SpergLight Act II

~Two Weeks Later~

>You slowly arise from your bed as you hear your alarm go off.
>Shut it off, shut it off!
>You push the off button as fast as you can, hoping to kill the noise.
>Ugh...
>You slowly become awake as you put your glasses on.
>You check your clock: 6:00 AM.
>You have a big day ahead of you: the first day of school.
>Oh, you're so excited!
>Spoiler alert: you're not.
>Double ugh...
>Why did this day have to come?
>You hate it at Crystal Prep, to say the least; nobody likes you, you struggle to fit in, you're constantly harassed, and you have to deal with the overly overbearing Principal Cinch on a regular basis (y'know, since you are her "star pupil" and shit).
>Dean Cadance is the closest thing you have to a friend there. Even if she can be annoying when she keeps saying that you should make some friends.
>Because trying to make friends with people who dislike you is something you want to do.
>There's a reason why you're an outcast.
>You've given up on making friends with kids at Crystal Prep at this point, exclusively focusing on your studies.
>Sure, you get pretty lonely, but the fact that you can focus on your studies due to your lack of friends at school is a bit of a blessing in disguise.
>And plus, all your classes are so easy. You're passing all your classes, straight A's with honors as you are expected to graduate valedictorian.
>God, you can't wait to get out.
>At least you can get back to your CHS research as you return to your lab.
>With your research on the origin of the strange events at Canterlot High, you hope to get into the Everton Independent Study Program, getting away from all these horrid people.
>Independent, just the way you like it.
>Speaking of friends, you haven't hung out with Sunset or any of them since you slept over at Sunset's place.
>They were all very busy during the span.
>Oh well. At least you had your research to keep yourself busy (which you haven't gotten to in weeks due to your outings).
>Time to get ready.
>You do your usual routine: washing up, having breakfast, and returning to your room to get dressed.
>You pull your school uniform out of your closet for the first time in what felt like forever.
"What's the point of a uniform?" you ask yourself out loud. "It's such a pain to put it on every day..."
>At least Crystal Prep has a casual Friday once a month.
>"Twilight, sweetie? You ready to go?"
"C-Coming, Mom!"
>Before you head down, you grab Spike and put him in your backpack.
"Come on, boy! First day of school!"
>Animals are not allowed in school, and you're not much of a rule breaker, but with all the crap you go through, you don't mind bending the rules by bringing your little buddy.
>You grab your backpack and head out, but before you do so, you notice the purple unicorn you won at the fair a few weeks ago.
>Oh, right, you forgot. You'll have to deal with Sugarcoat and her gang, now.
>Oh, and Moondancer, as she's also with them.
"Fuck... At least it's one more year."
>Though, you do now have Anon to talk to just in case you need to talk to someone, so that's something.
>And you can always text Sunset as well.
>You head out and follow your mother to the Mercedes SUV out front.
>Even though you're a senior now, you still don't have your drivers license.
>Definitely gonna want to work on that.
>You enter the passenger side, and you head off.
>The conversation you have with your mother is the same as it is every year: you'll be okay, just get through the year, it gets better in college, I'm so proud of you, etc.
>You're not sure about many of her statements, but hey: at least she cares.
>After the 30 minute drive from the suburbs to the city, you reach your final destination: Crystal Prep Academy.
>"Bye, sweetie! Have a good day at school!"
>Your mother gives you a hug and a kiss.
"I will! Bye, mom!"
>You exit the SUV as you head towards the front doors.
>You gulp.
>You haven't even entered the building and you're already hyperventilating.
"Calm down, everything's gonna be fine," you mutter to yourself.
>You take a deep breath and enter the building, going into the foyer.
>Well, enter is a bit of an understatement, as you collide into something as you walk, both you and the entity falling to the floor, you on top.
>The girl groans as she shoves you off and gets back up.
>"Watch where you're going, you fucking sperg!" screeches Sour Sweet, her freckled face tense with anger.
>You cower, apologizing repeatedly as you prepare for a beatdown.
"I-I'm s-sorry, Sour! P-Please don't h-hurt me!"
>But not before your bully... helps you back up.
>Sour smiles at you.
>"Sorry! I must not have seen you there, Twilight. Oh, silly me!", she says as she giggles.
>She then gets right in your face.
>"Don't fucking do that again, you hear me?", she growls.
"Y-Yes..." you whimper.
>She backs off and giggles.
>"Good! Have a good day, Twilight!"
>She walks off.
>That's Sour Sweet for you. Completely two faced.
>And somehow, she isn't the craziest one among her posse.
>Well that was a good way to start the day.
>You have a half hour before your head to your homeroom.
>You have time to kill, and it's not like you have any friends to hang out with here. And you'll need to unload Spike.
>You head down the hallway, other students bumping into you as you walk.
"Excuse me!" you say meekly.
>You bump into even more students.
"Pardon me!"
>They all seem to give you mean looks, some even commenting.
>"Out of the way!"
>"Fuck off."
>"NERD!"
>"Ay yo gurl, can I get yo numba? PSYCHE!"
>You hang your head down as you frown, clutching your physics book as you sigh.
>This is your school life. And it's hell.
>You head to the door and open it as you step into the room known as your lab.
>An old janitor's closet that was given to you by the school for research purposes, this is your sanctuary.
>Filled with various gizmos and gadgets, as well as computers, you truly feel at peace, here.
>You open your backpack and let Spike free, letting him roam free.
"Let's get you outta here..."
>He lives here when you're in class.
>You fill his bowl with some food, and you sit at your desk, grabbing your laptop out of your bag.
>You look at the bulletin board, which is pretty crazy to say the least.
>Pictures of CHS, notes, red arrows, everything in your quest to find the origin of those unusual frequencies.
>Some of the pictures that catch your eye are photos featuring a giant horse in the sky, as well as a Taco Tuesday poster, the outside of the school, and a picture of a shattered red gem.
>You open your drawer and grab the shard, observing it.
>When you retrieved it and scanned it shortly after whatever happened at CHS (apparently there was a Battle of the Bands competition held there), the wavelengths you observed were off the charts?
>What exactly was happening at that school?
>You can only wonder.
"C'mere boy, c'mere!"
>Spike rushes to your lap and licks your face, you giggling the whole time.
"Oh, Spike! Isn't this exciting?", you exclaim as you clap your hands in excitement.
>You check your calendar, checking the date marked with a Post-It note: September 26th.
>On that day, Crystal Prep will travel to Canterlot High for the Friendship Games, held every four years.
"Just one month to go! Oh, this is so exciting! I'm gonna go to CHS, and conduct my research, and hopefully be able to extrapolate these wavelengths to find their origins. I'll be guaranteed to be accepted into the Everton with this!"
>You squee a bit.
"Oh, and I'll get to hang out with Sunset and the girls! Which is great!"
>You check your watch: 7:20 AM.
"Oh, no! Sorry, Spike, but I need to head to homeroom!"
>You put him down, him whimpering as you begin to leave.
"Don't you worry. I'll be back soon!" you say as you pat him on the head.
>You exit the room and head to your homeroom, bumping into kids again.
>It's gonna be one of those years, isn't it?
>Ugh...
>You reach your destination and enter the room.
>You're 10 minutes early, so you're the only one inside.
>You decide to re-read Starship Troopers to pass the time (which Sunset thankfully gave it back to you).
>Your reading is interrupted as you see Anon walk in, your heart skipping a beat instantly.
>"Hey, Twilight!"
>You get up and scuttle to him, giving him a hug, taking him a bit aback, though he accepts it pretty quickly.
"H-Hey, Anon."
>You release and sit back down, Anon sitting in the desk in front of you as you continue to read.
>"So, Twilight. How've the last few weeks been?"
"W-What..."
>You look up.
>Eye contact, Twilight.
"Eh... n-nothing, really. M-Mostly doing, um... r-research."
>"Research, huh? What are you researching?"
>He's interested in your research? That's new.
>No one here is interested in anything you do.
"Um... I've b-been studying the, um..."
>You collect your thoughts.
"T-The weird t-things that've b-been happening at CHS... yep..."
>Anon continues to look at you.
>"Weird things... wait, you're talking about, like, that giant horse head in the sky, right? Or those rainbows?"
"Y-Yeah! Exactly."
>You're fiddling with a pen in your hand.
>"Shit, I remember last year. It was homecoming, I was dancing, having a good time, and then BOOM, rainbows coming out of the sky in the distance. Remember that?"
"Y-Yeah, I w-was there..."
>You have a bit of a flashback regarding last year's homecoming.
>By some miracle, you managed to get a date with some boy you occasionally talked to.
>Trenderhoof, his name is?
>Things were going okay. Well, that is until he ditched you in the middle of the dance just before he was going to kiss you, laughing as he ran away in an apparent setup by Sugarcoat.
>Oh, and everyone else in the gymnasium joined in.
>Just as you ran off in tears, Sour Sweet splashed punch in your eyes, causing you to fall straight into the punch bowl, ruining your dress.
>The laughing intensified as you ran off.
>As you were outside, sitting on the steps of the Crystal Prep entrance and bawling your eyes out, you noticed a rainbow coming straight down out of the night sky, mesmerizing you in pure awe and wonder.
>It appeared to come from your rival school, Canterlot High, which was having its Fall Formal at the time.
>Ever since then, you've been curious about what's gone on there, intensifying after seeing yet another anomaly in the seahorses and horses in the sky.
>You shudder as the flashback ends.
"Uh, I'd, err, p-prefer not to talk about t-that..."
>Anon rubs the back of his head.
>"Yeah, that's fine. But that's pretty cool, though, that you're researching that."
"Y-Yeah... I'm mostly d-doing it to get, um, get into the Everton."
>"The Everton?" Anon asks. "Wow, Twilight, that's, err, pretty cool. I've heard that's super tough to get into."
>He sighs.
>"I wish you luck, dude."
"T-Thank you, A-Anon," you say, smiling, blushing.
>More students file into the room. Including both Sugarcoat and Moondancer.
>A chill instantly goes down your spine.
>Sugarcoat sits in the desk next to you and looks into your eyes, her expression blank.
>"Hello, Twilight."
>You completely forgot that she of all people is in your homeroom.
>Any sort of happiness you had talking with Anon was destroyed by her presence.
>Traumatic memories flash before your eyes as she looks at you, causing you to tremble and whimper, leaning back, trying to get away.
>"Is there something wrong, Twilight?" asks Sugarcoat in a strangely monotone voice, Moondancer also looking at you with a blank
>You bolt out of your chair and run out of the class in tears, not looking where you’re going as you run, and run, and run in the empty halls without stopping.
>The thoughts keep appearing as you rush, torturing you to no end.
>You open the door and rush back into your lab before grabbing Spike, embracing him hard as your eyes become a waterfall as you begin to wail.
>You collapse back in your chair, choking a bit between sobs as you continue to grip your furry friend.
"Oh, Spike..."
>It's truly amazing simply seeing "she who must not be named" is enough to cause an episode.
>Barely into your first day back at Crystal Prep and you're already having an autistic meltdown.
>You're pathetic. You're worthless. You deserve everything bad that's happened to you, even if Anon or Sunset say otherwise.
>You deserve all the brutal events happening to you. At least that's what Sugarcoat would say.
>And Sugarcoat is always right.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, I'm so pathetic..."
>Tears continue to flow as you sit, you grasping your dog harder, Spike then licking your face.
>It doesn't really help you feel much better this time around.
>You put Spike down and grab an old flask of yours, throwing it at the wall and screaming as it shatters.
"I'm hopeless! I'm completely and utterly hopeless! Useless! Worthless!"
>You grab all sorts of objects: papers, books, stress balls, and you throw them at the wall as well, screaming in a fit of rage and frustration.
>You then walk up to the pile of broken shards on the floor, searching through the debris, looking for a nice, sharp piece.
>You pick up a rather large slice, gently slicing it across one of your fingertips to test it.
>You cut into the skin easily, a bit of blood leaking out.
>Satisfied, you head to your desk and give it a kick.
"FUCK!"
>You sit back down and roll up your sleeve, holding the shard over a barren spot of your arm before you hear a knock at your door.
"Ugh, who could that be..." you mutter, throwing the shard in a drawer.
>"Twilight? You in there? It's me, Anon."
>And there's your answer.
"W-What are you doing here?" you yell. "Please! Leave me alone!"
>"Look, you wanna talk? I saw you run out of class in tears and... look, can I please just come in?"
"And why should I do that?"
>"Because I care about you and maybe think it might be good to just talk? I dunno..."
>You wipe the tears off your face and sigh.
"Just give me a sec."
>You grab a first aid kit off your shelf and open it, grabbing some rubbing alcohol and a bandage.
>The alcohol swab on your skin stings, causing you to yelp a bit.
>You then wrap the bandage over your clean wound before opening the door and letting Anon in.
>"Hey."
"H-Hey."
>Your cheeks flush, as always when you're around him.
>You shut the door as he enters, him getting situated by leaning against the wall, right next to Spike.
>"I had no idea you had a dog."
"Y-You don't? D-don't you remember the one time you were at my house?"
>"That was two years ago, dude. I don't remember the little things."
"Oh," you say as Anon gives Spike a little pat.
>The green boy looks around.
>"Jesus. Looks like a bomb went off in here."
"A-A bomb? I mean, I've handled some rather... explosive chemicals in here, but a bomb?"
>"It's a figure of speech, Twilight. I'm talking about all the shit by the wall over there."
"Oh... That was me having a bit of an autistic meltdown..."
>You groan.
>"Er, anywhere I can hang this?" Anon asks as he removes his purple Crystal Prep letterman jacket, revealing only a blue button up shirt and a tie.
>You grab the coat and hang it on your chair and sit back down.
>"Thanks."
"N-No problem."
>You lean back and groan a bit, burying your face in your palms.
"I haven't had something like that in years. I-I'm so embarrassed..."
>You don't look at Anon's eyes.
>Anon shrugs.
>"Eh, it's no big deal. I understand."
"Y-You do?"
>Anon chuckles.
>"Sure. I have days like that. I mean, I don't have days where I throw a bunch of stuff, but I do have those days where I certainly want to. You know what I'm saying?
>You nod, grabbing a pen from your desk and fiddling with it.
>"So talk to me. It's pretty clear that something's bugging you, Twilight."
"N-No, I'd prefer not to."
>"Come on. Might be good for you to let it out."
"I-I don't know..." you mutter, looking down at the ground.
>You give it a bit of thought.
>Anon seems like a safe person to speak with.
>He's among the few here who doesn't mess with you, and he does seem to care about you to some extent.
>Maybe talking won't be so bad.
>it's certainly difficult to keep it inside.
>You sigh, crossing your arms as you rock a bit in your chair before speaking.
"I mean, seeing Sugarcoat caused me to have an anxiety attack. I mean, I always get super nervous when I'm around her, but after the... thing..."
>You shudder as you mention that."
"...I've become even more afraid of her. L-Like she's gonna kill me or something on a moment's notice if I make even the slightest mistake... Fuck, I dunno."
>"I certainly understand that," adds Anon.
"...yeah."
>You once again groan, you're stomach feeling a bit tense.
"I don't know if you know this about me, and I'm not sure if I should really be talking about this to someone I'm not much close to, but I hate myself. I hate myself a lot. And seeing her certainly gave me a lot of dark thoughts."
>You put the pen down and look at Anon for the first time.
"Would it be okay if I vented a bit?"
>Anon at this point has taken a seat on the floor, next to Spike.
>"Lay it on me. I'm all ears."
>You get up and walk towards Anon, plopping down next to him.
>You let Spike into your arms as you cuddle him again.
>"So if you don't mind me asking," Says Anon. "Why do you hate yourself?"
>You grunt.
"Are you stupid?" you say with a bit of venom in your voice. "I mean, shit, I get picked on every damn day here. Nobody likes me. I'm an outcast. Isn't it obvious?"
>Anon appears taken aback, his brow furrowing.
"D-Did I say something wrong?"
>Anon scratches the back of his head.
>"I'd prefer if you didn't call me stupid, personally."
>A chill goes down your spine as you connect the dots in your head.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Anon! I-I didn't think I would have offended you! I'm so-"
>"Twilight." he says as he puts a hand on your shoulder. "Calm down. It's alright, I'm not mad."
"B-But you said you would prefer not being called stupid."
>He sighs.
>"Well, I mean, I wouldn't, but it it's not the end of the world. I'm not offended."
"O-Oh. That's... that's good," you meekly say.
>You sigh, looking down at the ground as Anon removes his hand.
"And that's another thing I hate about myself, other than being picked on and no one liking me. Being...this."
>"Being what?"
>What a loaded question.
"Y'know...autistic. I don't particularly enjoy it. I hate it. I really do."
>Anon rubs his eyes.
>"Like, what do you hate about being autistic?"
>Why do you hate being autistic.
>Maybe you should write a book about that.
>Become a bestseller or some shit. Or chased by autism advocate groups.
"You know how I have Asperger's, right?"
>You scratch the back of Spike's ears, him yawning in response.
>"Yes, I do. What about it?"
>You stroke Spike's head a bit.
"I mean... look at it like this. Imagine moving to another country. When you move to said country, you struggle to adapt. You don't know the language, nor the culture or how its inhabitants act. You feel like an outsider. You can learn, and you can become fluent in the language, but it never feels completely natural. You slip up on occasion. That's what it's kinda like having Asperger's. Well, replace language and culture with social skills, nonverbal cues and emotions and such."
>You sigh, slouching back a bit.
"It makes acting like a normal human being really difficult. I get obsessive over things. I could talk my head off about molecular physics or Power Ponies right now, without stopping, because I wouldn't know when to stop, because I wouldn't notice you getting bored. I literally wouldn't be able to read your face or your body language in time. I can really sperg out sometimes."
>Anon looks at you, very focused as he glares at your eyes.
>It makes you feel a bit tense.
"Most people can make the connection easily, while I have to really pay attention to this stuff. I have to be really aware of my own mannerisms or facial expressions so I don't embarrass myself. I've definitely gotten a ton better over the years, and man, you wouldn't stand me if you met me when I was a little girl and in middle school, but I do occasionally slip up..."
>You continue to explain to Anon why you don't like your disability: from your tendency to take things literally, to being brutally honest and getting hurt in these situations, to your limited and intense interests to being sensitive to some things.

>You sigh.
>Honestly, you're amazed you've lasted this long talking to him.
>Typically, talking at this length with someone about something that isn't related to your interests is pretty exhausting, especially since this is Anon of all people you're talking to.
>And you're talking about some rather heavy stuff on top of that.
>"Look. If this is a question you don't feel comfortable answering, then don't. I'm okay if you want to stop."
>You take a second to think.
>Do you really wanna go all out on your crush?
>People tend to not like downers, and Anon is definitely not your psychologist (who you haven't seen in a few weeks, but that isn't important right now).
"No, it's fine," you mutter.
>It's a miracle that you haven't been stuttering much during your chat, especially since this is your crush you're talking to, here.
>Are... are you feeling comfortable around Anonymous?
>Maybe you are. He does seem rather safe compared to everyone else in this institution.
>Or so you think.
>You release Spike from your grip, letting him roam free.
"I guess I don't like how it makes it hard for me to be normal."
>"What do you mean?"
>You fidget with your fingers as you try to think about how to answer that.
>It's one of those questions that might take a lot of explaining, a bit of complexity.
>Remember, Anon is neurotypical (as far as you know); he thinks differently than you.
>Explaining yourself might really make a difference in him understanding you. It worked with Sunset. Why can't it work with him?
"I mean, the fact that it makes it hard for me to be social is tough. It's hard for me to relate to others and understand them. Sometimes I can be pretty blunt and say things that may hurt others, even though I didn't intend that. Because I tend to take things literally. Like when I called you stupid. I didn't see what was wrong with that right off the bat."

>Anon continues to gaze into your eyes.
>You can't really interpret his facial expression, but you assume he's still interested.
>You still are a bit tense with trying to force eye contact.
"It's made it really tough for me to make friends, and it's made me a huge target for bullying. I remember having meltdowns over the littlest things when I was a kid, from getting an A- on a test to someone taking my favorite seat to having a sudden change happen in my schedule. Thankfully I've learned enough to come off as a bit more normal, but the damage is done. Trust me, Anonymous. If you met me when I was a little girl, you'd be repulsed by my presence."
>You sigh.
"...and to be honest, I don't understand why you don't find me repulsive. You or any of my friends. If they even are my friends."
>"Look," Anon says, scuttling up to you a bit. "That was the past. I never knew you back then, and even then... I don't think I'd be 'repulsed' by you. Twilight, you really need to stop with this negative thinking."
>This has been told to you so many times, either by your parents, or Shining Armor, or Dean Cadance.
>Yet, it's harder than it sounds. Changing one's thinking is difficult, especially for someone like you, who thinks in black and white.
>"And about your friends, why are you questioning your friendship? Based on what I've seen, those girls really seemed to like you."
>You sigh, looking down at the ground.
"I just don't see what those girls see in me. I'm always paranoid that I'm nothing but a charity case to them."
>"What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is that they're only my friends because they feel bad for me or something. Like a kid befriending a kid with cerebral palsy because he or she feels bad for them..."
>You sigh again.
>Damn, you do that a lot, do you?
"I'm always scared I'm gonna lose them, or they'll turn on me once I do something weird. That's what happened when I 'befriended' Sugarcoat and her mob."

>How long have you been here, for? You've lost track of time in here.
>Hopefully you don't miss your first class.
"They saw I was always by myself, they took me in, and they were initially nice to me before becoming my tormentors..."
>A few awkward seconds of silence occurs before tears form in your eyes as you bury your head in your knees.
>You are afraid.
>But of what, exactly?
>Is it fear of your friends being fake?
>Is it fear of your peers, here?
>Is it fear of dying alone?
>Anon immediately wraps his arms around you, wrapping you in a hug.
>Initially you feel shock, but this melts away rather quickly as you process what's happening.
"W-What if they're not my friends? If they aren't, if they're only fake, t-then I'm gonna be alone forever. Like I'm d-d-destined to be..."
>Anon pats you on the back, him still in hugging form.
>"If those girls aren't your friends," he says. "Then I don't know what friendship is anymore."
>You sniffle, still crying.
"W-What?"
>"Twilight, look. Those two girls, what were their names... Sunset? And Rainbow Dash? They literally went after you, man.  After you were taken at the fair. They busted in that cabin. And they saved you. They risked their lives getting you out there. They comforted you. And they had you stay the night with them..."
>He pats you on the back again.
>"What I'm trying to say is, is that they do care, Twi. If they weren't your friends, if they really didn't care about you, they would have done nothing. But they did. And you wanna know something?"
>You look up at him.
"W-What?"
>"I care about you, too."

