Friday: the Fall Formal aftermath

Sunset Shimmer, her clothes still tattered and stained from her turning into the corrupted demon form when she put on the Element of Magic and then purified with a blast from the coiling rainbow of the Elements themselves, was smearing mortar with a trowel on the bricks she had just placed, along with her two, now former toadies, Snips and Snails, while Vice-principal Luna leaned against a wall in the entryway watching. More than once Luna had to scold the two chuckle heads when they flicked pebbles or flung gobs of mortar at each other when they though the vice-principal wasn't looking.

Tears occasionally leaked down the teenage girl's face, pooled on the tip of her nose and dripped into the grey mortar.

While Princess Twilight Sparkle did her odd spastic dance that other students had joined in on, Short Fuse sat in the bleachers, his mind a mix of anger and fear. Off to one end of the dance floor, by the refreshments table, a green-skinned girl sat against the wall, hugging her knees. Her mind a mix of social anxiety, jealously, and self-loathing.

After a few hours, the dance came to an end. The students filtered out of the gym doors and into the parking lot. Princess Twilight and her five new friends shared a group hug. "Now remember, I want you all to watch out for Sunset, help her be a better pony...er...human. Teach her about friendship."

"Don't worry yer head none, princess. We'll keep two eyes on her an' keep her on the straight-n-narrah.", the farm girl replied.

"But of course darling.", the fashionista said in her typical overly-posh accent, "I wouldn't think of letting her backslide."

"Mm-hmm.", was all the animal lover could mumble out.

"What Fluttershy is trying to say is that we'll all watch out for her.", the rainbow-haired athlete spoke up, "With someone as awesome as me, she'll be twenty percent cooler and friendlier by association."

"We won't let Sunset go back to her meanie-wienie ways!", the bubbly, hyperactive party girl proclaimed, "We'll teach her all about friendship and parties!"

The purple pony princess shared one last group hug with her new friends before stepping back through the plinth of the statue that held the portal and into the world she had come from.

The students filtered through the parking lot, many gathered into their cars or their waiting parents.

Short Fuse stood off to the side, staring daggers at the fire-haired girl who was stacking bricks and smearing them with mortar. He clenched his fist to the point where his nails dug into his palms. "I'm going to fucking kill you, bitch.", he growled under his breath. As he took a step forward, a turquoise hand came to rest on his shoulder. Quickly turning, he locked eyes on the only two people that he considered friends, Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder.

"Let the queen of the retards play in the mud. Besides, we'll kick her ass on Monday.", Lightning Dust said with a smirk, "C'mon, Rolling Thunder's got her dad's 'vette. We're gonna tear ass all over town, and we might even get some mook to do a beer run for us."

The trio turned and left for the parking lot. As they walked off, Rolling Thunder bumped into Wallflower Blush, knocking the girl back a few steps. "Watch where you're goin', plant-humper.", Rolling Thunder said, leaning into the green-haired girl's face, causing her to backpedal even more. Rolling Thunder pulled back a fist, causing the socially anxious girl to flinch. The three snickered and Rolling Thunder shoved Wallflower, making the girl stagger backwards, trip over her own feet and fall unceremoniously on her butt.

"Hey!", Rainbow Dash shouted running up, "Leave her alone."

"Or what, Rainbow Crash? You gonna do somethin'?", Lightning Dust said, getting in the rainbow-haired athlete's face, "Coach ain't here to keep you from gettin' your ass kicked."

Rainbow growled and drew back a fist. Applejack grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away. "They ain't worth it.", the farm girl said.

"Looks like someone saved your ass again, Rain-ho.", Rolling Thunder said with a sneer.

"Let's go.", Lightning Dust said, "Let's leave these two rug munchers to diddle each other."

"Why you!", Rainbow snarled, rushing forward, only to have Applejack hold her back.

"They're jus' tryin' tah get under yer skin, RD. They ain't worth it."

"Yeah, Rain-ho dyke. Listen to your inbred friend, you don't want none of this.", Short Fuse said, slapping fives with his two friends.

"Dear sweet Baby Jesus, please give me the strength tah not wring their necks.", Applejack whispered to herself. "Look, why dun y'all three jus' git on out of here? Ain't nobody lookin' fer a fight."

Lightning Dust sneered at the farm girl. "That's right, go home and whine to your mommy and daddy...oh wait, you c--OOF!" An orange fist slammed into her jaw, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Applejack, her knuckles burning from where she hit the turquoise-skinned girl, glared at Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder, her face a mask of rage.

"All right, break it up!", Luna shouted as she walked up. "Miss Dust, you're already one screw-up from being put in the washouts program, unless you want to wear those sweats for the next twelve weeks, I suggest you and your friends run on home." She turned to Applejack. "And you Miss Apple, unless you want to be put in the program too, I suggest you go home as well." She turned to where Wallflower had been shoved to the ground. "Wallflower, are you..." The only sign that the green-skinned girl had been there was a small divot in the dirt where she had landed and footprints in the dust where she had run off.

Once the incident was over and all involved had all departed, Luna walked back to the entrance of the school where the two boys and the fire-haired girl were. It was clear that Snips and Snails had been goofing off, flinging mortar at each other. Sunset, still on her hands and knees, continued to place bricks and spread mortar over them with the trowel. "All right, that's enough for the night. You three go wait inside while I call your parents."

Twenty minutes later, the two boys' parents were standing outside the entrance. Snips' father, a hulking mass of a man, whom the boy was the spiriting image of, stood there glaring at his son, his muscular arms crossed across his chest. He pointed a meaty finger to the car, Snips lowered his head and silently complied. Snails' mom, a skinny half-pint of a woman, gave such a fierce glare at her son that it would have made Medusa flinch. She gestured for Snails to bend over, when he complied, she grabbed his ear lobe between two fingers and drug him to the car.

Luna walked up to Sunset. "Sunset, if I call the number you left on file, I'm not gonna get your parents, am I?"

The amber-skinned girl stared to the corner opposite her. "No."

"Get your things, I'll take you home."

"It's alright. I can take the late bus."

Luna looked down at Sunset with her trademark, world famous nonplussed stare. "I can't in good faith let you take the bus home. Who knows what kind of creeps are out there looking to take advantage of a fifteen-year old girl."

"No!", Sunset snapped before recoiling. "There won't be anybody on the bus and where I'm going, it'll be pretty dead, no creepers. They'll all be uptown skeeving on all the guys and girls who were at the formal.", she said in a quieter tone.

Luna was familiar with how the twenty and thirty-something creepers would try to get into a high schoolers pants by offering to get them beer or weed. Because of creeps, she and Celestia had kept a good rapport with the Canterlot City police. The gears in her brain turned as she hit an 'ah-ha' moment. "If you insist on taking the late bus, then I'm walking you to the stop, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Sunset nodded meekly.

