Twilight made her way to the bottom of the stairs, hearing voices in the living room, the scent of fried food tickling her nostrils. Sunset met her in the doorway, pulling her over to the couch with a grin. “Your dad hit the fried food place,” she said with excitement. “You have to try some of these fried veggies.”

Before she realized it, Sunset had tugged her down, so that Twilight was sandwiched between her and Cady on the couch. Her brother chuckled from the floor where he was leaning back against his fiancée’s legs. “I have never seen someone get so excited over deep fried zucchini.”

“Excuse you,” Sunset said haughtily. “I’ll have you know that where I’m from, deep fried vegetables are something to get excited over.” She plucked some battered kind of fried vegetable slice from one of the containers in front of her and bit into it. “Mmmm….”

The faint sound of pleasure sent a thrill up Twilight’s spine, and she hid it by accepting the container Cady handed her way, finding all of her favorite treats from the restaurant inside. “It smells good,” she said quietly, glancing over at where her parents sat in their favorite chairs.

Night smiled at her, "I thought we all deserved unhealthy comfort food after today." His smile turned to a chuckle when Sunset made the weirdest sound and promptly stuffed some kind of leafy vegetable coated in batter in her mouth and closed her eyes in bliss.

Shining smirked slightly, "I told you we should have got a double order of the kale pakora, Dad.”

Curious, Twilight snitched a little piece of it from Sunset and nibbled on it…before promptly regretting it. She gave her girlfriend a betrayed look. “That is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted. It's like someone put salt on the weeds Mom pulls from the garden, and then decided to batter and fry it.”

“It's delicious,” the redhead countered happily. “I just wish I had Lucky’s seasoning to go on it…” At the confused look, she explained, “It was a sandwich shop, and they did seasoned fries and potato wedges. The seasoning was amazing, but it was a secret family recipe from the original Lucky. Pri—” Sunset paused, then corrected herself. “My guardian had a soft spot for Lucky’s, and used to say that the seasoning was so delicious it would make paperwork taste good.”

Having watched all this, Twilight’s mother chose that moment to interject. “Technically, a fair number of what you call weeds, Twily, are actually edible in their own right. In fact, when I was looking into what I wanted to plant this year, I read an article on using uncommon edible plants in meals. I was actually considering incorporating some of the recipe ideas into meal planning.”

Shining turned a mock horrified face towards Twilight, before saying, “I think I’ll pass on the weed and dandelion salad, Mom.”

Her girlfriend chirped brightly, “I’ll take his share.”

Velvet laughed lightly. “I was actually going to ask if you would like to go with us on the day I pick out the seedlings for our garden this year, Sunset. Twily usually helps me pick out flowers, but I thought it might be fun to get your help in picking out vegetables, fruits, and maybe enhance my herb selection. Maybe we could even talk my daughter into researching which flowers are both edible and beautiful…”

That made Sunset’s whole countenance light up—whether it was from the prospect of a larger variety of vegetarian edibles or from the fact that the older woman was including her in something that sounded like a family activity, Twilight couldn't be sure. Either way, her girlfriend leaned forward and began talking excitedly with Twilight Velvet about vegetable gardens and vegetarian recipes, and Twilight was content to let the conversation go on without any real input from her.

Instead, she nibbled on her food, her body far hungrier than her head wanted to be, and being far more insistent about that fact than normal. While she ate—and snuck peeks at Sunset’s happy smile—the dark haired teen let her mind wander, distracted for a time by the mundane idea of whether or not they could build some kind of hothouse adjacent to her garage lab, allowing her to set up the equipment for a year round hydroponics garden. The hardest part would be the structure itself, what with construction material costs, blueprints, permits, actual labor costs since they didn't have anyone in the family with the time or expertise to build it…but for the internals… Twilight pondered the difficulty in writing software to control the lights and hydration levels of different common vegetables and herbs that she knew Sunset liked and decided it was well within the margin for acceptability with her current skill level. The hardest part would be programming the sensors in the nutrient trays to not only analyze but register a number of different potential inputs based on that data, since nutrient and fluid balance could be so much more finicky in a hydroponic setup than a traditional soil based garden bed.

It was soothing to focus for a while on the simplistic and familiar logic of coding languages and the rationale of numbers and hard, concrete, well defined sciences, further settling her nerves after a trying day. For a time, it let her completely escape thinking about the real reason her family was gathered in the living room, why not just Sunset but Cadence and Shining too were practically on top of her personal space bubble.

But they were, and it was the little details that kept pulling her from her thoughts of nicer things. Like how, despite the light conversations going on, there was a coiled tension in her family members, present in the set of her brother’s shoulders, in the way Cady kept leaning over to hug her shoulders, in the lines that marred her father’s forehead…and in the worried glances her mother kept sending her way. Her mother wasn’t alone in that either…each of them she caught flicking their eyes towards her. It made Sunset’s words come back to her.

“They’re worried about you, Sparky…”

Only Sunset seemed calm and relaxed, her body having lost the coiled tension sometime between their arrival home and coming down the stairs for dinner. Except, Twilight realized belatedly, that the seating was too deliberate, too thought out. It placed her brother closest to the front door, and Spike guarding the doorway to the front hall with his whole furry body…something that made her realize that her dog had been there, focused on the front door and not upstairs with her and Sunset. Strange, given he normally plastered himself to her side when she had a bad day…and he kept looking over, not at her, but at Sunset, as if waiting for some kind of signal… Sunset, who was currently the dominant force in the room, who had had some hand in the seating arrangements, and who, she realized, had placed herself with a clear, unobstructed view of the window, and thus the street and driveway in front of the house.

