Even compared to all the fights she’d heard as a young girl, Twilight could tell this one was particularly bad. Screaming and insults were the norm at this point, if not just considered tame; it wasn’t like her parents actually loved each other. But the hatred involved, the sheer force of it in the voices that spewed such vicious words and curses down upon one another…

Twilight, the clueless queen of all things sociable, didn’t need much clearer indicators to know that the marriage her mother and father had endured was soon to be coming to an end. And clueless though she was, she knew full well they’d remained together for the sake of their kids- and with her brother gone, that meant her specifically. She wondered how she should feel about all that guilt that bubbled up within her in response to such a thought.

Smarty Pants was her only friend in the house at this point, her aged stuffy held tight against her chest as she continued to hear the hateful bombardment of her parents trading blows. For one who was used to hearing their outbursts, she wondered why it was so difficult for her to actually endure this one. Maybe it was because Shining was finally gone –and for good this time- or simply she couldn’t help but feel the pain of such a loveless, hopeless, doomed marriage that seemingly forced you to be beside a person you absolutely despised. With so many images of tired marriages, worn out and ready to be set by the wayside, unions of lovelessness was all Twilight had known for her very short life; now at the age where she could know such things weren’t healthy, maybe at last she had the wisdom to utterly despise it- and yet no means by which to avoid it, so she basked in the despair. Surely a marriage isn’t supposed to be like this. Please, please…

She heard a door open and then immediately be slammed shut, the lighter footfalls indicating that it was likely her mother- even if they staggered wildly down the hallway towards the stairs. Twilight wondered if her mother was drunk; if she was, maybe she should keep an eye on her while the drunken woman tried to navigate steps downward. But when the sounds of her father’s furious fixations continued to abound, she hesitated for a moment. Maybe not just yet, a few minutes of waiting couldn’t hurt. To be caught in the middle, like when she was a little girl…

Twilight dared to sneak a look through the crack in her door and saw no activity coming from her parents’ bedroom, her father not showing any indication that he wanted to leave its quarters. She assumed it was safe, and her petite frame darted towards the stairs before any sign of her could be reacted to, rushing down the stairs and finding the kitchen lights on- the sound of glass tinkling within not helping matters. Before she even entered, Twilight knew what she was to find within.

“Twilight!” Velvet was deep in a glass of whiskey already, the woman drained of all life and positive emotion as she reaped the whirlwind from her coffee mug of liquor and clearly unhappy at the sight of her youngest child. “What the hell are you doing here, you should be in bed! You’ve got school tomorrow, you know better!”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Twilight said bluntly, not sure what emotion she wanted to express first in response to the night’s events. The fight was bad enough, and her mother’s continued alcoholism wasn’t helping matters.

Velvet gave an assenting nod. “Yeah… not surprised,” she said, cocking back and downing the majority of her whiskey in a long, singular drain without a thought in the world, immediately taking the sizeable bottle of spirits in hand to pour out another- one that disappeared just as quickly, and with as little inhibition as before, if not less. Her mother was clearly having a bad night.

She cursed herself initially for being so willing to speak plainly, half-wondering if the boldness would bring wrath down upon her own self for it. “You and Dad are finally gonna divorce, aren’t you?”

Velvet sighed for far too long, the effect of her liquor swiftly taking hold as she took to another heavy glass. “Probably,” she muttered. “Sure looks that way.”

“Couldn’t you just-“

“No, Twilight,” Velvet said fiercely, a total lack of hesitancy in her reply. “I’m done. I won’t let him just keep ruining everything and just… shit. Your father’s a fucking asshole, fuck him.” She took another drink and slid down against the cupboards, wistfully looking out into the world and perhaps wondering what sort of futures she had missed out on instead when she had chosen this path in life. “Twilight?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“Do yourself a favor,” Velvet muttered, “if you fall in love- make sure it’s with someone that’s worth it.”

When Cadance had broken the news to her, there was hardly a word able to be said. Twilight wanted to fly into a rage, and Cadance’s spirit was too thoroughly crushed for her to find any means by which to speak again. Did they ever go to sleep? Did it matter? All Twilight knew was that she awoke sometime in the early morning and found herself in the bed next to Cadance, cradling her beloved fiancé as though she were a cherished doll. Actually leaving the bed, to really stop pretending that the world wasn’t a complete mess was excruciating. She didn’t quite know how to handle it all, facing down the ungodly Cinch and- her own damned mother.

Cadance picked at her food that morning. Twilight had coffee and didn’t even try to pretend. The two dressed and readied themselves slowly, tripping over simple tasks like socks and buttons as they tried to depart for any semblance of a normal life, only for Cadance to remember that she wasn’t actually supposed to go to Crystal Prep anymore until her dealings with the school board were actually over and whatever stupid as hell suspension that had been recommended was tossed out alongside Cinch like the absolutely idiotic arrest recommendation that had somehow cropped up-

“Twilight…” The soft, gentle voice of Cadance revived Twilight and she looked down at her hands to see the torn fragments of a sock within them, she having become so infuriated so as to ignore her actions. And now she owned an odd number of socks, just another frustration to add to the mix. “Twilight, are you OK?”

“Of course I’m not!” Twilight said, tossing aside her torn sock and promptly letting her flood of emotions run forth. “You’re getting accused of being a pervert, Cinch somehow got another job with the school board and is trying to ruin your life just because she’s petty, this stupid accusation will follow you forever and it is entirely my own mother’s fault! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL?!”

“I’m sorry. I know this is-”

“Don’t you say it’s your fault! It is not your fault, none of this is your fault! This never would have happened if those idiots on the school board hadn’t rehired that miserable old toad and my mother hadn’t decided to be such a vengeful piece of crowbait! Not one ounce of this is your fault!”

“And you’re sure of that?” Cadance’s expression was strange, and not at all to Twilight’s liking. It wasn’t quite guilt, but instead something far worse.

“What sort of question is that? Of course I’m sure!” Twilight fired back, an inkling of her mind beginning to guess as to where Cadance was heading.

“Twilight, have you- she thinks she's in the right, and it's a thought that is... rather justified,” Cadance said hesitantly. Her look of defeat was growing stronger every second, more potent and terrible to behold than Twilight knew how to bear.

