Author's Note

Happy Fourth of July everyone! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter.

You're Going to get Springtrapped

*3 Days Later*

Twilight Sparkle heard her alarm clock buzzing at her, telling her to get out of her bed and start the day. Turning over in her bed, she lazily reached out and pressed the snooze button. She sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her wings moved behind her, stretching out to their full length. They felt stiff from not moving all night long and the injuries that were still healing. Thankfully, a majority of the wounds had halfway recovered, and some of them had gotten entirely covered by the new growth of feathers. Their presence only served to remind Twilight of what was going to happen. She would have to face Trixie and the rest of her classmates… again. Looking out her window, she debated not going to school today. The sun shone into her room, illuminating her floor and carpet. Birds were whistling their morning songs, almost as if they were saying good morning to her, making her smile. However, endangering her perfect attendance record was out of the question. Wings or no wings, she had to go. So, with newfound motivation, she threw the blanket off of her and got dressed for the day. Just as Twilight was about to leave her room, she spotted her hoodie slung over the trunk at the foot of her bed.

“I better take that with me, just in case I need it,” said Twilight Sparkle, grabbing the hoodie off the trunk before making her way downstairs to the kitchen.

“Mornin’ Twilight!” Spike said in between bites of his food.

“Hey, Spike,” said Twilight Sparkle, her tail swishing behind her as she wrapped her wings around herself. “Do you notice anything, uh, different about me?”

Spike looked up from his food dish after taking another bite of his food. Swallowing, he sat down and examined Twilight’s change of appearance. Spike saw that she now had wings, fangs, a tail, her skin was a different color, and so were her eyes. If he hadn’t known it was Twilight, he might’ve been a bit fearful of getting close to her. All the features seemed to belong to Midnight Sparkle, but there was something off about them. If she was actually Midnight Sparkle, where was her glowing horn? Or the fiery flames that had replaced her glasses at the Friendship Games? Spike padded over to her and tilted his head to the side

“You look like Midnight Sparkle, yet, you don’t at the same time,” said Spike, scratching a small itch behind his ear.

“That’s because I am, well, sort of,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed a bowl and spoon, setting them down on the counter. She began her search for the cereal box. “My geode started the transformation, and because of the differences in circumstances, it altered my appearance and powers as well.”

“Okay, where the heck is the cereal?” asked Twilight, giving up her futile search.

“Here you go, honey,” said Mr. Light as he grabbed the cereal box from the back of a nearby cabinet and handed it to her.

“Thanks, Dad,” Twilight Sparkle said, avoiding any eye contact with him as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Twilight Sparkle knew that her father wasn’t entirely comfortable with her new appearance, despite her mother’s attempts to ease him into it. She remembered coming home, and his shocked expression before he abruptly got up and refused to see her for the rest of the night. It hurt to see her father treat her like she was a reminder of something painful in his past that he didn’t want to see anymore. After seeing that, it was hard for her to sleep, but she managed to fall asleep eventually. Only after she sobbed softly into her pillow, though, she understood his hesitation in trusting that she was still herself. Grabbing the cereal box, she poured the contents into her bowl. She set the cereal box down as Spike returned to his breakfast, leaving her to deal with the growing tension between her and her father.

“Uh, how is your wrist, sweetie?” asked Mr. Light, taking a sip of his coffee, trying not to give away his nervousness.

“Better. I am thankful not to have the splint on my arm anymore,” said Twilight Sparkle, taking a bite of her cereal, forgetting that she hadn’t added milk to it yet.

“That’s good to hear hon,” said Mr. Light. “Are you planning to add milk to your cereal or eat it dry this morning?”

“What?” Twilight Sparkle looked down at her bowl, realizing the absence of the white liquid. “Whoops. I forgot to add milk.”

Twilight walked over to the fridge and grabbed the milk from it. As she closed the door, she saw her father glance up at her before quickly averting his gaze back to the morning paper. His eyes showed the fondness she remembered seeing her entire life, but it had gotten hidden behind shock and distrust. Yet, the split second she gotta see her father behind it was enough to make her heart race. Twilight put the milk away and sat down in front of him, hoping that he wouldn’t mind.

“It’s still me, dad. It’s still your baby girl,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she took another bite of her cereal.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mrs. Velvet entered the kitchen, making everyone look at her. She hugged her daughter before letting her go.

“How was your night, sweetie? I could hear you screaming in your sleep,” asked Mrs. Velvet, grabbing a muffin from the rack on the counter.

“It was, uh, okay. I was having nightmares about…” Twilight Sparkle trailed off as she saw her father get up from the table and leave. She sighed and looked down at her bowl. “He really hates my appearance, doesn’t he?”

“Your father doesn’t hate it, honey. He just needs some… time to adjust. It’s not easy to see your daughter go from not having wings, fangs, and a tail, to suddenly having them the next day,” said Mrs. Velvet as she wrapped her arm around Twilight’s shoulder, rubbing it in an attempt to console her.

“You adjusted to it pretty quickly, though, right?” asked Twilight Sparkle, looking at her mother.

“Well, not exactly. When I first saw what you looked like, it was a shock to me. And yes, eventually, I did adjust to it. That took time and a couple of cups of coffee to get past. Seeing the changes for the first time was not easy for me,” replied Mrs. Velvet, removing her arm and looking down at the counter. “I am still ashamed that, for a split second, I thought you were not daughter.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that mom,” was all Twilight Sparkle could manage to get out as she heard her mother’s words.

It hadn’t entirely occurred to Twilight Sparkle that, despite her mother being fairly open-minded, it still took time for her to adjust to her new appearance. Sure, she was aware that it was a bit of a shock. It was shocking to know that she had gotten transformed into her demonic form. The girls, Sunset Shimmer especially, had proven that point when they all stared at her like deers in headlights. Yet, to hear that her own mother still struggled with it stung like acid on her skin. As she looked at a clock on the wall next to her, Twilight saw what time it was.

“I have to go now, mom. I don’t want to be late for school,” said Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed her backpack and stuffed her hoodie inside of it.

“Okay, sweetie. I will see you after school, right?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

“Yes, unless something comes up,” said Twilight Sparkle as she walked out the front door. “Bye, mom!”

“Bye, honey!” shouted Mrs. Velvet before closing the front door.

Once she was standing outside, Twilight Sparkle heard the familiar roar of Sunset Shimmer’s bike seconds before she saw it coming down the street towards her. The bike pulled up next to her house, slowly braking to a stop. She noticed that Sunset was still wearing her hoodie from the night before and that the fabric barely contained her wings. It looked like if she were to make one wrong move, they would be exposed for the whole world to see. Approaching the bike, Twilight watched as a cascade of red and yellow hair fell out from the hood beneath the helmet as Sunset removed it.

