That morning, Arctic cleaned up the house for his mom's return. Today was the day when his mom would meet the Dazzlings, and he wanted things to go well. Perhaps he should've told her about them on the phone so his mom was at least aware that the girls were there in the first place. Maybe it was the nerves that were making him make dumb decisions, he wasn't sure. But what he was sure about was that he wanted his mom to like the girls.

Unlike him, she didn't know about the girls, also known as the Dazzlings, and their past mistakes. A once group that tried to take over Canterlot and have people adore them and make people want to fight with their magical singing voices. She didn't need to know about that, mostly because one it was in the past, and two, if she did know the girls would be kicked out faster than the Flash.

Arctic had already thought of a foolproof lie that was sure to work... at least he hoped. It wasn't that he liked the thought of lying to his mom but he had already gone over the pros and cons of telling the truth and there were far more cons than pros. The plan was like this, the three of them were sisters that he went to school with and shared some classes with. One day, he found out that they were homeless while walking back home and because he felt bad he decided to let them stay at his place. Hopefully, his mom would feel bad for the girls, and if he and the girls asked nicely enough, she would let the girls stay and live with them, at least until they could move out.

Just then the sound of keys jingling was heard. Arctic looked at the girls who got in place as he made sure to calm himself. The door opened and in came Arctic's mom who upon entering the door saw Arctic and three girls behind him. "It's so good to see you again, Arctic. I'm sorry for being gone for so long, work has been intense, but that's the job of a nurse." Arctic's mom hugged him.

Arctic smiled and hugged her back. "You don't have to be sorry, I understand. What you do is hard work, being a doctor is stressful."

Arctic’s mother, a warm yet sharp-eyed woman with a presence that commanded respect, had arrived a little earlier than expected. As Arctic welcomed her in, the Dazzlings stood close by, exchanging glances. They were prepared for this, but the weight of telling her their story made Sonata fidget in place. Arctic’s mom took one look at them, taking in their postures, the way they stood just a bit too closely to each other as though seeking support. "And who are these lovely girls?"

“These are my friends from school, Mom,” Arctic began, gesturing toward the girls. “Adagio, Aria, and Sonata.” The Dazzlings offered tentative smiles, albeit Aria's was a bit forced, trying to appear as polite and composed as possible.

“It’s very nice to meet you, girls,” his mother replied warmly, though her eyes lingered on them with a hint of concern. She could tell something wasn’t quite right.

Arctic took a deep breath, ready to share a piece of their truth. “Mom, they’ve been…going through some tough times. They’re, um, homeless with nowhere else to go. I found them in an alleyway when I was heading back home and I couldn't just leave them after finding that out, so they’re here with me for now.”

Arctic’s mom blinked, her expression shifting to one of shock, then softening. “Oh… I see.” She took a moment to process the information, then turned to the Dazzlings. “I’m so sorry to hear that. You’re very fortunate to have such a caring friend in Arctic.” Her tone was gentle and sincere. "Tell you what, since I'm gone a lot with my job my room and the guest bedroom are free to take. You can stay here as long as you'd like, that is until you three can get on your feet."

The girls nodded, relieved by her understanding. Adagio stepped forward and, carefully choosing her words, added, “Thank you for letting us stay at your house, it means a lot. And we’re really grateful for your son, Arctic. He’s been… a huge help to us.” Adagio and Arctic made eye contact, a small smile on both of their faces. "He didn't have to do what he did for us, but he did it anyways."

Arctic's mom smiled at Adagio's words. “Of course he did,” his mother said, reaching over to squeeze Arctic’s shoulder. “He’s always been one to help those in need.”

With the heavy topic now out in the open, the tension in the room lessened. The Dazzlings managed to smile, feeling a sense of security they hadn’t felt in a long time.

After his mom had gone to the bathroom to take a bath, Arctic gathered the Dazzlings for a conversation. His voice was serious but kind. “I’ve been thinking for a while and I know you girls may not be up to it… but I want you to try and make things right with the Rainbooms.”

At the mention of the Rainbooms, the Dazzlings’ expressions soured immediately.

“Are you serious?” Aria snapped, crossing her arms. “After everything we’ve been through with them?”

Adagio’s eyes narrowed. “Why would we even consider it?”

Arctic held up his hands. “Hear me out. If you want to have a fresh start, going back to Canterlot High would be a huge step in the right direction. Besides, I did tell Mom you were friends from school. She finds out you three don't go to Canterlot then what will you do?" The Dazzlings looked at one another, not seemingly having an answer. "I know the Rainbooms are a sore subject, but if you talk to them, maybe they’ll understand. Sunset came from Equestria just like you three and had a whole villain redemption arc, she can help you out more than anyone. And if they’re on your side, it’ll make things easier for you.”

Sonata looked down, uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t know, Arctic… they didn’t exactly welcome us with open arms last time. But I guess then again we didn't exactly deserve it after what we did.”

Arctic sighed. “I know it’s hard, but trust me. They might surprise you. And if not… well, at least you’ll have tried. Just meet them at Sugarcube Corner and talk things out. I won’t be there with you, but it’s something you all need to do on your own.”

“Wait, you’re not coming?” Adagio asked, frowning. “Where are you going?”

Arctic gave her a reassuring look. “I’ll explain another time. It’s… something I need to handle on my own.”

