Never Made The Cut

Chapters

Deleted - The Princess & Her Dungeon (23 Nov ’17)
Deleted - The Royal School of Canterlot (24-29 Nov ’17)
Deleted - Scene Novelization (14 May ʼ20)
Scrapped - My New World (26 Mar ’21)
Scrapped - The Bit (29 Jan ʼ23)
Scrapped - EqG Anniversary Story (15 March ʼ23)
No, Maybe, Yes - Take 1 (03 Apr ʼ23)
No, Maybe, Yes - Take 2 (03 Apr ʼ23)
To Lose & To Heal - Take 1 (17 May ʼ23)
The First, The Last & The New - Take 1 (28 Nov ’23)
Relapse - Take 1 (27 Mar ’24)
Scrapped - Detetictive Pinkie Pie and the Pastry Switcheroo (04 Feb ‘23)

Deleted - The Princess & Her Dungeon (23 Nov ’17)

Friendship is Magic, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer

Twilightʼs castle has a dungeon and it isnʼt just an ordinary one. We are about to discover what makes it different.

Twilightʼs castle has a dungeon.

The dungeon is bit different from other dungeons in Equestria, for it has magical properties.

Chapter 1 - Prison of Harmony

“So, where are you taking me?” Starlight Glimmer asked as her former teacher led her to a dark hallway in the castle.

Twilight Sparkle did not answer and instead gestured for Starlight to follow her.

The two mares, accompanied by Spike the Dragon, reached a small yet intimidating door. Glimmer tried to open it, only to discover that it was locked. She tried to teleport inside, but the room somehow sent her outside. She let a groan of frustration.

“Thatʼs not how it works. This place has only one way in and one way out. And only I can open it,” Twilight explained. Her horn then activated, and a golden key with her cutie mark appeared out of thin air. She used to unlock the door.

The three of them went inside. It was dark. The alicorn used her magic to light the torches on the wall.

Starlight has seen dungeons before. And what she saw looked no different. There a big cell. There was little in terms of furniture; two beds, a book shelf and a crate. Curious, she walked towards the open cell and stepped in.

“I wouldnʼt stay there if I were you,” Spike warned.

“Why?” the unicorn was busy examinng the cell to pay attention. She wondered why Twilight had brought her here. This was just an ordinary prison, right?

Before she could understand, Glimmer heard a noise and looked around to see Twilight locking the door.

“Ha, ha, very funny.” Starlight tried to activate her horn.... only to find her magic gone. She was shocked, “What?!”

The princess smirked, “Spike warned you. This is no normal dungeon. This place is anti-magic. Thereʼs only one key, which appears out of thin air only me. When the door is locked, the magic and strength of anyone in is disabled. There is no escape.”

Starlight was confused, “When did you discover that?”

Flashback prior to Season 5

Twilight roamed around the gigantic castle, followed by her number 1 assisstant, answering the same question for the fiftieth time.

“Spike, Iʼll tell you one last time. A self-tour of this place is nessecary. This castle appeared out of nowhere yesterday! Donʼt you wanna know whatʼs in it?”

They arrived in front a dark hallway where they a small locked door. Sparkle tried using magic to get in but in vain.

“Um, do you have any idea how to get in?” Spike asked.

Twilight focused all her willpower on her magic, mumuring under her breath, “The key, please...”

Spike tapped her hoof, “Uh, Twilight, you should look.”

A golden key with Twilightʼs cutie mark was lying on the floor. They got in.

A dungeon is what the pair saw. The mare entered unlocked the first cell and went in, leaving the key outside.

“Spike, lock the door, please.”

No magic.

Spike unlocked the door, letting Twilight out. This wasnʼt the only cell as there were many others aligned, hidden out of sight.

Twilight tapped Spikeʼs claw, “I think we should keep this a secret.'”

“Definitely.”

End of Flashback

“Okay, so that happened. But why did you bring me here?,” Starlight was still confused.

“I thought you could the perfect test subject to confirm my theory,” Twilight smiled.

“What theory?”

“The cell takes your magic to strengthen itself and make your escape more impossible,” Twilight explained.

“Ooookay. Whatʼs this?” Starlight pointed to a small rectangular hole in the bars.

“Thatʼs my cue,” Spike rushed upstairs and came back two minutes after with a rectangular food tray that fit the hole perfectly.

“It looks like the tree thought of everything. Even food,” Twilight laughed. Spike went back.

“Sooo, is this place still a secret?” Starlight inquired.

“Thatʼs correct.”

“And has it never occurred to you that you make it be known to the public? This dungeon could be really useful to hold dangerous criminals and such things,” Starlight suggested.

Twilight considered it, “Right. I'll make the princresses know.” And with that Twilight dashed out of the dungeon, leaving behind poor Starlight who was still locked in the cell.

“No, wait! Twilight! You have to let me out! I donʼt know for how long youʼll be out! I donʼt wanna stay here! TWILIGHT!"

Chapter 2 - Starlight has no way out

Starlight lay on the bed, thinking. She had nothing better to do here. I am extremely bored. What should I do?

Earlier today, Twilight and Spike had introduced her to this dungeon. While she was exploring the cell, Twilight locked it before informing her that no magic can be used in a closed cell. Both of them then left.

Since the cell had no clock, the unicorn had no idea for how long she was there, alone. It might have been an hour. Or two.

She got up and looked at the bookshelf. Typical Twilight. Who would want to read while imprisoned here?

Growing extremely bored, she picked a random book with her levitation. Nothing.

Starlight groaned; there is no magic.

An eternity later, or rather five minutes later, after having seen all the boring books, Starlight heard footsteps.“Starlight? Are you still down here?” A familiar male voice echoed.

“Spike! Thank goodness you are here,” Starlight sighed. “Perhaps you can let me out now?”

Spike came in front of the mare before nervously saying, “Sorry. But only Twilight has the key.”

“Well, then go call her. Please!”

“She rushed off to Canterlot earlier today!”

“Canterlot?!” Starlight went back to lying on the bed. Great, me and my big mouth... She got up, only to see that Spike was gone.

She looked around the cell, looking for distractions, when she a small, high window with bars. Perhaps I could attract someponyʼs attention from outside. She pushed the crate to the wall and climbed on it. The window led to the outskirts of Ponyville. It was then that Starlight realized that the dungeon was underground.

“Hey! Please! Somepony help me! Get Princess Twilight for me! Please!” Starlight started to shout while waving a hoof through the bars. Well, nopony heard her as she was facing the outskirts of Ponyville.

She groaned again.

It was only when Princess Luna had raised the moon that Starlight heard more footsteps. A certain purple alicorn finally came.

“Starlight! Iʼm so sorry! I never should have left you here! Sorry!” Twilight unlocked the door.

Without a word, Starlight left the dungeon and got out of the castle to take a lungful of fresh air.

Author's Note

Go on. Laugh.

This is the first fanfic I ever posted on this site. It was so bad, so cringe, that I deleted it as soon as I could. Behind-the-page blog coming soon.

Deleted - The Royal School of Canterlot (24-29 Nov ’17)

Friendship is Magic, Slice of Life, Flurry Heart, Cake Twins, Moondancer, Original Character, Other

TEN YEARS AFTER THE SHOW. Celestiaʼs School for Gifted Unicorns is old. The Royal Sisters decide to renovate it. This is the start of the school year for a special student.

This story takes place a decade after the show.

Princess Celestiaʼs School for Gifted Unicorns is old. There are no more students there. To save it from closing down, the Royal Sisters decide to renovate it; to open the school to every children in Equestria and beyond. This is the start of the school year from a special student's point of view.

Chapter 1 - It's been 10 years

Princess Celestia stood before her former school for Gifted Unicorns, her mind shifting back to the day of its opening, two centuries ago. She founded the school during her sisterʼs time on the moon. At that time, she was unaware if Luna would ever come back. She feared that if something to her, there would be no one to look after Equestria. The school as here to gather the most powerful unicorns in the land, so that the Princess could find somepony perfect to act as heir. During those thousand years, she was a really busy and stressed alicorn, for running a kingdom is no easy feat. She used to be the only one powerful enough to rule and protect the kingdom against threats. But not anymore. The Princess could finally allow herself to relax a bit more.

“Do you really think it's a good idea?” Lunaʼs voice snapped Celestia out of her reverie.

“I... Yes. This place means a lot to me. I wouldnʼt want it to close down because it has no more students. Renovating it into a school for everyone is the best course of action,” Celestia replied.

“Then letʼs get to work.”

Before the renovation could actually start, a meeting needed to be held. This was a big deal. A lot of matters had to be discussed first.

So, here we are, with the four ruling princesses seated at a large circular table.

“I get your point, Celestia, but would our budget be enough? I mean, cleaning an entire building, then expanding it and buying new furniture. Letʼs not forget paying the staff," Twilight Sparkle explained.

“The budget is enough. Trust me, I calculated it,” Luna showed her the school budget.

“Okay. You have a lot of subjects on your list. Algebra, science, history, magic, flight, even literature. Thatʼs a lot for kids of 10 years,” Cadance looked at Celestia, who seemed annoyed that everyone was questioning her decision.

“I could prepare the application form for the teachers and students,” Twilight offered.

“Thank you. This is a pretty big deal. We could really use all the help we could get,” Celestia smiled.

The renovation went smoothly. The school was big, clean and ready to be used. There were many classrooms, each equipped with desks, chairs, books and even a projector. There was a large playground, cafeteria, assembly hall and teachersʼ lounge.