"Y-You care about me..."
>At this point you two have separated.
>"Yep," he says. "I do care. You really aren't as bad as you think you are. I mean, sure you might be a bit odd, but in reality, isn't everyone? I mean, shit, my friends have flaws. Mainly that they're huge assholes, but I still hang with them, I still like them, because I like to see the best in people, personally."
>He rubs some of the tears off your face. Causing you to flinch.
>"Shit, sorry."
"N-No, it's okay. Just... just tell me when you're gonna do that..."
>A few more seconds of silence.
>"And look, I know we haven't really hung out much, or even talked a ton at school, but... I've enjoyed every single time I've hung with you, whether it was at our tutoring sessions, or that one time you had me at your house. I mean, shit, I've learned a lot from you by simply being with you, with you being so damn smart."
>This makes you blush intensely brightly.
>This is your crush, the one you've liked for a while... complimenting you. Saying he enjoys hanging with you!
>"And if you don't have any friends here, well, consider me your first Crystal Prep friend."
>You take a few seconds to process this.
>This, all of what Anon's said, makes you tear up even more, but this time... in pure joy.
>You're crying like a little bitch.
"Oh, Anon..."
>You yank him towards you and hug him as hard as you can, holding on for dear life as he returns it.
>For someone with Asperger's, you sure do enjoy hugging, both giving and receiving.
"T-Thank you," you whisper, warmness surging in your heart.

>Wow, you've made a friend, here.
>Never thought that would be possible, but you somehow managed to do the impossible. For a second time!
>Sure, Anon may not be your boyfriend, but having him as a friend is pretty great in your book.
>A few seconds of cheesy hugging later, you two release, sharing a laugh immediately after.
>"Holy shit, that laugh..."
>Uh, oh.
"My laugh? W-What about it?"
>Please don't be bad, please don't be bad, please don't be bad."
>"It was adorable."
>This makes you blush even more intensely.
>Another compliment from him might make the veins in your cheeks explode.
>That would be an interesting way to die.
>Death by being overly flattered.
>You two rise, Anon helping you up.
>Spike doesn't seem to be aware at all. He seems more into his food.
>Must be good.
>"Want some help cleaning up a bit?" he says smiling, pointing to the mess of papers and glass by the wall.
"Yeah, that'd be great."
>The two of you clean up, Anon picking up papers and being careful not to step on glass, while you grab a nearby broom and dustbin and clean up the shards.
>"Whoa, what's this?" you hear Anon.
"Hmm?"
>"This," he says, showing you some blueprints to a device you've been working on.

>You swipe the blueprints away from him.
"Anon, those are top secret!" you whine. "I-I...you didn't look at them, did you?"
>Anon steps back a bit, raising his hands.
>"I didn't, I swear!"
>You lean towards him, putting your hands on your hips and giving him a disapproving look.
>"Okay, okay. I may have taken a bit of a peek..."
"Anon, you..."
>You sigh.
>"Twilight, I apologize. My curiosity got the best of me.
"N-No, it's fine...though, then again..."
>You give it a bit of thought.
"Can you keep a secret?"
>"Uhh, sure. I can keep a secret."
"Pinkie promise?"
>"Twilight, I don't even know what that is."
"Never mind. So this is what I've been working on over the past few weeks..."
>You show Anon the document, showing what looks to be a compass looking device.
>"So, uhh, what does this thing do?"
>This is great! He's actually interested!
>And you can trust him.
"Basically, this is a device thats point me towards anomalies," you explain. "I'm hoping to bring this to Canterlot High
when we go to the Friendship Games in the coming weeks for my research! I'm not completely sure how it's going to work, but I'm hoping that it'll point me to whatever is causing those strange events that have been going on there. If I can get to the source and possibly take whatever that is via this device, I can hopefully find out what's causing these unusual frequencies. That'll guarantee me getting into the Everton!"

>"Yeah...about that."
>You feel yourself sink a bit inside, your smile fading.
>"Look, first of all, I think this thing you're doing is really cool. I truly do. But I just don't know if I can. I'm taking part in the games, so I'm not sure if I'd be able to juggle competing and helping with your research..."
"Oh," you say, slouching down a bit in dejection.
>"And plus... I just don't know how I feel about this."
"What do you mean?"
>Anon puts his hands in his pockets.
>"This whole thing seems kinda dangerous. Especially is you're trying to 'take' what's causing that stuff. I dunno, man. I'm not gonna stop you, but I'd really try to be careful. I don't want you or anyone getting hurt."
"Anon, I'm sure no one's gonna get hurt."
>"And I'm not saying anyone will. But still, you don't know what you're dealing with. Like I said, I'm not gonna stop you. But, just promise me this. Promise me you'll be careful."
>What a disappointment.
>You thought you may actually have someone to help you with this, but now you're back to where you were before.
>You're gonna have to do this all alone, Twilight. Like most things you do.
>You sigh.
"I... I will. But I'm pretty disappointed in you that you're not gonna help me..."
>Anon seems slightly taken aback to this.
>Fuck!
>You immediately gasp and put your hands over your mouth.
>You're not quite sure what you did wrong, but you know you messed up somehow with your honesty.
"S-Sorry! I... shoot, I-I offended you again, d-didn't I?"
>"Eh, not really. I understand."
"Y-You're not mad, right?"
>"Of course, not! It's okay, man. But like I said, just be careful, okay?"
>Phew. Crisis averted again.
"Okay. Hey, Anon?"
>"Yeah?"
"Why was Sugarcoat acting that way in homeroom?"

>"why was she acting what?" he asks, putting his hands in his pockets.
"She was acting strange. She had no tone in her voice, and she didn't seem as... excitable as she is.
>Anon sighs.
>"Well...fuck."
>He groans.
>"Someone told the authorities about what happened in the woods. Not sure who it was. Though this person fabricated the story a bit, saying it was simply assault and battery. I don't really know much of the details, Sugarcoat wouldn't budge when I asked, but there was no trial. Her parents got involved somehow. Sugarcoat wasn't charged, but now she has to attend weekly therapy and take antipsychotics. I guess her parents got sick of her shit, I dunno."
>Who told the cops?
>It couldn't have been Rainbow, as Sunset ordered her not to go to the authorities, and Dash probably wouldn't fabricate what happened.
>Could it have been...
>No, it couldn't.
>"So yeah. She's not as crazy. She's still a huge bitch, and she occasionally forgets to take her meds, but... fuck, this whole thing is complicated."
>Anon walks up and gets on his knee, putting a hand on your shoulder.
>"But, I wanna let you know. I got your back. I'll try to get them not to mess with you."
>You two hug again.
"T-Thanks..."
>"No prob, Bob."
"A-Anon, my name is Twilight. Not 'Bob.'"
>"You know what I mean."
>You two separate.
>Maybe things won't be so bad. Maybe this drugged up Sugarcoat won't be too bad.
>And you do have Anon on your side.
>Now if only you can get Moondancer on your side.
>"I gotta head out. Class is almost over..."
>Anon gets up and grabs his jacket as heads to the door just before the bell rings.
"W-Wait!"
>Anon stops just before he leaves.
>"Yes?"
>You begin to fidget with your fingers.
>"Uhhh, mmm... Anon? W-what are you doing after school?"

>"What am I doing after school?"
"Y-Yeah," you say, shying away, blushing for the umpteenth time. "I-I was wondering if y-you... you wanted to... hang out."
>Anon sighs.
>"Sorry, Twilight, but I can't. I'm busy tonight."
"B-Busy? W-With what?"
>"I've got plans with some other friends of mine."
>"O-Oh," you say, stung with rejection. Again.
>"But that doesn't mean we can't hang out some other time!"
"R-Really?"
>"Sure! I'm down! Just give me a text or something, and I'll see if I can."
>You get up from your seat as you two hug one last time.
>"Take care, Twilight."
"I-I will. And you yourself."
>"Yeah. See you later, man."
>The bell rings, and Anon exits, you following (but not before grabbing your book and saying goodbye to Spike."
>"OH, DUDE, ANON!"
>"BLUEBLOOD!"
>"YOU READY TONIGHT? MAN, WE'RE GONNA GET FUCKING HAMMERED!"
>"AWW SHIT, SON," he says as he heads towards Blueblood.
>And that's the end of that.
>You sigh.
>You wish you could have those social graces, being that extroverted.
>Oh well.
>As you head towards your first class of the day, your leg catches something as you fall to the ground, your book trailing behind you.
>"OOPS," you hear a voice. "MY BAD!" followed by laughter.
>You grimace in pain as you turn around and stare at the goggle wearing menace.


>Oh, oh no...
>Zap cackles rather loudly, as though she's a hyena... or some other crazy sounding animal.
>Maybe she was a hyena in a past life?
>Maybe she was one of the hyenas from the Lion King...
>You roll over and face your menace, noticing a rather menacing smirk on her face, causing you to immediately hyperventilate and cower as you expect to suffer another beating from probably your strongest foe.
"P-Please don't h-hurt me, I-I-I-"
>You stuttering is interrupted when the goggle-wearing girl extends a hand towards you.
>"Need a hand?"
>...what?
>You grab on, expecting to be dropped to the ground, but to your surprise, you find yourself back on your feet.
>You look at Indigo and notice that she's smiling at you, but not in a menacing way.
>Though you can't really interpret it; the uncertainty of it all is enough to make your skin crawl.
>"Smell ya later, dweeb!" Zap shouts, giving you a hard jab in the arm as she walks away.
>To say the experience was surreal is an understatement.
>What was going on in that girl's head during the ordeal? What were her intentions?
>You're just not sure, but for now at least, this isn't important.
>What is important is getting to class on time, which you have 5 minutes to arrive.
>Your first class today: AP Physics (not surprisingly, all you classes are Advanced Placement classes.)
>Maybe, just maybe... you'll have a good day today.
>Sure, you've never really had a truly "good day" here, but maybe things will be different this time!
>Gaining Anon as your first friend in this institution was a good start.
>What could go wrong?
>You shrug, then begin your trek to class...

_______________

>Turns out you were incorrect once again: school was horrible.
>It was more of the same: kids making life hell.
>In physics, during a "get to know you game," you were put in groups; you being unlucky you, you were put in a group with Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, and Lemon Zest.
>"Oh, Twilight, you're so smart!" said Sour. "I hope you never reproduce and pass down your genetically inferior autistic genes to some poor kid!" she growled.
>"Oh, please," said Sunny Flare. "We don't need to worry about that. It's not like she'll ever get laid, anyway!"
>The two shared a giggle as Lemon Zest repeatedly kicked you in the shins with force under your table, rocking out to some sort of rhythm from whatever she was listening to in her headphones.
>You tried to tell her to stop, but she only responded with harder jabs.
>You're sure that was intentional based on the rather smug smirk she gave you.
>The three of them then continued to hurl insult after insult throughout all of class.
>Even though it was all the same things you've heard over the years, you still haven't gotten used to them. The words still sting to this day.
>The rest of the day wasn't great, either.
>Other students shoved you around throughout the halls, and they too also said some pretty nasty words.
>"You're an embarrassment to the entire school!"
>"Fucking kill yourself."
>"I bet you're a huge slut."
>"I bet she fucks Principal Cinch for all the good grades and recognition she gets!"
>"You're the reason why eugenics needs to be a thing!"
>You've had to hold back tears throughout the day.
>You at one point texted Anon asking him if he wanted to have lunch with you, but he declined.
>[srry twi, cant. going out w/friends. mayb some other time]
>You did go to the library during lunch and saw Moondancer sitting at a table, reading a book.
>You tried to muster up the courage to go sit with her and talk, but you just couldn't.
>You returned to your lab and cried, still in the usual misery.

You really bawled your eyes out; unfortunately you did not have Anon there to comfort you.
>You considered seeing Dean Cadance, the only other person who you feel comfortable talking to here, but for reasons you can't explain, you decided against that.
>The rest of the day was more the same: constant verbal and somewhat physical abuse.
>You did see Indigo once more, but she didn't mess with you, which you found rather strange.
>Usually she'd shove you into a locker for fun, but this time, nothing happened.
>Strange...
>None of your day involved Sugarcoat (who you didn't see at all following seeing her in homeroom.)
>What's gonna happen if you have a class with her tomorrow? (your school does block scheduling; today you have 4 classes, and tomorrow you'll have 4 different classes and so on).
>You shudder at the thought; hopefully she's on her meds.
>Just as your last class of they day, BC Calc, ends, you get a text from your mother.
>[hey sweetie, sorry but I can't pick u up at school. got hung up at the uni, won't be home until probably 5. youll have 2 take public transit, okay honey?]
>Great. Just great.
>You grab Spike from the lab and then exit the building.
>As you head down the stairs, you feel a hard shove, causing you to fall to the hard ground.
>You notice Sunny Flare in the corner of your eye, car keys in hand, laughing hysterically as she heads towards the Crystal Prep parking lot.
>No one seems to care however, as you get yourself up.
>Thankfully you didn't scrape your knee or seriously hurt yourself in the fall, but it still hurts like a bitch nonetheless.
>You feel the urge to break down and cry once again, but you resist.
"Just wait until you get home, don't make a scene," you mutter to yourself.
>You reach your stop and wait.
>Not too much longer after, the bus arrives and you climb on, bus pass in hand.
>You sit down in a seat by yourself, but not before opening your backpack and checking on Spike.

>Thankfully, he's okay after that fall, happy as ever.
>You close the backpack and lean back, whipping out your phone and earbuds before listening to some music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD3it8Xd5fA [Embed]
>As you are absorbed into the music, you begin to fantasize again, about being happy, about actually being... normal.
>You've had so many good things happen to you over the last month, from befriending Sunset and the girls and now Anonymous.
>And yet, you're just as miserable and lonely as you were when you had no friends whatsoever.
>Why are you still so depressed?
>You just can't figure it out.
>You think about sending Sunset a text and maybe talking to her. She's a safe person to speak to, and you could use someone to talk to after a rather brutal first day of school.
>But for some reason, you just can't get yourself to type as the anxiety takes over.
>You get a text from your mother seconds later.
>[hi honey, turns out the issue wasnt as big as i thought it was, heading home right now. see u soon! <3 mom]
>You text back,
[<3 you too, Mom.]
>You're really lucky you have parents who love you. Imagine your shitty life combined with bad parents.
>You reach your stop and you get off, making the short walk back to your house.
>You begin to break down into sobs as you reach your home, choking a bit as you unlock the door with your house key, but you manage to hold it in as you head inside.
>"Hi, sweetie! How was your first day of school?" your mother asks, her giving you a comforting smile as you close the door behind you.

>You smile back as you two hug.
“Oh, it wasn’t bad,” you lie as you release from her. “I didn’t really learn much today, per say, but it feels good being back in a classroom.”
>Don’t want to make Mom sad, especially on your first day back.
>”Good, good! Glad to hear.”
>You’re not sure how long you can keep this facade up.
>”Oh, and I did hang out a bit with Anon today…”
>Your mother beams as this.
>”Anon? You mean the boy you tutored a few years back?”
>You nod.
>”Oh, I remember him! He’s a good kid. I talk with his mother every now and again…”
>It’s coming.
>You need to get away before you explode.
>But this doesn’t feel enough to get her off your back.
>”Anyone messing with you, Twilight?” she asks rather sternly.
“N-No no,” you respond. “No one’s messing with me. In fact… today at lunch, these girls invited me out with them, and I had a great time!”
>Your mom smiles at this, a genuine and warm smile at that.
>”Oh, sweetie, I am so proud of you!” she says. “You’ve made so many friends so fast…”
>You two hug, and it feels good.
>”Glad you had a great day at school, Twilight.”
>You two release, your mother still smiling.
”I’m gonna head up and chill for a bit, if that’s okay with you.”
>”Go right ahead! I know you need to decompress.”
>You slowly begin to crumble as you walk up, crying a bit, but not enough for your mother to notice.
>Once you enter your room, however, you completely break down.
>You slam the door behind you as you let Spike out of your backpack before falling on your bed, tears in your eyes as you wail in pure emotional agony.
>You grab your pillow and hug it hard, wetting it with your tears, screaming into it on occasion.

>Another terrible day at school.
>When is it gonna end?
>Why can't people just leave you alone?
>Why are people so damn cruel?
>If you're gonna die alone, at the very least could you not be prodded along the way.
"F-Fuck my life, just fuck it all," you blabber to yourself underneath sobs.
>Maybe you should consider transferring to CHS. You'd have more friends, there.
>It'd also be a new start, as you don't know anyone there other than the girls.
>But you can't just abandon all you've done at Crystal Prep.
>You may very well be the best student that school has ever had. Can you leave that?
>Principal Cinch would certainly not be pleased if you decided to leave, especially for your school's biggest rival.
>She has enough power to bar you from getting into that study program, and maybe even the college of your dreams as well.
>And still, even after the talk you had with Anon today, you still aren't fully secure in your relationship with your friends, even Sunset.
>And Sunset is like a sister to you!
>And yet you still can't fully grasp friendship, you still don't understand it despite feeling its effects, despite craving it.
>And on top of that, you lied to your own mother just so you don't break her heart with your own misery.
>Not a very spergy thing to do...
>Or maybe it is...
>Maybe your difficulty with empathy made you want to see Mom happy, rather then actually telling her the truth, because you just don't know how to emotionally process all of that.
>What is wrong with you?
>"Why, why, why, WHY, WHY, WHY!"
>You scream as you throw one of your pillows across the room.
"I wanna die, I wanna die, I don't want to live like this anymore..."
>This is how the next hour goes, you crying and beating yourself up.
>Your mother tries to check up on you a few times, but you don't let her in.
>You don't even cut yourself this time; you're just too drained.
>After you've calmed yourself a bit, realizing you have no homework, you decide to chill out a bit, this time via the game Undertale on your PC.
>Oh Papyrus, you and your spaghetti...
>Sure, the game might not make you feel completely better, but at least you're having some sort of fun.

>Ah, who are you kidding. You still feel like shit.
>You quit the game and cry a bit more, pushing your keyboard away and burying your head into your arms on your desk.
>You might want to see a psychiatrist or something for some antidepressants or antianxiety meds.
>Though then again, you were on antidepressants for a short while in freshman year, but you stopped taking them after they made you feel zombielike...
>Like Sugarc- STOP
>You check the time.
>4:15.
>All that time you could have been doing your magic research and working on your amulet, wasted by another depressive episode.
"Ugh, I'm never gonna get this done on time," you solemnly say to yourself.
>"Twilight?" you hear your mother yell from downstairs. "You have a visitor!"
>A visitor?
>You never get visitors. Unless you are counting Anon, Sunset or Rainbow Dash...
"Coming!"
>You head downstairs, realizing you're still in your uniform.
>Heh. Must have forgotten to change. Usually you'd be in pajamas or street clothes by now.
>You feel your stomach jump as you see the visitor at your door.
>"Hey," says Indigo, without tone, with a rather sad look on her face, arms crossed.
>You gulp.

>You begin shaking a bit, quietly and shallowly breathing.
>Gotta say something, though. The question is what.
"H-Hey... Indigo...", you say, eyes nervously shifting around the foyer area as she walks inside, closing the door behind her.
>You notice she too also still has her uniform on.
>"So Indigo," Mom says. "Are you one of Twilight's friends?"
>"You could say that," she sheepishly replies, clutching her arm and still having those puppy dog eyes.
>Her posture is very stiff, as though nearly frozen.
>Indigo walks inside and closes the door.
>"Hey, Twilight," she replies, still with the same facial expression. "I was wondering... uh..."
>Wondering what?
>If you want to get pummeled?
>If you wanna do something dangerous with the promise of not being bullied anymore?
>"I was wondering if we could talk... in private."
>In private? The amount of possibilities you run through your mind of being in private with her seems endless.
>Most of them pretty terrible.
>But saying no to her would not be a good idea.
>You take a breath.
"U-Um, s-sure... why d-d-don't we..."
>Another breath.
"head... w-w-why don't we h-head up t-t-t..."
>Get it together!
>Another breath.
"...to my room..."
>One final breath.
>You begin the trek back up, Zap following you.
>"Have fun, you two!" your mother says excitedly.
>Not. Helping.

>As you two enter the room, you begin to prepare for what might happen.
>Knowing Indigo, what might happen will probably end up in you getting a black eye.
>You tense up inside, breathing louder as you close the door behind you.
>Your stomach tightens up, causing you to quietly groan.
>Might as well get this over with.
>"Whoa," you hear Zap. "You build this yourself?"
"B-Build what?"
>"This Death Star, dude! This is awesome!"
>You look at the LEGO creation on your desk.
"Y-Yeah, I, um... I did b-build that."
>Indigo gives the Death Star a closer look.
>"...with or without instructions?"
"Um..." you say as you adjust your glasses, "None. I-I built it w-w-with a bunch of grey bricks f-f-from old sets."
>Indigo presses  button on the stand the structure is on, causing a blasting sound and its green lasers to light up.
>"Holy shit, did you do this, too?"
>What in the world is happening?
>Why is she being nice?
"Y-Yes! I a-also did t-t-that. T-Took a lot o-of wiring a-a-and programing, that's for sure."
>Indigo continues to be mesmerized by it.
>"I gotta say, Twilight. This is fucking sick! Even the sounds are straight out of the movies!"
>She continues to walk around, looking at all your things.
>She picks up a particular figurine of yours...
"U-Um, please don't touch that...", you say, referring to the Saddle Ranger figure you have on your desk along side the other Power Ponies.

>Indigo instantly puts it down.
>You walk up and pick it right back up, putting it back in its original place in between Zapp and Mistress Marevelous.
>"Uh..."
"Sorry... i-i-it's just that I l-l-like them all to be in that e-e-exact order."
>"Ah. Sorry about that."
"N-No, it's fine..."
>A few seconds of silence.
>"Zapp's my favorite, by far."
>She knows about Zapp?
"Y-You like Power Ponies, too?"
>Zap giggles a bit.
>"Hell yeah! It was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid! It was so awesome! Though the one they have on right now kinda sucks."
"Oh, I agree! It went from an action packed, intense dramedy, which was amazing, to some new abomination! I'm sorry, but Power Ponies should not have episodes where the Masked Matter-horn can't find the ingredients to make a sandwich, or where Zapp and Fili-Second can't find the remote! It just doesn't work that way!"
>Oh God, you just sperged out on Indigo.
>Whelp, you just killed the mood.
>"Yeah, I agree. It sucks..."
>The next few minutes are spent talking about Power Ponies. And Star Wars.
>Surprisingly, Indigo seems to share some interests with you, and seems decently versed in them.
>And even more so, she wasn't mocking you. She actually seemed to take interest. She was being nice to you!
>This has to be some bizzaro world.
>Crisis averted.
>There's one thing you need to address...
"W-What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
>"Huh?" she says, laying on your bed, phone in hands. "Oh yeah, um..."
>She puts her phone down and sighs.
>"I wanted to say that I'm sorry. Sorry for, well...everything."

