The restaurant wasn’t overly crowded, possibly because it was a Wednesday night, but more likely because rather than one of the larger, more modern places in the main business district of the city, it was an older, out of the way, family owned place not more than half a mile from the local university, and derived most of its income from hungry college kids who trickled in and out at all times of the day and night, lending it a steady flow of patrons rather than massive rushes at certain times. It had been their favorite place to eat when they had gone to the university, and even now, years later, Mi Amore Cadenza met her best friend here once or twice a month for dinner, drinks, and enjoying each other’s company.

One pink finger idly tapped on the glass of sweet, fruit flavored tea while she waited at their usual table for the other woman’s arrival, musing over the fond memories associated with the lopsided, scratched wood tucked away in a private corner towards the back, of hours of studying, talking, eating, quiet confessions, shared secrets, and of course, the odd bit of entertaining gossip that they had indulged in. Reminiscing brought a smile to her face; she was looking forward to spending time catching up with her best friend over dinner tonight—things had been so hectic the last few months that they’d had to reschedule their get-togethers several times, and Cadence had so much to share as a result.

Like about her Ladybug’s new relationship, which was quickly becoming the most adorably sweet thing she’d encountered in years, and it was only becoming more so as the weeks went on. The way Twilight had been getting that dreamy, far-off look when she thought no one was looking, or the unabashed and open devotion in Sunset’s eyes when she looked at Twilight told her everything she needed to know about what was going on even without her cornering her ‘little sister’ for updates.

If there was one thing Cadence had a nose for, it was relationships; she knew the very moment she’d walked in to the house that evening that Twilight had talked to Sunset, and without preamble she’d dragged the teenager to the bedroom that had been “hers” for over a decade.

“Cady...?” Twilight asked, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

“You talked to Sunset, didn’t you? How’d it go?” She was so excited she was practically bouncing on the bed.

Lavender skin turned so dark a red that Cadence began to worry about Twilight’s brain, and the girl stammered and stuttered in response. “What? How did—what gave—it’s not—“ At the arched brow, Twilight caved. “...I kissed her...” she admitted shyly, fingers playing with her hair.

With a squeal of glee, she hugged Twilight. “And how’d it go, Ladybug?” Taking in the blushing cheeks, the sudden shy embarrassment, and the fact that the teenage girl was trying to fight against the goofy grin that was slowly creeping on to her face, it wasn’t hard to figure out that Twilight’s conversation with her best friend had ended on a positive note. “Good, I’m guessing or you wouldn’t have that expression on your face!”

Twilight ducked her head. “...we talked...you were right. About it being a good idea, I mean. She…I kissed her, and she didn’t know how to take it, so I took a chance. I…told her that I like girls, and that I like her.” Her eyes lit up, and she raised her head to meet Cadence’s gaze. “Sunset…she told me she likes me too…not just as a best friend…”

“Aaaaand...?”

“We’re trying. Dating, I mean—but slow, because we don’t want to mess it up, ruin our friendship. We agreed that being best friends is too important to risk, so we’re going to just…see where things go without trying to rush.” Twilight gave up on trying to restrain her happy smile.

“Soooo...is she a good kisser?” Cadence teased playfully, expecting more blushing and stammering. What she got instead was surprising, but in a way that made her want to hug the younger girl again.

“...oh yeah...” Twilight murmured dreamily. “Kissing her is amazing...” She stared off into space for a minute, clearly seeing her own memories and not the wall. Then she jerked back to reality, and fumbled with her words. “I mean...I don’t really have any data for comparison, and I can only judge by my own reactions which are subjective and anecdotal at best...”

Cadence burst out laughing, and hugged her ‘little sister’ again. “You really do have it bad, Twily...I’m happy for you. I told you it wasn’t one sided.”

“Me too...” the silly grin came back, “Thanks for your advice...”

“Ladybug, you know you can always talk to me about anything.”

“I know, Cadence. That means a lot to me.”

A giggle escaped her at the memory, before her thoughts took a much more sober turn. Twilight was still unwilling to come out to the rest of her family; Cadence broaching the subject after learning that the two girls were making a foray into romance had almost triggered a panic attack as Twilight had babbled about her reservations and worries. She seemed completely unaware of Sunset’s inability to hide how she felt about Twilight in front of the rest of the family. Every time the redhead came over to the house, the awestruck looks and the emotion radiating off her became less and less subtle, and the little display Thanksgiving evening had put Sunset Shimmer’s feelings on full display for all of them to see.