The school was ready to welcome its first generation of students and teachers.

Chapter 2 - My First Day

The Royal School of Canterlot was officially open.

Students from all across Equestria (and even beyond) rushed to the doors, accompanied by their parents. It was the first day. Everyone was excited.

Including me.

“Darling! Please get down here and walk,” Dad shouted from down below. I looked down at him but continued flying nevertheless.

Hi, you. Yes, you. The reader.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Flurry Heart, daughter of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor. Iʼm an alicorn and I live in the Crystal Empire, but you already know that, donʼt you? My parents decided to send me here to learn and socialize like everyone else.

I did some somersaults in the air before landing. I love flying. My parents looked at me with relief.

We soon arrived at the gigantic front doors of the school. Woah. This is big. There was large crowd of students and parents gathered in front of the stage where stood the Sisters.

We found a spot in the crowd. I looked around and saw the... Cakes? They are quite famous bakers and were right next to us. The couple had twins, who had to be around my age. They looked familiar-

“Welcome, one and all to the Royal School of Canterlot!” Princess Celestiaʼs voice stopped my train of thoughts. “This school is new and you-” she pointed to the crowd “-are its first generation of students. I hope you enjoy your year here. Now, as you probably know, your parents filled in your enrollment form.”

Princess Luna took over, “They will leave you here after this assembly. You will be given your locker key and inside your locker will be your schedule of classes. Head to your class afterwards. Your teachers are waiting for you there. Each of your teachers will have their own set of rules. Weʼll see each other on the end-of- year school reunion. Have a great year!”

The assembly was dismissed, and so was the crowd.

“Well, have a fun first day, dear,” Mom kissed my cheek.

“Learn lots and... make some friends,” Dad kissed my forehead.

“I will,” I smiled then flew off to my locker.

The hallway was aligned with doors and lockers. I searched for mine, the key floating in my telekinetic field. Locker #42.

saw the Cake twins again. I landed next to them and saw my locker. Looks like their locker is next to theirs. I opened it to find my schedule for the year.

History was my first class.

I emptied my saddlebags and filled it with only the necessary supplies. I looked at the twins again. Might as well talk to them while they were here.

“Hey there!” I tried to make a good first impression. “My name is Flurry Heart.”

Thatʼs when I realized that one was a unicorn filly and the other one a Pegasus colt.

“Flurry Heart? You are an alicorn! Iʼm Pumpkin Cake and he is my twin brother, Pound Cake,” the unicorn greeted back. She had a yellow coat and an orange mane, tied in pigtails with blue bows.

“Weʼve met before, havenʼt we?” the Pegasus known as Pound Cake inquired. He had a beige coat with brown mane and eyes.

I did a quick mental scan, trying to find a topic to talk about. “So, whatʼs your first class?”

“History,” they answered simultaneously.

“Shall we go?” I asked,,“I donʼt want to be late on my first day.” They followed me with bright smiles that I returned.

This day was going to be perfect.

Chapter 2 - My teacher

The teacher just sat there.

When I entered the classroom, I saw the teacher sitting at her desk, filling a notebook. She was a beige unicorn, with a red, purple-highlighted mane. She wore thick, black glasses along with the white tie and collar that was part of the school dress code.

She did not utter a word. Not even a “Hello” or “Good morning.” She did not even look at us. Just continued doing her work.

There were already some students seated in the class. To my surprise, there were not only ponies. I saw a griffon and a changeling in the far corner. I took a seat in the front row and took out my supplies. The Cake twins sat next to me.

I sat there. Waiting. As the clock was ticking, more students filed in the class. After what seemed like eternity, the class was full and the teacher closed the door with her magic, got up and spoke:

“Good morning, dear students! I am Professor Moondancer, this yearʼs history teacher. If you donʼt know, history is the study of past events. Now, I have some rules. First, please pay attention in class. Second, remain seated. Do not teleport or fly in my class. Third, do not hesitate to ask questions. Any questions?”

Prof. Moondancer scanned the class for questions. None. She continued:

“Since you have nothing to ask, I think we should get started on our first lesson. But before that, I should probably give you these.”

She lifted a carton box over our heads and started giving out books. A copy landed on my desk. It was a brown book, on which was written in readable calligraphy: The History of Equestria: Abridged for Youngsters. Thatʼs our schoolbooks! I immediately started going through the colorful pages, looking at the events of the past and the actions of my ancestors, a smile plastered on my face. I am so excited to learn about them all!

Prof. Moondancer continued, “You can read your books after class. For now, weʼll begin our fisrt lesson: the foundation of Equestria!”

She began drawing the 3 races of ponies (minus alicorns) on the blackboard. “A very long time ago, more than a thousand years ago, there were 3 tribes: Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. They hated each other!”

I gasped. And so did my new classmates.

“They only looked out for their own tribeʼs well-being. The earth ponies cared for the land and grew food, the pegasi controlled the weather, as they do now, and the unicorns used their magic to bring forth day and night. They did all this in exchange for something else that the two other tribes gave. Thatʼs how they lived for generations. But one day, the weather grew inexplicably cold. No one knew the reason.”

As if on cue, the classroom grew a bit colder and fake snow fell from the ceiling. Prof. Moondancer must have installed those effects to keep her students interested.

“The tribes decided to hold a meeting. The leaders came to it. There was Chancellor Pudinghead of the Earth Ponies, Princess Platinum of the unicorns and Commander Hurricane of the pegasi.”

The lights went off and the projector was switched on. We saw the leaders' black-and-white pictures.

“The summit was fruitless. The leaders only blamed other for the disaster. Each went home and made the same decision separately: to find a new land. They each went with their loyal assistants: Smart Cookie of the earth ponies, Clover the Clever of the unicorns and Private Pansy of the pegasi.”

Another slide. We saw the ever-so loyal assistants.

“They did find their lands. But to their utter shock, it was at the same place!”

Another slide. We saw the pegasi on the clouds, the unicorns on a mountain and the Earth ponies on the ground. They were looking at each other with anger and hate.

“The land was perfect. But since it was the same place, the leaders started fighting again. The cold came back, colder than before! They found shelter in a cave nearby.”

The temperature fell further.

“And more fighting. This unknown blizzard entered their cave and... froze the leaders!”

A lot of gasps were heard.

“Yes! Froze the leaders! The assistants were shocked, naturally. Clover explained that the cold was caused by the Windigos; creatures that feed off hate to create the cold! They admitted to each other that they never hated anypony. And just before the ice could envelop them all, something magical happened from Clover the Cleverʼs horn! The Fire of Friendship!”

Suddenly, a pink, heart-shaped flame illuminated the room. It was bright and heartwarming.

“The three of them kept the fire burning by sharing love and friendship. Eventually, this unfroze the leaders who made peace afterwards. They went to the land they found, which was even more beautiful than before, and decided to share. They named it Equestria!”

The lights went on and flag of our land stood right in front of us. This was beautiful.

Prof. Moondancer looked at us with a genuine smile. She looked pleased. She looked at the clock and so did I.

The bell rang.

“Class dismissed. See you next time!”

I stayed back to go through the book again. The teacher noticed that.

She approached me, “Arenʼt you going to go, Miss...?”

“Flurry Heart,” I finished, then looked at her, “And I will. In a minute or two.”

“Flurry Heart,” Prof. Moondancer repeated, “You are the daughter of the royal couple of the Crystal Empire. You are the heir of the throne, arenʼt you?”

“Yup,” I answered nonchalantly. Truth be told, I donʼt really want to rule someday. Leading sounds like an awful lot of work. I should probably tell her that. “But, you know Professor, I really don't want to.”

“Why?”

“It sounds like an awful lot of work and stress. I donʼt have my cutie mark, so I donʼt really know if itʼs my destiny,” I explained.

“I see,” Prof. Moondancer lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “If you ever need to talk, Iʼm here,” she continued with a warm smile.

I returned it, took my saddlebags and headed out.

I flew down the hallway to my locker. Opening it, I starred at my history textbook.

Itʼs official. Prof. Moondancer is my best teacher.

Author's Note

I gave you permission to laugh at my horrible early-days writing, so go. Laugh.

Like the previous story, this one also has an interesting backstory, detailed here.

Deleted - Scene Novelization (14 May ʼ20)

Equestria Girls, Slice of Life, Sunset Shimmer, Sci-Twi, Timber Spruce

To call this an eventful day would be an understatement.

Their trip to Camp Everfree was supposed to be relaxing, and yet, it was the complete opposite. Camp had somehow given six of the Rainbooms new magical abilities that were slightly more practical than rainbow lasers. How did this happen? None of the girls wanted to find out.

After such an interesting day, Sunset Shimmer was looking forward to turning in. She fell on her bed, sought shelter under her blankets, and closed her eyes. She was eager to get a good night’s rest.

She did not get that luxury.

Sunset awoke barely two hours after, to the sound of footsteps and ruffling blankets. She fluttered her eyes open, only to see an empty bed across the tent, where her friend was supposed to be sleeping.

Sunset sat bolt upright. “Twilight?”

She got up and peeked outside her tent, just in time to see the shadows of her friend and a little dog running towards the woods. “Twilight!” Sunset ran inside and got changed in record time, then followed her friend outside. “Where is she going?”

Sunset ran towards the woods. Honestly, what is that girl up to? She soon found Twilight and managed to stop her. “Twilight? What are you doing out here?”