"I..um..."
>Needless to say, you are definitely not equipped to respond to this
>”Yeah… I, um… fuck.”
>She sighs again, then scans the room.
>"Man, I remember having those same Power Ponies figures! Oh, takes me back. Me and my old friend Trixie would watch that all the time, we'd play with the toys, read the comics. We loved it."
"Trixie?" you ask.
>That name is oddly familiar to you.
>Indigo checks her phone and puts it down.
>”Trixie was this girl I used to know in elementary school. We didn't end up going to the same middle school you and I did, but we still hung out all the time."
>She sighs.
>"We used to be super tight. We'd play video games, stay over at each other's houses, go swimming, just chill."
"A-And what happened? I-If that's okay that I ask," you say, fiddling with your fingers.
>Indigo sits up in the bed.
>"Nah, it's all good. Trix and I just... kinda drifted a part, I guess, I dunno..."
>She sighs, hanging her head down.
>"Funny, you kinda remind me of her," she silently says.
"Um, what?"
>"Nothing, nothing... shit."
>Indigo gets up on her feet.
>"I, uh, I think I'm gonna head out...yeah."
>She grabs her backpack and heads towards the door.
>"Uh, see you tomorrow, Twilight. I'm sorry..."
>She sighs and hangs her head again before leaving, you hearing her head down the stairs.

>You peak out your window and see Indigo climb into her Audi, then drive away.
>What was that all about?
>Indigo said she was sorry for "everything," and then abruptly left.
>And why did she bring up that friend of her’s? It was just so out of the blue.
>Trixie…why is that name familiar to you?
>Combine that with the fact that Indigo was actually friendly towards you and seemed to take interest in your things; the confusion is enough to give you a headache.
>You get out of your uniform and put on some pajamas: a simple maroon long sleeve shirt with some shorts.
>The rest of the day goes by without anything notable happening.
>Your mother asks how your time with Indigo went, with you not saying much other than she looked at your things.
”She just had something on her mind…”, all you say.
>You do the usual; spend time perked up in your room, have dinner with your mother and father, and head back up.
>You work on your device a bit, checking your data and constructing a prototype.
>Your work is interrupted when you hear your phone go off.
>You grab it and notice that none other than Sunset Shimmer sent you a text message.

>[heyyy, how was ur 1st day of school?]
>What to say...
>You don't exactly feel like dumping your experiences being traumatized by Sugarcoat nor being bullied on Sunset at the moment.
>Just too heavy for now.
>You begin to type.
[Eh, it wasn't bad. Got talk with Anon a bit. Nothing really happened, though.]
>[same, first day for me was kinda boring, didnt learn much. pretty uneventful]
>...
>[but it was nice to see everyone again]
>You type.
[I wish I could say the same. I don't have anyone here at Crystal Prep.]
>You sigh a bit after typing this, a slight heaviness on your heart occurring.
>[ehh, personally, u just gotta search. crystal preps a pretty big school, im sure there has 2 be someone there who would want to be ur friend. besides, dont u have anon?]
>Easy for her to say, her being a social butterfly...
[I mean, I do, but he seems to be busy with his other friends. I dunno. But at least I can talk to him every now and again.]
>A few seconds later...
>[and thats good!!!! mayb u 2 should hang out sometime. he seems pretty nice]
>You type some more.
[Maybe. He did say we could some time in the future. I dunno, though.]
>A few seconds later...
[Hey. I was wondering. Would you want to maybe hang out this weekend?]

>Haven't been with her and any of the others in weeks.
>It would be quite swell to hang out with them, just to get out of the house.
>Sure, you do enjoy your alone time, but when you get lonely, which is often...
>You receive a message back.
>[srry twi, but i cant. gonna b super busy this weekend with some school activities. mayb some other time]
>The sting of disappointment is inflicted on yourself.
[That's okay. Maybe some other some time. Gotta go, ttyl]
>You sigh, a sense of dejection in the air.
>Thankfully, you have five other friends you can ask!
>You being to type to Rainbow Dash
>[srry egghead, cant. got soccer practice n other shit w family. mayb sum other time]
>The depression slowly begins to rise...
>Rarity?
>[I would love to, Twilight. But unfortunately I can't. I have some priorities I need to take care of, please understand. But we definitely can some other time]
>It continues to rise, as you begin to cry yet again today.
>Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were also unavailable for various reasons.
>Anon was also unavailable, him saying he and his friends were going on a road trip.
>At this point you are a complete, sobbing mess.
>Another weekend all alone.
>When will this end?
>You had two weeks of being with friends, near nonstop fun.
>Guess the saying "all good things must come to end" is true...
>You consider heading downstairs to be with your parents, but you just can't seem to get yourself to.
>Neither can you get yourself to get in contact with your older brother.
>You eventually head to bed, crying yourself to sleep yet again...

~~A Few Days Later...~~
>The rest of the school week has been pretty bad, to say the least.
>You continue to get bullied as usual, and you can never get used to it.
>All of those girls sans Indigo have done a good job of making your week back horrid.
>Even Sugarcoat, apparently on medication, was also quite nasty.
>"You should seriously consider killing yourself. I mean my God, Twilight, you're the saddest pile of flesh I've ever seen..."
>You don't cry much at school. Okay, you do cry at least once a day, but in your lab.
>You've learned to cope better when shutting down, getting away from everyone.
>You had to get away from one of your classes  after being continuously poked in class, causing you to become very uncomfortable with your senses driving you mad.
>You did talk with Anon every now and then, but it wasn't really enough to make things better.
>Never could even have lunch with him (though he did promise he would next week).
>Your situation with Moondancer? That also hasn't been moving.
>You can't get yourself to talk to her, and she always seems to shoot you this nasty look whenever you look at her.
>But you do have some positives: you have been making very good progress in your research (including a visit to CHS to give its statue a scan), and it's Friday!
>You can finally escape for a bit!
>Sure you'll be pretty lonely again, but it beats being bullied on top of that.
>As you walk inside the school and head to your first class of the day, you find yourself being pinned to your locker by none other by Suri Polimare.

>"Look at you, how weak," the fashionista says, followed by a low laugh.
>You whimper as she blocks you off, you struggling to escape.
>Whenever you try to get past, she shoves you back into the locker, you hitting the door hard.
>Students continue to move around, seemingly ignoring what's happening.
>"A vest with a tie... how unfashionable. If you wore pants instead of that skirt, I'd assume you were a boy!"
>Suri laughs a bit more.
>"And those disgusting glasses...I should snatch them off your wretched face and break them in front of you."
"P-Please s-stop, Suri. I-I-I-"
>"I-I-I-I what?! Stop stuttering like a fool! I thought you were supposed to be smart!"
>You notice Coco Pommel, Suri's "friend", appearing to shrink up a bit.
>You can't exactly tell what she's displaying.
>Is it fear? Is she sorry for you?
>She laughs again.
>"Look at you! The way you dress, that nasty hairstyle. You clearly have no sense of style whatsoever. I shudder to imagine what you look like out of this uniform. What do you have to say to your self, you freak?"
>You continue to whimper, not knowing what to do.
>Suri stomps on one of your feet.
>You don't yell, as much as you want to.
>No one seems to notice what's going on. Or maybe they just don't care because it's you getting bullied.
>"Well? I'm waiting."
>"Yo. I'd really think about backing off if I were you."

>You look around and see Indigo Zap, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
>Suri turns around and laughs.
>"Excuse me? Did I hear you right?"
>Indigo steps closer and gets in Suri's face.
>"Yeah, you did. Now quit messing with her and step off, before I make a scene."
>She has some serious...seriousness in her voice.
>A bit different from her rather explosive and energetic personality.
>Suri laughs.
>"Oh, please Indigo. I'm not scared of you! Look at you, defending that peasant!" she says, pointing towards you. "I thought you despised her!"
>Indigo, however, remains calm.
>"I did, but now I've changed."
>Indigo grabs Suri by the collar and gets even closer.
>"Need I remind you what happened at Sour Sweet's party last month? You want me to do that again? Because I can, and I will if you continue."
>She releases, and Suri backs off.
>"You're pathetic, you know that?" she says. "Come on, Coco. Let's get going."
>Coco trembles a bit.
>"Um..."
>"Now," she says sternly.
>She walks away, Coco chasing after her.
>You are in tears again, shaken by being messed with again.
>You just can't take it.
>You feel a hand on your shoulder.
>"Hey. Y'alright?" says Indigo, her smiling at you.

>You sniffle a bit, rubbing some of the tears off your eyes.
"I-I'm fine. And...thanks."
>Indigo removes her hand from your shoulder.
>"No problemo, dude."
>5 minutes till class.
>Should get going.
>"Hey Twilight, was wondering..."
"Y-Yeah?"
>"We have the same lunch period, right?"
"...yes? Why?"
>Zap checks her phone before putting it in her bag.
>"Meet me behind the bleachers during lunch."
>You immediately begin to whimper as you think of what Indigo might do with you.
>Zap takes notice of your anxiety, putting her hand on your shoulder.
>"Whoa, hold on. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk. And, uhh, thought it'd be nice for you to have lunch with someone. With you always eating by yourself and all."
>She lets her hand off and extends a fist to you, causing you to flinch.
>"Pound it."
>You hesitate a bit before fistbumping Zap.
>"So uhh, see you later, Twilight. You take care."
"Y-You too."
>Indigo walks away, and that's the end of that.
>You walk towards your own class in a state of confusion.

>By some miracle, the rest of the day isn't really all that bad.
>You're mostly ignored throughout, which is so much better than how you're usually treated.
>After you complete your third class of the day, you make your way towards the front doors, sack lunch in hand and to the bleachers as Indigo instructed.
>Typically, you don't go off campus for lunch, as you have no way of really going anywhere due to your lack of a car and lack of friends to go with.
>You take a deep breath before pushing the doors.
>As you head out and make your way towards the bleachers, your muscles begin to tighten up, your heart beating faster as you walk.
>You consider the possibilities of your meeting her.
>Knowing Zap, this just might be her luring you for a beating.
>Though then again, she has been awfully nice to you over the past week, even defending you from a bully.
>For all you know, however, this could be a ruse; an act.
>You could avoid this. You could just simply turn around and head back to your lab and eat alone as usual.
>That would be quite rude of you, though...
>But if being rude saves you from getting hurt again...
>"Hey."
>Too late.

>Indigo is leaning against one of the beams, arms crossed.
>You begin to back up, turn around and leave, but not before you feel something grab you by the shoulder, causing you to yelp.
>"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a sec."
>You turn around and feast your eyes upon the beast.
>"Like I said before, I'm not gonna hurt you, dude. "
>You begin to shift your eyes around the perimeters, still strongly considering leaving.
"I-I don't know...what if t-t-this is a prank or something?"
>Indigo shakes her head.
>"Nope. Not a prank, not a joke. No bullshit. I promise I'm not gonna hurt you. Just calm down. Everything's fine."
>You breath, still having that creeping feeling of anxiety you had when coming here.
>You're still thinking of leaving, but...what if she's being sincere?
>It would be out of character for her, but maybe, just maybe...
>Indigo slouches down and sits on the ground.
>You take the cue and sit next to her, taking out your lunch consisting of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple slices and bottled water following.
>You begin to nervously eat, still prepared to flee if anything goes wrong.
>"Man, it's beautiful out today," says Indigo.
"Y-Yeah. Not a cloud i-i-in the sky," you reply, followed by a swig of water.
>"I know, right? And it's not too hot out, either. It'd be perfect to just be out. Shame that school had to start back up again."
>A minute of silence passes.
>You're still quite puzzled about what's going on.
"I-I don't understand. Why do you want to h-h-have lunch with me, Indigo? I thought you hated me..."
>Zap gazes into your eyes.
>"I dunno, dude. I mean, I've seen you sitting by yourself at lunch ever since we got here, and I thought it'd be nice if you had someone to chill with."
"B-B-But I thought you hated me. I don't understand why you're being so nice to me. S-S-Shouldn't you be b-b-beating me up or something right now?"
>Indigo sighs.
>"Yeah, about that..."

>You notice Indigo grab her backpack, seemingly looking for something.
>"Ah, here it is...", she says as she grabs the object.
>She hands you a comic book, but this isn't just any comic...
"Whoa," you say. "T-This isn't..."
>Indigo chuckles.
>"Yup. Power Ponies #6. First printed in 1965."
>You scan the comic, featuring all six main characters fighting their arch nemesis, which is in a plastic protector.
>It was the first issue to feature the Mane-iac.
"I-Indigo, this is...do you know how much something like this could go for?"
>"Huh? Uhh, I'd imagine a lot."
>You chuckle.
"A lot? This exact issue was auctioned off last year. The winning bid was something like $1.2 million!"
>"Whoa, really? Shit."
"Where did you get something like this?"
>"That? My Dad gave that to me a few years ago. He bought it when he was a kid."
>You continue to look at the issue, your eyes beaming at the beauty.
>"Oh, and uhh, I want you to have it.
>Indigo smiles at you, and for some reason, the smile feels genuine.
"R-Really?"
>"Yeah, man! It's all yours."
>What in the world is going on right now?
>This is definitely not the Indigo you know...
"T-Thanks, but... why?"
>Indigo sighs once again.
>"Well, I, uhh, kinda wanted to, eh..."
"Um...
>"Shit. I'm giving you that because well..."
>Time continues to move.
>"Ah, fuck it. I'm giving that to you because I'm sorry. I'm...shit."
"S-Sorry? About what?"

>Indigo appears to shake a bit, obviously with something on her mind.
>"Y'know, all the awful shit I've done to you over the years? Like that cut and, I...god fucking dammit, how do I go about this..."
>Indigo is sorry?
>This HAS to be some sort of joke.
>It has to be!
"I, uh...I don't understand. W-Why are you apologizing to me?"
>The athlete sighs.
>"Look, Twilight. I...fuck, this is hard."
>She sighs again.
>"I dunno. I guess I was just thinking, after that thing a few weeks ago...fuck, I don't know how to put this into words."
>She groans.
>"I don't exactly know WHY. But yeah, I am sorry. And I'm not bullshitting. I truly am. Guess I had a change of heart or something."
>She chuckles.
>"Fuck, I'm a terrible person..."
>She sighs and looks down.
>"I always claim I'm a good person, but good people don't go about cutting people's faces or harassing them. I guess I'm deluding myself."
>She sighs once more.
>"I can't stand myself sometimes..."
>This is definitely a lot to take in, but for some reason...you believe her.
>You believe that she's genuinely sorry.
>You scuttle up to Zap.
"Indigo?"
>"Yeah, man?"
"I, um...I forgive you."

>...
>"You...forgive me?"
>You play with your fingers a bit.
"Y-Yes. I do."
>Indigo chuckles.
>"Shit, Twilight. I'm among the LEAST deserving of your forgiveness. You should still be hating my guts right now."
"I, uh, don't know about that. I don't hate you."
>Indigo rubs the back of her head.
>"You don't hate me? That's, uh, kinda surprising. Why?"
>You sigh, taking a deep breath so you don't botch this.
>For the first time, your nerves evaporate around your bully.
"Because, well, hate's kinda a strong word. And you did seem genuine in your apology."
>You sigh.
"Look, Indigo. Your behavior has really confused me over the past week. I mean, I don't understand a lot of behavior anyway, me being who I am, but still...you've been so nice to me. You came over to my house, and we sort of connected with similar interests. You actually seemed to take interest in my things. You defended me against Suri..."
>You take a breath.
"I remember after the... thing that happened a few weeks ago. Just before things got bad, you saved me. You may very well have saved my life. And, er, I'd like to thank you for that."
>Indigo shoots you a look.
>"No problem, but I still don't get it. You REALLY shouldn't be forgiving me based on all the shit I've done to you. And let happen to you. I seriously don't."
>You get a bit closer.
>Eye contact, keep it.
"I can't exactly explain it, but I do forgive you. I used to always be afraid of you, but over the past week and based on what happened today... I don't think you're that bad, Indigo."
>"So, uh, you saying that I deserve a second chance or something?
>You nod.
"I suppose you could say that."
>Indigo appears to have...tears in her eyes?
>"That's the nicest thing someone's said to me in a long time..."
>Before you know it, you're glomped by her.
>"Thank you, man."

>It takes a bit to process what's going on, but you quickly accept the hug.
"Y-You're welcome."
>You and Indigo release, and Zap regains composure.
>"Shit, man. I feel SO undeserving of this..."
>You shrug.
"Eh, don't be. Indigo, you've really showed me that you're not that bad over the last week. And the fact that you actually apologized to me... I think you do, in fact, deserve it."
>"Really? Shit, dude. Thanks."
>A few seconds later, you two begin to laugh.
"That was pretty sappy, wasn't it?"
>"You could say that again."
"That was pretty...wait a minute."
>You two share another laugh.
>"Hey, Twilight."
"Y-Yeah?"
>"You hyped for the new Star Wars?"
"Hyped is definitely an understatement..."
>And for the rest of lunch, you two talk Star Wars.
>To your surprise, you and Indigo have quite a bit in common.
>And an even bigger surprise, you're actually enjoying spending time with her out with her!
>Sure, you might be dominating the conversation a bit, as you tend to do like a true aspie when it comes to your interests, but Indigo doesn't seem to mind.
>She does, however, chip in every now and again. Mostly asking you questions.
>Your phone goes off, and you grab it and check it.
>It's a text from Mom, telling you that once again she can't pick you up and that you'll have to take public transit.
>"Hey, I can drive you home after school, if you want.
"R-Really?"
>"Yeah. It's no big deal."
>An idea pops in your head.
"H-Hey, Indigo?
>"Yeah, man?"
"I was wondering...d-do you...would you like to maybe...hang out after school, or something?"

>Indigo perks up.
>"Like, today?"
"Y-Yeah."
>"The first football game is tomorrow, right?"
"Y-Yeah, I think so..."
>Zap checks her phone.
>"Sure man, we can do some chilling. Though...I'm not sure you'll be able to handle someone as kickass as this girl!"
>She pounds her chest.
"Eh, I hang out with Rainbow Dash. I'm pretty sure I can handle you."
>"Oh yeah, you, eh, hang out with...her..."
>You initially consider asking Indigo about her relationship with Rainbow Dash, but you decide against it.
>You aren't sure if that's a socially acceptable question to ask right now, so why bother taking the risk?
>"Whelp, looks like we should head back in."
"Y-Yeah. Don't wanna be late, right?"
>The two of you walk back towards the building before saying goodbye, heading your separate ways.
>Before you two do so, you and Indigo exchange phone numbers.

>The rest of the day doesn't go all that great.
>"Twilight, I really like the way you do your hair! It's adorable!" Sour Sweet tells in your calc class.
>"R-Really?"
>"No, it makes you look even uglier, you disgusting freak."
>"I agree. That hairdo is awful and you really have no style," says Sugarcoat. "I mean, my God, look at how BIG that hair bun is! What, is it gonna explode because science?"
>Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet laugh at you.
>"High five!"
>"You aren't near worthy enough for a high five from me, Sour."
>"Oh, go fuck yourself."
>"Honestly, I would if I could."
>After class ends, you get shoved from behind, falling to the ground.
>"Hah! Dweeb!" exclaims Sour.
>Someone spits on you as you try to get up.
>At least you don't cry this time.
>And as usual, no one seems to care.
>You go to the lab and grab Spike, and then head out.
>"Hey, Twilight!" you hear Anon as he walks past you.
"H-Hey!"
>You exit the building.
>As per Indigo's instructions, you head to her parking spot, where you notice her leaning on her black Audi.
>"You ready, dude?"
>You nod and enter the passenger side, and the two of you head out.

>You do your typical of act of staring out the window during car rides.
>Even with your forgiving of her and her apparent redemption, you're still not completely at ease around Indigo.
>”So whatcha wanna do, man?” Indigo asks as she breaks at the stoplight.
"Um..." you stammer as you think. "M-Maybe we c-c-could go over to your house? I dunno."
>”Nah. I don’t really feel like dealing with my folks and their bullshit today."
"Their bullshit? What do you mean?"
>"Ehh," Zap groaned. "You don't really wanna know. They're kinda...annoying. I say we just chill at your place, if that's cool with you."
"I-I don't know. I'll ask my mom."
>You pull out your smartphone and text your mother, letting her know that Indigo is taking you home and that she'll be spending time at the house.
>[thats fine, twily. tell her were having meatloaf tonite if she wants to stay for dinner!!! :)]
"Yeah, she's fine with you staying over."
>"Sweet, dude. We're good to go!" she exclaims.
>A few minutes of silence pass.
>"How about some music? Whatcha like, egghead?"
>Egghead?
>Is this girl Rainbow Dash's long lost sister or something?
"Whatever's fine with you."
>"Not exactly a definitive answer, but alright."
>At another stoplight, Indigo grabs her phone and unlocks it, scrolling through before making a selection.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgF9knPeReo

>The thumping bass from the speakers is enough to impact you skull.
>You immediately shield your ears, grimacing as you close your eyes tight.
"Can you turn the volume down a bit?" you yell. It's a bit too loud for me!"
>"WHAT?"
"CAN. YOU. TURN. THE VOLUME. DOWN?"
>"OH! SURE, DUDE!"
>Indigo turns on the knob on the console, lowering the volume.
"T-Thanks."
>"No problem, man."
>You listen to the music.
"I-Is this Grouplove?" you ask.
>"Yeah, man! It is!" Zap gleams as she lowers the volume. "Hey, I didn't know you liked Grouplove!"
"W-Well, you don't r-really know much about me though..."
>Zap chuckles at your comment.
>"Well, yeah, I don't, but still. That's pretty cool!"
"It is?"
>"Totally, dude!" Indigo gleams. "You're, like, the first person who hasn't totally shit on my tastes."
"I am?"
>"Well, technically not the first, but y'know what I mean. Usually Sunny Flare or those bitches will give me shit about that stuff."
>Zap begins to laugh softly.
>"Though, it's hilarious whenever Lemon Zest does it. Oh my GOD you should hear what comes out of those headphones. It's a full on edge-fest."
"W-What does she listen to?" you ask.
>"I dunno, man. Some sort of shitty heavy metal usually. Think Asking Alexandria or some shit like that."
>You chuckle a bit.
"I wouldn't exactly call Asking Alexandria 'good music', at least to me."
>"That, my friend, we can agree with."
>The song continues to play.
"In my opinion, this isn't their best song." you mutter.
>"Yeah, I agree. This isn't even the best song on the album. I like Shark Attack a lot more. Though, the drumming is really good in this."
"It is."
>After Borderlines and Aliens ends, another song plays.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jd0VICL4og
>You take it in.
"Is this MF Doom?

>"It is! Whoa, Twilight," Indigo exclaims.  I never exactly took you to be the type that likes this stuff."
"You mean hip hop?"
>"Yeah, man! That's awesome!"
"Oh, wow," you say, chuckling a bit. "Uh, thanks. But, why exactly?"
>"Cuz you're kinda a huge nerd, and nerds don't typically like rap."
"H-Hey!" you exclaim. "J-Just because I'm a nerd d-d-doesn't mean I can't like certain types of music!"
>Indigo laughs.
"What?"
>Zap gives you a light nudge.
>"I'm just messing with you, man!"
"O-Oh," you say, awkwardly laughing.
>"So, Twilight. You like rap, right?"
"Y-Yeah, I do listen to it on occasion," you answer, playing with your fingers again.
>"Who's your top five?"
"My top five what?"
>"Your top five favorite rappers, man!"
"Um, I dunno if I have a top five, per say, but..."
>You and Indigo begin to discuss hip hop.
>Indigo's current favorite rapper is Kendrick Lamar, ya bish.
>In perfect timing, you hear the song Money Trees play next.
"I do like Kanye West quite a bit."
>"Oh, really. Do you pray to your one and only savior Yeezus everyday?"
"Yep! At least five times a day, kneeling on a mat while facing a poster of him in my room!"
>You and Zap share a laugh.
"But yeah, I do enjoy him," you continue after returning to earth. "I don't know if I would call him my favorite rapper, but he's up there."
>"What's your favorite album of his?" Indigo asks. "Mine would be The College Dropout."
>You think about it.
"I'd have to say My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It's one of my all time favorite albums."
>"Damn, Twilight. I'm impressed."
"Impressed by what?"
>"Your music taste, man! You've got good taste!"
"R-Really?" you ask, blushing a bit.
>"Yeah, man.
>You two keep going.
>Based on your location, you estimate you will be home in 10 minutes.
>"You know, Twilight," says Indigo. "For an egghead, you're pretty cool."