Luna stood at the bus stop as Sunset had boarded the vehicle. She waited for a few moments as the bus pulled off, memorizing the bus' number on the back. Pulling out her cell phone from her jacket pocket, she scrolled through the contacts, stopping on Police Sergeant Shining Armor's number and hit the call button. "Hey Shiny! I hope you're treating my niece well. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Ah. This isn't a social call. I need you to do a check on a student. Her name's Sunset Shimmer. She just got on the bus going downtown. The bus number's seventeen-zero-three-dash-twelve-one. I'll text you her picture. Just make sure she's okay and not in a bad place. Uh-huh. Ah-huh. You better make sure I get the invite to the wedding. I see. Well if you can't find someone to officiate the wedding, Celly's an ordained minister. No problem. Bye!" She pressed the red icon on the screen, ending the call and put the phone back in her pocket. Walking back to her office, she stopped by Celestia's office door. Opening it, she peeked in and saw her sister sitting at her desk going over paperwork. "Hey Celly? You got a copy of the most recent yearbook? I want to send a recent picture of Sunset Shimmer to Shining Armor, just to make sure she's not in a bad place."

Celestia looked up from the paperwork and pushed her reading glasses down her nose so she could look over them. "You got a weird gut feeling too?"

"Yeah.", Luna replied, "Plus now that it looks like Sunset Shimmer has been knocked off as queen capital B, I've already seen a disturbing trend for the next possible bully posse."

The elder sister frowned. "Lemme guess, Lightning Dust, Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder?"

Luna nodded in response.

Celestia sighed as she wheeled her office chair over to the file cabinet. "It's uncanny how we can spot those who are bound for jail when they first step foot in the school. It's gotten easier to spot the troubled kids when the school board merged merged the middle school with the high school to save money, but it's made for more paperwork as we now have to look out for double the kids." She opened the bottom drawer and rifled through the yearbooks. "Ah, here we go.", she said, pulling out the most recent yearbook. She wheeled her office chair back over to her desk and laid it down in front of her sister.

Luna opened up the yearbook and flipped through the pages until she came to Sunset's picture that had the "honorific" biggest meanie. Pulling out her phone, she opened up the camera, snapped the photo and texted it to Shining Armor. Closing the book, she said, "Thanks sis."

The elder sister gave a non-committal grunt in the affirmative as she grumbled to herself about what programs to cut funding to so the school could afford to have the front of the school repaired in time for the music festival in four months.

Luna stepped into her office, walked over to the mini-fridge, opened the door and pulled out a bottle of ginger ale. Taking a disposable cup from the cupboard, she poured poured the clear, light-yellow soda in. It was on nights like this that she wished she had not quit drinking as she watched the bubbles in the carbonated drink form a white, fizzy head. Her mind went back to that night twenty years ago when she had gotten drunk and passed out behind the wheel, the the injuries from the resulting crash caused her to loose her left leg below the knee and a rod from the engine had impaled her through the stomach, thankfully missing her intestines but tearing through her uterus, causing her to lose it, along with the baby she didn't know she was pregnant with. Her face had gotten smashed up pretty bad, requiring several surgeries to repair the damage, though over the years she had gotten pretty good at hiding the scars with makeup. That wasn't the worst of it, the car she had hit had a young family, which hadn't survived the wreck. That hurt the most of all. The state had decided to take pity on her at the trial and determined that because of her state of mind considering that her and Celestia's parents had died six months prior in a similar crash, instead of her being stupid and driving drunk, instead she had attempted suicide and she wound up being committed to a psychological hospital for one thousand days.

Between the therapists, the medications, and the general atmosphere of the hospital, Luna was grateful that had ended her edgy Nightmare Moon phase, or else she would have ended up in a prison upstate, turning big rocks into smaller rocks. Her phone beeped and she pulled it out to check it. Shining Armor had texted to let her know he received the message and would follow the bus to make sure Sunset was okay. She texted back her thank and tossed the phone onto the desk. Sitting down in the office chair, she rolled up the left leg of her pants and pulled off the prosthetic leg that made up her lower leg and foot. As she scratched the stump, she swore that sometimes she could still feel the leg that hadn't been there since she was sixteen. Taking a few swallows of soda, she scratched her belly, allowing her fingers to linger on the scars on her lower abdomen. It was physical reminders like this of why she gave up alcohol twenty years ago.

***

Short Fuse stepped out of Rolling Thunder's car. His house was dark and quiet, which meant his dad was either out drinking or passed out drunk. Either way he figured that he'd have a pretty good chance of sneaking back to his room and hopefully in the morning his dad would be in a good mood. He moved the potted plant on the window sill by the front door and retrieved the key hidden underneath. After unlocking the door and putting the key back, he slowly and as quietly as possible opened the door. He stopped just inside the door, listening as his eyes darted around the room. Then he heard a noise he feared, the clink of a glass bottle. He silently cursed and started to back out the door.

"'s that you boy?"

Short Fuse instinctively froze. His dad was drunk and probably in a bad mood, like he usually was when he drank.

"Y' gonna answer me boy?"

"Y-y-yes, sir. It's me."

"You're late, boy."

"I-I-I'm sorry. Tonight was the Fall Formal and me and some friends went out after to have some fun."

"Well don't stand at the door like some sorta creep. C'm'n in."

Short Fuse didn't want to, but his feet moved on their own accord as if they were on autopilot. Entering the kitchen, though the lights were out, he saw the figure of his father slumped over the table. The headlights of a passing car momentarily illuminated the kitchen and he briefly saw a pink slip of paper on the table. Shit! This is bad!

"I hope you got yer fingers stinky, boy."

"Uh, n-no sir. Me and Lightning and Rolling aren't like that.", Short Fuse replied as every part of his brain was screaming for him to run.

The drunk man looked up from the table and straight at the boy. "You some kinda Nancy-boy?"

"Uh, n-no sir."

The drunk man spoke gibberish, mocking his son's reply. "You talk just like a faggot. I bet you're wearing girl's panties too."

"Go fuck yourself, you drunk bastard! Maybe if you laid off the bottle once in a while, you wouldn't have gotten fired."

The man was on his feet and in Short Fuse's face in a blur. "You think you're better than me? You think you can take me? Well go ahead, take your shot."

Short Fuse balled up his fist as his body shook in a mix of anger and fear. "Y-y-you know what? Why don't you just dri--AH!" A fist slammed into the side of his face, sending him crumpling to the floor. He looked up at the shadowy form of his father towering over him in the dark.

"You even scream like a little faggot." The drunken man began fiddling with his belt buckle. "I shoulda beat the sissy outa you a long time ago." The belt came out of the belt loops with a series of cracking snaps.

Short Fuse lay on the floor frozen in fear as the belt rained down on him in blow after blow.