Her mind circled back to the talk with Sunset, and Twilight had to acknowledge her girlfriend was right. Everyone was worried and upset, not with her, but for her. The things that had been happening at her school had affected them almost as much as they had affected her…well…the things they knew about. The rational part of her mind then recognized that Sunset’s request was more than reasonable in light of this new understanding, and that things could not continue entirely as they had, because the situation at Crystal Prep had escalated beyond Twilight’s ability to manage…as much as she hated to admit the last part.

So she ignored that part of her mind that wanted to get angry and upset when her father finally set down his empty take out box and cleared his throat. “I know it has been a long day, but I would like to discuss what happened and where we go from here, if you are mentally and emotionally up for it, Twilight. If you aren't, we can postpone the discussion until tomorrow, since there are some things that we need to do before you can go back to school anyway.”

“Like replace your phone and your school supplies,” her mother added in a neutral way.

Twilight took a deep breath, and felt Sunset’s hand drop onto her forearm to squeeze lightly. “I…understand, but I believe I am able to have at least part of the conversation now. I already discussed a little bit of it with Sunset, and she helped me gain a bit of perspective I had been lacking.”

Night gave a slow nod. “Alright, if you’re certain.” He paused, then added, “We understand that this has been a tough day for you, so if at any time you need us to pause or take a break, you only have to let us know.”

The hand on her arm squeezed again, silent support from Sunset, and when Twilight glanced over, she knew her girlfriend would speak up if Twilight couldn't get the words out when she needed a break. It helped ground her emotionally when her anxieties started up at the mere thought of the impending talk. “Okay, Dad,” she answered, her voice shaking a little.

“I thought it might be best to start by recapping today’s events so we are all on the same page and operating with the same data set before we start discussing any decisions….particularly since no one person here was present for all of it.” He looked around the room, and, seeing only agreement, began, “According to your friend Indigo, the two of you left the gym and headed to the library, where you had been leaving your stuff with the librarian in her office. She explained that this was because some girls have been trying to corner you both in the locker-room as a bullying tactic. Is…this accurate, Twilight?”

Night looked extremely concerned already, and Twilight struggled to defuse it. “It’s…it's just Suri and her followers. More of the same stuff—name calling, taunting, accusing me of having my parents buy my GPA. She’s been doing it since freshman year…you knew about her.”

Her mother tilted her head. “This is the same girl who was bothering you two years ago? Wasn’t she an upperclassman when you were in ninth grade?”

Grimacing, Twilight responded, “Yeah, that’s her. She’s attempting her senior year for the third or fourth year in a row, and she blames me for it because I blew the bell curve in the math class I took in ninth grade…not that we were even in the same class or anything. She’s had it out for me ever since, and this year has been the worst.”

Sunset arched an eyebrow. “Boy, she sounds like a real winning example of ‘Crystal Prep superiority,’” the redhead joked.

“It's mostly talk,” Twilight explained, “but after I fought Polaris, something set her off, and the rumor is that she wants to ‘teach me a lesson’ in the locker room. Indigo found out, and we’ve been changing in the bathroom across from the library instead, and having Ms. Stacks watch our bags. It’s been working fine for weeks…”

Her father nodded. “We’ll get back to the girls in the locker-room problem later. For now, we’re focusing on today. So after gym you returned to the library, found the librarian gone, and your bag in her office had been vandalized?”

“Yes sir.”

Still going through it methodically, Night ticked off events. “This triggered an anxiety attack, and you discovered your medication was missing, at which point Indigo decided to try and contact someone for you.”

That was when Sunset interjected, “That someone was me. She texted my number, since she managed to get it from Twilight’s phone. I bailed out of my class, and called her. Tried to help calm Twilight a little, got the story and told her I’d call you guys.” She rubbed her neck, and looked at Twilight. “I also made her promise that she’d stay with you, Sparky, until your parents got to you.”

Night waited to see if Sunset had any more to say, before he continued, “At which point Sunset contacted us, made plans to get you some of your medication, and we began heading home as quickly as possible.”

Next to her, Cady added, “I called Lu as soon as I found out what was going on,” she confessed. “That way she wasn’t blindsided by Sunset wanting to leave school for the afternoon…”

In bits and pieces, the family reassembled the timeline of events, with a good bit of input from Sunset. In fact, the redhead was particularly agitated with what she had seen. “The woman was trying to threaten Indigo for doing the right thing, and then she tried to threaten me with authority figures if I didn't do what she said,” she complained about the nurse. “I didn't much care for her attitude, and I told her off. Told her I was going to help Twilight, and she could get out of my way.” Or “According to Miss Luna, her refusing to call you about Twilight is illegal! Why would she do that?” It painted a very vivid picture for Twilight about what had happened when she had completely shut out the outside world and later after she’d fallen asleep in Sunset’s lap.