Under any other circumstances, there might’ve been cause for concern over it, but given the conversation Twilight had had first with Cadence and then her parents the week before the holiday, Sunset’s intense emotions and fierce attachment to her Ladybug were making more and more sense. With the troubles and traumas already heaped on her in life, it clearly had taken a lot of trust for the redheaded girl to open up to anyone, which in turn spoke volumes about how deep the bond between the pair went.

It also said something about how important Sunset’s trust was to Twilight with how she had tried very hard to find a way to balance that trust with the concerns of her family, finding a way to make both sides happy and not break any promises. Cadence was rather proud of her for it—it was not a conversation that had been easy on Twilight, since she’d had to work the girl through at least two anxiety attacks beforehand and prevent one during the conversation as well.

“Mom? Dad?” Twilight was wringing her hands nervously, looking about three seconds away from hyperventilating as Cadence placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Can…Can I talk to you guys about something?”

Night Light set his book down, and Velvet smiled. “Of course, Twily. What’s going on? You look upset.”

Looking to Cadence for support, she took a deep breath. “…I…It’s about Sunset…She…She told me about her past, about what has happened in her life…”
The girl hugged herself in an attempt to stop her body’s violent trembling, and Cadence put an arm around her shoulders to give her strength and encourage her to continue. “Ladybug,” she soothed, “it’s alright. Deep breaths, like we talked about.”

Twilight brought her fist to her chest, doing the breathing exercise that her former sitter had taught her at a very young age. It took a few minutes, but she calmed herself enough to keep going.

“Sunset told me about her past, Mom, Dad…told me in confidence because she trusts me and I’m her best friend. A lot of it is bad, real bad, but I can’t tell you everything she told me, because she asked me not to—she…doesn’t trust a lot of people, and I can’t break that. With everything, its so hard for her to trust anyone, and I won’t do that to her…” As Twilight spoke, Cadence could feel the shaking stop entirely, could hear the quiet, defiant steel in her voice, and from the way Velvet briefly flicked her eyes towards Cadence, she knew the older woman heard it too.

Then Twilight straightened her shoulders, and met her parent’s eyes. “…However…I know you guys are worried about her, have been worried about her from the start, and we talked a bit about what she was okay with me telling you. You guys deserve to know that as bad as things used to be, she’s okay. Things are much better now for her than they were.”

The older adults watched their daughter for a long time, before exchanging a look with one another. Twilight Velvet took the lead. “Alright, Twily…can we talk about what parts you feel comfortable telling us that Sunset is okay with us knowing? You said that things are better for her now—we just want to know that she’s safe, that she isn’t living on the street or someplace where she’ s in danger of being hurt.”

Twilight wiped her eyes, dashing the hints of tears that formed as she spoke of the redhead’s situation. “…She’s safe. She has an apartment, and it’s warm and dry and in an okay neighborhood. I’ve been there—it's over near the park.” The teen took a deep breath, and forged onward. “Sunny’s a legally emancipated minor—her parents died a long time ago.”

Velvet covered her mouth. “Oh, the poor thing…No wonder she was so skittish. How does she pay for an apartment, Twilight? She’s not—”

Twilight’s eyes widened and her cheeks darkened with a blush before she could shake her head vehemently. “No! No. She’s…There was some money, I think, and she has a professional financial adviser that handles overseeing her bills? She…didn’t go into a lot of details, and you always taught me it was rude to inquire too deeply about someone else’s financial situation and spending habits if they don’t readily offer the details.”

Night Light frowned, rubbing his chin. “Can you tell us why she’s on her own instead of with family? Or is that…one of those ‘confidence’ points?” He sounded more than a little worried.

“…There’s not much to tell. She…told me there isn’t any other family.” She fidgeted, chewing on her lower lip as she considered something. “…I also think it may be that there are some things she’s not legally allowed to talk about, but I have no proof, only things I’ve observed and things that she’s hinted at without telling. I…I think whoever her guardian was after her parents died was…rich and well known…and not from around here.”

More looks were exchanged between the three adults, and Cadence knew there would be a long conversation for the adults of the house once Twilight disappeared into her room for the night. She didn’t need to be involved in the system to know the common stance it held on the subject of the emancipation of minors, and she was very aware that Night Light and Twilight Velvet knew it too. For a teenage girl with no family to be emancipated with enough independent finances to afford a decent apartment that satisfied the system, there had to be some extremely extenuating circumstances.

