> A family at heart
>  by Babycord
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Back home in blue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why are you here?" 

There was a blink of confusion. 

"Excuse me, sir?" 

"Why are you here?" Sergeant Low Sound asked. Staring at the teen before him with a mix of confusion and something else that was hard to decipher. In response, the youth stared at the veteran before him with confusion. However even with that, he tried his best to answer. 

"I committed a cri-'

"I'm aware" Low Sound started before the teen was able to finish his sentence. Upon seeing that the boy was still confused the veteran sighed. Turning the munch older individual reached for a stack of papers that were neatly placed behind him. Going through them for a moment it didn't take the old man long to find what he was looking for. Turning back around it was revealed that he was looking through a folder. 

The teen tensed. 

Clearing his throat the veteran began to speak. His deep, raspy voice was the only thing that filled the normally quiet space around them. 

"Heart Felt Harmony, around 15 years of age, Heart Felt has been sent to High Moon boot camp due to an assault case that involves an individual by the name of Prince Blue Blood." 

Low sound raised a brow. It wasn't every day that you hear about someone whose name sounds like they belong in a high-class society. 

"Along with assault you also have a lengthy criminal history that includes but aren't limited to, resisting arrest, seven cases of petty theft 12 cases of auto theft six home invasions two cases of insurance fraud, and over a dozen illegal gambling charges, most of them being with an individual by the name of Rainbow Dash. 

The old ex-soldier watch as the teen began scratchings his arm. An odd tic that happens every time he found himself in an uncomfortable situation. Having his crimes read out loud brought out an odd feeling to his chest. Shame? No that was something he dealt with in the past long ago. No this wasn't shame, but it was something almost equally unpleasant. However, before he could piece it together the old man's voice him back to reality. 

"When I read this along with everything else, including the fact that you once actively participated in a turf war I thought that I was dealing with a bad seeded youth with an attitude problem." 

Heart lowered his head. 

"But I was wrong." 

Heart Felt eyes went wide. 

Upon seeing the teen's expression Low sound sighed. The veteran almost wish that it was that simple. After all, if that was the case from the very beginning then the teen could end up rotting in a ditch for all he cared. After all people in similar positions were nothing but a leech on society. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. Instead of a wannabe tough guy or something, similar Low Sound met an individual that made him question his very beliefs, 

And that terrified him. 

"Tell me how long have you been here?" 

Heart Felt pause. 

The old man waited. 

Low sound of course already knew the answer to his question.  even with that in mind said he did it to more or less prove a point to both Heart Felt and himself. 

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long to receive an answer. 

"A year sir." 

"Do you know what exactly transpired within that one year of your stay?" It sounded like a question, and it sort of was but he didn't give the kid a chance to speak. 

"In that one year alone you saved 14 individuals from suicide made friends with nearly everyone in the camp including the staff and practically risked your life protecting a dear friend of mine from a wild animal attack, saving not only his life, but the possibility of his only flesh and blood becoming an orphan." 

Silence. 

For a while, both Low and Heart stood in each other's presence. Both of them had different expressions on their faces. The veteran's thoughts while conflicted was completely hidden by his usual unpleasant-looking demeanor. Heart Felt on the other hand looked both bashful and incredibly confused. This was due to him not being able to wrap his head around the words coming out of the older man's mouth. Yeah, he did well sure, but it wasn't like that automatically meant he was a good person at heart. While he wasn't exactly proud of the things he did he didn't exactly feel regret either. The main reason is that the world itself was complicated. It was full of rules, regulations, and political discourse that He barely understood. The laws of nature for some reason didn't apply to the beings that it alone created. As such everyone including himself ends up going against those rules and becoming nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites trying to make sense of the world around them by applying their twisted sense of right and wrong. Adding variables that Heart Felt gave up following long ago. Now in a world full of humans going against themselves and nature, only one thing made sense. 

Family. 