“What? No it's not, I went to you EVERY TIME! You wanted to break it off, I kept it going!” Twilight said angrily. She remembered perfectly the day she’d first embraced Cadance, and how tight that embrace had become, all the more until two immature people strode straight into a disaster…

“Twilight... what happened in that cabin?” Cadance asked.

“That's not-”

“Twilight. Say it aloud.” Cadance’s expression was horribly pained.

She didn’t want to say it aloud at all, lest she actually give all the accusations any measure of validity. “You... got us drunk and tricked my Mom... and me- into- having sex. With each other,” she finally admitted, each word like a stone in her throat.

Cadance nodded slowly. “Exactly. Twilight, think about this from your mother's perspective. The only interaction she'd had regarding our relationship was that one moment, that one point in time where she did something she regrets for the rest of her life. If you were her, and that had been your daughter, would you ever trust that person again?”

“But you're not that person anymore! I wouldn't be with you if you were!” Twilight protested.

“Twilight, she doesn’t know that-”

Twilight, however, was beyond reason in regards to the actions of her own mother, incensed to a loss of control that forced her emotions to boil over and spill out from within her. “Yes she does!” She spat. “She's just mad because she thinks I'm still a kid and- I'm happy with my life! She doesn't get the right to ruin that! I grew up hearing her and my Dad scream at each other for years and now she wants to come back into my life and act like she knows what a healthy relationship looks like?” She hated the tears that were pouring down her face, so illogical and unhelpful as she tried to face the fact that her world was falling apart and it might have been her own fault in the first place.

Cadance looked like she wanted to reach out and try to stop the flow down her love’s face but was weighted to her seat by shame. “She just… is doing what she thinks is right, Twilight.”

“Oh don’t give her that,” Twilight snarled. “She’s trying to get revenge and you know it, don’t even try to pretend that she’s doing this for some good reason. She never liked Cinch either and now look- just because she still hates you, and for no- no-”

“No good reason?” Cadance guessed. “I was never able to actually apologize to her, you know.”

Twilight knew she was caught on that one. “She… she changed. But you did too, and even if she doesn’t know that, she should- I wouldn’t be marrying you if you were still that person, and she should know that. What my Mom’s doing is wrong.”

“She may not think that way, Twilight. She might… think you’re a victim caught in abuse and just don’t know the difference. You said it yourself, Velvet’s marriage was a horrible one, I don’t think she’d wish that sort of thing on anyone.”

“Why are you defending her?” Twilight demanded, appalled she was even hearing such things in the first place. “She’s trying to get you thrown in prison for pedophilia! How is this not fazing you?”

“Twilight, she’s your mother-”

“What, and I should just forgive her?”

“No, that’s not what I-” Cadance paused and sighed, trying to sort her muddled thoughts of various unhappy sources. “I don’t want you to go through the rest of your life hating her. Twilight, you’re a good person –a genuinely good person- I hate the thought of you going through life and being motivated by such an awful emotion. It’s not… it’s not what you’re supposed to be. So don’t hold onto it, and try to understand how your mother’s thinking about all of this.”

Twilight tossed the thoughts aside for the time being, either unwilling or unable to conjure any sort of sympathy for the woman who was trying to ruin her future and that of her dearest love. “So… now what do you do?” she asked. “For yourself, I mean?”

“I… wait for the hearing before the school board next week,” Cadance said baldly. “I testify, you’ll testify, Cinch and your mother will say whatever they have to and then…” The beautiful woman went cold and struggled to even swallow. “I guess we’ll find out from there.”

It was the first time in a while that Twilight looked over at Cadance and saw the exquisite woman frightened. Not the intense nervousness that had plagued her when Thanksgiving had come around, but a true fear of a truly terrible potential future. Twilight was furious and scared herself, but she was considered a victim in all of this; Cadance was being portrayed as a malevolent perpetrator…

“We’ll get through this,” Twilight said at last, though unable to force herself over to Cadance’s side and provide comfort. “I’m the ‘victim’ in this, right? One testimony from me and Cinch’s whole plan falls apart, and then she has to go crawling back to whatever miserable hole she crawled out of. Right?”

Cadance gave a weak smile that was more like a grimace. “To the school board… guilty until proven innocent, Love.”

“Not if I have anything to say-” Twilight meant to say more then and there, but found herself interrupted by a vibration coming from the cell phone in her pocket, one she promptly checked. “Unbelievable.”

Cadance had an inkling as to just what might elicit such a reaction. “She didn’t just try to call you.”

“Texted me, just now,” Twilight answered. “She wants to meet with me and talk things over.”

“I think you’re right. Unbelievable.”

“I mean, should-” the young woman paused, caught between fury at her own kindred and a curiosity as to what would make her mother dare to ask such a thing. “Do I even answer?”

Cadance sighed for a time and a half, her whispering breath speaking to her own multitude of unpleasant emotions that had yet to be dealt with. “I think… you should try to find out what she’s thinking.”

“Irish coffee, please.”

The barista gave a look that suggested the order came as something of a surprise. It was, after all, sometime in the afternoon, and the order itself was hardly customary for working hours. Twilight seemed to catch a lot of strange reactions from people for her choices and personality, whether she meant to receive them or not. Maybe others, like Cadance, considered her lovely to the eyes; one whose choices seemed so contradictory to her aesthetic.

Or maybe she was just weird. That was never much of a wrong answer. As she waited for her drink to arrive, the young woman wondered just what she was going to do when she actually ended up meeting with her mother. Considering all the fallout that had come in the wake of their last meeting only a few months prior, what had come only a couple days ago seemed like fetid icing on a sewer sundae. Would she just simply abandon pretense and slap her, or did she even have the ability to do meet her mother at all? It wasn’t a bad question to ask of herself, actually. For all her efforts to be the mature, reasonable one in her relationship, Twilight knew she was truthfully more immature than Cadance, a thing that would only come with time an experience. She wasn’t sure that she’d be able to see her mother again and behave rationally, something that would take a lot of effort even if she were fully sensible. But being only in her mid-20’s didn’t really help things. This was to be a battle, inside and out.