Twilight Velvet focused back on her daughter. “…She is still in school, right?” There had been references to Sunset’s high school, but the direct question had never been asked of either girl.

“Yes, Mom…” The teenager frowned, anger creeping into her tone with quiet intensity that made Cadence’s eyes widen. “Sunset still goes to school every day, despite what’s been happening to her there. She’s been dealing with a lot of bullying since I’ve known her—bad bullying. Its why she was so out of it last Friday. Some kids played a really horrible prank on her and she could’ve gotten seriously hurt!” This time, the tears that formed in Twilight’s eyes were angry ones and she didn’t try to hide them. “…I know she said she was a mean person and a bully herself for a long time, but she’s trying so hard to be a better person, to learn to be a good friend and do the right thing, and it’s not right that other students have been taking advantage of it to get revenge!” The tears overflowed, streaming down her cheeks. “…It doesn’t matter what she did in the past, to be so horrible and mean to her that she came here after school and cried is taking it too far!”

Cadence turned the arm across her Ladybug’s shoulders into a real hug, drawing the girl into a tight embrace to let her get the tears and anger and hurt out. She hadn’t been present for any of that, but it did explain why Sunset resembled the walking dead when Cadence had come by for lunch on Saturday. “Deep breaths, Ladybug. Sunset has you, has us. She’s not alone and she’s shown she knows that. It’s why she came here when she was hurting.”

It took some time, but Twilight seemed to regain her self control, stepping out of the hug and continuing, her voice still thick with emotion as she dried her eyes on her shirtsleeve. “…she told me yesterday that the Principal and Vice-Principal are taking care of it. There’s some girls at her school that are her friends too, and when they found out, apparently one of them got all kinds of evidence and turned the bullies in. A bunch of people got suspended, and Sunny says its getting better—the principals are on her side.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Night Light said, placing a warm hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “…We were really worried about her—she wasn’t herself this weekend at all. Make sure she knows that she has adults here to back her up too if she needs our support. Sunset’s a good kid, Twily, and we’re not about to let her twist in the wind if we can help.”

Nodding, Twilight sniffled. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make sure she knows…but that’s…something I wanted to ask you guys about. Thanksgiving is coming up, and…I was wondering if I could invite her to stay here and have the holiday with us? So she’s not spending the holiday alone again?”

“Oh absolutely!” Velvet was quick to jump on the idea. “And Christmas too, if she’s interested. I won’t see Sunset alone in an apartment for a holiday if I have anything to say about it. Your father is right, Twilight. She’s a wonderful young woman with so many good qualities, and we’re here for her—in little ways, just as much as big ones.” Then she hugged her daughter tightly. “I’m proud of you, Twilight. You’re a good friend to Sunset, and I admire that you’re trying to not betray her trust. We won’t ask for the details unless she offers them, but I am glad you let us know what you could. You were right that we were very worried about her, and I know I feel much better now that I know she isn’t going home to abusive parents or to a house where her safety was in jeopardy.”

Cadence met Velvet’s eyes again, and knew the woman would be having her son look into Sunset anyway—but that was definitely a conversation for when Twilight wasn’t still in the room.

She was jolted back to reality when a hand landed on her shoulder. “You seem awfully deep in thought, Cady. Is Armor in the doghouse again? If you want to stay with me a few nights, you know my room is always open…”

Cadence rolled her eyes but jumped out of her chair to hug the dark haired woman that had snuck up on her while she was lost in thought. “The way you keep going on about that every time I see you, I’m thinking you need something more than just having a friend crash on your floor for the night.” She grinned impishly, lowering her voice to something approximating a sultry purr. “If you’re that lonely, you can always come visit us. It’ll be just like when we were in college,” she teased, before dropping into a more conversational tone of voice. “Or we can meet at a bar and I can be your wingwoman again, Lu.”

Laughter, and the two women released each other, sliding into the old, worn seats. “I will keep that in mind if I ever want to spend three months unable to look Shining Armor in the eyes…again.” Luna winked at her across the table. “I’m sorry I’ve had to put off getting together with you so many times, Cadence. Work has just been hellish this semester, and it’s showing no signs of getting better any time soon.”

