Author's Notes:

I've noticed a few comments that mention that "we're supposed to know about why Rainbow acted the way she did, but we really don't."

In this chapter, you'll know why. This is through the eyes of Rainbow Dash.

The content may be sensitive or uncomfortable---and in some cases, OOC---for some readers. Just a warning.

I'll be starting work on Act 2 soon.

Sixteen years old.

It seemed hard to believe it. The days, the months, the years---it all seemed to move faster the more you thought about it. One second, you were joining the flight academy as a young filly. You'd meet your best friend Fluttershy for the first time, your other best friend Gilda, you'd kick Dumb Bell's ass in a race, then perform your Sonic Rainboom.

Top of the world, top of the game.

And then, the next minute, you were in high school. It wasn't all that bad as it seemed or how you made it sound. You would meet other folks who either had the same interests as you or had no interest in you.

You were excited because of the opportunity it had given you. For as long as you could remember, you held the dream of being in the Wonderbolts. To fly by their side, to impress the crowds, the masses---the fame was something you wouldn't bare to stand.

In a good way, that was.

High school was just one of those---obstacles, blockades that would seem to help you get there during your journey. If you could ignore all of the math, the history---history that had nothing to do with said Wonderbolts---and even biology---you had to admit, you did like something out of that class---high school wasn't really that bad.

As long as Fluttershy was by your side, and even your friend Applejack, then the experience would be even better.

Oh.

And the parties...oh, Celestia, the parties.

You loved them. Who couldn't love them?

From what you heard during middle school, high school parties consisted of nothing but drugs, drinking, and sex. Ponies would be found in the backyards getting high, most of the party-goers were drunk out of their minds---and sometimes, if you really, really listened, you could hear a couple---even more---ponies getting some well-needed action behind closed doors.

You wanted to be a Wonderbolt. That was an obvious goal for life.

But having a drink was not going to ruin everything. You definitely swore off drugs.

And the sex---that could wait for someone you really wanted to do it with.

That special guy.

You didn't know a special guy. Well---there were some stallions you knew here and there that you probably would have some fun with---maybe with more than one at the same time, if you were really up for it---but you didn't need that getting stamped on your record.

And you did consider them for potential FWBs, but---

Well...you didn't want to rush yourself into that topic. That would come when it was ready.

Heh. Come.

You shake your head.

At least grow up a little, you think to yourself.

Today was the last day before the Hearth's Warming break. As usual, or from what you know of last year, tonight was the Hearth's Warming party. Everypony in the halls was talking about it, even the ponies that you definitely knew weren't invited.

That was just how popular it was.

You were popular enough that you would be a definite invite to every party until the end of high school. Even AJ and Shy were given a free pass, just because you were their friend.

Of course, you were nothing like those typical 'cool kid' type of high school students, but you had enough of a reputation---mixed to the teachers, positive to the students---to be considered cool by those below or above you.

You, however, liked the teachers, so you weren't sure if this was fine or if it should worry you.

Maybe you should ask them sometime. That---maybe works.

You were sitting in the cafeteria with your two friends. You could barely remember what you the at that time, but you didn't care. You could already guess that the food at the party would be ten times better than the slop here.

It was slop, that was all you knew.

"So," you started, "You guys excited?"

Fluttershy hesitated. "A little."

You could tell she was nervous. She was never all too out there when it came to parties. The last time you brought her to one, she hid in the closet until it was over. Sure, she had gotten less---shy since then, but it was likely that she wasn't going to be all that active tonight.

Applejack, on the other hoof, was almost as excited as you were.

"Hoo-Wee!" she started in that common southern accent. "That word ain't nothin' compared to what I'm feelin' right now."

It was---probably obvious why she was so excited. You knew AJ was a huge party animal. All of her birthday parties were so...extravagant. Every time you went to one, there was always dancing, singing, or having some kind of contest that just so happened to have apples in it.

But it wasn't just that.

High school parties were---well, commonly known for the cider that they serve.

And guess where that cider comes from?

Sweet Apple Acres, the only place that could have made such a beverage.

The mare couldn't wait to tell ponies that she was responsible for the tightness of the party.

And, of course, have fun at the party.

The rest of the day, for you, was spent boring your way through your remaining classes and thinking of nothing more than the party itself. You were well aware it would be huge, even if you had only been to a couple of them. From what the previous parties showed, more than a hundred ponies would be there, all "getting their funk on." You could already hear the music blasting and echoing on throughout, ponies twisting and turning as they dance to the beat---and the ponies, all drinking and falling down the stairs or getting creamed on the couch while the rest of them cheered on....

...At least, that's what happened in the other parties.

You had a feeling it would be, more or less, the same.

Didn't make you any less excited.

After two more hours of boring lectures and teachings about the history of the potato---you honestly don't know, he just started rambling---the final bell rang, your teacher waved you goodbye, and you and others stormed out of school with smiles on your faces. Ponies poured out of the building in record numbers. You could hear some screaming, "Party!" in the background.

Oh---you know.

You know.

You finished your homework, you did the laundry, and you cleaned your room.

And with that, seven o'clock came around, you gave your parents a hug, and you left the house. Flying down from Cloudsdale and back into Ponyville, you went to the party.

Even from so far away---it was so...visible from high up. Ponies were outside, chatting and laughing about---some clearly drunker than others---ponies were walking into the house, one after the other, and the music---oh, the music---it was muffled, but damn, it was still so loud!

You were lucky the party was always near the outskirts of the town, rather than in the direct center. Oh boy, you could already imagine all the calls and the complaints and the-...

Well, you were just lucky, that's all.

Touching down on the front lawn, ponies quickly caught sight of you. Immediately, they started whispering to each other. It was obvious that they weren't being negative. Heck, you could hear them.

Oh my goddess, it's her! She's here!