***

Shining Armor tailed the bus as it wove through neighborhoods that grew more and more rundown. He unhooked the small loop that secured the pistol in its holster. He knew how the gangs could be in these neighborhood, and though he didn't want to have to use the pistol, he'd rather be prepared.

Shining Armor watched as the bus stopped at a stop near a soup kitchen. He watched as the fire-haired girl got off, walked across the street, avoiding the groups of sketchy-looking people and to the front of the building. He watched as she talked with the guard at the door, though he couldn't hear and it was too far to read their lips, her body language inferred everything. The soup kitchen was closed for the night. He watched as Sunset hung her head and walked off. He tailed her to see where she was staying.

Sunset walked for several blocks, the houses looked rundown. This neighborhood used to be a nice place ten years ago, not upscale, mostly people working in middle-class jobs that had carved out their slice of the pie, then the banks had started given out bad-faith loans to people who they knew couldn't repay. Almost like clockwork, the people couldn't repay their loans and defaulted, resulting in their homes getting repossessed. The bankers had thought they could make money hand-over-fist by reselling the recently repossessed houses, but ten years of sagging roofs, broken windows, peeling paint and partially collapsed porches spoke of what happens when banks give out bad-faith loans.

Shining Armor continued to follow the fire-haired girl as she walked past the vacant houses. Some of them were charred, burnt-out husks where some homeless people had squatted in to get out of the weather and started a fire in long-disused fireplaces or a steel trashcan to get warm, or where a drug lab had a catastrophic accident. He shook his head at it all. Though his parents had a charity that helped people who needed food, clothes or a place to live, and the local Ste. Somnambula's church did all they could, there was only so much they could do as they had limited funds, space and/or supplies, so there were always people who fell through the cracks, more than anyone liked to admit or even think about. The mayor had tried to get some government-funded programs to help with the homeless problem, but her hands were tied as the old money bastards on the city council blocked every proposal or even throttled the money for these programs.

Sunset slipped into an alleyway between two neighborhoods. Shining Armor kept his distance in his cruiser, diving down the street that the alley ran parallel to, keeping track of the girl. She disappeared behind one house. Putting the car in park, he made sure his gun belt was in place and everything was secure on it before switching off the car and getting out.

Shining looked around, looking for the telltale signs of a drug lab and gang graffiti. He blew out a sigh, so far it looked like the Griffons, the Diamond Dogs, the Abbysinians or any other of the major gangs in Caterlot City hadn't made this their territory...yet, one less thing he'd have to deal with tonight. He walked between the houses and to the back of the one that Sunset had most likely gone into. He could see where she had worn a path through the dust and grass to a porch that looked like had repaired the broken or sagging boards, probably with lumber harvested from other houses or from within the house. The back door appeared to be nailed shut from the inside, but the pet door had a large plank of plywood covering it. Scrapes along the door showed that the plywood had been moved many times in the past and most likely earlier.

Shining quickly inspected the porch and door for any booby traps, when homeless people have been squatting somewhere for a while, because like anyone else, they want for security, they just lack the access to things like security systems. The traps usually aren't lethal, generally something to alert whoever is inside, like a box or milk crate filled with glass bottles that would fall and shatter when a door is opened or a certain board is stepped on, though traps that can injure or even kill weren't unheard of, like nail boards hidden under a pile of trash or filthy clothes, floorboards that have been intentionally weakened or rotten board strategically placed so when someone steps on them, their foot and leg fall through the hole, or even a trip wire that connected to a heavy object that falls or swings down on a rope.

Finding no signs of traps, Shining Armor gave a closer inspection of the back door. Though the lock was busted, probably from a police raid or a break-in, it wouldn't budge, being nailed tightly shut. He inspected the pet door, the slat of wood in it had been moved and replaced, probably how she got in. The pet door was too small for him to get in and he began to inspect the windows on the back porch. Though the glass had been broken a long time ago, the windows were boarded up and the boards looked relatively newer, there were even old ratty blankets hung up serving as makeshift curtains.

Reaching between the slats, Shining moved the ratty blanket aside to look in. In the gloom of the rundown house he could what was left of the kitchen. The hastily torn-off gas line spoke that someone had stolen the stove some time ago, probably to salvage the recyclable components in it. The fridge laid on its side, the compressor and various guts ripped out long ago. Likewise the kitchen sink was gone and part of the floor had been torn up. His gaze moved around to what else he could see in the house. What furniture that remained was either broken or covered in dust, mold and other detritus. Someone or someones had some time ago had ripped out sections of the sheetrock to get at the valuable copper wiring. The stairs that went up to the second floor looked to be in good shape, a dim silvery light, probably from an electric lantern, shone, casting dim fingers of light and shadow down the stairs. Feeling for the phone in his pocket, he though about how to get in the house.

"You looking for Red?", a voice asked from behind.

Spinning around to face who had come up behind him, Shining simultaneously drew his pistol. Standing just off the porch were a couple of homeless men, dress in filthy clothes. The first one, his eyes went wide as he raised his hands, the second one, clearly intoxicated, eyes went wide as he staggered backwards.

"Whoa! Easy there, Officer.", the first man said, "We don't mean you no harm. We saw you snoopin' 'round here and we was just makin' sure you weren't lookin' to hurt her or snatch he up and the like."

Shining put his pistol back in his holster. "So how do you know her?"

"'Bout three years back, we came 'cross her huddled in an alley, sick from eatin' outa garbage cans. She weren't older than twelve or thirteen and we all took a shine to her and couldn't bear the thought of some slinger gettin' his hooks in her, a pimp snatchin' her to whore her out or some bangers beatin' her into their crew or using her as their bicycle, so's we all pitched in to find her a place she could sleep and even helped make sure she was safe."

"When you say 'we', how many are you talking about?", Shining asked.

"There used to be four of us, all vets. I'm Stan an' this here's Kyle. Kenny got killed when a bus hit him and Eric lost his life to diabetes. So let me ask you a couple of things, did Red get beat up? She looks like she's been put through the wringer. And why are you here looking for her?"

"I don't know if she got beat up. There was some sort of accident at the school and the front got smashed, maybe she got hurt. A good friend who works at the school asked me to check up on her to make sure she was okay. I need to make a quick phone call, can I ask you two to stay near and make sure she doesn't bolt and that she's okay?"

The two men nodded as Shining Armor went around to the front of the house, checked the address and pulled out his phone. Calling Luna, when she picked up, he didn't wait for her to say 'hello' when he began relaying the information.

***

Celestia and Luna pulled up to the place Shining Armor gave them the address over the phone in Celestia's SUV. They pulled up to where Shining was waiting for them. The two principal sisters got out and hurried over to where Shining Armor stood, waving them over.

"So where's Sunset?", Celestia asked.

"She's still in the house, probably asleep.", Shining Armor said, "The vets who've been watching out for her are watching the back."