“You are the one who decided to work in a high school. I’m pretty sure thats the definition of Hell.”

Luna made a face after she turned back from telling the waitress her drink order. “You…have no idea how right you are with how this year has been going.” She ran a hand through her mane of night colored hair tiredly, before her sour expression became a slight smile. “But we’re here to get away from work…and you said you had things to share? How is the lunkhead? You two are doing okay, right?”

“Shining and I are fine, Luna. More than fine, actually. He’s up for a Detective slot that opened up—you remember that dour faced man with the horrible porn-stache and the green skin the color of a spoiled avocado? He’s retiring, finally.”

Eyes widened. “…Wait…you don’t mean the one…”

“That thought Shining was having an affair with you because of that Halloween party? Yes. The same one.”

“Good riddance then. I didn’t like that man.” Smirking, she raised the glass. “Best of luck to the lunkhead on the promotion. He deserves it with how much crap he puts up with from people.” Then her eyes narrowed. “…You mentioned amazing news on the phone. Has he finally bought you that ring you two have been talking about since you were both in diapers?”

Cadence couldn’t keep the grin from her face. “Yes!” she managed in something just slightly quieter than a squeal, and showed off her hand. “…We didn’t really announce anything because…well…we’ve been engaged for what feels like forever, but…”

Making a show of studying the band with the stone set atop it, Luna whistled sharply. “…Consider me quite impressed—despite how long it took him, he did good picking out a ring.”

“Yes. I wonder who helped him with that.” Cadence didn’t have to have a mind like Twilight Sparkle to know that Shining had gone to her best friend to get help on finding the ring.

She got an enigmatic smile in return. “…Your boy in uniform didn’t need as much help as he thought. I just provided moral support and the courage to trust his instincts about you. I don’t understand why he waited so long though.”

“Life happens, Luna, you know that.” She sipped her drink after the waitress refilled it. “What about you? Any new events taking up the time you aren’t terrifying teenagers with the wrath of ‘Nightmare_Moon’?”

“You mean besides a disastrous attempt at showboating that caused an explosion in front of the school at the fall dance, left us with a twenty five foot hole, took out the entire front entrance to Canterlot High, and could have killed several of our students? To add to that lovely mess—that was what kept me busy through October, by the way—because of some recent problems, I’ve served more detentions and suspensions in two months than I have in my entire career. What does it say about my life lately that the highlight of my job this month has been serving expulsion to two of the biggest troublemakers in the school?”

Cadence shook her head. “That must’ve been some prank—was anyone hurt?”

“Thankfully, no—we were extremely lucky, because there were students close enough to the explosion that it could have been a much worse story for CHS. I am seriously beginning to regret my life choices and wondering if I could make more money by being a professional gamer. I would still have to put up with profanity from upstart adolescents with daddy issues, but the hours are better, and I could go to work in my underwear.”

Laughter shook the pink-skinned woman’s frame. “…So just like back in college then?” That sent them both into a giggle fit that left them gasping for breath and halfway to tears of mirth as they joked about some of those ‘college antics.’ By the time they managed to get themselves under control, their food was being placed on the table, and the two women took some time in relative silence to eat.

The silence didn’t last for long though, since about halfway through the meal, a pair of young men—college students from the university, by the looks of them—stopped next to the table. “Um…Miss Mi Amore Cadenza?” the one on the left asked in an accented, soft voice.

Cadence looked up from her fries. “That’s me. Can I help you?” It wouldn’t be the first time she was recognized around the city by random strangers, and it most assuredly wouldn’t be the last, but such was the other side of being a well known media personality in one’s city.

Rubbing the back of his neck, the other youth smiled sheepishly. “We’re super sorry to interrupt your meal, ma’am…but Blitz and I recognized your voice, and…we wanted to thank you.” At Cadence motioning for him to continue, he explained, “See, we follow you online and listen to you on the radio, and…we just want you to know how much it means to have you out there, telling people that love isn’t something to be ashamed of or vilified, and letting people know that they aren’t alone, and that they don’t have to look or act a certain way to be good people.”

She beamed at the two young men. “I’m just happy to make a difference, to help spread love and good feelings where I can, however I can…and I’m glad that my message does reach people who need to hear it.”

“It does, Miss Cadenza. Without you, I wouldn’t still be here,” the soft spoken young man said. “…you... answered a caller’s question one night when I was in a very bad place, and what you said to her was something I needed to hear in that moment. Thank you, so very much.”