A group of individuals that were related in one form or another. This group often had a close-knit structure that involved being a part of each other's lives. Now Heart himself had lost his true family long ago. Having been born in a place full of addiction and self-torture. As such he was sent to a place when he was young filled with others just like him. It was within that place in a surprisingly short amount of time that he had found those who were more than willing to accept him among their chosen circle. Among it, he met and befriended those whose misfortune and inner suffering were munch like his own. Together they formed a bond that mimicked what they all lost and desired. 

A family. 

It was because of family that Heart did what he did. After all, they couldn't stay in the place that inhabited broken souls like themselves. At least not for long. Not if they wanted to stick together, 

And so they left. Leaving they're once called asylum into a form of an ever forming yellow sphere. For you see those who run a place of far gone souls are just as far gone and just as empty as the rest of them. 

However, their trail of heart ship only lessened. For even with being able to count and trust one another they still had to deal with the reality constantly shifting around them. In part, they wanted nothing to do with the world that cursed them so. However, even with that in mind they still need its necessities if they wanted to survive, and so they did the only thing they could. 

They reacted, 

And as such, that reaction brought Heart Felt to where he stood today. His crimes many and his hooves covered in a mix of blood and dirt. There was no justification for the actions he knew to be true, even with that in mind he felt no guilt. Why feel guilty about trying to survive? It was how nature itself functioned even at its basic level. Things could have been different that munch was true, but at this point in life, there was no need to think about what-if scenarios. You can't change the past nor can you change yourself if you lacked the motivation to do so. 

"I'm sending you home." 

Heart Felt blinked, apparently having zoned out for a good minute. Even with that said Low Sound's words echoed in his ears. This information alone nearly causes him to go into shock. However, doing so now especially in front of the veteran would not turn in his favor. So instead Heart bowed his head. Thanking the man before him a million times in his mind if not more. The strength to do so vocally was not inside him. Even so, he hoped that Low Sound was born with the gift of being able to read minds. 

That gift seemed to be true considering that the way that the old man rolled his eyes. 

'Just hurry up and pack your things, I've already called someone to pick you up not long ago, and from the sound of things, she sounded very preoccupied, at least until I mentioned your name."

Bowing his head once more Heart Felt quickly made his exit. An expression so wide and giddy that the stoned face man before him couldn't help but crack a smile. 

Once the door was shut Low Sound's smile faded. Opening a drawer the ex-soldier reached inside before pulling a lighter out of its contents. Lighting it Low Sound leaned back into his chair. Inhaling the poison into his lungs he took a moment to breathe thinking. Letting out smoke the man who practically lost everything due to a war that never came smiled. 

"I made a huge mistake didn't I?" 

silence was the only response he received. 

In that ongoing silence, Low Sound laughed quietly at himself. 

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The sound of the door slamming open with enough force to leave a dent in its structure gained two individuals' attention. One was a girl with cream-colored skin, hair that was green on one side and black on the other with a set of matching orbs to match. The girl also wore a white jumpsuit with a long black line that goes down tbe middle of her breasts to between her legs and ended near the bottoms of her feet. The girl wasn't exactly pretty by normal standards. Instead, nearly everything about her had this tomboyish feel to it. Including her expression. Besides the girl was a boy.  Said boy had a munch older appearance. He had red-colored skin, yellow hair, and a pair of velvet-colored eyes. Like the girl, he also wore a white jumpsuit. His was practically identical in design. The boy also had a somewhat tense aura around him. An aura that promised pain in the worse way possible. 

As the two glanced over towards the door tense and expecting the worse a figure emerged. 

This figure was short, skinny, with practically no meat on him at all. The figure had light brown skin, even darker brown hair, and a single yellow eye that stared at the two. His other having been covered up by black cloth-like material. However, one eye alone was enough to convey his barely contained excitement. He wore an outfit similar to the other two. However, unlike them, his were munch shorter sleeves. Revealing scars on his arms and legs. Some looked to be self-inflicted, While others didn't. 

The figure laughed. The sound itself was genuine that in itself wasn't anything strange. What was, was the single lone tear that slowly fell from his cheek.

"Im going home." 

The two companions looked at one another before turning their gaze back towards the one-eyed youth. 

