just sat in their usual seats, not paying any attention to her. Sighing in relief, she gripped her backpack strap tightly. Today was going to be a long day. And it was going to be longer if she continued to worry and fret about every touch and glance thrown her way. She had her friends with her; she didn’t need to worry so much. Yet, knowing that did little to ease her stress.

“But, I am okay now. I have you girls with me for support,” said Twilight, looking mostly at Sunset as she spoke.

“That’s right, Twi,” said Fluttershy.

Fluttershy, all of the girls, understood what it was like to be afraid, especially when she had huge groups of people looking at her. There had been a few days where she became physically ill because of her nerves. Though, most of the days ended when Sunset Shimmer stopped singling her out. So, she wanted to support Twilight in any way that she could. Resting her hand on her shoulder, she gave it a gentle squeeze. That made Twilight look at her and give her an appreciative smile.

Sunset Shimmer glanced at Fluttershy. The two shared a look of worry between each other. The redhead’s eyes fell to her Twilight, noticing that she had moved closer to her. She could see that Twilight was growing pale, even though her skin was darker than usual. That made her worry more and also made her more protective. Just then, Trixie walked past the girls, eyeing Twilight suspiciously. Sunset narrowed her eyes, watching every move the wanna-be magician made. She made a mental note to keep Trixie in line. It was one thing when she singled her out. But she was going to be damned if she let the same happen to Twilight.

“Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll make sure everyone treats you nicely. Right, girls?” asked Sunset, turning to her friends.

“Yeah, totally!” shouted Rainbow Dash, placing a hand on her hip.

“You got that right, sugarcube,” added Applejack.

“Absolutely!” declared Rarity.

That made Twilight Sparkle feel a lot better. Hearing her friends’ words of encouragement, it relieved some of her fears and worries. Taking Sunset’s hand in her own, she walked into the classroom. When she passed by her classmates’ desks, they glanced up at her, curious. Twilight did her best to ignore it and focus on the class ahead. She was extremely grateful that she and Sunset could sit next to each other. It was beneficial to have her nearby, especially as she had been her rock throughout the whole Midnight Sparkle situation.

The loud ring of the late bell told her that class was about to start. Miss Cheerilee walked in, carrying a stack of graded papers in her one arm. As she set them down, Twilight gulped nervously. This past week they had a trigonometry test. She had gone over to Sunset’s place to do some more studying, though she didn’t need to. But having that extra time with her was more than welcomed. It had allowed her to hang out with the redhead and admire her beauty. And of course, make sure that she was ready and prepped for the test. With that extra study session, she hoped she managed to pass the test.

Miss Cheerilee passed out each student’s test. When Twilight got hers, she quickly flipped it over to what grade she got. Seeing an A+ on the top in red pen, a proud smile worked its way onto her face. Her gaze immediately went to Sunset Shimmer as she saw Miss Cheerilee set her test down. She shifted her chair closer to Sunset as she leaned over to her desk.

“What did you get, Sunset?” asked Twilight, curiosity tinting her voice. “I got the usual, an A+.”

“I got a B-,” replied Sunset, sounding disappointed in her grade.

Twilight Sparkle was a bit shocked by the grade Sunset had received. Sunset was just as good as she was at math or any other subject for that matter. Plus, they had studied together. So, what could’ve caused Sunset’s usual A+ grade average to fall? After putting some thought into it, something crossed her mind. The recent events of going after the recently freed animatronics that turned out to be murdered children could be the cause. It didn’t seem to help that each kid’s memory was graphically detailed. And learning that equestrian magic was behind certainly did help matters either.

“Sunset, it’s okay. There has been a lot going on lately. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Twilight tried her best to reassure the redhead. “I’ve had a few failing grades as well myself.”

“Thanks, Sparky,” said Sunset, flashing Twilight a quick thank-you-for-that smile.

What Twilight had said cheered her up, but very little. She had other worries on her mind at the moment. Hard as Sunset Shimmer tried, her mind kept thinking about Trixie, about the look she had given Twilight. Something about it rubbed her the wrong way. Her gut instinct told her that the wanna-be magician was up to something. No doubt something that wasn’t good and would target Twilight.

“That would definitely fit Trixie’s M.O.,” thought Sunset as she stared down at her test.

“Okay, class, today we are doing partner assignments. So, the person to your left will be your partner.” Miss Cheerilee said as she wrote out the directions on the blackboard.

Both Sunset and Twilight turned to each other and smiled. Twilight was particularly happy that Sunset was her partner. And it seemed that the redhead shared that same happiness too. Though she enjoyed this class, she wasn’t sure if it was because she loved math. Or if it was because she got to share it with Sunset. Regardless, she was happy to enjoy being near Sunset. Scooting their desks closer together, they continued to move them until they were touching.

“Now that you all have a partner, I will pass out the assignment for today. I do expect you all to have this finished before the end of class.” Miss Cheerilee set the chalk down and grabbed the stack of assignment papers.

While Miss Cheerilee passed out the assignment, Twilight heard some snickering coming from behind her. She turned around to see two of Trixie’s friends glancing and pointing at her. That made her feel self-conscious again. Had they seen her wings despite her attempts to hide them? If so, were they planning on revealing her to the whole school and when? Looking down, she turned back in her chair. She shrunk in her seat as she realized that they were talking about her appearance. If it wasn’t for her hoodie constraining them, she was sure her wings would’ve wrapped themselves around her and hidden her from Trixie’s friends.

Halfway through the class period, the sound of paper getting ripped broke the quiet chatter of the classroom. Twilight, who was hunched over and focused on the assignment with Sunset, didn’t hear the sound. A few seconds later, the paper was ripped from its notebook and quickly crumbled into a ball. No sooner had it been crumpled was it thrown against her back, bouncing off one of her wings. Twilight was startled by it, causing her wings to react accordingly. When she sat straight up, her wings strained against the fabric of her hoodie.

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her paper as she heard the sound of fabric straining. Glancing behind Twilight, she saw the piece of paper that had gotten thrown at her friend. She followed its path of trajectory to find Trixie’s friends smirking and quietly chuckling to themselves. That was enough to cause Sunset’s geode to spark as it began to malfunction and allow Sunset to hear their thoughts.

“Wow, she is hiding something under that ridiculous hoodie of hers. Just like Trixie said,” thought Lavender Lace, glancing sideways at Twilight.

“Are those...wings? But if she had ponied-up, why is she hiding her wings? And where are her pony ears and tail? Something about this is very off…” thought Fuschia Blush as she looked away from Sunset and Twilight.

Involuntarily, her hand gripped the edge of her desk, her knuckles turning white from the tight grip. It was aggravating for the redhead to see Trixie’s friends picking on Twilight, particularly when it was uncalled for. Her hand and arm started to shake as she struggled to keep herself from going full “bully mode” on Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush. Turning her attention to her friend, she saw the edges of her wings were pushing tightly against the fabric. That was enough to tell her that Twilight had been startled by the sudden attack. But Sunset knew she needed to relax, or her wings would destroy the only thing that kept them hidden. Pulling her hand off her desk, she rested it on Twilight’s forearm.

“Sparky, you might want to calm down. Your wings are going to push through your hoodie if you don’t,” whispered Sunset as she leaned towards Twilight.

“What?” asked Twilight, still unaware of what her wings were doing.

“Your wings, Twilight. If you don’t calm down, you’re going to reveal your wings.” Sunset Shimmer kept her voice low, noticing that Trixie’s friends were eyeing them.

That brought Twilight’s attention to her wings. She could feel them tense against her back, still poised in an almost outward position. Unconsciously, she relaxed as she began to calm her startled nerves. With her nerves calming down, her wings eased themselves downward and rested softly against her back. Once she was sure her wings had relaxed entirely, she sighed. It was a massive relief to see that her hoodie had held out against the strain, despite the sudden action of her wings opening and pushing against the fabric. She leaned back in her chair and gave Sunset a grateful smile.

“Thank you, Sunset,” said Twilight. “I don’t know what I would have done if they had broken through my hoodie.”

“Hey, that’s why I am here, Sparky,” Sunset said, playfully punching Twilight’s arm. “Now, how about we finish the assignment so we can get out of here?”

“Yeah, agreed,” replied Twilight, her attention returning to the paper in front of her.

*** *** *** ***

Three class periods later, the lunch bell rang. Hearing that, all the students got up from their seats and clamored out of the classroom. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight were the last left in the room. Rainbow Dash’s stomach growled, telling her she was hungry and that she should leave now. But she had to wait for Twilight to finish packing up her stuff, which tested her patience.

“Hurry up, Twi! I want to get there before all the pudding is gone,” said Rainbow Dash, her impatience clear as she struggled to stand still.

Rarity glared at the polychromatic athlete and narrowed her eyes at her friend. She placed her hands on her hips in an angry fashion. She was hungry too, but she didn’t approve of Rainbow Dash’s behavior towards Twilight. Not when it had been a hard day for her. During the class, she had noticed that Trixie kept eyeing Twilight like a hungry lion eyed a weak and vulnerable gazelle. Same as Sunset, she started to see that Trixie was planning something. She had relayed that information to Rainbow Dash, hoping to have a chance to prepare for whatever the magician had devised.

“Rainbow, can’t you see our friend is worried about being in such a crowded place? Worried about her wings getting discovered by our classmates?!” shouted Rarity, a little too loud.

Outside the classroom, a student was walking past and overheard what Rarity had said. They stopped just outside the doorway, looking from Rarity to Twilight Sparkle with a questioning look in their eyes. The fashionista chuckled nervously before looking away, leaving Twilight to handle the student by herself. She saw that the student was a bit fearful of her, making her grow even more uncomfortable with the idea of going to the crowded cafeteria.

“Thank you, Rarity! That is what I am trying to avoid,” said Twilight, gesturing to the student as they started to walk away. “I’ll be lucky if they don’t tell the whole school and trigger whatever Trixie has in mind for me. Why did you have to say that…?”

Rarity gazed up at Twilight. It was upsetting to see her friend look so...hurt and worried. She knew she had made a mistake. As soon as she had mentioned Twilight’s wings, she understood that it was too late to take it back. Unable to bear seeing her friend’s pain expression any longer, she looked away. She gripped her forearm as she saw Twilight continue to pack her stuff in the heavy silence.

“I am truly sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to say that as loud as I did.” apologized Rarity, her voice losing its usual flare.

Hearing that apology, Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book bag. She could see the fashionista’s regret, which darkened her blue eyes. Seeing that regret was enough to make her realize that it was just an accident. It was clear that Rarity hadn’t meant to say what she did. Nor did she expect to say it as loudly as she had. Twilight got out of her seat and made her way over to where Rarity was standing. Reaching out her hand slowly, she grabbed Rarity’s hand and gave her a small, but still visible smile.

“Rarity?” asked Twilight.

“What, Twilight?” muttered Rarity, not wanting to look at Twilight directly.

“It’s okay. I know you were only trying to help me,” said Twilight, bending down to meet the fashionista’s reluctant gaze. “I understand that you didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Twilight, I revealed that you had wings out loud, even though you had tried so hard to keep that hidden. I put that in jeopardy, that is inexcusable,” said Rarity, pulling her hand away. “I am sorry that I jeopardized that.”

“Rarity, look at me.” Twilight’s voice was stern. Yet, it worked as the fashionista wearily met her gaze. “I am not upset about the slip-up. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. Please, don’t blame yourself.”