"You think I'm cool?" you sheepishly ask.
>"Yep!" Indigo replies instantly.
"T-This isn't a joke, isn't it?"
>"Nope, no joke."
"I don't get it."
>"Ehh," blares Indigo. "I don't really think there's anything to 'get.' I just think you're cool, man."
"What do you mean? Don't you think I'm a dweeb?"
>Indigo chuckles at your comment.
>"Ehh, I dunno. Maybe I did before, but I dunno. Maybe being around you these past days made me see things a bit differently, I guess.
"Umm... thanks."
>"No problem, dude."
>The rest of the ride is mostly silent as you aren't sure how to respond.
>Neither do you know what to talk about.
>Though, Indigo does get a bit angry when someone cuts her off, her sticking her hand out the window and flipping off the driver.
>"Fuck me, why is everyone so fucking terrible at driving in this town?"
>After a few minutes, you arrive.
>Indigo pulls in the driveway, and you two get out.
>You two head to the front door, and you pull out your house key and unlock the door.
>"Hey, Twilight?" Zap asks.
"Y-Yeah, Indigo?"
>"Thanks for having me over, man."
"N-No prob...Bob," you answer as you two walk in the house.

>You follow the athlete inside and close the door behind you.
>You take off your backpack and open it, letting Spike run free.
>Indigo gives you a look, which while you aren't completely sure, you guess it's a confused one.
>"You bring your dog to school?"
"And you don't?"
>Zap begins to giggle.
>"Heh. Good one, Twilight."
>She gives you a slight jab in the arm, causing you to yelp.
"Wh-why did you hit me? That hurt..."
>You instinctively grab where you were hit.
>"I was just being playful, dude."
>You recall Rainbow Dash doing something similar at the fair.
"Oh..."
>"Shit. I'm sorry, Twilight. You alright?"
"I'm...I'm fine."
>You see Spike head to the kitchen, and then notice him circling around the patio doors.
>You enter the kitchen and towards the doors, Indigo following you.
"Looks like someone needs to do his business," you say affectionally.
>You open the door and let him out, watching him run out to his favorite spot.
"Go on, Spike," you playfully say as he heads out.
>Indigo chuckles.
>"Heh. I can see how he got that name."
"Yeah," you reply, also chuckling.
>Thankful that you don't have to pick up after him this time, you let him run back in when he's done, picking him up and holding him, giving him the occasional pet.
>"So, uh, your dog..."
"Yeah? W-What about him?"
>"Is he like your service dog or some shit?"
"M-My service dog?"
>"Yeah. No offense."
>You may not be offended per say, but to say you're puzzled is an understatement.
"Um, no. He isn't. Why do you think he's a service dog?"
>You give Spike's ears a nice rub, causing him to yawn in response.
"O-Oh, and, uh, none taken."
>Indigo shrugs.
>"I dunno, man. The fact that you bring a dog to school, and that you hav-"
"Aspergers?"
>"Yeah, that."
"Indigo, you I'm not THAT autistic..."
>Zap rubs the back of her head.
>"Yeah, but...if he isn't your service dog, then how do get to bring him to school?"
"Oh, that's easy. I smuggle him in!"

>"...you smuggle him in?"
"Yep!" you reply with a smile. "And before you ask, no, I'm not gonna tell you where I hide him."
>Indigo gives you another may-or-may not be confused look.
>"I wasn't even gonna ask anyway, man."
"O-Oh..."
>You deflate at the social miscue, looking down.
>"Cute dog, though," Indigo says as she lets Spike sniff her fingers before he gives a little lick.
>She then gives him a rub behind the ears, and Spike responds with a lick to the face, causing the jock to giggle like a little girl.
"I think he likes you."
>"Heh. Yeah..."
>You let Spike out of your arms.
>"So what should we do first, dude?"
>You give it a quick thought.
"W-We could go up to my room..."
>"Sounds like a plan to me! Last one there's a rotten egg!"
>Indigo runs off.
>You hear a "WOO" in the distance.
"H-Hey, wait up!"
>You chase her up the stairs.
>"Whoa, what's this?" you hear as you enter your room, out of breath.
>Man, you're out of shape.
>Seriously, you should really consider going to a gym or something.
>Though then again, it is pretty hard to run in a school uniform.
"What's..."
>You gasp.
"...what?"
>Another breath.
>"This."
>You notice she is looking at one of your inventions.
"Oh! That's, um, a 3D printer I built over the summer."
>"Wait, you built this?"
"Yep! W-Well, my dad helped me a little bit here and there, but most of it was done by me."
>"So, uh, how does it work?"
"I'm glad you asked!"
>You clap your hands and squee.

>Indigo doesn't react, but still...
>Fuck.
>Pushing the cringe away, you grab your laptop, sit in your chair, and get it ready, connecting it to the printer wirelessly.
"So. What would you like for this thing to make, Indigo?"
>"Um..."
>She appears to give it a thought.
>"How about..."
>Please don't be a giant dong request again...
>"A car?"
>Crisis averted.
"Alright. A-Any type of car in, um, particular?"
>You do your best to maintain eye contact with Indigo.
>"I dunno, a Lamborghini?"
"W-What model?"
>"What model? Shit, man. I dunno."
"C'mon. A Gallardo? An Aventador? A Miura?"
>"Wait, how do you know about Lamborghinis?"
"My brother's into cars. And I kinda like researching random shit when I'm bored."
>"Ah. Y'know what? I'll go with an Aventador. Why not?"
"C-Coming right up!"
>You start entering in some code, but before you begin the process...
"Um, Indigo?"
>"Yeah, dude?"
"I-Is there any particular color you, uh, want this mold to be?"
>"Uh, shit. How about grey. Just like my actual car."
"Alright."
>You type in one more string of code to begin the process.
>The machine begins to heat up; some sparks begin to fly as the mold is being formed.
>"Whoa..."
>Indigo appears nearly frozen in awestruck wonder as she observes.
>Similarly to the time you had Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer over, you try your best to explain to Indigo how it works.
>You can't tell if she completely understands, but you can't help but smile at her amusement.
>Eventually, the machine finishes the mold, and as Indigo is about to grab the finished product...
"No, don't!"
>You grab Indigo by the arm just before she's able to grab it.
>"Uh..."
"T-The mold's REALLY hot. Let it cool off for a few minutes."
>"Okay..."

>While waiting, Zap observes the plastic car.
>"Dude..."
>She continues looking at it.
>"Fuck it, I'm grabbing it."
"Wait, do-"
>Indigo picks up the little car before you are able to stop her.
>To your surprise (and relief), however, she doesn't express anything in terms of pain.
>She spins the car around, looking at all its details.
>"Holy shit, Twilight. This thing is so cool!"
>She turns the car upside down.
>"It's even got all the stuff that's under a car!"
>The fact that Indigo of all people is impressed with your inventions is enough to really raise your spirits.
>You begin to blush a bit.
>"Yo, Twi?"
"Y-Yeah?"
>"Can I keep this? This would look so awesome in my room."
"S-Sure!"
>"Aw, sweet! Thanks, man!"
>She walks to her backpack on the floor and puts the mold in the front pocket.
>Indigo then takes a seat on your bed.
>"I gotta say, Twilight. That printer of yours might be the coolest thing I've ever seen."
"R-Really?"
>You blush a bit more.
>"Yeah, man."
"O-Oh, wow. Th-Thank you. It, um, really means a lot to me."
>"You're welcome, man. You, uh, make anything else with that thing?"
>You look at your desk.
"You know those Power Ponies statues I have?"
>"Yeah?"
"I made those using this thing."
>Indigo takes another look at the figurines.
>"Dude. That's sick. You could make a killing making and selling these things!"
"W-Well, I don't think I could kill people making statues."
>"Uh, no. Killing as in making a ton of money."
"O-Oh...well, I dunno."
>"Just something to think about."
"I guess..."
>A few awkward seconds of silence passes.
>"So what should we do next, dude?"

"Um..."
>Indigo gets up and looks at your library of video games and pulls one out.
>You see that it's Left 4 Dead for PlayStation 3.
>"Whoa! I haven't played this in years! Dude let's play it!"
"Uh, I dunno...I'm not really good at shooters."
>You do your usual stimming.
>"Aw, c'mon dude! Please?"
>Indigo's practically begging to play it, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Alright. Let's do it."
>You grab the disk from Indigo and then turn on the console, then popping it in.
>"You have a PS4, too?"
"Yes."
>"Dude, we should totally be friends on PSN!"
>Indigo grabs her phone and texts you her username.
"DickDestroyer69?"
>"Yeah, I know. It's bad. I've been meaning to change it for a while."
>You shoot Indigo a confused look.
>"Oh, come on! I was 12, dude!"
"O-Okay. Let's just, uh, play."
>"Sounds good to me!"
>You grab your controllers and begin play, playing online and starting together as the survivors: Louis, Zoey, Francis and Bill.
>You are Louis (grabbin peelz!), and Indigo is Zoey.
>You start out at the safe house, grabbing supplies.
>"Let's fucking do this!"


>Everything starts off mostly well, with your allies doing most of the work killing zombies.
>You try your best, but you find yourself getting in trouble constantly, whether it be getting trapped by a Smoker or getting blasted by a Boomer.
>You find yourself being saved a lot, whether it be being saved from a zombie or simply being patched up.
>Meanwhile, Indigo is having a blast.
>"YEAH! GET SOME!"
>She's making everything look easy, killing zombies with efficiency.
>She even managed to take down a Hulk.
>Meanwhile, you still struggle, this time getting tackled by none other than the Witch, the strongest character in the game in terms of damage infliction.
>Curse you and your flashlight.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
>You're about to die.
>That thing's tearing into your insides!
>Your health is getting dangerously low.
>And no one's about to save you this time.
>"Oh, shit! Hold on, I'm coming"
>Indigo kills some more zombies and gets to you.
>"DIE, BITCH!"
>She kills the Witch with a single shotgun blast, getting you out of a sticky situation.
>"Yeah!"
>Indigo then patches you up with her final first aid kit.
"W-Wait! Wouldn't you need this for later?"
>"Nah, man. It's all good. You need it more."
"Um...t-thanks for, uh, saving me. Again."
>"No problem, man. You having fun?"
>She asks this as she shoots and kills a stray zombie.
"Y-Yeah! Even though I'm getting killed a lot, I'm having a great time!"
>"Sweet!"
>As you two get closer to ending the level, you get to the rooftop.
>It's just the two of you, now. The two others died along the way.
>"You ready?" Zap asks as you go up the elevator.
>You take a breath.
>"Y-Yeah. Let's do this.

>You do better this time around. A lot better.
>The two of you blast your way past, trying to get to the helicopter.
>Just as you get to the top, a Tank spawns.
>"Shit! Run!"
>You two try to speed your way up to the top, trying to avoid getting killed by the Tank.
>By some miracle, you make it up top, but the tank followed you up the whole way.
>You both try circling it and shooting at it, but it doesn't make much of a difference.
>"Shit, get on helicopter, man!"
"W-What about you, though?!"
>"I'll take him on! You stay behind!"
>It's a fierce battle, but Indigo gets killed.
>"Get! End the level, man!"
>Just before the Tank can strike you, you get to the chopper.
>You leave, the only one who actually lived.
>The level ends.
>"Dude..."
>You prepare yourself for what she's gonna say.
>"That...was awesome!"
>Indigo wraps her arm around you tightly.
>It takes a few moments, but you ease yourself to her touch.
>"I'm having a blast, hanging with you, man."
"R-Really?"
>"Fuck yeah, Twi! I haven't had this much fun with someone in a while!"
"Um, don't you have fun with your other friends, too?"
>Zap shrugs.
>"Ehh, they're alright, I guess. Though they can be kinda unbearable...a lot."
"Unbearable? I thought they liked you."
>Indigo laughs.
>"You kidding me? We pretty much can't stand each other! We're always arguing and bitching at each other and shit."
"T-Then why do you hang out with them?"
>Indigo sighs.
>"I dunno, man. I just, do I guess. Though, things weren't always like that. I miss those days..."
>You decide not to poke the bear anymore, refraining yourself from asking her any further questions.

>You get a text from your mother, telling you that she and Dad will be home in an hour.
"O-Oh, and she's bringing pizza home for dinner. Dad doesn't feel like cooking tonight."
>"Sounds good. Though I do like a good meatloaf."
>You shrug.
"Eh, I can take it or leave it, personally."
>"Dude, meatloaf is awesome! How could you say that?"
"I dunno."
>"Eh, good enough. How about another round?"
"S-Sounds good to me. But we have to be zombies this time."
>You and Indigo play even more.
>You do a lot better playing as zombies than you do as a survivor, and as a result, have a lot more fun.
>"YEAH!"
>Indigo sure does say that a lot.
>You and her exchange many high fives over the game.
>Just as you end your 3rd game, you hear the front door open, followed by footsteps.
>"Oh, girls!" you hear your mother. "We're home with grub!"
>"What she said!" you hear your father say in response.
>"Aw shit, I'm starving!"
>Your stomach begins to rumble.
"Same!"
>"Last one there's a rotten egg!"
>You run with Indigo down the stairs, getting ahead of her just before you reach the staircase, and you beat her to the kitchen!
>You immediately give your parents a warm and tight hug, with them hugging back in response.
>"Hi, sweetie! How's your day been?"
>You release.
"It's been great so far! Me and Indigo have been having a really good time, together!"
>You don't lie to your mother this time.
>This pleases you greatly, being genuine this time.
>"Oh, you must be Indigo Zap!" your father says.
>"Uh, yeah..."
>"I don't think we've met. I'm Nightlight, Twilight's dad..."
>He wraps his arm around your mother.
>"...and this here is my wife, Twilight Velvet."
>He and Mom release, and then Dad extends a hand out to Indigo as they shake hands.
>"Pleased to meet you."
>"And, uh, you the same."
>"You one of Twilight's friends?"
>Indigo appears a bit tense for some reason.
>"Uh, yeah. You could say that."
>Her eyes shift around.

>"Can you get some plates, Twilight?" your mother asks.
"Sure thing!"
>You grab a stack of four plates and place them on the counter alongside the pizza boxes.
>Your mother opens the two boxes.
>"Let's eat!"
>You grab two slices, one sausage and onion, the other pepperoni.
>Indigo follows, grabbing two sausage and onions.
>You head to the table and sit, beginning to eat.
>"So Indigo, tell me about yourself," asks your father. "You go to Crystal Prep with Twilight, correct?"
>The goggle wearing girl takes a bite of pizza.
>"Uh, yeah. I do."
>"Oh! And I'm assuming this is your senior year as well!"
>"Yes. I am a senior..."
>Indigo still seems oddly tense.
>What is there to be tense about.
>"Are you thinking about what you're gonna do after you graduate?" your mother asks as she takes a sip of red wine.
>"Uh, I wanna play soccer in college. I play for the soccer team at school."
>"You're an athlete, eh?" Dad asks.
>Indigo nods.
>"Have you gotten any offers? Anyone recruiting you?"
>"Yeah, actually. I've gotten offers from, oh let's see...University of Canterlot, Smoky Mountain State, Crystal Empire University, the University of Mareyland..."
>"All good schools," your father replies. "All Division I's, too. My son Shining Armor goes to U of C. Also went to Crystal Prep during his high school years."
>"Wait, hold on, Twilight. Your brother's Shining Armor?"
"Yes? He is."
>"THE Shining Armor?"
"...yes?"
>"Holy crap! That's awesome!"
>Indigo begins shaking you a bit.
>"Heh, sorry about that.
"N-No, it's fine."
>"But dude, that's awesome! Your bro's, like, a Crystal Prep legend!"
"S-So I've heard..."
>"Yo, I heard he might go pro after this season!"
>"Yep!" your mother proudly says.
>"That's amazing. I wish him good luck."
>"Why thank you, Indigo.

>"And Twilight also has some plans after high school, isn't that right?" asks your father.
>You take a bite of pizza.
"Y-Yeah. I'm trying to submit some research so I can get into the Everton Independent Study Program next semester. Then I wanna go to the University of Canterlot and major in physics after I graduate."
>"Aw, that's pretty cool, dude. I've heard that U of C is super tough to get into, even for athletes."
"Y-Yeah."
>"And we are so very proud of you, Twilight. No matter what, you'll always make us proud," says your mother.
>You blush a bit.
>"You'll always be our little Twilight," says Dad.
"T-Thanks, guys."
>You smile at your parents love.
>Indigo groans a bit. You don't know why.
>Is the pizza making her stomach upset or something?
>A few more bites of pizza later...
>"So, uhh, what do you guys do?"
>"I'm a chemical engineer myself, and my wife's a literary professor at the University of Canterlot."
>"Twilight and I are always talking about what I discussed in lecture. We both love to read very much, don't we, sweetie?"
"Yep!" you say with food in your mouth.
>Your mother giggles a bit.
>"Oh, that's cool, I guess..."
>Indigo's eyes shift around again.
>"So, Indigo," you mother asks. "How about your parents?"
>"My parents? Uhh..."
>She finishes off her second slice.
>"My mom was a nurse. She's retired now, though. Sort of. And my stepdad's the CEO of some large company."
"S-Stepdad?"
>"Yeah, man. My parents divorced when I was 7. Then my mom married this rich guy like a month later. Look, can we stop talking about my parents? I don't...feel very comfortable talking about them."
>"That's fine," remarks your father.
>Indigo gets up for seconds, but drops her plate, causing it so shatter.

>Indigo then cowers a bit.
>"Oh, shit! Shit! I'm so sorry! I...I didn't mean to! It was an accident! Fuck! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry! P-Please don't hurt me..."
>She shields herself away, as though preparing to be punished.
>Your parents begin to laugh, however.
>"Here, let me get you a new one. Honey, can you get a dustpan and help sweep this up?"
>Your dad goes out to get the dustpan, while your mother gets up and retrieves Indigo a new plate, crouching down to give it to her.
>"Here you go, sweetie."
>"Y-You're not gonna punish me?"
>Your mother chuckles.
>"Of course not! Why would we punish you? It was only an accident."
>Your mother says this in a soothing voice.
>"Um...thanks."
>Indigo gets up and retrieves seconds.
>Indigo grabs the plate and along with you, making sure not to step on the shards, gets seconds.
>Your father cleans up rather quickly, and you all eventually return to the table.
>The rest of dinner is mostly you and your parents talking about their days, as Indigo appears too stunned to speak.
>She does pitch in on occasion, but not often.
>It reminds of you when you're out with Sunset and the girls, when they're talking and you struggle to join in.
>Dinner ends, and you take your plates to the sink, where Mom washes them.
>"Why don't we all go out for ice cream in an hour or so? Does that sound good to you girls?" asks your mother with a smile.
"S-Sure! I'd love to."
>"How about you, Indigo?"
>"Uhh, sure. Sounds good..."
>You give your parents one last hug and thank them for dinner before you and Indigo go back upstairs in silence.
>You close the door, and Indigo slouches down to the floor, burying her face in her hands and sighing.
>"Your parents are way too fucking nice, dude."

>You sit in your computer chair, slightly rocking it back and forth a bit as you sit.
"M-My parents are too nice? I don't understand."
>"I dunno, man. I mean, your parents are so nice to you. And they were so kind to me and...fuck, I dunno."
"Um, I s-still don't understand."
>Indigo sighs a bit.
>"Look, Twilight. Remember when you asked me if I wanted to hang at my house?"
"Yes?"
>"And I said no, because my folks are annoying?"
"Yeah?"
>"Well, let's just say I can't stand them."
>She sighs again.
>"I never feel like I can please them. My Mom always yells at me and calls me a disappointment and shit all the time."
>You lean forward, forcing eye contact.
>"One time, when I was, like, 10, I dropped a plate in the middle of some dinner involving my stepdad and some clients. It was some sort of important business meeting, I dunno. So I drop the plate in the middle of it, and my mom gets pissed. She forces me to get a dustbin and clean it up, and so I do, and I bring it to the kitchen and throw the debris away. Pretty sure my dad yelled at me, too, but I don't really remember much about that."
>She groans a bit.
>"Then she forced me to clean the ENTIRE kitchen with a toothbrush after the dinner ended and my stepdad headed out, I shit you not. And whenever I missed a spot, she'd kick me in the side, or grab me and punch me in the chest, it was bad. Oh, and she was yelling at me, too. Telling me that I should have never been born, that my existence was a mistake."
"A mistake?"
>"My Mom had me when she was in college, man. I wasn't exactly planned, let's say."
"Oh..."
>"So, yeah. Oh, and one time she tried to stab me while I was asleep while she was drunk. Fun stuff. She really likes her gin, that's for sure. And she likes to hit me with a belt repeatedly whenever I do anything wrong. And yell at me."
>Indigo sighs.
>You do feel empathetic, but so empathetic to the point where you it freezes you in anxiety.
>Shit, what should you do?
"W-What about your stepdad?"
>"Oh, him? He's okay, I guess. Bought me that Audi for my 16th birthday. He's out a lot, though. So I don't see him very often."
>She sighs.

>"Too bad he doesn't know about the shit Mom does. She's super nice whenever he's around. I try to tell him, but he never believes me..."
"A-And your actual dad?"
>"Oh, my actual dad? I love him a lot. He's, like, one of the few people in this world who's actually nice to me. Maybe one of two, even, with you included."
"D-Do you see him a lot?"
>Indigo chuckles nervously.
>"I wish. My Mom won custody over me when they divorced. I only get to see him over Christmas."
"D-Does he know about your Mom?"
>"Oh, yeah. He knows. Even tried to take her to court over it, but she won the case. Nobody believed him, and I was too young to defend myself. He was absolutely crushed when he lost custody."
>She sighs again.
>"I love my dad. I really do. I can talk to him about anything. I just wish I could see him more often."
>You get up and take a seat next to Indigo.
>It's obvious she's in pain, even a literal sperg such as yourself can see that.
>"You're really lucky, man. Having a family that loves you."
>Indigo is at this point trying to choke back tears, sobbing a bit.
>"I WISH I had a family as good as yours. And I tried to find that with my friends. But even they couldn't fill the void..."
>She sobs a bit harder, at this point in tears.
>"God..."
>You wrap your arm around Indigo, holding her tightly.
>You then give her a hug, patting her on the back of the head, just like Sunset or your parents would do whenever you get sad.
>"Uhh, Twilight? What are you doing?"
"T-Trying to make you feel better? I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, though."
>Indigo chuckles a bit.
>"Y-Yeah, I'd say you are."
"H-Hey, Indigo?"
>"Y-Yeah, man?
"I-If it makes you feel any better, I can be like a family member."
>"Uh..."
"Y-Yeah! L-like a...like a sister! Or something! I can't be like your mom because you're older than me though, because that'd be weird..."
>Indigo chuckles at that response.
>"That would be pretty weird."
>You already consider Sunset a sister. And even the other girls, to an extent.
>What's to say you can't add Indigo Zap to your family?

