First period had ended, and Lemon's brain was still swimming from all the revelations that Twilight gave her. I still can't believe she did all that for me... thought Lemon. I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through right now. I've never seen anyone in pain like that.

"Look where you're walking, you're going to bump into someone." said a deadpan voice.

Lemon rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Sugarcoat." Sugarcoat merely blinked as Lemon passed her by. Lemon shuddered, remembering Sugarcoat's secret. This must be what being burdened with knowledge feels like...

"Yo." said a voice. Lemon looked up to see Indigo Zap. "You excited for the Friendship Games?" she asked.

"Of course I am!" said Lemon, perking up. "Crystal Prep always wins, after all!"

"You're goddamn right we do." said Indigo as she and Lemon fist-bumped.

Oh, shit... Lemon thought. If I've seen Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap, and Sour Sweet's still avoiding me like the plague...that leaves...

"Hey there." said Sunny Flare.

Lemon sighed. "What do you want?"

Sunny smiled. "Heard about your falling out with Sour Sweet. I haven't seen her since then."

"Yeah? So what?" said Lemon.

"Aww. Is that the reaction I'm getting out of you? Darn, I thought you'd try to come at me or something." said Sunny.

"Not in the mood, Flare." said Lemon.

Sunny smiled. "Oho, last name only? Are you finally coming on to me?"

Lemon rolled her eyes. "If by 'coming on to you' you mean resisting the urge to shove my foot up your ass. I wouldn't do it though, something tells me you'd enjoy it."

Sunny laughed. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm a sadist, not a masochist."

Lemon rolled her eyes again. "Sometimes I wonder. Is there anything you want? Like...oh, I don't know...gloating?"

Sunny put her hand to her mouth in mock astonishment. "Why, Lemon Zest, whatever makes you think I'd do that? I wasn't the one who spilled the beans to one of her only friends. That was all you."

Lemon felt her anger rise slowly. Don't let her get to you...use your knowledge only as a last resort.

"Oh, goodness!" said Sunny. "You're turning a most delightful shade of red, it's very becoming!"

Lemon snarled. "Isn't their someone else you can piss off and masturbate to their misery?"

Sunny grinned. "You're the best target in all of Crystal Prep Academy! Why would I ever aim for anyone else?"

"Keep testing me, and I just might give you a damn good reason." said Lemon.

"Such as?" asked Sunny.

"Last warning, Flare." said Lemon. "I don't want to have to do this."

"What's with you and last names?" asked Sunny. "Besides, you know nothing about me."

Lemon allowed herself a smile. "Interesting choice of words, Sunny Flare. How about this last name, then...Rutherford."

Sunny Flare blanched. "Uh...what was that?"

"I. Said. Rutherford." said Lemon.

"How...how do you..." said Sunny.

"Like I'd tell you." said Lemon. "And if I know about Rutherford, then I'm sure you've gathered that I also know about your-"

"Don't say it!" said Sunny, tears forming in her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be the nice one..."

"Are you familiar with the phrase 'Even Buddha will get upset if he's hit in the face three times?'" said Lemon. "Well, I've been hit in the face too many goddamn times! It's time I started pushing back. I've been putting up with Crystal Prep Academy's bullshit for far too long. All the competitiveness, the backstabbing... I have had enough!"

"Wait...are you...?" Sunny looked at Lemon.

"Here's what you're going to do, Sunny Flare." said Lemon.

"You...you're blackmailing me?!" said Sunny.

"After all the shit I've been through, I'd like some sort of...'compensation' for all the grief you and the other girls have caused me." said Lemon.

"What makes you think they'll listen to you?" said Sunny.

"I know all the deepest, darkest secrets of our fellow Shadowbolts." Lemon said.

Sunny Flare's eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing."

"Are you willing to take that chance?" said Lemon. "I'm starting to think it really would kill everyone here to be nice to each other."

"Okay." Sunny sighed. "What is it you want?"

"That's more like it." said Lemon. "What I want...Sunny Flare...is for you and the other Shadowbolts to treat each other nicely. I'm not asking or forcing you all to be friends, I'm not so sweet and naive as to believe that's possible. At the very least, try to be civil with one another."

Sunny blinked. "That's all you want?"

Lemon's expression hardened. "What, you were expecting a sexual favor? As you just said to me; 'Don't flatter yourself'. Now go spread the word..." Lemon narrowed her eyes. "And get the fuck out of my sight." she hissed.

Sunny nodded and ran off. Once she left Lemon's eyesight, Lemon nearly collapsed onto the floor. Fucking hell...if I feel this bad about what I did, Twilight must be feeling far worse! The warning bell for second period rang. "Crap!" she said as she ran to her next class.

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After second period, Lemon started searching for Twilight. She couldn't find any of the other members of the Shadowbolt lineup for the Friendship Games, and she took that as a good sign. She was stopped in her tracks by two arms holding onto her tightly. She looked at the person responsible to see Twilight in tears. "Twilight?" said Lemon.

"Oh, god, Lemon...I feel so terrible!" Twilight said. "It feels like the guilt is eating me alive!" she started crying.

Lemon hugged her. "Hey now...I'm here for you."

"Lemon...I don't know if I can live with myself for what I've done." Twilight said. "I saw the whole thing with you and Sunny Flare. The look on her face...and when you nearly collapsed on the floor..." Twilight sobbed.

Lemon stroked Twilight's hair to calm her down. "I'm here for you, Twilight. We can get through this together, you hear me? Just you and me..."

"That's just it..." said Twilight. "I don't know if I can keep it between us for much longer. This knowledge is the equivalent of the Telltale Heart to me, and I'm very close to just ripping off the floorboards just so I can feel at peace with myself!"

Lemon thought for a moment. "Okay. I think I know someone we can tell with little fear of consequences, but you'll have to wait and trust me. Meet during lunch period. Just hang in there until then, okay?"

Twilight simply nodded.

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Lunch period came around rather quickly, and Lemon and Twilight met each other in the cafeteria. "How are you holding up?" Lemon asked Twilight.

"I think I could snap any minute..." said Twilight.

"Then we don't have any time to lose. Follow me!" she took Twilight's hand and ran to Radiant Hope's office.