“But what if the school finds out?” asked Rarity, her voice timid like Fluttershy’s whenever she got nervous.

“If the school does find out, Rarity, I will have you girls with me,” Twilight said, resting her hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “Okay?”

Hesitantly, Rarity said, “Okay.”

“Um, guys? Can we go to lunch now? I am fucking starving.” asked Rainbow Dash, growing more impatient.

Twilight walked back over to her desk and grabbed her backpack. “Yes, we can go now, Rainbow Dash. We’ll meet you there.”

“About damn time!” shouted Rainbow Dash, grabbing her bag and speeding out of the classroom.

Shortly after, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity joined Rainbow Dash in the long lunchline. Twilight’s nerves worsened as more students gathered into the line, squeezing her and her friends closer together. The less space Twilight had to avoid anyone touching her back, the more she fretted about her wings getting revealed by accident. As the line moved and allowed her to see Granny Smith, the school’s lunch lady, and Applejack’s grandmother, her hands began to shake as her chest tightened. With every step that Twilight took, her panic grew more and more.

“What will it be today, Twilight?” asked Granny Smith as Twilight Sparkle approached her.

Twilight looked at all the food that was for lunch that day. She saw the traditional spaghetti and meatballs, which always got served on Thursday. Next to it was the vegan pizza, something she knew Sunset often got. Today it seemed the toppings for it was pineapple and mushrooms. Twilight noticed that neither pizza had cheese, which made them look like odd pizzas. Though, she wasn’t one to judge a pizza by its toppings. The last of the main dishes was a mystery meatloaf. As she looked down at the meal, her stomach gurgled in protest. There was no way she was going to choose that. Looking at Granny Smith, Twilight made her choice.

“I’ll go with the spaghetti and meatballs, please,” said Twilight as she grabbed her tray.

“Okay, here ya go.” Granny Smith scooped a considerable amount of the spaghetti.

“Thank you,” Twilight said as Granny Smith plopped the spaghetti on her tray.

“I don’t understand why y’all are avoiding the meatloaf,” mumbled Granny Smith as Twilight moved her tray.

Twilight Sparkle gulped and continued walking as she grabbed a yogurt and an apple. Leaving the trap of the lunch line, she saw Sunset and the rest of her friends waving her over. She smiled at them as she walked over to their table. Sitting in her usual spot, which was anywhere that Sunset was, she set her tray down. There was rarely a moment that they had spent apart. Every moment that they could spend together, they would. But it seemed that Sunset was starting to grow distant from her. That worried Twilight, despite the nagging voice in her head saying she was overreacting.

“So, how are we gonna find Gabriel?” asked Applejack, taking a bite of her apple.

Sunset Shimmer swallowed a bite of her pizza and turned to the cowgirl. “I don’t know, AJ. I think his friends might have an idea of where he is.”

“And if they don’t? What do we do then, Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking up from her tray.

“I don’t know, Dash. I haven’t been able to think that far ahead,” replied Sunset, dropping her fork in frustration.

“Let’s just see if Gabriel’s friends have some answers for us and go from there, okay?” suggested Rarity, wanting to keep the peace.

“Okay. So, we’ll head to my farm after school then?” asked Applejack, taking another bite of her apple.

“Yep!” replied all the girls in unison.

Sunset Shimmer glanced up at Twilight Sparkle and noticed she was staring at her spaghetti, poking it with her fork. “Twilight, is everything okay?”

The sound of the redhead’s voice broke Twilight free from her thoughts. Blinking, she pushed past her thoughts about why Sunset was distant. It was tempting to ignore Sunset, but she knew that it would raise suspicion. And she didn’t want the girls to realize she was considering doing some research on Sunset’s past, especially Sunset herself. Twilight knew it was an invasion of her privacy, but she had to know what was driving the distance between her and the redhead. However, right now, she had a chance to ask another question about something else that had been on her mind.

“Y-yeah. I was just thinking about something,” replied Twilight, eating some of her spaghetti.

“Thinking about what, Twi?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“I was thinking about…” Twilight looked at Sunset, her eyes bright with curiosity, “what the Fall Formal is.”

Sunset Shimmer went pale as she heard Twilight mention the Fall Formal. She had briefly mentioned it when she was talking about messing with Rarity and Pinkie Pie, but that was it. To have Twilight asking about it caught her off guard. Turning to the rest of the girls, she saw they were just as surprised. They were all staring at Twilight, their forks in hand as they had stopped eating. Pinkie Pie was the first of the group to recover herself. She finished her forkful of cake and spoke.

“So, Sunset finally told you what happened during the Fall Formal?” asked Pinkie Pie, much to Sunset Shimmer’s fright.

“What?” asked Twilight, confused by what Pinkie Pie meant.

“Oh, I guess she didn’t mention what happened,” said Pinkie Pie as she looked at the redhead, regretting her earlier question.

Sunset Shimmer fixed a heated glare at Pinkie Pie, angered that she had brought that up. She turned her attention to Twilight Sparkle, hoping and praying that she didn’t ask any questions. But in the now mulberry eyes of her friend, she could see the interest spark up. The same curiosity that had sparked Twilight to investigate the magic during the Friendship Games. She saw that there was no way she could keep her from asking questions. She returned her gaze to her tray, internally pleading that Twilight wouldn’t hate her when she discovered the truth.

“What happened during the-”

“Hello, Twilight.” said an annoyingly shrill voice, cutting Twilight off.

Twilight Sparkle took a bite of her spaghetti before turning around to see that Trixie and her two friends were standing behind her. When she saw the smirk Trixie was wearing, fear took hold of her, making her hands quiver. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sunset eyeing the wanna-be magician, a dark gleam in her eyes. Glancing downward, Twilight also saw that her hands were tightly gripping the edge of the seat. She noticed that the redhead’s arms were trembling from the secure grip she had on it. Returning her attention to Trixie, she swallowed the last of the spaghetti in her mouth.

Trixie crossed her arms across her chest. “Trixie wants to know what you are hiding under that hoodie.”

“Why do you want to know that, Trixie?” asked Applejack.

“Trixie wasn’t talking to you, Applejack. Trixie was talking to Twilight,” said Lavender Lace as she stepped in front of the cowgirl.

Trixie saw Twilight gulp as she moved closer to her. “So, what are the makeup and contacts for? That is just makeup and contacts, right?”

Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush stepped closer to Twilight Sparkle, making the already nervous book lover more apprehensive. Both of them grabbed Twilight’s hoodie, making the fabric push against her wings. They pulled her up from her seat without any warning. Now that Twilight was standing, they could see that her legs were threatening to give way beneath her. Twilight Sparkle could feel her tail flicking inside of her jeans as if it was trying to break free from its confines.

“Answer the Great and Powerful Trixie’s question!” demanded Fuschia Blush, tightening her grip on Twilight’s hoodie.

Twilight Sparkle looked down at her feet as she said, “I-I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Trixie grabbed Twilight’s arm and yanked her sleeve up. “Did you get a spray tan that went wrong? Or is this your actual skin color now?”

“It’s nothing, Trixie,” said Twilight, yanking her arm away from the magician.

“Nothing? Trixie isn’t blind, Twilight. She has noticed that your skin is similar in color to what…” Trixie stepped back, thoroughly admiring Twilight. “No, it can’t be. You look very similar to Midnight Sparkle.”

“No, I don’t. It’s just the contacts and makeup,” said Twilight, desperate to keep Trixie off her trail.

By now, Twilight’s body had started more violently. Having Trixie and her friends surrounding her made her wings want to break free from their fabric confines. It took everything she had to keep them from pushing outwards. But when Lavender Lace stepped closer to her, she panicked, making her wings unfurl themselves inside her hoodie. If she hadn’t been sweating previously, Twilight was sure she was now.

Sunset Shimmer, who had been sitting quietly and listening to Trixie interrogate Twilight, got up from her seat. Her blood felt like it was boiling as an itching spread up her arms. Though the cafeteria was relatively cold, she was extremely feverish, like she was standing in the desert at noon. Despite her body feeling weird all of a sudden, Sunset kept her focus on Trixie and on trying to keep her fist out of her face. She’d had enough of watching her friend getting picked on, and she was about to make Trixie back off. Even if that meant she had to be physical with her.

Standing between Twilight and Trixie, Sunset said, “Trixie, leave Twilight alone. Now.”

“Hmmm, Trixie doesn’t want to do that. Therefore, she is not going to, not until she gets some answers about what is going on here.” Trixie replied, jabbing her finger into the redhead’s chest.

A low growl slipped from Sunset Shimmer’s throat as she moved closer to Trixie. The sclera around her irises began to darken as her geode sparked occasionally. Unknowingly, the redhead started to clench her fist, a desire to punch Trixie growing within her. As she went to raise her hand, she felt a gentle touch linger on it. The blackness that had been creeping onto her sclera disappeared as she glanced downward. Sunset saw that Twilight’s hand was covering her own.

“Sunset, please don’t. Don’t let Trixie turn you into the bully you used to be. She isn’t worth it.” Twilight slowly removed her hand as Sunset relaxed hers. “Besides, she just wants to ask questions, right?”

Trixie nodded, her eyes never leaving Sunset Shimmer. “Yeah. Trixie only wants to ask some questions while her friends remove your jacket.”

“Wait, what? No, don-” Twilight Sparkle didn’t have time to finish her sentence when she felt Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush grab a side of her hoodie.

The fabric was pulled over her head, messing up her neat ponytail. Now that her wings had broken free from their confines, they stretched to their full size. Instantly, Twilight closed her eyes as she heard the audible gasps of the students who began to swarm around her. The bookworm heard Lavender Lace laughing as she examined her wings. Twilight Sparkle felt her hoodie being forcibly thrown back at her, but she didn’t bother picking it up or moving for that matter. Twilight Sparkle gathered what remained of her courage and opened her eyes to see everyone at CHS staring at her, except for Luna and Celestia, respectively. Fear paralyzed her as she staggered back.

“What the hell, Trixie?! Why the fuck did you do this?” asked Rainbow Dash as she and the girls got up from their seats.

“So, Trixie was right. You were hiding something under that ridiculous hoodie of yours.” Trixie placed her hand under Twilight’s chin, their eyes locking. “Those aren’t contacts, are they Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle swallowed, “N-no...they aren’t.”

“So, this isn’t some fake costume?! You’re really Midnight Sparkle?” asked Trixie stepping back in fear.

That statement made several students back away as they ran out of the cafeteria. They were running away… from her. Twilight understood why they were running away. She looked like Midnight Sparkle now, not her usual self. The last time she looked like this, she endangered their lives by opening portals to another world. It had taken time, as Sunset had said, but the school and the girls did seem to forgive her. Though, now, it seemed they had turned on her. Knowing that fact didn’t lessen the pain she felt when she saw them look at her with fear in their eyes. Finally, she forced herself to look at the students who stayed in the cafeteria. What she was a sea of expressions that were a mix of anger and hatred.

“No, I am not her. I only look like her, that’s all!” Twilight said, hopelessly trying to defend herself.

“Trixie doesn’t believe you, Twilight.” Trixie opened her arms and gestured to the small crowd that was surrounding her and Twilight. “And she is not the only one.”

Twilight Sparkle watched as the crowd closed in on her and the girls. Tears began to well up in her eyes when she saw that several students were gearing up to attack her. Lavender Lace stepped closer to her wings, making Twilight pull them away from her. But not before Lavender Lace grabbed ahold of a few of her feathers and plucked them out. She screamed and looked at the blonde-haired girl. Without considering what she was doing, she let out a small blast of magic, and it hit the floor right at Lavender Lace’s feet.

