Author's Note

Chapter title is from a lyric in the song: Hell and You by Amigo the Devil.

7. I love the shitty things we do together

Time passed in the slow and careful way summer holidays had. A day felt like a millennium.

Misty bought some new dresses from Carousel Boutique, which Sandbar and Yona ran.

Tatin came along. He spent a while talking to Sandbar, even delivering an order of macarons, which Yona wolfed down by herself.

When Misty returned home, she was furious.

Savarin had gone from a stroll and had returned teary-eyed. She smiled, said nothing was wrong and fell asleep on her bed in a matter of seconds.

Misty paced back and forth until she went into the kitchen.

Tatin sat at the table, staring out of the window, stirring a cup of cocoa. He smiled when he spotted Misty, but his smile fell. "Is she still crying? She won't talk to me."

Misty took a seat next to him. It wasn't a good sign. Savarin loved her brother, and she told him almost everything- not about the asteroid, but other stuff.

"I make the best cocoa," she said.

"Is it special kirin cocoa?"

Misty lied with a nod, and quickly whipped some up, pouring the scalding liquid into two mugs.

They sat in silence, Tatin sipping on his cocoa while Misty did the same.

"She'll tell us when she's ready," Misty replied, hoping she was right. She smiled at Tatin and patted him.

The next day was more of the same. Around the table during dinner, Savarin didn't listen quietly to the conversation like she usually did. She kept her head bowed over her food.

After Maddy went downstairs to clean up the bakery, Tatin and Misty sat with Savarin.

Savarin hadn't touched her bacon and eggs.

"Savarin, you can talk to us about anything," Misty asked.

"What she said. But hey, if you aren't going to finish your bacon and eggs-" began Tatin.

Savarin cracked a smile at Tatin's joke and pushed the plate toward him. "Am I boring?"

"What?" Misty whispered. "No, of course you're not. Who said that to you?"

Savarin poked her hoof against an egg, twirling her fork around with her magic. "Last night, I went to find Gina to talk to her. She said she didn't want to hang out with me because I was boring."

Misty bit her lip. "WHAT."

Tatin coughed, and Misty looked at him. "I believe it." He frowned at his plate, poking at his eggs until the yolk burst. "I used to hang out with Gina, but she was mean. I couldn't talk to her at your party, but I thought maybe she had changed. I didn't want to mention anything to you..."

"I see," Misty said slowly. "Where does Gina live?"

Savarin's eyes widened slightly.

"I won't beat her up or anything, as much as I want to," Misty replied. "I want to talk to her."

Savarin shrugged, looking down at her lap.

Tatin puffed out his chest. "You'll need me to show you the directions."

Misty didn't mention she probably knew the way. She also didn't look at Savarin, not wanting to put her on the spot, but Savarin said something without her prompting: "I'm going to have a nap."

The streets outside were quiet with creatures heading home from work, and stars were appearing. Shadows stretched and writhed purple.

Even Tatin spoke at a whisper: "Yafa -friend of Luster Dawn- lives there." He pointed to a tiny house, almost cramped between the houses on either side.

The next time he spoke was further on, past the fountain and the town square, and down another street. They stopped near a brightly coloured building; the roof was thatched straw and dyed a garish red, while the front was painted yellow and red. Tables were set out front.

"This is Hamburgers' families fast food place," Tatin explained. "We really should go some time."

"Perhaps," was Misty's answer. She'd had a hamburger years before, but if it meant talking to Hamburger again, she'd rather not if she could help it. But talking to him could be helpful. "Where's Gina's house?"

"Here. She lives next door." Tatin pointed a hoof at the house next to Hamburgers'. Gina's house was ordinary if slanting more than the others. "Do you need me to be here?"

Misty arched an eyebrow at Tatin. "Do you need to be somewhere?" She had hoped to smooth the situation over, and -since Savarin wasn't going to be friends with Gina- perhaps their backup plan could be set into motion.

"Just curious," he gulped. "Gina and I didn't exactly end on good terms. You know."

"You can leave."

"Thanks." He beamed, then frowned. "I'm sorry."

Misty waved him off. Once Tatin had galloped off, she went to the door and gave it a sharp knock with her hoof.

"Dang nabbit, who the heck is that?" muttered a voice from inside. "We don't want any more junk mail!"

The door swung open, and Misty was face to face with a glowering griffon. He was the same grey that Gina was.

Hamburger had mentioned Gina lived with her father -the griffon, Misty assumed- and his second wife. His first wife -Gina's biological mother- had died in childbirth.

"We don't want any more junk mail, especially so late at night," he said to her.

Misty bent back her head and laughed. She stopped at his glaring expression. "I'm sorry sir, I'm here for Gina."