It's Rainbow Dash!

Most of these ponies likely had never seen you much before, if at all, but it was nice that they heard about you at least. On your way to the porch, a stallion, somewhat nerdy, walked up to you, greeting you and welcoming you.

"Thanks," you decide to say as you shake his hoof. As you go forward, you hear him in the distance after he leaves, seemingly talking to his friends about how you just shook your hoo-

"We saw it, genius," one of his friends say back to him.

You laugh a little.

As you get closer to the porch, you see them---Applejack, Fluttershy. Your two friends made it, just as you had hoped---and, well, expected.

"Hey," you exclaim, "you made it!"

"Of course I would," Applejack quickly responds. "Heh, Ah wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Neither would I," Shy says quietly with half her face covered. You could still see that little smile of yours.

Even though you tried to get her to stop hiding, you couldn't help but think it was cute whenever she did that.

---In a friendly way, that is.

After brief discussion between the three of you, you all head on into the house. The moment you open that door, the music blasts into your face. The beat flows through your body. It was weird, but in a good way.

The atmosphere was intense. Nearly everypony in the living room was dancing or chatting, drinks in hoof, and generally having a low-key good time.

Of course---that was typical for a party that's only just started.

As you walk through the front door, a few of the ponies nearest to you immediately turn and notice you straight away.

"Look who's here!" one stallion shouts.

As most of the ponies in the living room turn to you, they all cheer the moment they realize Rainbow Dash has arrived.

Oh, you loved the publicity. Immediately, you were hoof-bumping partygoers and they hoof-bumped back. But you were quick not to get so carried away. After all, it wasn't your party, and you told it as such.

"-So let's just have some fun, yeah?!" you shout with a grin on your face.

They all agree and start cheering you on. The cider was now on the main menu. The music was cranked up to 11.

The real party's only just begun.

Two hours later, and you've already seen six ponies having sex throughout the house. They were all underage.

You didn't care---not because you were drunk, which you currently were, but it was their business.

And everypony else's, seeing as how they were all cheering on these either couples, strangers, or swingers.

"Cum! Cum! Cum!" a group of ponies yelled not too long ago as two mares were trying to get each other off. They were drunk...probably...but it was clear that they were both enjoying it.

It didn't take long for them to both start cumming all over the couch. Ponies shouted in applause, like they just finished watching a symphony.

You really couldn't think of any clever comparison than that, especially not as drunk as this.

Of course, you weren't really shit-faced, but your mind was a little...foggy in terms of trying to remember or think of something. It didn't bother you too much---you would remember better after you were sober....tomorrow.

You could at least remember not to walk in the front door if you get home late again---and especially not when you're drunk. You really didn't want your parents barking up your ass because you were dumb about it. You loved your parents, but they could be a little over-the-top whenever you would get into trouble or did something stupid.

You still remember that sugar incident a few years back. How would you know Ms. Lily would go off like that?

Even more, how could you know she was dia-

With a sigh, you just forget about it. You were too drunk to care at this point, really.

Just as it had been two hours ago, the party was still as bustling and booming. Ponies were dancing, jigging, and having fun. On the side, some were getting completely smashed and being a bit too close for comfort.

The pegasi here didn't bother hiding their wingboners or their blushes, and neither did you. You got used to it at this point.

Well, sort of. But nonetheless, you were fine with suddenly coming across tense moments. You never had a thing for anything like this in public, but you were fine with it.

So for a near two hours, your wings were stiff and store from the view, if not the smell alone. To try and shrug it off, you decide to walk about and find your friends. You had gotten separated from them no more than, what, a half hour ago? You could only guess where they were now.

It was easy enough to find Applejack. Of course, you would expect to see her standing near the cider stand. A good part of you assumed it was to say and promote, "Hey, my family made this cider! You're welcome!"

But it wasn't that.

She was chatting up some stallion. As you got closer, you could hear them talking about each other - their pasts or where they were from or grew up, that sort of thing. Sure, she did mention the cider, but that was only one time.

Her stance was somewhat... wobbly, though faintly. You knew she was at least a little drunk, but Applejack was a durable girl, that you definitely knew.

Now, where was Fluttershy? That was more or less the true question out of the two of them.

You didn't have to look that far or hard. She was in the living room. And she was drunk.

Like, really drunk. Like, "getting on the table, chugging down cider like it was nothing" drunk.

... Well, at least you knew why she never drinks. That was something new.

You step closer into the living room, and with a turn of her head mid-dance, her eyes light up in the drunkest of manners.

"Raaaainboooow~!" Her voice is sluggish, but highly enthusiastic and beaming—the exact opposite of her usual character.

With a light skip, Fluttershy hopped off the table. Shy trots over to you, wobbling slightly as she went, with a cup of cider still in her hoof.

As she wraps a free hoof around you, she asks, "Where've you *hic* been, silly?! You just missed somethin' fun!"

You look about. A lot of the ponies in the room were looking at the two of you or doing whatever—talking, laughing, or drinking. But surprisingly, nothing more than that. At least, not in public.

"Uh," you hesitate, "what did I miss, exactly?"

Fluttershy giggles with a slight hiccup to it. You notice her drool just a bit as she backs away from you for a brief moment to put her cider down on the floor.

She then gets back up and gets up real close to you, her mouth right next to your ear, as if to whisper into it. You grew nervous.

"I just chugged down an entire bottle of Seaddle Ale, hehe~"

... Okay, so it wasn't as bad as you thought it'd be. That's good. Real good.

"You wanna *hic* try some? I didn't think it was gonna be good, buuuut... it's reeeeeeealllly good~"

She hoofed you a cup of the supposed ale. One whiff of the stuff, and you could feel your head racing. From what you heard, Seaddle Ale is extremely potent. The fact that someone like Fluttershy was able to down a single bottle of it, you were surprised she wasn't already blackout drunk.