“What the hell? You almost fucking hit me!” shouted Lavender Lace. “I think you do deserve to get attacked.”

Twilight raised her hand, preparing to blast Lavender Lace again for hurting her. However, just as she was about to hit her, a certain redhead stood right in front of her. She lowered her hand but only slightly. Twilight eyed Sunset Shimmer as she stepped closer to her, closing the space between them. She saw that Sunset had a reassuring look in her eyes, something that calmed her down. When she felt a hand push against her own, Twilight blinked from her trance.

“Sparky, don’t hurt her. She is just an annoying bitch,” said Sunset as she grabbed Twilight’s arm and pulled her closer. “Just look at me.”

Sunset Shimmer could see that Twilight was in panic mode from all the students that continued closing in on them. That made her grip Twilight’s arm tightly, trying to comfort her. Behind her, she was unaware that Trixie and her friends were beginning to circle them. Just as she had calmed Twilight down, both she and Twilight got pushed down to the ground. With Sunset landing on top of her, Twilight’s wrist became sprained.

“Grab Sunset now!” shouted Fuschia Blush as Sunset started to push herself off of Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle watched as Fuschia Blush and Lavender Lace gripped both of the redhead’s arms and held her back as she fought to get back to her. She saw Trixie walk up to her, putting her foot on her stomach. Twilight tried to get up from the floor, except Trixie was stronger than her, and with her wings, she was at a disadvantage. Still, Twilight decided to fight against Trixie, but it was to no avail. When she saw the wanna-be magician call the crowd closer, her panic rose inside.

"What is going on?” asked Twilight as she saw the students surround her, blocking her view of her friends.

Trixie gave Twilight an evil grin as she shouted, “Kick her!!”

As Trixie said the order, she stepped back behind the crowd, allowing the students to close in on Twilight. Twilight saw a couple of girls approach her as they started to kick her sides. Her ribs ached as she felt the blows of their shoes slamming into them. She cried out as one of the girls kicked her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Twilight tried desperately to get her breath back, but with the repeated kicks, it was impossible. With every blow, Twilight felt the pain increase as her ribs and chest continued to get beaten.

“Ahh!” screamed Twilight as she felt someone slam their foot into her spine, hard enough that it was sure to leave a bruise.

Hearing Twilight scream, Sunset Shimmer fought harder against Fuschia Blush and Lavender Lace’s hold on her. She had to get to Twilight, and she had to protect her from what was happening. But the two girls held firm against her attempts. Sunset watched as Twilight got subjected to the same treatment she had suffered after the Fall Formal. Everything in her wanted it to stop, to end it before her friend was injured. She saw that the students were stomping on Twilight’s wings through the spaces between the crowd.

“No, leave her alone! Stop, please!” begged Sunset as she tried to pull herself to Twilight.

“Oh, Sunset! Isn’t it amazing watching Midnight Sparkle get what she deserves?” said Fuschia Blush as she leaned in close to Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes at Fuschia Blush. “She is NOT Midnight Sparkle. She is still Twilight Sparkle.”

“If that is so, why does she have wings, a tail, fangs, and dangerous magic? She is a monster,” said Lavender Lace as she dug her nails into Sunset’s arm. “Just like you were.”

“Haha, yeah. Demon Shimmer was a fitting name for your demon form.” Fuschia Blush said, glancing at Twilight. “Does she know about it, Sunset?”

Sunset stomped the heel of her boot on top of Lavender Lace’s foot. That made the girl let go of her arm, allowing Sunset to elbow her in the face. With Lavender Lace out, Sunset turned to Fuschia Blush and punched her in the face. She felt her knuckles contact with the girl’s nose head-on. Fuschia Blush staggered back and fell onto the floor, her hand covering her bloody nose. The redhead walked up to her, putting her boot on top of Fuschia Blush’s chest. Pushing down, she smiled proudly as the girl struggled to breathe.

“I hope that answered your question, bitch.” hissed Sunset, digging her boot deeper into Fuschia Blush’s chest before letting up and walking away.

Applejack and the girls managed to push their way through the crowd. They had to stop the attack before Twilight got seriously injured. When they saw their friend, the sight in front of them was appalling. The book lover’s arms were black and blue from all the blows the students had landed. Her wings had loose feathers all over them from all the stomping they had endured. Twilight was crying softly to herself, her body sore from the ambush of kicking and stomping on her body.

“What did y’all do that for?” asked Applejack as she looked at the crowd of students. “She is your classmate.”

“But isn’t she Midnight Sparkle?” asked someone in the crowd.

“NO! She isn’t Midnight Sparkle,” replied Rainbow Dash as she stood next to Sunset Shimmer. “Just as Sunset said. She is still Twilight.”

Trixie pushed her way past the crowd and stepped in front of Sunset Shimmer, ignoring Rainbow Dash. The redhead sneered at her seconds before she pushed her down onto the ground. Sunset’s body landed right on Twilight’s outstretched wings, making the latter cry out in pain from the impact. As she tried to sit up, Sunset ended up pushing on her wing again, resulting in her crying out.

“Wow, Demon Shimmer injures Midnight Sparkle. What a story!” said Lavender Lace. “Don’t you think so, Fuschia?”

“Yeah! And I think Sunset should make the article,” stated Fuschia Blush.

“You dummy! Trixie should write the article,” said Lavender Lace.

“Ooh, yeah! That’s even better than my idea,” replied Fuschia Blush.

Trixie and her friends surrounded the two, hysterically laughing as they watched Sunset Shimmer comfort Twilight. It was plain to the crowd that Trixie had planned this all along. That disgusted them, and that resulted in most of the crowd dispersing as they left the girls alone. Only a few stragglers were left still gazing angrily at the girls.

“How fitting. The girl whose nickname was once ‘Demon Shimmer’ sitting next to the girl whose demon name is Midnight Sparkle.” Trixie kneeled in front of Sunset, placing her hand under her chin. “Don’t you think, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer shifted her head away from Trixie’s grasp, ignoring the magician. Right now, the last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with Trixie. She got up and held out her hand for Twilight to take. Sunset could see that Twilight hesitated, unsure if she wanted to stand up. Soon as Sunset felt her friend grip her hand, she pulled her up to her feet. She tried to be as gentle as she could, but Twilight’s arms had gotten severely bruised, which made the task impossible.

Twilight Sparkle stretched out her sore wings, causing a flurry of loose and broken feathers to cascade down to the ground. It was clear that they had suffered severe damage in the ambush. The attack had taken her by surprise and had injured her physically and emotionally. She didn’t expect them to hurt as much as they did. Though compared to the pain from every movement Twilight made with her arms or chest, it was bearable. Twilight looked at Sunset as her mind tried to figure out what Trixie meant by ‘Demon Shimmer.’

“Sunset, what is Trixie talking? Who is Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight, her voice meek and timid.

Sunset’s throat clenched shut as she swallowed. She hadn’t expected Twilight to ask her that question, at least not until she was ready. Yet, because of Trixie’s careless words, she was put on the spot. Sunset’s body began to heat up again, as it had earlier. Her rage towards the wanna-be magician was building along with her desire to punch her. Unnoticed by the redhead, her geode started to spark again even more so than the first time. So, instead of focusing on the question, Sunset decided to make sure Twilight was okay.

“How’s your wrist, Twi?” asked Sunset as she examined Twilight’s wrist.

“Sunset, answer the question. Who is Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight as she struggled to not flinch under Sunset’s touch.

“Trixie wants you to answer the question too,” stated Trixie, stepping even closer to the pair.

Without warning, someone threw an apple at Twilight’s one wing, hitting it. After having her feathers plucked and her wings stomped an excruciating number of times, they were tremendously sensitive to any touch. So when the apple hit a weak spot, she screamed and staggered away from the redhead. Her mind no longer pondered what Trixie knew about Demon Shimmer or why Sunset was avoiding the question. Instead, she just wanted to leave the cafeteria to get away from everyone.

“Twilight...are you alright?” asked Fluttershy while she walked up to the bookworm.

“I-I…” Twilight looked at the near-empty cafeteria and the few remaining students. Seeing their angry faces, she couldn’t stand to be there anymore.

“Sugarcube…?” asked Applejack, growing more worried for her friend.

“I-I have to go now!” shouted Twilight, pushing past her friends.

Twilight’s feet hit the ground with force. Between the beatings, the whole ‘Demon Shimmer’ incident, and Sunset’s weird reaction to her question, she had enough. All she wanted to do was escape from the crowds and her friends, so she ran. The wind blowing against her wings made them ache even more. Twilight wanted to fly, but the stomping they had received left them bloodied and injured. So, using her ability to run, she darted for the gym just ahead. Thankfully, the gymnasium was empty, meaning she would have some time alone. Her sneakers squeaked against the hardwood floor as she ran towards the bleachers.

Once she was underneath the bleachers, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Her chest was pained from her breathing heavily. Every breath in made her ribs hurt as if she was still getting kicked repeatedly. Twilight grabbed one of the folding chairs nearby and sat down. Her arms ached from all the bruises she had sustained, and using hers didn’t make it better – and having a sprained wrist just added to her pain.

“Why did this have to happen to me?! Why?” screamed Twilight as her sobs she had been holding back, broke free. “What did I do to deserve this…?”

As she sobbed away, feeling a twinge of pain every time she heaved, she wrapped her wings around herself. They were sore, and her feathers were still damp with her blood. But right now, they provided her with the cover and the comfort she needed. Twilight pulled her knees up to her chest as she closed her eyes and hung her head. When she did that, her tail broke free from the confines of her jeans, swishing behind her slightly. There, she sat alone and in pain, crying as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened to her.

*** *** *** ***

Back in the cafeteria, Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy were seated in their seats. They didn’t care that Trixie was still standing behind them. If anything, the redhead was hoping that the wanna-be magician would stick around so she could give her a beating. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand touch her arm. Looking up, Sunset saw that Fluttershy was looking at her with worry-filled eyes.

“Fluttershy, can you please look for Twilight and make sure she is okay?” asked Sunset, her voice quivering.

“Okay, I will, Sunset,” said Fluttershy as she got up from her seat, leaving her tray still sitting on the table. When Fluttershy left, she took Twilight’s hoodie with her.

Now with Fluttershy gone, Sunset Shimmer got up from the table. Trixie was still standing right by the rest of the girls, looking as smug as ever. The redhead wanted to punch that smug expression off the magician’s face. So much so, that Sunset didn’t notice that she had balled her fist while she approached Trixie. Nothing but rage ran through her mind as she lifted her fist and swung at her.

“That was a mistake, Trixie!” screamed Sunset, her fist hitting Trixie’s jaw with a sickening crack and dislocating it.

Trixie staggered back, shocked by the sudden attack. Her jaw throbbed from the pain of it partially dislocating. She looked up to see the redhead running towards her, causing them both to fall. Trixie, caught under Sunset, looked up to see a fist heading straight for her face. The blow landed on the bridge of her nose, causing her to scream out in pain. As she stared at Sunset, she saw the sclera of her eyes change from the usual white to the all too familiar black color.

“Why did you bring up Demon Shimmer, Trixie? Why the hell did you put me on the spot like that?” asked Sunset, slamming her fist back down on Trixie’s nose.