Luna shoved past Shining Armor and began pounding on the front door."Sunset! Sunset Shimmer!", she shouted, "I know you're in there! Open up so we can take you somewhere safe!"

"Luna!", Celestia scolded, "We don't want to scare her. She could run, right into the hands of someone who would use and abuse her. And we don't want to rush in there, the floor could be rotten in places. We could fall right through and then we'd be hurt."

"I've got an idea.", Shining Armor said, "I'll be right back." He went over to the cruiser, popped the trunk and pulled out a flat prybar. Walking back over, he said,"She's been using the back door, going in and out the pet door that she blocks with what looks like a piece of plywood. The floor in the kitchen and the stairs might be in good enough shape to hold our weight. I'll break open the back door so we can get in that way. One of you stay here just in case she tries to bolt out the front."

Celestia agreed to stay at the front while Luna and Shining Armor went around back. Shining ordered the two homeless vets to watch the sides and shout if Sunset tried to go out one of the windows. Shining Armor stepped up on the back porch, with Luna close behind. "Stand back." He jammed the end of the flat prybar into the crack between the frame and the door and began pulling with all his might. At first nothing happened,then with a loud crack, the door moved slightly as a piece of the frame broke loose. Pushing the prybar in further, he began pulling again.

Sunset, sleeping on the pallet of blankets, with her backpack serving as a pillow, snapped awake with the sound of wood breaking. Oh no! Someone's breaking in! Scrambling out from under the blanket she had thrown over herself, still dressed in her clothes from the day, she grabbed the only object that was hard and heavy enough to defend herself, the old electric guitar she found in a closet when she first started squatting here. Muscles trembling with a mixture of adrenaline and fear, she gripped the neck of the guitar, wielding it as a makeshift club. Creeping down the stairs, the sounds of the wood on the back door cracking filling the house. Images of a crazed murderer or rapist, ran through the head as the door slowly lurched inch-by-inch. The sound of her own pulse in her ears was deafening as she stepped off the bottom stair and began creeping through the house. The back door flew open, she shrieked out a war cry and charged the figure silhouetted in the door frame. If they were going to rape or murder or rape and murder her, she was going to fight them. She swung the guitar with all her might and felt it get deflected by something just before it was ripped from her hands.

With a final crack, the door flew open and Shining saw a figure running at him, screaming and holding something over its head. He held the prybar up deflect the object, then reached up with his free hand to pull it away. He was surprised to see it was a guitar.

Sunset, now disarmed, leapt at the figure in the doorway, screaming, punching, kicking, scratching and biting, if she was about to be raped and murdered, she was going to make them pay for every second before they finally did the deed.

Shining Armor found himself grappling with a terrified one hundred pound teenage girl. Dropping the objects in his hands, he struggled with the terrified girl, trying to not hurt her not get himself hurt in the process. He yelped in pain as teeth sank into his forearm, then a sharp pain exploded in his groin cause spots to dance before his eyes and he doubled over, falling to the floor.

Sunset's teeth met flesh and the coppery taste of blood met her tongue. Her attacker released his grip and she brought her knee up to his groin. As he fell over, she bolted past him, another form reached out and grabbed her, dragging her down to the wood of the porch. She screamed as she punched and scratched when a weight pressed itself onto her stomach.

Luna heard Shining Armor yelp in pain, then grunt, before doubling over and falling down. Sunset ran out and she grabbed the girl, spinning her down the the porch and sat on her stomach. She wrestled with the screaming girl as she scratched at her face.

The ruckus brought Stan, Kyle and Celestia around to see what was going on.

Stan ran up onto the porch, stomped a foot on the wood and shouted, "Red! You're good!"

The sound of Stan stomping and shouting brought Sunset out out of her fear-fueled berserker rampage. Looking up, she realized that it was Vice-principal Luna who was sitting on her. She looked around and saw Principal Celestia standing nearby with a concerned look on her face.

Once everything had settled down and they had made sure Shining Armor was okay, they ventured into the house Sunset was squatting in to help her gather her stuff.

While Luna helped Sunset gather up her belongings, Celestia and Shining Armor stood in the hallway. Her gaze landed on the few pictures left hanging on the wall, he attention was drawn to one in particular and walked over. In the picture was a woman who could have been Sunset, right down to the light cyan eyes, the amber skin and red and blonde-stripped hair. Standing beside the woman was a man who had a messy mop of pale, arctic blue and pale, almost white, light grey-stripped hair and charcoal grey skin. In front of them stood a little girl with dark grey skin, piercing blue eyes, a head of fiery red hair and to top it off, she sported a big, happy, broad snaggle-toothed grin. Celestia remembered the family and when they moved away. It made her sad thinking about how many young families were forced to uproot all those years ago because of greedy bankers.

After Sunset had her things gathered up and loaded into Celestia's SUV, the woman with the pastel rainbow-colored hair handed to the two vets her business card, the number of a shelter in the neighboring county hastily scribbled down on a napkin and enough cash for them to stay a the night at a motel as she finished up her call with the cab company, because of the neighborhood, they insisted on the full price of the ride upfront before they would send a car out their way. Hanging up the call, she grumbled to herself about how everyone talked about helping the homeless, but when someone proposed building a new homeless shelter, suddenly everyone suddenly said 'Not in my backyard!'. Shining Armor had informed her and Luna that he was required by law to notify both DFCS and CPS when dealing with a homeless kid, but because it was the weekend, it wouldn't be until Monday at the soonest before they would send any case workers.

Stan and Kyle had tears in their eyes, the former blubbering like a baby, while the latter, which the two sisters learned had lost his voice box to throat cancer, silently wept. "Th-thank you, ma'am", Stan said between sobs, "You've done more for us than most people. Usually they just look down on us or pretend they don't see us and whisper under their breath 'Get a job you bums.'"

Celestia held up her hand. "I'm not looking for your thanks. Jesus said to help the poor, feed the hungry, heal the sick and clothe the naked. If the shelter I gave you the number to doesn't have any available beds, my sister and I have a little cabin out by Lake Everfree. It might not be much, but it has hot water and the roof doesn't leak. But you two won't be staying there for free, don't worry, we don't want or need your money. Your cost for staying there would be to keep up the place and the surrounding property, as well as helping us with any chores we ask for your help with. One more condition, if you wind up staying at out cabin, no more getting stumbling, falling down, blackout drunk, the last thing any of us needs is a bunch of empty and half-empty bottles and cans of booze lying around. Also if you want to attend church, I'm the pastor at Rockhoof's United Episcopalian Church, you are more than welcome."

Stan and Kyle took off their knit caps, placed them over the chests and tipped their heads. "I don't k-know how to thank you and your sister. If God doesn't let someone like you two into heaven, then he doesn't deserve to be called God."