Twilight Sparkle stopped. She had been caught, there was no escape now. She slowly turned around and met Sunset’s disapproving eyes. “We’re... we’re meeting a cab to take us home.” That sounded more pathetic than she intended.

Spike quickly sensed Twilight’s reluctance to answer and completed her owner’s statement. “She thought you’d talk her out of it.”

“Because I would.” Sunset looked at the dog, then locked eyes with her friend. “Twilight, you can’t leave.” She put a reassuring hand on her friend’s arm.

Instantly, images and memories flooded through Sunset’s mind. She was in a completely different reality.

The dock was broken into splinters. All the girls’ hard work was ruined in an instant. And no one knew why. Twilight looked at the scene, distraught with guilt. This was all her fault.

“You don’t think it was the spirit, do you?!” Pinkie Pie asked to no one in particular.

Twilight turned away, ashamed. “No, it was me.”

Later that day, the campers were making floating paper lanterns. Twilight sat with Spike on a bench, away from the rest of their friends. When Spike inquired, she told him the truth.

“I think it’s Midnight Sparkle.” She winced at the name. “She’s still part of me. I can feel it. And I think her magic is infecting me friends.” Twilight’s eyes were fearful and anxious. Magic is dangerous for her, that much is certain. She can’t stay here. She’ll only makes things worse for her friends.

She had to leave. Now.

The vision faded and Sunset instinctively put a hand on her forehead. She quickly regained her bearings and said, “Twilight, there’s no Midnight Sparkle. There’s only you.” She gave her friend a comforting smile.

It had the opposite effect. Instead of feeling comforted, Twilight recoiled in shock. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

How did I know what you were thinking? Sunset honestly had no idea. “When I touched your hand, I could see things. I could understand why you were leaving.” A few gears clicked into place in her mind. “My new magic! This is my new magic! This is incredible!”

Sunset had new magical abilities. Just like the rest of her friends! The power to read others’ mind and feel their feelings. Empathetic telepathy, she’ll call it. Just thinking of all the wonderful things she could do now that all the Rainbooms had this new magic, sent a jolt of excitement down her spine. She was ecstatic!

But Twilight wasn’t ecstatic. If anything, she was even more scared of this discovery. “No, it’s not! I’m infecting you now!”

Where on Earth did she get the idea that this was her fault? Sunset tried to calm her friend one more time. “Twilight, you have to stop looking at this as a bad thing.”

Twilight’s fearful eyes turned into an accusing glare. “Easy for you to say.” She faced away from Sunset. “Magic turned you into something beautiful. The last time I tried to use it, it turned me into a monster.”

Monster. Isn’t that what Sunset used to be? She could remember it vividly, as if it were yesterday. The pain, the malice, the remorse, the guilt, the attempted murder. But that wasn’t she was anymore. Perhaps she could still convince Twilight that dwelling on the past isn’t right.

“I’m just so afraid it’s gonna happen again,” Twilight concluded.

Sunset gave her friend a sad smile. “Yes, last time, it turned me into something amazing, but I’ve let magic turned me into a monster, too.” How come I’ve never told you this before? “So, if anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s me. I can help you, Twilight.” But not just me. “And the rest of our friends can be there for you, too. But not if you run away.”

Twilight let out a deep sigh, one that signified defeat and giving in. “I’ll stay.” She was still uncertain, though. “But I still don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be near the rest of our friends right now. Not until we know why this happening.”

Good enough for me. “Understood.”

The two friends shared a look of agreement. Silence reigned for a while, but was broken by the sound of rustling leaves nearby.

Sunset’s heart was racing. “What was that?!”

A dark, shadowy figure came out of the woods. It was carrying an axe. An axe, of all things! Both girls let out a bloodcurdling scream and hugged each other. The figure also screamed in response, and then stopped.

“Wait. Twilight?”

The girls let go of each other. Twilight was the first to regain her voice. “Timber?”

Timber Spruce? Sunset crossed her arms.

Twilight let out a relieved sigh and smiled. “I’m so glad it’s just you!” Her smiled faded after a few seconds. “Wait, what are you doing out here?”

Sunset interjected, “With an axe?”

Timber was taken aback by the sudden interrogation, not that he wasn’t prepared. He pulled out a trolley from the behind the trees. “I was chopping down firewood.”

Sunset was still skeptical. “In the middle of the night?”

“We needed more for tomorrow night’s campfire. And if I didn’t take care of it of tonight-” Timber dumped his axe in the trolley, cutting a piece of wood “-it would be one more thing Glorosia would add to her list.” He got into character, and tried his best to imitate his sister. “I’ve got this!”

Twilight gave a light chuckle at the display of humor.

It made Sunset happy. Timber’s making her laugh. Maybe he isn’t that bad after all.

The moment ended, though, and Timber put on a serious face. “What about you two? Why are hanging out in the woods in the middle of the night?”

Shoot! “Oh, I was sleepwalking,” Sunset lied. “Twilight found me and was bringing me back to camp.”

Twilight caught the please-go-along-with-this glance coming from her friend and quickly nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Timber didn’t catch the lie and instead gestured with his hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you guys back.” He turned around and made ‘spooky’ movements with his hands. “I’ll protect you from... Gaea Everfree! Everfree! Everfree!”

Sunset wasn’t even slightly impressed. “Come on. That’s obviously just a spooky story you made up to tell around the campfire.”

Timber shook his head. “Oh, no. It’s legit. How else would you explain what happened at the docks? And that weird thing where the earth shook?” He held his hand out to Twilight. “Come on. I know a shortcut back to the tents.”

Twilight took his hand and they slowly walked into the woods. Just as they were about to disappear into the dark, something glittery dropped from Timber’s pant pocket. It left a trail of ‘crystaly dusty stuff’, as Bulk Biceps had put it.

Sunset bent down to take a closer look. She took the powder in between her fingers and rubbed it. “Legit, huh? I think we just found our ‘Gaea Everfree’”. I take back everything nice I said about him.

Spike walked up beside her and looked at her with disbelieving eyes. “But why would he work so hard to make us think she was real?”

“You heard what he said about wishing his sister would sell his camp. If nobody wants to come here because it’s home to some angry ancient nature spirit, it sure would help his cause.”

Spike was determined to not let his owner be friends with a liar. “We should tell Twilight.”

Sunset shook her head. Now’s probably not the time. “Not yet. She’s obviously going through a lot right now.” She suddenly remembered Twilight’s memories and inwardly winced at how much guilt and pain her friend was feeling. “We should be a hundred percent sure before we tell her the guy she likes is a jerk who’s trying to run everybody out of camp.”

Spike agreed. “Uh-huh!”

Sunset got up and followed the path Twilight and Timber had taken, Spike walking alongside her. She could say goodbye to a good night’s rest. There was too much on her mind right now.

Seriously, though. Why are my friends so reluctant to use their new magic? And most importantly, how are we going to help Twilight?

Author's Note

Originally published in my first anthology series, Practice makes perfect, right?, which was supposed to be a writing exercise which never quite took off.

Scrapped - My New World (26 Mar ’21)

[Equestria Girls], Slice of Life, Sunset Shimmer, Flash Sentry, Main 7 (EqG), OC, Other

I enrolled in this school to gain power. Now, I find myself surrounded by teenagers. But that’s okay. This is just temporary, after all.

This story was supposed to be a sequel to What a Strange New World

None of this would’ve happened if Princess Celestia had made me an alicorn, like I deserve! I, Sunset Shimmer, should’ve been a princess!

Instead, I found myself in this pathetic school, surrounded by a bunch of teenagers. Working a low-income job and sleeping in a tiny, unheated space. How am I going to live like this?

But it’s alright. I’m just here to accumulate power and wait out my time until the portal opens again. Then, I’ll finally be able to go to Equestria and take my place as its rightful ruler!

Until then, I must learn to survive at Canterlot High School.

One - My first step

I look at the school and take a deep breath.

Canterlot High School is the perfect place for my plans. It’s a school close to the portal so I can study it. It’s not too far from my place of work and my residence. And it’s perfect practice for when I’ll rule Equestria.

I smiled and strut onto the steps. I open the double glass doors and take in the foyer.

It’s a large space. On my right is a trophy case, full of various awards and ribbons. On my left is another set of double doors. In front of me is a long corridor lined with doors and lockers. There is an upstairs floor, its railings decorated with blue-and-gold banners.

The place is okay, but it’s nothing like Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.

It’s currently empty. For the best, I think. That way, I can explore the place by myse-

Buzz!

A sharp sound rings through my ears and I look up to see this round, red object affixed to the wall vibrating. Is that the school bell?

I don’t have much time to think about it because seconds later, the hall, and foyer, are suddenly crowded with students. The sudden increase in people is disorienting and I lose myself in my surroundings.

It’s difficult to see where I’m going. I take one step at a time. There are just so many people! Honestly, how does one even navigate this scho-

Oof! I fall onto the ground. I must have bumped into someone. I rub my elbow from where it hit the cold, tiled floor.

An orange hand extends itself to me, preparing to help me up. I glare at it. No one gets to bump into me and then help me up! I look up, eyes glared.

And I freeze. It’s him.

Someone has bumped into me, and I fell on the floor. Who has dared bumped into Sunset Shimmer?! They will pay! A hand shows up in front of me, supposedly to help me stand up. I am not accepting this! This person dared humiliate me and now has the audacity to help me up? I look up, eyes narrowed, ready to give them a piece of my mind.