Sunset Shimmer sat on top as she kept repeatedly punching Trixie, not aware that her geode was sparking for the fourth time that day. By now, her body was hot enough to cause her to sweat. Though whether that was from the exertion of attacking the wanna-be magician or if it was because she was angry, Sunset didn’t care. At the moment, she wanted to get revenge on Trixie for hurting the one person she cared about. And Sunset was so focused on punching Trixie relentlessly, that she failed to notice the shoe heading straight for her abdomen.

“Back off the Great and Powerful Trixie!!” shouted Fuschia Blush as she slammed her foot right into Sunset’s stomach.

Sunset Shimmer groaned as she toppled over, clutching her stomach. The blow was hard enough to force her lunch back up her throat, but she pushed it back down. Her throat started to sting as she got to her feet. Her eyes had shifted back to normal as her geode stopped sparking. Sunset saw that Trixie was already standing and lunged for her. But just as she was about to land another punch on her jaw, she felt a firm hand grip her arm. Looking, she saw it was Applejack.

“Sunset, I think she’s had enough,” said Applejack, trying to calm the redhead down.

“Trixie agrees,” mumbled Trixie, looking up at Sunset.

Rainbow Dash looked at Trixie. She saw crimson blood dripping down from her nose. It was clear that Sunset had done some damage to her. Yet, despite the fact she knew it was wrong, Rainbow Dash felt it was what she deserved for hurting Twilight the way she had. Rainbow Dash walked over to where Sunset was still trying to fight against Applejack.

Resting her hand on her shoulder, she said, “Give it up, Sunset. She got what she deserved.”

“Yes, Trixie has gotten what she deserves.” agreed Trixie, holding her hand under her nose.

“Trixie. Leave now, before I decide to let Sunset finish punching you,” said Rainbow Dash, glaring at Trixie.

Trixie got the hint. “Trixie thinks she should leave now.” Trixie sounded more nasally than usual as she covered her nose, trying to keep her blood from going everywhere.

With that, Sunset Shimmer watched as Trixie and her two friends scrambled out of the cafeteria. Sunset tried once more to break free from Applejack’s grip, but the cowgirl stood firm against her attempt. Sighing, she gave up after a few seconds. It was no use anyway. Trixie was already injured, and that would likely get her detention. Or worse, suspension. When she felt Applejack loosen her grip, she yanked her arm free, still pissed at what happened.

“Sunset-”

“Relax, AJ. I am not going after Trixie. I am heading to the principal's office to tell Principal Celestia that I am the one who punched Trixie. I have to take responsibility for what I did.” Sunset grabbed her messenger bag. “You girls need to be there for Twilight.”

“What about you, Sunset?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Twilight is going to need you to support her as well.”

“I know, Pinkie. But I have to do this first. Besides, I can’t help her if I get suspended.” said Sunset, looking down.

“We’ll make sure she is safe and be there for her until you come back,” said Applejack.

“Thank you,” replied Sunset as she looked at the girls. “I gotta run now.”

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. But that was near impossible to do when she knew she could have her punishment be a suspension. Yet, if she did get that punishment, maybe it was for the better. Sunset was aware that she had given in to her desire to attack Trixie. And in doing so, she had become the bully she once was. The only good thing was that Twilight wasn’t around to see it, but Sunset knew it was only a matter of time before she heard what happened. She pushed the thoughts away, trying to remain focused on the task at hand. Spotting Twilight’s backpack, she grabbed it, knowing that Twilight would ask for it later. Sunset glanced briefly at her friends before she exited the cafeteria.

“Oh, Celestia! I hope I don’t get suspended for this,” thought Sunset as she walked away from the cafeteria. “Please let Twilight be okay…”

As Sunset Shimmer turned the corner, walking down the hall leading to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna’s office, she saw something in one of the windows. She stepped closer and saw that it was a rabbit ear poking up from one of the hedges. Sunset tapped on the glass. That caused the owner of the rabbit ear to jump up from the bush. The redhead covered her mouth as she gaped at the sight in front of her. It was Springtrap’s copy that had been hiding in the shrubbery.

“What the fuck are you doing here?! At my school?” thought Sunset as she stepped away from the window.

When she stepped back, Springtrap’s doppelganger stepped closer to the window. Unfortunately for it, it failed to look down and noticed the metal soda can laying next to the wall. When its foot touched the can, it started to become sparks. Seconds later, it was a puddle of iridescent magic that began to float back to Springtrap.

Sunset watched the concentrated mass of equestrian magic slowly float away into the air. Her mind was reeling with all the reasons why she had just seen what she saw. There had to be a reason she saw Springtrap, assuming that what she saw was Springtrap. Once it was out of her sight, she blinked and looked away from the window.

“That couldn’t have been Springtrap, right?” mumbled Sunset as she started walking again. “I haven’t seen him at all. I have only seen the five animatronics from the first game.”

Furrowing her eyebrows, Sunset Shimmer tried to think of a reason how Springtrap could be in her world. Something popped into her mind, and she pulled out her phone. Unlocking her phone in seconds, she opened her photo gallery. She scrolled past a series of photos with her friends until she found the one she took last Friday. The footprint looked different from the others caused by Jeremy and his friends. It lacked the three rounded tips that the others had. Staring at the photo, she realized that Springtrap was the mysterious sixth animatronic. But if that was the case, why did he disappear into sparks of equestrian magic? She wasn’t sure, but she knew one thing; something was going on that she and the girls didn’t know about. Putting her phone away, she ran the rest of the way to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna’s office.

After a few sharp turns threatening to ram her into the lockers, Sunset Shimmer finally arrived at the office of the two principals. When she reached out for the door handle, the door opened. In the doorway stood Principal Celestia staring at her, with Luna doing the same from her behind her.

“Ah, Miss Shimmer, I’m glad to see that you are here. We need to talk,” said Celestia, her tone stern and calm.

Sunset Shimmer lowered her head as she walked into the small office. Aside from the two chairs, one of which was sitting behind Principal’s Celestia’s office, there wasn't much else. Behind her desk sat a bookshelf with a calendar and whiteboard next to it. On the left side, there was a dresser with a mirror that was sitting above it. When she walked in front of the mirror, Sunset saw that her geode was sparking, and the whites of her eyes were beginning to turn black. But as quickly as that had started to happen, it stopped. Turning her attention to the right side of the room, she saw Vice Principal Luna’s office through the spaces between the pillars separating the two areas. Sunset sat in the chair, shivering as she felt the coolness of the leather seep through her jeans.

“Sunset,” Luna stood next to Celestia as her sister sat down. “Is it true that you were the one who punched Trixie, resulting in her nose and jaw getting injured?”

“Yes, it is Vice Principal Luna,” said Sunset, her gaze falling to her lap shamefully. “I was the one who punc-”

“Punched me! Repeatedly!” shouted Trixie, bursting into the office.

Sunset Shimmer glared at the wanna-be magician and crossed her arms across her chest. She didn’t regret punching Trixie, not after what she did to Twilight. If she were to count all the times Trixie had annoyed her and her friends, she’d say the magician was lucky to get away with a broken jaw and nose. Yet, her pride in being able to restrain herself had become somewhat diminished. Given her record of wrongdoings, Sunset knew she was most likely in for very severe punishment. The only comfort she had was that she managed to get to the Principal’s office before Trixie. Otherwise, Trixie would've easily made her side of the story much worse than what actually happened.

“I only punched you because of what you did to Twilight.” Sunset hissed, gritting her teeth.

Trixie scoffed and replied, “Your girlfriend was hiding something, and Trixie was right about it. You and your friends are accomplices in protecting that freakish monster!”

Before Sunset Shimmer had a chance to get and make Trixie swallow her words, Vice Principal Luna walked in between the two girls. She blocked Sunset’s view of Trixie, allowing her to calm down.

“Miss Lulamoon, I would advise you to leave. My sister and I will talk to you after we finish here,” said Luna, pushing Trixie politely out of the room.

Trixie, who was not done with Sunset, threw down a smoke bomb just as she was past the doorway. This was one of her signature tricks. She had previously used it to make a dramatic exit. But because the trick failed to work so many times, she had stopped using it in her acts or for her departures. By some miracle, her trick worked this time. Trixie found herself in front of the redhead. Not wasting the chance, she aimed her fist straight for Sunset’s nose. The force was enough to send the redhead falling backward with the chair.

“Ow!! What the fuck, Trixie?!” screamed Sunset as she reached a hand towards her sore nose.

“Trixie’s not done with you, Sunset Shimmer!” shouted Trixie, readying her fist for another punch.

Sunset Shimmer shielded her face this time, preparing for another attack. Laying on her back in a fallen chair, that was all she could do to defend herself. There was no possible way for her to get up quickly enough to avoid the attack. As she clenched her eyes closed, Sunset waited for the punch. When it didn’t come, she very slowly and cautiously opened her eyes. Above her was Principal Celestia holding Trixie’s fist firmly, keeping the magician’s arm still. That gave Sunset a chance to get away. Sunset tilted the chair sideways and got up, not missing the heated glare she was getting from Trixie.

“Actually, I believe you are, Miss Lulamoon,” said Vice Principal Luna, crossing her arms and smiling at her sister.

Trixie yanked her arm away from Principal Celestia’s grip and walked back towards Vice Principal Luna. She glanced back at Sunset, seeing her smiling at the victory she had gotten. That only angered her further, but she couldn’t do anything to wipe the proud smile off the redhead’s face. With a click, Trixie heard the door open just as she got gently pushed out once more.

“Trixie wants Sunset suspended!” shouted Trixie as the door closed on her.

Sunset Shimmer was thankful that Trixie didn’t punch her hard. She didn’t feel like dealing with a broken nose and whatever punishment she was going to receive. Her nose painfully throbbed as she bent down to pick up the chair. With the chair now upright again, Sunset sat back down and prepared herself for what was to come.

Vice Principal Luna walked back to where she was standing before Trixie’s rude interruption. She looked at Sunset, noticing that the redhead was regretting her actions towards Trixie. Luna could also see that Sunset was still reeling from the magician’s sudden attack on her. What the magician had said about Twilight was stuck in her head. And her piquing curiosity made her want to know if it was true.

“Miss Shimmer, my sister and I, we’ve heard some rumors about Twilight Sparkle circulating,” said Vice Principal Luna as Sunset met her gaze. “Is it true? Does she indeed look like Midnight Sparkle?”

Sunset swallowed, feeling her throat going dry. She hadn’t realized that rumors were already spreading around the school — not that she didn’t expect it to happen. It had happened several times to her, especially after the Fall Formal and during the Battle of the Bands. But to Sunset, at least, it was somewhat startling to see the principals of their school heard the rumors. It made her wonder if they had listened to the stories about her.

“Yes, Vice Principal Luna, the rumors are true.” Seeing the surprised looks of the two principals, Sunset quickly added, “But that is all! She is still the same Twilight, only her appearance and her powers got altered.”

Both Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna breathed a visible sigh of relief. To have a student whose powers and appearance had become altered made for an intriguing situation — but having a student who's no longer themselves with some sort of power that could harm them could’ve made the situation dire. Thankfully, it seemed that was not the case...for now. A few minutes of silence later, Sunset saw Principal Celestia pull her sister to a corner of the room. Both sisters turned their backs to the redhead, hunching over.

“Sister, what should we do? Miss Shimmer has punched a student, resulting in some injuries on Trixie Lulamoon,” whispered Vice Principal Luna.