"Who is it?" asked a feminine voice from behind him.

"Somekirin here for Gina," the griffon said, turning his head to yell. "Ain't ever seen her before. Not one of Gina's fancy-schmancy new friends. None of them would come by at 9 p.m., I'm telling you."

"I'm Misty," Misty said helpfully. "Gina was rude to a friend of mine."

The griffon harrumphed. "Was she, you reckon?"

"I'm not leaving until I can talk to her."

"Oh, let her in, Ronald," said the feminine voice and the owner of the voice appeared.

The owner was a pegasus, a bright orange with a blue mane -Ronald's second wife. Her cutie mark was a feather, which told Misty nothing except to appeal to her instead of the griffon.

"She called my friend boring," Misty said, directing her woes to the pegasus.

The pegasus opened her mouth, but the griffon interrupted: "my Gina is honest. She tells it like it is. If she says your friend is boring, then your friend is boring. Simple as that. Now get lost."

The griffon started to close the door, and Misty looked plaintively at the pegasus. The pegasus smiled sadly, and the door clicked shut in Misty's face.

Now, the thing Misty had realized about Ponyville was nobody locked their doors. There wasn't a need. It was the same in Kirin Grove.

So, Misty took it as an invitation to find another way in. She went down between the houses and turned into Gina's house's backyard.

Jackpot. There were a back door and a window.

She pressed her ear against the backdoor, and she could dimly hear the griffon and the pegasus having a conversation.

"Gina," she said. She stopped and said the name louder.

Still nothing.

She levitated a pebble and flung it at the window on the top floor. The window cracked open, and Gina's head popped out.

A second later, the rest of her body followed, and she flew down to meet Misty. She wasn't wearing her scarf, and her neck was very bare without it.

"Do I know you?" Gina asked.

"I was at the party you went to."

Gina scrunched up her face and beamed. "Right, you're that creepy kirin."

Misty's eyelid twitched. "What makes me creepy? Do you know Nettle?"

Gina grinned. "Who's Nettle? I'm just saying- you're here below my window throwing pebbles at my window. That's pretty creepy. What do ya want?"

Misty breathed out. "You called Savarin boring. Her feelings are hurt. I want you to apologize tomorrow."

"But she is boring." Gina tilted her head at Misty. "I didn't want to lie. She can take it as words of improvement. Creatures do that, right?"

"Gina," said Misty, crooning out each word, "you can see how your words could be taken badly? Can't you?"

"I was being honest."

Misty opened her mouth and closed it. It was like talking in circles. "Okay. Have a good night."

Gina beamed at her and flew back up to her window. The window closed behind her with a thunk.

Misty waited for a few more minutes until there was utter silence.

Quietly, she crept to the corner of the house and hovered her hoof an inch away from the building. Her hoof burned bright, red with a centre of blue fire.

She had the power to burn their house down. She held their lives in her hooves.

There would be a reckoning in two years, and Gina would be at the top of her list.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The next creature Misty decided to talk to was Hamburger. Early in the morning, while Savarin was still asleep, she walked to the fast food place as it was opening.

Hamburger was opening it up to the public, and he smiled and waved when he saw Misty.

Tatin had told her everything he knew about Hamburger: eight siblings and two very overworked parents. Hamburger hadn't been able to move out because he needed to stay behind to work.

"Hi, Misty," said Hamburger. "Do you want a hamburger special? It comes with fries."

Misty hovered some bits towards him. "Yes, please." She then explained about Gina as he led her inside and to a bright red booth.

He shouted her order to the kitchens and stopped next to Misty. "I'll talk to her. Hey, this sounds like a classic friendship problem."

"Perhaps you should bring in Luster Dawn as well? We could solve it together."

"Sure, come by around five-thirty. That's when I'm off."

Misty ate her order when it arrived and even ordered some hay fries to go. For the rest of her day, she helped Maddy, Tatin and Savarin in the bakery.

Before she knew it, she and Savarin were walking to the fast-food place.

Savarin sighed.

Misty stopped walking suddenly, and Savarin did the same. "Do you not want to do this? You can say right now, and we can use a spell instead."

"I don't want to. You can kill them later."

Misty nibbled on her lip. "Fine, but we have to tell Hamburger. Not the killing part, but the other stuff. I don't want him showing up at the bakery to ask where we were."

They arrived as Hamburger was turning the door sign around to 'closed.' He noticed them and beamed. "Hiya guys."

"Hamburger, we're going to leave it be," Misty said.

Hamburger's expression wavered. "Oh. Okay."

Misty and Savarin turned to leave and faced the rest of the friend group: Gina, Luster Dawn, Yafa and Winter Gale.