“Hey, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed her helmet from the redhead.

Sunset Shimmer, despite a voice in the back of her head telling her to go to CHS on her own, decided to pick Twilight Sparkle up as she had promised. The risk of Twilight figuring out the rest of her secret was still present, but she ignored it. Sunset knew it was likely that she would’ve already guessed that she had wings, given how close their bodies were during the drive home Friday night. And the way that she kept touching them made her wonder when she did reveal everything if it would go alright. It filled Sunset with hope knowing there was a possibility Twilight could accept her demonic past and form. Yet, she was aware of the impact her decision not to tell her about the Fall Formal was having on their friendship. And she knew that if she didn’t show up today, it would’ve done more damage.

“Hey, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer, resting her helmet on her lap as she looked at Twilight Sparkle. “Are you ready to face another day at school?”

“No…” replied Twilight as she looked down at her hands. “I am not ready to face the students after what happened on Thursday,”

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Twilight’s one hand, saying, “It’s okay, Twilight. You have me and the girls with you. We’ll make sure that Trixie doesn’t do anything again.”

Twilight Sparkle couldn’t feel any comfort in the flame-haired girl’s words. “I know, but I am scared they’ll beat me up. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Twilight, look at me.” Sunset Shimmer took off her sunglasses so Twilight could see her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle silently looked up from her hands, her eyes meeting Sunset’s cyan ones beaming back at her.

“I will not let it happen again. I won’t let them get to you, not without a fight.” Sunset Shimmer tightened her grip on Twilight’s hand as if that would make her point stronger. “I promise, Twilight.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away from Sunset’s tight grip. “Okay, I believe you, Sunset. But, if you squeeze my hand any harder, you’re going to break it. I didn’t think you were that strong.”

“S-sorry, Sparky. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Sunset Shimmer said, pulling her hand back, making her sleeve shift and reveal some of the red skin on her forearm in the process.

“Sunset, what is this?” asked Twilight Sparkle, grabbing Sunset’s arm and trying to pull the sleeve up further.

“It’s not something I want to discuss right now, Twilight. Not until I am ready to,” replied Sunset, yanking her arm back and pulling her sleeve back down.

Sunset Shimmer noticed the look of hurt, which flashed in Twilight Sparkle’s mulberry eyes, making a wave of guilt wash over her. It was clear that her reaction to her question had been too harsh. She knew that all Twilight wanted was for her to tell the truth, and her defiance in not giving it to her was not helping matters. Pulling her sleeve back down over her arm, she got up from her bike and set her helmet down where she was sitting. She put her sunglasses away in her hoodie pocket and grabbed Twilight’s arms.

“I will tell you soon,” said Sunset, looking directly into Twilight’s eyes, making sure she saw that she was being truthful about it.

“I hope that is true, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle as she stepped closer to the redhead. “I don’t like the fact you’re hiding something from me.”

“I know, Sparky. That’s why I am planning to tell you very soon,” said Sunset Shimmer, letting go of Twilight Sparkle and walking back over to her bike. She slipped her sunglasses on and put on her helmet afterward. “We better leave before we’re both late to school.”

“Right,” said Twilight Sparkle before putting her helmet on and sitting behind Sunset Shimmer on the bike.

“Hold on tight, Twi!” Sunset shouted seconds before she revved the engine and drove down the street.

Being a 30-minute drive from Twilight Sparkle’s house, it didn’t take them long to arrive at CHS. With Twilight holding on tightly to her waist, Sunset Shimmer tried to make the ride as enjoyable as possible. To do that she drove down some of the short, but scenic routes which allowed her to show the sun rising over the mountains. That managed to make Twilight loosen her grip, seemingly enjoying the scene before it disappeared behind some buildings as the school building came into view down the road. Sunset pulled into the student parking lot and parked her bike in her usual spot. Just as she had turned off the engine, removing her keys from the ignition and placing them in her pocket, she saw the girls approaching them. Pinkie Pie was leading the group, but there was someone else amongst the girls.

“Who is with you girls?” asked Sunset Shimmer, unbuckling the chin strap of the helmet and pulling it off her head and setting it down on the handlebars.

“Well, um…” Rainbow Dash said as she and the rest of the girls stepped aside, revealing the person who was with them, to Sunset Shimmer’s utter dismay. “It’s Trixie.”

“Trixie. What the hell are you doing here?” asked Sunset, resting her hand on the side of her hip. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Twilight and me?”

Trixie nodded, remaining silent as she recalled what the flame-haired girl had done to the bathroom mirrors.

“So, then, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow. “I hope you remember what I said to you on Thursday.”

“Trixie remembers. She is, erm, here to apologize to Twilight for her actions on Thursday,” replied Trixie, making eye contact with Twilight Sparkle. “She shouldn’t have let you get beat up so badly. Trixie is… sorry Twilight.”

“Really, Trixie? Do you mean that, or are you just saying it, so I’ll forget what happened?” asked Twilight Sparkle, adjusting her glasses as her wings draped themselves over her shoulders.

“Trixie means it, Twilight. What she… what I did to you was inexcusable. It wasn't supposed to go that far; I just wanted to expose whatever it was that you were hiding.” Trixie looked away from Twilight, too ashamed to look at the bruises she caused. “You didn’t deserve what I did to you.”

Twilight Sparkle turned to Sunset Shimmer, wanting to see her reaction to what Trixie had said. Despite the hood shielding most of Sunset’s face in a shroud of darkness, she could see that she was glaring at the wannabe magician. Yet, something told her that she was angry at her for a different reason, one that she wasn’t aware of. As her gaze drifted downward, Twilight saw what appeared to be fangs where her lateral incisors should have been. Unfortunately, just as she had started to examine them further, the redhead looked away. Almost as if she knew what she was seeing and wanted to conceal it from her. That only angered Twilight further, especially since she was growing more exhausted with waiting for her to come clean. Deciding it was better to focus on something else, Twilight returned her attention to Trixie, stepping closer to her.

“Trixie, I accept your apology. But, that doesn’t mean I will forgive you for what you’ve done. I am not ready yet,” said Twilight Sparkle, giving a nervous Trixie a small smile. “Thank you for apologizing. It means a lot.”

“Trixie figured it was the least she could do,” Trixie said, regaining her smug demeanor back. “Now, she must go to Mr. Doodle’s class.”