Sunset had long since put her things into the back of the SUV, climbed into the backseat and drifted off to sleep. Celestia, Luna and Shining Armor waited around for the car from the taxi company to come around to pick up the two veterans. Shining Armor then bid the two sisters farewell.

"I think I'll take Sunset to my house.", Celestia said,"With me being an ordained minister, I can use that I'm head principal and being ordained to better sway the social workers."

"Celly, they won't care if you're a minister, a ditch digger, an undertaker or God himself. Your house is a one-bedroom cracker box.", Luna argued, "My house is also a a cracker box, but it has a small guest bedroom in the back."

"But all you have in that room is a futon. There aren't any dressers for her clothes."

"Something we can worry about in the next day or two. For now let's worry about getting Sunset a bed to sleep in. We can get all of her amenities later."

Celestia went make an argument, but Luna shot her a glare. "You know I'm right."

Celestia worked her jaw a couple of times in an attempt to make an argument, but couldn't think of one and sighed in defeat. "Your, right. Just don't glare at me like that. That was the same glare mom used."

Both sisters wilted slightly at the mention of their parents.

Luna recovered first and gave her sister a playful flick on the tip of her nose. "I might have gotten her glare, but you got her sunny disposition and eyes."

Hoping in the SUV, they drove off.

Pulling up to Luna's house, the two sisters hopped out. Celestia opened the back hatch to get Sunset's things as Luna opened up the back door and gave Sunset a nudge to wake her up.

***MONDAY***

Sunset was in a daze as she walked into the often disused bathroom in the hallway with the messed up lighting. This had definitely been a weird past few days, not just the events of the Fall Formal, but also Celestia and Luna finding out she was homeless, also staying in Luna's spare bedroom. Then there was finding out that opposite to most rumors about them, the two sisters didn't live in the same house, though they did live on the same block. Finishing up her business in the stall, she flushed the toilet and stepped out to wash her hands, that's when she saw Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse standing by the sinks, a crowd behind them chanting,"Fight-fight-fight!" Her being, until recently, a bully with her own toadies, recognized what was fixing to go down, this was a beatdown and they had gotten a crowd of students hyped up so their curiosity about seeing real-life violence could be sated, though there were a few who had a morbid desire to see blood in the crowd. There was no way of getting out of this without violence.

Sunset, being the former protege of Princess Celestia, had been taught among other things, hoof-to-hoof combat, though it had taken her some time to adapt what she had been taught into using hands. The crowd fell silent in anticipation as she brought her hands up in a boxer's stance, prepared to defend herself and trounce anyone who came at her, a pin could be heard dropping. The trio moved at her and the crowd of students began cheering.

At the back of the crowd a farm girl and an athlete tried to push through the wall of people,but to no avail.

Rainbow Dash looked over shoulder, seeing Fluttershy standing, hiding behind her hair, book pulled up high on her chest, almost to her chin. "Fluttershy! Help us! They're gonna beat her down!"

The yellow-skinned girl looked at her oldest friend, then to the crowd, then up and down the hallway, then ran off.

Rainbow turned to Applejack. "We lost Flutters!"

"She weren't much for violence anyways RD. Jus' Help me get through 'em all."

Sunset ducked, bobbed and weaved, avoiding the trio's attacks, as she waited for her opening, meanwhile the crowd shouted and brayed for violence. The opening showed itself and Sunset took advantage, Rolling Thunder tripped over her own feet and staggered. Sunset threw a short uppercut to the girl's midsection, driving the wind out of her, then grappled the girl and threw her into Lightning Dust. The two girls fell over into a pile of tangled limbs.

Sunset then turned her attention to Short Fuse. Rushing at him, she ducked and weaved past his punches, closing in and threw several jabs of her own. Throwing a haymaker, he blocked it, but the force of the punch sent him off balance. She followed up the haymaker with a shoulder block, sending the boy backwards into the crowd, who roughly shoved him forward.

Short Fuse, feeling a bit emasculated and having his pride bruise, lost his temper and rushed forward, throwing wild punches, which Sunset easily ducked or dodged.

Sunset, instead of keeping an eye on her surroundings, became hyper-fixated on Short fuse, ducking and dodging his blows, while answering with several jabs meant more to anger than harm as she goaded the boy further into wildly throwing punches to tire him out. A pair of turquoise each grabbed a fistful of hair. She hit the floor hard, with a loud thunk.

Sunset's ears rang and her lungs spasmed as stars danced before her eyes. A foot collided with the side of her face, causing her vision to flash white and she instinctively threw her hand up to protect her head. A foot stomped on her stomach, further driving the air from her. When a foot came at her face again, she reached out and grabbed it by the ankle. She quickly twisted the limb. A turquoise body landed on the floor. Flipping onto her hands and knees, a foot collided with the base of her sternum, driving out what air she had been able to suck back in. Push past the pain and focus on what you've been taught.

Sunset launched herself forward from her hands and knees, wrapping both arms around Short Fuse's waist and tackled the boy onto the floor. She quickly scrabbled on top of him and began raining blows down onto his face and chest as he tried to protect himself with his hands and forearms.

Rolling Thunder kicked Sunset hard in the side of the head. Time seemed to slow down and the world became swimmy as the bacon-haired girl slumped to the floor.

The trio stood side-by-side, two blood from their noses or lips.

"Pick her the fuck up.", Short Fuse growled, "I'm gonna make her pay!"

Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder picked Sunset up off the floor by her arms and held her tight as Short Fuse began waving his arms to further hype-up the crowd. Sunset weakly kicked at him. He grabbed her ankle, then threw a kick at her groin. The students at the front of the crowd 'oo-ed' at the kick. He lined up for a big punch.

Pain exploded across Sunset's face when the fist collided with it. Her head snapped back, then slumped forward, blood flowed from her nose and dripped onto the floor. Spots swirled and stars danced before her eyes. A fist came forward again, she tried to lean her head out of the way, it collided with her eye. A blow connected with her stomach, followed up by one to the side of her jaw. For a few seconds the sounds in the restroom became distant and muted and her vision became blurry.

The trio traded spots, Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder each took turns getting their shots on the bacon-haired girl.

Once the trio finished wailing on Sunset, her face was puffy and bruised, one eye was starting to swell shut, bruises covered the front of her body. Blood freely leaked from her lips and nose, dripping down onto her shirt and the floor. Her legs were rubbery, she was only able to stay upright because of the two holding her up by her arms, her mind barely clung to consciousness. The crowd had grown silent, the spectacle of violence and blood having stunned them into silence, even when Sunset was the queen bully, she never went this far, but they couldn't look away or leave, morbid curiosity taking hold.

"She don't look so good, Fuse.", Lightning Dust said.

"Yeah, we should just leave her here and let her bleed on the floor.", Rolling Thunder said in agreement.

"I got a better idea.", Short Fuse said maliciously, "Let's clean her up in the only place shit like her deserves." He pointed to the bathroom stall.

