Ocellus sat straight up at her study desk, her aura magically wrapped around her pen as she continued to scribble on the white piece of parchment in front of her.

Smolder sat on her bunk behind the 'ling, grateful that she could at least trust Spike to clean up the dorm quickly.

Blood was literally everywhere. Smolder was reckless when it came to her victims, and at least Spike knew that much. Maybe a little less than Gallus, but he still understood her antics enough not to snitch on her.

Gratefully, Spike - for some reason - thought of it as cool that he got to be an assassin's body-count busboy. Still, the thought of others being weighed down by her own burden... it hurt Smolder. A lot.

The dragon shifted her hands, placing them over her thighs as she rocked her legs back and forth in thought.

What happened in the woods earlier that day wasn't something Smolder was exactly proud of, regardless of how much she enjoyed it. The thing that got her was that her friends were there. Watching her. Witnessing her destroy creatures, rip them apart piece by piece, both physically and emotionally.

The more Smolder thought about it, the more it began to tear her up inside.

"...numerator... always on top... denominator...."

Smolder heard a creaking sound coming from below her as her friend turned around in her study chair.

"And this is what they looked like," Ocellus spoke, stepping out of the chair and sitting down in front of the two bunks where Smolder could see her.

Her gaze shifted down to Ocellus, who was holding up the colored piece of paper in front of the dragon with her pink aura.

It was a dead-on descriptive drawing of the figure, albeit the coloring might've been a little messy for Smolder's taste. Still, it had the accurate red and black patterns on their costume, katana-blade grips showing and everything. As for the figure's pose, it was pretty flattering to see.

Still, on the paper, Smolder could see her alter ego in quite a friendly looking stance. They were perched straight in front of the on-paper "screen", and they were smiling with their white eyes - since you couldn't see their mouth - and forming their hands into a heart shape over their chest.

What Smolder found most amusing were a few messy pink hearts scribbled around them. Ocellus' drawings were so... cute.

Smolder covered her mouth with a paw, trying her best to hold back a chuckle. She failed miserably when she saw her friend pout, her cheeks puffing up in an even more adorable manner. "What's so funny?! T-This is life and death we're talking about!"

"Of course, of course," Smolder realized her actions, removing her hand and waving it dismissively. To her success, the bug was driven off her icy glare, but still batted an irked eye at the dragon still. "So, did they, uh... try anything," Smolder questioned, her eyes flickering to the drawing, then back to Ocellus.

"N-No. They just... they..."

Two ponies dead. One's neck was slit open, the cut soaked in pools of blood. The other bruised and battered, filled with drops of scalding, scarlet-covered, silver bullets. Both were shocked. Both were scared. Both were no match against that... that creature.

Ocellus shut her eyes to prevent the tears bordering in the corners. She instead blinked rapidly, her wings pulsing against her elytra. "I think they knew we were there. They saw me. S-Saw... us."

Smolder nodded, her hands trembling with fear. She was there. She saw them. Didn't even think to speak to them, comfort them, she chided herself.

Had she not been caught up in her own indulgences, she would've noticed how scared they were. How scared she was. Ocellus passed out because of Smolder, the way she handled her business there without question or regard for how the casualties could effect the ones around her.

"I...I should've been there," Smolder sighed, turning away. "I should've been there to protect you all."

Ocellus shook her head, reaching out a hoof to her draconic friend's shoulder. "No, no, it's okay. You were only trying to look out for us," she disagreed, giving Smolder a warm smile she couldn't see.

Ocellus couldn't see why Smolder was putting herself down like that. How could something like that be her fault? Clearly, the school had to have been to blame. After all, shouldn't they have been checking to see if the field trip routes were at least safe?

What they witnessed earlier that day wasn't pleasant for any of them. What, did Smolder wish she could've gained the experience?

Ocellus' smile faded as she thought deeper into the situation. If Smolder went to get help, then, wasn't that creature their help?

Where was she, then?

"The creature didn't attack us, but they knew full well we were there," Ocellus mused aloud. Smolder turned her head as she watched the bug slowly begin to pace around. Then, she turned to Smolder, her face covered in confusion and concern. "Smolder, did you lead the creature toward us?"