With that, Trixie threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared in a massive cloud of white smoke.

“Woah, she is good!” shouted Pinkie Pie, trying to find the magician nearby, but not seeing her anywhere.

“Yeah. I am surprised Trixie apologized, it seems out of character for her,” said Sunset Shimmer, finally getting off her bike as the bell rang. “I hope she meant it.”

“Come on, we gotta get to Miss Cheeriliee’s class before we’re all late!” shouted Rainbow Dash before she sped off into the building.

Walking together, the rest of the girls joined Rainbow Dash in Miss Cheerilee’s classroom. As they walked down the hallway, Twilight Sparkle could feel her classmates glares and wide-eyed gazes on her. The whispers echoed in the busy halls, allowing her to hear what they were saying. Not that Twilight wanted to know since they made it apparent she was a monster in their eyes. She pulled her wings closer to her body, not wanting to have anyone touching them. It was bad enough that the students made no point to hide their distrust and hatred of her. The idea of having them touching her in any way was appalling to her.

Walking past the doorway of the classroom, Twilight saw Miss Cheerilee look at her. She could see the shock and what appeared to be fear beneath her teacher’s professional demeanor. She watched as Miss Cheerilee’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked away as if to avoid embarrassing herself further. Feeling even worse, Twilight made her way past a row of desks to her usual seat. She sat down at it and ignored the gasps from the students around her, along with the rest of the girls. But when Twilight expected Sunset to sit down next to her, she saw her make her way to the back of the classroom, completely ignoring her. Trying not to feel hurt by the sudden gesture, she watched as she sat down in the darkest corner of the room.

“Why isn’t she choosing to sit with me like she always does? Is it because of her wings that are underneath the hoodie? Or is because she doesn’t want me to get closer to the rest of what she is hiding?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she looked forward, no longer wanting to see Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer shifted uneasily in her chair. Having her wings tucked into her hoodie was proving to be problematic for the redhead. And it was making it impossible for her to sit back against the metal back of the chair. Applying any pressure to them seemed to make her wings ache in response, especially against the hard surface of the chair. The padding she had added inside of her hoodie did nothing to alleviate the pain. Sunset looked back up at Twilight and saw that she was also struggling to keep her wings in check. Yet, seeing that only worsened the guilt that she felt.

“I am still too afraid to let Twilight get close to me, even after what I said to her on Friday. Sweet Celestia, how cowardly can I get?” thought Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her gloved hands, knowing that the leather hid her claws. “She is trusting me to be honest with her. I hope she still does when she finds out what I look like now. Not that I would blame her if she didn’t…”

“You’re right. You can’t blame Twilight if she decided not to trust you after she sees the demon you once were. I know if I were her, I wouldn’t trust you,” said Sunset’s conscience, interrupting her thoughts.

“Shut the fuck up! I am at school, and I don’t need the lecture right now.” Sunset Shimmer felt her jaw clench as she struggled not to become angered by what her conscience was saying.

“Fine, I will back off for now. But I’ll return when you tell Twilight about the Demon Shimmer thing,” said her inner voice, finally quieting down per the redhead’s request.

Once the late bell rang, Miss Cheerilee grabbed a few of her books and turned to face the class, saying, “Okay, class, today’s assignment is in the library. So, grab your stuff and meet me there, please.”

Twilight Sparkle quickly grabbed her backpack and joined Sunset Shimmer in the back of the classroom, avoiding the other students in the process. She stood in front of her, hoping it would prevent her from walking away and avoiding her. When she met her eyes, she saw fear in Sunset’s eyes before she quickly turned away from her. That confused Twilight even more. Why was her friend acting like she was afraid to be close to her all of a sudden? Was it because of their earlier argument? She was left wondering what she had done to deserve to get pushed away. Before she had a chance to ask what was going on, Sunset grabbed her bag and walked down the other aisle, ignoring her.

“Wait, Sunset! What the hell is going on? Why are you suddenly ignoring me?” whispered Twilight Sparkle, running after Sunset Shimmer.

“Twilight, please. I don’t want to talk about it right now, it hurts too much,” Sunset Shimmer said, her voice dripping with pent up frustration and anger.

“It hurts too much?” asked Twilight Sparkle, offended by the redhead using that excuse. “It hurts too much, Sunset? How do you think I feel standing here letting you keep whatever it is you have under that hoodie hidden from me? You don’t think it’s hard for me to wait here for you to come clean, wondering if you are ever going to?”

Sunset flinched away from Twilight, not expecting the sudden outburst from her. “I know it’s hard for you to wait for the truth, especially when I have made promises that I’ve broken.”

“No, I don’t think you do, Sunset. Because, if you did, you wouldn’t keep playing this cat and mouse game with me.” Twilight Sparkle’s wings folded over her shoulders, her voice revealing her hurt and pain as she walked away from Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer, feeling bad that she had pushed Twilight Sparkle aside again, ran after her.

“Wait, Sparky!” Sunset grabbed Twilight’s arm, stopping in front of her, so their eyes met once more. “I didn’t mean to ignore you. It’s just…”

As Twilight Sparkle examined Sunset Shimmer, she saw that her skin appeared to be red. But the shade created by the hood left her unsure that it was red. She might have been seeing things, though, knowing that Sunset had wings made her question the extent of the changes. Either way, it was clear that her appearance had gotten altered to some extent. Questions swam around in her head, begging for answers to them. But, Twilight pushed them aside and focused on the redhead in front of her. She clearly had something that she wanted to say to her. Hopefully, whatever it was would answer some of her questions.

“It’s just what, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, keeping a calm tone to her voice, so it was not to startle Sunset again.

“It’s just that I am scared to reveal what I am hiding underneath this hoodie. I am struggling to accept the changes that have happened. The changes and the way I look, it repulses me enough that I struggle to see my reflection. That’s why I am afraid to show you what I am concealing from you,” said Sunset Shimmer as she kept her fangs hidden from view, her voice meek and quiet like Fluttershy’s.

Twilight wanted to reach out and touch Sunset, to comfort her in her moment of vulnerability. Yet, just as she was about to rest her hand on her shoulder, something stopped her from going through with it. As she recalled the times had recoiled away from her touch, she took a few steps back. It had hurt Twilight to see Sunset do that to her, not once, but several times. Even though she knew that there was a reason behind it, that didn’t ease the pain she felt at seeing that gesture. However, when she looked back at her, Twilight saw something in her eyes. The darkness nearly hid it, but she saw hurt, regret, and the most prominent one – guilt. Pushing past her hesitation and reluctance, she wrapped her arms around Sunset, resting her hands on the back of her shoulders.