Or maybe she already was...

"U-Uh," you stutter, "I think I'm gonna pass for now, Flutters. But, uh... save me a cup?"

What good was going to a party if you weren't going to at least drink more than a little?

With a hiccup, Fluttershy saluted you. "You got it, missy~"

With a simple wave, you excuse yourself from the crowd. As you walk off, you hear her shout something inaudible, and the whole living room nearly roars in unison.

You couldnt't help but shake your head. Cider can really do some weird stuff to some ponies.

Oh, Celestia... you could only imagine what you'd do if you were drunk like that.

Surely... hopefully, that wouldn't include doing anything interesting with students you walked by every day at school. That definitely wouldn't make things awkward the next morning or whenever school started up again.

Okay, you think to yourself as you take a breath, I need some air. Just some air, that's all.

Ditching the original path you took, you turned and made a clear path to the front door. As you walked through it and closed it behind you - all of the noise of the cheering, screaming, dancing and loud music that blasted through your ears immediately drowned out in low hums and muffled vibrations.

It wasn't what you wanted, but it was definitely close enough.

You took in another bit of air - cool and refreshing.

Then you let it out. It was winter time, so your breath was visible as a gray plume disappearing into the dark. You didn't know why - but you always found it so...relaxing to see something like that.

That was one of the few things you loved about winter. Seeing the air. Sure, it could be considered weird for some, but...seeing as how you were one of the more popular kids in school, nopony would really question it. So that was a good thing you had going for you.

Mid-thought, you heard the gasp.

"Rainbow Dash!"

And immediately, you thought, Oh, goddess, please no...

Now, being popular was fun and all...

But sometimes, you couldn't help but hate it, just loathe it and everything associated with it.

Because, if there was one thing you hated the most about being popular....

It was the fanboys.

Now, the term 'fanboy' was different in your point of view. Fanboys would consist of boys who were fans of video games, cartoons, comics, even celebrities.

Oh, no---no, your term for 'fanboy'...

That term was Graceful Step---one of the few fanboys...

No-...few was a terrible word.

He was the only fanboy who was interested in you as much as he could. Most of the ponies in school, even you, called him Grace, for short. It was a funny name---seeing as how it was more acquainted to mares than stallions---but he just did not mind.

Every single day, he would send you love letters, maybe a few poems, even try to ask you out on a date. Every time, you would turn him down. At first, when he asked you the first time last year, you were polite and kind. You turned him down the nicest way you could.

But no, that didn't stop him.

He just kept on coming with the love letters, the poems, the question, "Will you go out with me?"

Again and again, almost every day. He was literally a second shadow to you, one that you just wanted gone. Forever.

But the shadow always came back.

It got to the point where you would almost always expect him to pop out of nowhere at a precise time---and half the time, you were right. The other times, he was either sick or on vacation.

Oh...those were the best days.

Why couldn't he just leave town? Manehattan or Las Pegasus, where he could hit on someone else or something?

Why not just leave me alone?

Sometimes, you would say something to him, in hopes of getting him to stop. At first, you thought it worked.

But nope.

Fucking. Nope.

Grace would come back the next day---or whenever he felt like it---and he would try again. And the later times you told him to leave you alone, he would just go and say, "Okay, you need some space, I understand. I'll talk to you later," and he would fly off and leave you alone for a while.

But you didn't want a while. You wanted forever.

What part of that didn't he understand?

Apparently all of it, especially how he just so happened to be here, where you also happened to end up being at.

What were the chances?! you screamed in your head.

But you sighed. At this point, it was pointless. The best thing to do was to just pretend you were listening and wait for him to leave.

But tonight was your night. You wanted to party. But at the same time, the last thing you wanted was to get him angry---not that he got angry at you, but...

There was last month. The guy was barely hitting on you---at that point, you could barely consider it 'hitting on'---and Grace just goes at him like a jealous ex. He got suspended for three days, and comes back, acting like nothing ever happened.

The guy was cute too, but the last thing you wanted was to bring that up and risk Grace attacking him.

Let's just get this over with.

Grace walked over to you and started saying "Hi!" and "How are you?".

You didn't seem interested in the least---but Grace didn't exactly...well, take a hint.

"I'm fine," you say with hardly any strength, "thanks."

Now, you'd think that he would've understood or at least took the way you said that, that you weren't fine, and that'd he "give you some space" and leave you alone, hopefully for the rest of the party.

Oh. No, of course not.

He took that as a sign that you were perfectly okay and that gave him the moment to start blabbing on.

What did he blab on about? His day, about how someone badmouthed his favorite comic character, or how he saw this cute mare - but you were too cute to forget or you were more of an important goal.

Heh...if he wasn't an annoying nuisance---you might actually have considered that some kind of compliment.

And he goes on and on and on about his day---what he ate for breakfast this morning, what he did after school---which, you most likely knew what he did...considering he accidentally told you one time.

Though...sometimes, you did doubt that he accidentally told you.

You tried to pretend to be interested. You really did.

But it's happened for...so...so long.

You just did not care to pretend anymore.

Not a single word remained in your mind. Whatever he told you, you only remembered for a moment before forgetting it the next. Even then, he would just keep talking and talking until he couldn't talk anymore.

It had to have been a few minutes of him just going on and on before he actually stopped.

Oh, thank Celestia, a break.

You took a quick glance at him, and he was just looking up at the sky, seeming to be admiring the stars.

How is it that of all the ponies you knew that liked looking up at the night sky---he had to be one of them?

Why was everything so unfair nowadays?

"You know...I'm so glad I know you. You know that?"

You weren't glad. And you didn't know that or want to know that, but he told you anyway.

"I could really see a future with you---you know, me and you together and all..."

Oh, goddess. Here he goes again.

