//------------------------------// // All Truths Come Out (Part 1)-Edited // Story: Live By The Sword... // by redandready45 //------------------------------// "C'mon Applejack," Sunset said gently. Applejack, her siblings, Twinkle, and Sunset were in the parking lot, standing a short distance from the entrance. Applejack was standing around nervously, her hand holding Winona's leash. Because of the stress she felt, Celestia and Luna allowed Applejack to bring Winona as a therapy dog. "It's just a few hundred feet to the entrance," Twinkle said reassuringly. To Applejack, the distance felt like a thousand miles across a horrid chasm. Apple Bloom gave her sister a warm smile. "You can do it sis." "Eeyup," Big Mac grunted. Winona happily waved her tail back and forth. "Ruff!" Taking a deep breath, Applejack began walking, or more precisely, waddling to the entrance. In a complex cycle, Applejack took a few steps, pet Winona, get reassurances by her friends and family, took another step, and the cycle would repeat. Twinkle, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Sunset formed a human shield around her (albeit with considerable distance, since Applejack still felt claustrophobic). As Applejack approached the door, her pace slackened, and her anxiety grew. She fell to her knees in tears after getting five feet from the entrance. Applejack hugged Winona , whimpering and crying. She looked less like a confident 15 year old, and more like a scared toddler. "I can't-," Sunset approached the farmer girl. "I didn't believe I could ever be good, but you convinced me I could. If I could come back to CHS, so can you." Twinkle smiled comfortingly. "Just take deep breaths." Applejack started breathing, and slowly, her panic went away. Applejack took her arms away from Winona and pulled herself up, and grabbed the door. She froze again. "He can't hurt you," Sunset cooed. "We made sure of it." "How?" "Trust us." With one last deep breath, Applejack strode in. She expected to see the usual hallway. Instead she was greeted by a massive applause, and everyone chanting "Welcome back, Applejack." Her close friends all approached her (but did not hug her), greeting her and welcoming her. The sight nearly brought Applejack to tears, but she suppressed them as she felt her valor return. "I have the message for the varmint who attacked me," Applejack said. The crowd went silent. "I-I-I am scared of you." This stunned the audience, who were expecting something stronger. "I am very scared. But...at...least I have the guts to show my face, unlike you. You can keep me down, but you can't keep me out. Because I love CHS more than I am afraid of you." Applejack's words were followed by a loud, cheerful applause. Gilda walked up to Applejack with a proud smile on her face as everyone began to disperse. "Good job, Apples. That was just so...righteous." "Thanks Gilda," Applejack said. But before she could respond, she was given a pat on the shoulder by the military girl. Applejack collapsed to the ground in panic, shaking and holding her dog again. Everyone turned to glare at Gilda. Gilda let out a sheepish smile. "Uh, my bad?" It was around one o'clock. Sunset and her friends-and Rainbow Dash- were piling out of the cafeteria, forming a human barrier around Applejack. "So are we up for the sleepover on Saturday?" Pinkie Pie asked everyone. "Sure," Rarity said. "It is imperative as friends we must celebrate Applejack's recovery somehow." "Y-you guys are the best," Applejack stammered. "S-s-sunset," Quick stammered as she approached the group. "Hey Quick," Sunset said. "Do you want to go over the math after school?" "S-sure," Quick said. "So you two are study buddies?" Fluttershy asked Sunset. "He said he needed help in math," Sunset said. "And...well I couldn't turn him down." "That's...nice of you," Rainbow said reluctantly. Pinkie Pie flinched at Rainbow's tone. Her blue friend was trying, but she still felt cold toward Sunny. "Hey Twinkle," Rainbow said. They approached the red-skinned teenager as he began to open his locker. "Hey guys," Twinkle said. "Oh Sunset," Twinkle said, his warm smile. "There's this vegan place that opened up at the mall. Do you want to hangout this weekend?" "Sorry," Sunset said. "I'm already doing a sleepover with Applejack. You want to do it Monday?" "Sure," he said idly, turning to face Sunset, as he began to open his locker, "let's-" Something was heard bouncing off of Twinkle. A moment later, he began grabbing his throat, gasping