Luna’s heart pounded as she approached the door to the meeting room. The Rainbooms were waiting on the other side, finally within reach, but the prospect of seeing how badly the wasteland had changed them was enough to set Luna’s nerves on edge. Glancing back, she saw that Trixie was looking pensive, while Sonata was trembling anxiously. Luna could hardly blame her after what had happened when they first found Sunset.

“They should all be here by now,” Officer Murray said simply. “I’ll leave you ladies to it.”

Luna offered him a quick thanks as he walked away, taking care to keep her voice and body language as neutral and calm as she could in an attempt to reassure the girls. Bracing herself for what she might find within, Luna knocked on the door and pushed it open. Seven familiar faces looked up at her in surprise as she stepped into the room.

“Vice-Principal Luna?!” Twilight exclaimed as she shot to her feet. “And Trixie too?! How did you get pulled through the portal?!”

Luna couldn’t help a brief flicker of relief at the sight of the Rainbooms all together, apparently uninjured save for some small bandages here and there and a set of gauze dressings over Rainbow’s ears. “That’s… something of a long story,” Luna replied with a glance at Sunset.

“I was just about to finish bringing them up to speed,” Sunset said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were flicking warily from Luna to the door and back. Thankfully, none of the girls seemed inclined to attack Sonata in the way that Sunset had.

“This is fucked up,” Applejack said dourly, pressing a hand to her forehead.

Rarity winced and shot Luna an apologetic look. “Yes, darling, but perhaps we should, er, refrain from using profanity in front of a teacher?”

“It’s alright, Rarity,” Luna assured her. “If even half of the stories of what you girls have been through are true, I’m not going to give you grief over a little bit of swearing.”

Looking at the girls, it was clear that the stories were unfortunately all too real. Just like Sunset, all of the Rainbooms were leaner and more muscular than they had been at school, with the sole exception of Twilight, who was much the same save for perhaps a little more definition in her arms. Rarity, naturally, looked a little more neat and tidy than the others, but even she had thick bags under her eyes, sunken cheeks, tatty hair that looked like it hadn’t been brushed or cleaned in days, and was wearing a stained gray uniform that was liberally streaked with blood, mud, and sweat. Luna also noted the strange mechanical glove that covered Rarity’s left hand, and the nasty vertical scar just above Pinkie’s right eye.

Worse than their appearance was the girls’ clear lack of reaction to the arrival of the others. Rainbow was muttering darkly under her breath, and even Pinkie seemed to be struggling not to look entirely miserable, but the others just looked… defeated; as if they had endured so much pain and loss recently that they were becoming almost numb to it. Either that or they were at breaking point. The fact that none of them could even muster up the energy to be angry at Sonata showed just how exhausted the Rainbooms were.

“Um, Vice-Principal? I have a question.” Fluttershy half-raised a hand, as if they were back at CHS. “Who’s waiting outside the door? They smell scared.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out why Fluttershy was talking as if she had a nose like a dog, until the young woman’s words sank in and she whipped around in fearful realization. The only reason the Rainbooms weren’t taking a shot at Sonata was because the siren hadn’t actually followed Luna and Trixie into the room.

“Someone who’s showing a little more sense than usual,” Sunset said grimly. She glanced at Luna, then cleared her throat and addressed her fellow Rainbooms, “Okay, girls, someone's about to come through that door, and I need you all to stay cool and not freak out when she does, clear?” The others stared at her curiously, but Sunset just raised her voice and called out, “You may as well get in here and get this over with.”

There was a moment’s pause, then Sonata timidly stepped through the door, anxiously twisting her ponytail. The second she appeared, the room erupted into bedlam.

Most of the Rainbooms leapt to their feet with angry shouts and curses. Before Luna could react, Twilight’s magic burst into life around Sonata’s throat, while Applejack whipped a knife out and reached back as if she were about to toss it, Rarity summoned a swarm of barbed crystal needles, and Pinkie pulled some sort of military shotgun out of nowhere and leveled it at the hapless siren. Most terrifyingly of all, magic rippled across Fluttershy’s body as her nails lengthened into claws, bat-like wings erupted from her back, and she let out a feral snarl that displayed appallingly sharp fangs. Luna found herself frozen in fear and shock at the sudden nightmarish displays of aggression in the room.

“What the fuck did I just say about staying cool?!” Sunset snapped.

“You expect us to play nice with this shit-stirrin’ bitch when she and her friends are the reason we’re stuck in this hell-hole?!” Applejack shot.