“Yes, she did. I think having Saturday detention will be a fitting punishment,” suggested Principal Celestia.

Vice Principal Luna glanced back at Sunset. Something about her reminded Vice Principal Luna of her own ‘rebellious’ years during her stay at CHS. Her past mirrored the redhead’s, minus the magic, of course. Like Sunset, Vice Principal Luna saw the pain her actions had caused her sister. That is what made her give up her ‘rebellious’ lifestyle and repair the damage. She turned back to her sister, an idea forming inside her head.

“Tia, this is Miss Shimmer’s first time breaking any of the rules since the Fall Formal and the whole she-dem…” Vice Principal Luna trailed off as Sunset glanced up at her.

“And your point is, dear sister?” asked Principal Celestia.

Vice Principal Luna crossed her arms as she stood upright. “You remember, as well as I do, that I was no angel in school. But you eventually forgive me...after six years of college had passed.”

“Hmm, you do raise a good point, sister,” Principal Celestia replied, placing her hands on her waist. “I will let her off with a verbal warning. This time only.” She continued, making her decision.

Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna walked back over to where Sunset Shimmer was seated, a stern expression on each of their faces. Principal Celestia sat in her desk chair while her sister stood beside her. She looked at Sunset and leaned forward, resting both hands on her desk.

“Sunset Shimmer, my sister and I, we have decided that a serious verbal warning is what you’ll get...this time.” Principal Celestia’s voice was stern, but there was a hint of her usual kindness. “But don’t get too comfortable. This is your first and last warning. Next time you try to resolve any quarrels with violence on school grounds, the consequences will be much more severe. I suggest you work on keeping your anger in check.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled, grateful that she didn’t get anything more than a warning. She stood up from the chair and rested a hand on her messenger bag strap.

“Thank you, Principal Celestia. I won’t let my anger get out of control...again,” said Sunset, her voice quieter than usual.

“You may go now, Miss Shimmer,” said Vice Principal Luna as she walked Sunset out of the office.

Standing outside the office was Trixie, who was leaning with her back against the wall. The anger that was in the magician’s heated glare made her stomach knot up. Sunset didn’t mean to punch her, let alone several times. Between seeing Twilight get beat up and being helpless to stop it and then having Trixie mock her about her past in front of Twilight, she had lost control. Sunset Shimmer turned away and began heading towards an empty hallway so she could message her friends. Sunset hoped that the girls had managed to find Twilight and that the book worm was alright. As the redhead exited the hall, she could faintly hear Vice Principal Luna’s voice calling Trixie into the office.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Fluttershy had split off from the group and headed towards the gym. She knew from experience that the bleachers were a favorable spot if she wanted privacy. They had been her choice to hide from Sunset back when she used to bully her. Opening the gym doors, she peered inside. The gym seemed to be empty with no one in sight, but Fluttershy knew that wouldn’t last for long. She gripped Twilight’s hoodie as she walked into the empty gym.

“Twilight? Are you here?” asked Fluttershy, her soft voice somehow managing to echo in the gym.

She held her breath, waiting for any sign that Twilight was nearby. The gym remained silent...until the sound of metal squeaking against the floor broke the silence. Fluttershy turned her head towards where the sound was coming from. It came from the bleachers which were seated furthest away from the door. She moved closer to them, seeing a very familiar-looking purple tail sticking out from behind them. Fluttershy took a few more steps closer but stopped when it disappeared.

“Twilight, can I please talk to you?” Fluttershy took another step forward. “I am worried about you. You seemed like you were hurting.”

Twilight Sparkle, still sitting on her chair behind the seats of the bleachers, jumped at the sound of Fluttershy’s voice. Her body still ached from all the bruises she had sustained. Though, thankfully, some of them had started to hurt less. But her wings were still sore and missing a few more feathers. Moving them was a challenge, and then some. Twilight was grateful the bleeding had stopped and that she hadn’t lost many feathers. Her throat had become dry and sore from crying so much. She wiped off a tear that trickled down her wet cheek. Struggling to slow her sobs down, Twilight cautiously stepped out from the shadows. Her wings still clung to her quivering body.

“Flu-Fluttershy?” asked Twilight, her raspy voice shaking from her stifling her sobs. “Wh-what are you doing h-here? How did y-you even find m-me?”

Fluttershy gasped as she saw her red, teary-eyed friend gaze up at her. She knew that look all too well. It was a look Angel and the rest of her animal friends had seen her with. Especially right after Sunset Shimmer had bullied her non-stop with Snips and Snails at her side. Those were tough days to get through, and seeing Twilight endure something similar was hard for the animal lover. Moving a loose strand of hair out of her eyes, she walked closer to Twilight.

“I found you because I liked to hide here whenever…” Fluttershy trailed off, looking down at the ground.

“Whenever Sunset bullied you?” asked Twilight, knowing what Fluttershy was trying not to say.

“She told you?” Fluttershy gave Twilight a surprised look.

“Yeah, she told me yesterday when she found me in that clearing,” explained Twilight. “Sunset really has changed since then, hasn’t she?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yeah, she has.”

Feeling the need to apologize for running off, Twilight said, “Fluttershy, I am so sorry that I pushed past you at the cafeteria. I know you were trying to help me, but I just needed some time by myself. Do you think you can forgive me?”

Fluttershy’s eyes softened as she heard Twilight’s apology. “I do understand why you ran off, Twilight. I would’ve done the same in your position. But I can’t forgive you for pushing us aside. It’s not okay to push your friends away whenever you are hurt.”

“I know,” said Twilight. “I will work on that, I promise.”

Fluttershy smiled and rested her hand gently on Twilight’s shoulder, just above the edge of her wings. “I know, Twilight. The girls and I will help do that. You won’t do that by yourself.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at her shy friend. It was stunning to see her pushing past her own uncomfortableness of her appearance just to support her. She still remembered what happened yesterday, how Fluttershy was hesitant to approach her because she looked like Midnight Sparkle. Amazingly, somehow, someway, the shy animal lover pushed past her fear and discomfort. And now, here was Fluttershy standing close to her, making sure she was okay. Something about that made her think of Sunset.

“Where’s Sunset and the other girls?” asked Twilight.

“Um, when I left, they were dealing with Trixie. I am not sure where they are now,” replied Fluttershy as she joined Twilight under the bleachers.

Fluttershy pulled out her phone and texted Rainbow Dash.

Shy: Hey, Rainbow, where are you and the girls?

Dash: The girls and I are still looking for Twilight. Sunset went to the Principal’s office.

Shy: Oh, my! Why did she get sent there?

Dash: Because she landed several wicked punches on Trixie! Oh man, that was awesome to see her get what she deserved for tormenting Twi as she did. Speaking of which, did you find her yet, Shy?

Shy: Oh, dear! I hope Trixie is okay. And yes, I found her in the gym.

Dash: She’s alright. I hope that Sunset doesn’t get suspended. And do you want us to meet you there? Is Twilight alright?

Fluttershy looked at Twilight. She could see the bookworm wasn’t really in the mood for any more company. Her body was covered in bruises, centering around the outer sides of her arms. Though, Fluttershy was sure there were bruises on Twilight’s ribcage as well. Turning her attention back to her phone, she sent a quick reply.

Shy: No, we’ll meet you after school. Yes, Twilight is okay, but I think she still needs some time alone for now.

Dash: Okay, I will let the others know.

Shy: Okay.

“Well, the girls know where you are and that you are safe,” said Fluttershy, putting her phone away. “And Sunset punched Trixie after you, and I left, so she went to the Principal’s office.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at Fluttershy, surprised by what she heard. A part of her was happy to hear that Trixie got what she deserved. But there was another part of her that knew Sunset punching the wanna-be magician was disastrous news. And that action was likely to come with severe consequences. Twilight shivered at the thought of having to bear the school day without Sunset. To have the one person she needed most not defending her made her tail swish violently, accidentally hitting Fluttershy’s arm in the process. That elicited a small squeal of surprise from the animal lover.

“Oh, sorry!” said Twilight when she saw Fluttershy rubbing her arm. “I am still getting used to having a tail all the time.” Twilight pointed to her tail, which flicked in response.

“It’s alright, Twilight. Besides, it didn’t hurt anyway,” said Fluttershy as she rested a hand right above one of Twilight’s wings.

All Fluttershy got in response was a sniffle and Twilight jerking slightly at her touch. She could see that Twilight was crying, but not sobbing like earlier. Reaching into her jacket pocket, Fluttershy pulled out a small bag of tissues. If all the times she had cried alone taught her anything, it was always to come prepared.

“Need a tissue?” asked Fluttershy, holding out a tissue for Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle opened her wings slowly, not wanting to cause herself more pain. They were stiff from her refusing to move them for so long. She grabbed the tissue with her uninjured hand and blew her stuffy nose. All the crying had managed to make it harder for her to breathe. It was a relief to have Fluttershy there with her. Though, she couldn’t help but wish it was Sunset who was beside her instead. While Twilight sat there, she unconsciously moved one of her wings gently around her friend, slowly pushing her closer to her.

“Thank you, Shy. I appreciate the company.” Twilight sighed heavily, having stopped crying for the time being. “After what happened in the cafeteria, I feel awful. I didn’t mean to fire at the one girl.”

“Of course, Twilight. The girls and I will be here for you, anytime, day or night,” said Fluttershy, her hand gently caressing a few feathers of Twilight’s wing. She was careful not to touch any of the tender spots. “I know you didn’t mean to do that. You had been forcibly into doing that.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled, but it faded as she used her left hand. Moving her fingers to grip the tissue, she felt a sharp pinch inside her wrist. The pain was enough to cause Twilight to drop it and uncurl her fingers. Fortunately for Twilight, her pain didn’t go unnoticed. She felt a gentle, soft touch around her wrist. Looking, she saw Fluttershy handling her wrist the way she handled newborn kittens.

“We should get this looked at.” Fluttershy moved Twilight’s hand so that her palm was facing her. “This is going to worsen if we don’t.”

Twilight yanked her wrist out of Fluttershy’s grip, a mistake that caused her more pain unintentionally. She hid her face as she winced, imagining all the angry faces of her classmates. Their hatred of her was apparent, not that any of them bothered to hide it — the mere thought of walking out into the halls, exposed and unable to defend herself terrified her. Her wings instinctively pulled themselves close to her body, accidentally pulling Fluttershy off the chair she was sitting on. The animal lover stood up immediately and stepped away from Twilight’s wings.

“Twilight, are you all right?” asked Fluttershy, noticing the shift in her demeanor. “Did I do something?”

Twilight Sparkle clutched her injured wrist close to her body. “It’s nothing you did, Fluttershy.” She swallowed. “I’m just...terrified to face our classmates again.”

“Oh…Do you want to wear your hoodie?” Fluttershy asked, offering the hoodie to Twilight. “Or do you think it won’t help?”

Twilight glanced at the offending fabric. It was supposed to protect her, to keep her differences hidden. Yet, that safety net was ripped over her head and allowed her changes to be exposed. For a moment, she remembered it was nice to have her wings freed from the tight confines of it. Yet, the price she paid to have the comfort was steep. The backlash and hatred that had gotten directed at her negated any solace she may have felt. And the beatings that followed after it was worse. So, to think that she could wear the hoodie again was offensive. Twilight only wore it to keep herself safe, but now she was no longer safe.

“What’s the use in wearing it now? They all have seen the monster I am. I might as well not hide it anymore,” thought Twilight.