"Well" started the girl after a few moments of nothing but dead silence. An amused smirk formed on her face. "Looks like someone has some explaining to do." 

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"Thus here I am" Heart Felt finished. Having spent a little over five minutes giving his companions a play by play at what transpired after his sudden departure. As he was doing this his friends helped him pack his things. The task alone didn't take long considering Heart packed very little in terms of belongings. 

"Well ill be a deformed monkey's uncle your one lucky bastard." 

Daisy Lane stated. The young having placed herself right next to the one-eyed youth. The space between them was practically nonexistent. This meant that the teen was so close that Heart could smell her breath. Thankfully it seemed as if Lane took a breath mint not that long ago. Almost as if she planned this type of scenario ahead of time. 

Upon seeing this Shaky Ground merely rolled his eyes at the display. It was clear to him along with everyone else at camp that Daisy had certain affections towards Felt. Whether the teen himself knew of that little fact remains unknown. 

At least to the ones he didn't trust. 

Ground included. 

"Thanks, Daz" Heart smiled happily at the girl. This caused her to blush near instantly. However, before she was able to respond Felt turned his attention towards their munch older companion. His smile turned playful. "What are you looking at stone head? Cat got your tongue?" 

Upon being insulted Shaky smirked back. 

"At least I'm not a one-eyed orphaned freak like yourself." 

"Says the one who was abused since the age of five." 

"At least I had pussy." 

"Your lost your virginity to your mother tell me how does that feel?" 

"Oh yeah?! Wel-'

Rolling her eyes Daisy zoned out of the conversation. Choosing instead to simply let her mind wander. As she did she thought of many things. Manly about Heart Felt's inevitable departure. While it saddened her that he was leaving. Daisy also couldn't help elated at the prospect of him being able to leave and see both tbe outside world and his family once more. At first, Daisy felt jealous. After all, even though he was an orphan munch like herself he still had people that cared and loved him. Despite this, however, over time, her jealousy was replaced with different feelings. Feelings that the young girl at first had trouble processing. Over time though the more time, she spent with him the more she began to understand him and herself. 

Suddenly a loud booming voice cut through not only her thoughts but the conversation between Heart and Ground. 

"HEART FELT HARMONY REPORT TO THE GATE!" 

The trio looked at one another. 

After a moment the one-eyed youth grinned. Showing off a pair of pure white teeth. 

"Looks like my ride is here." 

Ground merely grunted. Under normal circumstances, the big youth wasn't much for physical contact. The only time it ever interests him is when he needs to get rather hands-on when it comes to the people that piss him off. That alone is one of the main reasons that got him stuck in this hellhole in the first place. That and a certain someone that was wronged while in his presence. In any case, while he wasn't a big fan of touching or getting touched he also knew that this could very well be the last time he saw his friend again. 

With that said. 

Heart Felt jumped as two massive arms wrapped themselves around him and Daisy. Pulling them both into a strong near brush-crushing embrace. 

Looking up Heart saw Ground looking everywhere else but at them. His expression mimicked that of stone. Which meant that neither he nor his female companion can tell what he was thinking. 

Heart smiled. 

Beside him, Daisy merely rolled her eyes. 

"Boys" the female muttered half-heartedly. A smile threatening to spread across her lips. 

Not much was said after that. 

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Walking through the gates armed with only a plastic bag Heart couldn't help but shake with excitement with each step he took. Not only is walking away essentially a free man, but his freedom also meant that he was free to see and embrace the ones he loves the most. 

Speak of which. 

"RAINBOW!" 

There in front of him standing beside an SUV was the one the only Rainbow Dash." 

Said, individual wore a pair of short jeans and a white short-sleeved hoody. On her nose was a piercing that looked to be made of literal gold. Not only that but on both of her arms is a tattoo that closely resembled a strange-looking tree. Said tree also had nine glowing stones. The stones themselves each resembled a different color. Said colors were blue, yellow, purple, and so on. 