"You're, like, the only one I know who understands my problems, someone who really listens to me, you know?

"Like...you listen to me!"

...

That...

That was new. That was...

Okay...that's funny.

The only funny thing that's ever come out of his mouth.

Ever.

You started laughing. At first, it was quiet, something he couldn't hear. But it got louder and loud, somewhat as a chuckle before growing into something more. Grace looked at you with some kind of smile, like he thought you were laughing at something in a friendly manner.

"What?" he asked with a smile still.

You looked up as your laugh faded, and you let out a sigh.

And you started talking.

"You think I...You think I listen to you?"

You turned to him, almost with a face...what, disbelief, some kind of amazement?

Maybe surprise?

And he just looked at you, kind of frozen.

"Well...y-yheah, I-"

You laugh for a second again while you still look at him.

"No." Your voice raises pitch as you say it. "I don't.

"I don't listen to you. I never listen to you. You wanna know why?"

Before he could say anything, you step away from the porch railing and walk up to him, answering the question before he could open his mouth.

"Because you're annoying. Okay? You're fucking annoying!"

You never swore to ponies. It just seemed like such a childish thing to do.

But right now---he was an exception.

You snapped and you continued snapping at him.

"You're always following me around, leaving stupid letters and stupid poems, trying to get me to go out with you! And I keep telling you that I don't want to! And you just keep following me around, acting like I give a shit!

"And I don't! I really, really don't!"

Grace didn't say anything. His eyes just opened a little more and he stood there, just listening to you go on.

"I don't like you! I never liked you! I will never like you! Why can't you take the damn hint and just leave me alone already? I don't want to know you or get to know you because I just...don't fucking care!"

You had definitely risen your voice at some point, because a few ponies around the yard had been watching the whole thing go down. None of them said anything, just stared, somewhat like Grace.

When you were done, you gave out a little breath and just looked at the stallion, hoping he would finally leave you alone.

He backed up, holding his fore-hooves in front of him.

"Okay...you're...angry."

He continued backing up towards the other side of the porch.

"I'll...I'll go. I'll...just go, okay?"

"Good," you snapped back, "Go! Leave me alone!"

He didn't say anything. He turned around and went right back into the house as quick as he could.

With a big sigh, you close your eyes and shake your head in a "Thank Celestia" way. You turned back to the porch railing and leaned against it again. With another sigh, you looked around.

Some ponies were still looking, as if curious to what was going on.

You let out a fake smile and held up a hoof.

"Don't worry, guys," you shout to them, "I'm good. I got it."

One stallion raised his own hoof, before they all went back to doing what they had been doing before.

Once everything seemed to be normal again, you close your eyes again and droop your head down, laying it against your hooves.

You sigh.

You knew he'd be back soon.

He always came back.

...

Like always.

It was only a little after eight o'clock when Grace showed up and left.

That was two hours ago. And yet, not once in those two hours did you ever see him in the house, in the kitchen, or---goddess, of all places---the bathroom...thankfully.

For the two hours of peace and quiet---emphasis on such because...well, the party---you decided to have fun.

Because who knows when he'd come back and ruin everything?

For a good while, you were hanging out in one of the rooms---game room, was it? The music there was separated from the other music that circulated throughout the rest of the house. The ponies in here were listening to what seemed to be...dubstep, you think it's called. Stallions and mares of all kinds hopped up and down to the beat, danced, jigged, even crunked.

Whatever that meant.

At some point, when the beat started to take a toll on your energy, you left the room and went into the kitchen, hoping something was good.

There were all kinds of foods and snacks. Most of the beverages were usually cider or other alcoholic drinks. Only a few ponies were in the kitchen either digging into a hayburger or getting completely shitfaced.

Yep, definitely a party.

By nine o'clock, you were back in the living room. The area was a lot less active than it had been before, but ponies were still definitely partying it up.

Fluttershy was on the couch, clearly passed out and cuddling against one of the students on the hoofball team. You never knew his name---rather, you never really knew him---so you weren't sure if it was cute or odd.

For a few minutes, you sat on one of the couches and let out a calm sigh, simply attempting to regain your focus. You did have a few drinks---but you didn't think they would affect you that much.

Then again, it'd been the first time you ever drank something that strong, so it was a little freaky how fast it started to affect you. Nonetheless, you stayed calm.

An hour had come and gone. You didn't think so much time would pass with so little effort, yet it did. You wanted to be surprised, but...

Hey...parties do that.

As you started to move yourself about again, you started to wonder where Applejack had been. Fluttershy was next to you, clear as day and out like a light, and Applejack was nowhere to be seen. You got up from the couch and walked over to where the cider stand was. A few ponies were refilling cups and mugs and such---but AJ was no longer there.

You searched the first floor for a good ten, maybe fifteen minutes before you realized she wasn't down here.

Then you saw the stairs.

"H-Oh...I wonder..."

You giggled.

With a hoof on the first step, you started making your way up the stairs, step by step. It wasn't long until you were on the second floor.

The second floor wasn't as spiffy as downstairs. It was just a single hallways with about five or six doors, all of which must've led to a bedroom of some sort---with one other being the bathroom.

Or, for all you knew, they had two bathrooms.

Not really unlikely.

The hallway was dark, but lit enough so that you could walk from one end to the other. As you walked, you looked at the walls, their decorations or whatever pictures had been hanging. One painting seemed to be of a famous Equestrian commander. You didn't remember his name, but he was obviously long dead.

The walls of the hall were a mixture of blue and green, sometimes with stripes that would converge with one another in spirals and such. It was such a weird choice of style, but...

It was kind of cool.

Then---not halfway down the hall---your eyes quickly fixate to one of the two doors in the middle. Something had been hanging on of the knobs, purposely placed there.

As you got closer to the sound, however---you started to hear noises.

Closer to that, you realized...