This was something that always felt good to her—she wrote and talked a lot on both her radio air time and on social media platforms about a whole range of subjects that mattered to her, particularly ones about love and acceptance, and moments like this, when she met people whose lives had been made better in even the smallest way? For her, moments like this made all of the ugly comments and nasty remarks and the occasional rude call-in to the radio worth it, knowing that she’d spread love and positive change in someway further cemented that she had made the right choice in her life about her career.

“There is no need to thank me—Blitz, was it?” At his nod, she reached out and touched his shoulder. “The best thanks you could ever give me is to pay that love forward to others who need it. Sometimes, it can make all the difference in the world. I’m glad I was able to be what you needed, even if I didn’t realize it.”

“I will. We both try to do so, Miss Cadenza. You have inspired us in so many ways.”

“Anyway, we’ll leave you alone—sorry again about interrupting your meal, ma’am…We just wanted to thank you.” The two melted away quickly, and Cadence heard Luna’s chuckle finally hit the air. She gave her friend a long look.

“Mi Amore Cadenza, Canterlot’s own Goddess of Love and Happiness, Patron Saint of Alternative Sexualities, Guru of Romance Advice, Queen of—Hey!” Luna’s laughing words broke off with an indignant sound as Cadence flicked a piece of ice at her. “They do call you all of that. Well, except for ‘Queen of Coming-Out Conversations.’ That one should be added, given how often it seems to happen.”

Another eyeroll. “Lu, thats only happened four times. Five if you count yourself.”

“Which I do. And it has been six times...Unless you don’t count Shining’s little sister?”

“….I do…who am I forgetting then?” She shook her head. “Never mind. Speaking of coming-out conversations and Twily, I’ve got to share this with someone before I explode!” Her voice pitched up to a near squeal at the end of the sentence.

“Juicy gossip that doesn’t involve something hateful? Who am I to say no? It certainly beats the crap I’ve been seeing lately.”

“Not exactly juicy gossip, but it’s so adorable and sweet! My little Ladybug finally has a girlfriend, and they are just so cute together!”

Luna’s eyes widened. “Lunkhead’s little sister—the shy little voice that used to call the dorm room for you sometimes, right? Had a bit of a stutter when she got nervous? That ‘little Ladybug?’”

“Yes! She made this friend a few months ago, and started bringing her over to the house. The poor girl’s had a rough life from everything we’ve managed to piece together, and I guess Twily was the first person to want to be her friend. They bonded—for whatever reason, she just doesn’t trigger all of Twily’s social anxieties, and she’s super good at helping her when they do show up. Watching them interact, it was so easy to tell there was something there, so I encouraged her to at least be honest…because even though Twily couldn’t see it, I could. They talked—it wasn’t the one sided crush my Ladybug thought, and now they’re this adorable little secret couple. Its like watching puppies, Luna! You just want to hug them!”

Luna smirked. “Matchmaker Cadenza, Goddess of Love, strikes again. Both of them still closeted? I would have figured your ‘Ladybug’ would have told Shining and their parents by now—it's been years since she told you. Trying to stay in the closet is rough enough, but doing it while in a relationship…I do not wish that on anyone. It can be stressful.”

Cadence sighed. “I’ve tried to convince Twily that her parents and Shiny will still love her, but her anxieties wind her up before she can work up the courage to tell them. She really needs to though, because its not going to be something she can keep secret for too much longer. Not with Sunset looking at her like she’s the bright center to her universe—if it gets too much worse, anyone with eyes will be able to tell.”

Luna choked on her drink. “…Sunset…you don’t mean Sunset Shimmer, do you?” she coughed, trying to get soda out of her windpipe.

“…yeeeeesss….” Cadence began, staring at her friend oddly. “How do you know Sunse—oh!” The answer bloomed in her mind as she remembered what Twilight had said about where Sunset lived. “She’s one of your students, isn’t she?”

“One of my students indeed, and at the center of pretty much the last few months worth of headache at my job….If I’m going to tell you this, I’m going to need something stronger to drink than coke.” Luna looked skeptically down at her glass. “A lot stronger.” The dark woman raised her hand to flag down their server and order a stiff drink, waiting until it arrived before she spoke again, much to Cadence’s dismay.