Close.

Smolder almost sighed in relief, but she didn't, considering her problem hadn't exactly been solved. There was another can of worms opened, and Ocellus was the culprit.

"No, I- No, I wouldn't... I..."

She could see the changeling's face. She looked disappointed, yet she looked like she was trying to hold it back. Like in her heart, she knew Smolder wouldn't do something so foolish. She was smarter than that, wasn't she?

Smolder finally exhaled, letting her arms hang loose as she slumped over. "You know I wouldn't do something like that," she retorted. Ocellus quirked a brow, her eyes gleaming with fierce determination. "I was just trying to help."

The changeling's eyes widened, her breath shaky, and so were her hooves. Her wings buzzed nervously under the shield of her elytra, allowing her to burn the awkward energy flowing through her body. "Y-You... Y-You did, didn't you? You led them there... to... to murder those ponies, I-" Her eyes refused to focus up on the dragon. She turned her head, pivoting her hooves in attempt to turn away.

Smolder reached out, pulling Ocellus back toward her. She was the smartest creature she had ever known, but she barely even scratched the surface of what she thought was getting into. Not yet.

Ocellus had a lot further to go before she uncovered Smolder's secret, but that didn't mean the dragon was exactly safe from exposure. "I wouldn't. I swear, Ocellus... you gotta believe me."

The room grew silent, all filled with nothing besides both their heavy breathing.

Ocellus' thoughts were racing around her mind, running circles around her head. She had so many questions, none of which were being answered like she wanted them to. Something had to have been up with the creature in that forest. There was no way they were there for no reason. Smolder had to have led them there, or else, how else would they have known when and where to appear?

Still, Ocellus knew there was something Smolder wasn't telling her.

Smolder grew tired of the dead silent, raising her claws up to Ocellus' head and cupping them around the sides. She gave the changeling a reassuring smile. "You trust me, don't you?"

Ocellus was silent, putting a hoof on one of Smolder's wrists. She gripped it tight as if she was struggling to hold on. Like she depended on her to be able to stand on her own four hooves.

Mimicking her friend's small smile(but weaker), she nodded cautiously. "I... I do. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, I just- I still wish I could've been there for you all."

Ocellus made her way to her own bed, and Smolder to her's. Tucking herself under the covers, she said, "I'm sure they feel the same way I do."

Smolder flew up to her bunk, also getting herself cozy. "I...I hope so. I really do."

Letting all reality drip slowly away from her, Smolder shut her eyes. Darkness enveloped her body as she began to dream about the next day. Something would probably go wrong tomorrow too, but, she didn't mind. As long as Ocellus wasn't angry at her, that's all that mattered.

Oh, and her other friends, too.

"You're terrible at this," Gallus deadpanned as he walked abreast his annoyed dragon friend through the halls. "You know that, right?"

Smolder huffed, her tail lashing. "Yeah, well, what was I supposed to say? That whole thing was my fault! You even said it!" She turned her head to the side, throwing a small side-glare Gallus' way as she pointed an indignant claw.

The griffon sighed, looking down as he kept on walking. "Right, yeah. It's... it's true, though. You know eventually that this mess is gonna fuck you up. Royally."

The dragon didn't scoff or scorn at her friend this time, considering what happened last night almost bit her in the ass. Still, though, she figured what he was saying was true. It was just a shame she couldn't just up and leave her old habits.

Not yet.

The two kept walking, both looking around at the bright pink and pinkish-red decor hanging around the school roof and scattered all around the place. "These ponies must really like the color pink," Smolder thought, smiling to herself. Gallus chuckled at the decorations as well, seeing four of his friends from afar on a step ladder and doing their part to decorate.

"Since when did you guys start to like pink?" They began to approach their friends indeed; Silverstream, Sandbar, Yona, and Ocellus all hanging up strips of pink decoration paper, or tapestries, or posters on the walls.

Silverstream scoffed, waving a dismissive claw. "I am pink!"

Yona spoke up, trying to untangle the pink strips of wrapping paper from her horns. "Friend Ocellus have pink hair."