“After we saw you ladies to the car, Shining and I took Indigo home. That's where she explained everything from her side, and I had a long conversation with her parents, offering to connect them with the family lawyers in the event that the school tries to punish their daughter—I felt it was the least I could offer, given the circumstances.” Night paused to take a sip of his drink.

Velvet hummed in agreement. “Absolutely—Abacus Cinch was far too eager to punish the girl if you ask me, when it was her staff who had grossly mishandled the entire situation.”

The dark haired girl shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Hearing all of this negative talk about her school and principal made her anxious; she had grown up being taught to respect authority figures and be polite and respectful to them, even if you disagreed…that there were appropriate ways to handle such conflict. And while she recognized that her parents were the exact people in a position to criticize her principal and her school, it still made her stomach knot up. Sunset shifted her arm, moving her hand off of Twilight’s to pull her into a tight hug while the adults discussed what Indigo’s parents had said.

“You okay, Sparky?” she asked in a low whisper.

Nodding her head slowly, Twilight still leaned into the embrace for as long as she thought she could get away with it. “Have I told you that you are the absolute best best friend in the whole world?” she mumbled into Sunset’s shoulder.

“Not today,” she said with a small laugh. “I learned from the best though.”

Warm affection settled over Twilight, like a cozy blanket that warded off everything from the cold to the bogeyman. It gave her strength in a way, made her feel far more able to deal with the knowledge stealing over her: her days at CPA were numbered. Her parents cared too much about her mental health and physical wellbeing to let her stay at the school, not with the ever growing list of problems and altercations. It was really down to a matter of when, and where Twilight would go next.

There were other private schools, of course, but the only other one inside the city was a Catholic school, and Twilight held little interest in going to a facility where part of the curriculum required her to pay lip service to a deity she didn't believe in for a religion that considered her a little more than a deviant animal. That left being shipped off to a boarding school, or going to one of the local public schools. As much as she would enjoy the accelerated learning, rigid schedule structure, and emphasis on self study at a boarding school, Twilight did not care much for the idea of being completely cut off from her family support for months at a time…and she didn't think her parents would care for it either.

As for public schools…

The closest one to her house was Canterlot High. Sunset’s school, full of people who watched the redheaded girl’s every move and judged her accordingly. These days they were apparently singing her praises, but Twilight remembered the cold November nights she had held her in the dark while she sobbed or writhed in the grip of terrible nightmares. She remembered in excruciating detail, the shattered, empty eyes and numb voice that had confessed to being some kind of monster, or the broken way she had talked about having several gallons of blood and offal upended over her. She remembered watching this strong, marvelous, magical force of nature that was Sunset Shimmer cracking and crumbling under the combined weight of guilt, shame, expectation heaped on her, and how she had pushed herself to the brink of collapse to prove herself to them.

Twilight could recall with painful and precise clarity the way Sunset had sounded when she finally said, “I don't hate myself anymore…”

And she wondered if Canterlot High was really any better than Crystal Prep…

“…hey, what’s wrong?” Sunset’s voice intruded on her musings, and she blinked up at her girlfriend for a moment as the real world came back into focus on the other side of her glasses.

It took a second to realize her thoughts must have shown on her face, and she sighed. “…just…thinking…about my alternatives to Crystal Prep. I know Mom wants me to transfer.”

Sunset nodded, rubbing her back lightly. “You know you’d be welcomed with open arms at CHS.”

Biting her lip, Twilight said, “I don't know…I know you've said your friends are nice, but the rest of the school seems so fickle…how are they really any different from Crystal Prep students? Look at what they did to you last fall.”

“Sparky, that’s different. What happened to me was a mess of my own making. Yes, some people took it too far, but it wouldn't have happened in the first place if I hadn't done my very best to deserve the title of ‘Queen Bitch of Canterlot High.’ And even then, as soon as the principals found out about it, they put an end to it—half the junior and senior class were suspended for like a week, and they did a big assembly to call everyone on it. That's…a lot different from what happened today at your school.”

Her fiery-maned paramour made some valid points from a logical standpoint, but that didn't assuage all of Twilight’s lingering mistrust of people who had, at one point, gone after Sunset in retaliation. She knew the older girl had been a bully, but she questioned if that could in any way justify what had been done in turn. Two wrongs did not make a right, and an eye for an eye tended to leave behind a lot of depth perception issues. “…maybe…” she mumbled.

“Girls?” her mother’s voice interrupted further discussion on the matter. “Is everything alright?”

The rest of the room was looking at them, and Twilight stiffened under the scrutiny. Sunset, however, gave her another open, friendly hug. “I was just checking to make sure everything was still good to keep going while you were discussing lawyers, Mrs. Velvet—I’m happy to talk to the ones looking into the stuff about Twilight and her school, by the way, if they want to know anything from me.”

Velvet nodded and looked at her daughter. “Do you need a few minutes, sweetheart?”

“No, Mom…I believe I am capable of continuing the conversation at present.” Part of her just wanted to get it over with, if she was being completely truthful.

Night Light cleared his throat. “Legal details aside, Indigo’s father was fairly displeased by what happened today and the faculty reaction to events. For the moment, he is not pulling your friend from the school…but only because she insisted.” He looked over the top of his glasses at the pair of them. “In her own words, she refused to ‘leave Twilight with the hyenas,’ especially after she told Sunset that she’d ‘stick with you.’”