Those were moans.

And grunts.

And more moans!

Ah! ...Yes! Hah! Ah...! Uhuh....Ah! F...Harder! ...Faster! Mmmf....!

Then you could see the thing on the door clearly.

It was Applejack's hat.

Your face turned neutral, but your eyes grew somewhat further open, and you could feel a blush coming on your cheeks.

...

You were listening to your friend getting...

She was...

Again and again...

...

You nodded and kept on walking.

At least I know where she is now, you think to yourself.

For the next few moments, you keep on walking to the end of the hallway. At the end, there was a door that led out to the second floor balcony. At first, you didn't realize the house had a second floor balcony---then again, you didn't exactly take the time tolook at it. Nonetheless, you twisted the knob and opened the door as you made your way outside.

The balcony was, surprisingly, empty. Not a single pony from right to left was up here, just you.

If only the sound was as gone as the ponies...

As you looked over the railing to the ground, you could see the dozens of partygoers having a generally good time. Many of them seemed drunk or almost drunk. Many of them were partying to the music---which seemed to be a bit louder, indicating that the front door was wide open.

Even with the loudness of it all, you didn't care. You were here to party, but who said you had to do it the whole time?

You rested your hooves on the railing, allowing yourself to simply lean over it and rest with a stance. Despite the lights of the house and the towns nearby, you were still able to appreciate what you could see of the night sky. Though many of the constellations you could normally see were disfigured, missing some stars, or generally not there---it didn't matter.

There was still a sky to look at.

You had to have been looking at it for ten...twenty minutes at the most. Sometimes, you would sigh and your cold breath would filter your vision before fading away to nothing. The music would change from rock to dubstep to...calm and relaxing?

That hardly happened.

But you liked it. Really started to set the mood. Things were quieting down---sort of---and it felt just like...

You guessed it could remind you of your aunt's wedding three years ago. Partying and dancing for a couple hours, then nothing but slow dancing and other romantic things for the remainder.

Meanwhile, you were bored out of your mind because there was nothing to do.

But this was different. You had your fair share of alcohol, you danced and partied, you generally had fun.

Well...not as much fun as Fluttershy had or that Applejack was having...

You laughed to yourself and sighed, continuing to look up at the night sky. And you couldn't help but just...sigh again. You didn't know exactly why. Maybe it was your warm breath showing in the night, or the sky glimmering with whatever stars poked out of the pollution.

Or maybe-...

You sigh again.

Something was just...off. Not in a bad way, it's that...the night didn't exactly feel perfect or complete, in a sense.

You weren't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The thought in your mind stopped midway as your ear pricked itself up to the sound of the balcony door opening behind you.

You turn around.

And you groan in near silence.

Grace. He was back.

At this point, you could already predict it.

You let out an even more audible sigh, trying to make it clear that you weren't interested or you didn't want his company. But of course, he didn't seem to understand and was standing next to you, leaning against the balcony along with you.

He's just dumber than a box of...

"...What?" you say in a clearly annoyed tone, continuing to make it clear.

He didn't say anything at first. A quick glance, he seemed hesitant, like he was nervous to talk.

There were times where he did do that, even if he had talked to you before. Maybe he was nervous because of your outburst before.

You didn't care. You took that as a good sign.

One of the things you did notice, however, was the drink in his hoof. He had his own, gripped in his mouth---probably why he couldn't talk at all.

He leaned his head over onto the railing to put his own cup down.

And the one in his hoof---he leant to you. Holding it towards you, he silently wanted you to take it.

You looked at the cup for a moment. Then you looked back to him, and you stared at him for a moment. Clearly, it was his attempt at trying to be nice to you like he always had. Opening your locker, leading you to the restrooms at school, sitting with you at lunch-...

Of course, he'd think it was nice.

You didn't.

You closed your eyes and sighed. When you opened them back up, you asked him:

"If I take the stupid drink, will you leave me alone?"

He nodded. You knew he wouldn't leave you alone---but right now, it was just best to hope that maybe he would stay true to his word.

So you took the cup.

Looking at the contents, it was nothing more but simple cider. Not as strong as the rest of the other drinks downstairs, but enough for a casual sip or two.

With a shake of your head and a sigh, you lifted the cup to your lips and started to drink the cider. The stinging feeling of the usual alcohol was there, but in cider, it was not as strong.

You downed the drink within a few moments and placed the cup on the railing, with a sigh escaping your lips as the rest of the contents went down your throat.

"There," you say to him, "Happy?"

He didn't respond to that question. For a moment or two, he didn't respond at all, just look at you.

And you turned to him. "What?"

He didn't smile. He didn't laugh. He didn't even let out a chuckle like he usually would.

He just looked at you.

And you looked away with another sigh, looking back towards the front lawn.

"I'm sorry."

You slightly raise your head and look back to him.

"What?" you raise an eyebrow.

Grace didn't make much eye contact with you, just more towards the railing for a second. With a shrug, he repeated what he said.

"I said, 'I'm sorry'."

There could have been a number of things he was sorry about. Stalking her? Writing letters? Constantly admitting his love for her every day?

You asked him.

"For what?" At this point, the question was of no interest---but to be honest, you wanted to know what he was sorry about.

Then he pointed to the cup.

And you looked right at it.

And then he said one word.

"This."

You looked at the cup.

Then back to Grace.

And back to the cup. Two cups. Three cups.

Almost as if on cue, everything started to get blurry, get windy, start to echo in your ears, twirl around in your eyes.

You felt yourself getting weak. Weaker and weaker. Your hooves were slipping from the railing.

"Ddiddddhs...Dsddid yyou dddrru-..."

You couldn't ask him. So weak. So...So...

You fell to the balcony floor with a thud.

And he just stood over you.

...

Was he nodding?

Your vision went black. The noise of the world drowned with it.