Looking up at Fluttershy, she pushed the hoodie aside with her uninjured hand. “No, I don’t want to. “What good will it do me now that everyone has seen the monster underneath it?”

“Okay...ready to go to the nurse’s office, then?” asked Fluttershy, picking up her bag and slinging the hoodie over her forearm.

“Y-yeah, my wrist is starting to hurt.” Twilight winced as she stood up and moved her wrist of habit.

Twilight Sparkle walked side by side with Fluttershy out of the gym. She spotted a few students walking past the entrance as she exited the gym. The glares she got made her look down at her shoes. Walking in the hallways with the students glaring at her, it was a very similar experience to what she went through in Crystal Prep. Twilight wished that she could wrap her wings around herself to ignore the heated stares she was getting. It was easier to bear the thought of walking to the nurse’s office, so long as she had Fluttershy with her.

“I am glad Fluttershy is with me. I hope Sunset didn’t get suspended for punching Trixie…” thought Twilight.

“Relax, she was most likely let off with a warning. She was defending you after all.” Twilight’s inner voice chimed in, distracting her from the students walking past her.

“I am lucky to have her, aren’t I?” Twilight smiled at the mental image of Sunset that appeared in her mind.

“Yes, yes, you are.” said her inner voice.

Walking closer to the animal lover, Twilight Sparkle slid her hand towards her, wanting some form of physical contact to ease her nerves. As seconds passed, she worried that her friend was still a bit too uncomfortable. Though, as soon as she had worked herself into a frenzy, Twilight felt a hand grasp her own. Twilight gave Fluttershy a small, but appreciative smile. They rounded the corner, where they encountered a group of students who were sitting and studying.

“Oh my gosh! She looks so ugly with those pathetic wings! I mean, they are missing feathers, coated in blood, and overall just monstrous to look at,” whispered one student, making sure that their comment was loud enough for them to overhear.

“Oh, the wings are the least of her problems. I am more worried she’ll kill us like she almost did at the Friendship games,” said another student.

Twilight Sparkle hung her head lower as they walked past the students. Just as she was about to turn the corner into another long hallway, one of her classmates stuck their foot out. Twilight, lost in her thoughts, didn’t see it in time and tripped. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to catch herself. She placed her hands out to stop herself and landed on the tile floor, slamming her full weight onto her bad wrist. She groaned as a strong wave of pain washed over her arm.

“Oh, my!” shouted Fluttershy when she saw Twilight on the floor next to her. “Here, let me help you up.”

Grabbing Twilight’s uninjured arm, Fluttershy slowly lifted her to her feet again. The animal lover was careful to avoid Twilight’s injured wrist in the process. Behind her, she heard some students snickering, causing her to turn and glare at them. It pissed her off to see her classmates bullying her friend. They all had known Twilight for about a year, so Fluttershy was disgusted by how quickly they seemed to alienate her friend. When she and Twilight turned their backs to the students, Fluttershy saw her friend react to something hitting her. Spinning around, she saw that one of them spat several spitballs onto her back. That was it. Fluttershy left Twilight’s side and stomped over to the student and snapped the straw from their hands.

“It’s. Not. Nice. To. Do. That,” said Fluttershy, her timid voice losing its quiet and meek demeanor. “How would you like it if someone did that to you?”

“I-I…” the student was at a loss for words.

“Well?” asked Fluttershy, placing her hands on her hips. “Would you like it if I did that to you?”

The student remained silent as Fluttershy stared at them, using the Stare on them. It wasn’t something she liked to use on people, but this was one of those expectations. Her classmates went too far and crossed a line with her.

“I didn’t think so.” Fluttershy threw the straw to the ground and walked away with Twilight close behind.

They arrived at the nurse’s office without much more than a few stares, which was a relief to Twilight. She’d had enough of being attacked for the day. Walking into the office, Twilight smelled the overwhelming smell of rubbing alcohol. The aroma was so intense that both she and Fluttershy coughed as it burned their noses. Soon, both girls stopped coughing and made their way further into the office. While Twilight went to sit on the exam table, she saw Fluttershy took a seat in one of the nearby chairs and pulled out her phone. Twilight figured she was letting the rest of the girls know where they were.

Shy: Sunset, Twilight is with me. We’re both at the nurse’s office. She is mostly… okay.

SunShim: What do you mean mostly okay, Shy? What happened?

Shy: Well, her wings have sustained quite a bit of damage, and when you two got pushed, she sprained her wrist.

SunShim: Okay. I’ll be right over. Keep Twilight there, please Shy.

Shy: Okay, Sunset.

Fluttershy put her phone away as Nurse Redheart approached them.

“Wh-what happened here?” asked Nurse Redheart, her nervousness at approaching Twilight showing visibly.

“She and Sunset were pushed down. She accidentally sprained her wrist because of Sunset landing on top of her,” replied Fluttershy.

“Okay, thank you,” said Nurse Redheart as she turned her attention to Twilight and cautiously stepped closer to her.

Twilight Sparkle noticed her nervousness and said, “Nurse Redheart, you don’t have to worry about me. I won’t hurt you. I know my wings and tail make me look scary, but I am not.”

“Uh,” Nurse Redheart was caught off guard by Twilight, noticing her nervousness and wasn’t sure what to say. “I didn’t- I wasn’t-”

“Nurse Redheart, it’s fine that I frighten you,” said Twilight as she held out her injured wrist to show that she was incapable of hurting her. “I just need some help with my wrist, please.”

Nurse Redheart gently reached out and grabbed Twilight’s wrist, trying to keep her hand from shaking and causing Twilight more pain. She had started to calm down as she examined Twilight’s wrist. She noticed some swelling around the wrist. Seeing that, Nurse Redheart turned Twilight’s arm over and examined the underside of her wrist. There was a sizeable reddish-purple bruise that was forming in the center and near the sides. Wanting to see if it was tender, nurse Redheart carefully ran the tip of her forefinger along the edge of it. That action caused Twilight to jerk away from her, screaming in pain.

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But you do have a sprained wrist. Luckily, I have a splint for you,” said Nurse Redheart. “Wait here.”

“O-okay,” replied Twilight in between pained gasps.

Twilight Sparkle sat there, not daring to move her wrist. She didn’t feel like moving it, and it was too painful for her to want to. She was thankful that she managed to calm the nurse down before she had a meltdown. If she had to deal with that, Twilight wasn’t sure she would have the ability to face anyone at CHS again. Minutes after Nurse Redheart had disappeared into the storage and supply room, a familiar figure with red and yellow hair ran in and nearly bumped into Twilight. The girl skidded to a stop a few inches from the exam table.

“Twilight!” shouted Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset dropped hers and Twilight’s bag as she flung her arms around the bookworm. She was thrilled to see that Twilight was okay, sprained wrist aside. A part of her couldn’t stop worrying, even as she sat in the Principal’s office. Her arms wrapped tightly around Twilight’s neck, keeping the purple-haired from slipping out of her grasp. For a moment, Sunset Shimmer just stood there, embracing Twilight and not wanting to let her go. The familiar scent of lavender which she had grown accustomed to, wafted towards her. Sunset inhaled deeply, finding the smell rather relaxing.

“I am sorry that Trixie did what she did,” said Sunset, her breath tickling Twilight’s neck.

Twilight felt Sunset pull away after a few seconds. She was thankful as she was starting to get light-headed from the lack of oxygen. It was surprising how tight of a grip Sunset had on her. Once Twilight had taken a few deep breaths, she looked at Sunset’s pain-filled eyes. It was clear to her that when she ran off, she had made the redhead worry. Twilight felt guilty that she had caused Sunset to worry about her. But, at the same time, she was happy to see that she cared for her.

“It’s okay. Besides, I heard that you gave Trixie exactly what she deserved.” Twilight chuckled a little as she began to feel better. “Did you really punch her?”

Sunset nodded just as Nurse Redheart came back out.

“Yep. Trixie should count her lucky stars that Sunset didn’t cause any serious damage. I have never seen anyone punch as hard before.” Nurse Redheart said as she began to wrap the splint around Twilight’s arm.

Sunset scratched the back of her head, her gaze locked on the floor, trying to hide the pleased smile she was wearing. Her mind was unable to decide between feeling bad for injuring Trixie as much as she had but also feeling satisfied at hearing the nurse’s comment. Though, Sunset knew Trixie got what she deserved, regardless of the fact she had to become the bully she once was.

Twilight Sparkle tried to focus on her wrist as it was being wrapped in a splint, giving side glances to Sunset Shimmer. Her heart raced as a wave of euphoria washed over her. Knowing that Sunset had defended her like a knight would a princess, it made her feel special. And that was something she needed right now. Twilight grabbed Sunset’s hand, pulling the redhead closer to her.

After a few minutes, Nurse Redheart finished splinting Twilight’s arm. “Okay, there you go. Now take it easy for 2-3 days, and you should be fine.”

“Okay, Nurse Redheart,” said Twilight Sparkle as she let her now splinted arm sit on her lap.

“Leave when you’re ready,” said Nurse Redheart, walking over to her desk and sitting down.

Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight’s hand and sat next to her, making the paper that was covering the exam table crinkle beneath her movements. As soon as she sat down, she felt a wing carefully wrap around her shoulders. That made her smile as she reached up and gently ran her hand along the uninjured side. But that smile faded as Trixie stood in the open doorway.

“Hello, freak,” said Trixie as she eyed Twilight. “Hello, Sunset. You and your girlfriend are the real monsters here. Even if only one of you looks like the monster.”

“Girlfriend? Why does Trixie think I am her girlfriend? And why did she think that Sunset is a monster?” thought Twilight as she tried to focus on something else other than Trixie.

That made Twilight Sparkle hold her head down. Her self esteem and courage disappeared quickly. Today had been going so well until lunchtime. Then everything seemed to fall apart, and everything she feared would happen, happened. A few tears fell down her cheek as the pain and hurt started to come back. She just wanted to go home, to not be at school anymore. It was clear that she wasn’t wanted there anymore. But a warm hand wiping the tears off her cheek distracted her from her thoughts. Twilight glanced up to see Sunset Shimmer looking at her, her eyes filled with concern.

“Oh, is the monster crying now? Did the Great and Powerful Trixie hurt her feelings?” asked Trixie in a mocking tone. “Boo-hoo…”

Nurse Redheart, overhearing what was happening, got up from her desk and approached the magician. “Miss Lulamoon, I’d advise you to leave before I report you.”

Trixie glared at Sunset and Twilight before reluctantly walking away. That left just Twilight, Sunset, and Fluttershy sitting in the nurse’s office. There was a heavy silence in the room. No one was sure of what to say. After Trixie’s verbal attack, no one was sure if they could speak. But, finally, Sunset spoke up.

“Are you okay, Twi? You can tell me what’s bothering you.” Sunset smiled as she caressed Twilight’s cheek.

“Sunset, what did Trixie mean by you being a monster?” asked Twilight, genuine curiosity in her voice.

At that, Sunset Shimmer froze. She was unsure of what to say to Twilight’s question. Sunset had slowly begun to reveal her past to Twilight, but the Fall Formal was still a very uncomfortable subject for her. Despite her wanting to tell Twilight, the redhead couldn’t find the courage to push herself over that edge. The risk of falling was too much for her to bear. But she knew that she had to answer Twilight’s question. So, pushing past the part of her that wanted to deflect, she forced herself to meet the bookworm’s gaze.