"Technically, it's called gossamer," Ocellus corrected, hovering up near the ceiling as she adjusted one of the pinkish-red tapestries on the wall.

Just when she saw the changedling, Smolder began to smile wider, admiring the shiny gossamer pink fin she had mentioned.

Gallus looked over to the dazed dragon, flicking her with a talon. "Ow! Bitch!" Smolder rubbed her arm, looking cross at the griffon beside her. Gallus only smirked, quirking a brow.

"Watch'a lookin' at," he asked in a mocking tone, his gaze shifting suspiciously to Ocellus, then back to Smolder. The dragon only huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

"N-Nothing..." She dug her feet into the carpet below her, her tail swishing at Gallus' sudden attention. The griff pressed on.

"I take it the rest of our friends aren't the only ones getting attached to the color pink, are they?"

Despite his annoying and quite frankly, bothersome pestering, Smolder proceeded to walk over to the bunch, Gallus following beside her. Ocellus smiled warmly at the two's arrival, slowing her wing beats as her hooves began to touch the carpet. "Where've you two been all day?"

Smolder was silent, turning away and scuffing her foot on the floor. Gallus looked at her with sympathy as he went on to speak for her. "We were... ah, visiting the professors. They're both okay, but... those hits were pretty brutal."

Ocellus' ears wilted. "Oh no," she whimpered. Smolder was still silent, and she could tell something was up, still. She was still blaming herself. That wasn't right. It wasn't Smolder's fault, what happened. She shouldn't still be chiding herself over it, not when she couldn't have done anything about it.

Putting a hoof on the dragon's shoulder, she tapped it, prompting Smolder to turn back around.

Ocellus levitated a small, pink tapestry her friend's way, giving her a kind smile as she did.

Smolder's eyes widened. Her mouth hung open, and she was left slack-jawed, unable to say anything. Her cheeks burned at scorching heat, so hot that she could've sworn she felt smoke rising from where she stood.

Gallus chuckled, using his claw to push Smolder's jaw back up to where it belonged. "She really appreciates it," he teased, looking smugly at the slightly amused Ocellus.

"I can tell," she giggled, handing over the piece of tapestry that Gallus then reached out and grabbed for his dragon friend.

Looking at Smolder, he laughed. "Smolder, what do we say...?"

"S-Shut up," she growled.

Giggling to herself, Ocellus expanded her elytra, her wings buzzing and carrying her back to where she was putting up decorations.

She landed near the school entrance, then looked back at the rest of her friends.

Decorations were pretty well set up so far; she figured they wouldn't really need her at this point. Either way, she needed to get some fresh air after hearing the terrible news. Her teachers were busy recovering from their injuries since the ponies in the infirmary needed to make sure they weren't suffering anything major.

If anything major was inflicted on her teachers, let alone while they were on their field trip, there was no telling when something would come up again. She didn't know when she'd be able to get any alone time, or time to herself.

"Hey guys," she started, turning to face her friends again. "You won't really need me anymore, will you? For the decorations, I mean."

Sandbar turned to look at her from the top of the step ladder. "You've done a lot already. Thanks for the help!"

Ocellus nodded gratefully, letting her wings buzz again as she hovered out of the building.

Smolder watched as she left, her eyes still wide, and her cheeks still singing with red.

"Hellooooo? Earth to Smolder?"

Not to far away from her ear, she could hear the loud clicking of Gallus' repeatedly snapping talon.

Her look tightening, she looked over to him, her eyes gleaming with annoyance. Gallus only smugged, rolling his eyes as he quit snapping his claw in her ear. "Okay, okay, sorry. I'm just saying, you know, you should really go talk to her." Smolder arched a brow, making Gallus huff in frustration. "Go after her, you idiot," he bellowed, whipping a feathered wing against the thick scales on Smolder's back.

The dragon winced, her wings springing out as she jolted at the sudden contact.

"Get yourself together, you psycho! Clean yourself up or something!"

"Fine! Okay! I can hear you," Smolder grumbled, trudging back to the dorms to get herself together like the griffon said.

Gallus smiled as he saw her go, looking like a proud father who just taught his son how to ride his bike with no training wheels.