You stir yourself awake. The sound was the first to come back---but everything was all...muffled, like it was behind a wall or...

...It sounded as if it was downstairs.

Your eyes opened slowly. But all you could see was the dark. Your head was turned to the side, as if you were laying down. And you were. As the feeling in your body also came to, you felt yourself laying on a comfy, soft bed. You tried to move your head, and you could only do so minimally.

It was clear that you were in one of the bedrooms. It was so dark, but only whatever light that came through the window illuminated the room---and it didn't do much. Essentially, you were blind.

You had trouble breathing. Your body felt compressed.

Something was on you. It was heavy.

So you tried to get up.

But you couldn't. With the feeling of your body coming back---you could feel the texture of...ropes. The texture of ropes rubbed against your hooves and hind hooves, and you quickly came to your sense.

You were tied up.

So you started to panic, and you tried to open your mouth to scream.

But you couldn't. Because it was taped shut. You tried to feel it.

Duct tape---you had duct tape on your mouth.

It wasn't coming off. Not unless you could rip it off yourself.

But you couldn't.

You tried screaming again, as if through your nose, hoping somepony---anypony---could hear you and help you.

Then a quiet voice talked.

"Shhh..."

The voice was right behind you.

The voice was on top of you.

Someone was on top of you.

You tried to calm, steady your breathing. But whoever was on you was making it hard. It was difficult to take in the air you needed. Your nose was not your mouth.

You were scared.

You were really scared.

"It's okay," the voice said. "It's okay..."

You froze.

...Grace?

You started to panic as you tried to look to see if you were right. But you could hardly turn your head anymore without breaking your neck. In your panic, you started to squirm and cry out through nose. Your sounds were audible, but not enough for anyone even in the hallway to hear. You tried to move, try to free yourself from your binds, maybe shake Grace off you.

But he didn't budge.

He didn't want to.

"Stop moving."

His voice wasn't that typical voice of his. It was clearly his voice, but it wasn't that annoyingly cheery façade. That was gone. It still carried some of that 'I'll take care of you' type of emotion-...

But everything else was gone.

It was like he...snapped.

Or maybe he hadn't snapped. Maybe he'd planned this for a while, since the day he met you.

Maybe-...

"I've looked at you for so long...all year, I've watched you and wanted you to just love me, give me the time of day."

He stopped.

...

"But you didn't. You never did. I was never asking for much, I never asked for much. But you were making it hard, playing hard to get."

Whenever he stopped, you tried to scream through your nose again, trying to be loud enough for anyone to hear.

But the music still played, and the ponies still cheered down below.

Too loud.

They'd never hear.

"And at one point, I had to say 'enough' and do what I needed. I needed to just-...

"...love you."

Your eyes were wide as you looked towards the head of the bed.

Was he-...?

He spoke again.

"I....I'm gonna do what I want...I'm gonna love you like I always wanted to love you, even if it means loving you until this party is over."

You could feel yourself breathing heavier and heavier, panting in fear as he went on and on.

"That's an hour. An hour to do what I want with you.

"And...

"And I'm not gonna let you go until I'm done...until I've finished up.

"When I'm done..."

He paused again.

"...When I'm done...I'm gonna untie these ropes from the bed...I'm gonna let you go...and you'll be better next time."

You whimpered.

Why was it happening? Why was it happening?

The air was hot. It felt suffocating. He didn't get up, he didn't move away from you. He just laid there on top of you, near crushing you against the bed, and you could barely let out a few squeaks.

You could feel just a single tear flow down your left cheek.

He talked again.

"I'm...I'm gonna put it in now...okay?"

You shut your eyes tight. You didn't want this to happen, none of it. Even as you tried to frantically shake your head as much as you could against the bed to stop him, you couldn't much.

Even then---he didn't listen.

Like always.

You could hear a mixture of assorted things. Your breath---his breath---and the party going on downstairs.

Maybe...maybe they would know...somehow, they would-...

One of the DJs spoke up, loud though muffled.

"Alright, partygoers!" he shouts, only his muffled voice vibrating your ears. "You ready to get fuckin' crazier?!"

The downstairs roared with anticipation and excitement.

And all you could do is whimper and whine with fear.

You weren't ready.

You never were.

"Three! Two! One! Drop! That! Bass!" the audience counted down and spoke along with him.

And that final word spoken, the room shook slightly as the bass dropped.

But you screamed.

With a sharp push---he was in.

You screamed into the tape, banging your head on the bed, tears flowing from your eyes---and you could see none of it.

None at all.

He was dry. Not wet enough.

It hurt.

It really hurt.

He groaned, obvious feeling of excitement, of pleasure.

You felt none of it.

He took you.

Just as he promised.

Like always.

He didn't hesitate to start moving. Within just seconds---he never gave you a chance to even recompose yourself---he was pulling out, then thrusting right back into you. Every thrust brought a grunt of pleasure from him and a pained and agonized yelp from you.

Again.

And again.

And again.

At this point, you weren't even screaming. You were just crying---crying as loud as you possibly could with your mouth taped shut and your face being buried into the mattress with his own head as he rested it on yours.

"M...Mmf...f...goddesshh....fffuck me, ffuck...."

His grunts were audible to you; every single one had a word or part of a word in it.

He wasn't even listening to your cries. At this moment, he only cared about himself.

Not you.

Him.

Only him.

Every thrust was painful, every move of his body in and out of you hurt; it was as if long, sharp knives were stabbing you again and again, making nothing but paste of your insides. Your mind was racing, your heart beat fast, your lungs tried to take in air more and more.

Your breaths were faster, more painful to take in.

He might have noticed this.

But didn't care.

Like always.

There was no more whimpering from you. You were letting all of the possible energy you had tonight---that you had left---crying as he pushed into you. Then out. Then in. Then out. Back in.