Twilight’s order came and she looked for an empty table somewhere well-nestled away, easily forgotten by any prying eyes or ears that might listen in even by accident. A booth wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing. Now, sipping on a coffee that held a little too much sweetness for her tastes, the brilliant woman waited for a conversation she didn’t know she could withstand. Her mother had rejected her, disowned her- why was she reaching out now? Did she feel the need to twist the knife in the wound a little more, gloat in some sort of depraved victory? Scabby old crow if that was what she was wanting, Twilight found it all too easy to believe. After all, the stupid miserable drunk had tried to ruin her life before, she’d been an awful mother, didn’t that count for something? And in the end-

“Twilight.” The furious monologue was brought to an abrupt end as Twilight Velvet appeared beside the empty bench with coffee in hand, staring at her daughter with some measure of apprehension. Despite her being the progenitor of this meeting, even she seemed unwilling to actually go through with her intent.

Twilight’s first reaction was to destroy her mother. Instead, a good swallow of her words and she managed to say, “… Velvet.” It wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Did she flinch? Twilight wondered if she’d seen a grimace at the greeting, but Velvet took her seat anyway, pausing to take a sip of her drink before actually trying any sort of real conversation. “What do you want to know first?” she said at last.

“Did you look for her?”

Velvet shook her head. “Cinch called me several days ago.”

“And lied to you, obviously-”

“But did she?” Velvet challenged. “She said she suspected Cadance had raped you when you were still a student-”

“That’s a goddamn-” Twilight had to bite back the rage, cool her sound and fury that wanted to bring the whole café into her argument. No, this wouldn’t do; she would be the calm, collected one this time around. “Velvet, Cadance never once raped me. The only, only times we were together was when I was a calm, consenting adult. That is it, do you understand me?”

“And how are you supposed to know that? You were still only a girl and-” Velvet was the one who had to restrain herself this time, a sudden onset of potent emotion overtaking her; tears actually sprung from her eyes, albeit swiftly brushed aside and forgotten. “Twilight, before you even begin to explain yourself, I need you to understand what I’m doing, alright? I’m guessing you’re still mad at me.”

“You disowned me- Velvet,” Twilight said with added venom. “I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”

“I didn’t want to see you with Cadance again. It’s a difference.”

“I’m marrying her,” Twilight said bluntly.

Velvet looked at her once-daughter as though she’d been hit with a brick. “Oh my god, I- shit. Twilight, you’re making a mistake.”

“And you’re not? Get over yourself, you think I’m still some little girl. I know who Cadance is now, you don’t- you don’t know how far she’s come. Do you think I’d even be with her at all if I thought she wasn’t a good person?”

Velvet considered that thought for a moment, but whatever argument she had already conjured was going to be said no matter what was thrown against it. “Twilight, do you… do you remember your Great-Uncle Cob?” Velvet’s voice had suddenly become extremely quiet, even perhaps choked back by some unspoken feeling.

An odd question to be faced with, Twilight thought. “Only barely,” she admitted, “I think I only met him twice, you and Grandpa didn’t seem really happy about that, either. Why?”

Velvet looked down at her coffee, then at her daughter- then back at her coffee, taking such a swig that surely would have easily scalded her throat. “God,” she whispered, through physical pain or one of a different kind her outcast child couldn’t tell. “Twilight, this is something I know I’ve never told you, and it’s something your grandparents never told you, either. Do you understand me?”

“I don’t-” reasonable conclusion kicked in where confusion had once blinded and Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Ohmygod.”

“When I was a girl, your grandfather found me with him. I don’t remember any of it happening and, and I don’t know why- maybe something like I just didn’t want to remember, but the both of us were- naked, and- and he’d been caught about to do something, something else. To me.”

Twilight couldn’t have found the strength to say anything even if she’d wanted to. Nausea and the feeling of a need to vomit, perhaps more pronounced by her liquored coffee, kept her mouth sealed shut. It was something she had of course never known, had never wanted to know. The world suddenly seemed clearer, yet all the more smeared and darkened because of its knowledge.

“I remember always being glad to see him when I was a little girl,” Velvet continued, tears forcing her words to become thick and somewhat slurred, an alcoholic tone to them that had been left behind in Velvet’s recovering years. “Your grandmother said I was always trying to be his best friend- and we all wondered if he was abusing me from the start and just nobody knew, including me.” A wry smile, marred by tearstreaks and a horrendous guilt that spoke of emotions and experiences forgotten, or others now so easily explained that a myriad of messes and mistakes suddenly made complete and horrible sense. “So now you know. And I guess you know me, too.”

Twilight, although still appalled, finally found her voice again. “But- but why did I even see him at all, then?” she asked. “If you all knew, surely Grandpa wouldn’t just allow him to-”

“He came to a family reunion- just once, not twice like you remember,” Velvet said. “And when your Grandpa and I found out, we- it was really bad, Twilight. So when you came to the house with Cadance after what- what happened, I just thought… oh god, not again.”

“You thought it was the same thing…” Twilight shook her head, trying not to get lost in her mother’s own sorrows. “But that’s not what’s happened with me and Cadance. I was never in such a place with her.”

“And you’re sure? Twilight, I don’t recall anything about your Great-Uncle, your Grandfather had to tell me about for me to even remember. Are you absolutely sure that you haven’t just blocked anything out and you just don’t know it?”

Did she truly know it? Twilight deeply wanted to say yes. There were a million reasons to say just that. There was also some reason to possibly say no, too. Cadance hadn’t been all that innocent when they’d first come together, that summer fling so quickly spiraling into disaster. She would need to give a clear answer.

“Velvet,” Twilight said slowly, “I know Cadance. God, I love her- I’ve loved her since I was a little girl, I’m going to marry her. And you’re going to help Cinch ruin my life because you’re afraid of something that isn’t real.”

“Twilight, think of what she did…”

“I know! Of course I remember, jeez! But- do you think –and I mean really think- that I would be with her in any capacity at all if I thought she was still that same person?”

“I have to be sure. I need to be sure,” Velvet countered. “Twilight, you were an inexperienced, naïve girl when you first were with Cadance. That matters for something, because Cadance knew better- legal or not, she never should have been involved with you. You know that.”