for air, before collapsing. Everyone stood around in shock. "T-t-twinkle," Quick said in fear. This broke the shock . "TWINKLE!" Everyone shouted, struggling to help the unconscious person. Everyone looked afraid, while Sunset and Applejack began to let out small tears. "Lay him on his back!" Gilda shouted, striding into the cafeteria. Without hesitation, two guys laid the stricken athlete on the ground. Gilda bent down to offer aid. "The way he chocked, I think something smashed his trachea," Gilda said with a mixture of urgency and confidence, before performing CPR on him. "Twinkle," Sprint said fearfully, running up to his friend. "I need you to stay with me." Gilda continued to breath air into him. "Please don't choke-," "He's not gonna choke," Nurse Redheart said, running up to gathered group. "The shock of the blow and loss of air knocked him out, but he'll be all right. Someone is gonna get a stretcher-," "G-g-guys," Quick said sadly. "I found this in his locker." He held up a baseball pitching machine. "I found this," Pinkie Pie said, holding up a baseball. "Someone put that in his locker," Rainbow Dash said. "But who-," she paused when Quick presented her with an envelope. A chill went down everyone's spine, as everyone realized it was another act of the maniac. With some hesitation, Quick pulled out the note. He tried to read it, but was already shaking in fear. He stammered so much, he could not say it. He handed it to Nurse Redheart who began reading. "I see that someone has become enamored with Sunslut," Nurse Redheart began. "That little whore will open her legs for anyone and anything. But you want to fuck that little bitch? You also want to hangout with Appleskank? Well there's a price to be paid. And for anyone dumb enough to be near those two skanks, the price will be very steep." Nurse Redheart revealed the caption. It showed a smiling picture of Twinkle with his face scribbled out angrily in red ink. Everyone in the room grew fearful, angry, confused, or a mix of all three. Sunset felt tears roll down her eyes. "I didn't want this to happen," Sunset said tearfully. "I know," Sprint said, patting her on the shoulder and trying to comfort her. Sprint, Sunset, her friends, Vice Principal Luna, Rainbow Dash, and the male track team all stood around unconscious teenager, a bandage around his throat. "Don't worry," Nurse Redheart said. "He'll be fine-," "I don't care about fine!" Sprint yelled. "I want the bastard who did this him." The track team all looked equally angry and furious at what had been done to their captain. "Students," Principal Luna said. "We must all calm ourselves. Yelling and screaming won't do us any good." "Why?" Quick said in tears. "Who would do this to him?" "Some nut," one of the track team members, a tall yellow-skinned boy named Sparky, said to Quick, putting a hand on the short kid's shoulders. "But don't worry. We'll catch him." A middle-aged couple strode in, the man looking stern, and the woman looking sad. "Mr. and Mrs. Wave," Vice Principal Luna said solemnly. "I am so sorry this happened." "Oh," the woman said in tears, "my poor baby," as she put her arms around Twinkle's unconscious form. The man looked at the assembled group of students with stern eyes. His icy demeanor grew icier as he approached Sunset. "You're the little brat my son associated with," Shock Wave said with a growl. Sunset stepped back from him fearfully. "I knew you were trouble from the beginning. My son was fine until he associated-," "Why don't you leave her alone!" Sprint yelled back. "Yeah, S-s-sunset d-didn't do this," Quick said. "Honey," Rose said, looking up from his son. "Mr. Wave," Luna said firmly. "You can't just blame Sunset-," "No that stupid girl is just a symptom of the greater problem," Mr. Wave said furiously. "How you and your sister tolerate delinquents." "Mr. Wave I do not tolerate-," "Of course you do," the military man said. "You allow lunatics to get away with things." Everyone in the room began to bristle at the snobbish man's words. "You allowed that yellow-skinned menace to cause a gas leak instead of putting her in prison where she belongs." Luna began bristling at the man's criticism. "And now, you've given any lunatic the belief they can cause mayhem. I should've sent my son to Crystal Prep. They would've ensured proper safety and discipline." Before anyone could reply, someone else walked into the room. "Oh that's rich coming from you," a pudgy, middle-aged man in suspenders said with