And I freeze. He’s a boy, and he’s quite handsome, truth be told. He has orange skin and spiked blue hair, and is dressed like a rocker. Maybe I should accept his hand after all. I rise and struggle to gain my footing. I don’t fall again, though, as he’s still firmly holding my hand. His skin is soft and warm, and I don’t want to let go. He apologizes for the incident (as he should be) and offers to pay for a drink. His voice is so smooth and appealing that I blush.

“You,” I whisper.

He takes my hands and abruptly lift me. He smiles. “I knew you looked familiar. Have we met before?”

I pull my hands away from his firm and wonderful grip. “You’re the boy from the coffee shop. The one who bumped into me then bought me a drink.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember.” He scratches the back of his head, then drops his hand. “My name is Flash Sentry, by the way.”

I nod. “Sunset Shimmer.”

“I didn’t know you went to school here.”

“I’m new. Today’s my first day.”

Flash nods. “I see. Do you want some help? You know, to get adjusted and stuff.”

I consider it. He seems helpful enough, almost to the point of naive. He could be a great asset to gaining power around here. I could get his trust and use that to climb up the social ladder.

I must have spaced out for too long, since Flash waves his hand in front of my face. “Hey, Sunset. You still here?”

“Yeah. I could really use your help.” I plaster a confused frown in my face, which isn’t hard, because I am confused.

“Great! Do you have your schedule?”

I shake my head. “Not yet. I’m actually here to enroll.”

“Then let me show you the way to the Principal’s office.” He points to the other end of the hallway and walks in that direction.

We walk in silence. I use that time to observe how the school works.

The school doesn’t have a uniform; the students wear whatever they want. CSGU didn’t have a uniform, but in Equestria, clothing is optional - here, it’s not. The hallway is lined with green lockers, secured with what appears to be a numbered padlock. Flash and I pass by several doors and I’m able to see some labels above them. Class SM02. Class JR11. Computer Lab. Woodwork Lab.

We finally arrive by a large, yellow door, and stop. Flash gestures to it. “Here it is. The Principal’s office. You’re going to love her, she’s really kind.”

I nod. “I’ll get to it, then. You may leave.”

“‘You may leave’?” Flash echoes.

I raise an eyebrow. Were you expecting me to thank you? I don’t say.

Flash gets my body language, though and changes the subject. “See you at lunch? Cafeteria’s down the hall.”

“Yeah, sure,” I reply.

With that, Flash leaves, presumably to his next class.

I fish out my papers from my backpack. The falsified documents are good enough if one doesn’t look at it too much. They’ll pass for authentic, provided this Principal, whoever she is, isn’t too observant. I close my backpack, open the door and enter the office.

And that’s when my heart skips a few beats.

It’s her. Of all people in this dimension, it has to be her. Sitting by the desk, engrossed in paperwork, is Celestia. That’s great, it’s all I needed right now!

Pony instincts well up inside, tempting me to scream, to yell at her, to berate her for everything. But the rational part of my brain overwhelms those instincts. This is Principal Celstia, not Princess Celestia. Yelling at my former teacher’s counterpart will only hurt my chances of gaining power here. So I suck up my feelings and steel my nerves.

I clear my throat. “Hello. My name is Sunset Shimmer. I’m here to enroll.”

Celestia stops writing and looks up from her work. Her amethyst eyes meet my teal ones and I feel a sharp pang of regret. Those are the same eyes who looked at me with pride whenever I mastered a new spell. The same eyes...

I shake my head. Snap out of it! Honestly, now is not the time to reminisce! Besides, the Princess denied you your destiny, didn’t she? We’re here to take it back!

Celestia notices my sudden shift in mood and leans forward. “Are you alright, Ms. Shimmer?”

A flurry of unknown emotions passes through me at the sound of that voice. I push it all away. “I’m fine, Ma’am,” I politely reply.

Celestia smiles. “If you say so, dear. Please, take a seat. You said you’re here to enroll? Do you have your papers with you?”

I nod, hand them over and teak a seat in the small chair across her. She glances through the papers, but doesn’t study them for too long. Thankfully.

She gets up from her chair and walks over to a filing cabinet. Human Celestia is professionally dressed. She’s wearing a crisp golden suit, complete with a blazer and - and what was the word? - slacks. Her left wrist sports a purple watch.

She takes out what looks like a form and sets it on the table. “I just have to fill out your enrollment form. Then I draft up your schedule and you’ll be good to go.”

I nod, forcing a smile on my face.

So I missed my first period today. That explains the bell and the students filing out of class. But now I have my second period, mathematics.

I love math. And science. This may sound surprising, but magical spells - potions, too - require an advanced understanding of numbers, formulas and equations. To perform magic, a unicorn needs to master their spell matrices. To concoct potions, a unicorn needs to grasp the reactions of various ingredients. Magic is difficult, but I am a professional.

I follow the directions on my schedule, which tell me to head to Class FM04.

I enter the classroom, pausing as soon as I step inside. Every student turns to look at me and even the teacher stops what she’s doing.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer. I’m new here. Where’s my seat?” I say as I hand the teacher my schedule.

She has light pink and dark purple hair, and is wearing a green dress patterned with sunflowers. She’s not much taller than I am. She smiles sweetly. “Welcome to Canterlot High, Ms. Shimmer! I’m Ms. Cheerilee.” She points to an empty in the far back. “You may get seated.”

I nod, make my way to my seat and take out my supplies.

“Alright, class, as I was saying, today we were going to learn about the quadratic equation. It’s a new concept, so don’t worry if you can’t grasp it on the first try.” Cheerilee turned around and wrote an equation on the blackboard. “Now the answer to this is quite simple. All you have to do is-”

I answered before I even think about. “Equate each of the coefficients of x to the quadratic equation, which is x equals negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four times a times c, and the total divided by twice a. This’ll give you the answer of 2.5.”

“That’s... correct,” Cheerilee says.

Like I said: I love math.

The rest of the morning classes passed by in a blur. Not all classes were as interesting or exiting as math, although I did take a class called ‘workshop’, which was about woodwork. In other words: Earth pony work.

But now it’s time for lunch. I head down the hall to the cafeteria. I open the double doors and...

Wow. It’s huge.

The place is filled with rows of long tables and plastic chairs, all on the blue-and-gold color scheme associated with this school. The students are all seated with trays of food and are amicably chatting with their friends. There's an air of peace and friendliness in this place.

It makes me sick.

The food counter contains an assortment of foreign food and I can smell the sickening meat. I take a bowl of fruit salad, an apple, a glass of water and pay for the meal.

Flash Sentry sees me before I do. He stands and waves his arm around to get my attention. “Sunset Shimmer! Over here!”

I take my lunch and walk over to his table.

“Enjoying school so far?” he asks.

“My old school was better,” is my immediate answer. Great. Way to make a first impression.

Flash looks at me like a confused dog.

“What I meant was I haven’t really had a chance to get to know this school since I just got here.”

“Oh. Well, you'll get used to the place. CHS is pretty great.” He takes a bite of his hamburger. “Is that enough food for you?” he suddenly asks.

I don't exactly have enough money to buy more. “I don't eat much. Don't worry about me.”

”Are you sure?”

I slam my fist on the table. “I said, don’t worry about me.”

Flash leans back. “Okay. Got it.”

I take a bite of my salad and look around. All the tables have friends chatting mindlessly, all with bright, happy faces. But one table seems to have the brightest smiles of all.

Five girls are seated at the table. The pink one with crazy hair is waving her hand around. The yellow one is playing with her pale pink, avoiding eye contact with everyone. The blue with rainbow hair is laughing so hard she’s having trouble breathing. The orange one with blonde hair is calmly sipping her apple juice. And the white with indigo curls is staring at herself in the compact mirror.

I stop eating. “Flash,” I call out.

“Yeah?”

I point at the table. “Who are they?”

Flash turns to look at them. “The closest group of friends this school has to offer.” He points at the pink one. “That’s Pinkie Pie.” The yellow one. “Fluttershy.” The blue one. “Rainbow Dash.” The orange one. “Applejack.” The white one. “And Rarity.”

“I see.”

Flash nods. “Inseparable, those girls are. The’ve been best friends since childhood.”

I turn to look at the table. The girls’ smiles are somehow wider than before.

This world doesn’t have any magic. The only way to get power sound here is to divide and conquer. And the only way to do that is to drive everyone apart.

‘Best friends’, huh? Not for long.

Two

The Sushi Emporium is a lot more crowded today than it usually is. This means more tip money, sure, but it also means more work.

Today’s shift is gonna be long.

I head towards table 17, where a lone boy is waiting for a waiter, that is, me. “Welcome to the Sushi Emporium. What can I get for you today?” I ask with as much politeness as I can muster.

“I will take a rainbow roll and a glass of lemon soda, please.”

I note down the order. “Right away.” I then turn around and head for the counter.

Among all the businesses I’ve worked for in this dimension, the Sushi Emporium is the most tolerable. The pay is decent; not high enough for my liking, but high enough to not have to sleep in the cold streets. My boss, Salmon Rice, is a married woman with two kids. Half the staff consists of teenagers my age who are as undocumented as I am. The work itself is exhausting, since I have to stand on my feet for hours on end. But since my livelihood depends on this job, I have to suck up my feelings and bite my tongue.

Author's Note

Leave it to me to start a sequel to an unfinished story, leave it unfinished and allow it to gather dust in my unsubmitted stories section for three years.

Scrapped - The Bit (29 Jan ʼ23)

Friendship is Magic, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Original Character

The Equestrian bit has been around for centuries. Itʼs time for a change.