“I went to her!” Twilight said hotly. “Twice, if you need to know. I was an adult each time, and she was the one who kept trying to say no, and was actually wanting to break it off first… before you decided to try and have drunken sex with her,” she added venomously. “I was the one who went to her. Each and every time we’ve ever shared a moment, whatever it was. And before you even ask, I reached out to her again when I was in college. Cadance was scared she’d mess it up again.”

“Twilight, I just… dammit all,” Velvet said wearily. “Cadance did something wrong, that has to count for something!”

“It did. And now it doesn’t,” Twilight said flatly. “I am not going to be you and Dad, do you understand me? I know Cadance, and she knows me. Enough that I want to be with her until either she’s alive or I’m not, and that’s it.”

“But Twilight, you can’t just dismiss it like it’s nothing!”

“I didn’t! But just- look, when-” Twilight was struggling to explain herself, unsure of where to pull her argument from. Logic? Emotion? A flat refusal and a middle finger seemed wonderful right about now. “I love Cadance. She’s sweet and patient and loving, and she helps me be a kinder person and she encourages me to keep being kind and to forgive people and she blames herself for all of this even though she was so scared of hurting me again but I want her to be with me again…” Twilight’s words became useless as her own tears, furious and hot, began to drip onto the table beneath her and she had to pause her rationale to wipe them away. “Please, don’t take this from me.”

Velvet sat silent across from her weeping daughter, an expression on her face suggesting a weariness of spirit and a confusion that had yet to receive an answer. Both had lain themselves bare, offered no forgiveness of the other for transgressions past, and had let their conversations fully revolve around people not even present. With each drained and unhappy as the other, all need for further talk seemed to be utterly exhausted in the face of a critical hearing only a few days away.

At last, the elder woman sighed and gave an unhappy glower. “Twilight, you need to be sure about this.”

Cadance was nervous. She knew better than to deny it. The hearing before the school board was tomorrow, the very school board that would ensure she was actually dismissed of her duties and arrested, if they so chose. Being so close to an end of a life she had been happy to partake in wasn’t something comfortable to experience, nor was the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff that was crumbling. To the beautiful woman who was trying not to panic, nothing in her world really felt all that comforting. The comforts of home were a stark contrast to the judgement she faced, and the life that would come after; each tender moment with Twilight was a reminder of what she was about to lose, each kiss and caress just another knife finding its way through her skin. Twilight was furious for her sake, trying to find any solution. All her friends were supportive, willing to testify against Cinch.

But it wasn’t like any of that really mattered. Velvet had plenty of reason to be vindictive, and enough suggestive testimony to help Cinch in her goal. All it would take was a few harsh words and Cadance knew it would be enough to see her behind bars. Some small part of her wanted to run and try to put some distance between her and fate, but the other part knew that bursting into tears was probably more likely. If the school board’s judgement went against her, it would be all that was needed for her to be put on a criminal trial- and promptly left to rot.

Altogether, not very comforting.

Cadance heard her phone begin to ring and she looked down at the caller ID to see the number of her secretary’s phone, an unlikely source of words at this particular juncture. With a sigh, she pulled to answer. “Ms. Weir, you know I’m not supposed to be talking to any of you right now,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m aware,” came the scraggly voice of her secretary. “There’s a representative from the school board here who’s authorizing communications temporarily, we need your help regarding some paperwork that’s time-sensitive.”

“And you need me to come down,” Cadance guessed. “Of course, I’ll be right there.”

“You will meet me at the front doors, and will not enter of your own accord,” said a new voice- one that Cadance unhappily recognized as belonging to Cinch. “You will not be allowed to enter the premises without authorized supervision, is that understood?”

“Perfectly,” Cadance said promptly and hung up. She didn’t know if she could hear Cinch for a few extra seconds when she’d now have to be around her for an entire period at school.

Cadance’s drive was dread-filled. The memories of being a young woman applying to work underneath the famed tyrant were suddenly coming back to her with crystalline clarity. She’d hated the time she’d spent with Cinch, if she were honest- especially when she’d been so inexperienced, so incapable of knowing how to navigate such a heartless person. Cinch had been a terror, her firing a long-awaited relief. But now she was somehow here again, able to find one last way in which to ruin Cadance’s life… and perhaps, this time, permanently.

It wasn’t a pleasant thought at all.

When she left her car and came to the glass doors of the school, she wasn’t at all happy to see Cinch standing there with arms crossed and a triumphant look on her face, the old familiar feelings of dread coming promptly back in full measure. How she’d hated seeing her…

“You took your time,” Cinch remarked.

“Traffic was bad,” Cadance replied, not wishing to waste any words on the wretched woman. “Let’s go.”

“Ah-ah! No orders from you around here any longer,” Cinch said with a wag of her finger, the change of tone in her voice like claws on a chalkboard. To hear a happy, contented sound from this wretch was always a signal of further displeasure. “We will go when I say so. And right now, I have enough mind to make you wait here while I bring the paperwork to you for you to sign. After all, wouldn’t want you to rape any more children, would we?”

So she was to be baited like prey. Cadance knew better than to react, not willing to satiate Cinch’s eager desires. “It’s cold out here,” she said. “I wondered if you knew that.”

Cinch did know it, and her outfit seemed to suggest a lifestyle suited for comfortable indoor work. With a scowl, she beckoned for Cadance to join her and she turned to walk inside, only pausing to ensure Cadance continued on beside her as a prisoner being paraded. “Take one last look, Cadance,” she crowed. “I knew a person like you would ruin it all eventually.”

“Whatever you say,” Cadance remarked blandly. “I didn’t know the school board had rehired you.”

“When the HR department’s head resigned, I was asked to fill in,” Cinch said. “Funny, really. They seemed to think I ran the school better than you. Exams scores have dropped since you’ve been in charge. They averaged in the 90’s when I ran things.”

“They’re averaging 88 right now,” Cadance said. “And not one suicide for four years, too.” She couldn’t help but let the pride swell in her voice in response to that, the small gleam of pride that came from actually being there and caring for her students was difficult to ignore. She wasn’t unapproachable, something so distant and far away- or so very cold and harsh. Cadance wanted her students to feel valuable simply because they were, not for anything they did.

“You’ve set them up to fail, unfortunately,” Cinch remarked as they walked along. “And whatever other illicit activities you’ve performed here will be found out. If one teacher was able to get away with things, I can hardly imagine what crimes you committed that your staff simply didn’t notice.”