That made her blink, and look over at her girlfriend. “You must have made a serious impression on her.”

Shrugging, Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “I was honest, that's all. She’s a good friend to you, Sparky, and she needed to hear it…and I wasn't going to stand there and let your principal or that nurse make an example out of her just to feel like they were in control. Not without saying something.”

Her father chuckled. “It seems to me that both of you have made an impression on Indigo Zap, but that's…her business to explain or not.” He took another sip of his drink. “After that, your brother and I went to the station to file a police report on both the vandalism and the stolen medication. Particularly the last, since your medication is a controlled substance, which is a very serious crime.”

“So is the vandalism,” Shining added. “Destruction of property in excess of a thousand dollars falls pretty solidly in ‘felony’ territory. That's jail time, not just a fine.”

There was an unpleasant weight to Shining’s words, as if they were an unintentional proclamation, and speaking them aloud crystallized the reality that Twilight found herself in. She was silent, but nodded in understanding, still processing everything.

Night gave her a minute or two, before clearing his throat again. “That leads us to where we are right now, which is trying to decide what to do next.” He focused directly on Twilight. “To start with, Twilight, I want you to understand that we are in no way angry or upset with you, and while your mother and I have some strong feelings about what has happened and is happening at your school, none of that is directed at you.”

Twilight fidgeted. “…Sunset was saying something like that earlier…” she admitted.

The adults looked at Sunset, and she smiled awkwardly. “I was telling her we’re not attacking her, that you guys are just worried like I am about the bullying and the school staff breaking the rules.”

“Sunset is right, Twily,” Velvet said gently. “We are very worried about what has been going on at your school. It has had a deleterious effect on your mental health, and the school has crossed the line from being difficult about your IEP to actively breaking the laws and rules the school has to follow.” She sighed. “And I cannot help but ask ‘if they’re breaking the law here, what other ways are they willing to sacrifice a child’s health and well-being to further their agenda?’”

When she didn't say anything, only frowned because her mother’s question made her reexamine things that went on at Crystal Prep from a new angle, her father picked up the conversation thread. “At the same time, you are old enough that it does not seem right or fair to leave you entirely out of the conversation, even if, from a legal standpoint, the final say belongs to us. So we want to discuss our options and take your feelings into account as much as we can.”

Furrowing her brow, Twilight sifted through potential responses, and settled on cutting to the heart of the matter. “I understand, Dad, and before you start, I would like to acknowledge that I have considered some of what you are about to say and I concede to the statement that CPA is no longer a viable educational option long term.”

Her parents looked a bit startled, but once again, Sunset put a hand on her arm. “Twilight,” she said, voice low but full of such firm authority that the dark haired girl immediately gave her her undivided attention. “You promised to hear them out and listen to what they had to say. Part of that is actually letting them say it, instead of jumping ahead and assuming you know it already.”

It was all said in that same level, firm tone with very little personal emotion, but regardless of that Twilight could feel the gentle rebuke in the words. “You're right, Sunny…” she said, earning an encouraging smile. She turned back towards her parents. “I…apologize. I should not have jumped to conclusions, not when you are trying to be fair and include me in the discussion.”

Night took a moment to respond, but when he did, he didn’t dismiss her initial statement. “In this particular case, Twily, you are not wrong. Your mother and I have thought for several months now that Crystal Prep was not the school that it markets itself as, and certainly not the school I remember graduating from.” He grimaced, rubbing his temples. “…or at least, that I think I remember it being. Some days I wonder if time has blurred the negative aspects of my years there.” Her father shook his head after a moment. “Anyway…we had planned initially to have a discussion with you, either over your spring break, or the beginning of summer, but between the suspension you received from your altercation with the Hyades boy, and what happened today, it is a conversation that can no longer wait.”

“In short, you have hit it on the head: finishing your high school education at CPA is no longer on the table. I know that you would have preferred to graduate from it next year…but…” Night Light trailed off with a tired sound.

Twilight slumped a little bit—although she had expected that response, it was still a bitter pill. “…what are my options?” she asked, wanting all the data before she composed her response and any additional points that needed to be considered.

Velvet set her tea mug aside with a gentle click of the ceramic against a wooden coaster. “If you were interested in another private academy with high accolades, there is one outside Everton. It is a forty five minute commute, but at this point that is a sacrifice I’d be willing to make to see you in a healthier environment.”

She knew of it—if it had been closer, she would have wanted to go there, but at the time, the proximity to her house had been a big factor—younger Twilight didn’t like the idea of her mother being an hour away in an emergency…and she wasn't sure that had changed. “What else? The Brewster Educational Institution and Atheneum is a fantastic school, but I am not certain an hour commute is fair to you, Mom.” She made a face. “And please don't suggest the one connected to St. Francis Church either.”

“I would never, sweetheart, not after the last time your aunt and uncle were here for Thanksgiving.” At Sunset’s raised eyebrow, she explained, “My baby brother married a very devout woman. Twily spent an hour arguing with her, picking apart her beliefs with all the tenacity of a bulldog. It ended in a bit of a screaming match.”

Shining snickered. “Aunt Mahogany thought it was funny.”

“Your aunt is what I would call a ‘pot stirrer,’ dear.” She rolled her eyes. “I had not planned to suggest that, however. I also had not planned on suggesting any of the boarding schools either, Twilight. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with a situation that would remove you from your entire support network and isolate you far away.”