Rusty Coin is your average Earth Pony - unremarkable appearance, mediocre appartement, normal personality. Expect for the fact that he’s currently the Director of Platinum’s Royal Mint, the sole establishment with authorization to produce Equestria’s bits.

Princess Twilight Sparkle is the ruler of Equestria. She’s recently taken over the throne and has been analyzing some of the grievances her little ponies have. And she’s discovered a slight issue with the kingdom’s currency.

The Equestria bit is long due for a change.

Together, Rusty and the Princess work to find a solution. Hopefully, they can help better the future of Equestria and learn more about each other along the way.

One-bit, half-bit, tenth-bit

There was a time where unicorns, pegasi and Earth ponies were hostile with one another. They depended on each other, yes, but they hated each other and didn’t interact more than they needed to. Between the three tribes, they exchanged food for controlled weather and nights and days. But you might be wondering - what did they do when they needed to exchange items among their own tribe?

Well, the pegasi and Earth ponies used the barter system, exchanging items of approximately similar value. The unicorns, however, had a different idea. They lived in mountainous regions, near caves and mines. They used gems as their currency; gems that were found within the mines. With those gems, unicorns bought and sold food, clothes, shelter and services such as transportation.

When the tribes came together and founded Equestria, a new system of currency was needed. Pegasi and Earth ponies refused to use the unicorns’ gems as they were hard to find. The ponies’ new peace was fragile and would have snapped at the slightest problem.

And that’s when Princess Platinum found gold.

Gold was found not just in caves, but at the bottom of mountains, too. It was easier to mine than jewels and was not prone to breaking. Platinum mined the gold herself, cut it up in pieces and fashioned small, round coins for easier use. That was the earliest form of modern currency. For the months that followed, that was the new exchange system. Ponies assigned a value to each product in terms of gold coins.

For a while, the system worked. Only Platinum and her team had authorization to manufacture the coins for the populace. But as the coins become more commonplace, so did the counterfeits. Unauthorized ponies would find random gold ores and fashion the coins themselves. So, Platinum came up with a creative solution.

Magic.

After creating the round coins, Platinum’s team would then stamp the coins with her cutie mark on one side and the date the coin was minted on the other side. The spell used to stamp the designs was created by the manufacturers themselves and the secret was well-guarded. The counterfeits stopped instantly.

Eventually, as the population of Equestria grew, so too did the number of ponies working for Platinum’s team of coin-makers. A few dozen ponies became a hundred, then expanded into the thousands. She named them Platinum’s Royal Mint. The team continued to work on producing Equestria’s currency, even long after the Princess’ passing. The money was eventually called the bit.

Today, the bit is Equestria’s main form of currency. You can still certain street vendors accepting jewels as money, but most establishments these days accept only bits. It is still a solid gold coin, with ridges and two designs - the minted date on the tail and Platinum’s cutie mark at the head. Platinum’s Royal Mint remains the only facility with authorization to produce coins.

Our currency is stable, simple and has remain unchanged for the past millennium. It has survived countless eras and is simply put, the best form of money there ever was.

Signing off until next time,
Page Turner

Rusty sipped his coffee and put down his copy of The Canterlot Chronicle.

Rusty Coin, 34 years old, was no-one special. He was an average Earth pony - crimson coat, burgundy mane, hazel eyes. He had been in the coin-making industry for 14 years, having joined as a young stallion hungry for work. He started out as an apprentice, before making his way up to machine operator. Up until recently, he had been the Head of Operations at the mint. Four months ago, he was promoted to Director of Platinum’s Royal Mint.

The Mint had remained mostly unchanged for the last few centuries. The facility used a mix of manual, mechanical and magical processes, obtaining the best of all worlds. Thousands of coins leave the factory everyday, heading to banks and agencies across the kingdom.

Located in the mountainous regions of [insert Placer here], the Mint does not usually deal with the Crown. The facility keeps the economy going, but rarely does it ever need direct intervention with the rulers of Equestria. Platinumʼs Royal Mint does its own thing.

So imagine Rustyʼs surprise when he received a summon to his office last Tuesday, one from Her Royal Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. She had asked for a private meeting with him in her castle in the capital.

Rusty was apprehensive. He was still new to this job. To have a meeting with the Princess this early in his career? Surely something was wrong. Right? Rusty tried not to worry too much.

The train pulled up in the Canterlot station.

Rusty had been in the capital before. Once, for the Friendship Festival. In which he was practically enslaved. He hadn’t returned to the capital since, and he had certainly never been to the Palace.

Rusty approached the castle and his jaw dropped in awe. Somehow built into the side of the mountain, the castle was the single most gorgeous building Rusty has ever laid his eyes on. It was decked in magnificent purples, golds and whites. At the very entrance, the flag of Equestria waved proudly for all to see. Rusty crossed the drawbridge, showed his invitation to the guard at the front and was escorted inside.

The inside of the castle breathed beauty and majesty. Rusty breathed in the warm sunlight shining through the tall windows and the sweet scent of the lavenders in the wall scones. His eyes wandered to the various stained glasses across the hall he was being led across. Rusty’s hooves made a soft click with each step on the tiled polished floor.

The guard led him through dozens of halls and stairs. Rusty was pretty he would never have found the throne room on his own. At one point, Rusty spotted a pair of imposing double doors with the words ‘Throne Room’ carved in it. The guard led him in the opposite direction. Rusty was confused.

“Aren’t we supposed to meet the princess in the throne room?”

The guard shook his head. “The Princess has requested your presence in her office.”

What kind of princess has an office? Rusty thought.

Soon enough, the pair reached a small pair of double doors. The guard opened the door and peaked inside. “Princess, Mr. Coin has arrived,” Rusty heard him say. Without saying anything, the guard gestured for Rusty to go in.

Rusty took in a deep breath and steeled his nerves. It’ll be fine. She means you no harm. I hope. He walked in the office and bowed deeply. “Your Majesty,” he said, “it is an honor to be here.”

“At ease, Mr. Coin.”

Rusty immediately straightened up and had his first good look at the alicorn.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was very petite for a princess, let alone a ruler. Despite her small size, though, she exuded a great amount of confidence, power and authority. Her crown was set aside on a pillow on the table.

The Princess rose from her seat and approached Rusty with a smile. She extended her hoof. “Itʼs a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Coin, sir.”

Rusty shook it.

“Please have a seat. We have much to talk about,” the Princess said as she went back to the desk.

Rusty nodded, his eyes scanning the office. The office, if one could even call it that, was unlike any Rusty had ever seen. One large oval table sat in the center, on which there were piles of books and papers neatly arranged in rows. Several cushioned seats were arranged around the table. The walls were lined with bookcases and filing cabinets. One wall was filled with tall windows, bathing the room in warm sunlight. One side was the flag of Equestria and a banner of Princess Twilightʼs cutie mark.

Rusty took a seat opposite the Princess. The latter levitated one binder from one of the piles.

She cleared her throat. “Alright. Letʼs get this meeting started.” She opened the binder to a certain page and laid it in front of Rusty. “Iʼd like to begin with showing you these.”

Rusty examined the opened page. It was a newspaper clipping.

Author's Note

This one has quite an interesting backstory. Stay tuned for more!

Scrapped - EqG Anniversary Story (15 March ʼ23)

Equestria Girls, Adventure, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Mane 7 (EqG)

“We’re baaack.”

The door slammed open and Spike dropped the painting. Princess Twilight Sparkle turned around and her jaw dropped.

“Sunset,” she said slowly, “what is going on?”

Sunset Shimmer gulped. Twilight stared at her, silently awaiting an answer. There’s no getting out of this.

Sunset took a deep breath. “So you remember this whole thing with the yacht and the Storm King’s magic? Things may have gotten worse...”

The ship had sunk, stranding all the passengers and crew on a small island in the middle of nowhere.

“So... what now?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset turned around, eyes landing on the Staff of Sacanas planted in the sand. The idea immediately came to mind. “I might have a way home. But it’s... kinda weird.”

“At this rate, I’m down for anything,” Applejack said. The rest of the girls agreed.

Sunset walked over to grab the Staff. She could feel the magic radiating off it. Shaking her head, she gestured for the girls to follow her. “There’s a portal deep inside this very forest. If we can get to it, then we can the other portal to get back to the school.”

“Hold up, hold up,” Rainbow Dash said. “Your big plan is to bring everyone to ponyland?”

Sunset stopped walking. “Do you want to wait here for who knows how long?”

Dash quickly shut up and followed Sunset into the forest. As did everyone else.

“Okay. Let’s take this one step at a time.” Twilight gestured to come inside the throne room proper. She then turned to Spike, who was still perched on the ladder. “Spike, could you please get everypony something to drink, please?”

Once all the humans-turned-ponies were settled inside the room, Twilight addressed them. “You’ve all just survived a sinking ship and an interdimensional portal. If any of you or injured or hungry or tired, let me know. One at a time, please. Make a line here...”

A short while later, after Twilight had thoroughly checked everybody and made sure no one was hurt, she pulled Sunset off to the side of the room. Sunset could immediately tell that an interrogation was coming.

“How many humans did you bring over?”

Sunset hesitated. “A lot?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow and fixed Sunset with a stern glare.

“Two hundred and twenty-two,” she slowly said.

“But there are less than ten here. Where are the rest?”

“I kinda left them in the forest near the other portal.”

“You did what?” Twilight shouted.