“I think you’ll find yourself disappointed.”

“I highly doubt that,” Cinch said. “I remember you as a student, and what a wild child you were. Do you actually think that I believe you outgrew such things?”

“Probably, because maturity is what happens to normal people,” Cadance countered. Despite her intent to remain calm, she was finding herself growing all the more angry and struggling to control it. This wasn’t the best option available to her.

“Perhaps you did. Or maybe you had a wild streak. One that didn’t quite die,” Cinch said slowly, gloatingly. “And maybe you wanted to indulge it a little longer- with just a little danger involved to make it interesting.”

Cadance desperately wanted to fire back at that particular comment, but found herself biting back her words. It wasn’t that Cinch’s words were untrue, and that was the biggest problem. But was it even fully true in the first place?

“It will be enjoyable to see you leave this place, you know,” Cinch said. “Just like I did, but with far more disgrace. I will enjoy seeing you thrown into the spotlight and seen for what you are. It’s almost a pity that I feel like offering you a way out of it.”

Cadance certainly hadn’t heard that last part. “A way out- Cinch, what are you doing?”

“You wouldn’t even like to hear it?” Cinch asked. “Not even a touch of curiosity, and you used to have such a thing. Even when your career and your future lies in my hands.”

“Just spit it out already, I’m not in the mood.”

Cinch paused. “Sleep with me tonight,” she said softy, although with a tone that sounded like an order.

Cadance had never felt so slimy, or more like an item that was made to be discarded. “Excuse me?”

“Sleep with me tonight,” Cinch said again. “Do to me exactly what I tell you, and I will convince the school board to drop criminal charges against you. I believe they would listen.”

“That’s your guarantee,” Cadance remarked, her voice absolutely devoid of any feeling besides incredulity. “Have sex with you and you’ll drop charges of having sex with someone. Because that makes sense.”

“Going once-”

“Going- gone,” Cadance said firmly. “I’ll marry Twilight from prison if I have to. Unbelievable, you’re as awful as I remember you were.”

Cinch smiled, a dreadful leer that wouldn’t even be suitable for a crocodile. “I hoped you would refuse,” she said. “And it would almost have been as much fun as watching you be sent to prison. I will most assuredly enjoy watching your life slip away before you.”

“And I’ll enjoy watching you make a fool of yourself all over again,” Cadance spat. “Maybe you’ll get fired by the school board a second time, wouldn’t that be fun?” Without another word she stalked off towards the office that wasn’t meant to be hers any longer and finding her head swimming, now certain she was going to see her hopes and dreams fade away.

It was difficult for them to say who woke up earlier. Cadance felt like she hadn’t really slept at all; Twilight felt that strange sense of nausea that came so commonly with poor sleep. But to wake up to darkness and knowing that the dawn to come was probably the last one spent together wasn’t something they knew how to bear.

“Twilight?” Cadance whispered, her voice almost indiscernible in the depths of the dark before sunlight.

“Mhm?”

She didn’t want to say it aloud; it would be as though she had accepted her fate. “Twilight, I was wrong to ever get involved with you.”

A pregnant silence, perhaps brought about by the muted collection of Twilight’s thoughts. “You were my first kiss.”

“I don’t think I should have been.”

“I was glad you were,” the younger woman added.

And so was she, but to admit it would be all the more painful now in the face of disaster, a punishment for delighting in such moments all too early. “And everything else that came after?” Cadance whispered. “Was that OK, too?”

Twilight considered the question for a moment, taking in thoughts long held within and weighing them against ones far younger as she came to a conclusion. “I know who you were then,” she said, “and I know who you are now. Even if you don’t right now.”

“I ruined your life.”

“Only for a little bit. Now you’re the best part of it.”

It was meant to be words of comfort, but to the beautiful woman they were now simply further daggers in her flesh that tormented her spirit all the more. Another thing set to be destroyed by her poor judgement, the one she loved most to be wounded even more than she as a future was robbed from her. Cadance didn’t know how she would bear it. Cinch was its executor, but the doom was that of her own making. There were far too many ‘if onlys’ that she could say.

“You’re not even tired, are you?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t think I even slept.”

The shadow of Twilight nodded in the dark and rose to her feet, heading to the bathroom to switch on the lights that would bring a pale lightness to their gloomy world. “We might as well start getting ready.”

Time behaved strangely for the two women as they set themselves through their morning rituals; a slowed, seemingly dazed world would be set into place for a time- only for a frenetic, rapid flow to come and take its place and set things to an unrecognizable blur. Neither Cadance nor Twilight could find a rhythm in which to settle themselves, feeling displaced and unfamiliar even with themselves now that they stood on the precipice of separation, one forever branded a foolish victim and the other a wicked perpetrator that were bound together by manipulation and wickedness rather than fondness and trust.

Cadance sighed as she sat on the couch, a book sitting beside her and long forgotten in the face of her anxieties. “I just wish it would get here already,” she said, staring out the nearby window and watching the dreary light of a winter morning grow slowly brighter. “I feel like I’m going crazy just waiting for it to happen.” Twilight said nothing, wondering if she’d perhaps had too much coffee. Perhaps excess nerves, further strengthened by caffeine, would be more unhelpful than she’d anticipated.

Minutes dragged by or rushed past them in a frenzy. At last came a time in which they would depart, though perhaps a little early simply for the sake of their fraying nerves. Sitting in a parking lot wasn’t much better, especially when the building before them was the one that housed their doom, but to simply wait any longer was torturous. In a silent car swiftly becoming embittered by the cold they waited, hands fast intertwined and utterly dependent on one another for support. One hand would give a squeeze so frail and timid only to be pressed in return by a stronger, more needed gesture in return.

Cadance glanced down at her watch. “We… we should go in now,” she said weakly. “No point in waiting around.”

Twilight half-wondered if they were doing one another a disservice by entering together, she well aware of the eyes that were upon them as their mismatches ages made them stand out. Being escorted down the halls by police officers made her feel sick, knowing that they were meant to take Cadance away if the judgement by the school board went poorly. Even worse was the sight of the members of the board themselves, with Cinch standing off to the side in the corner beside Velvet. The miserable old woman was shaking her head at them both, a contrast to the gloating smile that was smeared on her lips. She’d wanted this for years now, the young woman guessed. Vengeance for the loss of her school and the power of rulership that had been ever-present along with it. And she’ll probably get it, she thought, a reflection that threatened to make Twilight’s knees weak.