That had been a given, Twilight thought, and one she was okay with. Being away from her family meant being separated from Sunset too, and that didn't sit right with her. “I…agree that you are probably correct in that. So that leaves…the local public schools? Since it is too late in the year for me to consider early graduation—I have the credits, but all of the submissions for that need to be planned well in advance…and my current year is on the books as my eleventh grade year, not my twelfth grade one.”

Velvet picked her mug up, idly stirring her tea. “Yes. Now there are several public high schools in the area, and any of them are acceptable…but Canterlot High is the closest, has a surprisingly thorough curriculum, and Cady’s friend Luna is actually one of the principals. Of all of the public schools, I will admit that one is the most appealing to me, since Luna has made it clear that she would personally ensure you had everything you needed if we chose to enroll you there.”

Amber fingers curled lightly around Twilight’s wrist. “I’d help,” her girlfriend added quietly. “Since I go there…we’d probably be in the same classes…except maybe history and if you take a language.”

Tempting as that thought was, Twilight was determined to think rationally through the options. Not that there were that many, at least not as many as her mother made it seem like. It came down to the Everton school with a commute or one of the public schools in town…and really, if she was going to go to a public school, she would want one where she knew at least one person.

“I believe,” she said at length, “that…among those options, Canterlot High would be the most appealing option…” Then she steeled herself for the part of what she had to say that she didn't think her parents were going to like hearing. “For next year though. I can’t transfer yet.”

Her parents exchanged a concerned look. “Twilight…” her father started, sounding concerned.

Blue green eyes were also scrutinizing her, Sunset’s brow scrunched up as she tried to add up wasn't making sense to her. Abruptly, it seemed to click. “You’ve thought of something the rest of us haven't,” she realized, eyes searching Twilight’s for something. “I’m right, aren't I?”

Now Cadence was staring at her too, and she tilted her head. “I think you are right, Sunset. What is it, Ladybug?”

Twilight grew fidgety again, and almost stood up to pace until Sunset’s hand pulled her back into her seat. “Sparky, just breathe and explain. It's going to be okay.”

“Right.” Settling back in her seat, Twilight started to explain her thought process. “My grades. I don't have grades yet in my math and science for the last few months. My grades only exist in the system for the first half of the year in two of the four core courses, because of my independent study projects. I don't get any credit for the semester at all until I submit the final project to be graded…by Principal Cinch.” She could see the understanding dawning on her family. “If I transfer before I submit my project for a final grade, what are the odds that Principal Cinch will send my transcripts with a failing grade for both my math and science courses for the year? And with it being most of the way through the year, there would be no chance to recover my GPA.”

Night Light looked disgusted and furious. “And she’d get away with it too,” he said tersely. “Because it would be within the rules, and with her recent behavior, it would be exactly her style to use it to get even for the ‘loss’ to her reputation.”

The dark haired girl hugged herself. “And that would affect my future, because competitive colleges do look at GPA when weeding out entrant applications. So I cannot transfer until my project is complete and the grades solidified as part of my transcript.”

“For the paper trail,” Sunset said. “So she can't change it later. Because if I was her, that's what I would do—set it up so you didn’t realize anything was wrong until it was too late to stop me.” Now it was Sunset’s turn to get up, pacing restlessly to the window to stare out at the lawn for a long minute. “The divide and conquer worked for a while,” she murmured, turning back, and the expression on her face was one that Twilight had never seen before, not even when they played chess. It was…distant…intense…and there was darkness in her girlfriend’s eyes that sent a shiver of a different kind down her spine. “Now she’s got you calling her on legal matters, and the police report is going to put pressure on her, unless she has a way to make them quietly lose that report or bury it under a mountain of bureaucracy. Blackmail would be my first guess, especially if there are more CPA alumni that she can manipulate in the CCPD other than Shining Armor. Perhaps a few pictures, or leaking some secret they don't want to get out--the kind of thing that would ruin social standing or make career advancement downright impossible. I’d wager she’s also got a Plan B, C, and D, using what she knows against you on a personal level. Like Twilight’s grades, or your emotions as her parents, or any ugliness from your history that could be brought to light and used to turn the narrative back around on you. Suspensions, job reprimands, any past legal trouble…” Then she gestured at Shining and Cadence. “With you two, I might look for a way to put pressure on you to encourage Mrs. Velvet and Mr. Night let it go—like threatening your jobs, or anything that could be classed as embarrassing or as a ‘indiscretion’ that would discredit you to your peers…you might want to think about if she has anything on you like that. Some kind of scandal in the police department, or having a rich alumni buy out the radio station, with the intention of ‘downsizing.’ She wouldn't even need to go through with it—I hardly ever did. Alternatively, she might try some way to set you all against each other or throw Twilight’s credibility into doubt…paint a picture of her as emotionally compromised or unreliable as a witness…maybe use the school’s long standing rumor mill from some of Twilight’s bullies as a way to show that Twilight has long caused trouble and had family put pressure on the administration in less than legal ways…”

It was then that Sunset seemed to register the way the family was staring at her. Her eyes went wide and the color drained from her face; Twilight saw her hands curl into awkward fists as she hunched in on herself. “…I…” she started, before she sought Twilight’s eyes.