For a moment, Sunset Shimmer stood there, frozen on the spot and unsure of what to do. She felt Twilight place her arms on the sides of her wings, seemingly aware that they were there and sensitive to any pressure getting applied to them. Though it meant that she knew about her wings, Sunset couldn’t help but be thankful that she hadn’t touched them. Standing there, still in Twilight’s tight embrace, she felt a feeling of warmth and safeness wash over her entire body. She slowly wrapped her arms around the bookworm and deliberately made her fingers brush up against her scars. Sunset buried her head in the crook of her neck, enjoying the embrace and the smell of lavender filling her senses.

"Thank you, Sparky. I really needed this,” said Sunset Shimmer before she reluctantly let go of Twilight Sparkle. “Come on. We’ll be late if we don’t get a move on.”

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle walked into the library just as Miss Cheerilee was about to start her lesson. They quietly walked to their seats and sat down, hoping she wouldn’t notice their absence.

“Nice of you to join us, Miss Shimmer and Miss Sparkle,” said Miss Cheerilee. “Now that we are all here, let’s begin the assignment.”

Twilight Sparkle took out her notebook from her bag, jotting down the necessary notes for the assignment. Once Miss Cheerilee had finished explaining what they were supposed to do for the day, she quickly set to work on starting the assignment. She glanced over at Sunset and saw that she had gotten immersed in it, almost like she was trying to ignore the strange whispers around her. The whispers were similar to the ones Twilight had heard earlier when she arrived at the school, which only raised her suspicions more. As her mind fought to stay focused on her schoolwork, she thought about the feeling of having the redhead hug her back. To feel that kind of contact after all the tension between them lately was nice. Something she had almost forgotten due to the growing distance. Remembering that she had an assignment to do, she returned her focus to her paper.

About a half-hour into the class, Twilight Sparkle heard a student groan in frustration, prompting her to look in the direction of the sound. She saw a girl that had long purple and black hair, which flowed way past her shoulders, nearly cascading all the way down her back. The girl’s head hung over a textbook and a notebook, which had a small pencil sitting atop of it. Twilight continued to eye the girl, wondering what was bothering her. For a split second, their eyes met, and she saw a flicker of ice blue in the girl’s usually flame-colored eyes. That took her off guard and nearly made her drop her pencil in shock. Quickly looking away, Twilight hoped the girl hadn’t noticed the near slip-up.

“I am so fucked! I can’t get another F; Miss Cheerilee will flunk me if I do. And my parents! Oh, they will ground me for sure if they don’t decide I can’t have a social life,” said the girl, dropping her head into her hands.

Deciding to see what she could do to help her, Twilight got up from her seat and walked over to the girl. As soon as she sat down in the chair next to the girl, she looked up at her and appeared to be a bit frightened and taken aback by her presence. Twilight did what she could to not scare the girl more than she already had. But, without her hoodie to conceal her wings from view, there wasn’t a whole lot she could do to prevent that. So, she pulled her wings close to her body and kept her distance from the girl.

“Hey. What’s bothering you about the assignment?” asked Twilight Sparkle, trying to keep her fangs out of sight.

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, the girl noticed the two fangs which had taken the place of her canines. That made her breath hitch in her chest as she struggled not to let fear override her. There was a growing ache in her gums as she looked away from Twilight, not wanting her to witness what was happening. Two fangs shot out from her gum line, pushing her lateral incisors back as they reached their full length. Venom dripped from them as she struggled to get them to retract. It tasted bitter, like alcohol mixed with sour apple. But it was a taste she had come to know since her fangs often dripped her lethal nectar every time they appeared. Eventually, after she managed to calm down, they pulled back into her gumline and allowed her natural lateral incisors to return. After that was over, the girl turned back to Twilight.

‘It’s this one that is giving me problems,” said the girl, pointing to the cause of her frustration.

Twilight Sparkle hesitantly reached out for the textbook as the girl moved away from her. Though it was painful to see that reaction, she could see that the girl was attempting to curb her impulses. Pulling the textbook in front of her, she looked at the problem. It was one that she had solved a few weeks ago as part of her nightly self-quizzing routine. Twilight found the problem to be quite easy to solve, especially being the mathematical genius that she was. She pushed the textbook back towards the girl and made sure to pull her hand back as she saw her look down at the book.

“Oh, this is a bit tricky at first, but not impossible to solve. Do you want me to show how to solve it?” asked Twilight Sparkle, her wings unconsciously moved outward from her body as she spoke.

Ignoring them, the girl silently pushed her notebook and pencil towards Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer, finishing her assignment, looked up to see Twilight Sparkle helping one of the students. It made her smile to see Twilight being her usual kind, helpful self, not worrying about her appearance. She wished that she could have that kind of luxury, especially with the girls. But her past with them complicated matters and made her wonder how they’d react if she were to show them. Sooner or later, Sunset knew she’d have her answer whether she liked it or not. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rarity and Rainbow Dash looking at her expectantly.

Sunset turned to face them, saying, “It’s fine, guys. The girl isn’t afraid of Twilight, or at least I think she isn’t.”

“Good. it's about time that our classmates realize she is still Twilight, not Midnight Sparkle,” said Rarity as she set down her pencil. “Also, just curious, why are you still wearing your hood? We’re inside, dear.”

“Oh, I just wanted to wear it, that’s all,” replied Sunset Shimmer, nervously tugging downward on her hood.

Sunset saw Rainbow Dash give her a look that made her regret saying anything to Rarity’s question. Knowing that the athlete was aware of what was underneath the hoodie made her sick to her stomach. Yet, it made her feel better than remembering that Trixie had actual footage of her transforming. And seeing Trixie that morning had set her on edge, especially because Sunset wasn’t sure if she could trust her to keep her end of their deal. Sunset could only cling to the hope that that the magician would. If not, everything she was trying hard to prevent from happening would happen and destroy any chance of her telling Twilight the truth herself.

“Okay, but that’ll ruin your hair afterward. I hope you came prepared. I don’t even want to imagine the knots that’ll get made,” said Rarity, shuddering at the image of the flame-haired girl’s matted hair in her mind.

“I did, Rarity. You taught me always to come prepared for that kind of emergency,” replied Sunset Shimmer, giving Rarity a smile and a wink.

“Good,” said Rarity, returning to her assignment, hoping to have it finished before the end of class.