“Twilight, whatever you do, don’t lie to them,” Cadance said quickly. “It’ll be alright, I promise-”

“Everyone take your seats,” came the command from the school board, a seemingly unified voice that set a strange terror in Twilight’s heart. It was like looking at a many-headed monster, each mouth eager to devour. “Miss Cadance, over there please- Miss Twilight, there. Miss Cinch, you and Miss Velvet please be seated.”

The head of the school board, an authoritative-looking woman dressed in a dark-grey suit, surveyed the room with a strong measure of graven seriousness, yet no further judgement of those before her. “The time is eleven in the morning, the date of February 11th. Time and remarks will now begin to be kept. Miss Cinch, you may begin your argument.”

Cinch seemed to glow as she began her diatribe against Cadance, words so infuriating that Twilight forced herself to block most of it out in the hopes of not lashing out against them. Bits and pieces filtered through as the villainous crow continued her lashings of Cadance’s character, words like ‘provocative’ or ‘shameless’ coming through her ears; phrases such as ‘absence of character’ and ‘intent to molest’ fell against her mental barrier and threatened to break Twilight’s forceful blockade against such things. They were not just demeaning to Cadance but to her as well, treating Twilight as though she had no will or agency of her own. They thought her weak.

“Under Cadance’s tenure as principal, Crystal Preparatory Academy has been allowed to languish- not only academically, but morally,” Cinch said, her words now fully breaking through and worming their way deep into Twilight’s brain. “As a result of her own misdeeds, other teachers have been emboldened to commit similar crimes and to expect no repercussions. The crime that alerted us to this matter is only a symptom of a much worse disease, one that began because of Cadance’s own crimes years prior. It is our moral duty to see justice be done and Cadance be held accountable for her actions, lest more children fall victim to these preying attitudes.”

Twilight could have exploded at that parting blow, somehow remaining silent as Cadance was called to give account of her actions. They began with a brief overview of her history of employment at Crystal Prep, from her work as a teacher to eventually Dean- and then Principal in the wake of Cinch’s release. Some time was spent on academic performance and overall health of the student body. Cadance was doing well, performing with calm under such scrutiny.

“Miss Cadance, when were you aware of Mr. Connery’s actions against the victim?”

“I was… aware of his actions when I met with the investigators,” Cadance answered. “Before then, I had not received any complaints against him regarding similar actions.”

“Were you ever witness to any illegal activity by Mr. Connery?” Was the next query of the board.

“Never,” Cadance answered. “Mr. Connery hid his tracks well enough that the rest of the staff was unaware of his actions until I was contacted by the authorities.”

“Miss Cadance, is this the first incident of sexual misconduct against a Crystal Prep staffer during your tenure?”

“It is.”

“And no such allegations were ever brought against yourself?” The board asked.

“No, they were not,” Cadance said, albeit a little shakily.

“Even though they are now brought against you.” The members of the board regarded her with suspicion, perhaps distrust. “Is there reason why Miss Cinch would have reason to claim such allegations against you?”

“We had disagreements regarding matters of the school multiple times during our time together,” Cadance said. “We had multiple differences of opinion regarding the health and welfare of the student body, which caused tension between us.”

“Were you present at the time of her release from Crystal Prep?”

“I was.”

The board members took that into account, the many heads of the great beast sharing glances with one another, one even slipping down to glare at Cinch in suspicion of her motives. The brush that had so cleanly smeared Cadance was beginning to strike out against further spectators, wild strokes threatening to mar them all.

“Miss Cadance, have you ever had sexual relations with one of your students?” Came the long-expected question.

“No, I have not,” Cadance answered firmly. “Nor did I allow myself to be in a situation that would be considered compromising to my authority.”

“Have you ever had sexual relations with a minor?”

“Never.”

“Very well,” The school board surmised. “You may take your seat. Miss Twilight Sparkle, please come forward to the podium.”

Her? They meant her, Twilight realized. She stumbled when she first tried to rise to her feet, her petite frame protesting against compliance when it would rather fall to the ground in a stupor. She found herself gripping the podium for support, uncomfortable under such heavy examination by such a powerful animal. She felt like a mouse in the clutches of a lion.

“Miss Twilight, how long have you known Miss Cadance?” Was their first question.

“I-” her voice was a squeak, and she paused to take a breath and steady herself. “She was a family friend for years. We’ve known each other for several years now.”

“What is the current nature of your relationship with her?”

“… She’s, uh, my fiancé, currently,” Twilight answered, trying not to shrink as she witness the strong muttering and shuffling of the board members in response, some with raised eyebrows and looks of distaste in light of the new pronouncement.

“How long have you been engaged to Miss Cadance?” One of them inquired.

“About a month now. I asked her.” She hadn’t meant to say that last one, that had just slipped out. Why did she consider that important enough to be said?

“And how long have you been together?”

“Th-three years now. When I was in college, still, was when we actually started dating.” Twilight hated the feeling of so many eyes upon her, she preferred the small and the quiet, not this multitude of stony, silent faces that seemed to be preparing to devour her.

“Miss Sparkle, is this current relationship the first time you have been involved with Miss Cadance?” They asked.

She desperately wanted to lie, but the feeling of so many eyes on her kept the young woman silent for a time. She felt the blank, somewhat judgemental stares of the school board, the baleful watch of her former mother, the cold glare of Cinch- and the soft, nervous gaze of Cadance who awaited her judgement. She’d been the one who had pressed her to tell the truth… “No, it’s not.”

Rolled eyes and sighs of disappointment came from the board, though not a single sign of surprise to be seen amongst them. “What was the nature of your first relationship with Miss Cadance?” Came the groaning query.

“During the summer before college,” Twilight answered, feeling a small fire grow in defiance of their sudden change in tone, displeased that they had seemingly already made up their minds. “It was only for a short time. And it was my idea.”

The board’s mutterings came to a halt. “When did this relationship begin?”