“Indirectly, and the Dazzlings are trying to make things right on the other side, so yes, I expect you all to play nice,” Sunset countered. “Besides, I already nearly slit her throat when she first arrived here, so she knows her situation.” Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie all grumbled as they put their weapons away and sat back down, but Twilight didn’t listen. Instead, she clenched her hand and tightened her magical grip on Sonata’s neck, making her splutter and gasp for air. “Twi, let her go!” Sunset demanded.

“No!” Twilight spat. “She deserves this! She deserves to feel everything we’ve been through and m- ow, ow, ow!” Twilight released her magic as Rainbow grabbed her wrist and squeezed the pressure points on either side, pulling her slowly but firmly back down into her seat. “Okay, alright! I’ve let her go!” Rainbow released her and she rubbed her wrist vigorously. “Geez, why aren’t you angry about this?” Twilight glanced at Rainbow, who just gave her a blank look and pointed at the computer on the table in front of her. “Oh, right. Sorry.”

Luna was relieved that Twilight had backed down, but Fluttershy was still standing and flexing her claws as she snarled at Sonata, prompting Luna to step protectively in front of the siren.

“You okay, Flutters?” Sunset asked warily. “Got a blood pack on you?”

The mention of a blood pack confused Luna for a moment. Realization dawned as Fluttershy sat down and pulled a blood-spattered transfusion pack out of a bag next to her chair, then turned to horror as she bit into it and drained it in one swift draught. A second later there was another flash of magic as she returned to her normal human form. “I got some from Talon Company,” Fluttershy said as she tossed the crumpled pack onto the table.

“When did you see Talon Company?” Rarity asked casually, utterly unconcerned about the fact that her close friend had just turned into a vampire and back.

In an effort to try and keep her wits about her, Luna tuned out what the Rainbooms were saying and turned to check on Sonata. “Are you alright?”

“She tried to kill me,” Sonata murmured quietly, softly massaging her throat.

“Sorry, but things in this world have been difficult.” Luna, Trixie and Sonata all flinched as Fluttershy spoke from right next to them, though they hadn’t even noticed her leaving her seat. Luna couldn’t suppress a shiver as she realized that the Rainboom’s uniform was splattered with blood. Fluttershy ignored her and held a hand out to Sonata. “Here, let me take a look.”

Sonata backed away and shook her head vigorously, her eyes wide. “No way! I’m not letting a vampony anywhere near my neck!”

“It’s vampire, not vampony, and I’m not going to bite you,” Fluttershy admonished gently.

“Wait, hold on, time out for a second!” Trixie cut in suddenly. “Can someone please slow down and explain what’s going on?! Fluttershy’s a vampire, Pinkie has a gun, Rainbow’s using a computer, and Twilight nearly went full-on psycho killer! What the heck happened to all of you?!” Her chest heaved with emotion as everyone turned to stare at her.

Sunset sighed and gestured vaguely to the chairs. “Everyone sit down and try to chill. Fluttershy, check Sonata over. She’s not going to bite you,” she added as Sonata opened her mouth to protest. Sunset ran a hand through her hair and sighed again before looking up at Trixie. “Remember how I reacted when I first saw you three again? All seven of us have been pushed to that point by now. And girls, I know we’re all angry at the Dazzlings, but Sonata isn’t even close to being our biggest problem right now. Besides, she’s stuck in this world as much as we are. I think that’s punishment enough.”

The other Rainbooms all nodded and mumbled their agreement, which Luna found more concerning than she was willing to admit, but she shrugged it off as she guided Trixie to a seat and sat down next to her. It was time to take some responsibility. “Well, first things first, I’m relieved to see you all alive and healthy. I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to find a way to get you home sooner.”

“There’s nothing you could have done,” Sunset assured her.

“Especially with time dilation as a factor,” Twilight added. “By my calculations, it should have taken at least another year before temporal issues became relevant. I never considered that the difference would be so drastic in this world.”

“No one could have known,” Luna agreed. She didn’t have the first clue about how magic worked, but she had at least gleaned that much through conversations with Sunset and the Enclave over the last couple of days.

Applejack raised a curious eyebrow at Twilight. “Ah gotta admit, Ah’m surprised that y’ain’t more freaked out about this.”

Twilight just shrugged. “If even the older and more experienced version of me didn’t consider it, I think I can give myself a pass this time. Besides, think of all the extra studying we’ve been able to do! My next physics test is going to be a cakewalk, and Fluttershy is going to breeze through her biology lessons. Even you might be able to get some good grades.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked with a scowl.

“It means you’re thick as shit, ass-muncher,” Rainbow said bluntly.

“Look who’s talkin’, you feather-brained shit-wit!” Applejack shot back.