Twilight Sparkle finished writing down the instructions for how to solve the problem, handing the notebook and pencil back to the girl. Her wings moved and made her freeze for a moment, looking at the girl for any sign of nervousness. She didn’t see any, and that caused her to shift away from her. It seemed too good to be true, which put Twilight on edge. If the girl were to freak out again, she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. Try as she might, it was hard to tune out the fearful reactions, especially when her classmates made no point in disguising them. Though, the girl was different from them. Twilight had noticed that she tried to curb her earlier reaction, almost as if she knew that it would hurt her. The girl reached over and grabbed her arm, making her look down before meeting her gaze again.

“It’s okay, Twilight. I am not frightened of you, not anymore,” said the girl, removing her hand from Twilight Sparkle’s wrist. “By the way, thank you for helping me with the assignment. You saved my ass from getting grounded.”

“You’re welcome, uh…” Twilight Sparkle trailed off, realizing she didn’t know the girl’s name.

“Violet, Violet Night,” said Violet Night, revealing her name to Twilight.

“You’re welcome, Violet,” said Twilight Sparkle. “Let me know if there is anything else you need help with.”

“Okay,” replied Violet Night, going back to her assignment.

Twilight Sparkle got up and walked back to where the rest of the girls were sitting. Her wings stretched out a bit behind her, tired of being pushed against the back of the chair. It felt good to stretch them, even with the whispers of disapproval from her classmates. Even so, she was careful to keep them close to her body, not wanting to chance someone plucking her feathers again. She kept her head down and ignored the comments that swirled around her. Yet, just as she walked past two girls sitting at a nearby table, she accidentally overheard their conversation.

“Did Twilight just help that girl? I thought she was Midnight Sparkle,” said Bon Bon.

“I did too. But maybe Twilight isn’t…” said Lyra, leaning closer to Bon Bon.

“Should I ask her for help with the assignment?” asked Bon Bon.

“Well, I can’t help you, Bonny. I am stuck on it as well,” replied Lyra as she glanced over at Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay, then, I will ask her,” Bon Bon said as she got out of her chair and walked over to Twilight Sparkle, taking in the appearance of her wings. “Hey, Twilight, can I ask for your help with the assignment?”

“Uh, sure,” said Twilight Sparkle, not expecting Bon Bon to ask for her help. “What do you need help with?”

Twilight Sparkle sat in between Lyra and Bon Bon, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable and uneasy. Nonetheless, she ignored how close she was to both of them and focused on what they needed. However, her uneasiness grew when she felt a hand caressing one of her wings. She could feel her feathers getting pulled apart as the hand explored the underside, which remained covered in bruises and half-healed scrapes from the beating she’d gotten on Thursday. Looking, Twilight saw that it was Lyra who was touching her feathers and examining them. But Lyra quickly stopped when she realized that she had gotten caught in the act.

“Sor-sorry,” said Lyra as she looked away in embarrassment. “I was just intrigued by your wings. They looked like they were soft, so I wanted to see if they were. And I was right. They’re extremely soft to the touch.”

“Th-Thanks,” said Twilight Sparkle, wondering if she should pull her wings closer to her after what just happened.

“You’re welcome,” replied Lyra, surprised to hear that Twilight was okay with her touching her wings. “I am sorry about touching them without your permission.”

“It’s okay. You can touch my wings again if you want to,” Twilight Sparkle said, deciding it was best to encourage Lyra’s curiosity. “It won’t bother me if you do.”

“Are you sure? I can see the injuries we caused are still healing…” asked Lyra. “And would you mind if Bonny touched them too? She is also curious, but too shy to admit it.”

Bon Bon shot Lyra a glare. “I didn’t want that revealed, Lyra.”

“Yes, it’s fine,” said Twilight Sparkle, starting to feel a bit more comfortable by the minute. “When I said I wouldn’t mind it, I meant it. You can touch my wings if you want.”

“Thanks,” said Bon Bon and Lyra in unison.

The sound of the school bell ringing jolted Twilight Sparkle back to reality as she felt Lyra and Bon Bon stop rubbing her feathers. She had done her best to ignore the feeling of them exploring her wings and helped them finish the assignment. As she walked away from them, she could still feel their light touches against her feathers. Their touch was similar to Sunset Shimmer’s touch. Only it was more like a curious scientist trying to explore a new foreign object, whereas Sunset’s touch was more of a loving caress, almost like she was trying to express her feelings through physical contact. Grabbing her backpack, Twilight saw Sunset approach her.

“So, it seems that Lyra and Bon Bon have decided that you’re cool,” said Sunset Shimmer, a gleam of happiness in her eyes.

“Yeah, they did. Thanks to your support, I feel pretty good about today,” replied Twilight Sparkle, walking out of the library with Sunset by her side. “Maybe it won’t be as bad as Thursday.”

“That’s the spirit, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, slipping her sunglasses back on as she and Twilight Sparkle walked to their second-period class.

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

Springtrap looked at the 40 doppelgangers now standing in front of him. All of them stood still, side by side, not a single twitch evident in their stiff bodies. Creating them had exhausted him more than he expected, causing him to stagger his way into the old electrical building. He examined the structure before looking at the Marionette. Its body sat lifelessly against the concrete wall. Yet, for a few moments, sparks flew from its mask and landed on the ground beside it. Annoyed by the buzzing sound coming from the animatronic, he walked over to it and flung it into the control panel. The Marionette’s body hit the metal with a loud clang and caused it to dent from the impact. As it slipped to the floor, the sparking behind its mask stopped.

“Well, at least the buzzing stopped. Hopefully, you will be useful later on,” said Springtrap as he walked back outside, pleased with himself.

However, unbeknownst to Springtrap, the magic from within the control panel was slowly seeping into the Marionette from the crack created by the dent. It lifted its hand and allowed more of the magic to flow into its body. After a few seconds, it was able to push itself into a standing position, while continuing to lean against the panel for support. It looked out the doorway and saw Springtrap standing in front of his miniature army. A desire to attack him was growing within it. Right now, it would be super easy to get away from its captor and return to the kids. Yet, it forced the desire down and looked down at the control panel underneath its hand. Why had it gained this new magic? And what was its purpose for having it? Before it had a chance to investigate the magic further, Springtrap walked back inside the building.

Springtrap placed his hand on the broken door frame as he stared at the Marionette and the control panel. Something seemed off about the Marionette like it had moved before he came in. But that couldn’t be possible, right? He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things, though he brushed it off as his exhaustion getting the better of him. He had more significant problems to worry about than some stupid, broken animatronic. Springtrap knew that if he wanted to expand his army, he would need some precaution to prevent his power source from getting drained. A theory slowly formed inside his mind, making him step closer to the dented control panel.