"It's about time!" Rainbow grinned. Her arms open in an inviting hug. Not wasting a second Heart practically ran over to her before leaping into the embrace. Having not expected that Rainbow nearly lost her balance. Fortunately, the blue woman managed to regain her footing. Laughing Rainbow ran a hand through her brother's hair. 

"Looks like someone missed big sister Rainbow" Dash teased. However, there was something in her voice. A breathlessness that comes from barely keeping your emotions in check. The tightness in the embrace also told Heart Felt all he needed to know. 

"I missed you to Dash." 

Heart Felt Rainbow tense up for just a monument. A second later a low content sigh left the tomboy's mouth. 

Closing his eyes Heart let the embrace, as well as his emotions, take him into a world far from this one, and from the sound of Rainbow's breathing, he wasn't alone. 

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"Since when were you able to buy a car?" 

"Since when did I decide that buying was my style?" 

Rainbow Dash smirked. 

In response, Heart laughed. Even if what she said alone didn't exactly classify as a joke. 

The two none blooded siblings were busy driving around the town. Heart Felt suggested this since it's been practically a whole year since he's been around the city itself. 

"So we're are the others?" 

Dash snorted. "Like I'm telling those losers you're out, naw I rather keep you for myself for a little while longer." Upon hearing those words Heart immediately tensed, expression going from light-hearted to dark in a matter of seconds. 

"Im not some object that you can hoard all to yourself." 

"That's not what I mean-!

Rainbow paused. Taking a deep breath the cyan woman willed herself to relax. If there was one thing about Rainbow Dash that you needed to know it's that the young woman herself had quite the temper. So much so that at times people questioned if she was sane. The fact that she was also known for having a violent streak didn't help matters either. 

Or the fact that over the years she managed to rack up a body count. 

"Look, I haven't seen you in over a year and I know that as soon as we get home the others are all going to want to spend time with you, so I figure that now is a good time as any to get ahead of the game." 

Heart stared at her. 

"What?!" She snapped, temper flaring. 

A second later a feeling of regret washed over her. However, before it could consume her entirely Heart spoke. 

"Rainbow if you want to simply hang out all you have to do is ask." 

She shrugs. 

"Yeah, well as you can no doubt already tell I'm not very good with words." 

'No wonder you're still single." 

He grinned. 

Rainbow couldn't help but snicker. 

"Asshole." 

With a nod mostly to himself than to her Heart looked back towards the road. "So what do you have in mind?" 

Rainbow grinned. 

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Knock! Knock! 

"Honey, can you get the door?" 

"Yes, mom!" Soarin called out. 

Turning off his control Soarin wasted little time in answering the door. The young man figured that behind said the door was either one of two things. 

One the pizza he ordered. 

Or two Jehovah witnesses. 

He preferred the former over the latter. 

However, instead of either of those things, Soarin was met with a person he thought he would never see again. 

"Rainbow Dash?!" 

"Hey Soarin" she smiled. Beside Rainbow Dash was a person he had never seen before. However, from the way, the kid looked at him and who he was standing beside it was safe to say that he wasn't a pushover. 

"I thought you were dead" Soarin muttered. Images of police sirens and a figure covered in blood flashed in his mind. 

"Eh" Rainbow shrugged. "Turns out the bullet missed its mark by a couple of inches, it still left a nasty-looking scar though, think I should try to tattoo over it?" 

Soarin opened his mouth to respond. However, a look from Rainbow made him realize that the question wasn't for him. 

The kid beside Dash seems to mull it over for a few seconds, before shrugging. "Might hurt, but I don't see why not." The woman merely hummed in acknowledgment. 

After trying and failing to speak Soarin finally manages to get a few words out. 

"Wh-what are y-you d-doing here?" 

Rainbow grinned. 

"Oh you know, I just thought it was finally around the time where I get my revenge, after all, you're the one who decided to pull the trigger." 

Soarin's eyes went wide. 

"Wha-!'

However, before he could even finish his sentence a blue fist connected against his face. 

Looking down at the unconscious body before him Heart wondered to himself out loud. "for a person that's supposed to be as tough as you Rainbow, he sure doesn't act like it." 