Sometimes, you screamed when a single thrust was harder, deeper, faster than the rest, and your voice would crack with the agony it brought.

You tried to scream "Stop! Please!" through the tape, or try your best to do so. But he didn't notice.

Whenever you tried to move or squirm away from him---which only hurt just as bad now---he would just whisper in your ear.

"Don't make this harder, please..."

He would keep going, and going, and going. He never stopped. He would keep pushing into you, and you would keep crying.

On and on, it would go.

It was...maybe...ten minutes had passed.

His thrusts were wetter, less drier.

It felt like blood.

It smelled like blood.

Maybe it was blood.

Every thrust still hurt, made you cry---but it was smoother, less painful.

It was starting to feel numb down there. Even then, you could still feel him jabbing himself into you over and over---still grunting and moaning. For a brief moment, he stopped. Maybe it was over, you hoped.

No.

All he did was wrap his arms around your stomach and he was going again.

You were still crying. It wasn't constant anymore. Sometimes, you would cry until you ran out of breath. Then you would do a sharp intake of breath and you were crying all over again.

And nopony heard you.

This time---he was moving to the beat. A song was playing downstairs. You could barely hear it over your own cries and his grunts, but the beat was there.

He followed it. Every beat of the song, every push of himself inside of you.

The bed didn't squeak, didn't make a noise.

It was quiet, so quiet.

You tried to muffle the words "No...no..." and you did.

They were lazy and barely audible. You were losing the strength to speak.

Crying so hard.

Twenty minutes came and went.

Numbness. It was all you could feel down there.

But there was the pain too.

His body still lay on yours, moving back and forth. As he did so---your arms started to hurt. They rubbed against the ropes and you didn't know it until now.

They hurt, but...at the same time, they didn't.

You were losing the air so quickly, you were breathing so fast---just to take in the air, and you wondered if you were going to pass out, while Grace just had his way with you.

A part of you wanted to hope for that. You didn't want to be awake right now.

Wake up, please.

You didn't.

Couldn't.

Thirty minutes, and he wasn't finished. He was still moving in and out, hurting you again and again.

So he went faster---harder than he had before.

He gripped your body tightly with every hard, fast thrust.

It hurt again. You felt it again.

And you started crying again, just as you had then. You tried flailing your hind legs around, trying to maybe close them, stop him somehow---but you remembered they too were bound to the bed, roped along with your arms.

You sniffled and gasped through your nose with every push in, crying all the same.

He wasn't following the beat anymore. He was going at his own rough pace.

He didn't care.

Forty minutes.

You were numb.

So numb, so...quiet.

It was only sniffles now coming from your nose. Your face---it was drenched in the wetness and dryness of every tear you shed. Dry tears would be overlaid with wet ones---whatever you could cry out.

The party was calming downstairs. It sounded like it, at least, you didn't, couldn't tell.

No DJ. Violins and gentle classical soothed your ears.

He bit them sometimes. When he was rough with you, he would nibble or bite down.

You wanted to scream, but you didn't have the strength left to do so. None to move, none to flail, none to resist or stop.

All you could do was lay there now, tied up on the bed.

He was still on you, moving into you and back out, then in again. He was panting.

He was close, you hoped.

Just let it end.

Just let it end. It's been so long. You hoped he would've finished a long time ago.

But he didn't. He was still going.

You started to blank out, away from everything---or you tried.

You wanted to go home.

I want to go home.

Forty five minutes.

He was going faster, he was rougher. His grunts were louder and more fierce.

He was panting fast. He was clearly lost in the pleasure.

You couldn't feel anything.

"I..."

He tried to speak at first. He could hardly mutter a word. He panted and sighed every time he spoke up.

He slowed down, and he could speak just a bit.

"I...I'm gonna f...finish, okay? I'm...I'm gonna finish inside of you."

No.

No. Please.

Please no.

You shook your head, tried to flail again. You were still weak, but you tried. Through the tape on your face, you tried to scream, beg him not to finish inside of you. You didn't care if it was the legs, your back, your ass!

Please...not inside.

He started moving fast again. He ignored you.

Arms still wrapped around your body, he held you closer to him, buried his head in your neck. He might've been trying to bite down. You thought it hurt---but he didn't care.

He didn't care.

He started mumbling to you. You wanted to drown it out, not hear that voice, that voice, that VOICE...

"I love you, I love you...I love you so much...I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna cum inside you...so deep, deep inside you...you're gonna have my babies....my babies..."

Grace held you down. Your face was nearly buried into the mattress. Even if you could scream through your mouth, it would be drowned out by the bed itself. Air was hard to come by.

Am I gonna die?

It raced through your head. All of it, everything, every single thing, racing...racing, racing through your head.

Don't, please don't.

Please don't.

Don't, please.

Please.

Don't.

But he didn't listen, didn't hear your thoughts, your pleas.

He didn't listen.

Like always.

He slowed down.

And he stopped.

You felt it pour inside you...so deep inside you---and your eyes, your bloodshot, teary eyes grew wide as you knew what he had done to you, in you.

His breaths were shaky and his body wobbled on you, weak. His weight fell all onto you.

You could still feel him pouring inside of you, drop after drop, stream after stream.

You cried again. It was weak and silent, but you cried.

A minute passed, and he was done. He laid himself on you, resting.

He nibbled on your ear. He sounded so calm, so relaxed.

"I came...I came inside of you...y..."

He stopped and tried to nuzzle your mane.

Then he whispered in your ear.

"Y...You're gonna have my babies."

Everything was blank. Your breaths were slow, your eyes were glued to the wall. You stared and stared.

The tears were still fresh, falling, dry, fresh.

He stopped nuzzling you.

"...You want me to take the tape off?"

He asked it in a kind way.

It wasn't kind, you knew it.