“Twi...what she said about me being a monster...is true,” replied Sunset, lowering her hand away from Twilight’s cheek.

“Does that have to do with your past?” asked Twilight, now wanting to know more.

Fluttershy, noticing that Sunset was growing more uneasy, stepped in and said, “I think we should leave soon.”

“Uh, y-yeah, I guess so,” said Twilight, startled by Fluttershy’s sudden intervention.

As Sunset Shimmer got down from the exam table, Twilight gripped her arm and asked, “Sunset, do you think that I can make it through the rest of the day? Cause I don’t know if I can…”

“Yes, I do think you can. You have the girls and me by your side. And Twi?” Sunset stood directly in front of Twilight, making sure she couldn’t look away.

“Yeah?” Twilight met Sunset’s gaze.

“You are stronger than you realize. Your classmates may hate you now, but give them time. They’ll come around and see that you are still you,” replied Sunset.

Twilight Sparkle could hear something in Sunset’s voice. The kind of confidence and realization that usually came from going through a similar experience...but why? From what she knew, Sunset didn’t become a she-demon. Ever. Then again, she knew that Sunset had a past and that she only was aware of some of it. Knowing that fact, it made Twilight wonder if the redhead had gone through a magical transformation as she had. Twilight’s gut instinct told her that Sunset’s transformation during the Friendship Games was not the first time she had been through something like that.

“Maybe that’s it. Maybe that is what Trixie is talking about. Sunset may have gone through something like what has happened to me,” thought Twilight. “But if so, why does she feel the need to hide it from me? Does she not trust me? Or…”

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by the school bell ringing. She rested her hand on the hoodie. For a moment, she hesitated, her hand hovering the fabric. Twilight didn’t want to hide her wings again. Yet, the looks she was getting were hard to bear. Twilight Sparkle, making her choice, grabbed the hoodie and delicately slipped the hoodie over her head and wings. As she adjusted it over wings, making sure to not rub against any of her sensitive areas, she felt a little more comfortable. Now that her wings were covered, Twilight felt a little safer. She didn’t bother tucking in her tail. It didn’t matter as much as her wings, especially as her wings were injured. Fixing her ponytail, she realized that she forgot her backpack in the cafeteria.

“Sunset, did you grab my-”

“Your bag? Yes, I did,” said Sunset, handing the bag to Twilight.

“Thank you, Sunset. You are a lifesaver.” Twilight slung her backpack over her shoulder and eased it over her bad wrist. “Let’s go to the next class. Before I decide, I want to go home and ruin my perfect attendance record.”

“Okay, Sparky,” said Sunset, grabbing Twilight’s uninjured hand and pulling her close as they walked out of the nurse’s office.

*** *** *** ***

Back at the electrical building, Springtrap was sitting on the concrete floor with his back against the wall. He enjoyed the silence of the forest, the sounds of the birds chirping away, unaware that an animatronic was sitting nearby. It was a beautiful sound, and it almost made him miss being human. But soon, a crackling noise broke the serene silence and made him growl in response. Floating to the control panel was a cloud of sparks. It slowly descended into the control panel and disappeared.

“Great. The fucking asshole couldn’t follow my command. Well, that is going to make my job harder. Either, the dumbasses listen, or I am going to lose my temper soon.” mumbled Springtrap as he got into a standing position.

Springtrap leaned against the control panel, denting the sides with his weight. His mind was racing with many possibilities. With the equestrian magic inside of him, Springtrap had created two doppelgangers, and they were real. Well, as real as two doppelgangers made of magic could be. Springtrap was inspired to build an army when he saw the potential in his copies. Yet, it would be time-consuming to create an army one copy at a time. If he was going to make the army he needed to defeat the girls and the kids, he was going to need a quicker method. Something made him wonder if he could do more than one.

“Is it possible that I can make ten at a time? Maybe 20?” thought Springtrap. “But first, I have to make sure I can control them and bend them to my will. So...5 should be a good sample size.”

Springtrap walked out of the building and into a clearing nearby. Holding out his hand, he prepared himself to concentrate on the magic inside of him. Springtrap repeated what he did earlier, watching as a slew of sparks flew from his arm. This time, instead of making just one doppelganger, he made 5 of them. Just like their previous versions, they perfectly matched Springtrap’s appearance down to a T.

“Hmm, so even in small amounts, the sparks can still generate a large number of copies. Good to know,” said Springtrap.

Just as his new doppelgangers made a move to pounce on him, he held out his hand. Springtrap was able to predict their movements, which was proving to be helpful. After all, he wasn’t going to waste his time avoiding them. Not when he needed the time to train them and learn how to command them. With his arm still outstretched, he moved forward.

“Stand still.”

Immediately, all the copies obeyed the order and stood still, not even blinking. Springtrap was pleased with the sight of his doppelgangers standing around like statues. It was amazing how successful the command had been. It was so successful that he decided to test another order on them.

“March forward.”

Once more, the doppelgangers listened to the command. Springtrap stood back as his copies all started to march at once. Yet, the synced march only lasted a few seconds. Two of the doppelgangers tripped over some small rocks on the ground, causing them to fall. One of the two doppelgangers knocked into another one in front of it. That, in turn, sent into motion a domino effect. All the doppelgangers fell, but they were still moving and trying to follow the command. The scene looked like a bunch of haywire machines that were beyond any repair. Springtrap groaned in annoyance.

“Stop marching!”

All of the copies stopped moving their legs immediately. Springtrap let out an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. If this is how it was going to be, he had a feeling that he was going to have a headache — something he was not planning on having any time soon. Springtrap forced himself to focus and continue to test his theory.

“Get on your feet and line up.”

The doppelgangers got up to their feet and lined up.

“Now, march together.”

This time, the copies marched entirely in sync. None of them tripped, went off course, or knocked over the others. Springtrap, with his arm still outstretched, imagined more copies. As Springtrap concentrated on them, he saw them moving in sync with the other ones that were already marching. Slowly, five more copies appeared behind alongside the existing 5. To Springtrap’s amazement, his plan worked.

“Stop marching.”

This command made all ten copies stop instantaneously. That gave Springtrap the last of the evidence he needed to prove his theory. He learned that multiple copies were able to be controlled at once, even if they had just been mid-command. Or at least ten copies could be so far. But the commands had to be precise, or his doppelgangers would take the order literally and mess up the others. Springtrap made a note to do more testing later.

Walking back into the building, he looked at the Marionette. It had remained silent and still since he last spoke to it. That was odd, but Springtrap didn’t have the time to worry about it yet. So, he held his hand over the control panel and watched as sparks flew into his body. Once he felt he had enough magic, Springtrap removed his hand and walked back outside.

*** *** *** ***

At CHS, the bell rang, announcing that school was finally over. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer both had gym class as their last class. They were heading to the locker room, having been dismissed by the gym teacher. As both girls walked into the locker room, it fell silent. It was like every single student became aware of Twilight’s presence at the same time. Walking to Sunset’s locker, the girls did their best to ignore the students’ stares. Twilight had remained fully dressed, opting out of gym class for the day. It was bad enough at lunch to be gawked at and attacked, but she didn’t want to do anything that could incite more insults or looks. She had enough for one day or even a lifetime.

Sunset Shimmer walked up to her locker as Twilight sat down on one of the benches. Unlocking it, she grabbed her regular clothes. She closed the door again and glanced at the bathroom. From what Sunset saw, it seemed that it was vacant. That was a good sign for the redhead. Sunset saw Twilight staring vacantly at the floor, her body shivering from the cold. Resting a hand on her shoulder, the redhead kneeled in front of her.

“I will be right back. Just let me change clothes, okay Twi?” asked Sunset, lifting Twilight’s eyes to meet her own.

Twilight let a half-smile show. “O-okay, Sunset.”

With that, Sunset Shimmer walked into the bathroom and found an empty stall. She ignored the smell of bleach and sweat that overwhelmed her as she stepped into the booth. When she closed the door, she leaned against the cold metal. It felt so soothing to her heated skin like ice cream on a hot summer day. Sunset stood there and closed her eyes, taking in the coolness of the metal. Her back was warm from running six laps around the track.

After a few seconds passed, she pushed herself off the door and lifted her sweaty gym shirt off her back. As Sunset pulled her t-shirt over her head, she felt her bra straps rub against her scars. That made her cringe. She gripped the shirt tightly as she clenched her jaw, fighting back the images of her transformation. Her heart raced as a panic attack threatened to overtake her. Sunset rested her hand on the side of the stall as she struggled to keep herself from panicking.

“Calm down, Sunset! It’s just your scars, not your transformation,” thought Sunset, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths.

A few minutes later, Sunset Shimmer gathered her composure and continued to get undressed. She tossed off her gym shoes and set them near the door. Sunset gripped the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down, tossing them over her sneakers. With her gym clothes off, she gathered them up into the plastic bag that had contained her regular clothes. Sunset shivered in the cold air of the bathroom as her bare skin became exposed to it. Her shirt was hanging off the hook on the door. Sunset grabbed it and pulled it over her head.

“Are you going to be honest with Twilight about the Fall Formal?” asked Sunset’s inner voice. “Or just keep stringing her along?”

“Why now? Can’t you wait until I have gotten home?” thought Sunset as she began to put on her jeans.

“I can’t wait because she is on to you. Or have you not noticed?” asked her conscience.

“I have noticed…” Sunset buttoned up her jeans, pausing as she glanced at the stall door. “I am just not ready to admit I nearly killed all the girls because I wanted power and to show that I deserved something I didn’t.”

“Okay, whatever you say,” said Sunset’s conscience before it went quiet.

Outside the bathroom, Twilight Sparkle watched as students rushed out of the locker room and headed home. As soon as the locker room was empty, she heard footsteps enter, the steps echoing around. She looked up, expecting to Sunset approaching her. But instead, she saw Trixie and her two friends walking towards her. Twilight instinctively looked away and pulled her knees to her chest. Right now, she had no interest in being attacked...again.

“What do you want, Trixie? Didn’t you humiliate me enough for today? Or was the incident at lunch not good enough for you?” asked Twilight.

Trixie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Trixie wasn’t finished. Your friends and that red-headed monster stopped her before she could do more.”

While Trixie stepped closer to Twilight, Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush rested their hands on her shoulders and shoved her off the bench. She felt her head hit a locker door as she fell off. In her desperate attempt to save herself, Twilight held out her hands to catch herself. Unfortunately, that was the wrong move to make. She landed with her full weight on her wrist, and that caused a severe wave of pain to shoot up her arm. Twilight screamed as she collapsed onto the floor.

“Oh come, Midnight! Trixie didn’t even do that much to you. It was just a small...shove,” said Trixie, crossing her arms.

Sunset Shimmer had just finished buttoning her jeans when she heard Twilight scream. Grabbing her bag of gym clothes, she ran out of the bathroom, trying not to slip on the smooth tiles of the bathroom floor. When she exited the bathroom, her gaze fell upon her friend. It was upsetting for Sunset to see Twilight huddled into a ball between the bench and the lockers, sobbing as she held her sore wrist. She turned her gaze onto Trixie. At that moment, their eyes locked onto each other.

“Trixie...what did you do?” asked Sunset, stepping forward.

Sunset’s anger was building with every footstep she took towards Trixie. Her geode had started to spark, unbeknownst to her. Sunset didn’t notice that her eyes were beginning to change. Her thoughts were on making the wanna-be magician pay for what she did. The whites of her eyes grew darker with her heartbeat. Blackness swallowed the white, making her cyan irises stand out. In one swift motion, Sunset had her hand on Trixie’s throat and slammed her against the nearby lockers.