“….Where to start? …Right. How much has Sunset told you all about herself?”

“…less than she’s told Ladybug, but more than I knew before. I know she’s had a rough life, and that she’s had a history of being a less than pleasant individual.”

Luna took in that information, nodding slowly. “…I see. I can concur with that. Sunset Shimmer was, up until this fall, an absolute frustrating pain in my ass—not because she was that much of a troublemaker, but because she was smart enough in her actions to never do anything that could be proven to be her.” The woman sighed. “…All in all, she wasn’t any worse than any other snobbish, self centered popularity queen in a high school who uses manipulation to control the behavior of others. In fact, she was pretty much a picture perfect mean girl, like she’d stepped right out of a tacky teen movie. She talked, walked, and acted tough and untouchable—but like you seem to already know, it was a front. A way to keep people at arm’s length and protect herself from further hurt.” Luna sipped her drink. “And, honestly? She might’ve stayed that way, but things went utterly to shit the night of our fall dance.”

“The prank that went south?” Cadence leaned forward, now invested in the details since it involved Sunset. “I know she’s still beating herself up about whatever happened to her—she never shares the details with us, but from the little hints here and there, she acts like she got someone badly hurt or something.”

“I suppose ‘prank’ is a poor word choice. Sunset had intended to make her entrance to her ‘kingdom’ amidst quite a fireworks display. Unfortunately, when she decided to test the effect early in the front of the school…it all went wrong. There was a gas leak, seeping up from a cracked pipe under the walk. One half-baked, homemade illegal explosive that she’d gotten from who knows where on the streets or the Internet…and boom. There went the front of the school, and half the sidewalk, blown to kingdom come. We’re still not sure how the hell Sunset Shimmer survived with nothing more than some scrapes and bruises—by all rights, being near the epicenter, she should be dead.” Luna leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling above her for a long minute, sipping her drink and letting that sink in for a minute.

Horror and dismay filled her, one hand covering her mouth. “…oh Sunset…” she breathed, thinking of the girl who had poured her heart out in gratitude at the dinner table for Thanksgiving, eyes shining as she’d looked at Twilight.

Her friend sighed. “…It scared her, I think. Shocked her, made her really look at her life and her actions. Ever since then she’s been a completely different person—busting her ass to turn her life around. I can understand that—a near death experience making you realize you’re being a childish brat and need to grow up.” One finger tapped her glass in thought. “…unfortunately, in a high school, any moment of weakness is blood in the water for the sharks, and in Sunset Shimmer’s case, it was well advertised.”

It was all starting to fall into place for Cadence. “…The bullying. We heard about that.”

“I’m not sure how much Sunset told you all. We didn’t find out from her, but from some of the other students who have recognized her sincerity for what it is. That’s where all the disciplinary actions come in—in one go, I had to suspend one hundred and fifteen students, serve detention to at least three dozen more, and expel two of our worst offenders…Though after what the butcher’s daughter put Sunset through, on top of her long list of previous offenses, I enjoyed serving that one out. She had absolutely no cause to pull the dangerous and disgusting prank on Sunset that she did, regardless of her past actions.” Luna scowled and knocked back her drink the rest of the way.

Cadence furrowed her brows, Luna’s words dredging up a conversation she’d had with Shining recently, when she’d come home and found him pacing their living room, looking ready to burst. “….oh…Shining is going to have an absolute fit when he finds out…”

Shutting the door, Cadence closed the distance to her pacing fiance and stopped him with her hands on his cheeks. “Shining Armor? What’s wrong? What happened?”

He looked at her, shaking his head to clear it. When he answered, it was in a tone dripping with barely restrained fury. “I found out from Spearhead why they sent him out to Griffen Meats yesterday—to slap them with a fine for improper disposal of biological waste and to try and scare that delinquent brat of theirs straight by pointing out that we could have her charged and sent to jail.”

“Jail? Why?”

“Because the snotty little bitch decided to reenact the ending of Carrie with a bucket of waste from her daddy’s shop without a care in the world, all because she had a grudge against a classmate! Only whoever the victim was, they don’t want to press charges, so she’s getting off with a warning and her parents having to bear the brunt of the fine. I’d like to see that obnoxious wannabe thug thrown in the juvie lockup for a few weeks to wipe the smug smile off her face. Spearhead says she wasn’t even the slightest bit sorry!”