Author's Note

Can’t help but notice a trend of all chapters being unfinished.

No, Maybe, Yes - Take 1 (03 Apr ʼ23)

Equestria Girls, Slice of Life, Romance, Sunset Shimmer, Flash Sentry

I have mixed feelings about him.

On the one hand, Flash Sentry is kind of a dork. He’s awkward, clumsy, lets other students go in front of him in the lunch line, picks up fallen books for his friends. He follows rules to the letter and never stands up to authority. Heck, he never stands up to anyone who gives him a hard time.

Take Gilda for instance. Just last week, she cornered Flash in that abandoned unlit hallway and demanded something of him. I was observing them from a distance and couldn’t properly hear them, but I could tell she was getting aggressive. And instead of standing tall, Flash just looked down and gave a meek nod.

He’s a doormat. And I can’t stand doormats.

But on the other hoof…

He plays the guitar. He’s in a band. He drives a cool car. He’s attractive, with his strong built, ruffled hair, sculpted muscles and silky voice. But more than that, he’s attentive. When we have conversations at lunch, he listens. As in really listens. I can count on him to always vent my frustrations towards, I can count on him to always be there in times of need, I can count on help me figure this world out.

Flash has been my one constant since I stepped foot in this dimension. He introduced me to human technology, the mobile phone and the magical phenomenon known as the Internet. The first time I went to his place, we played video games. Flash said it was hilarious watching me struggling with the controller. (I didn’t think it was funny.) But he still sat with me and went through the mechanics one step at a time. If I ask him, Flash will make time to teach me a new skill.
Like today.

I’m waiting for him in the music room. Classes have ended and, aside from the few students in after-school clubs and detentions, the hallways are quiet. I’m sitting on the piano, my eyes scanning the room. It’s small but it’s enough for a band of, say, six members.

Music has never really been my thing. [Insert reason for Sunset to learn music.]

Flash Sentry arrives five minutes later, his guitar case in hand. “Hi,” he says.

I smile at him. It’s not just the cocky smirk or malicious grin I usually sport. With Flash, I can let my walls down. I allow myself just a tiny amount of self-expression. “Hey.” I drop the smile. “So, what’d you ask me here for?”

Flash enters the room proper, sets down his case and pops it open. “You know how you’re having trouble with your fingers?”

He doesn’t know where I come from. I haven’t told him. As far as he’s concerned, I just have really shaky hands. It’s the perfect lie; explains my horrible handwriting, troubles using a smartphone and difficulties with video games. Flash didn’t judge me and I appreciate it.

“Yeah. What about it?”

He takes his guitar out and slings it on his neck. “I figured since you enjoyed our video game lesson the other day, why not do another activity to help control your fingers?” As if to demonstrate, he plays a few chords.

“Guitar’s your answer?” I ask.

He nods and gestures around the room. “Pick one.”

I looked around the room. CHS may be a public school, but it values its extracurriculars. Ergo, there isn’t a lack of guitar types lining the walls. I don’t know any of their names, but I settle for one vaguely resembling Flash’s. It’s teal green and has the shape of an inverted V.

I sling the strap around my neck and walk to where Flash has made himself comfortable on the steps.

Author's Note

It sort of ends here.

Didnʼt know how to end it, so I scrapped it and started over.

No, Maybe, Yes - Take 2 (03 Apr ʼ23)

Equestria Girls, Slice of Life, Romance, Sad, Sunset Shimmer, Flash Sentry

Three years.

Our relationship lasted three years.

Flash Sentry was the first person I developed any sort of connection with. He was dorky, naive and awkward. It was easy to get him to help me. All I had to do was play the victim card and he would drop everything for me.

In the beginning, that was the only reason I hung out with him. ‘Feelings’ and ‘love’ were not part of the equation. I needed to know how this dimension worked and Flash was eager to help. It was a dealership, of sorts. Just masked as a friendship. With one party being none the wiser.

I kept my distance, of course. But Flash kept asking to spend time with me. From my very first day at CHS, he wanted to make sure I was not alone.

The food counter contains an assortment of foreign food and I can smell the sickening meat. I take a bowl of fruit salad, an apple, a glass of water and pay for the meal.

Flash Sentry sees me before I do. He stands and waves his arm around to get my attention. “Sunset Shimmer! Over here!”

I take my lunch and walk over to his table.

“Enjoying school so far?” he asks.

“My old school was better,” is my immediate answer. Great. Way to make a first impression.

Flash looks at me like a confused dog.

“What I meant was I haven’t really had a chance to get to know this school since I just got here.”

“Oh. Well, you’ll get used to the place. CHS is pretty great.” He takes a bite of his hamburger. “Is that enough food for you?” he suddenly asks.

I don’t exactly have enough money to buy more. “I don’t eat much. Don't worry about me.”

“Are you sure?”

I slam my fist on the table. “I said, don’t worry about me.”

Flash leans back. “Okay. Got it.”

“Hey, Sunset. Wanna join me for lunch today?” “Can I sit next to you in Chemistry?” “We should have a study session in the library later.” On and on it went.

I won’t lie. While that irritated me at first, it was also kind of endearing. The amount of attention he was paying to me reminded me of my days of being pampered by the Canterlot castle staff. It felt nice.

The more he spent with me, the more I realized I actually enjoyed his company. He listened, he was helpful, he paid attention. He didnʼt ask too many questions or prod into my personal life. He was a great guy to be around.

And then the stupid human teenage hormones must have kicked in because at one point, I found him attractive.

Author's Note

Yes, it ends here. It wasn’t really going anywhere.

To Lose & To Heal - Take 1 (17 May ʼ23)

Friendship is Magic, Sad, Drama, Twilight Sparkle

She stared at her reflection and flexed the wing.

It was the same as always - cold, metallic, unfeeling.

Sighing, Twilight focused her gaze on her right wing.

The fake, artificial right wing.

Intense rage bubbled up inside her and she furiously detached it from her body. She threw the prosthetic across the room and it broke upon impact with the wall. Still furious, Twilight lost control of her magic and, seconds later, her mirror was lying in a million pieces on the floor.

Twilight remembered that day as though it was yesterday.

She had woken up in the hospital in immeasurable pain. Her entire body was on fire, but the bulk of the pain was focused on her right wing. The doctor had asked her repeatedly if she was certain she wanted to look at it. Twilight had said yes.

And regretted it immediately.

To say the wing was a mess was the understatement of the millennium. Only a couple of feathers were left, barely sticking to the bones. All bones were broken, some fractured and others having snapped in half. The wing was done for, and the doctors had no choice but to cut it off.

The days that followed were the hardest. Twilightʼs body struggled very hard to adjust to the new change. She was constantly hurting. Medication helped, but there was only so much it could do. The sudden weight loss on her right side, the phantom pain, the surgery scars - it was all too much. Some days, Twilight did nothing but lie in bed and cry.

In the weeks since, she had grown accustomed to the pain. Her body had gotten used to it.

What Twilight had not gotten used to, however, was the loss of her wing. A part of her soul was lost along with it. And Twilight was doubtful she would ever recover from this.

Her fury subsided, Twilight walked over to the broken pieces of the prosthetic and examined the outcome of her anger.

Pieces of metal, screws and wires lay strewn by the wall. The prosthetic had been her first one; an experimental prototype made by the Equestrian Scientific Society. The wing was connected to her left feather-and-bone one and they moved in tandem with one another.

The prosthetic was not made for flight.

Gingerly, Twilight picked up the pieces in her aura and placed them in their box. Sheʼd sent it back to the Society for repair. It would take weeks before sheʼll get it back.

Twilight closed the box and set it aside. She looked around her bedroom, internally sighing at the mess it had become.

She needed to get out of the house.

Twilight strolled through the sunlit green fields of Ponyville.

She struggled with walking these days as her body had not grown accustomed to the missing weight on her right side. She was unbalanced and constantly fought to remain upright.

After five minutes of torturous walking, Twilight laid down on the field. She opened her only remaining wing and relished the feeling of feather on grass. She could feel the non-existent feathers on her right side touching the grass as well. And then, she made the mistake of looking up.

Bright shining sun, beautiful clouds, soft wind - the sky was perfect.

Twilight Sparkle hated it.

Deep Pegasus instincts welled up inside her, telling her that she belonged up there. The feathers of her left wing unconsciously flaring, what remained of her right wing was twitching as well. She should be soaring through the sky, the wind whistling under her wings. She should be up in the clouds, not stuck down there on the ground.

Unable to take it anymore, Twilight buried her face in the grass and let the tears fall. That was the main reason she stayed inside most of the time - to avoid looking at a sky sheʼll likely never fly through again.

After exhausting all her tears, Twilight slowly got up and trudged back to her castle.

Twilight didnʼt head back to her room. Instead, she made a beeline for the library.

The library had been virtually abondoned during her stay in the hospital. Dusty shelves, books strewn everywhere, closed curtains. The place had clearly not been touched in weeks.

Twilight approached the table where she sat last time. Her books, documents and parchments all laid where they were last left. Her unclosed ink bottle had long since dried out.

Last time Twilight had been in the library, she had been working on a new railway proposal between Equestria and Saddle Arabia. Since then, she had not been back to work. The ruling of the kingdom had been left up to Spike and the rest of the Equestrian High Council.

In the two years Princess Twilight Sparkle has been the sovereign of the kingdom, she had never taken a day off of work. But given the severity of her injuries, the doctors had ordered her to not even think about her job until they gave her the green light.