“The day I graduated,” Twilight said proudly- and immediately she slowed her fervor, knowing that probably sounded terrible to those who heard it. “I- I went to her and sort of… bothered her for it.”

“Did Miss Cadance ever have any sexual encounters with you during your time as a student at Crystal Prep?” They asked.

“Never. And before you ask, she never did anything to me that was improper, and she didn’t say anything that suggested anything illicit while I was there,” Twilight said, knowing that everything she said now would only bring herself further into shame that was already being showered upon her. “Cadance tried to break it off early on but I wouldn’t allow her to. We eventually stopped seeing each other near the end of summer by mutual agreement.”

“And you are sure that Miss Cadance never assaulted you, or acted improperly in regards to you?”

“Not once. And she wouldn’t do it to any other student, too. She has standards, unlike the miserable crow-bait who’s trying to slander her,” Twilight added. “I remember Cinch as a principal, she was particularly vindictive towards me during my time under her tenure. Cadance was the only person who was actually decent to me- and I made my choice to be with her, I wasn’t some puppet or toy that people were just using-”

“Miss Sparkle, that is enough!” The call was a command that put an end to Twilight’s fire, the small flame finally flickering and disappearing under the wind’s blowing. “You may take your seat, quickly now.”

Twilight now felt the further burdening of shameful judgement upon her shoulders, the young woman’s first instinct to shrink under its heavy weight; pride, though well-mixed with defiance, kept her head held high as she walked back to her seat and endured the flaming glower of Cinch upon her. Mistakes had been made, whether it be by desire or naiveté it no longer mattered. From where she stood now, Twilight knew they’d been used to bring about good tidings that would not have come without their existence- no one would take that from her now.

“Miss Velvet, please come forward to the podium,” The school board called, and the diminished figure of Twilight Velvet walked slowly towards the podium, her head on a swivel as she took in her former daughter and the one who had summoned her to condemn. There was a strangeness about her expression, a conflict of spirit deep inside.

“Miss Velvet, Twilight Sparkle is your daughter, correct?”

“Ex-daughter,” Twilight said loudly. “She disowned me-”

“There will be no outbursts from the floor at this time!” The board cried, Twilight battered into a defiant silence. “Miss Velvet, again- is Twilight Sparkle your daughter?”

“She…” Velvet glanced back at the furious young woman she had once held in her arms for so many years. “Yes, she is- was. I… I disowned her some time ago.”

“What is the current nature of your relationship with her?”

“Not well, as you might have guessed,” Velvet said wryly.

The school board held a union of shared glances and mutterings, again their suspicions turning to Cinch. Suddenly the old woman didn’t seem totally certain of her victory, a pause coming to change the sneer on her features.

“What is the nature of your relationship with Miss Cadance?” They asked next.

“We, um… we’ve had clashes before,” Velvet said. “Not always positive.”

“Will you explain the reasoning behind this?”

“I- I didn’t like that she… that my daughter was involved with her. I considered Twilight to be too young at the time- even though she was a consenting adult when it began.”

No way. Twilight didn’t dare hope for this. It was just a set-up.

“Were you aware of the relationship between Cadance and your daughter?”

“Only a little,” Velvet said. “As I said, I thought Twilight was too young, even as an adult. Being a Mom, you know.”

“And you had no suspicions that Cadance was potentially sexually abusing your daughter?” The members of the board inquired. “Was there ever any evidence for abuse during your daughter’s time at Crystal Prep, under Cadance’s watch?”

This was the question that mattered, the one that would decide everything for all of them. Velvet held the gun in her hands and could point it at anyone she wanted, one trigger squeeze all that it would take to see doom at last brought about. Her eyes glanced over at Cinch, then Cadance- and then at last to Twilight, a strained displeasure softened by sorrow evident within those clear aqua eyes.

Twilight felt her breath catch at the sight of a look she recognized. Oh my gosh, she’s actually gonna do it-

“No, there wasn’t,” Velvet answered. “I wasn’t pleased when I found out she’d approached Cadance and I tried to break them off, but instead caused a scene that pushed Cadance into a compromised position due to alcoholic tendencies I was struggling with. She rebuffed me, I got angry and tried to retaliate. My daughter actually displayed more troubling issues while under Cinch’s tenure as principal, who seemed to enjoy threatening my daughter with expulsion-”

“You liar!” Cinch’s voice tore through the charged air like a bolt of fiery lightning, the vindictive woman rising from her feet to shriek at her betrayer. “You told me you knew! You swore to me that you knew, you filthy liar!”

“There will be not further outbursts from the floor!” The head of the board commanded-

“She’s lying to you!” Cinch screamed, a pointed finger seeming like a sword when held against Velvet. “She’s lying, she’s lying and I can prove it!”

“Ms. Cinch, you will refrain from further outbursts or you will be removed from this hearing until the pronouncement has been made, do you understand?” Cinch looked like she’d been slapped and force-fed gall in response to Velvet’s contradictions, but now she seemed to be chained to floor and held fast as though a prisoner. Never had she expected things to turn against her so quickly, not an ounce of doubt in her thoughts on victory…

“Miss Velvet,” The board said, turning back to their subject of scrutiny, “are you being truthful in regards to these allegations?”

“I am,” Velvet sighed. “I… I was improper in action towards Cadance, and I was untrusting of her due to my daughter’s inexperience, despite the legality of their relationship. Sorry… for, um, wasting your time. With all of this.”

The board looked down at Velvet with no small amount of irritation, indeed looking as though they thought their time had been thoroughly wasted in regards to all of this. “Very well. Return to your seat. At this time, the board will adjourn to discuss a final verdict and will reconvene for pronouncement. The time is 12:30, all present will be at their seats at 1:00. During this period of adjournment, all parties will refrain from fraternization as well as antagonism.”

The many-headed beast of the school board rose from their places and disappeared, Twilight watching their sharpened bite lunge past her and instead strike her oldest enemy, the one who had constantly tormented her for years and brought her no small amount of grief. She couldn’t believe it, didn’t dare believe it. Her eyes flickered to Cadance, who shared the same look of incredulity; Velvet remained stony and would not look anywhere but down at the floor. Cinch, even without the wretched woman in sight, could be felt by presence alone, the seething anger setting the room to boiling. None left their seats, no necessities or desire for air to pull them away. All that awaited was a judgement, one that suddenly looked to be far better than what the morning had threatened to bring.