"What can I say? It's a gift." 

Felt chuckled. 

"Yeah, a gift for a fully grown man who still lives with their mother, speaking of which." 

As if on Que a voice can be heard from further inside the house. 

"Soarin? Is everything alright?" 

The two looked at one another. 

"Not it!" The youngest said quickly. 

Rainbow muttered a curse under her breath. 

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"DON'T MOVE!" Dash screamed. 

Everyone in the store immediately froze. 

While this was happening Felt was already up and over the counter. A gun pressed tightly against the cashier's head. Because of this, it wasn't at all surprising that the woman immediately froze up. 

"Listen carefully" Felt ordered. His voice was calm and calculating. "All that you need to do is open the case register hand me the money and will be on our merry way, that is if you don't want my friend over there to get trigger happy."

The women gulped. 

Felt gave the woman to collect herself. Once she did so she immediately began doing as he instructed. 

"Good, good" Felt praised. "The sooner we get this done the better." 

The woman nodded. Her heartfelt as if it was gonna beat right out of her chest. As this was happening Rainbow walked among the customers. How she moved was like a predator circling its prey. Her eyes took in each person present with a look that terrified them. Of course, Rainbow was currently wearing a mask, hiding her features from view, but a mask or not the aura around her was unmistakable. 

Make one move and your dead, no more no less. 

"Done!" Felt shouted. Three seconds later he and his cyan partner burst out tbe door. Getting in and out of tbe immediate area by pressing hard on the accelerator. 

"THAT'S WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!" Dash screamed. Currently, fueled on adrenaline mixed with excitement. She wasn't alone. Beside her Heart was screaming his lungs out. It has been a long while since he got some real excitement. Granted what they're doing was bad that alone he had no illusion of or a misguided sense of morality. Truth be told at times like these he just couldn't find it within himself to care. 

Perhaps that was more dangerous than morality itself. 

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"Aye, bro?" 

"Yes?" 

"Imma need you to hold the wheel for a few seconds." 

"Why?" 

"Because I think I see Gilda." 

"You mean that girl who punched Derpy in the face because she accidentally bumped into her?" 

"Yup." 

"Aim for the eyes." 

Rolling down the window Dash screamed at the woman. Upon hearing her name being called Gilda turned. Only to widen her eyes upon seeing blue woman with multi-colored hanging a car window. An object that looked exactly like a pistol held in her grip. 

"THIS IS FOR DERPY!" Dash screamed before firing. Gilda including tbe crowd around her panicked and began to run. Unfortunately one deems it logically impossible to outrun a bullet. As such Gilda including several others were hit in the crossfire. 

Once again the duo pressed on the accelerator. 

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"Big Dash bitches! The cyan woman shouted before rolling some dice. The end result caused the crowd around her to shout in dismay. Heart Felt who kept an eye out on the other players immediately began gathering their winnings as Dash was too busy celebrating her victory. Once everything was said and done Dash announced that it was his turn to play. Heart for his part shrugged said fuck it and grabbed some dice. 

His opponents didn't last long after that. 


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"Hey, sis?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I just want to say thank you" Heartfelt himself begin to smile as he looked up at the night sky. The air was cool and while the stars were few it still made for a beautiful sight. Thank you can often mean a lot of different words for different people. In this instance Heart Felt thanks doesn't only translate to today's events, but his entire life right up to this point. In other words, his thanks were for various unspoken things. 

"Thank you for today. 

Thank you for picking me up. 

Thank you for being in my life. 

Thanks for taking the time to love and care for me when I needed it most. 

Thank you for being you. 

Rainbow Dash for her part paused. The ice cream she was licking mere moments ago was seemingly forgotten. 

Silence. 

For a long, long moment nothing was said. 

For a while, the two simply stared up at the sky. 

Or at least until Rainbow snorted. 

"Thank you is a stupid word." 

Heart merely laughed at this. 

"Coming from your point of view? I ain't all that munch surprised." Rainbow Dash chuckled before jumping off the hood. Stretching the mare glanced at the time on her phone. 