She pulled him into a hug, trying to soothe the rare bout of temper from her goodhearted partner. “I’m sure it will be okay…why did the other person not want to press charges?”

“Spearhead didn’t know—I asked that too. He said something about it being reported by the school, not the person though, so I’m not even sure if we have record of who it was. Poor kid is probably too scared to stand up and speak out for fear of further aggression.”

“…Oh…”

Luna looked at her oddly when a very angry and unhappy sound escaped Cadence. “Cady?”

“…The butcher’s daughter—Griffen Meats, right?” When the other woman nodded, Cadence exhaled shakily. “…You’re telling me…that the prank with the meat waste was done…to Sunset Shimmer?” Another nod from her best friend had her frowning, her own emotions churning with anger and disgust. “…Now I know why Sunset was so upset! It’s no wonder she came over to the house to spend the weekend hiding in Twily’s room and wake up screaming in the middle of the night!” Her hands curled into fists. “…What kind of sick person deliberately dumps the rotting byproducts of butchery on a girl who doesn’t eat meat!?”

The dark haired woman went suddenly still. “…what?”

Cadence glared, though her anger was not at Luna. “…Sunset’s a vegetarian. The only meat we ever see her eat is seafood. She doesn’t eat any other meats. So that…that…obnoxious little harpy…” Her voice failed her, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

“I’m now even more glad I handed out that expulsion and that Tia let the police know about it, even though Sunset didn’t want to press charges.” Luna’s expression shifted to icy as she stared into her empty glass, lost in thought for a long minute. Then her eyes flicked to Cadence’s face. “…She went to Shining’s parent’s house when we sent her home?”

“…From what Velvet said, yes. She showed up earlier than normal, and Twily took her right upstairs. She missed movie night, and we didn’t see the girls until almost noon on Saturday.” Cadence managed to keep her voice level, but it didn’t mean there wasn’t still anger beneath the surface.

Tension drained out of her best friend. “…I feel better knowing she didn’t go spend that weekend alone in her home. She…Tia and I were both very concerned for her, but we can only do so much without overstepping or risking the very tenuous trust we’ve managed to build with Sunset.”

Reaching across the table, Cadence squeezed Luna’s hand. “…You can both rest easy on that. She wasn’t alone—she went to the house and got suitably mothered and taken care of. Velvet made her favorites for lunch and dinner on Saturday, once she was up to eating, and Night picked up a big tub of the ice-cream she and Twily like to share, so it was on hand for when she had nightmares.” A fond smile twitched at her lips. “Sunset is a practically a fixture there now—she’s over every weekend, has her own place at the dinner table, and I half expect to come home one day to find they’ve turned the guest room next to Ladybug’s into Sunset’s bedroom, just like they did for me once upon a time.”

She found herself meeting her best friend’s eyes, the words coming from her without conscious thought. “Honestly, I couldn't imagine weekends at home now without her there--none of us can. It’s like there was always this place meant for her to fill."

Whelp. Now the Vice Principal knows that Sunset's got a girlfriend. Not that she has ever met "Ladybug" or heard her full name. That'll be a fun time when she makes the connection to "Princess Twilight" and Sunset and Cadence. Heh. Heheh. *rubs paws together wickedly*

I've dropped a few hints and references to Cadence's "best friend" several times over the course of the story, and I really like the idea of her and Luna being friends. The idea, of course, sprang from the Friendship Games movie, specifically the "photos" in the end credits, where you have one of Luna and Cadence arm in arm and laughing.

I particularly like this interlude because it gave a bit of a chance to touch on two characters who, sadly, do not ever get enough screen time in either world. Both Cadence and Luna have potential, but we see only small bits of them here and there. I do laughingly subscribe to the idea that human Luna is a gaming nerd in her free time, with "Nightmare Moon" as her handle, and that while she presents this well mannered, articulate, controlled disciplinarian in her job, she spends her free time swearing like a sailor into a headset, all while wasting whiny snots in whatever online game she enjoys...while posting it to online or doing livestreams. Or worse, imagining Luna doing a Let's Play of a modded skyrim, and dealing with some of those wonderful Bethesda bugs. (I blame my spouse for "Gamer Luna" being part of my personal headcanon.)

Unsurprisingly, I do have a side story planned that is basically nothing more than the slice of life antics of Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor in college. Because, gods above, can you just see Shining and Luna being fucking LARP buddies?