Twilight reached out to pull her best friend back to the couch. “Exactly,” she confirmed, moving beyond Sunset’s dark description—she had long accepted that the redheaded girl had a rough history and a dark side that had gotten the better of her for a long time, and in the end, it had driven home her worries to her family, if perhaps a tad more viscerally than she would have communicated. “Principal Cinch and Crystal Prep have money, connections, and reputation, and I’m not willing to rule anything out or take risks. If I can work harder, I think I can finish my project sooner than the end of the semester…but until then, I am trapped with her having that power over me.”

Between her statements and Sunset’s insight into things Principal Cinch might do to retaliate or keep her at Crystal Prep, the room fell silent. It was the kind of heavy, unpleasant silence filled with dark thoughts and anxious worry, as each member of the family brooded separately, periodically glancing at her or Sunset. She let it happen—she didn't know entirely how to navigate the situation this was going to put her in the middle of, and if they could come up with ways to mitigate the damage of her getting through the next eight weeks, all the better.

It also concealed the other factor she was less inclined to voice...that on some level, she wanted to finish her year as a point of personal and academic pride. She didn't want it to look like she’d run off, unable to handle even just a few more months of the pressure—even if her family didn't believe that, Twilight would forever feel like a failure and a quitter. She needed to at least complete her project—which she felt she could probably finish by the end of the Friendship Games if she put in the extra hours after school and on weekends. It would mean less time with Sunset for a few weeks, but the benefits would make it worth it.

…and that was the other, even more private motivation. She wanted to resolve her issues with being open about her relationship, at least with her family, before going to a new school…Sunset’s school…because then she could walk in and feel confident about her place at Sunset’s side as at least her best friend, even if they didn’t advertise to Sunset’s other friends and peers that they were dating. Twilight wanted to be strong enough to be seen as Sunset’s equal, her partner in crime, the person who had her back, not as someone Sunset constantly had to defend. Especially when she did meet the rest of Sunset’s friends, who the redheaded girl made sound interesting and amazing to be around—if a touch…exuberant in some cases. She didn't want to just be “Twilight Sparkle, that girl who hung out with Sunset Shimmer,” but someone recognized for herself too.

Thinking of Sunset made her eyes drift towards her girlfriend, and she realized that Sunset was sitting with all the coiled tension of an overwrought clock-spring. It was bad enough that it pulled her out of her thoughts so she could scan the room, trying to piece together the problem. Everyone was still quiet and stuck in their own thoughts for the moment, so it couldn’t have been something one of her family said. Was it…their reactions to Sunset’s words perhaps? She searched each of their faces, trying to understand what they might have been thinking or feeling.

Her father’s brows were furrowed and he was looking at Sunset in a way Twilight might have called ‘speculative,’ while her mother just looked worried and concerned and a little upset—something Twilight chalked up to how agitated the CPA situation made her. Cadence looked like she’d had some kind of epiphany, though not a happy or exciting one…and as for Shining… His expression was one that immediately put Twilight on the defensive. It was the tight frown of a police officer in an interrogation room, picking apart a suspect’s behavior—it was an expression she knew well from years of trying to pull things over on her brother as younger siblings often do.

Twilight contemplated telling Sunset it was okay, that they were not upset with her, but she realized explaining what they were likely thinking wouldn't help, because it was not what Sunset was perceiving. Sunset had let slip a little glimpse into the person she had been before, the person she was trying so hard to never be again, and she was terrified that their silence, their reactions, were a form of rejection.

So the younger teen countered that fear in the only way she knew at that moment. She hugged her best friend. “Thank you, Sunny,” she said, loud enough to get the family’s attention. “It’s like you can read my mind when I don't know how to explain something, and you always say it in a way that makes sense.”

It seemed to work, shattering the tension filled moment that had hung frozen for far too long. Sunset hugged her back, making Twilight’s ribs protest from how tight she squeezed, and she could feel the faint hitch in Sunset’s breath as the older girl rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder. With her attention mostly now on her girlfriend, she heard more than saw her father’s response. He cleared his throat. “…yes, thank you, Sunset,” he agreed. “Some of those were scenarios neither I nor the lawyers had thought to anticipate…but all of them are absolutely plausible and well within the realm of believability for how Abacus might respond.” There was the sound of shuffling, as he reached for his phone. “If you don't mind, I’m going to jot those down so I can compose a letter later to the legal team so they can game plan contingencies just in case any of them are necessary.”

The chuckle that followed seemed a little forced from Twilight’s perspective, but as Sunset further relaxed, she wasn't going to question it too deeply. “We’ll have to watch out,” Night joked. “Or Uncle Stalwart is going try and talk you into considering a career in the legal arena.”

Sunset’s own laugh was weak and stilted. “…I’m not sure that would be a good idea…I don’t think I’d want that kind of power over anyone’s life…” She hesitated, then in a quieter voice said, “…anymore…”

That was when Velvet interjected, her tone the firm-but-loving one that Twilight recognized instantly. “Your ability to identify and see through emotionally manipulative tactics, and the ability to reasonably predict the actions of another person is not inherently a bad thing, Sunset. It's a gift that, like many, can be used for both good and bad reasons—the gift itself is neither good nor evil. What you choose to do with it is.”