Not working had taken its toll on Twilightʼs psyche. Her job had become her entire life. Her duties were the first thing she did in the morning and the last thing she did before bed. She was always busy.

The convalescence period was the complete opposite. Twilight did nothing but lay in bed and read. Occasionally, sheʼd get up and take a walk.

Author's Note

Yet another one that ends abruptly.

This was To Lose & To Heal’s original draft before A Thousand Words II contest was announced, and I had to completely re-work it.

The First, The Last & The New - Take 1 (28 Nov ’23)

No matter how many times she did this, she’d never get used to it.

Sunset Shimmer stumbled out of the portal, forehooves flailing in the air. She blinked, remembered where she was and brought her hooves down, standing on all fours. She blinked again, trying to get the stars of her vision. The portal had been kind enough not to launch her, but cross-dimensional travel was always disorienting.

Feeling a little better than she did seconds ago, Sunset took a few steps forward. Twilight had apparently moved the portal in a different room since she was last in Equestria. There was also a veritable mountain of pillows across the mirror, likely to soften the portal’s cruel throws.

It was on this mountain that Sunset located the suitcase she had thrown in minutes earlier. She walked over and examined it, noting with satisfaction that the pillows had prevented damage. Good thinking, Twi. She also took a moment to examine her backpack - portal-converted into a saddlebag - and found it intact.

Despite her visits to Equestria being few and far between, Sunset was pleased to find that she wasn’t as rusty with unicorn magic as she initially thought. Her crimson magic lifted the suitcase with ease and gently set it on her back. She secured it with straps and took a couple steps to make sure it was secure.

Making sure to lock the portal behind her, Sunset took a last look at the room and walked out.

It had been Pinkie’s idea to come to Equestria for the holidays.

“You haven’t spent the holidays with your family in ages! Surely they’d like to see you.”

Sunset had been hesitant, insisting that the girls were her family. But Pinkie had been persuasive, insisting that Sunset is allowed to have more than one family. With a little more convincing from her friends, Sunset had finally acquiesced.

The seven of them had celebrated Christmas together on the night of the 22nd, and Sunset had set off for Equestria the next morning. She planned on returning on the 26th.

As she watched Ponyville’s warm browns and tans give way to white snowy fields, Sunset couldn’t help but feel a little homesick. Truly ironic. I’m home and I still feel out of place. She leaned into her seat, letting out a bitter chuckle at the thought.

True, she loved having her hooves, her horn and her magic. But she had been human for so long that some days, she forgot she wasn’t born as one. She missed her fingers, her clothes and, most importantly, her friends.

She sighed. The holidays shouldn’t be so melancholic. She was in Equestria, after all, celebrating Hearth’s Warming for the first time in five years!

Banishing away all thoughts of Earth from her mind, Sunset focused instead on the scenery outside her window. The train moved slowly, allowing her to admire the beauty that was her kingdom in the winter.

The train had already left Ponyville, and was now passing the natural fields in between the village and the capital. The view outside was a tapestry of whites and greens, the hills hiding beneath the snow. A few flowers were timidly peeking out from the snow, their pinks and purples popping out against the whites.

Snowflakes fell from the sky, a few landing on Sunset’s windowsill. She pressed her face against the window, marveling at every detail of the delicate, hoof-crafted snowflake and imagining the love its Pegasus maker must’ve poured into it.

Speaking of Pegasi, Sunset looked up to see a couple of ponies flying around and shaking the clouds, no doubt to get the last of the snow to fall down. Sunset was so used to the harsh, uncontrolled winter of the human realm, she had forgotten that in Equestria, winters were meticulously and lovingly crafted by hoof and wing.

Sunset smiled. Winters here are a work of art.

The train passed through the tunnel under Mount Canterhorn, momentarily plunging everpony in total darkness. The moment passed, however, and the train emerged on the other side. The scenery shifted from the gentle, quiet fields to the rougher, rockier terrain of Foal Mountain. It passed by the abandoned town of Hollow Shades, all dark and eerie with not a single soul in sight. The train moved through another tunnel, then arrived at the city of Fillydelphia - louder and busier during the festive period - and stopped to exchange passengers.

And before Sunset knew it, she had arrived at her destination.

“Arriving at our last stop: Silver Shoals! Thank you for traveling with the Friendship Express!”

Sunset jumped to her hooves, hoisted her suitcase on her back and stepped out.

Sunset Shimmer had never been to Silver Shoals.

Sure, she had read Celestia’s letters about it, but she had never actually visited. And from the way Celestia described the place, Sunset had been expecting a small retirement village, filled with aging ponies, quietly milling about. She had been expecting something idyllic, with cute little houses and friendly neighbors and colorful banners.

The sight before her was anything but.

Oh, it was colorful, alright. The buildings stretched out before her, warm reds and oranges merging with cool blues and purples. But none of these buildings were cute or little. Mansions, towers, villas, even malls - every single one was a bastion of either business or wealth.

And the noise - the noise! - loud and chaotic. Sunset wasn’t entirely sure whether the town was always like this or if the holidays generated tourism. The ponies strolled through town, saddlebag filled to the brim, chatting animatedly with the neighbors and vendors. Individually, nopony was being loud, but when dozens were talking at once?

I’ve forgotten how sensitive pony ears are.

As Sunset weaved her way across the large crowd of ponies, she noticed that the businesses were diverse in their activities. Libraries, restaurants, theaters, beach resorts, sports centers - anything a pony could dream of doing, they could.

Silver Shoals also looked like a town that celebrated the holidays with passion. The rich, warm scent of eggnog and pudding wafted through the air, almost making Sunset salivate. She heard the carolers on the street, saw the decorations and lights hung up everywhere and felt the soft, fluffy snow crunch under her hooves.

The town reminded Sunset of Canterlot, only smaller and with more color.

She followed the instructions given to her by Twilight, swiftly making her way through town and giving her well wishes to the passing ponies. The directions eventually led her on the edge of town, close to the frozen sea.

Sunset’s eyes widened. She couldn't have missed it even if she tried.

Where the rest of the town was modern in architecture, the mansion before her was steeped in age. A bright blue color adorned all outside walls, hundreds of little stars littered everywhere. The mansion was large, at least three stories tall, and it breathed elegance and beauty.

Sunset stood there, eyes wide and mouth open.

A cold gust of wind hit her in the face, reminding her that she was standing outside, at the peak of winter, in sub-zero temperatures.

She walked up the steps of the mansion, deposited her heavy suitcase down and gently knocked on the double doors.

Seconds later, it opened, revealing the kind homeowner.

“Sunset, dear, you made it!”

Smiling wider than she had all day, Sunset looked up and was greeted by the warm eyes of Celestia.

“Celestia!”

Sunset Shimmer did not hesitate. She leapt forward, embracing Celestia in a hug. A hard task, considering the height difference between the two.

The alicorn bent down and returned the embrace.

For a moment, time stopped. All that existed was Sunset and the oh-so familiar hug of her beloved mentor. She was a filly again, beaming at the princess’s praise of a well-performed spell. For a moment - just a moment - she was Sunset Shimmer, the princess’ star student, capable of no wrong.

Celestia pulled back, and the moment ended.

With the hug over, Sunset had the opportunity to look at Celestia for the first time since the former retired. And the alicorn looked - for lack of a better word - old.

Celestia’s mane, usually long and wavy and ethereal, was limp and tied back into a messy bun, its colors fading. Her tail, similarly still and desaturated, was cut short. Gone was her elegant regalia, replaced instead with a simple purple shawl decorated with a moon-shaped brooch.

She was also wearing glasses. True, they were beautiful, with their hexagonal golden frames and tiny amethysts on the rim, but still. Glasses!

She looks like a grandmother! Princess Celestia. A grandma!

The realization hit Sunset like a ton of bricks, and she stumbled back.

Celestia immediately noticed. “Sunset? Are you alright?”

“You… you look old!” Sunset blurted out.

Celestia chuckled. “Come in,” she said. “Let’s get you warm.” She levitated the suitcase from where it stood and brought it in.

Sunset entered the house and was instantly taken aback by the temperature difference.

The foyer she had stepped through was warm and cozy. A loveseat and a few couches were strewn around the room. The walls were adorned with pictures of Celestia and Luna, as well as their friends and family, and tapestries of the sun and moon. The hearth, decorated with tinsel and lights, cackled with fire.

Sunset took a seat on the couch closest to the fireplace, trying to banish the frigid cold seeping through her bones. A mug of hot cocoa suddenly appeared in front of her, levitating in a golden aura.

With a grateful nod and a small smile, Sunset accepted the offered drink. “Your house is beautiful,” she said, taking a sip.

Celestia took a seat opposite Sunset, her own drink floating in her magic. “Thanks. Luna and I spent a lot of time decorating it.” She paused. “I trust your journey went well?”

“It was… tiring.” Sunset yawned. “Ponyville is far from here.”

Celestia got up, levitated Sunset's suitcase and headed for the stairs. “Why don't you get settled? We can catch up when you feel more we'll-rested.”

Sunset nodded and followed the alicorn up.

The pair walked through down the hall and stopped in a front a small, nondescript door.

Celestia opened it, dropping the suitcase the suitcase inside. “Your room, Sunset.” She smiled. “I'll see you in a few hours.”

And with that, she left, leaving Sunset alone.

The room was small, yet cozy and comfortable, similar in decor to the rest of the house. It had all the necessities of a bedroom - bed, dresser, closet, desk and chair. An armchair sat in the far corner by the large window. As with the foyer, the room was also decorated with stars and ancient tapestries.