“I wonder…” said Springtrap, placing his hand on the dented edge, ignoring the flap that jutted outwards.

“What if I absorb more of the magic into me so it’ll leave my power source alone? I won’t be able to go through with my plans if I can't move this fucking animatronic body,” thought Springtrap, staring down at his hands, getting lost in his thoughts.

Wanting to test out his theory, Springtrap held his other hand over the control panel. Ever so slowly, the magic rose out of it and right into his hand as if it was getting pulled by a magnet. He kept it still and let a generous amount of the magic enter his body. His circuitry sparked as the magic ran through his wiring and traveled to his power module. After a few seconds, Springtrap pulled his hand away, satisfied with the amount he had absorbed. He could feel the energy it was generating inside of him. It was almost enough to make him feel alive again. Looking down at his exposed arm, he could see the wires were virtually throbbing as if there was blood pumping through them.

“Woah, I am packing some serious power now,” said Springtrap, enjoying the weird sensations that were running through his animatronic body.

Springtrap looked down at the Marionette for a moment. Something about it seemed different than before. Its expression appeared to change from confusion to one of anger. That struck him as odd, but he didn’t think much of it. Springtrap, not wanting the animatronic to touch his power source, kicked it back over to the other side of the room. Again, its body slammed full force into the concrete wall. However, this time, there was no reaction to the impact: no sparking, no jerking of uncontrollable limbs, nothing. Just a lifeless animatronic body slumped sideways braced against the wall. When there was no sound of the Marionette buzzing, Springtrap tilted his head quizzically. It was strange that there was no evidence of sparking, especially since he knew the animatronic was sensitive to getting slammed across the room.

“Hmm, something happened with you,” said Springtrap. “But what exactly?”

The corner of the animatronic’s mouth twitched upward before returning to its original position.

Springtrap saw that slight movement. “Did you absorb some of this magic from the control panel while i wasn’t looking? Come on; you can tell me if you did.”

The Marionette remained silent, not saying a word.

“Fine, be that way, you piece of shit. But if I find out that you have absorbed some the magic from the control panel, I am going to make scrap metal out of you,” said Springtrap as he walked out of the building, not caring to waste his time with the animatronic.

Once Springtrap had disappeared from view, the Marionette slowly started to move. It didn’t want to risk alerting him to its presence. It managed to get back to its feet without making much noise and walked over to the small window that faced the area where Springtrap was standing. The sight that greeted it was four rows of 10 doppelgangers that looked exactly like Springtrap. The scene was similar to soldiers standing in line as they awaited their general’s orders. None of them moved, not even as their creator stepped closer to them and poked several of them in the arm. This confused the Marionette and made it wonder what all the doppelgangers were going to get used for. Thankfully, the shadows concealed it from view, allowing it to see exactly what was going on.

“Okay, you, dumbass number 35, get your ass over here now,” said Springtrap, motioning for it to approach him.

The 35th doppelganger moved and walked over to Springtrap, per his command. It stood in front of him, waiting for its next instructions.

“Stand here while I make more of you dumbasses. Don’t move, got it?” asked Springtrap as he stared the doppelganger down.

“Yes,” replied the doppelganger.

“Good.” Springtrap raised his hand. “Now, stand perfectly still.”

With that, Springtrap imagined ten more copies of himself standing behind his doppelganger. Magic coursed through his wires as he felt it bending to his command. He opened his eyes to see ten more of himself materializing in front of him. His eyes glowed white with glee as he saw his success. Once the first set had finished, he immediately started to work on the second one. Using the same process, he made ten more of himself behind the ten that already existed. Springtrap felt more of the magic drain from him as it formed his new soldiers. However, due to the additional magic that he gained, his power source remained untouched.

The Marionette stared at Springtrap, perplexed by what it just witnessed. It didn’t know that he was capable of doing that, which made it worry about its friends. Unconsciously, it backed up against the wall as its mind whirled around the danger and the idea of losing its friends. After all that it had done to protect the kids, losing them now would be devastating. The Marionette’s mask began to spark as it struggled to comprehend the reality of what Springtrap was up to. As a result, it fell to the ground, collapsing into a heap. A series of seizures overtook its entire body and knocked it unconscious from the violent thrashing caused by them.

Springtrap, overhearing the commotion in the building, turned his head and said, “Hmm, guess it was just a delayed reaction then.”

Springtrap returned his attention to his army of 60 doppelgangers. A feeling of satisfaction overtook him as he looked at them. He was grateful that he had masted the magic that powered him and could now use it to his advantage. His army was small, but that didn’t matter at the moment. It would be enough to warn the girls about who’s business they were interfering with. Now, with his small army of dumb doppelgangers, he planned on attacking them and the blasted kids who escaped his first attempt at dismantling them. It was now time that he ended the rescue mission and finished what he began.

“But, what exactly are those fucking girls doing with the kids?” asked Springtrap as he walked back into the building. “What’s their reason for rescuing the kids?”

Something about what they were doing seemed off to him. They had to be doing something more than just rescuing the kids and bringing them back to awareness. Otherwise, the girls were wasting their time doing something useless. As Springtrap looked at the control panel, an idea came to him.

“Their stupid necklaces!! That must be the source of their magic and how they are able to bring those damned kids back to reality,” said Springtrap, realizing a detail he had neglected to think much about earlier. “But, that still doesn’t explain why they are doing that…”

Springtrap started to pace back and forth as he tried to think of a reason.

“What’s the point in helping the kids and bringing them back? What purpose would that serve? It’s not like they and the girls are going to challenge me, right?” thought Springtrap, stopping right in front of the doorway.

“They’re not that fucking stupid to try and challenge me, are they?” asked Springtrap, looking at the Marionette, which remained motionless.

Silence hung heavily in the air as Springtrap went silent. His mind was reeling as it dawned on him what the girls were planning to do. However, one thing didn’t add up: how did they know that he was there? He had been careful to avoid being spotted by them. But looking at the army of himself, Springtrap remembered the one that he had sent out to find them. It had failed to do its mission and return to him. He cursed himself for not thinking that it would’ve made such a stupid move.

“Goddammit!! The fucking asshole let himself get seen. I should have guessed that he would do something that idiotic,” Springtrap said as he punched his fist into the concrete wall.

Springtrap walked outside and stomped past his army. Anger rose within him, making his circuitry spark in response to it. Enraged by being challenged by some teenagers, his one hand balled into a tight fist. Magic flowed into his arm and fueled his anger.

“Follow me!” demanded Springtrap, walking away from his doppelgangers.