"Welp I hate to say it, but we should be getting back to the others right about now, no doubt the word on the street probably mentioned your release." 

Heart nodded as the two began to walk. Only for Rainbow to suddenly pause and look back over her shoulder. "Oh yeah almost forgot." Reaching into her pocket the cyan woman pulled out a match. Lighting it she then handed it over to her little brother. 

"Im too lazy to do the honors."

Rolling his eyes Heart Felt merely flicked the lighter over his shoulder. Once done the two began to walk. Intending to hijack another ride, or simply take the bus. 

Behind them, Soarin screamed as his body began to burn.
> Good to be back.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is a home? 

For HeartFelt and his sisters, their home consists of a small three-bedroom house near the edge of town. Of course with a family as big as theirs it wasn't exactly an easy fit. With that said it was the only place that they could afford at the time. Plus while it was small, it also had a basement that ended up becoming another room entirely. 

Under normal circumstances, they would end up sharing a room in pairs of two. For example, one room was shared by Rarity and Rainbow Dash. The second room on the left was shared between Fluttershy and Derpy. The one on the right was Twilight and Pinkie Pie. The basement meanwhile was split among Apple Jack and HeartFelt. However nine out of 10 the orange woman would end up passed out on the couch. Having been too drunk to walk down the stairs on numerous occasions. 

Staring up at his so-called home Heart smiled fondly. Moments among him along with his sisters come into mind. Despite it looking old and pretty much run down the memories gained from its structure are practically unforgettable. Five long years of happiness, pain, struggle, and discovery were all found within its confines. To most, it looked to be disgusting if not a vile place to live in, but to him, nothing felt more safe and secure. Of course, that isn't to say that the home itself didn't have any flaws. For instance, plumbing was a near-constant issue. Not only that but often than not the heating would be poor. So poor in fact that on most winter nights they all would gather in the living room to sleep. Piled on top of one another in a clear attempt to sub-stain warmth. Even Rainbow Dash who didn't exactly favor closeness would often partake in the event. All be it with a deep blush that turns her face crimson. 

"You ready their Champ?" The cyan woman asked. Using a nickname that Heart hasn't heard for a long time. In response, the youth puts his hand under his chin in apparent thought. 

"That depends" he began slowly. "Can you survive without me for long periods without getting bored and doing something drastic?" 

"I got this far" Rainbow pointed out.  A light smirk on her face. 

Heart grinned. 

"I'll take that as a no." 

Rainbow scoffed before rolling her eyes, and they say that she's the one who always likes to boast. "I'll let you know that my life doesn't rotate around you". That alone wasn't exactly a lie however it isn't exactly the real truth either. In essence, Felt was one out of seven people that kept her centered. Without him or the others, Rainbow would have ended up in a far worse place in life. It was no secret that she was reckless. Hell, it was something that Rarity berates her about daily. While that said recklessness was a part of her personality, but It was also because Rainbow couldn't find it within herself to care about what happens to her and her alone. It was something that Rainbow struggled with her entire life. It wasn't that she thought little of herself or anything else similar to that. Nor was it due to anything that was done towards her or around her in the earlier stages of her life. Rather it was just another aspect of herself that the cyan woman inherited since birth. This alone was one of the main reasons that she was abandoned as a child. Her parents didn't want to deal with a kid who seemingly throw self-preservation out the window. Well, that and the financial issues that come with bearing a child. In the end, Rainbow was sent to an orphanage. That alone was both the best and the worse part of the women's life. 

Dash watched as Heart Felt turned his attention back towards the house. His expression is a mixture of longing and nervousness. Upon seeing this she raised a brow in confusion. 

" what's up with you?" 

Heart shrugged trying to look as relaxed and unbothered as possible. "Oh, not munch". 

"Liar." 

He sighed. Felt knew that when it came to something the cyan woman wanted to know she would stop at nothing to find out. Personal space and or boundaries be damned. 

"Im just...nervous". 

Rainbow's brow went a tad bit further. 