When he heard Sandbar's voice, he turned. "What just happened," he asked, pointing a hoof at the direction Smolder just left. Gallus shrugged his shoulders, playfully patting his pony pal's pate.

"Hush child. You'll understand when you're older."

Then, Gallus spread his wings and took to the air. Sandbar watched as he disappeared further and further into the distance, the same confused and concerned look on his face. "I'm a year older than you," he uttered, mostly to himself.

Smolder unlocked the door to her room, closing it back and locking it behind her once she entered. Then, she went to her closet, brushing by all the hoarded, severed creature heads and weaponry as she pulled out her trademark outfit from the very back.

Besides the dresses she wore for her tea parties, her assassin outfit was really the only peice of clothing she ever wore. Still, she pulled it from the very back of the closet, then grabbed two surprisingly clean, white towels before closing the doors back - and, thankfully, locking it securely - and making her way to the bathroom.

There, she walked over to the shower-tub mesh setup they had, tugging at the hot/cold lever and turning it toward the hottest setting.

Not too long after that, hot, steamy water began to rain from the tiny holes in the square shower head. The bathroom was filled with water vapor that fogged up the glass mirror.

Sighing contently, Smolder stepped in, the water hitting her scales and bouncing off in an opaque cloud of white mist. The water graced her scales and ran their way down her back, sending heat-induced shivers up her spine.

"I feel bad I wasn't talking for a while," she sighed, addressing her lack of one-sided conversation with the beings beyond the screen she so frequently gazed upon. "But, I guess this time's just as good as any."

"I'm... a little nervous about today, not gonna lie. If you didn't know, today is Hearts and Hooves Day, which is the day ponies hug, and kiss, and date and do all this other mushy stuff with each other."

The water splashed against the shower floor, sending a crackling sound throughout the room. Smolder continued, "...And Ocellus is," she paused, sighing, "Alone, today. I wanna cheer her up. I know she doesn't know it, but... it was my fault she had to see what she did the other day. My intentions were pure... I think."

She let her eyes shift down to the floor, but then looked back up at the shower head as she had been before.

"But she doesn't know that. That the... other side of me meant well. Well, I meant well, it's just... this shit takes control of me sometimes, you know?"

There was a long silence after that. Smolder pressed on.

"And when I get like that, it's like tunnel vision. Like I can't control myself around my enemies. No one left alive. It's sad. That I can't quit, I mean. I don't wanna burden Ocellus... o-or my friends with my dumb antics, s-so... the least I could do is show her, or at least myself that I can control that side of me. That I can trust myself. That she can trust me."

Another long pause.

With a high-pitched squeak, Smolder turned the lever the other way. The spraying water ceased, one last crackling of water touching down upon the floor.

Smolder grabbed one towel from above the curtain rod, wrapping it around her body. Another one she grabbed as well, wrapping it around her head to dry off her fins and scales.

She looked to the screen, then down to the floor. "Look, I like to pamper myself before I do a job, okay?"

Walking over to her shared study desk, she looked down at the costume laid out before her. "Back at it again," she sighed, "But this time, it's for the... the better."

Ocellus sat with her legs draping over the edge of the school's roof, her hooves gently swaying back and forth as she breathed in the soft air coming in with the breeze.

She took another deep breath, this time opening her receptors as she did so.

Just the same thing as she tasted before. Nothing to clog up her sensors- nothing to block her, or affect her emotionally up here. She was all alone. No one to complicate it.

Deep down, Ocellus sometimes liked her solitude. Well, more like when she wasn't just left alone to pity herself. When she was more willing to be alone than forced. She liked the atmosphere here. Something to help her get away from her problems.

She was at peace.

Ocellus' ears perked up as she heard a loud clanking noise coming from behind. "Hey, s'there any room for anyone else up here," a familiar, light voice followed by heavy footsteps came with it.

Ocellus turned her head to see who it was. "Oh my hive!"

Had she not known she was dangerously close to the edge of the roof, she would've backed up at the sight of the so dreaded creature coming toward her.

Not knowing what else to do, Ocellus shielded her face behind her hooves. "P-Please don't hurt me!"