>"F-Fuck man. I-I don't know what to say, but..."
>You look at your former bully and smile.
"You don't have to say anything."
>You rub some of the tears off her face.
>"Oh, fuck man. Come here."
>Indigo hugs you back.
>"Th-Thanks, man. You have no idea how much I needed something like this..."
"You're welcome, Indigo."
>After a bit more hugging, you two break.
>"Second sappy moment between us today, eh?"
"Yep! Wanna have another?"
>You both laugh.
>You spend the next hour or so watching a film, My Neighbor Totoro.
>"Oh, man! I used to love this movie!"
"Y-Yeah, this one's a classic.
>You watch the film together, Spike eventually joining you two and cuddling with the both of you.
>In the middle of your session, Indigo's phone goes off.
>"Ah, fuck, I gotta take this."
>You pause the film as she leaves to take the call.
>You can hear Indigo yelling through the walls.
>"No, Sugarcoat! I've told you this, like, a hundred times! I don't want to go to Trenderhoof's party! He, like, throws the worst parties!"
>"What? What does it matter where I am or who I'm with?! Why are you so damn insistent on knowing where I am?"
>"Ohohoh, you're gonna kill me if I don't show? Please, you and one army, bitch!"
>"What are you, my Mom?"
>"I should seriously consider killing myself? I think you should do the same, bruh."
>"Ugh, whatever man. See you at the game, Sugartits!"
>She then enters your room and sits back down next to you.
"W-Was that-"
>"Yep."
"W-Was there some party you were supposed to attend?"
>"Heh. I must have been pretty loud for you to hear me even though I was in the bathroom, but yeah."
"W-Why didn't you go?"
>"Because, like, I didn't want to deal with Sugarcoat and her shit tonight? And I can't stand Trenderhoof, man."
"Y-Yeah, me too. Especially after what happened at homecoming..."
>You shudder at the thought.
>"Oh, yeah, that. Sorry about that, man."

"N-No, that's fine."
>"Yeah. And besides, I'm having, like, a ton more fun hanging with you! This is so much better than some retarded party."
"R-Really?"
>"Yep!"
>"Oh, girls? Who wants ice cream?"
>"Aw shit, you hear that? Let's go!"
>You both speed down the staircase and eventually find yourselves in the back of your father's BMW.
>You head off to the ice cream parlor.
>You order your favorite vanilla, while Indigo orders mint chocolate chip.
>Your mom gets chocolate, your father black cherry with hot fudge.
>Indigo seems to have a much better time with you and your folks, talking to them a lot more.
>She and your dad in particular bond, talking about sports (as well as your brother).
>All and all, it's a great time where many laughs were had, stories were told (apparently Indigo's real father is a commercial airline pilot, and the goggles that she wears regularly were given to her were originally his that he wore as a kid, given just after the divorce).
>You then head home and decide to watch a movie together.
>This time, it's a horror film; a cheesy slasher flick.
"Y-You sure about this?"
>"Hell, yeah man! Besides, I bet this won't even be that scary. Nothing scares me!"
>There were some moments where you screamed, and Indigo held onto you in an attempt to calm you.
>There also were quite a few moments where you both screamed, holding onto each other for dear life.
"S-So much for not being scared of anything, eh?"
>"Fuck you, man."
>You both laugh.
>The movie ends, and you realize it's late.
>"Yeah, I think I should head home. Mom's probably wondering where I am..." she groans.
"Aww, you can't stay any longer?"
>"I wish I could dude, but I gotta bail."
>Indigo says goodbye to your parents, and you follow her outside.
>Just before she gets in her car...
"Hey..."

>"Oh! Uh, hey..."
"Um...you forgot this."
>You hand Indigo her backpack.
>"Thanks, man."
"Welcome."
>A moment of silence passes.
"I, um, had a great time hanging with you, Indigo."
>"Heh, yeah. I had fun too, Twilight."
>Indigo sighs.
>"Again, I just wanna say that I'm sorry about being a bully to you over the years."
"Yeah. I accept your apology."
>"Thanks, man. So, uh, friends?"
>She smiles at you.
"Y-Yeah. Friends."
>You and Indigo exchange one last hug.
>"We should do this again sometime, man."
"W-We should..."
>"Yeah. You take care, man."
"Y-You too."
>Indigo steps in her car, but before she closes the door and heads off.
>"Hey, Twilight?"
"Yeah?"
>"I wanna help you man."
"Help me with what?"
>"Deal with Sugarcoat. I don't know how, but I'm gonna find a way to fix this.
"Umm, t-thanks."
>"Yeah. See you at school!"
"Bye!"
>She drives off.
>You head back inside, hang with your parents a bit, and then head to bed.
>And for the first time in weeks, you head to bed happy.
>No crying yourself to sleep this time.
>And you also feel...proud. Proud that you actually earned your new friendship in Indigo.
>You wonder what Sunset would think. Would she be proud, too?
>You fall asleep.

>The weekend is rather quiet for you.
>You were in your bedroom the entire time.
>You barely got out, intensely focusing on that project of yours.
>You've gotten closer to creating a final product of that capture device, an even more successful prototype constructed.
>Getting closer to the Games...
>When you get on a roll with a project by yourself, with your science, it's pretty hard to get pulled out.
>You really only got away to do usual routine and to eat with your parents, but that's it.
>Even pulled an all nighter on Saturday, leaving your eyes slightly baggy the next day.
>Though, there are times where you wish you had a partner; solo work can get quite lonely.
>You did get a text from Indigo asking if you wanted to go to the opening football game against Baltimare Prep, but you politely declined.
>There'd be so many people...
>Including Sugarcoat and her lackeys (probably. They're popular, right?)
>It's not that you dislike football or sports, per say (though they definitely aren't amongst your special interests).
>Typically after a social outing, you need a few days of alone time to recharge.
>Sure, they're fun, and you do enjoy the company of certain people.
>But with you being introverted and anxious around others, it's nice to just kick back, relax and do your own thing.
>Conversations can be pretty exhausting when you're not the greatest conversationalist.
>You do enjoy your alone time.
>The issue that's plagued you over the years, however, is that you've been alone too often and not with people enough.
>You need a balance of alone time and having a social life so the loneliness doesn't drive you insane.
>Basically, you like being alone. You don't like being lonely, however.
>Hopefully with your new friendships, that can change.
>That is, however, if they last.
>You've always feared this, losing them because of who you are. Or them simply pitying you or pretending to like you!
>You lost the only person you considered a friend years ago because of your sperginess (is that a word? It should be).
>Speaking of your old friend, you still need to try to make things right with her...


>You return to school after an entire weekend of mostly nonstop research and work.
>It's the usual roughness of bullying and being ignored combined with the stress of school.
>It's not completely unbearable, however; you do talk with Anon and Indigo at various times during the week.
>Indigo mentioned that she and Anonymous did talk about her hanging out with you on Friday.
>"Just wanted to make sure he doesn't think I'm looking for trouble or some shit."
>On Tuesday, you even managed to get both of them to have lunch with you, at a park just outside the campus.
>Though, you still can't quite shake off that feeling of loneliness that's plagued you for quite some time.
>You have a real difficult time joining Anon and Indigo's conversations amongst themselves.
>"You missed out on a rad party last weekend, man."
>"Rad party? At Trender's? Please."
>"No, I'm serious. It was fucking awesome."
>"Really?"
>"Yeah. There was a giant beer bong and there was a fight and it was so much fun."
>"No bullshit?"
>"Nope.
>"Must have been an awesome party."
>"It was! It was so awesome. Too bad you missed out."
>"Really. It was awesome?"
>"No, it was shit."
>Indigo gives Anon a slight jab in the arm.
>"Fuck you, asshole."
>"Thanks for the compliment."
>She sticks her tongue out at him.
>You sigh, looking down as you play with your phone, trying to read an article.
>"Yo, egghead! Something wrong? You look like you just got told your dog died, man..."
>You look at Zap.
"N-No, he d-didn't die. Why would you say that?"
>Anon gives you a look, which after a few seconds you are able to identify as concerned.
>"She means that you look really down right now. Something bugging you?"

>You take a bite of your sandwich before speaking.
"N-Nothing..."
>"C'mon, dude. There's clearly something wrong."
"H-How can you t-tell if there is? You can't read m-my mind."
>Indigo laughs slightly.
>"Because of your demeanor, man! C'mon, Twi. You're sighing a lot. You just look so...sad."
>"Yeah, man.  We can kinda see it on your face."
>You sigh again.
"I've...I've been thinking of this old friend of mine."
>"Old friend?"
"Y-Yeah. You know Moondancer, right?"
>"Moondancer? That peach-skinned girl with the messy red hair and glasses? Always wears a sweater over her uniform?"
>You nod, forcing yourself to look at Indigo.
>"Oh yeah! I know her! She's kinda a huge dork. I don't know why she hangs with us..."
>Anon shoots Indigo a rather stern look.
>"Which, who I've been a lot better to in recent weeks, but, why? What about her?"
"L-Let me explain...
>You tell Indigo and Anon about your history with Moondancer, from meeting her at a social skills class when you were a kid, to the close bond you had with her, and everything else.
>"So basically, you didn't show to a birthday party, and she's had a grudge on you ever since?"
>You nod towards Anon.
>By some miracle, you're not crying.
>You'd be lying if you said you didn't want to, though.
>"So THAT'S why she beat the shit out of you in freshman year..."
>Anon gives her another stern look.
>"What?"
>Anon shakes his head.
"So...yeah. I-I just want to make things right w-with her."
>You feel a familiar heaviness in your heart.
"I just want to be friends again. I miss her so much..."

>"I know that feeling..."
"Y-You do?"
>You look at Indigo.
>Struggling to make eye contact, you look at the goggles on her head.
>"Yup! Well, I did. But then I kinda got over it. Now I kinda hate her guts."
>You assume that she's talking about Rainbow Dash.
>However, you decide not to press that. Asking about Rainbow can come at another time.
"I d-don't know what I should do. I've been wanting to talk to her for so long but...I just can't get myself to do it. I d-don't know..."
>Anon coughs before speaking.
>"I dunno, man. If it were me, I'd just drop the whole thing. Just leave it be."
>"Or you could, like, just talk to her. What do you got to lose?"
>"But what if she makes things worse by doing that?"
>"Yeah, but what if she, like, fixes things? That's a possibility."
>"You do know that Moondancer can be pretty rigid when it comes to things, right?"
>"Yeah, but...I dunno."
>Anon looks at you.
>"Look, Twilight. It's your call on what you want to do. Me or Indigo, we're not gonna tell you what you should and shouldn't do. But still, I would just let it go."
>He takes a swig of water.
>"But that's just me."
>You check the time on your phone.
>You have around 20 minutes left before lunch ends.
>More than enough time to make a trip to the library.
"I'm...I'm gonna go talk to her. I need to fix this."
>You get up and grab your backpack.
>"Yo, Twi!"
>You look back at Zap.
>"Good luck."
>You and Indigo exchange a fistbump, and you hug Anon goodbye.
>"I wish you well, man."
>You begin the trek to reach your destiny.

>When you reach the library, you see Moondancer by herself in her familiar spot, appearing to read a book.
>Knowing her, it's probably something philosophy related.
>Nietzsche? Kant? Mill? Aristotle? Plato?
>Something about freedom, speech, virtue, ethics?
>The same, freezing anxiety hits you just looking at her.
>You could walk away, find Anon and Zap, and spend the rest of lunch with them.
>Anon did recommend you staying out of it.
>But today is not that day. You have to fix this.
>You just want your old friend back.
>Failure is not option.
>You look around.
>No sign of Sugarcoat or her friends.
>Phew!
>You take a deep breath and make the trek towards the table.
>You wonder what the other students are thinking as you make the walk.
>Probably nothing good.
>They probably would love to see you fail.
>You pay them no mind, however.
>You take another breath.
>Getting closer.
>You get to the table and put your backpack down, pulling the chair and sitting down.
"H-Hi, Moondancer!"
>You give the most awkward smile of your young life.
>She peaks her eyes out of her book for a second before groaning.
>"Go away, Twilight. Can't you see I'm trying to have some peace and quiet?"
>She says this with a surprising amount of venom, gritting her teeth.

>The tenseness inside only gets stronger.
"I-I'm sorry. I just...wanted to talk."
>"Talk? About what?"
>Moondancer sighs.
>"Wait, hold on. Let me guess. You wanna talk to me about wanting to be friends again, right? You wanna apologize again for missing that party?"
>You nod.
>Moondancer laughs softly.
>"You have GOT to be kidding me right now."
>You begin to fidget with your fingers.
"I...I-"
>"'I' what? Are you fucking braindead? Do you not realize how much you hurt me by pulling off that little stunt? Are you unable to see in that autistic little brain of yours all the PAIN you caused me?"
>Moondancer continues to speak in a nasty tone.
>Other students are beginning to watch now.
"I...I..."
>Moondancer rolls her eyes, then leans in and gets in your face.
>"Listen here, buddy. If you think we're gonna be friends again, well...I'm sorry, but it's just not gonna happen. Because you are a horrible, HORRIBLE friend. Do you understand that?"
>You want to cry. Cry so badly.
>But not now. Not in front of everyone.
"P-Please Moondancer!"
>"Please what?!"
>You sigh.


"I..."
>"And then I ended up with Sugarcoat. And her pals. Because I was desperate for any sort of companionship. Hanging with them is a lot of fun."
"R-Really?"
>"No, you idiot. I was being sarcastic."
>She sighs again.
>"Sure, being kinda popular has its benefits, but hanging with THAT crazy bitch and her crazy friends, doing all their shit for them, facing CONSTANT shit from them pretty much replacing you in their whatever...ugh..."
>She groans.
>"And it's all because of you."
>That statement's enough to really cause you to go into an internal tailspin.
>What should you do?
"I...I'm so sorry, Moony."
>"Please don't call me that."
"Right. Anyhow, I really am. I...I don't know if you can forgive me, but...I...fuck."
>You sigh.
"I just wanna make things right. I feel so bad about what I did, hurting you like that, and I wanna make it up to you..."
>You sigh again.
"I miss my friend so much. And it's all my fault."
>You look down at the table, eyes shifting around.
>Moondancer sighs.
>"Look, man. I don't know what you're trying to get out of this..."
"I...I don't know either, really."
>"Twilight, I know you're sorry and all, but I..."
>You notice that Moondancer seems to be speaking in a much more calm tone.
>You check the clock.
>Lunch is almost over.
>You should be heading out now.
>"Look, why don't we, uh, talk after school."

"Umm, okay..."
>"Yeah..."
"S-See you around, Moondancer."
>"Y-you too, Twi..."
>And you two go your separate ways.


>The rest of the day goes by surprisingly smoothly.
>You and Indigo partner up during your calc class.
>"So, how'd it go?"
"S-She was being kinda mean, but now we're gonna talk after school."
>"Mean?"
>You tell Indigo about your encounter with her.
>"Yeah, I can see why Anon advised you back off..."
"I still think I have a chance, though. To fix this."
>"Fuck, dude. I dunno. You need a ride after?"
"Y-Yeah, that'd be great."
>The bell rings, and you two rise.
>"Good luck, man."
"Th-Thanks."
>You two exchange a hug, and go your separate ways.
>You head back to the lab to collect Spike, and then you head towards the library.
>When you enter, you see Moondancer, reading that same book.
>You prepare yourself, thinking what to do, and head to the table, and sit down.
"H-Hey."
>"Hey."
>Moondancer puts the book down.
>It's Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle.
>Moondancer groans, burying her face in her hands, lifting her taped glasses up.
>"Sorry for being so rough on you earlier..."
"N-No, it's fine..."
>"Not really. Anyhow, I've been...thinking about your apology."
>You immediately perk up.
"Yeah?"
>"And, uh...I accept."
>Y
"You...you accept?"
>"Yeah. I've been thinking."
"T-Thinking about what?"
>"Just how silly having a grudge on a birthday party from years ago was."
"Y-Yeah, but...I deserved it. For being such a shitty friend."
>Moondancer shrugs.
>"Eh, I dunno. The whole thing was retarded, holding a grudge like that for so long, over such a petty reason."
"Y-Yeah..."
>"Pretty autistic of me, I guess."
>She chuckles.
"I don't know about that..."
>"Yeah. So, uhh, I guess Sugarcoat's still fucking with you too, eh?"
"Y-Yeah."
>"I've heard. And, uh, kinda saw a few weeks ago in the bathroom."
"Y-Yeah."
>"She's such a crazy cunt. I'm just waiting for the day everything blows up in her face..."
"...yeah."
>Words cannot describe how happy you are.
>You did it. You finally did it.
>You fixed your issue with Moondancer! You amended fences!
>You got your friend back!
>Today is a great day!
"M-Moondancer?"
>"Yeah?"
"A-Are we friends again? Because if we are, I...I was wondering if you wanted to hang out again. For old time's sake."
>Moondancer grimaces a bit, and sighs.
>"I'm sorry, Twilight, but...no. We're still not friends..."

>Everything begins to fall apart.
"W-We're not friends? B-b-but I...I-I don't understand. I-I thought we were! W-Why?"
>Moondancer sighs.
>"Look, Twilight. I appreciate your apology. And I know we're on...better terms now. But I'm sorry, but I...I just can't."
>You want to run away.
>You want to run, and run, and run to no end.
>You also kinda want to die right now, too.
"W-Why?"
>"I, I just...I still can't trust you. I don't want to allow myself to let myself get hurt again."
"You don't trust me? B-B-But-"
>"Please understand. I...I really hate to do this. And I wanna be friends again too, but...I just can't. Just...please understand."
>You begin to cry.
"Moondancer, please! I-I promise I won't do that again! I'll never hurt you ever again! P-Please don't leave me! I-I..."
>You crouch down and bury your head into your arms.
>You can't take it.
>All that effort...for nothing.
>The internal agony is unbearable.
>Moondancer sighs.
>"I...I have to go. I'm...I'm so sorry, Twilight."
>She sighs again, and you look up, tears staining your glasses.
>"Goodbye..."
>She gets up and leaves.
>Some people may be looking at you, but you don't care.
>You continue to sob.

>Your phone vibrates on the table.
>It's a text from Indigo.
>[yo im out in front n ready 2 take u home]
>You try your best to compose yourself before getting up and leaving.
>The look on your face as you walk out can only be described as blank. Moody. Dark...
>You can't believe it.
>You walk out and towards the Audi, and you open the door and get in.
>"So, how'd it go?"
"Just shut up and drive. I don't wanna talk about it."
>"Oookay, I can definitely see you need your space right now."
>She drives off.
>You stare out the window, in deep thought.
>Nothing interesting is happening.
>Spike is out of your back pack, you hugging him tightly.
>Eventually, Indigo pulls up to your house.
>You get out.
>"Yo, Twi?"
>You look at Indigo.
>"Look, if you ever need someone to talk to that's not your folks, because believe me, I can understand not wanting to talk to them about shit, just give me a call."
"Okay. Bye..."
>No tone in your voice at all.
>Nor any stutter.
>You just don't give a fuck right now.
>You close the door, and Indigo backs the car up and leaves.
>You unlock the front door and go inside, where your mother immediately greets you.
>"Hi, Twily! How was your day at school?"
"I don't wanna talk about it..."
>You let Spike go and then you run upstairs, slamming the door behind you, not looking at your mother.
>You sink down to the floor and begin crying again.

>You failed.
>You may have solved your differences, but you didn't reach your ultimate goal: getting your best friend back.
>This isn't fair.
>Nothing is fair.
"F-Fuck..."
>You throw the pen you have in your hands at the wall, screaming.
>All you wanted was to have her back.
>Maybe you should cut off your friends (if you can call them that) so you can avoid making a similar mistake in the future.
>Moondancer was right: you ARE a terrible friend.
>You get up.
>You think of going into Shining's room and looking for his secret stash of gin.
>You KNOW he has some lying around...
>Nah, getting drunk while your mom's home is not a good idea.
>You get up and go in your bathroom, bringing your phone inside.
>You go in the cabinet and grab your trusty knife, and roll up your sleeve.
>You haven't self-harmed in almost a month. And you were starting to fade the scars with some bio-oil.
>You play a song on your phone. Though, this time, it's not your familiar Titus Andronicus song you play when you do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP72cqk3BVQ
>It's a romantic song. It's not like you've ever had a boyfriend.
>And while your relationship with Moony wasn't romantic at all, it was very strong.
>Maybe it was romantic in a platonic kind of way?
>You sob more, biting on your lip as you slash a few times on each your arms.
>It isn't much, just some lines, but it's enough to relieve some of the stress.
"W-Why do I do this to myself?"

>You think, as you bleed.
"Oh. that's right. I hurt Moony, so it's only fair if I get hurt in return..."
>You patch yourself up and get in your PJs, still crying.
>You do everything you can that ISN'T cutting yourself: hugging a pillow, listening to music, rocking back and forth in your chair, anything to get SOME sort of relief.
>But none of it seems to work.
>You don't get it.
>Moondancer accepted your apology, and you two seemed to settle your differences...
>And it wasn't enough.
>You came out with nothing, not feeling any better.
>You groan in frustration, still wondering why you even bother.
>It's not gonna happen.
>You should have listened to Anon. You should have let it go.
>And you STILL can't. You still want to do something, anything to be friends again.
>You consider talking to your parents, but you don't feel like breaking their hearts.
>Which, sometimes, you feel like that's all you do.
>You consider getting in contact with your friends. Sunset, Rainbow, Indigo, Fluttershy, Anon...
>But you don't feel like dumping your issues onto them.
>You have dinner, not speaking much, and you retire to your room for the night, mostly in a lull.
>You're just so...dead inside.
>You do your homework and watch TV, not even bothering to do your research.
>You eventually head to bed, crying yourself to sleep yet again.
>Fuck...

>The next day at school goes by as usual.
>Same shit.
>You sigh when you see Moondancer, walking with Sunny Flare, talking about something.
>You wonder what their relationship is like.
>Are you worse than Sunny Flare?
>Maybe you are...
>You close your locker.
>"Hey."
>You turn around, and the sight nearly makes your soul escape from your body.
"O-Oh! H-Hey...Sugarcoat..."
>She gives you a very smug smile.
>"So! I heard you and Moony made up! That's pretty good!"
>Oh God, what's she gonna do now?
>Is she gonna take you in the bathroom and beat you?
>Or maybe she'll try...that again.
>You hyperventilate.
"Um...yes?"
>"Too bad you couldn't get back with her..."
>She laughs.
>"Heh. To think that she prefers hanging with me to you, ME of all people, is simply hilarious. What do you think?"
"Um..."
>"Whatever, I don't care. But, I gotta be honest, Twilight. I'm enjoying it, seeing you fail."
"Um..."
>"Remember our little chit chat at Sugarcube Corner? How I said all your friends are gonna bail when they see the real you?"
"Um...yes."
>"Well, it's happening, right? And it's gonna continue to happen."