" it's just I haven't seen them in a whole year, what if things changed? What if something happened that was somehow my fault and now they blame me for it?" 

Rainbow held back a snort. 

"Im serious!" He snapped. A second later anger gave easily into doubt. "They could be upset at me or what I've done or-"

A blue hand covered his mouth. 

Confused by this sudden action Felt looked up. Only to see his big sister staring down at him. 

"Look I know you can be crazy paranoid and all, munch like Twilight". 

His confused look turned into a glare, 

" but believe me when I say that you're seriously overthinking this, If something did happen don't you think that I would have already told you?" 

He blinked. 

Well, when you put it like that. 

Upon realizing that she got through to him she removed her hand from his mouth. 

"Now then" Rainbow began. Putting both hands over her head as she turned towards the house. Heart in turn did the same. Only he didn't quite look as relaxed as she did. Mainly, because of how loud his thoughts were. Furthering his already nervous state of mind. Fortunately, Dash managed to get him to calm down. At least somewhat. The cyan female on the other hand had a knowing smirk on her face. 

"Let's get this party started".  

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"Has anyone seen my flippers?" 

A young woman with almost bleached white skin, long purple hair, and a set of soft blue eyes asked. The look on her face was that of clear frustration as she walked down the stairs. 

"Have you tried looking under your bed?" Twilight asked. The sixth youngest sibling's focus seemed to be mainly on the computer in front of her. Twilight herself was a purple woman with long dark purple hair and a pair of moderate amber eyes. She wore a pair of reading glasses as she stared intently at the screen before her. 

Rarity sighed. 

"That's the second place I looked." 

"What was the first?" 

A scowl formed on the white beauty's face. 

"Under Rainbow Dash's bed." 

"Judging from the fact that your still looking I think it's safe to say that it wasn't there?" 

"Indeed." 

Twilight shrugged. That shrug alone told Rarity that her answer was the best she was going to get. At least while the woman herself was too busy with whatever she was doing. 

Speaking of which. 

"What are you doing dear?" 

Twilight's answer was quick and to the point. 

"Looking at how one goes about recreating ancient dark rituals. 

Rarity blinked. 

Well, at least she wasn't trying to hack into the pentagon for the fourth time. 

"Good luck dear." 

In response, she received a lazy thumbs up. 

Walking into the living room Rarity was met with the usual sight.  

Apple Jack currently snoring on the couch. A near-empty bottle of cider in one hand and a blunt that looked practically finished in the other. Sitting close beside Apple Jack while on the floor were Fluttershy and Derpy. The former looked to be hard at work at drawing something Rarity couldn't see. Derpy on the other hand was busy watching what Rarity believed to be a show called Kevin universe. Laying in the middle of both Derpy and Fluttershy was what looked to be a massive purple dog. Said dog looked to be lean and muscular. When it yawned it showed off several razor-sharp teeth that looked capable of crushing bone. Beyond that, however, the way it rested its massive head-on Derpy's lap made it look more like a cute puppy rather than a vicious guard dog that it was bred to become.  

"Hello Derpy" Rarity greeted with a smile. The grey youth turned to look at her. The speed at which she did so had a good part of her face covered with blonde hair. Frowning Derpy took a moment to push her mane aside. Doing so revealed a pair of golden yellow eyes. Eyes that shined with childlike innocence. 

"Hey, Rarity!" 

The purple-haired woman smiled in response. 

"Have you seen my socks anywhere?" 

Rarity watched as Derpy knits her brows together in concentration. For her part Rarity waited patiently. The grey youth always had problems when it comes to her memory. This issue came apparent ever since Derpy fell off a swing when she was but a toddler. Ever since that day, the girl's mind wasn't the same. concepts such as math and reading were alien to her since she kept forgetting about how one goes about mastering them. You could teach her how to read and write just as you would any other kid, unfortunately once a certain amount of time passes the memory of how she was taught would vanish. This effectively made her unable to do things that others could around her age. However, even with that said she is capable of remembering an item or people's names once she was around them for a long period. It took her an entire year to effectively remember Rarity's name without mispronouncing it or forgetting entirely. It took her even longer to remember anyone else's. Fortunately Derpy was more than capable of remembering faces and her interactions with others. However, with that said there would forever, be a severe limitation to what she can and can't do. 