You didn't have the strength to do anything.

So weak.

"I'm gonna...take the tape of your mouth, okay? ...You won't scream."

You won't.

You can't.

They wouldn't hear you if you tried now.

He reached his hoof for one end of the tape. You could barely see his brown hoof reaching for it.

There was no hesitation, no slow movement. With a single yank, the tape came off of your mouth.

You wanted to yelp. All you could do is shake and quiver with the pain.

More tears came. Many reasons.

Grace pulled out of you. You could feel him, it, all of it. It was thick, runny.

There was blood---you knew it.

He got up. Even then---you could still feel him on you. It felt that way.

With a slight twist of your head to the right, you watched him in the dark. He was undoing one of the ropes that bound your fore-hoof.

You just watched him. Knots, twists, turns, loops.

The first rope came loose from its pole. He undid the part wrapped around your hoof. He flung it on his back as he moved to undo the next one.

You looked at your hoof. In the dark, you could still see the redness. The soreness of it.

No strength to scream or shout.

You could barely whisper.

You spoke to him.

"...I hate you."

At first, he ignored you.

The second rope came loose from the pole, and your right hind leg was free.

No strength to kick.

It was quiet.

Was the party over?

Hardly few ponies were still here.

Yes.

It was over.

You sniffled.

He spoke to you.

"I gave you a chance."

He started undoing the third rope on your left hind leg.

You didn't say anything. You didn't reply or move. You just laid there and listened to him.

The third rope came free in moments.

"I loved you....you didn't love me."

The rope around your hind leg came free. You heard the whiffle as it wrapped on his back.

He walked closer to you. He started undoing the last rope.

It took a slight bit longer than the others.

You didn't look at him. You couldn't look at him, didn't want to look at him. You just listened as he undid the rope.

"I took the chance."

The rope came loose. He removed it from your wrist.

You were free.

But you didn't move.

You just laid there.

Still.

Quiet.

But you wept.

He didn't care, didn't tend to you. Probably didn't even hear you.

You didn't want him to hear you.

You didn't want him to touch you.

Not again, no.

You could hear a clock ticking on the wall. Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Was it late? How long was it really? An hour? Two? Three?

No sun.

Still dark.

Maybe the minutes felt like hours and it wasn't even midnight.

How long had you slept before you...? Before he...?

"You can go, if you want."

You hear him start to move away from you, towards a corner. You heard the click and the creak as he opened the bedroom door. A bit of light from the dim hallway lit up the room, but only slightly.

You heard him move again, further and further, quieter and quieter.

Then he was gone.

You clenched your eyes shut.

You curled up into a ball. It hurt, still hurt very much.

You didn't care.

You started crying. You cried---and cried---and cried.

Fresh tears fell. They dried and new ones came down.

You breathed in and sobbed more.

No one could hear you.

You were so quiet, but you were still so loud.

You laid there.

You didn't move.

So still.

So very...very still.

It was one o'clock when you got home. The party had been done for an hour.

You should've been back an hour ago.

You didn't care.

You didn't want to care.

The front door opened slowly.

It was dark.

The living room was dark. You could see, but you couldn't all the same.

You were blank.

You hurt everywhere. Every step, every move of your body or twitch of your ears only brought G...

You stared.

Let it be over.

You started walking. Step. Pain. Step. Pain.

Step.

Pain.

A single light flickered on.

You ignored it. Your bloodshot eyes---they kept looking to the stairs.

With every step, you shook and shivered. You felt weak, wanted to fall to the floor.

You were afraid.

Kept walking.

"Dash...!"

It was your dad, the one who turned on the light.

"Where the hell have you been? We wanted you home a-..."

He stopped.

You knew he was looking at you. You were a clear mess. But he was probably none the wiser. He didn't know.

Did you want him to? Anyone?

"...Honey?"

You kept walking. You were slower. It was more of a shamble. Weak. Slow.

Pain.

Hurt.

He walked towards you.

The sound of hooves. Behind you.

You heard him again.

"Are you o-...?"

He touched you.

You turned.

And you screamed.

"NO!"

Your father jumped back, startled. His hoof moved away.

You still screamed that same word. Again and again.

He looked at you. He was worried, scared, confused.

You fell to the floor.

It hurt so much.

Your eyes clenched shut again.

The tears came back and you covered your face as you lay on the floor.

Then your father noticed the red.

Then the white.

And everything changed.

Grace was dead that same morning. It was an obvious suicide. Hung his neck from one of the very ropes he tied you up with.

Your parents...

Your mother cried with you all night after you came home.

Your dad...

He wanted to be angry. At Grace, of course. His face was almost red.

But you were important.

You were in the hospital by sunrise. One of the doctors looked you over, took tests.

You couldn't leave for a few days.

Officers were knocking on the front door of Grace's house. His family answered.

He didn't. He was already gone.

He left a note on the table just beside him. He didn't leave anything out.

He let the world know what he'd done.

You went to therapy for a while. A long time. You don't remember how long you went to the same place. You would go every day since you started. Day after day, week after week---month after month.

Even when they tried...

Even when they tried to help you---you were scared.

You were scared, afraid, of someone like Grace coming along.

You were scared of being popular.

You were scared of everything.

But time passed.

It never healed any wound, but you tried to accept it.

A part of you wanted to forgive Grace for what he had done. You knew that he had guilt in him. He regretted his choice, and he...tried to make up, even if it meant taking his own life.

But you wouldn't forgive. For a long time, you hated him, just as you hated him that very night.

You hated him.

You hated him.

You...

With time, you learned to forget, to not spend your days overcome with grief, with pain, with suffering of one single action.

You tried to forget Grace, forget what he had done.

You tried to forget---so you wouldn't be afraid anymore.

You did.

You forgot.

You weren't afraid.

You weren't afraid.

And then he showed up.