"I...uh...don't know. She's pretty bad busted up, Fuse. Maybe we should just leave her here and get outa here before we get busted.", Lightning Dust said.

Short Fuse snarled at his two friends and snatched Sunset by her wrist, pulling her from the two girls. He drug her across the floor to the stall and deposited the fire-haired girl in front of the toilet. "Wash yourself off in there like the piece of shit you are!"

Sunset weakly shook her head. "...over...'s over...ust go 'way."

Short Fuse snatched Sunset up by her hair. "I. Said. Clean. Your. Self. In. The. Toilet. Like. The. Piece. Of. Shit. You. Are.", he said through clenched teeth, accentuating every word. He then shoved her face-first into the toilet. She weakly clawed and scratched at his hand. He never saw the figure rushing up to him.

Wallflower Blush had been sitting in a stall, knees pulled to her chest as the sounds of violence filled the bathroom. After the sounds of violence died down, she hunkered near the door, silently debating with herself on whether or not to go out. She unlatched the stall door and dared a peek. She gasped at the sight of Short Fuse dragging Sunset across the floor and ducked back in the stall, latching the door back. She heard Sunset speaking weakly followed by Short Fuse speaking angrily followed by the sounds of bubbling. She dared another peek and it was clear that he was holding her head in the toilet. She ducked back in the stall. "I know she bullied me, but no one deserves this.", She whispered to herself, "Someone should do something to stop him." She balled up her fists to psyche herself up."This is stupid! This is stupid! This is stupid!", she repeated over and over again.

Building up what little courage she could, Wallflower rushed out of the stall. Without even thinking, she kicked the boy in his side.

Short Fuse was knocked away by the blow.

Sunset shoved herself away from the toilet bowl with all of her remaining strength, coughing up the disgusting water as she felt sick.

Wallflower stood there stunned. She didn't expect to actually succeed st kicking him away and a small flicker of pride welled up in her core.

Short Fuse sat on his butt staring up at the green-skinned girl who had kicked him. Fresh anger burned and he sprung up, lunging at her.

Wallflower backpedaled, trying to get away from the angry boy, but tripped over her own feet and stumbled into the wall.

Short Fuse's fingers wrapped around the girl's neck and he began choking her for everything her was worth as he pinned her against the wall.

Wallflower flailed ineffectually against Short Fuse's grip. Her face turned red, then purple.

Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder stared momentarily dumbfounded, then rushed forward to pull their friend off the girl he was choking. He shrugged them off.

Rolling Thunder reared her foot back and brought it up with as much force as she could between Short Fuse's thighs.

All the air left Short Fuse's body and his eyes went crossed. Both hands went to his crotch and he doubled over, falling to the floor with a whimper and curled up into the fetal position.

Wallflower slumped to the floor, coughing and sputtering. Her hands went to her neck defensively and she scooted on her butt across the floor defensively, making as much space as possible between her and the boy.

Right then Fluttershy had returned with Celestia, Luna and a dozen other teachers. The adults quickly pushed their way through the crowd.

Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder seeing they were boned, leaned against the wall. Short Fuse, having recovered from his low blow, simply grumbled cuss words under his breath.

The teachers quickly checked on Sunset and Wallflower. Out in the hallway, three dozen students had been lined up against the walls as the teachers handed out detention slips like they were party favors.

Fluttershy, Rainbow and Applejack guided Sunset and Wallflower to the nurse's office.

***

While Celestia stood in the parking lot talking with the police, Luna sat in her office glaring at Short Fuse,Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder. "You three should consider yourselves lucky. Principal Celestia is convincing the police to write this up as a simple fight instead of having you three drug off to juvie. But that doesn't mean you're getting off scott-free." She got up, walked over to a file cabinet, opened a drawer and pulled out three sets of black with green striped sweat suits and tossed them to the three students. "As of right now you three are in the washouts program. That means for the next twelve weeks for two hours after school and six hours on the weekends you're to do whatever tasks myself, principal Celestia, the custodial staff or the grounds keeping staff tells you to do, and I can assure you that Willie loves making students who wind up in the program trimming the football field with scissors and edging the sidewalks with butter knives. Am I understood?" The three students nodded. "Good. The whole time you're on school property, you're to wear those sweats. There is a bathroom right down the hall, you're to go in there one-by-one, change out of your clothes and put on those sweats. If you can't find the bathroom, ask Miss Inkwell and she'll point you to where it is. And I'll be calling your parents."

All three students visibly gulped.

***

Sunset and Wallflower sat in the nurse's office. Both had been given a cup of water and a packet of acetaminophen, with the former also given a cold compress for her eye, as there was little legally that a school nurse could do.

***

Sunset and Luna walked out of the urgent care. Sunset would have preferred not to go,but Luna had insisted saying 'It was her duty as guardian, even if only temporarily, to make sure she wasn't seriously injured.'.

Sunset knew she wasn't seriously injured. Even though she was bipedal on this side of the portal, she was still a pony. That meant she had denser bones and muscles than humans, which meant she was more resistant to injury, as well as stronger, not to a freakish level, but she could lift, carry and drag more than her apparent size would suggest. The doctor had said she was lucky to have not suffered any serious injuries as far as he could tell, but still ordered a head X-ray just to be sure.

***

Short Fuse sat on his bed, the bruise on his cheek was a faint ache where his father had back-handed him after leaving the school parking lot compared to the bruises on his back where he had beaten him with a belt. His stomach gurgled with hunger, his father had spent the little bit of money he had earned from the temp job on booze and was currently passed out on the couch.

Short Fuse reached under his bed and pulled out an object that was wrapped in an old T-shirt. Something he had stolen from his father's room. Something his father had thought he had long ago pawned for quick cash or traded for booze. Unwrapping the T-shirt, he revealed the object, a small nine-millimetre pistol. He held the pistol in his hands, staring down at it hard. It would be so easy, just walk into the front room, shoot the man who was passed out drunk on the couch and keep shooting until the weapon went click. His thoughts drifted to the half of a box of ammunition hidden in the back of his sock drawer. Maybe after he shot his dad, he could then track down Sunset and shoot her, or maybe he could just turn the gun on himself.

Short Fuse thought long and hard about shooting his father or Sunset or himself, but ultimately couldn't work up the gumption. Cursing himself for being a coward, he rolled the pistol back up in the old T-shirt and slipped it between the mattress and box springs.***TWO WEEKS LATER: FRIDAY***Short Fuse reeled as his father punched him. The man had been in a bad mood, which had been exasperated by the fact he had started drinking early that morning. The man was angry that there was no food in the house and when Short Fuse had told him that it was because he had blown the money on booze rather than buying groceries, his anger had exploded. He had accused his son of lying and of eating up all the food in the house.