With a few reluctant nods, the Dazzlings agreed to go to Sugarcube Corner. They left the house a bit later, heading to the café with mixed feelings. As the girls left, Arctic pulled out a piece of paper with an address on it. He sighed to himself as he put on his shoes and made his way to the location. Where was he going instead of going to Sugarcube Corner with the Dazzlings? Well, Arctic had made up his mind and decided to take up his mom's offer.

Meanwhile, Arctic was sitting in the lobby of a cozy office, waiting for his appointment. Today was the first time he was going to speak to a therapist, and as he thought about it, a memory came back to him—a conversation with his mom on his first day of school at Canterlot.

Flashback

That morning, he’d been gathering his things when his mom approached him, her gaze soft but firm.

“Arctic,” she began, “I know this has been a hard time for you. And with your dad… gone, I don’t want you to keep all of those feelings inside. I know you're going through a lot, I can see it all over your face. I think talking to someone could help.”

Arctic had glanced away, his face tense. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that. Would talking to a therapist even help?”

“Just think about it, okay? I don’t want you to carry this alone. When you’re ready, we’ll make it happen.” Arctic's mom gave him a small smile as she looked down toward her son's arms still scared from the horrifying sight she witnessed weeks ago that made her bring up the offer to her son.

End of Flashback

Remembering that morning, Arctic felt a pang of gratitude. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the office when he heard his name called.

"Hello Arctic, nice to meet you. Please, take a seat." Arctic nodded and sat down. He still wasn’t entirely sure he was ready for this, but he knew he couldn’t keep everything bottled up forever.

Across town at Sugarcube Corner, the Dazzlings had arrived and found the Rainbooms already there, waiting in tense silence. The air was thick with unresolved tension, as both groups took their seats, casting wary glances at each other.

Sunset cleared her throat, trying to break the ice. “Thanks for coming,” she said, her tone neutral.

Adagio nodded slowly, crossing her arms as she spoke. “We didn’t come here to make nice. Arctic… he thinks we should try to sort things out.”

“Same here,” Sunset replied. “I don’t think we’ll ever see eye to eye, but… maybe we can at least understand each other a bit better.”

As Sunset spoke, Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and leaned back, her gaze on Aria. The two exchanged hard stares, neither one willing to break first.

Sonata, sensing the awkwardness, spoke up, her tone uncertain. “I… I know we did some bad things before, and I’m sorry. We just… we didn’t know another way.”

Fluttershy nodded, her voice was soft but sincere. “It takes a lot of courage to admit that.”

Adagio took a deep breath, glancing at Sunset with something close to respect. “Look, I don’t expect you to forgive us. We just… we want a chance to move forward. That’s all.”

Sunset nodded, offering a small smile. “I think that’s a good place to start.”

Back at the therapist’s office, Arctic was slowly opening up. The therapist listened patiently, allowing him the space to share at his own pace.

“It’s just… I feel like I’m supposed to be strong,” Arctic admitted, his gaze downcast. “Especially now, for my friends and my mom. But sometimes, I don’t know if I can. I can't just forget about my dad, you know? But I also know I can't have it affecting me because, at the same time, it affects my loved ones around me.” Arctic looked down and thought back to when he almost jumped off the bridge but stopped. He then put a hand to his arm, grimacing at an unwanted thought.

Flashback

Finals were coming up at school and with how bad his grades were he needed to do good. He was still depressed about his father's death just a few weeks ago and it felt as though things kept piling up. Arctic was in a bad spot and his mindset was anything but good. He had taken a knife from the kitchen a while ago and had been cutting himself anytime he felt stressed or depressed, which was every day.

That day he had forgotten to lock his door and when he started to cut himself the door suddenly opened, giving him no time to hide the knife or the cuts. "Arctic, sweetie, it's dinner- OH MY!" Arctic was like a deer in highlights as he stared at his mom with the knife still in hand, and blood trickling down his arm. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The look on his mom's face would haunt his dreams for a long time.

End of Flashback

"I hurt my mom a lot when she found that out. I only did it because I thought it would help, but I was mistaken. All I did was cause more pain and worry. I just felt like not bothering my mom with my issues, after all, she was devasted after Dad's death as well, if not more than me. So I tried being strong for her, but I failed." Arctic looked down doing his best not to break down.

The therapist nodded, her voice gentle. “It’s okay to feel that way. You don’t have to be strong all the time." The therapist put her arm on Arctic's shoulder, making him look up. "You don’t have to carry this pain alone anymore.”

Her words resonated with him, and for the first time in a long time, Arctic felt a flicker of relief. As they continued talking, he realized that there was more to healing than just hiding the pain.

Back at Sugarcube Corner, the conversation between the Dazzlings and the Rainbooms had calmed, with Sunset and Adagio slowly finding common ground.

Adagio extended her hand to Sunset. “Maybe we’ll never be friends, but… I think we can try to let things go.”

Sunset shook her hand with a small smile. “Agreed. Thank you, Adagio.”

Meanwhile, Aria and Rainbow exchanged grudging nods, agreeing to a truce, if nothing else.

As Arctic wrapped up his session, he shook the therapist’s hand with a newfound sense of hope. Walking out, he felt a lightness he hadn’t felt in a long time, knowing he was no longer alone on this journey.

In their own way, he and the Dazzlings were finally starting to heal.

Author's Note

FInally back, and boy does it feel good. This is only the beginning, more chapters are to come real soon.