angry sarcasm. "Hey Rose," he said, giving a polite smile to the grief-stricken woman, "sorry about Twinkle." "What are you doing hear, Auger?" Shock Wave said with distaste. "So I'm not allowed to see my own nephew," Auger said with a snort. "Yeah, that's family values right there. Of course hypocrisy has always been a part of your life." "I'm not gonna be lectured by some reprobate," Shock Wave said. "Honey, Auger," Rose said, trying to defuse the argument. "You complain about explosions, but you're happy to take blood money from a group that causes destruction for a living," Auger said with some contempt. "And you lecture about Crystal Prep's discipline, when you and your buddies bullied that poor nerd because of 'tradition'." "I've wanted my son to fit into normal society," Shock Wave argued back. "Not hang out with hooligans," he said, gesturing to the track team. "We're not hooligans," Sparky argued. "You convinced my son to smash mailboxes," Shock Wave argued. The whole track team flinched. "Oh, so you'd rather he learn to obey the criminals in suits and ties-," A loud horn interrupted their argument. They turned to face the principal who held up an airhorn. "Gentlemen," Luna said. "I know we are in a stressful situation. But you can't let whatever disputes you have get in the way of helping Twinkle." The two men closed their mouths, but the distaste they held for one another still hung in the air. "I need all of you, except the parents and Auger to leave," Luna said firmly. "I understand your all worried, but the world still turns." Reluctantly, everyone began shuffling out of the room, with everyone giving the teenager a concerned look. Sunset and the track team looked forlorn. "I'm sorry," Sunset said with a whisper. Two days had passed, and Sprint was still anxious. He knew Twinkle would be just fine. He was at home resting. He was worried and scared about the maniac and his effect on everyone. All his classmates were anxious, scared, and angry. The police were now checking everyone's lockers and escorting them to school. Without much joy, he walked into a meeting with Mrs. Harshwhinny. "Madame H," he said without much joy as he entered the office, "what's-," "Sprint," a male voice said. Sprint saw Officer Garda in Harshwhinny's office. "Officer what's going on?" Sprint asked. His confusion grew as Garda walked behind him and shut the door. "Am I a suspect?" Sprint asked nervously. "No," the portly man said, "but someone is." "Who?" "Our little friend slipped up," Officer Garda said with a vicious smule. "I examined the baseball machine. It turns out there was a label he left behind." "What did it say?" "Dick's Entertainment Rental Store," Garda said. Sprint frowned as he thought for a few minutes. "That's the place we rented the duck tank," Sprint said. "I called the man," Garda told me. "He told me yesterday, someone tall, covered in a shawl, and in a mask paid cash to rent one of his machines." Sprint said. "He also told me the person was intimately familiar with the store. He got what he needed and walked out in less that 5 minutes." "What does that mean?" Sprint said. "I had a hunch, and so I examined the lock on Twinkle's locker," Garda said. "So?" "There was no evidence of it being tampered." Garda said. Sprint was silent. "It means someone knew the combination to his locker. The only person who could've learned was-," "Someone close," Sprint finished. "Are you saying....one of my own teammates is behind this?" Sprint asked in cold fury. "After Sunset...paid us back." "This person is clearly someone who is fast and athletic. They also had intimate knowledge of Twinkle locker to plan the attack. There is a good chance that...someone is." Garda said sympathetically. "I need you to figure out who amongst your team is guilty of this." "I will," Sprint said, his jaw set and his eyes mercilessly frigid. Sprint assembled Sunset, Gilda, Apple Bloom, Sunset's friends, Rainbow Dash, and Micro Chips to his house. All of them were sitting in his living room, putting all their knowledge together to figure out who amongst his team could potentially be the culprit. The debate descended into a series of loud arguments within the first ten minutes. Fluttershy looked at the list with confusion. "E-excuse me," Fluttershy said to Rainbow. "Hey, Flutters has something to say," Rainbow said, interrupting a shouting match between Sprint and Gilda. "Why wasn't Quick on the list," the yellow skinned girl. "Why would he be guilty?" Sprint asked with