The sound of their feet stomping on the cold earth indicated that his command worked. Springtrap continued walking, heading to his main target – CHS. As he made his way out of the forest, his eyes had a red glow to them. The only thing on his mind now was making the girls suffer the same fate he gave the kids all those decades ago. And he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

“Those dumbass girls will regret messing with my damn business. In doing that, they have only signed their death warrants!” said Springtrap, an evil gleam in his red eyes.

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

Back at CHS, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the class period. Twilight Sparkle, still busy writing down the homework assignment, saw all the girls standing in the doorway of the classroom. Sunset Shimmer was leaning against the door frame in her usual way with her arms crossed across her chest. She had managed to make it through the first half of the day without any problems. Her mind was racing about being in the cafeteria and having a bunch of people close to her, but she pushed it aside and focused on her friends. Rainbow Dash was standing behind her, glancing at the hallway leading to the cafeteria.

“You finished yet, Twi?” asked Rainbow Dash, sounding more impatient than usual.

“Yes, Dash. I have almost finished. Just… give… me… done!” said Twilight Sparkle as she finished jotting it down.

"Great! See you guys at the cafeteria. Bye!” Rainbow Dash said before she sped off down the hallway.

“You know, if she keeps using her geode like that, she’s going to make ours go haywire again,” said Applejack as Twilight Sparkle joined them.

"Yes. But today the cafeteria is serving apple cider. And you know how much Rainbow Dash loves it. The girl could probably drink that and nothing else if she wanted to,” said Rarity as she walked at Applejack’s side

“You’re right about that, Rare,” replied Applejack, giving Rarity a half-smile.

Rarity looked up at Applejack and slowly moved her hand towards the cowgirl’s strong one, hoping she wouldn’t mind. Their fingers became intertwined as she stepped a bit closer to her. When she felt Applejack squeeze her hand, Rarity blushed in response. There was a rush of adrenaline that ran through her body and made her feel like she was walking on air. Her heart fluttered at the realization that she was close to her crush. Looking up, she gave Applejack a warm smile that showed her appreciation.

Applejack saw Rarity’s smile and blushed, which wasn’t something that cowgirl was known for doing. Unless, of course, it was because of her. She looked down, biting her lip as she tried to keep her composure. Her hand was tingling from Rarity’s soft touch against her rough hand. Her palms and fingers had calluses from working on the farm for so many years, but that didn’t seem to bother her. The grip wasn’t tight enough that she was unable to remove her hand. But it was tight enough to keep her holding it.

Eventually, the girls made their way to the cafeteria. Sunset Shimmer, who stayed behind all the girls, felt her tail twitch inside of her jeans. The hair made her thighs itch, but she ignored the sensation. Seeing all the students crowding one another made her nervous. Reminding her of how Twilight Sparkle felt the day Trixie had exposed her. Sunset shuddered at the memory of the kids gasping in horror and running away.

“No wonder Twilight was scared. It’s nerve-wracking to have everyone so close to me,” thought Sunset Shimmer, looking around and trying to distract herself from her growing nerves.

Rarity and Applejack stood by Rainbow Dash in line, joined by the rest of the girls. Sunset Shimmer took up the flank, standing right behind Twilight Sparkle. She nervously tugged at the sleeve of her hoodie and tried to ignore the glares she was getting. Unfortunately, that wasn’t as easy as she hoped it was going to be. Her hands shook from her trying to keep her nerves under control. And when she grabbed a tray, it clattered noisily against the metal counter, drawing Twilight’s attention to her.

“Are you okay, Sunset? You seem nervous, which is unlike you,” asked Twilight Sparkle as she rested her hand on Sunset Shimmer’s shaky one.

“Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about what I told you earlier, Twilight,” replied Sunset Shimmer, trying to remain calm so her wings wouldn’t rip through her hoodie.

“Is that it? Or are you just nervous about people discovering what’s under your hoodie?” asked Twilight Sparkle, not believing the redhead’s excuse.

Seeing that there was no point in lying, Sunset Shimmer sighed and said, “I am nervous about people seeing what’s underneath. Wait, how long have you known about that?”

“I have known since you drove me home on Friday after the party. Your hoodie isn’t that great at concealing whatever you have underneath it when someone is close to you,” replied Twilight Sparkle, grabbing an apple as she walked out of the line.

“How come you didn’t call me out on Friday?” asked Sunset Shimmer, following her and the girls. “You could’ve, so why didn’t you, Twilight?”

“I didn’t because I figure you’ll come clean eventually. And what you said earlier, proves my point. I know you’re scared, but I can see you are breaking past your fear. So, I am not going to push you,” said Twilight Sparkle, sitting down at the table with Sunset Shimmer joining her. “Also, if you need help tuning out the glances, just focus on the girls and me. We’ll be right here.”

“Thank you, Sparky,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she reached out for Twilight’s hand. “I am grateful I have you.”

“Me too, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset shimmer did her best to focus on the girls and ignore the stares she was getting from the surrounding students. The task wasn’t easy, especially since she felt like she was under a microscope lens. It felt like everyone was trying to see what she was hiding from them. Biting her lip, Sunset looked down at her tray of half-eaten food. She didn’t have much of an appetite with the stress of coming clean weighing heavily on her. Looking at Twilight Sparkle, she felt ashamed that she could’ve lied to someone who had been there for her. She pushed her tray away from her and rested her arms on the table. Shifting in her seat, she accidentally yanked her tail and let out a small yelp. Sunset looked at the girls and was thankful they hadn’t noticed it amongst the loud noises of the cafeteria.

“So, do y’all think Cassidy is the last kid that escaped into our world?” asked Applejack, trying to ignore the growing tension between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer.

“I don’t know, AJ,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking at the cowgirl.

“Well, there haven’t been any new robots appearing around town, right?” asked Rainbow Dash before taking a bite of her pizza.

“Well, that’s not exactly true, Dash. I saw something on Thursday after I left to go to the Principal’s office,” Sunset Shimmer said, making all the girls look at her with shocked expressions.

“And you just now mention this to us?” asked Rarity, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah… sorry,” Sunset looked down, suddenly feeling awkward for mentioning that she saw something on Thursday.

“You had ample time to say something to us. So, how come you didn’t?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“At the time, you were more important to me, Twilight. And things became hectic later on, stopping me from mentioning it,” replied Sunset Shimmer, hoping the girls would understand.

“While it’s sweet that you cared for me, next time, let us know about this kind of information,” said Twilight Sparkle, resting her hand on Sunset’s shoulder, just above the edge of her wing.