Foolish, she knew. She probably could've turned into a bugbear, scared the creature away or something, but she was too petrified. Good thing she decided not to do that; there was no telling what the figure could do if they were "intimidated".

Still, she heard the footsteps of the approacher. They stopped after a while, so she figured they weren't exactly planning to do what she thought they were. "Oh, of course not," they sympathized, lightly touching their padded paws on Ocellus' hooves and pulling them from her eyes.

The changeling still looked nervous, however, jerking her hooves back from their hands. "H-How do I know I can trust you," she spat, "A-After all you did yesterday?! Y-You made my friend feel terrible for something you did!" She lunged forward, all her worries being replaced by resentful anger.

"Woah, hey, cool it!" They held their hands out, looking as if they were going to try and defend themselves.

Ocellus narrowed her eyes. "Why should I? You kill creatures for fun! Y-You... you killed those ponies in that forest yesterday!" The creature's eyes widened. They looked hurt.

"I saved you guys!"

"By committing bloody murder?! I-I should've reported you!" Ocellus turned her head, turning her back to the creature - something she probably shouldn't have done, she thought - and lifting her chin up. "In fact, I think I will." She turned her head back to see the creature again, just in case they tried anything, of course.

They didn't look the slightest bit intimidated, pressing their hands to their cheeks and calling out in a mocking tone: "Oh, no! Whatever will I do now."

Ocellus scoffed. Now, she realized the creature at least had a sense of humor. Well, she could tell that much in that forest the other day. The point was, she knew the creature may have been black hearted, but... they weren't doing her any harm. Still, it wouldn't do her any good to push her luck.

Turning around, she jabbed the creature square in the chest, her eyes narrow as she looked up at them and asked, "So what are you doing here? D-Don't you have some other creatures to go... torture?" Now that she thought about it that way, she probably shouldn't have given them the idea.

"I would, buuuuuut," they paused, bowing their head down in an overly exaggerated fashion. Then, they reached behind their back, right where their katana were placed.

Ocellus whimpered at the thought of the creature pulling out a blade and slicing her to bits. She covered her eyes again, collapsing under herself and cowering before them. Waiting for them to do it. To slice her into bits.

"I thought you looked really familiar," they said finally. "...And, I, uh... think you're really... pretty."

Ocellus was confused. Did the creature just...?

She opened her eyes finally, uncovering them to find a fairly sized bouqet of blood-red roses. They smelled wonderful, and looked like they were freshly picked, not store-bought.

Wrapped around them were gauze bandages, charred and burned to jarring perfection.

Ocellus found herself blushing, her cheeks turning warm and pink as she fumbled back onto her hooves. "S-So, what is this," she nearly hissed, "D-Did you smear someone's blood on these? Grind their bones for fertilizer?"

"Sweet bloody scepter, you're so mean! I-I just thought you'd like them... as an apology for what you guys saw yesterday."

Ocellus bit back another hiss. "W-What do you mean...?"

"I mean, I should've tried to comfort you all instead of doing... what I did. I was told somecreatures were in danger, and I acted, but... I came off a bit too aggressive, I just... I'm sorry you all had to see that. I shouldn't have done what I did, or, at least should've taken it elsewhere."

Ocellus blinked. Strangely, she found herself sympathizing with that. Like she was at peace with the creature now. After all that happened, too. Sighing, she nodded, figuring she was able to at least accept their apology. "Yeah, you're right. You could've taken it elsewhere."

They nodded, turning their head away from the changeling and looking off into the distance. Ocellus wasn't finished yet, putting her hoof under their chin and turning them to face her again. "But, you were only trying to help," she admitted, "And you've made up for it quite well already," she giggled.

Levitating her now accepted bouquet of roses, sitting back down on the shutters of the school's roof again. "Did you maybe wanna sit in? I'd be happy to have someone to talk to while I..."

She trailed off as she traced the school's roof for the creature she was speaking to just a minute ago. Miraculously, they were gone.

Strangely, she began to feel for them. Like they were less black hearted creature and more a wrong-doer for the right reasons hearted creature.

She smiled at the thought.

Yeah, that made sense. She liked that. It fit them well.

Author's Note

I do very highly detailed shower scenes