Short Fuse ducked a poorly aimed punch his father had thrown and then threw one back himself. The punch wasn't very strong, but the man had staggered and stumbled, more from being alcohol-impaired, tripped over his own feet and fell onto the floor. That's when something snapped in the boy and he stormed out of the kitchen.

"Get back 'ere boy! I'll f'ckin' kill you!" The drunken, enraged man drug himself up to his feet, gripping onto the counter. Grasping onto the handle of a drawer, he snatched it open, spilling its contents onto the floor. Bending over awkwardly, he picked up a kitchen knife and stormed off after his son. "C'mere ya l'il bastard! I'm gonna cut you up real good!" He staggered through the house, heading towards Short Fuse's bedroom.

Short Fuse came out of his room brandishing the pistol.

"An' jus' whut d'ya think you're gonna do wit' that?" He did a staggering lunge forward.

Short Fuse pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through the man's throat. He dropped the knife and brought his hands up to his throat as bright red blood poured out his throat. Short Fuse pulled the trigger two more times. Two bullets ripped through the man's chest and he slumped to the floor, a slowly expanding pool of red forming around his body.

After a few moments the realization of what he had done hit him. Short Fuse panicked and went to find his phone to call nine-one-one. Looking down at his phone laying on the bed, he reached for it, then stopped."They'll probably just lock me up. If I'm going out, then I'm taking that Sunset bitch with me." Going over to the dresser, he fished the half empty box of ammo out of the sock drawer, ejected the magazine, topped it off and reinserted it back into the pistol. After getting dressed and pulling a dark hoodie, he put the pistol into the front pocket, then walked outside to wait for the bus.

Lightning Dust walked through the school parking lot with Short Fuse. "SO why aren't you wearing the washout sweats?"

"Eh, fuck it. What can they do to me?"

"Uh, suspend you and keep you in the program longer."

"Is that all? Figured they'd call the cops on me or something. Well I ain't wearin' 'em any more and they can't make me."

"Dayum! I've never seen this gangsta side of you before. I like it."

"So where's Rolling?"

"Her dad got tee-boned at a red light while driving her to school, so she's gonna be late. I'm surprised she didn't text you."

"She probably did, I just haven't checked my phone this morning."

Short Fuse and Lightning Dust walked through the doors of the school. Students were milling about the halls, waiting on the first bell to ring. Lightning Dust walked over to a group of her friends to chat with them for a few minutes. Short Fuse laid eyes on Sunset Shimmer, reached into the hoodie's pocket, gripping the pistol and began walking forward. "Slut-set!", he shouted and began pulling the pistol out of the hoodie.

Students paused to look at who was shouting. Lightning Dust turned around and froze, seeing the metallic gleam in Short Fuse's hand. Wallflower Blush and Fluttershy, coming out of the bathroom together, froze in place as they saw the pistol come out.

Sunset turned around to see who had just called her slut and Short Fuse pulled the trigger. *BLAM*

Students screamed and scrambled over and past each other in a panic.

Sunset felt a burning pain in her stomach as her legs folded under her, sending her sprawling to the floor. She brought her hands up to her stomach, feeling something wet and hot.

Lightning Dust, Fluttershy and Wallflower stood frozen in place, fear and panic anchoring them in place.

Short Fuse stalked over and aimed the pistol at Sunset's face.

Sunset felt tears stinging in her eyes and a burning pain in her stomach. She couldn't feel her legs. Why couldn't she feel her legs? A figure loomed over her. There was only one word that she could think at that moment, so she spoke it out loud. "Why?"

"Because fuck you, that's why." As Short Fuse prepared to pull the trigger again, something slammed into his side, sending him stumbling away. The pistol went off, the bullet narrowly missing Sunset's head and striking the linoleum-covered, concrete floor, shattering into a million pieces.

Fluttershy, utterly terrified out of her mind, rushed forward as fast as her legs could carry her when Short Fuse stood over her friend and aimed the pistol at her head. Leveling her shoulder at the boy, she threw her weight into him with all her might. As he staggered away, he own momentum carried her into the wall head first, then blackness.

After Short Fuse recovered from being body checked, he stared dumbfounded at the unconscious form of Fluttershy, then at the prone form of Sunset. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw several teachers running down the hall in his direction. Turning on his heel, he bolted out the door.

A moment later Lightning Dust ran out the door after her friend. "Fuse! Stop!"

He stopped, turned around and pulled back his hood.

"Why Fuse, why?"

Short Fuse said nothing and stuck the muzzle into his mouth.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

*BLAM*

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The bullet ripped through the back of Short Fuse's mouth, through his brain and out the back of his head, leaving a gaping wound. He slumped to the ground limply and a pool of red formed around his head.

Lightning Dust felt the bile grab her by the throat. Tears blurred her vision. Scrambling over to the body of her friend, she dropped to her knees. Grabbing the pistol, she threw it away. "Short Fuse! Don't do this to me! Wake up! Wake up! Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!" She began pounding her fists on his chest."No! No! No! Nononononono! Nnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooo!" A pair of white hands grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away."Noooooo! I want to stay with him!"

Principal Celestia drug Lightning Dust away, turned the girl away from her dead friend's body and hugged her close as she screamed and cried. "Shh! Shh! It's okay. You're safe. Shh! Shh!" Tears stung her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she stared as the lifeless form of the boy.

In the distance dozens of sirens on police cars screamed out.

***

Groups of students stared on in shocked silence as EMTs loaded the stretcher that held Sunset Shimmer into the back of an ambulance. Another group of EMTs helped Fluttershy into the back of another ambulance, they had checked her out and insisted she go to the hospital to ensure she didn't have a concussion or a skull fracture.

***TWO WEEKS EARLIER***

In a diner across town three ethereal voices sang out. The patrons who had gathered to eat began to argue with one another. Soon arguing became shouting matches. Tempers boiled over and fist fights broke out.

In a corner booth three feminine figures wearing dark hoodies sang in ethereal voices. The figures pulled back their hoods, the gems on chokers around their necks glowed a sickly, unearthly green.

"Bleh! The feelings of suffering and conflict of young humans is just so bland, especially when they don't have a famine in their country or a war right on their nation's doorstep.", Adagio said, "Now Russia back under Tsar Nicholas II, that was some truly exquisite suffering. Lenin created some decent suffering, but it just wasn't the same."

"What about that failed Austrian artist and the amount of suffering he made? What was his name again?", Sonata asked.

"That was too much and was making us sick. There is a limit to how much one can create at one time that we can take.", Adagio replied, "Just like Joseph did. You know as well as I that humans don't need an excuse to inflict suffering on each other. We just need to find the right people to influence to create the right amount of feelings of suffering and conflict, then we can grow fat and even find a way back to inflict it on Equestria."

"I just wish we could have waited until I got my home run gravy fries before draining these people.", Aria said, looking through the menu.