>She chuckles.
>"That bacon haired girl, her retarded Canterlot High friends, Anon, Indigo...when they see how unbearable and awful you are, they're gonna high tail the fuck out. And I'm gonna enjoy every. Single. Second."
>She laughs again.
>"I'm amazed that Indigo sees something in you. She's always coming to your defense lately. And apparently you two hung out. How cute..."
>She sighs.
>"What, is she in love with you or something? You're, like, totally unlovable! That dyke..."
"Um..."
>"She is literally plebimus maximus by thinking that being with YOU...:
>She jabs you in the chest with her index finger.
>"...is more fun than a party. Wonder if she's having mommy issues again..."
>She chuckles yet again.
>"'Oh, I'm so sad that my mommy beats me and that my father left me and that I have no parents! Oh, woe is me!'"
>She laughs. Hard.
"T-That's kinda mea-"
>She pounds her fist on a locker.
>"Hey! Who are YOU to think you can judge what I do? You shut the fuck up, now."
>You tremble at her harshness.
>"Just remember, even with all the lauding around Dean Cadance and Principal Cinch do with you, all that recognition you get, I still rule this school. I still rule YOU."
>She gives you another jab.
>"Even though I deserve that."
>Another jab.
>"Remember what I told you at the cabin. That this isn't over?"
"Y-Yes..."
>"Well, keep that in mind. You and I...I'm not through with you yet. And no amount of therapy or drugs or anything is gonna stop me. Just keep that in mind."
>She chuckles.
>"There's a war coming, Twilight. Make sure you're not on the wrong side."
>The bell is just about to ring.
>"See you around!"
>She waves goodbye.

>You're pretty shocked throughout the day after that encounter, to say the least.
>At lunch, you talk to Indigo about it.
>"Ugh, that bitch!"
"Y-Yeah, she is..."
>"I don't know how, but I'm gonna destroy her. I'm sick of her shit!"
>She sighs.
>"Thinking she can get away with her shit."
"Indigo?"
>"Yeah?"
"W-What do you think about her...saying that I'll drive you away when you...see the real me?"
>"I dunno. Are you being yourself right now, or is this you faking it?"
"W-Well, I try my best to not be annoying, but yeah. I...I think I'm being myself."
>"Well, then. I guess ol Sugartits is full of shit, then."
"S-She is?"
>"Yeah! Don't listen to her, man. I think you're pretty fucking awesome."
>She chuckles.
>"And to think, I could have realized that years ago. Ah, well. But yeah, you're alright, Twilight. Don't let anyone get ya down."
"T-Thank you, Indigo. That...means a lot to me."
>"Don't sweat it, Twi."
>Zap yawns.
>"She says there's a war coming?"
"Y-Yeah."
>"Well, if there is, I'll be on your side, man. Me, Anon, those friends you have at Canterlot High, we'll fight with you."
"E-Even with Rainbow Dash?"
>"I'll put my shit with her to the side. What matters is getting out of this. I just wish she accepted getting help, Sugarcoat."
>She sighs.
>"I want the old Sugarcoat, back."
>The bell rings.
>You head your own ways.

>But before so...
>"Oh, Twilight. One thing."
"Y-Yeah?"
>"I'm really sorry about that thing with you and Moondancer."
"Y-You don't really have anything to be sorry about, though..."
>"Yeah, but still. I feel for you, man. Losing a friend, that's one of the shittiest aspects of life."
"Yeah, it is."
>"Well, see you later!"
>You go to your classes.

>The rest of the day has nothing notable happening.
>Not even Sour Sweet or any of them give you trouble.
>You head home, your dad driving you this time.
>He had the day off, it seems.
>You talk about various scientific related things on the way home.
>It makes you feel a little better, but not much.
>At least it's something.
>You head upstairs, Spike following you, and you get back to your research.
>You're still quite moody following what happened with Moondancer, and you're also terrified of Sugarcoat.
>Indigo said you're awesome, but you're still scared.
>Still scared that you'll drive her away.
>And Sunset. And Anon. And The girls...
>You drove Moondancer away.
>What's to say you can't mess things up with them?
>Sugarcoat said a war was coming...
>What does she mean?
>And how can she be stopped?
>You aren't quite sure, but you'd really like that question to be answered. And fast.
>You wonder...if you can get Indigo on your side and befriend her, could you befriend the others as well?
>Probably not, but imagine having them with you, against her.
>You continue, analyzing your data.
>The Friendship Games are getting closer.
>This'll be it.
>Your ticket to your future career, as well as your ticket out of the hell that is Crystal Prep.
>And more being with Sunset!
>Speaking of which, you should get in contact with her.
>Haven't hung with her in a while.
>You feel another depression.
>But whatever.
>Time to get to work.
>You get your lab coat and construct hopefully the final version of that capture device...

>Your Saturday goes by rather slowly.
>You haven't even gotten out of your pajamas, and you didn't even put your hair in its bun.
>You just don't feel like following routine.
>Huh. Does depression override your autistic symptoms?
>Interesting...
>You spend the overwhelming majority of the day in your room, obsessing over your research.
>And Moondancer, a little bit.
>Okay, a lot.
>At least you didn't cry at all!
>Okay, maybe you did a bit.
>Or a lot...
>And you kinda are sobbing a bit right now.
>Your mother does come upstairs a few times to check on you, but you don't budge.
>Well, except for this time.
>"Twilight, do you want to talk? You've been up here all day..."
>You sigh as you rise and open the door, rubbing off some of the fresh tears in your eyes.
>You open the door and you're immediately greeted with a firm hug by your mother.
>You definitely prefer firm touch to light touch.
>Firm touch feels good, while light touch can freak you out a bit.
>Just another one of your sensory things.
>You release from the hug as your mother has her hands on your shoulders, gripping firmly.
>You struggle to identify her expression, but using logic, she's probably concerned for you.
>You get away from her grip and sit on your bed, crossing your arms and looking down at the ground.
>Your mother follows, taking a seat right next to you.

>She looks into your eyes and grabs your hand, gripping it hard and massaging it with her thumb.
>"Sweetie, tell me what's going on. There's something clearly bothering you."
"I-I'm not sure I want to talk about it."
>"Twilight, I don't want you to hide anything. I'm a safe person to talk to, you know."
"I know, but...I just don't feel comfortable talking."
>"Twily, you can talk to me about anything. I'm your mother, and as your mother, I have a responsibility to be there for you. And there's something that's on your mind."
"H-How can you tell?"
>"Well, you've been up here for the past few days, and I haven't seen you much. And I've heard you crying a bit up here."
>You sigh.
>"Twily, I love you. You don't have to feel uncomfortable talking to me about anything. I just want to know what's wrong."
>She continues to massage your hand.
>You sigh again.
"You know Moondancer? That old friend of mine I had?"
>"Moondancer?"
"Y-Yeah. The one who got mad at me after I missed that birthday party."
>"Oh, yes. I know who you're talking about. What about her?"
>You sniffle.
"I...I talked to her today. I apologized about missing that party, again. And I told her I'll never do something like that again."
>"Yes. What did she say?"
"She accepted. And I was so happy when she did. Because I thought I got my best friend back. Because I made things right. So I asked if she wanted to hang out again, for old time's sake."
>You choke up, crying harder.
"A-And she s-said no. S-She said she d-d-didn't wanna be friends again..."
>Your mother wraps her arm around you tightly.
"B-B-Because she...she said she couldn't trust me anymore...and...oh God..."
>You lose it.
>You struggle to control your emotions.

>"Oh, sweetie..."
>You and your mother hug again, her grabbing you tightly and patting your back as you cry on your shoulder.
"S-She even c-called me a terrible friend..."
>Your mother pats your back some more.
>"Let me tell you something, honey."
>You two release, Mom now holding onto both your hands, looking at you.
>"Friends...come and go. I've lost many friends over the years. As much as we'd love to, we can't keep all our friends."
>She sighs.
>"I had this friend in high school. Stormy Flare. We were tight."
>She sighs again.
>"I knew her since I was a little girl. We hung out all the time, we played on various teams in middle and high school together, we had each other's back. It seemed like nothing could ever separate us."
"W-What happened?"
>"Well...turns out my boyfriend at the time was cheating on me with her. And we had a huge fight. And this was on prom night. And so we got to a point where we couldn't be friends anymore..."
>You mother continues to massage your hands.
>"And I've lost contact with other friends. I don't see any of my high school friends much anymore. Usually only during reunions and the occasional get together."
>More massages...
>"The point I'm trying to make here, Twilight, is that friends come and go. That's life, really. It sucks, yes, I know. But...that's life, really. And we have to move on eventually."
>Your mother wipes some tears off your face, causing you to flinch slightly.
"I-I'm scared..."
>"Scared of what, honey?"
"T-That I'll do something that'll drive all my friends away from me. Like, I'll do something weird or awkward, or I'll accidentally h-hurt them and they'll want nothing to do with me anymore..."
>You sniffle.
"E-Either that or m-my friends just hang out with me out of pity. Like I-I'm nothing more than a charity case because I'm...you know..."

>"Honey, don't say that..."
"W-Why shouldn't I? What's to say that...I don't even know if they like me. T-They'll...they'll wanna get away from me. A-Abandon me! J-Just like M-Moondancer! B-Because I'm a horrible friend...just like she said. I-I-"
>Your mother puts a hand on your shoulder.
>"Twilight, listen to me. If they didn't like you, they wouldn't offer to hang out with you. You'd still be stuck here all day."
"B-But-"
>"Twilight, your friends do care about you. That Sunset girl, that rainbow haired girl, that Indigo girl from school, they all really like you. And every time you've had them over, they couldn't stop telling me how amazing you are!"
"R-Really?"
>Your mother nods.
>"When Indigo came over last week, she couldn't stop telling me and your father how cool you were! Same with those other girls. Twilight, don't be afraid of losing them."
>She smiles.
>"I'm so proud of you, sweetie. You've made so many friends, and you're growing up before my eyes. Be proud too, Twilight. And don't think you're a terrible friend. Because you're not."
>You two hug one last time.
>You feel the depression ease a bit.
>Sure, you're still quite upset about Moondancer, and you are still insecure about your friendships, but talking to Mom does make you feel a lot better.
>"Now, why don't you come down and have dinner with us? We're having spaghetti and meatballs tonight. You're favorite!"
>You chuckle and smile.
"You know me well, Mom."
>"I do! Now let's head down..."

>You have dinner, and it goes quite well.
>You update your parents on your research.
>They're quite proud of you!
>You love making them proud.
>Though, you make them proud via your existence.
>That's how strong their love is for you.
>You learn than Shining Armor will be staying over next weekend, during the football team's off week.
>Oh, boy! You'll get to hang with your BBBFF!
>You're so excited to see him again!
>You end the night simply chilling with your parents, watching some movie.
>You're really not into it, as you're mostly using your laptop and some headphones throughout, but being with your parents is enough.
>You head back up after the film and wish your parents goodnight, and you continue your research into the night.
>You've collected a lot of data to analyze over the summer with your trips to Canterlot High, and you still have more to analyze.
>But you need to get to the bottom of what's really causing all that stuff to happen.
>As you've stated, once you need to get to the bottom of what's going on.
>You're dying to know, they Everton probably is, too.
>Hell, your friends back at CHS probably wanna find out, too.
>They go to the school!
>Speaking of which, you should get in contact with them soon.
>You'd love to see them again.
>And hopefully, they would, too.
>At about 3 in the morning or so, you run out of gas, falling asleep at your desk.

>Sunday goes by slowly as well.
>Once again, you spend most of the day upstairs working.
>You think you might have a final blueprint done for the device; now you must construct it.
>Research is going well, too. You have all the wavelengths and such. You just need to find where they're coming from.
>Hopefully, with the Games happening in just a few weeks, you can find that out.
>Though, your work is a bit difficult to concentrate on at times; you're still thinking about Moony.
>Almost to the point of obsession.
>Your feelings about her are starting to shift, however. You felt sad, devastated before.
>But now, you feel...angry.
>Tense, furious, frustrated.
>You play a song on repeat throughout the day as you think about her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc0Lybbs9lQ
>You even throw some of your trinkets across the room and scream a few times.
>Thankfully your parents aren't home while you're having your outbursts.
>And you didn't cut yourself, which is great.
>You manage to hold frame with them, fooling them into thinking everything's alright.
>Living a lie makes you sick and kills you inside, but you don't want to cause stress to your loved ones.
>They already go through enough stress as is in their lives; why add to that?
>You end the day by having dinner, watching another movie with them, and then heading to bed, staying up late working on your project.
>Thank God you got your homework done.

>The school week...doesn't go very well.
>Sugarcoat seems to be becoming a bit more like her old self lately, being more aggressive with her bullying.
>Mostly involved calling you names, various threats of violence, and shoving you around.
>One incident on Thursday involves her shoving you to the ground in the locker room before PE class, knocking your physics book out of your hands as you were going to put it into your locker after you finished changing into your gym clothes.(complete with a spare long sleeve shirt to block the scars).
>Lemon Zest then kicked you in the side before you could grab it, with Sugarcoat taking the book.
>"Keep away, keep away!"
"H-Hey! Give it back!"
>They keep tossing the book to each other.
>They toss it pretty high, and with your lack of athletic ability, you could never really jump up and grab it.
>The other girls thought this was hilarious, laughing being heard throughout the room.
>And nobody put a stop to it.
>"Hey, Twilight! Catch!"
>Before you could react, Lemon Zest lobs the book right into your face, knocking you hard into a locker, causing you to fall to the ground.
>"Hah! Loser!"
>Sugarcoat gives you a smug smile before giving you another kick to the side.
>"See you around, twerp!"
>Lemon and Sugar exchange a high five, laughing.
>No Indigo to help you; she's in Advanced PE at a different time.
>You sigh, holding back tears as you get up and join your class.
>Class, however, does not go well, as many of the students harass you.
>"Wow, you're so fucking ugly."
>"Hey, Scarface!"
>"So I heard you can make burgers with your ass. That's pretty fucking disgusting."
>"Dweeb!"
>"I bet you're a huge slut."
>"Please, why do you even go on living? Honestly, you should just kill yourself."
>Thanks, Sugarcoat.

>Thankfully, by some miracle, your glasses didn't break when you had your book thrown in your face.
>You sigh.
"I wish Sunset went to this school..."
>Stop talking to yourself.
>She'd probably defend you from those nasty bullies.
>You miss her.
>Maybe you should get in contact with her?
>You haven't seen her in so long...
>While you're walking to your last class of the day, you get a text from Indigo.
>[goin to sugarcube corner after school. u in?]
>You text back.
[Sure.]
>[sweet. see u later]
>You let your mother know via text, telling you're gonna be a bit late.
>She approves.
>You finish your last class without incident, and you head downstairs and out of Crystal Prep.
>Just before you reach the door however, you are tripped.
>"Oh, sorry Twilight!" you hear Sour Sweet as she giggles. "Didn't see you there."
>She helps you up, a smile on her face.
>She then grabs you by the collar.
>"Now get the fuck out of my face," she says with a growl.
>She releases.
>"Have a good day, Twilight!"
>Sour walks out.
>Classic Sour Sweet...
>You head out and see Indigo standing outside the front doors.
>"You ready?"
>You nod, and the two of you head to her car.
>You both get in, and she backs out of the parking lot, driving out.

>Most of the drive involves you and Indigo arguing about a very sensitive topic: the Star Wars prequels.
>"I dunno, man. I thought they were pretty decent."
"H-How? They...they were awful! I mean, come on! Jar Jar Binks might be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in movies."
>"Alright, he was a bit annoying..."
"A bit? He was enough to ruin The Phantom Menace all by himself! And even without him the movie didn't have much going."
>"Meesa don't agree with you!"
>Alright. That was enough to get a chuckle out of you.
>Though you don't seem to succeed in getting Zap to agree with you.
>You (in classic autistic fashion) bring up all the plot holes, inconsistencies, overall terrible acting, and how Lucas just did a horrid job.
>Indigo, meanwhile, seems to be fixated on the special effects.
"D-Do you really think that special affects make a movie good?"
>"No, but they were what made me enjoy those films."
"W-Well, a movie shouldn't just have special effects going for it. If that were the case, Michael Bay would be the greatest director of all time..."
>A bit more discussion, including hatred of sand, the combative advantage of the high ground, treason, how spinning is in fact a good trick, and how Darth Vader was a little bitch at the end of Episode III.
>"Whatever, man. I can't help what I enjoy."
"W-Well, then...you have bad taste."
>"Whatever bro. We're here."
>Indigo parks the car, and you two get out of the car.
>You both walk in.
>"Hey, Twilight!" you hear from a girl in curly hair and glasses.
>"Whoa, is that Twilight?" you hear from a buff, rasta looking boy.
>"Hey, Twilight!" you hear a punk-looking girl with short hair and lipstick.
"Hey?"
>What in the world is going on?
>You don't know any of these people...

>"Whoa, what's Twilight doing with Indigo Zap?"
>"I had no idea you went to Crystal Prep."
>"Sup, Indigo?"
>"Yo," she says as she fistbumps a muscular boy with orange hair covering his eyes.
>This is so freaky...
>How do all these people know you?
>You've never even seen them before!
>You and Indigo head to the counter, where she orders two smoothies from the blue lady behind the counter.
>Huh. You were sure you would have seen Pinkie working...
>She pays, and you two wait.
>"Wow, Twilight. I had no idea you were that popular!"
"B-But I don't know ANY of these people!"
>"You don't? But they, like, all know you!"
"But I don't know them! I-I-I've never even seen them before!"
>"Huh. That's odd..."
"Odd is an understatement."
>"Maybe there's another Twilight? Twilight's a popular name for girls, y'know."
"It is?"
>"I think so. Read it somewhere.
>You get your smoothies, and you and Indigo sit at a booth.
>You have a bit of a flashback regarding the time you met Sunset.
>She seemed to know your name when she first met you, even though you've never even seen her before.
>You also recall the mentions of "Twilight from Equestria" during your first sleepover.
>"That's a story for another day..."
>Is...is she hiding something from you?
>Is there another Twilight somewhere?
>And what in the world is Equestria?
>None of this makes any sense.

>You take a sip of your strawberry and banana smoothie.
>It's quite delicious. It might be the best smoothie you've ever had.
>"So, how've you been, dude? We haven't really talked much this week."
>You sigh.
"I-I'm still thinking about Moondancer. Still kinda down about that."
>"I can see."
"Wait, what?"
>"You've been looking pretty sad over the past week. Let me just say that you're not very good at hiding it."
"W-What do you mean?"
>"Well, I can kinda see it in your face."
"O-Oh..."
>Indigo has a bit of her smoothie.
>"Man, fuck Moondancer. You don't need her."
"I don't?"
>"Dude, she's hung up over a goddamn birthday party! That's pretty pathetic, if you ask me."
"Yeah, it kinda is..."
>"Whatever, man. You got me now! And Anon! And those girls at the other school! Screw Moondancer!"
"Y-Yeah, but, we were so close. We had so much in common and..."
>You sigh.
"You're right. I need to get over her. It's gonna be hard, but...I'll try."
>"There we go! That's the spirit! High five!"
>You exchange a high five, though Indigo slaps you hard.
"Ow! That hurt!"
>You flap your hand, trying to shake off the pain.
>"Shit. Sorry."
"N-No, it's fine. Just, when you do that, not that hard, okay?"
>"Alright. Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, Twilight."
>You take a sip of your smoothie.
"Ask me what?"
>"I'm having a party this Saturday at my place. My parents are gonna be gone for the entire week, so I'm throwing a party. And I was wondering if you'd wanna come with."

>A party?
>You've never been to a party like that before.
>Pretty hard to get invited to one when you're an outcast.
"I'm...I'm not sure."
>"Ah, come on, dude! It'll be fun!"
"Y-Yeah, but...I don't know. It's gonna be loud, and there's gonna be lots of people and...and I'll probably embarrass myself some how."
>"Ah, don't say that. I promise you'll have a great time."
"B-But what if I...get bullied? What if I get made fun of? I dunno, Indigo. I'm not sure if house parties are really my thing..."
>"Look, Twilight. I promise nothing bad's gonna happen. I'll make sure no one fucks with you. I want you to have a good time."
"T-That's not what Sans would say..."
>"Who's Sans?"
"It...it was a stupid reference from some game."
>"Ah. Anyhow, I'd really like it if you came. It would mean a lot to me. I promise you'll have a great time."
"Y-Yeah?"
>"Yeah. Just stay for, like an hour. And if you aren't having fun, then you can leave."
>You sigh.
>You aren't sure if you want to go, but you want to make Indigo happy.
>She is your friend.
"Alright. I'll go."
>"Sweet!"
>In the distance, you see a certain rainbow haired girl and her yellow friend walk into the establishment.
>They make an order, and receive their drinks shortly.
>Oh, God, what if Dash sees you with Indigo.
>They head towards the door.
>Phew!
>Well, your hopes are dashed (geddit?) when the two turn around and head towards your table.
>Rainbow puts her hand on the table and gives Zap a stern look.
>"What are you doing with my friend?"
>It's a very low tone.
>Uh, oh.

>Indigo rolls her eyes.
>"Uh, hanging out with my friend? Is there a problem?"
>"Your friend, huh?"
>Rainbow Dash stares down Indigo.
>"Alright, cut to the chase. What are you want, Dash?"
>Rainbow pays her no mind, however, as she looks at you.
>"Alright, Twilight. I've got a question."
>You begin to play with your fingers as dread takes over your mind.
"Y-Yes?"
>"What are you doing?"
"W-What do you mean?"
>Dash facepalms.
>"Hanging out with her?! The fuck do you think I was gonna ask?!"
>Fluttershy steps closer to her friend.
>"Um, Rainbow-"
>"Not now, Fluttershy."
>"B-But"
>"I said. Not. Now," Dash says, gritting her teeth.
>Fluttershy backs off a bit, cowering slightly.
>"So! Twilight. Whatcha two been up to?"
>What kind of question is that?
"Um...I-I-I..."
>"Come on, Twi. Talk to me, dude!"
>Shit, this isn't going well.
"I-I...Zap invited me to a-a-a party..."
>"A party, huh? Nope! Can't see anything suspicious about that!"
>That's a relief. Indigo wasn't being malicious at all.
>Unless Rainbow was using sarcasm.
>Fuck.
>"Dude, what's your problem?"
>Rainbow gets in Indigo's face and grabs her by the collar.
>"What's my problem? What's my problem?! Are you fucking daft?"
>"Um, Rainbow, I think you should stop..."
>"Shut up, Fluttershy..."
>She appears taken aback.
>Indigo shoves Rainbow off.
>She immediately bolts up, and the two stand across from one another as though they are ready to brawl at a moments' notice.
>"Why don't we take this outside, eh, old friend?"
>Rainbow gives Zap a smirk.
>"With pleasure."
>They walk out of the building.
>All you, Fluttershy, and probably the others in here can do nothing but stare.