some amusement. "That little shrimp," Gilda said with scorn. "Why would he be guilty?" Sunset said. "He's been nice to me since he got back." Fluttershy frowned sternly. "But, what if he's been nice...for a reason," Fluttershy said. Everyone stared at her. "I mean, think about it. The meanie is someone who had to have known about Sunset's schedule in order to do this." That question made everyone a bit concerned. "Who else on the track team was trying to be nice to Sunset?" "You mean the way Sunset used to do? Be nice to get dirt on someone?" Rainbow asked. The question made everyone a little bit on edge. "What is Quick's schedule?" Sunset suddenly asked Sprint. "I don't know," Sprint said uneasily. "But I know his study hall is around noon." "The time when the attacks happen," Applejack said, holding up the notebook which revealed that. Everyone began feeling on edge. "And," Micro said, "Gilda described Applejack's assailant as nervous and shaking. He also did not attack Apple Bloom despite having the ability to do so. We know the guy is someone who is not likely to be violent on a normal day." "And Quick is as 'not likely' as it gets," Sprint said. "And the baseball thing...is kind of juvenile." "Yeah, wouldn't someone who hated Twinkle do something...more deadly if he wanted to get back at him," Rarity argued. "It is clear that as bad as this hooligan has been, he was clearly holding back with his attack on Twinkle. The only reason why he would is-," "Quick wouldn't want to permanently injure someone he felt close to," Sunset finished. Everyone began getting nervous. "Gilda, point to the hand he used to hold the knife," Sunset said, rising to the air. "That one," Gilda said. Sunset held up the hand Gilda pointed too. "This is the left hand," Sunset with a quiet hand. "Quick's a lefty," Sprint said with a furious breath. "And I remember what Sandalwood claimed," Micro Chips said. "He said someone pushed him into Sunset. What if Quick pushed Sandalwood, and his low height was why Sandalwood couldn't see who it was?" The tension in the room grew. "But is still doesn't make sense," Sunset said. "One: I never said or did anything to Quick. Two-," "The guy was tall," Apple Bloom said. "Quick is shorter than me. Heck he's shorter than a table." "Are you sure you didn't do anything to him?" Sprint asked Sunset with a stern eye. "Quick was some no name freshman who I never thought could get in my way," Sunset said. "He was beneath me." "Ha," Gilda snickered. "Beneath you. Because he is so short." "Maybe we should call it a night," Sprint said with a sigh. "Gather some new evidence before we say anything to Officer Garda." With that, everyone packed up and left. "Further to the left," Watermelody commanded. Gilda and other students began moving around a heavy prop, which resembled an old dresser. For many students, this was part of the public service credit. "Not left enough." The students moved it again. "Move it forward." "Will you make up your damn mind, Beret Girl!" Gilda yelled impatiently. "You can't rush perfection, my doll," the pink-skinned thespian said haughtily. "Your birth was rushed," someone threw back. Everyone chuckled. "Everything must be tiptop for my performance tonight," the girl said, her nose in the air. "I'm going to take my break," Gilda said, walking behind stage to stretch her legs. He saw Snips and Snails laughing. For some reason, the buffoons looked taller. "What are you two doing?" Gilda asked them. "Using stilts," Sprint said. "So we can look taller," Snails said. She rolled her eyes at their stupidity, before her eyes narrowed as she remembered something. "I want you to try and walk around," Gilda said. The two looked at her in confusion. "Now!" "Yes, Gilda, sir," Snails said nervously. The two walked around, and their movements were predictably jerky and awkward. But to Gilda, she suddenly realized why their movements were familiar. They were on the freak himself. Even with a mask and a shawl covering his body, the freak couldn't truly conceal his weaknesses. The worm's legs, which had black sneakers, black socks, and black leggings, were already shaking. She felt a bit of trepidation at that the freak's size, but it was clear by his atrocious, almost unstable, stance that he couldn't really fight. Gilda wondered why someone tough enough to bring her down had such a poor stance. Her fists clenched in anger and shock at the last piece of the puzzle came to her. "Quick was wearing stilts", Gilda thought furiously.