“Trixie...can’t...breathe…” was all Trixie managed to choke as Sunset pushed her fingers onto her windpipe.

Sunset didn’t care. Watching as Trixie’s face started to turn blue in some areas, she was pleased. That encouraged her to squeeze a little tighter, cutting off more of Trixie’s air. A few seconds of Trixie clawing at her for air, and she dropped her to her feet and stepped back. But when the magician thought she was in the clear, a foot slammed into her side, knocking off balance. Sunset hadn’t noticed that Twilight was staring at the scene playing out in front of her. Nor was Sunset Shimmer aware of how terrified she had become of her. As she turned around to dish out some beatings on Trixie’s friends, she spotted Twilight’s scared expression behind them.

“Twilight…?” asked Sunset, finally realizing what she had done.

Within seconds, Sunset’s geode stopped sparking, and with it, her eyes returned to normal. Seeing Twilight fear her, it was enough to bring her back from the brink. She turned back to Trixie to see her staggering back with her friends right behind her.

“Trixie, leave,” said Sunset, trying to control herself.

Trixie didn’t need much convincing. Between what happened at lunch, and now, she realized that messing with Sunset was a dangerous choice. Without any hesitation, Trixie, Lavender Lace, and Fuschia Blush all darted from the locker room. That left Twilight and Sunset alone in the empty room, neither daring to speak after what happened. The silence was heavy, almost thick enough that one could slice through it. Finally, Sunset made the first move and made her way to Twilight.

“Twilight...are you alright?” asked Sunset.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “I-Is that how you used to be when you were a-a…”

“A bully? Yes, Twi. I used to do that a lot to intimidate the students and get what I wanted,” replied Sunset as she looked away. “I am sorry you had to see that. I can see it made you scared.”

“It’s fine. I just wasn’t used to seeing you like that,” said Twilight as she tried to get up.

“Here, let me help you,” Sunset said, offering Twilight her hand.

Twilight took Sunset’s hand and stood up. She sat back on the bench she was shoved off of, with Sunset sitting next to her. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what she saw. It intrigued Twilight to see such a...violent side to Sunset. But her questions were going to have to wait until she felt better. Besides, Twilight didn’t want to bother her friend. She sniffled as her nose began to run from all the crying. When she did that, she saw the redhead offering her a tissue. Twilight gratefully took it and blew her nose.

“Thanks. Can we go to AJ’s farm? I don’t feel like staying here longer than I have to.” asked Twilight, sounding stuffy.

“Yeah, just let me get my boots on,” said Sunset as she grabbed her boots from her locker.

Waiting in front of the school was Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash was late as she had to turn in some make-up work that was due today. It was just a few assignments that she had missed because she was sick the previous week. The sound of a metal door opened made all the girls turn their attention to the noise. They saw Sunset and Twilight walking out of the building and heading towards them.

Waving them over was Pinkie Pie. She was jumping up and down, screaming, “Hey, over here!!”

Twilight Sparkle, seeing Pinkie Pie"s cheerful demeanor, cheered up a little bit. Pinkie Pie’s cheerfulness was infectious, which she enjoyed. It was a great relief to see a happy face versus all the angry glances she had been getting since lunchtime. Twilight took a deep breath, feeling comfortable with her friends.

“Hey, Pinkie. Where’s Rainbow Dash?” asked Sunset, wrapping an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “We’ll need to go to AJ’s farm before dark if we want to talk with the kids.”

“She’s comin. She said that she had some homework to turn in,” replied Applejack.

“Rainbow Dash? Turn in homework? Now, that’s something I’d like to see,” said Sunset, laughing a little at the thought of her friend turning anything in on time.

Rainbow Dash was known to do things last minute. Homework was another thing entirely. More often than not, she was always playing her video games when she should’ve been working on it. But the girls knew convincing their athletic friend to focus on schoolwork was like telling Pinkie Pie not to throw any parties. It wasn’t going to happen. Rainbow Dash always seemed to turn things in late, which was why she had mostly D’s.

Just then, a rainbow-colored blur rushed over to the girls. Twilight moved her wrist, not wanting it to get hit. Her wrist was in enough pain. And falling on it twice didn’t help ease the pain. At all. Once she felt it was safe, she let her wrist rest at her side.

“Oh, good. Everyone is here! Now, we can head to AJ’s farm, right?” asked Rainbow Dash, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Yep,” said Applejack.

Fluttershy was the first of the group to ask, “Twilight, are you okay?”

All the girls looked at her as Sunset Shimmer removed her arm. Since lunch, they all had been worried about her. It wasn’t hard to notice all the glares their friend was getting. They wanted to help her and make sure Twilight was okay after the day she had. When they saw her smile, they felt a wave of relief wash over them.

“Yeah, I am okay. I will be even better if we can get to the farm before dark,” said Twilight, reassuring her friends.

“I agree,” said Rarity.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her motorcycle keys from her pocket and held them in her hand.

“Okay, see you girls at the farm then,” said Sunset.

With a few collective waves, the girls went to their separate vehicles. Sunset Shimmer slung her leg over the side of her bike as Twilight put on her helmet. She felt the bike shift slightly as Twilight Sparkle sat right behind her. A small smile appeared on her face, which Sunset was glad was hidden by her helmet. The redhead wasn’t ready to admit her feelings to her friend, not until she could tell her about the whole truth. She got jolted from her thoughts when she felt Twilight gently wrap her arms around her waist, and she did her best to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control. Yet, her heart refused to listen to her. Her feelings for Twilight were getting stronger with every embrace, word, and second that she spent with her.

“You ready, Sparky?” asked Sunset before she revved the engine.

“Y-yes,” said Twilight, trying to sound confident.

“Okay, here we go,” said Sunset, revving the engine and leaving the parking lot.

*** *** *** ***

A half-hour later, Sunset and Twilight finally arrived at Applejack’s farm. They would’ve been there sooner, but they had become slowed by unprecedented traffic. In a small city like Canterlot City, usually, there was barely any traffic. But it seemed there was a momentous event going on, causing the roads to become congested. Sunset took off her helmet and set it down on the handlebars. Reaching behind her, she grabbed Twilight’s helmet and set it next to hers. With practiced ease, she got off her bike and helped Twilight do the same. Just as Sunset was fixing her frazzled hair, Applejack and the rest of the girls approached them.

“There you two are! What in tarnation caused you to be so late?” asked Applejack.

“Traffic,” replied Sunset and Twilight in unison.

“Ah, okay,” said Applejack, nodding. “Y’all ready to go to the barn?”

“Yep,” said Twilight, beating Sunset to the answer.

Sunset Shimmer smirked and followed her friends into the barn. She watched as Rainbow Dash and Applejack pulled the barn doors open. With a series of groans, the barn doors slowly moved with the girls. Applejack was the first to walk in and made her way over to where the light switch was. In the darkness of the barn, the animatronic eyes of the kids glowed white. Thankfully, as soon as Applejack turned on the lights. The rest of the girls followed behind and greeted the three kids, who were sitting on nearby hay bales.

“Hey, Susie, Jeremy, and Fritz,” said Sunset, sitting on a hay bale next to Jeremy.

Susie patted the hay bale next to her, motioning for Twilight to sit with her. As Twilight sat down, she gave her a puzzled look.

“Why are you wearing a hoodie over your wings?” asked Susie. “I thought you didn’t mind having your wings.”

Twilight Sparkle gripped her arm as her gaze fell to the floor. That was the topic she was hoping wouldn’t be brought up. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the kids to know what happened. If anything, she wanted to tell them, to see what they thought about her. Her wings had been the main reason she'd gotten ridiculed for the rest of the day. And because of it, she had bruises all over her body, and her wings had gotten severely injured. She had patches where there were no feathers at all because her wings had gotten stomped on. On the inside of her hoodie, Twilight could tell she had lost a few more bunches of feathers. She didn’t want to show the kids what happened to her; she was ashamed of her injuries. But Susie’s question seemed genuine, and she did look very concerned.

“I-I am wearing it because of the students at my school. They saw my…appearance and freaked out because of it,” said Twilight, her voice squeaking as she struggled to talk.

“Why did they freak out?” asked Fritz.

Twilight swallowed. “They freaked out...because the last time I looked like I do now, I nearly destroyed their world...and them.”

“Oh, I am sorry that I asked,” said Fritz, turning away from Twilight.

Twilight felt terrible that she had hurt Fritz’s feelings. She knew he was just curious. Giving him a friendly smile, she said, “It’s okay, Fritz. I know you meant well. I’ve just had a long day. A day filled with bullying…”

“D-do you want to take off your hoodie?” asked Susie, innocently unaware of the beatings Twilight had suffered.

Twilight Sparkle thought about it. There was a desire to keep it on, though, with her loose feathers inside it was becoming an annoyance. There was also a part of her that wanted to take it off, to relax, and not worry about being attacked again because of her wings. But could she? Could she let her friends and the kids see the damage she had endured? Seeing her friends giving her comforting smiles, she decided to take it off.

“Um, I can take it off, just watch out for the loose feathers,” said Twilight.

“What?” Susie was unsure what Twilight meant by that.

Ever so slowly, Twilight lifted the bottom of her hoodie and pulled it upwards. As they became freed from their fabric confines, her wings stretched, followed by a flurry of loose feathers falling onto the hay bales. But the exposed, raw skin stung as they reached their full length. Twilight hissed as they folded up, hiding most of the exposed surface beneath what feathers remained. She heard a few gasps as she removed her arms from the sleeves of the fabric, revealing all the bruises she had sustained. Just as she had entirely removed her hoodie and shook out the last of the feathers, she saw everyone was staring at Sunset. The redhead was furiously blushing from having everyone look at her, including Twilight.

“What is going on? Did I, uh, miss something?” asked Twilight, not knowing what happened.

“Sunset here was just staring at you...and drooling,” Rainbow Dash replied in a snarky tone, playfully punching Sunset’s shoulder.

“I wasn’t drooling, Dash!” shouted Sunset, trying to defend herself.

“Right. So what’s on the side of your face then, huh Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash as she leaned back.

That prompted Sunset Shimmer to rub her hand across the corner of her mouth. To her utter embarrassment, she felt dried spit crumble off as she rubbed against it. Sunset lowered her hand and stared down at her lap. Rainbow Dash was right, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like it was terrible for her to admire the beauty of Twilight, right? She glanced at Twilight, finding it adorable to see her adjusting her glasses out of nervousness.

“Okay...maybe I was drooling,” admitted Sunset sheepishly. “I think Twilight looks amazing. That’s not a crime.”

She looked at Twilight, who looked away and lowered her gaze to her lap. Yet, when she did, she found that the right side of her shirt was lifted, showing the surface of her stomach and rib cage. Her skin was black and purple, with bruises from being kicked repeatedly. Ashamed that her friends, especially Sunset, had seen the injuries, she quickly pulled her shirt down to cover them.

Sunset Shimmer noticed that Twilight Sparkle was embarrassed that she had stared at her. Sighing, she leaned against the back wall of the barn.

“Great job, Sunset. Embarrass yourself and Twilight. That’s definitely going to win her over.” thought Sunset, hating that she had embarrassed her crush. “I just had to admit I find her amazing in front of everyone.”

Sitting back up, Sunset looked at the group and said, “So, how are we going to find Gabriel?”