>You hear murmurs throughout the establishment.
>You're at a complete loss for words.
>A nice little outing with your friend after a tough week for you, and now...this.
>You begin to whimper slightly, thinking about what could be happening outside that door.
>You wish you had Spike right now.
>Too bad he had an appointment with the vet today.
>Fluttershy takes the seat across from you.
>You nervously shift around in your seat.
"Oh God, oh God. F-Fuck..."
>Fluttershy puts a hand on your shoulder.
>"Hey."
>She smiles at you.
>"Sorry about what happened back there, Twilight. Rainbow can be a bit abrasive sometimes..."
>You whimper a bit more, still tense.
>You feel a bit of pain in your stomach.
"I-I...t-this w-w-wasn't supposed to happen! I was j-j-just hanging out w-w-with my friend. And..."
>You whimper again.
>"Don't you worry, Twilight. I'm sure this'll all blow over."
>The establishment appears to be going back to normal; no one's staring anymore.
>"Wait, did you say Indigo was your friend?"
>You nod.
>"Oh my. No wonder Rainbow reacted the way she did..."
"W-Wait, Fluttershy! I c-can explain everything!"
>You tell her about how you and Indigo became friends, from how she apologized to you for bullying you, to how you forgave her, to you hanging out for the first time, and to how you are close at school.
>"So you and her are on good terms, now?"
>You nod.
>"I think I should check on them. Wait here..."
>She gets up.
>"Um, that is, um, if you want to."
>She walks towards the door.
"Fluttershy, w-wait for me!"

_________
>You are Indigo Zap.
>And your perfectly good get together with your friend was ruined by your ex-friend, Rainbow Dash.
>Man, what a buzzkill.
>Situated on the side of the building, you have no time to think as you dodge a punch from the blue-colored girl.
>"Come on, let's dance!"
>You keep dodging her jabs.
>You could beat the shit out of Rainbow Dash easily if you wanted to.
>You are a black belt in Muay Thai, and Dash is the type to talk a good game, but unable to back it up.
>And while you would like to fight back, the fact that she's Twilight's friends gives you a sense that you should not engage.
>The girl already goes through enough shit in her life (much of it from you, regretfully).
>You dodge a weak placed kick.
>Rainbow then pins you down on the wall.
>"What are you planning to do with Twilight? Tell me!"
"Nothing! I just invited her to a party! Dude, we're cool now!"
>"Bullshit! I know you, Indigo! I bet you and your ratchet ass friends are gonna do something bad to her!"
>You shove her off.
"Dude, I already told you! We're cool!"
>"Quit bullshitting me, Zap!"
"No bullshit! I apologized and everything! We hang out now!"
>"What, so you could make yourself look better?"
"No! I felt like shit for what I did to Twilight!"
>"Well, you've done a lot!"
>Another jab missed, another shove.
>"I wish I could have gotten to you in time in the woods! I would have skullfucked you for the stunt you and that pigtailed psychopath pulled!"
>Another shove.
"Yeah, well I would have deserved it."
>Another jab.
"And you wanna know something?"
>"What?! And make it quick!"
>You take a breath.
"I stopped her."

>Dash stares at you.
>"You stopped her?"
>You breath loudly.
"Yeah, man. I tackled her and fought her just before she actually did it."
>"...what?"
"I thought we were gonna take Twilight to the cabin and beat her up. That's all. But then Sugarcoat started doing that...thing. And I couldn't stand for that."
>You receive a slap to the face.
>"You still put her in that situation, though! You were gonna hurt Twilight, no matter what, you cunt!"
>You shove her back.
"I know. And I'm not trying to justify my actions, here."
>Another missed jab.
>"Then what the fuck are you trying to do, Indigo? You're still nothing but a monster to me!"
>This time, Rainbow doesn't try to punch.
"I'm not trying to do anything. I fucking felt awful after that night, man. I actually considered killing myself that night, because I couldn't live with what I did."
>You sigh.
"But then, I thought that I couldn't do that. I needed to make things right. So I told her parents what happened a few days later."
>"What"
"Yeah. Well, I only told them that she beat her up. Then she got put in therapy and shit. I didn't tell the cops, because I thought it would backfire..."
>This time, Dash's punch connects, hitting you in the jaw.
>You step back.
>"You...you could have stopped this! You coulda had her behind bars! What the fuck, man!"
>Another jab, this time in the stomach,
>You deserve this.
>You don't deserve the right to fight back.
>You fall to the ground.
>"You fucking coward. You could have did the right thing."
>She kicks you in the side, hard.
>You grunt.
>"No wonder your mother hates you. She raised a coward."
>That's enough to ignite a flame inside you.
>You get right back up and punch Rainbow in the jaw, screaming.

>She falls back, and you hit her again.
>She tries to hit back, but you dodge and trip her.
"Don't you dare, don't you DARE, talk to me that way!"
>You kick her.
>Dash laughs.
>"You're a coward, man! You always were! Even when we were kids, you were scared of everything! Heh. No wonder your mother doesn't respect you."
>You kneel down and grab Rainbow, plopping her back up as you slam her to the brick wall.
"Maybe I am a coward, Rainbow. But you know what? I went to Twilight. I said I saw sorry. And she forgave me."
>"That's messed up."
>You ignore the statement.
>"I forgave her, and I was willing to give Twilight a chance. And she gave me a chance. So we hung out. And you know what? We bonded."
>Dash squirms a bit.
"We hung out. And we had a great time. And we became friends. And you know what? I think it takes guts, forgiving the girl who's an outcast. And befriending her. Trying to change."
>Dash gives you a nasty glare.
>What a bitch.
"You wanna know what's funny? Twilight's been a better friend to me then you've ever been. All those times where I needed you most, and you never showed. And then you broke things off when I told you I got accepted to Crystal Prep."
>"I..."
>You release her and try to hit her again, but she squirms out of the way.
"You're a terrible friend. I wouldn't be surprised if you abandon Twilight too for whatever stupid reason. So fuck. You."
>Rainbow lays a punch to your gut.
>"FUCK YOU! YOU STAY AWAY FROM TWILIGHT!"
>You two go at it, exchanging jabs and kicks.
>"Alright, ENOUGH!"
>Out of nowhere, the yellow girl in the tank top that Rainbow was with gets in between you two, shoving you two out of the way.
>You try to go at it again, but the yellow girl grabs you both by the collar.
>You notice Twilight, standing behind her, legs crossed and cowering.
>She's biting her nails.

>"Fluttershy, what are you doing?"
>The girl known as Fluttershy releases the both of you and gets in Rainbow's face.
>"You need to stop. Right now."
>You notice a certain sternness in the girl's voice.
>You don't know Fluttershy well, but based on what you do know of her, this is rather unusual.
>"Shy, what the hell? What's gotten into you?"
>You look at Twilight.
>She's still biting her nails.
>She has to be horrorstruck right now.
>Poor girl.
>"No. Enough's enough, Rainbow. Please stop harassing Twilight's friend."
>"Twilight's 'friend'? Are you fucking kidding me? Dude, this is the girl that gave Twilight that scar on her face! The girl that helped kidnap her at the fair last month!"
>Shy gives you a a rather horrorstruck expression, but shakes it off.
>"Well, based on what Twilight tells me, it seems as though she's made some changes."
>"That's a lie! She's saying that just so you get on her side!"
>Twilight stops biting her nails.
>"N-No, R-Rainbow! W-We're on g-good terms now. She a-a-apologized. She's super nice t-t-to me! We're friends now!"
>"Don't believe in her lies, Twilight! I know you can take things literally, but I beg of you, please! This is all a trick! She's probably not even your friend!"
"How do you know? You don't go to school with us!"
>"Because I know you, Indigo! You're a terrible person!"
"Well, have you ever thought people could change? I was a bad person, but I'm trying to fix that!"
>"Fuck you, you liar!"
>"D-Dash! Please, stop!"
>"Shut up, Twilight! Don't listen to her!"
>You roll your eyes.
"Are you done, now?"
>"FUCK YOU!"
>She charges at you, bruised and all. You prepare to strike her one last time.
>"ENOUGH!"
>Fluttershy blocks her and wraps her in a tight hug.
>"Let me go, Fluttershy! I wanna get at her!"
>"You need to stop."
>"B-But-"
>"Now."

______
>You are Twilight.
>What the hell happened there?
>A nice little outing with Indigo and then Rainbow Dash out of nowhere.
>Sure, you understand her concern, but you and Indigo are friends now.
>And Dash seemed to stubborn to accept that...
>At least you feel a bit more calm, now.
>"I'm really sorry about that, man."
>You hear an police car siren.
>You wonder what's going on there.
"D-Does this mean that me and Rainbow Dash can't be friends anymore?"
>Indigo goes after a light turns green after an eternity.
>"What? Nah, man. I don't really care who you hang out with."
"Indigo? Can I ask you something?"
>"Yeah?"
"Why did you and Rainbow stop being friends?"
>Indigo sighs.
>"I dunno, man. It's...it's pretty complicated."
>She sighs again.
>"We met on a soccer camp when we were kids. Had a lot in common, all that cliche bullshit. Things went well. We went to the same elementary schools. We stayed close even after we went to different middle schools."
>She sighs again.
>"But, I dunno. Things just fell apart. We fought a lot. Sugarcoat, when she changed, kinda got me on a bad path. We said nasty stuff towards each other."
>Almost home...
>"I knew it was falling apart. Obviously she didn't know about the shit we did to you, but my behavior and stuff did change. But I tried to fix things. But I failed."
>She pulls in the driveway.
>"I was hurting a lot at the time. I felt bad after what we did to you in the woods. And I wanted out. So I tried to reach out to Rainbow. Tried to patch up our rocky relationship and try to cut out Sugar and them. But she rejected me. And said she didn't want to associate with a Crystal Prep kid."
>She sighs again.
>"I got the vibe that she also wanted to save our friendship, too. But me heading to another school only made her angrier. So we cut each other off. Like I said, it's complicated."
"Do you ever wanna be friends with her again?"

>She awkwardly chuckles.
>"Sometimes. Though that seems like more of a dream than a reality..."
"Would you like me to talk to her?"
>"Uh, no. Don't do that."
"Why?"
>"Just, don't. That's something between me and her."
>You stare out the window.
>You see a couple walking their dog.
"Indigo? You're...you're not planning on hurting me at this party, are you?"
>"Hurting you? Of course not, Twilight! Why would I hurt you?"
"W-Well, Rainbow Dash said-"
>"Don't listen to her. I promise I'm not gonna hurt you. Not at the party, not ever."
"Um, okay..."
>"You don't have to be afraid of me, Twilight. I'm not gonna do any of that shit I did to you in the past anymore. We're family, man! Like you said."
"Okay. Well, see you later, Indigo."
>"You too, Twilight.
>You both get out of the car and exchange a tight, hug.
>It feels genuine.
>Indigo reminds you of Sunset Shimmer, in a way, with her friendly warmness and feeling of safeness.
>"Look, if you don't wanna go to the party, let me know by tomorrow. I understand if you don't wanna go."
"N-No, I'll go."
>"Great."
>You exchange a fistbump."
>"And like I said, I got your back, man. Sugarcoat or any of those fucks won't mess with you. You're gonna gave a great time, man."
"Well, I'd hope so!"
>You two share a chuckle.
>"See you tomorrow!"
"Bye!"
>You wave as she drives off.
>You head inside.
>You have a lot to think about.
>Like your research, and a party.

~The Next Day~
>You are Sunset Shimmer.
>And right now, you have a lot on your mind.
>From homesickness, to insecurity about your place in this world, to Twilight's safety now that she's back at Crystal Prep, to the gargantuan task assigned to you by Vice Principal Luna to keep magic out of the Friendship Games.
"Where the fuck is Rainbow Dash? She's always late..."
>Oh yeah, and that.
>Despite being the lead singer and lead guitarist of the Rainbooms, she never shows up on time.
>Applejack gives you a shrug.
>Pinkie Pie gives you the same reaction.
>Speaking of which, what's Twilight been up to?
>You hope she's okay.
>You should hang out with her, soon.
>You won't see her for another two weeks at the Games.
>You're still waiting from a reply from the Princess.
>The door opens.
"No, Flash. Princess Twilight isn't here."
>He frowns, and leaves.
>Rarity chuckles.
>"My, my. When will he ever get over her?"
"That's something I've been asking myself for a while now."
>The door opens again.
>"SUNSET! HOLY FUCK!"
>She charges up to you.
"Did you have to have that dramatic of an entrance?"
>"Dude, who cares! I need your help!"
"Help? With what?"
>"Well, yesterday, me and Fluttershy went to Sugarcube corner and found out that Twilight and a certain Crystal Prep jock have been hanging out lately. And that she's going to a party at her place. Tomorrow."
"Wait. You're telling me that Twilight and Indigo Zap are hanging out?"
>"Yeah, man! It's so messed up! It's like Stockholm syndrome or something! We gotta save her before something bad happens!"
>"Um, Rainbow? I don't think you should get involved..."
>"Fluttershy, are you serious? Twilight could be in legit danger!"
>Oh, God.
>So that's what she's been up to since you last saw her.
>The bell rings.
"Let's all meet here after school and discuss what we should do. I have a real bad feeling about this..."

~~Meanwhile...~~
>You actually have a good day at school today!
>No one seemed to mess with you, and you and Indigo finalized your plans for the upcoming party.
>"So you did tell your parents, right?"
"Y-Yeah, I did. They're fine with it."
>"Good, good. So, uh, I'll swing by your place tomorrow and come get you."
"Alright."
>"Yeah. Smell ya later, Twilight!"
"Y-You, too!"
>You exit Crystal Prep and enter the passenger side of the grey Corolla parked just outside of campus.
>"Twily!"
"Hi, Shining!"
>You smile as you hug your brother.
>"How's it going, my favorite sister in the whole wide world?"
>You giggle.
"Shining, I'm your only sister, silly! Your only sibling, in fact!"
>"You know what I mean."
"Oh, right."
>You both share a laugh.
>"So, how's it going? I haven't seen you in a while."
"It's only been a few weeks, Shining."
>"Yeah, well it certainly feels like it has been..."
"Yeah. It's been fine."
>"Yeah? Doing well?"
"Mmhmm!"
>You take Spike out of your backpack.
>"Oh, hey there, buddy!"
>Spike gives your brother a lick.
>"So, Twily? How would you like to spend a bit of quality time with your BBFFF?"
"I dunno, Shining. I was planning to do research all day."
>"You mean that CHS project?"
>You nod.
>"Twilight, come on. I haven't seen you in a while and I don't have much time before I gotta go back."
"Y-Yeah, but...Shining, you know how I am."
>Shining sighs.
>"Shit. I knew I should have told Dad to tell you I wanted to hang before hand."
"I'm sorry, Shiny, but you know that surprises and unexpected changes in my schedule stress me out."
>"Yeah, I know, but..."
>He changes gear.
>"How about a little trip to the Canterlot Science Institute? Would you be willing to do that?"
>You think about it.
>"Come on, it's your favorite, and you get to hang with the best brother in the whole wide world!"
>You accept defeat.
"Alright. I can do that."
>"Great!"
>He drives off.

~~Back at Canterlot High's Band Room, just after school...~~
>"So, uh, wut's this meetin' about, Sunset?"
>"Yeah, what are we gonna talk about? Our next party? How to stop tension in the Middle East? What to do if Twilight accidentally becomes a demon after a mishap with a capture device?"
>Rainbow Dash gives Pinkie a confused look.
>"Uh, what?"
>"Nothing! Nothing..."
>You cross your arms across the table as you lean back.
"We're here to talk about Twilight and her...new friend."
>You get off the table.
"So, it appears that Indigo Zap and Twilight have been hanging out. Yes, Rarity?"
>Rarity puts her hand down.
>"Which one was Indigo? I don't remember."
"The peach colored one? Spiked hair, goggles? She and Sugarcoat took Twilight into the forest that night."
>"And she cut that scar into her face!"
>The entire room gasps.
>You give Rainbow Dash a nasty glare.
>"What?!"
"Anyway, like I said, they've been hanging out, as Rainbow Dash told us earlier today. And she invited Twilight to a party tomorrow. Yes, Pinkie"
>"What kinda party? I wanna know!"
>"Knowing her, it's a crazy house party. Yes, FLuttershy?"
>"Um..., I don't really see the problem. If they are friends and all..."
>"You don't see the problem? Don't be dumb, Fluttershy! I bet this is all a trick of some sorts!"
>You sigh.
>"And as much as it pleases me to learn that Twilight found some friends at Crystal Prep, I have to agree with Rainbow. I don't like this, one bit."
>"So what the hay should we do about it? Are we gunna crash the party?"
>"Yeah, we should totally reck their shit!"
"See, that's the thing. On one hand, yeah, this could be all a farce. But what if they actually are friends? If we interfere, we might seriously damage our friendship with Twilight?"
>"Personally, darling, I don't think we should interfere."
>"Goddammit, Shy! We gotta get her out of this mess! Sunset, come on! You and me, let's do something!"
>You sigh.
"Look, this might be something I should handle on my own."

>Rainbow Dash looks at you with pleading eyes.
>"On your own? Dude, no! We need to do this together!"
"No. Because I know you, Dash."
>"Fuck you, you don't know me!"
>"Sugarcube..."
>Dash ignores Applejack.
>"You don't know me, Sunset!"
"Yes, I do!"
>You pound your fist on the table.
>You breath deeply.
"You're just gonna go there, guns a blazing, and make a fool out of yourself and ruin everything!"
>"Sunset, calm down."
>You ignore Rarity's pleas.
>"Ruin everything?! Have you lost your mind?! If you think those two are legit friends, you're delusional!"
>"Um, why don't we all just calm down and discuss this in a nice and quiet way..."
"I need to do this by myself, and that's final!"
>Fluttershy was not very effective.
>You rush out the door, heading out of the school.
>You get in your car and drive off.
>When you finally get in your apartment, you sink down in the couch and think.
>You have a very dire situation going on.
>Indigo and Twilight's "friendship" could be a farce...
>This party could have dire consequences, especially if Sugarcoat shows up.
>But what if Indigo and Twilight are actually friends?
>You can't interfere with that.
>This is what you wanted, right?
>For Twilight to make some friends at school so she isn't so lonely?
>You can't mess this up.
>And you need to do this alone.
>You can't explain why, but you just have to.
>You begin to form a plan...

________
>It's not much of a drive to the museum, as it's pretty close to Crystal Prep.
>As in a 10 minute drive without much traffic.
>You and Shining don't speak much; you're on your phone, catching up on the news as Shining drives.
>You just have moments where you don't feel like speaking, and thankfully, your brother understands that.
>Shining pulls into the museum garage.
>"Jesus..."
"What?"
>"Parking's so fucking expensive in this city..."
>You look at the board.
>$20 for an hour.
"Yeah, that is pretty bad."
>"You're telling me, sister, but hey."
>Shining takes the ticket out of the dispenser.
>"I do this why?"
"Because you like the science museum?"
>"Well yeah, that. What else?"
"Because I'm your favorite sister in the whole wide world?"
>"Correct!"
>Your cheeks turn slightly red.
>Shining drives, looking for a spot.
>Usually, parking is pretty hard to find, with nearly every spot taken in the multilevel garage.
>However, it being after a school day in September, it isn't nearly as grating as it might be in the summer.
>This is especially noted with Shining's lack of colorful language during the ordeal.
>"You ready?"
>You force a smile, forcing eye contact.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
>"Let's do this!"
>You both get out of the car.
"Excelsior!"
>You run ahead.
>"Whoa, man! Wait up!"
>You giggle as Shining chases you to the entrance.

>Your family is a member of the museum, so thankfully Shining doesn't have to purchase tickets as he shows the clerk a membership card after he catches you.
>"So, Twily. Whatcha wanna do first?"
>You think.
"I dunno. What do you wanna do?"
>"No, no, no. We go wherever you wanna go, Twily. You lead the way and I follow."
>You give it another thought.
"Alright, then. I think I've got an idea..."

>You lead your brother to your first exhibit of choice: an U-505 Submarine.
>With the membership, you do not need tickets to enter.
>You look up at the massive ship.
>"Wanna race?"
"Uhh..."
>"First one there's a rotten egg!"
>Shining runs off, you chasing after him.
>By some miracle you manage to beat him!
>You beat a football and former track star...
>Wait a second...
"Shining?"
>"Yeah?"
"Did you let me beat you?"
>"...maybe? Or maybe you're faster than you think!"
>He gives you a sheepish look.
>You two both laugh.
"Never change, Shining. Never change..."
>You both enter the submarine and explore.
>You look at the inside with awe and wonder, all the little, old gizmos that made this thing go years ago.
"Pretty neat, eh?"
>"Some good shit, if I do say so myself..."
>You look at a video narrating the history of the vessel with your brother.
>The ship, and old Nazi vessel, was captured by the Navy in the Atlantic in 1944.

>You and Shining continue exploring, seeing everything from the bunkers (which you are not allowed to sit on, unfortunately) to the deck, to below the ship.
>You are mesmerized by everything you see, and you assume your brother is, too.
>Every little detail, every little fact, it's all history.
>All of it.
>You love this stuff.
>After a while, you and Shining exit.
"That was so cool!"
>"I know, right?"
"Yeah! Did you see how huge those torpedoes were?"
>"Yeah, man. I wonder if they still work."
"I'm pretty sure they're disarmed, Shining."
>"Ah. So what's next, sis?"
>You walk, Shining following.
>Today's a great day to be here.
>There aren't that many people, and it's not too loud.
>You have no reason to be anxious, and your BBBFF being here is just icing on the cake!
>With no line ahead, you and Shining climb into an elevator and head down into the coal mine exhibit.
>Just the two of you, it seems.
>"Hey, this is gonna be awesome!"
"Yeah, just the two of us!"
>After a short while, you two exit the elevator and are met by the middle aged tour guide.
>"Welcome, welcome to the coal mines!" he says with a smile.
>"Follow me!"

>The tour starts with an interesting sight.
>You and Shining see mined coal being loaded into trains.
>"Over here, coal is being weighed. From the trains, it is emptied into this large hopper..."
>You notice coal being dumped into the hopper.
>"...called a skip, which brings the coal to the surface."
>You continue on, still following the guide.
>"Over here, we have a sump pump, which takes water seepage and removes it to the surface."
>You see the grey, gooey seepage sink through a hole.
>"Reminds me whenever I have to take a dump."
>You look at Shining.
"Really? Was that necessary?"
>He softly laughs.
>You groan, and the tour continues as you enter a room.
>"And here we are at the safety room..."
>The tour guide demonstrated various ways of testing methane gas.
>"Man, I'd be a horrible safety guy."
"How so?"
>"I'd probably be too drunk."
"Oh, God..."
>Shining chuckles.
>You two follow the tour guide out, and board a work train.
>You see a roof bolter do its thing before the train embarks.