Rarity groaned and rolled her eyes. “For goodness’ sake, you two, that’s quite enough.”

Luna subtly looked around at each of the Rainbooms in turn, taking note of the various bruises, scars, and barely-healed cuts that each of them were sporting. Her gaze lingered on the dressings around Rainbow’s ears, but she couldn’t think of any tactful way to question her about it. Unfortunately, Rainbow chose that moment to look up from the computer, and spotted where Luna was staring before she could look away. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Rainbow said a little too quietly as she returned her gaze to the computer.

“It’s not nothing, Dash,” Applejack countered firmly, though not unkindly.

Rainbow let out an annoyed huff. “Whatever, so I’m deaf, it’s no big deal. The doc can fix it.”

The purpose of the computer, and the odd purple glow flitting across the keyboard, suddenly became all too clear to Luna.

“It definitely goes in the list of your most badass moments, though,” Sunset put in with a slight smirk. “I don’t think there’s many people who can say that they saved Horrigan’s ass.”

“Or that they managed to get a hit in on Unity,” Pinkie added.

Rainbow snorted, the ghost of a smile playing about her lips. “Sure, there’s only… what, Sunset, Horrigan, ED-E, and Liberty Prime?”

Seeing the girls building each other up should have been a weight off Luna’s shoulders, but it was plain to her that it was just a smokescreen; a coping mechanism meant to keep them from completely going to pieces. The Rainbooms weren’t optimistic teenagers with a high-schooler’s concerns anymore. All Luna had to do was look at them to see that they were now scarred young women, overwhelmed by seeing too many horrors in too short a time. Their innocence had been well and truly shattered.

Fluttershy suddenly heaved a great sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry, everyone, but I need to get out of here and get some rest. This last week has been…”

“Kinda makes you wish we were just dealing with feral ghouls and a couple of dumbasses with baseball bats again, doesn’t it?” Pinkie said quietly. She threw Luna and Trixie an apologetic look as she stood up. “I’m gonna go and get some rest, too, if that’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay,” Luna replied quickly. “I can’t even imagine what things have been like for you girls these last few months. Take all the time you need.”

Applejack stood and stretched next. “Ah think Ah’ll go an’ see how the apple harvest is comin’ along, maybe share a few recipes.”

One by one, the Rainbooms apologized and left, until only Sunset, Rainbow, and the three new arrivals remained. Finally, Rainbow stood as well. Luna was surprised to see that her Pip-Boy, unlike the others’, appeared to be made out of glittering sapphires. A second later Luna felt an awful jolt as she spotted what was very clearly a sword scabbarded at Rainbow’s waist.

“I guess I’ll go speak to the doc and see how quickly he can fix my ears.” Rainbow glared at Sonata, who instinctively shrank back into her chair. “Just so you know, I stayed cool back there because Sunset asked me to, but if you ever, ever, try to screw us over again-” there was a multi-colored blur and Rainbow was suddenly standing behind Sonata with her sword drawn, resting the flat of the blade on the siren’s shoulder, “-and you’ll be dead before you even realize that you’ve fucked up.”

“O-okay! I’ll behave!” Sonata spluttered, apparently forgetting that Rainbow was deaf,but the Rainboom had already sheathed her sword and swept out of the room without a backwards glance.

Sunset sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “That actually went better than I expected.”

“They all tried to kill me!” Sonata spat as she trembled in her chair.

“Threatened. They threatened to kill you,” Sunset corrected. “If they had tried, you’d be dead. Hell, I’ve seen Twilight squish a man’s skull like a grape just by snapping her fingers, you’re lucky she just went for choking you out instead.” The image of some poor soul’s head imploding in Twilight’s magic made Luna feel distinctly ill, but Sunset continued talking as if such a horrifying occurrence was nothing out of the ordinary, “I’m a little surprised that none of them stuck around to talk or make sure that you’re all okay, but this is a pretty big thing to dump on them after everything they’ve been through, so they probably need some time to get their heads on straight. Don’t take it personally.”

Luna quickly gathered her wits and shook her head, careful not to let her queasiness show on her face. “Of course, we understand completely.” Trixie nodded slowly, though whether that was because she agreed or because she was just on autopilot was anyone’s guess, while Sonata was too busy shaking with fear to be paying any attention. Luna couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Sonata and the other Dazzlings had caused havoc at CHS, but she didn’t deserve regular death threats.

Sunset checked something on her Pip-Boy and shrugged. “I haven’t got a clue how long Becky is going to be stuck in a meeting with the Council, so how do you three fancy a tour of Rivet City while we wait?”

Next Chapter: Chapter 155 - Deal Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 43 Minutes