"We were just leaving," Savarin said, holding her head high. Her white and red tipped mane shifted in a slight breeze and the air crackled with magic.

"Hamburger," Luster Dawn said. "Are these two going to beat you up?"

"Savarin said we were leaving. How does that translate to us beating Hamburger up?" Misty asked.

Luster looked between them and Hamburger, covering her mouth with a hoof. "I thought..."

"Don't assume."

Misty waved her hoof and walked down the street with Savarin, while behind them the new friends started to talk amongst over one another.

Misty and Savarin didn't look back.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Two days later, Misty and Savarin sat in her room.

A pink bubble surrounded Savarin's entire room while her horn glowed white. It was a sound blocking spell.
Even if somecreature stood outside Savarin's bedroom door, no one would be able to hear them speak.

The air crackled with power. Savarin closed her eyes, her horn glowing brighter and brighter, first a star then a supernova of light.

A blob of light shifted from her horn and coalesced in the air into a portal.

Through it, she could see Luster and her new friends.

It showed them in a field somewhere. Yafa and Gina were tossing around a frisbee.

The others were having a picnic. Hamburger had even prepared mini-hamburgers, and Winter Gale was eating most of them.

Misty yanked her gaze away from the portal. Jealousy kept flaring, and she didn't like it one bit.

Savarin scootched closer to Misty and rested her head on Misty's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should've let Gina apologize."

"You don't have too. This is way more fun."

Savarin sighed, snuggling closer. Her smile was soft but sad. Her glowing horn made Misty blink stars from her eyes.

"Are you still depressed?" Misty asked. "If I have the Fire Flower, I can take it away."

Savarin hummed, then twitched, knocking against Misty's snout.

Misty rubbed at her nose, feeling a bruise forming. "What happened?"

"Gina."

Misty looked at the portal, at the group of friends. Gina wasn't there, and Yafa was now sitting on the picnic blanket with the others.

Savarin shuffled closer to the portal, swiping through it with a hoof. It rippled and churned, swirling like milk in coffee, before dissipating. Her horn stopped glowing, and the spell surrounding the room also popped.

A moment later, Maddy yelled up the stairs: "there's a friend here for you."

"Friend," snorted Misty. "Is she your friend?"

Savarin's lips curled slightly.

The two of them walked into the main living room. Gina was waiting for them, wringing her claws.

Maddy smiled once she saw Misty and Savarin. "There they are. I'll leave you two to it. I'm downstairs in the bakery if you two need anything." She waved and trotted back downstairs.

Gina kept on wringing her claws, gulping a few times. Her eyes shimmered with tears.

Misty nudged Savarin, and Savarin nodded, giving Misty permission to speak to Gina.

"Well?" Misty asked.

Out of the corner of her eye, the pink silencing spell started surrounding the room, Savarin scrunching her brow as she cast it. Once Savarin had cast it, her face relaxed.

"Are you here to apologize?" Misty asked. "Have you learned a friendship lesson? That's what you do, isn't it?"

Gina burst into tears. "Yes, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Do you want to be friends, Savarin? I'm sorry."

"Hmmm," Savarin replied. "No. I don't accept your apology."

Gina blinked, stunned. "But, I apologized."

"She doesn't have to accept your apology," Misty added.

"But I... I'm sorry!" Gina wailed, falling to her knees. She spread her wings and bowed even further. "I want creatures to like me. I want-"

Misty hushed Gina, walking towards her. She reached out a hoof, touching it under the griffon's chin. She tilted her head up. "It's all about you, isn't it? But, there is one thing that would make Savarin forgive you. Your scarf. Give it to us, and it's all forgiven."

Savarin shivered. Misty could read Savarin; she was trying not to laugh.

"But this is my Dad's-" began Gina.

"Shhh. Shhh." Misty brushed her hoof along Gina's beak. "No scarf, no forgiving. That's how it works."

"That's how it works," echoed Savarin.

Gina backed away from Misty and looked between them. She had stopped crying. However, her eyes were still puffy. "You're mean."

Misty sighed. She had gone too far. "Forget."

"Forget," echoed Savarin. She cast a spell on Gina, and when the light cleared, Gina was frozen where she was standing.

Misty grabbed the scarf from around Gina's neck and passed it to Savarin, and in turn, Savarin wrapped it around her neck.

With one flick of Savarin's horn, Gina started to speak: "I want creatures to like me. I want-"

"We want you to leave," Misty said.

Gina swayed and walked as if she were drunk all the way out of the room.

Once she was gone, Savarin explained: "I wiped her memory of her having gotten the scarf and of us threatening her."

"That's evil."