>You pass various "rooms" on the ride, showing the evolution of coal mining, disembarking in each room.
>"Miners” operate machinery such as a room and pillar-type undercutting machine, a twin extension face drilling machine, and an automated coal loading machine.
>It's definitely fun to watch them work as you both investigate.
>"I could never do any of this."
"Why, because you'd be drunk?"
>"Well yeah, but it all seems...dangerous, you know? People die doing this."
"Yeah. Remember that accident in Chile a few years ago?"
>"Oh yeah! Didn't they all survive?"
>You nod.
>"Wow, that's amazing."
"Yeah."
>"Really makes you wonder what was going through their heads."
"Logically, probably fear mostly. Maybe they would go through the stages of acceptance throughout the whole thing. I'd imagine the miners were religious, so they probably prayed a lot."
>"Yeah. That's scary shit right there..."
>You and Shining eventually find yourselves going through a geology crosscut, examining fossils which are embedded in a shale.
>You open your backpack and let Spike take a peek at the fossils, making sure no one sees him before zipping it back up.
>"You think any of Spike's ancestors are in these things?"
"Heh. Maybe. Though I don't think dogs descended from dinosaurs."
>You finish the tour with a trip through a longwall mining room showing off modern mining techniques, followed by a visit to the control room, where you and Shining observe the closed circuit television monitors and the various pieces of equipment.
>The tour ends, and you two head up the elevator.
>"Man, that never gets old."
"I definitely agree. It's just so interesting, seeing what it's like being a coal miner.
>"Yeah. Hey, I was thinking we could get some ice cream. What do you say about that?"
>You smile.
"You know me well, Shining!"
>You head off to the parlor in the museum.

>The little ice cream shop at the museum resembles an ice cream parlor out of the 20s.
>White walls, tan tiled floors, a "bar" with red stools, even the workers are dressed to fit the theme.
>Shining orders rocky road, while you get your favorite vanilla.
>Honestly, you can't see yourself really having anything other than vanilla, with your rigidness.
>Seems as sperg routines even extend to ice cream as well.
>You get your cones, and you and your brother take a seat at a booth.
>"So..."
"Yes?"
>"How's it going, sis? Haven't seen you since I left and all. Make any friends at school?"
>Back then, you would hate having to answer this.
>You might not be able to tell on his face, but you wouldn't be surprised at all if you made Shining sad, telling him that no, you haven't.
>He does care about you. A ton.
>Things are different, however.
"I have, actually..."
>You tell Shining about Indigo Zap, adventures and all.
>Obviously, you don't tell him about the times she bullied you, nor about the forest incident.
>"Twily..."
>You take a lick of the cone.
>"That's awesome!"
>He grabs your hand and grips it tightly, smiling at you.
>"God, Twily. I'm so proud of you!"
>You force yourself to smile.
>"Twilight, seriously. I'm so proud of you!"
>He tears up a bit.
"Uhh, Shining? Why are you crying if you said you're proud of me?"
>"Just me shedding some liquid pride."
>Ohh.
>Tears of joy!
>You don't admit it, but you're quite conflicted right now.
>On one hand, you're warm as you receive praise from your brother.
>On the other, you cringe a bit. Making friends is not something someone else should be proud of.
>Since making friends is something most people have done throughout their lives. Since they're normal.

>But you can't help but be a little happy about your bro's reaction.
>Making him happy, making any of your family happy, brings you much joy.
>Though then again, you could do anything and they'd be proud.
>Maybe.
>Shining composes himself as he wipes his eyes with a napkin.
>"Cadance tells me so many good things about you."
"Really? Like what?"
>"Ah, nothing. Except how you get great grades and how you're secretly her favorite student. Oh, and how kind and amazing you are."
>Your cheeks heat up a bit as you nervously chuckle.
"That...definitely sounds like Cadance."
>"Heh, yeah."
"Shining?"
>"Yeah, Twily?"
"Have you ever thought of proposing to her?"
>He rubs the back of his head.
>"Uhh..."
"That's okay, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I shouldn't have asked."
>"No, no. It's totally fine."
>He sighs.
>"You'd really like it if I did, wouldn't you?"
"Maybe?"
>You both chuckle.
>"I dunno, Twilight. I know we've been together for a while, but...I just don't know if I'm ready, yet."
"What do you mean?"
>"Twilight, marriage is pretty serious business. It's a huge commitment that lasts a long time, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like that, yet. Hell, mom and dad's marriage hasn't been the greatest, at times."
"That's okay, though. Half of marriages end in divorce, so it probably wouldn't be a forever thing! Just like our Uncle Shine and his wife!"
>Shining stares at you.
>"Twilight? Please, don't say things like that."
"W-What? Why?"
>"Think about it."
>You think about the little remark you gave as you put the pieces together.
>You sink into your seat as you groan, shame taking over.
>Fuck you and your autistic mind...
"I'm sorry, Shiny. I shouldn't have said that."
>"Hey, it's fine. Just think before you say, capiche?"
>He smiles as he grips your hand.

>You smile back.
"Capiche."
>"Good. And I understand why you'd ask that. With how close you and Cadance, are.
"Well, she did babysit me when I was a little girl. She was the best babysitter ever!"
>You finish off the cone.
>"Heh, yeah. Maybe that's what made me so into her in the first place..."
>You chuckle.
>"Though, if I do make the ask, you wanna help me find a ring?"
>You squee as you smile widely.
>The excitement takes over your mental processes.
"Shining, are you kidding? I'd love to! I promise I'll help you find the best ring ever!"
>"Well, as long as I can afford it..."
"Wouldn't Mom and Dad help?"
>"Maybe. But let's not get too excited, I'm still not sure about the whole thing, yet."
"Oh..."
>"But hey, I like your enthusiasm!"
>He pinches your cheek, causing you to giggle.
>The rest of the sit down consists of you and Shining talking about, well, yourselves.
>Shining seems to be having fun in college in what appears to be his final year.
>"Yeah, I'll probably declare for the draft towards the end of the season..."
>You talk about your research.
"Hopefully I can get it done by the end of the Games next week..."
>Oh, yeah.
>The games are next week.
>"I think you should think about competing, Twily."
>You wince.
"I-I dunno, Shining. You I'm not exactly the most athletic kid in the world. And besides, I'll just get laughed at and mocked for messing up."
>"Nonsense! Twilight, you do know there's an academic portion of the Games, right? We could use that big brain of yours."
"Yeah, but...I dunno. I'm just not really into all that school spirit stuff..."
>Shining sighs.
>"I know. Well, think about it. We could really use you, especially with Canterlot High improving and all."
>Speaking of Canterlot High...
>Nah, you can think of Sunset later.

"I know you could use me, but...I'll think about it."
>"Yeah. That big brain of yours could be pretty valuable!"
>You blush again.
>"Say, why don't we get up and have some fun, eh?"
"Yeah! That sounds like a good plan."
>"Alright, let's go!"
>You two get up and continue the museum trek.

>After a day of scientific learning that included a mass planetarium, a Boeing 727 and interior, and an exhibit of the human body, it's time to head home.
>You and Shining get home shortly.
>You have dinner with your parents, and decided to take a break from your research as you watch a movie with your family before bed.
>You then head up and get ready for bed, doing a bit more of your work before hitting the sack.

>You get up at around noon.
>Crap, you need to get ready!
>Indigo said she'd get you at one?
>After washing up and eating, you peek into your wardrobe.
"Shit, what am I supposed to wear to a party?"
>"Twilight? You ready to go?"
>Crap, she's here!
"Uhh, hold on a second!"
>You throw on some grey sweats, a black Star Wars shirt and your favorite purple hoodie.
>You run down the stairs and see Indigo, talking to your mother.
"R-Ready?"
>Zap looks at you and facepalms.
>She's wearing a buttoned up plaid shirt, along with some jean shorts with some Vans.
>"No. No, no, no."
"What?"
>"Twilight, come on. You can't go to a party like that."
"I can't?"
>"Dude, you look like you just got done cramming before a test."
"I...um-"
>"Why don't we go upstairs and see what you've got."
"Um..."
>Indigo grabs you by the wrist.
>"Come on..."
>You are dragged up the stairs and back into your room.
>Indigo goes into your closet as you sit on your bed.
>"Hmm, what can you wear..."
>She continues to search, rummaging through your clothes.
>"Twilight, for real, you probably should think about updating your wardrobe."
"What do you mean?"
>"Hold on...this might work."
>Zap takes out a plaid, red and black button up shirt, along with some black skinny jeans with small tears along the knees, and lays them next to you.

>"You need more than superhero shirts, man. I mean, I have some of that stuff, too, but you need more than just that."
"Oh. I'm, I'm sorry."
>"Dude, you don't need to apologize. I'm just giving you a suggestion."
"O-Okay, but, why is this not okay for the party?"
>Indigo chuckles.
>"Well, you're definitely not getting laid, looking like that!"
>You blush immediately.
"I-Indigo, I'm not t-trying to get laid! I-I'm not interested in something like that."
>"Like what, now?"
"Y-You know! Casual sex! O-One night stands!"
>"Okay? But still, you'd look so much better wearing something else. Who knows, maybe you could get a boyfriend out of this or something."
"B-But Anon is in a relationship."
"Doesn't have to be Anon, man. Though then again, I'd much rather he date you than Sugarcoat..."
>You bite your nails.
"Y-Yeah, but, I don't t-think I wanna try and get a b-b-boyfriend, tonight."
>"That's fine, dude. Just wanna make you presentable."
"O-Okay. Um, will it be okay if you let me change?"
>"Sure, man. But be quick."
>Indigo leaves the room and closes the door.
>You strip to your underwear, leaving only the Star Wars shirt on as you put on the clothes Indigo picked out, along with a black belt you picked out of the closet.
>You take a look at yourself in the mirror.
>It might not be the most comfortable clothing, but...
"Wow, I look really good."
>You decide to make a huge decision.
>Feeling the anxiety creep up upon you, you untie your bun, causing your hair to flow freely among the sides.
>"You almost done, dude?"
"A-Almost!"
>You straighten your hair with a comb, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling.
>Oh God, put it back!
>Put it back in the bun!
>You look...really good.
>The anxiety melts away.
>You leave the bathroom and then exit your bedroom.

"H-How do I look?"
>You cross your legs as you put your arms behind your back.
>You rock, slightly, back and forth.
>"Dude..."
>Please don't be bad, please don't be bad...
>"You look great."
"R-Really? You think so?"
>You blush, hard.
>"Yeah, Twilight! You look awesome!"
>You smile.
"Th-Thank you, Indigo! No one's ever really said that to me before..."
>You look down at the ground.
"W-Well, except my parents, but-"
>"Hey," she interrupts. "You're welcome. You ready?"
"Um, hold on a sec. I forgot something..."
>You go back in your room, grabbing your much loved star pin and put it in your hair.
>You aren't sure why, but this symbol seems to represent you.
>You also grab some wristbands from a drawer, enough to cover up some of the scars, and putting them on as you slightly roll up your sleeves (but not too much much!).
>You also grab a grey beanie, placing it on your head.
>You exit your room.
>"Let's do this, Twi!"
"Y-Yeah!"
>You and Indigo run down the stairs.
>Your mother immediately hugs you, your brother following you.
>"You look adorable, honey!"
"T-Thanks!"
>"Have a good time, sweetie!"
"I'll try, mom!
>"And Twily?"
"Yeah, Shiny?"
"Please, try to stay safe."
"D-Don't worry, I'll be fine."
>You give Shining a bearhug, and your mother gives you a kiss on the cheek before you leave.
>"Oh, and Indigo," Mom says just before you leave. "Remember what I told you."
>You exit the house and get in the Audi.
>"Ready to have a banging ass time?"
"F-Fuck yeah, d-d-dude."
>Fistbump.
>"I like the sound of that!"
>She backs out of the driveway, and you're off to have some fun!
>Hopefully.

>"So what's with the beanie?"
>You stare out the window as Zap drives before being jerked back to Earth.
"O-Oh, this thing? I, uh, wear it on occasion when it's cold out. It was my brother's."
>You take it off.
>It has a grey base with a tan and white striped brim, with a black pom.
>"Isn't it a bit warm for something like that?"
>You shrug.
"I just thought it looked cool, I guess."
>"Ah. That's cool, man. You look good in it!"
>Indigo stops at the intersection light and smiles at you.
"R-Really?"
>You blush slightly.
>Zap nods.
>"Yeah! I like the outfit, though..."
>She begins to giggle.
>"You look like a hipster."
>She gives you a smirk for reasons you cannot explain.
"I-I don't look like a hipster!"
>You look away.
>This is a really long stoplight.
>"That's what hipsters say, dude. Because hipsters themselves have become mainstream."
>She coughs.
>"Hipster!"
"H-Hey!"
>Indigo gives you a little shove as she laughs.
>"I'm just messing with you, man! You really gotta learn to tease, Twilight."
>The light turns green, and the car begins to move again.
"H-Hey! I...I can tease! Y-You...you, um..."
>You draw a blank on what to say.
"Fuck."
>Indigo giggles.
>"Don't sweat it, man. I can teach you, if you'd like."
"Uh, s-sure. We can do that, sometime. H-Hey, would it be okay if I played some music?"
>"Go ahead."
>You connect your phone to the amp in Indigo's car and select a song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQSZR3NSqm8 [Embed]
>"Good choice! I like me some Bowie!"
>You nervously chuckle.
"Y-Yeah. Me too."

>The rest of the ride goes by in silence as you return to staring out the window.
>There's nothing really interesting going on at the moment; just general life things, really.
>Someone walking a dog, a some businessmen appearing to be returning some lunch, a teenage boy with spiky blue hair and a leather jacket walking with a green girl and her cream colored friend...
>Sometimes, you just don't really feel like talking.
>And that's fine!
>Right?
>Thankfully, Indigo doesn't seem to mind the silence.
>You recall the countless times your parents would ask if there was anything wrong as a result of your silence during car rides.
>Eventually, Indigo reaches one of Canterlot's wealthiest neighborhoods.
>A gated community, she drives up to the booth and shows an ID card to the worker in the booth before the gate opens.
>She drives off, and you take in the environment.
>There isn't a single regular home in the entire area, just huge mansions.
>Some with gates, some without, you notice the cars in the long driveways.
>Many of the cars are general luxury cars, such as BMWs and Mercedes, but you also see Bentleys and the occasional Rolls-Royce...
>You're pretty sure you saw someone in a Bugatti drive by...
>Yep, you're not in Kansas anymore.
>Shortly after, Indigo pulls up to another gate, where she keys in a code on a numpad, resulting in the gate opening.
>You see the massive mansion as the gate opens and as she drives in.
>A mostly grey home, it has to be at least 10,000 square feet.
>A massive, freshly cut lawn, servants and workers moving in, with various statues and fountains scattered about...
"Whoa..."
>You'd be lying if you said you weren't a bit taken away at the moment.

>Indigo drives up to the large garage.
>Just before she drives in, you see an SUV parked outside the front.
"Who's car is that?"
>"Hmm?"
>You point to the SUV out in front.
"Oh. That's Anon's. We've been hanging out a bit today."
>You feel butterflies in your stomach at the mention of his name.
"O-Oh..."
>Calm down Twilight, you're here to have fun with some friends!
>Not try to get your first boyfriend...
>You take a few breaths as Indigo parks in the garage.
>There has to be somewhere around 20 cars in here.
>All really nice cars...
>"You alright?"
"I-I'm fine. Just a bit nervous..."
>"Nervous? About the party?"
>You nod.
>"Ah, don't worry, Twilight. You're gonna have a good time! I promise."
>You sigh.
"I dunno. W-What if I get made fun of?"
>Indigo pulls the key out of the ignition.
>"And what if you do? I get made fun of all the time, dude. Just gotta learn to take punches."
"Indigo, I'm not talking about regular, playful teasing. I'm talking about bullying."
>You tense up a bit.
"Though, I-I'll admit it, sometimes I can't tell the difference between being playfully teased and being bullied."
>"Yeah, I suppose I get that. Look, man. I'll make sure nothing bad happens. I promise."
"You promise?"
>You shy away as you try to look at your friend.
>"I promise. Pinkie promise."
>Zap holds out her pinkie finger.
>You get the message as you lock with her.
"Y-Yeah. Pinkie promise..."
>"Well, ready?"
>You nod, and you and Indigo get out of the car.

>You recall the last time you were here, where you were Indigo's personal punching bag...
>You shake off the bad memory as Indigo opens the door.
>You two walk in what appears to be the kitchen.
>It's pretty large, with granite counters and what appears to be very premium appliances.
>As in Wolf and Viking stoves and such. All very expensive stuff.
>Sure your parents are pretty well off, too. But compared to Indigo and her friends, you're poor.
>Indigo puts her car keys in a bowl on the counter, followed by hanging her bag on a chair in the dining room.
>Which, obviously, is quite large, featuring some rather extravagant paintings.
>"Follow me."
>You follow Indigo through a door and down the stairs to the basement, where you see none other than Anon playing some sort of racing game on the large screen.
>"Ay, Anon! We got company!"
>He pauses the game and gets up.
>"So I see. Hey, Twilight."
>You nervously smile and wave.
>Anon extends his arms out.
>"Hug? Don't leave me hanging."
>You extend your arms out as you and Anon hug, him giving you a tight (but not too tight) squeeze.
>You can feel some muscle as your body rubs slightly against his shirt.
>Not very surprising, him being an athlete and all.
>It's...nice.
>You release.
>"How you doing, Twilight?"
>You blush a bit.
"Um, fine. I've, um, been fine."
>Fuck, why are you so nervous around him?
>He's not gonna hurt you or anything.
>It's not like he's Sugarcoat or Sunny Flare.
>"That's good, that's good. I like your outfit."
>Oh, fuck.
"Y-You do?"
>He nods.
>"Yeah, dude. You look nice!"
>You might explode at any moment.

>Your friends stare at you.
>"You alright? You look like you're gonna pass out."
>Thanks for the concern, Indigo.
"I, uh, h-have to, uh..."
>Focus...
"Use the bathroom! Y-Yeah..."
>You smile wide as you rub the back of your head.
>You're dropping spaghetti at record levels at this point.
>You rush to the bathroom, which by luck is right behind you, and shut the door.
>You take a deep breath.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God..."
>What is wrong with you at the moment?
>You've been able to talk to Anon without much hassle as of late.
>And yet, you're completely falling apart!
>You slightly rock back and forth in an effort to calm yourself before you lean against the sink, staring at yourself in the mirror.
>You...look like a mess, to put it frankly.
>You're sweating, and you have a rather wide-eyed, frenzied look.
>You hear a knock on the door.
>"You alright?"
"I-I'm fine, Indigo!"
>"Alright, just checking."
>You decide to splash some cold water from the sink into your face.
>Why, you don't know.
>Hey, they do it sometimes on TV shows and stuff!
"It's okay, Twilight! You're not asking him out on a date tonight! You're not trying to get a boyfriend tonight..."
>You feel a tightness in your stomach.
"You're just here to have fun! That's all! At your first party! With really loud music and lots of kids from school and..."
>Your eyes widen.

"Oh fuck..."
>Why did you come here again?
>You probably aren't the partying type, anyway.
>You enjoy peace and quiet by yourself, and when you're with friends, you don't like doing really involved things.
>And a party is pretty intense. Especially when a rich and popular girl is throwing it.
>But Indigo said that she was gonna make sure you would have fun, right?
>You pinkie promised!
>Oh no, what if you say stupid things while trying to talk to kids?
>What if they make fun of you? It's not as if they like you...
>And what if those girls are there?
>You wouldn't be surprised if they were; they are Indigo's friends, after all.
>And what if Sugarcoat is there?
>A party would be prime for her to really fuck you up...
>You take another deep breath.
>This is quite a nice bathroom.
>Granite everywhere, plenty of space...
"Everything's gonna be fine..."
>You take one more breath before opening the door and exiting.
>You see Anon and Indigo, sitting on the couch, playing what appears to be Super Smash Bros on the Wii U.
>It's a fight between Shulk and Mewtoo on Final destination.
>Definitely not the best iteration, but still pretty fun.
>"Come on, come on, come on, FUCK!"
>"HAH! Suck it!"
>Indigo sticks her tongue out at Anon.
>"Three in a row, baby! Hah!"
>Indigo grumbles a bit.
>"Someone's salty! All these flavors and yet you're stil-"
>Indigo gives him a light punch in the gut, causing Anon to grunt.

>"You were saying?"
>"H-Hey? You can't do that!"
>"You're not the boss of me!"
>She sticks her tongue out at him again.
>You take a seat on the couch, next to Indigo.
>"Oh, hey Twilight."
>You look down.
"H-Hey."
>"You alright? You had a bit of a panic attack there."
"N-No, I'm fine. Just a bit nervous, I guess."
>Anon glares at you.
>"About what?"
>You don't look at him back.
>You're just scanning the room, mostly.
>It appears to be some sort of mancave, complete with big chairs, a huge television set, a bar, some sort of arcade game (is that Galaga?) and various framed jerseys of various sports.
>All very pricey items.
>You snap back to reality.
"About the party I guess..."
>You begin to list some of your concerns to your friends, not really being concerned about "killing the mood".
>Indigo gives you a pat on the back, causing you to flinch.
>"Don't worry, Twilight. You'll be fine? And so what if some of the guys talk shit. They're retards, anyway."
"Yeah, but...what if your friends come?"
>"Don't worry, I'll keep them under control."
"Y-You will?"
>"Yeah."
>You feel a bit of relief, but not much.
>Please, for the love of God and all that is holy, don't let...her arrive.
>Indigo hands you a controller."
>"Wanna play a few rounds? Might help you ease the nerves a bit."

>You grab the controller.
"S-Sounds good."

>Playing as Samus (your go-to), you play very well, winning 8 of the 10 games you played against both Anon and Indigo.
>You haven't played the newest Smash very often (since, at the time you bought it, you didn't really have anyone to play it with), but you really got the hang of the game rather quickly.
>"Damn, dude! You're pretty good!"
>You give Anon a high five.
"Um, thanks?"
>Why did that come out as a question?
>"Ever thought of playing professionally?"
"OK, I'm not that good..."
>"Well, you beat Miss MLG Pro, here..."
>"Hey!"
>Anon sticks his tongue out at Zap.
>"Ugh..."
>The next few hours goes by rather smoothly as you, Indigo and Anon decide to just talk.
>Though, Indigo and Anon dominate the conversation, talking about gossip, sports, life stuff, all things you feel you can't interject in.
>Partially because of your not-so-great social skills, partially because you aren't great at relating to those topics.
>You'd love to talk about things such as physics and relativity at the moment, maybe some philosophy as well, but you get the sense that your friends aren't so into that.
>Now is not the time to sperg out. Don't wanna annoy your pals, right?
>Especially your crus-STOP.
>You hear the doorbell ring.
>"We've got company!"
>Indigo heads upstairs, you following.
>You hide behind the corridor, out of sight as Indigo opens the door.
>None other than Sour Sweet, Sunny Flare, and Lemon Zest.
"Fuck..."
>Well, at least it's just them.
>You see none other than Sugarcoat walk in, seemingly last.
>This is a nightmare.