Twilight let go as her girlfriend pulled half out of the hug to look at Velvet. “…I only ever did a lot of bad with it though. I don't want to fall back into that—it’s…it's not okay.”

“You are correct—using it to harm others is not okay…but you also recognize that, and you are keenly aware that you misused the ability in the past, with the intention of never doing that again. That takes a great deal of self awareness, sweetheart, and I’m proud of you for how far you have come and how hard you work to keep on the path you’ve chosen for yourself. Self improvement is hard, and you have done wonderful in what is, truthfully, a very short span of time.” Velvet smiled at her.

Her girlfriend settled back on the couch, still looking a little pensive, but at this juncture, Twilight decided that probably meant she just needed time to sort the feelings in her head…which was something Sunset did best when she didn't feel under scrutiny from others. Therefore, as much as she didn't want to go back to the previous topic, she did, so that Sunset could have that few minutes where the attention was off her and on Twilight again.

“All of that means I still need to go back to Crystal Prep for the foreseeable future…but I assume you will want to have plans in place to hobble Principal Cinch from continuing her actions while I work to finish my project as expediently as I can.” She hated phrasing it that way, but the evidence showed that she was caught in between a war between her parents and her principal and at the end of the day, she knew her parents cared primarily about her health and wellbeing.

Twilight Velvet did not disappoint. She tapped her fingers on her knee and said, “I suspect your father will want some time to discuss things with your uncle and the lawyers, but I was going to have you stay home tomorrow so we can replace your things—particularly your cell phone. From now on, I do not want you going anywhere without one, especially at school. If your gym clothes do not have a viable pocket to store your phone in, we will buy you something acceptable to wear that does. That will buy us until Monday to have a better plan worked out.” Her ice blue eyes turned towards Sunset. “Are you staying for the night, Sunset? Or do you need to get home before it gets too late?”

There was no hesitation in Sunset’s answer. “Staying. There’s ice cream in the freezer, right?” She didn’t elaborate further, but Twilight did wonder whose nightmares she was preparing for—Twilight’s or her own.

Cady laughed. “In this house, always!”

“Just making sure I don't need to go get some before I switch to pajamas.” She took a breath, and gave Twilight’s glance one of her lopsided smiles to reassure her. “I can’t play hooky with you tomorrow though. I’ve got to go in and make up the work I missed—Miss Luna said I’d be excused for the second half of the day, but I do have a math test to sleep through, and a science project I needed to ask questions about.”

Twilight couldn't help herself. “You missed a math test to help me?”

Fingers tweaked her nose. “Of course I did, nerd. My best friend in the world needed me—that was way more important than a test in a class I could teach better than my teacher.”

Her cheeks heated. “…oh…” Twilight made a mental note to reward her girlfriend with kisses when they were alone.

Something seemed to occur to Sunset, and she asked, “Are we still on for this weekend?” she asked worriedly. “We were supposed to hang out with your cousin and her friend. Are you going to be up for that still? Because they're supposed to be here tomorrow night.”

It was an out, and Twilight felt affection and gratitude that Sunset had thought to offer it. To the dark haired teen, it was one more example of how Sunset cared, how she paid attention to Twilight and simply took into account Twilight’s struggles and flaws without making a huge production about it, and she always seemed to remember it, even when Twilight herself had forgotten or overlooked it. Sunset really was an amazing girlfriend and the very best friend she could have ever asked for.

That gentle and steady support gave her spine steel she wasn't entirely prepared for, and Twilight was shaking her head before she could register that she was talking. “No,” she told Sunset firmly. “I still really want to go. I would like to get to know Glamour better—she’s trying so hard to reach out and make a connection, and she deserves for me to be willing to meet her halfway…” The younger girl locked eyes with her companion, willing Sunset to understand what she couldn't say in front of her parents. “And you’ll be there. I know I can handle it when I have the world’s greatest best friend with me.”

“If you're trying to flatter me, Sparky, it's working,” Sunset chuckled. The wink she sent Twilight’s way communicated what it needed to though—she knew what was unsaid.

Twilight nudged her with an elbow. “Your sarcasm is showing.”

“Doesn't it always?”

Sunset had a point. “I concede to that. The point I was trying to make, however, was that I have been excited about the day out with you…and them…and I’m not about to let some bullies ruin that for me.” Not when it was a date with the girl who was making her insides try to reconfigure to new and interesting shapes just by smirking at her with burning hunger in blue-green eyes.

Oh yes, Sunset was definitely getting kissed when they went back upstairs. Twilight mused on whether she could kiss her thoroughly enough to earn some of those throaty moans that set her senses on fire.

In order to distract herself from the errant thought that she should just kiss Sunset right now, and add 'coming out' to the list of today's emotional overload, she cleared her throat and turned back to her parents. "I have also thought on your extremely valid points about the deleterious effect the environment and people at Crystal Prep are having on my mental health. I believe I have come up with a plan that will... mitigate some of that, as well as alleviate at least part of your worry."

Shining grinned a little at her despite the tension she could still see in his body. "Would you care to elucidate on that, Professor Sparkle?" he asked dryly. It was a touch of normality—teasing sibling banter—and it coaxed a laugh from her.