“Okay, I will,” said Sunset Shimmer as she struggled not to flinch under Twilight’s gentle touch.

“So, what did you see on Thursday?” asked Applejack.

“I saw Springtrap. Well, I think I did anyway,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“What do you mean you think you did?” asked Fluttershy, finally speaking after choosing to remain quiet.

“That’s just it. I saw him for a few seconds then he disappeared into a pile of a weird substance. It looked like concentrated equestrian magic.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Fluttershy. “Then it just floated off into the sky.”

“Equestria magic?!” Pinkie pie asked, jumping up from her seat, unknowingly causing her milk to spill onto Rarity’s skirt.

“Pinkie Pie, please be careful!” shouted Rarity as she stood up. “ I am going run to the ladies room to clean this up.”

“I better go with her and make sure she’s alright,” said Applejack, getting up from her seat and throwing her backpack over her shoulder, not waiting for a reply from the girls.

“Okay, meet us in the library when you two have finished,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up and threw what remained of her lunch into the trash can.

“We’ll be there,” said Applejack, dumping her tray and running off to find Rarity.

“Why are we going to the library?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Because we need to do some research on Springtrap. And you need to help us understand his role in the game as well as what his intentions are likely to be. Something tells me he’s going to present more of a danger than the kids did,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Just as Twilight Sparkle went to grab her backpack, she saw Violet Night walk past her. As she went to dump her tray, she failed to see the puddle of spilled milk next to the trash can. Violet stepped in it and lost her balance, sending her falling to the ground. Her arms flailed about and tried to grip something, but her backpack was too heavy and kept her off balance. Right before she was about to hit the ground, she felt a pair of arms catch her. She looked behind her to find Twilight Sparkle helping her back up.

“Woah, are you alright?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she kept her wings behind her and helped Violet Night to her feet again.

“Yeah, thanks for catching me,” said Violet Night, giving Twilight a quick hug. “I better get going before my friends wonder where I am.”

“You’re welcome, Violet,” said Twilight Sparkle, surprised by the sudden hug.

After that, Violet Night ran out of the cafeteria, disappearing behind the two metal doors that led into it. Twilight Sparkle heard the whispers around her change from suspicious to curiosity. Several students looked at her as if they were trying to assess whether or not she was dangerous. It made her uncomfortable, but by now, she had gotten used to it. Trying to keep her composure, Twilight walked out of the room, the girls following suit behind her.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Rarity was using a paper towel to soak up the milk before it dried. Rarity didn’t want it to leave a stain behind as milk stains were notoriously hard to get out. She had to get rid of a few of her favorite shirts because the stains refused to allow her to remove them. That was a rough day for her, but she knew there was nothing that could be done to save them. Just as Rarity grabbed a second paper towel, she heard the bathroom door open behind her. Rarity looked behind her to see it was Applejack that had opened the door.

“Hello, dear. I’m sorry for taking so long. I should be finishing up soon,” said Rarity, continuing to dab the spot where the milk had spilled.

“It’s alright. I wanted us to be alone when I do this, Rare,” said Applejack, stepping closer to the fashionista.

“Do what?” Rarity asked, turning to face the cowgirl.

“This,” said Applejack, leaning in towards Rarity.

Mustering all the courage she could, Applejack let her lips caress Rarity’s bottom one while her hand cupped the fashionista’s cheek. She felt Rarity hesitate and try to pull away before giving in to the kiss. As Applejack felt herself lost in the feeling of kissing her crush, she felt Rarity’s arms wrap around her neck tightly, pulling her down to her height. The scent of lilacs and a hint of cinnamon wafted towards her, making her inhale deeply. It was a combo that she loved because it always reminded her of why she loved Rarity. While she was always stylish, Applejack adored the feisty nature in Rarity when it showed itself. She could hear the paper towel crinkle behind her as she continued to kiss Rarity. Her hand moved from the fashionista’s cheek down to her neck, pulling her closer. The realization of what she did dawned on her and made her heart thunder like a race horse’s after a long run. With her pulse racing under Rarity’s light touch, her body shook from the intensity of the emotions that washed over her. With her breathing becoming more ragged by the second, she pulled away and allowed Rarity to catch her breath as well.

“I-I love you, Rare,” said Applejack in a meek voice, which was out of character for the cowgirl. “I have wanted to tell you that for the last year or so.”

Rarity, still reeling from the unexpected kiss, smiled at Applejack. She dropped the paper towel in the trash and looked at the cowgirl. A coy smile appeared on her face as she stepped closer to her. Her hand gripped the collar of Applejack’s shirt, and she pushed her against the wall as she closed the distance between their bodies. As Rarity leaned in, she kissed her again, this time brushing her tongue against Applejack’s bottom lip, hoping for an invitation. When she felt her lips part slightly, she darted her tongue in for a moment. It brushed against the cowgirl’s tongue, allowing her to taste the sour tang of Granny Smith’s green apple cider she had been drinking during lunch.

As their tongues danced together, Rarity removed her hand from the collar of Applejack’s shirt and moved it down the front of her shirt. She stopped when she felt her hand reach the edge of the belt holding up Applejack’s skirt. It was all too tempting to unbuckle it and continue her exploration, but she forced herself not to do it, knowing that now was not the right time to make that move. After all, Rarity didn’t want to scare her off. She moved her other hand to the cowgirl’s neck and pulled her down until their eyes met. Looking into Applejack’s green eyes, she could see a lovingness in them that made them look like two emeralds staring back at her. It was so easy to get lost in them that she nearly forgot to breathe for a second. However, she pulled away and let Applejack breathe as she tried to catch her breath as well.

“I...love...you too, Applejack,” said Rarity in between gasps, still trying to catch her breath.

Applejack’s cheek flushed a shade of red similar to the apples on her farm as she heard Rarity admit her feelings. A wave of excitement washed over her, making her grip the wall for support. Her mind was flooded with emotions, and combined with the high of kissing Rarity twice; she was about ready to pass out. Thankfully, Applejack managed to fight back against the lightheadedness that threatened to overwhelm her and composed herself. After learning that the fashionista felt the same about her, she was elated that she had taken the risk and kissed her. Though, the way that Rarity had kissed her was enough to make the toughest of cowgirls faint from the sudden passion. Not that she was going to complain about the passionate kiss.

“Well, when you’re finished, we have to meet Twilight and the girls at the library,” said Applejack, finally able to stop using the wall as a support.

“Okay, then. Let me finish cleaning up,” replied rarity, grabbing another paper towel and dabbing the spot where the milk had spilled.