"Aria, shut up before I turn you into fish sticks.", Adagio said.

The three sirens left the diner some time later, leaving its patrons in a barely conscious state. A bright light caught their attention. Looking up, they saw a rainbow-colored double helix in the distance rising high into the air, then arc downwards at an angle.

"That's Equestrian magic!", Sonata exclaimed.

"Yes. Yes it is.", Adagio said, tenting her fingers as a wicked smile spread on her face."You know what that means girls? Dinner time!"

"Does that mean we can get a fish sandwich?", Aria asked.

"I'll make you a fish sandwich, Aria.", Adagio growled.

"You will?! I didn't know we had any fish patties left back in the room."

Adagio facepalmed.

***PRESENT DAY***

Trauma teams scrambled at the emergency room as the gurney holding Sunset burst through the doors. Nurses swarmed to her. A doctor rushed over. "What do we have here?"

"Gunshot victim. Heavy blood loss and potential spinal injury.", an EMT replied, "We gave her plasma, but don't know her blood type, so we didn't give her any red blood cells or platelets."

The doctor nodded. "A spinal injury is serious, but let's focus on getting the bleeding stopped first." He gently tapped Sunset on her cheek. "Miss Shimmer, do you know where you are?"

"H-hospital."

"Very good. Do you know your blood type?"

"T-Z Neutral."

The doctor looked at the nurse. "Okay, she's a bit loopy from blood loss. Get a sample for the labs so we can get her type."

The nurse jabbed a needle into Sunset's arm and drew a vial of blood. Writing down pertinent information of the label, she hurried off to the labs.

After a quick examination, the trauma team determined that Sunset had serious internal bleeding and perforated intestines. Cutting her out of her clothes, they noted the red and yellow yin-yang sun symbols on her hips, but figured they were tattoos. She was quickly rushed to emergency surgery.

The anesthesiologist placed a breathing mask over Sunset's mouth and nose. "Alright, breathe deep and count backwards from ten."

Sunset took deep breaths and began counting. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Luna sat in the waiting room on pins and needles. School had been cancelled because of the shooting. After giving her statement to the police, she jumped in her car and sped off to the hospital. After filling out the forms to the best of her ability, she waited for what felt like an eternity. A doctor came out to talk with her.

"Are you Luna Faust?"

"Yes. How is Sunset? How long until I can see her?"

"I'm not sure as of yet. I assure you she's in good hands. I have a question or two I want to ask you first. Am I correct in assuming you're Sunset's guardian?"

"Yes."

"Do you know her blood type?"

"No I don't. I just recently became her guardian."

"Not a problem. Does Sunset have any preexisting medical conditions you're aware of?"

"None that I'm aware of. Until recently she was homeless. Has there been some sort of complication?"

The doctor sat down next to her. "No. She's going through emergency surgery to seal off her ruptured artery and deal with her perforated intestine."

Luna swooned.

"It's okay Miss Faust. This is perfectly normal for someone who has been shot in such a place. The real concern is that she has spinal trauma and will most likely be in a wheelchair."

Luna nodded dumbly, there was a buzzing in her ears that was growing louder. She couldn't hear what the doctor was saying. Sunset was going to be in a wheelchair. True, Luna was an amputee herself and she had learned how to get along well enough with a prosthetic. but being chair-bound was different from losing part of a leg. If worse came to worse, she could get around well enough with a crutch, but being crippled was different. It was only then that she realized that the doctor had stopped talking and that she was still nodding.

"Miss Faust, are okay?"

"I'm sorry doctor. It's a lot to take in and I zoned out for a bit. Could you repeat what you were saying?"

"Perfectly okay. I'm a father myself and if one of my kids were in the position Sunset is in, I'd be lucky to be in half as good of a state as you are. I was talking about how Sunset is going to have to go through physical therapy. It's too early to tell how much feeling and motion she's going to retain, but stranger things have happened."

Luna listened to the doctor. After he finished speaking, she said, "Thank you...you know I never asked you your name.

The doctor smiled. "My name's Night Light."

"Thank you Doctor Night Light. Please let me know when Sunset gets out of surgery. And where is your hospital's chapel?"

Luna stepped into the chapel. The chapel had been dedicated Sainte Somnambula. All around the room images depicted the blindfolded sainte healing the sick, feeding the hungry, defeating a beast with her courage and wits, and banishing the three witches. Behind the altar there was a statue of the sainte holding a gold cross in one hand and a heart in the other. Bowing before the altar, she interlaced her fingers, bowed her head and began quietly praying.

A nun of Ste. Somanbula came out, wearing the traditional thin blindfold of her order. "My child, what disturbs you?"

"This girl, Sunset Shimmer, who I've recently taken into my home and became her guardian is undergoing emergency surgery. A boy brought a gun to school this morning and shot her."

The nun knelt down next to Luna. "Then let us pray for Sunset Shimmer together that Jesus heals her and the blindfolded sainte guides her to peace."

***

Doctor Night Light stood outside the surgery recovery room looking over the paperwork that the lab technician handed him. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, doctor. I even ran the tests three times myself. She has a blood type I've not seen before. I recommend getting another sample of her blood and sending it to the lab up in Capitol City, maybe they've seen something like this, or maybe another doctor has seen a case like hers."

Night Light scratched his chin. "I'll have to ask her guardian first. No need to risk a lawsuit."

***ONE WEEK LATER***

Doctor Night Light stared at the lab work readout that had been sent back from the lab in Capitol City. He drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently as he sat on hold while waiting to be transferred. There had to be some sort of mix-up at the lab. They handled all sorts of blood, human and animal. They had to have accidentally sent back the wrong sample.

"Doctor Chrysalis' office. This is Thorax speaking."

"Yes. Hello. There has been some sort of mix-up. I think you sent me the wrong results."

"I see. Could you send me the name of the patient and the specimen case number. We'll clear that problem up for you. We at Hive Labs pride ourselves on our accuracy. If there has been a problem, we will fix that for you."

"The patient's name is Sunset Shimmer." Night Light quickly read off the specimen case number.

"Ah yes, we have it here. Sunset Shimmer. An unusual blood type, but the DNA markers of an unusual horse mare, age estimated to be somewhere between twenty and thirty years. What is the problem? Did we send the lab results for the wrong horse?"

"That's the problem. Sunset Shimmer isn't a thirty-year old horse, she's a fifteen year-old human girl."

"I see. So you're not a veterinarian?"

"No."

"Hold please."

"Don't put me on..." The line clicked and generic music played over the phone again. "...hold again." After a few minute the line clicked again.

"Hello, this is Doctor Chrysalis. What is this about a fifteen-year old girl?"

Author's Note

New story, new prologue. Parts of this went a little edgier than I had originally intended.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy.

Love the story, hate the story, spot any typos or misspelling, have any criticisms, comments or questions, feel free to leave them down below.