The long journey from Ponyville to Silver Shoals was taking its toll on Sunset. She set her saddlebag on the desk, yawned loudly and threw herself on the bed.

She was out cold within seconds.

It had been Princess Twilight's idea to spend the holidays with Celestia.

“You haven't visited her in so long! She'd love to spend the holidays with you.”

Sunset had agreed to the idea without a second thought. The thought of spending some one-on-one time with her beloved mentor was too good to pass. She had quickly made her preparations gathering her tickets and packing her things.

(Twilight would've accompanied her, but Equestria doesn't stop working during the holidays.)

Celestia, of course, had been excited. Time with Sunset had been limited as of late, what with exams and graduation. The two had barely reconnected since their reunion during the Memory Stone incident. The Alicorn was looking forward to spending the holidays with her former student.

It was with these memories in mind that Sunset stirred awake.

She groggily opened her eyes, glancing at the wall clock across her. 18:14.

I've been asleep for about three hours.

Author's Note

My 2023 Jinglemas entry was initially going in a very different direction. About 2000 words in, I realized that I would never finish it on time. So I scrapped and started over, this time aiming for something much shorter.

Relapse - Take 1 (27 Mar ’24)

Friendship is Magic, Drama, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer

SCENE BEGINS. Starlight Glimmer is in her room, sulking; Twilight Sparkle is standing by her door in the hallway. Twilight knocks.

Starlight? Can I come in?

[Muffled agreement]

I’ll take that as a yes. [Enters room]

Starlight, how are you doing? You haven’t come out of your room since our talk in the library.

[Head down, muffled noises]

I didn’t quite catch that.

I failed, Twilight. I failed redemption. I failed friendship. I failed you. I failed!

What do you mean?

Get real, Twilight. You gave me a task as simple as baking a cake, and the moment you turn your back, I proceed to mind control your friends! I haven’t changed! I still think magic is the solution to everything! I’m still doing the same things I did back when I was evil! I’m not becoming a good pony! I’m getting worse!

So much for being reformed…

You think you failed at redemption because of one relapse? Starlight, no. You didn’t.

Sure feels like it.

You know, you’re not the first used-to-be-villain friend of mine who has royally messed up mid-redemption. Ask Princess Luna, who created a monster to infect her dreams and unintentionally gave it enough power to infect everypony elseʼs dreams. Ask Discord, who sold us out to Tirek and gave him the information and resources he needed to take over Equestria. Ask Sunset Shimmer, who messed up our plan so badly it let our enemies know we were on to them and set us back ten steps.

Where are they now?

Reformed. Completely, fully, and I trust all of them with my life. Which I've done, on multiple occasions. The point that I’m trying to make here is that one relapse isnʼt the end of the world. You havenʼt failed your studies, Starlight.

But you said you were disappointed.

I was, but by no means does that mean you failed.

[Heavy sigh]

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a young unicorn who loved magic. Her raw power was unparalleled, but it was wild and uncontrolled. Because of that, she was made the personal student of an alicorn princess.

Canʼt tell if you’re talking about me or you.

As hard as it might be to believe, there were times when Celestia was disappointed in me.

Nonsense! Celestiaʼs proud of you.

On the whole, yes. But Iʼve had my fair share of screw-ups. My story starts a couple weeks after Discordʼs first attack.

You see, back when I was first moved to Ponyville, I was given a task by Celestia - every week, I was to write a report on something new I’ve learned about friendship and dragon-mail it to her. Key word being 'weekly'. There was a week where I missed the deadline.

I lost my mind, Starlight. Completely lost it. For some unknown reason, I was afraid that if I didnʼt submit my assignment by the deadline, I would fail my studies and Celestia would demote me back to magic kindergarten.

That doesnʼt make any sense.

Thatʼs what Spike said! But I was too lost in my head to listen.

I spent the entire day going around, desperately trying to find a friendship problem to write about. And when I couldnʼt find any, I decided to… I decided to create one.

[Hiss]

There was this doll I used as a filly. Itʼs a comfort item I bought when I moved here. That day, I brought the doll out to town, intending to instigate a fight over it. But, naturally, nopony wanted it.

So I cast a spell on the doll. Called it the ‘Want-It, Need-It’ spell. Itʼs intended purpose is to enchant an item and make it irresistible. The moment somepony lays their eyes on it, the item becomes their only purpose.

Sounds suspiciously like mind control.

[Shamefully looks away]

No…

I poured far too much power into the spell. The fillies I was talking to were instantly smitten, but so was everypony who so much as glanced at the doll. Within minutes, Ponyville was plunged into chaos as everypony scrambled to get their hooves on the charmed doll. There had been damage, and I realized that far too late.

Why didnʼt you just… undo the spell?

I couldnʼt! I needed a clear shot of the doll to cast the counterspell, but since I basically brainwashed everypony into getting it…

Eventually, Celestia herself came by and fixed my mess. It took all of one second, and then she looked at me harshly and said, in a cold, stern voice, “Meet me in the library.”

Thatʼs exactly what you told me earlier.

[Smirks slightly] I couldnʼt resist.

Celestia wasnʼt mad at me. No, it was far worse than that. She was disappointed. Up until that point, I was her stellar student with not a single blemish in her academic record. And then, I went ahead and thought mind control was an acceptable way to please my teacher.

I know first-hoof what that feels like.

She didnʼt give up on me, though. My screw up was a learning experience; an opportunity to grow and be better.

Redemption, like friendship, is not a linear path. There will be ups and downs, times where you feel like the best friend ever, and times where you want to curl up in your room and never come out.

But at the end of the day, you keep learning and growing. You apologize, swear to never do it again, and move on.

And I will be with you every step of the way.

[They hug.]

[Sniffling] Your friends are still mad at me, though.

Our friends, and yes, they are. But they wonʼt always be. They’ll forgive you; it’s what friends do.

Thanks, Twilight.

Anytime.

Now if youʼll excuse me, Spike and I need to get started on dinner. [Pauses, small smile] I do hope youʼll join us.

[Sad smile]

(Spoiler alert: she does join them.)

Author's Note

This was what Relapse originally looked like. It began as nothing more than a conversation in my head. Then, I asked JinxJTL to take a a look, and together, we transformed a simple transcript-style convo into a full blown fic that surpassed both of our expectations.

Friendship really is magic, ya’ll.

Scrapped - Detetictive Pinkie Pie and the Pastry Switcheroo (04 Feb ‘23)

Friendship is Magic, Slice of Life, Mystery, Pinkie Pie, Gummy, Other

A mysterious break-in, a time crunch and a box of stolen goods. Sounds like a case for Detective Pinkie Pie!

Written for: RB_’s Whodunnit? Youdunnit! Contest
Story idea by: Tipper, Today’s Idiotic Plot Concept #31

Spike has been doing some help for Pinkie Pie lately. And as a thank-you, she’s baked him a treat: a half-dozen gem-laced cupcakes. There’s red velvet ruby, blueberry sapphire, and emerald chocolate-chip.

Or at least, there were. She was only distracted in Sugarcube Corner for an instant, but when she turned around, Spike’s box was gone, and another box of ordinary cupcakes was in its place.

It’s a disaster! Those were her special treat to Spike, they were his thank-you, she worked extra-hard on them, she wanted to see his reaction to the different flavors! Also there’s a slight risk they’ll tear up the insides of any pony who eats them. But mostly the other stuff!

Well, no matter. Detective Pinkie is going to track down this pastry switcheroo and solve the issue! Hopefully before any teeth are broken.

Who Did-Done-Do It?

Red velvet ruby? Check. Blueberry sapphire? Check. Emerald chocolate-chip? Check and check.

Slowly, Pinkie Pie set down the cupcakes, two of each flavor, into the hoof-painted box. Then, with the utmost care, she tied the box up with a lovely green ribbon. For the final touch, she slipped in the card that said, ‘To my good friend Spike. With love, Pinkie.’

Spike is going to love these! Pinkie thought as she placed the cupcake box on the counter. She turned around to get some glitter to decorate the box with. As Pinkie as rummaging through her cabinet, she heard a loud noise coming from the front. She quickly turned around and saw...

No-one.

Huh. Weird. Pinkie was certain no-one came in, but she went over to the box just to be sure. The cupcake box looked the same as it was before. Pinkie carefully untied the ribbon and looked inside. Everything seems normal... Wait a minute. Pinkie leaned closer to the cupcakes. And when she realized what was wrong, she gasped.

The gems were gone.

The cupcakes had been switched.

Detective Pinkie Pie and the Pastry Switcheroo

Written by Uz Naimat Story idea by Tipper

“This is a disaster!” Pinkie screamed, pacing around the room. “These were Spike’s special treats, his thank-you for all his help. I worked extra hard on these!” She paused. “Plus, there’s the slight chance that anypony who tries to eat them will break all their teeth.” Resumed pacing. “This is a disaster! Oh, Gummy, what are we going to do?”

Gummy started blankly ahead, blinking slowly.

“Youʼre right, Gummy. We have to solve this mystery and save those cupcakes!” Pinkie pulled out a Detectiveʼs hat and put it on. “And also save our culpritʼs teeth,” she quickly added.

Author's Note

The title card in the middle of the text is meant to be reminiscent of the show. Cold open, followed by theme song, followed by plot.

Also, I stopped where I did because I had no idea how to write mysteries. Still don’t.