“I will have you know, big brother, that it is a perfectly valid use of rational speech. It allows me to convey information intellectually when the subject matter is emotionally loaded.” Twilight adjusted the glasses that had slid down her nose more than was comfortable, and returned to what she had intended to say. "I thought I would try to arrange to see Dr. Soft-Spoken more regularly, perhaps upping my visits to weekly, depending on her availability. My intention was, use it as an opportunity to discuss the situation with someone who can give a balanced perspective without the emotional... pressure we all feel about this.”

Her parents exchanged a thoughtful look, and then Velvet smiled. “I think that sounds like an excellent idea, Twily. We can bring it up tomorrow with her when I take you for your regular session.”

Twilight took a breath. “I was thinking that, if she is amenable, I would ask Dr. Soft-Spoken to be an impartial and professional judge going forward—if she believes it has reached a point where the situation has reached a point where it is compromising my mental health beyond what she feels is both reasonable and acceptable, she will inform you as my parents. At that point, you can then go forward with expediting my removal from Crystal Prep, with or without my consent at the moment.” She gave her parents a wan, tired smile, feeling her energy flagging. “It would classify as an extension of the existing Parental Override, I believe, but as my therapist, Dr. Soft-Spoken has a neutral perspective unbiased by any personal emotional feelings that all of us have.”

Velvet studied her for a minute. “I think that idea has merit, sweetie, but we can talk about it more tomorrow, I think. It's growing late, both of you are going to want showers before bed, and Sunset has to get up for school in the morning. For now, we can table this, and you girls can go wind down.”

Next to them, Cadence grinned. “You know, there's a box in the kitchen that may or may not contain some of that double chocolate cheesecake that a certain bakery sells…we won't know until someone opens the box to confirm its reality.”

Sunset tossed her head back and laughed. The laughter didn't stop when Twilight jumped up and started pulling her towards the kitchen. “Schrödinger’s dessert, huh? I guess we can be the ones to perform the observation, whaddya say, Sparky?” The sarcasm dripped from her tone, considering that Twilight had her by the wrist.

Oh, she had several things she could say in regards to the idea of having both Sunset AND that particular dessert, but that would have to wait. Instead, she turned back to look over Sunset’s shoulder to ask innocently, “Do you know if we have any chocolate syrup to go on top of it, Mom?”

It was worth it to see the way Sunset’s eyes widened and she turned red all the way to the tips of her ears.

Bit of a heavy and dense chapter, this.

Twilight's got a lot going on, and she's still resisting, but she's coming around now...slowly.

And the family gets their first glimpse at "The Bitch Queen of CHS" who ruled with an iron fist and deadly, dangerous cunning, who planned and manipulated with the very best, and could be twelve steps ahead of her opponents before they even realized they were playing. This is a gal who is good enough at strategy and tactics to beat Twilight in chess...and unlike the fae, she doesn't rely on magical manipulation for her skills.

She also seems done staying quiet about CPA and Cinch--something Luna had pointed out to Shining and Cady way back in one of the interludes.

I'd say the villains are in for a bad time.

Lessee....

The name of the "private school near Everton" is a VA nod. Tara Strong voiced Claire Brewster in the animated Beetlejuice show from the 90s (as well as Lydia's boy crazy friend, opposite Tabitha St. Germain as Lydia's nerdy friend Prudence.) And since I used Claire as a bit of inspiration for how human Suri acts with her posse around Twilight, I thought the nod was a fun one.

Sunset making happy pony noises when eating the battered and deep fried kale was a mental image I couldnt resist. We have this running joke that after discovering that fried kale and kale chips taste as close to hay fries as she can get as a human, they become a bit of a go-to for Sunset as a tasty treat... and everyone around her is grossed out because it really does smell like deep fried grass clippings.

Something Rainbow complains about. Twilight just cashes in on the "Look, I brush my teeth for you after I eat steak or a cheese burger, please do the same after you go snacking on those things" privilege as the girlfriend.

I'm not a botanist or horticulturist of any degree--that honor goes to one of my readers who knows waaaaay more about plants than I could ever hope to, but I'm enough of a hobby gardener and a witch to be familiar with the idea that many flowers and other decorative plants can be used as food, medicine, or poison (sometimes all three from the same plant, yikes). And the idea of Velvet exploring some of that to plant in the family garden to make their vegetarian member happy gave me the fuzzies.

Next week will be Luna and Celestia talking with Sunset, so you'll get the other side of what Luna said to Cinch. That should be fun.

Also, i did this whole blog about the new cover, but if you missed it, the cover art is fan-fucking-tastic, and was done by the amazing LZjian79 and her gf/art partner Hiru315! These ladies are beyond amazing, and they do all kinds of commission work, everything from the gorgeous, fully shaded cover image they did for Rubicon, all the way to cute little profile icon stuff and everything in between! They even do some NSFW commissions, and across the board, they have really reasonable prices considering the quality of the end result. I encourage you guys to consider commissioning them! Its worth it, and they are some of the most communicative, pleasant artists I've ever dealt with in terms of commissioning art!

Commission Info

LZjian79's Instagram: This has the most art, much of it Sciset, including little sketchy comics. The rest can be found on her twitter accounts (where she puts up the NSFW stuff uncensored.)

You guys'll have to tell me what you think of the cover. I'm so happy with it, but I'm dying to know what the readership thinks!