The school board returned and took their seats, the many heads of the great beast opening their jaws once more in the hopes of ensnaring their prey. The baited sacrifices below sat there in apprehension, knowing that the fates of several were about to be decided. All it would take was a few spoken words.

“It is the decision of this board,” the Head of the Board decided, “to dismiss the alleged charges of creating an ‘atmosphere of misconduct’ against Principal Cadance of Crystal Prep Academy. The charges of sexual assault of a minor against Principal Cadance are also dismissed. Principal Cadance, though your involvement with Miss Sparkle is considered legal by the eyes of the law, your actions are considered to be an absence of professional conduct, and you will be given a public censure by the school board. All other charges are fully dismissed and will not be brought to trial for legal repercussions. Miss Cinch, this board finds you to be acting with malicious intent and conduct that is considered unprofessional, involving actions of slander and libel against multiple parties. Your employment as a member of the county school board will now be examined, and you are currently suspended from your duties until a final verdict is given in regards to your conduct.”

Twilight released the breath that had been so deeply held in and let the sweet, clean air of the world enter her lungs again. Cadance had made it- perhaps not fully unscathed, but she’d made it! She wasn’t going to lose her job, she wasn’t going to prison, she was going to be OK! And- and ohmygod, we’re really going to be able to get married! Suddenly the world she had thought had been ended, the future that had been sealed off, was now there for her taking yet again.

They waited for the members of the board to leave their seats- then at the first opportunity, they ran into each other’s arms for a wildly joyous embrace, laughter and cries of delight coursing through them like wildfire as they allowed themselves to at last feel the hope that had almost been destroyed. Words passed between them in delirium, neither one of them making much sense in the face of their ecstasy. They were together, they were going to remain together, and they would be alright. It was more than any kiss or tender touch could hope to equal in that moment.

A sudden spattering of voices from behind them at last dragged them out of their bliss, their eyes turning from one another and to the sudden gathering of people that had come together. Cinch had collapsed onto the floor, the officers that had been present to drag Cadance away for legal judgement now tending to the stunned woman while further medical care was on its way. Twilight knew better than to gloat, or to wish illness and death on others- but couldn’t help feeling a little vengeful satisfaction at the sight of the wretched woman struggling to endure her comeuppance yet again.

“Twilight…” the shaky voice of Velvet interrupted them and the happy couple turned to see the woman staring at them with no small amount of discomfort, bobbing back and forth on the soles of her feet. “I-”

She’d saved Cadance’s future- her future. Twilight knew all that her mother had done, but also the things she had endured as well. Maybe now, even if it began a little awkwardly, there could be a measure of healing that would seal the gap between parent and child again. A small part of her wanted to hold on to resentment, but so much more of her was now willing to forgive and relent. Arms wrapped about Cadance even still, Twilight gave a small smile.

Velvet sighed. “I- I can’t,” she said. “I’m sorry, just… not yet. Just not yet.” With a nod to them both, the wearied woman turned to leave, her body seemingly burdened by an unseen weight, the contents of which they could only guess. Perhaps it was a false start, a discomfort that would need time to fade away. But… not yet.

Their first thought had been to celebrate. Returning home had instead brought about exhaustion, Twilight and Cadance doing little more than taking time to nap and eat. Even the day after was perfect for doing little more than that, despite their need to actually return to work and some semblance of normal life. They endured their time apart in agony, and the reunion was wondrously joyful. The weekend that came was bliss, well-spent in the company of friends who celebrated along with them, reveling in the relief and joy that the future still held. Wedding plans and desires could flow freely now, uninhibited by fears of being stolen away; laughter and kind words made it all the sweeter, adding to the coming daydream. The days went past in a blur until the weekend was well and gone, the new work week pushing them back into the throes of reality once more, this time the loving couple given fresh vigor to face it.

“And you said you’d meet with Applejack on Thursday?” Cadance asked as she dried herself off, freshly showered and looking particularly delectable in the eyes of her fiancé.

“Yeah, she wanted me to look over a few places where we might have the ceremony,” Twilight said, though finding herself becoming distracted by the loveliness of Cadance’s breast, a treat always so tantalizing. She might just try to enjoy them a little. “And then Friday…”

“Dress fittings,” Cadance said happily. “Ooh, I can’t wait! This is gonna be so fun, I can’t believe it! And then I’m actually going to have to wait to see you in yours!”

“Hey, it’s not like I won’t have to do the same!” Twilight protested, knowing full well the wait would be worth it. Cadance would look more elegant, be lovelier, more royal than any bride that had ever come before. It would be a different kind of fairytale wedding, and Twilight was the lucky one to marry a princess. She could hardly believe her luck, knowing that she would be forever bound to such a sweet, beautiful, infinitely sexy angel… “You’ll look. Well…”

“Something on your mind?” Cadance asked coyly, pressing her breasts together and letting them be flaunted for good measure. “They could use your love, you know. It’s been so long since you’ve sucked them, or made me cry. Why don’t you-”

Twilight didn’t need another word to be said, she latching onto Cadance’s magnificent mounds and happily lavishing her adorations upon them. The silken flesh was still just as delectable, just as thoroughly perfect as they had always been-

But not quite. She hesitated and came to a pause, unsure of what difference she had noticed so instinctively. “Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?” Cadance whispered, trying to pull Twilight back into her seductive clutches. “Don’t you miss me? I’ve almost forgotten how good you taste…”

“Something’s different,” Twilight remarked, hands examining Cadance’s breasts to see if tactile contact would reveal her thoughts. “Yeah, this- your right breast feels different.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, the nipple is- I’m not sure what happened.”

Cadance took a hand to her body and gave herself a small examination, feeling her flesh and finding it inverted, the nipple turned inwards and away from the awaiting mouth of her fiancé. Eyes went wide- hands probed further, more delicately as pain flared, an unusual, unpleasant sensitivity was found; a swelled portion there, a malformed hardness where softness had once been, like a stone beneath her skin.

“Oh no.”

Author's Note

That got out of hand.

A little more to go. Keep reading, I guess.