That alone meant that Rarity wasn't surprised and or upset when Derpy finally answered. 

"Nope!" 

She smiled softly in thanks. 

Upon glancing over and seeing the look of absolute concentration on Fluttershy's face as she drew Rarity wisely decided not to interrupt her. Not unless she wanted to come face to face with angry Shy. 

No one comes back from angry Shy. 

"YOU SHOULD ASK PINKIE PIE!" Derpy exclaimed loudly before pointing. Seemingly forgetting the fact that a certain someone was sitting right beside her. Fluttershy for her part looked unphased. Even though her ear was tilted ever so slightly towards Derpy's general direction. Either the yellow caretaker was that deep in concentration or she was more than willing to ignore any wrongdoings done by her grey sister. At least to a certain extent. 

Rarity who rarely if ever seen the two the apart suspected the former. 

Following Derpy's finger Rarity spotted the pink-colored woman herself. Pinkie for her part was too busy staring at the door to notice her. Her eyes wide and unblinking. 

Upon seeing her sister in such a state a worried look fell onto Rarity's expression. 

"Pinkie dear are you alright?" 

No answer. 

"Pinkie?" 

Silence. 

Biting her lip Rarity's concerns began to grow from the lack of verbal response from the usual talkative individual before her. Her first assumption was that that Pinkie might have consumed too much Black Moondust. Too much of the substance could leave one spacing out for minutes if not hours at a time. However, the pink party machine was always mindful of the amount used. Whether it was her or another one of her siblings. Plus judging from just how long she's using it the risk of that happening was probably low due to long-time exposure. Pinkie Pie was many things, but a lightweight wasn't one of them. 

"Haven't you heard?" 

The low, almost unfeeling tone that came out of her mouth caused Rarity to pause, and she wasn't the only one who noticed either. 

Dead silence fell as six pairs of eyes fell upon the duo. 

"Heard about what dear?" 

Instead of answering Pinkie simply stood. Her eyes transfixed on the door. 

By this point, panic began to slowly sheep into Rarity's core. However just as the purple-haired woman began to reach out towards her sister Pinkie turned. As she did so Rarity along with nearly everyone else with the sole exception of Apple Jack saw the massive smile on her face. Said smile was so wide that the fact it managed to fit on the pink woman's face was almost otherworldly. 

"He's here." 

Pinkie whispered her expression unchanging. Rarity gulped before managing to get out a sentence. 

"Wh-who's here?" 

However, before the pink woman could answer the door opened. 

"What's good bitches?!" 

Rainbow Dash strolled in, 

And behind her was someone that Rarity along with everyone else thought they would never see again.

"HEART FELT?!"  

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Heart Felt couldn't breathe.

That was mainly due to having six bodies pressed against him. While the embrace was long overdue, it also made it extremely difficult to gather much-needed oxygen into his lungs. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before his vision began to blur. However, before panic settled within Heart's soul an orange hand reached over before grabbing him by the collar. A second later Felt was pulled out of the embrace and was instead settled right next to a now awake Apple Jack. 

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted. The look on her face was similar to that of a very displeased mother. This had the effect of calming everyone down almost immediately.  

A moment later words of apology were uttered with looks of intense guilt. After all, it didn't take a genius to figure out what happened, especially if you take into account the way Heart Felt was gasping for air. Rainbow however was too busy laughing her ass off. Munch to Apple Jacks' dismay. 

It was only when the one-eyed youth was fully recovered did she allow them to approach. All be it with a stern almost motherly gaze. 

"I missed you so much!" Derpy yelled. A few tears of happiness fell down her face. Upon seeing this Heart gestured for her to come closer. Once she was in range he began to gently wipe the tears away. Placing a tender kiss on each side of the grey "girl's cheek. This was how the two communicated thier feelings. Instead of simple words, they relied on touch and expression. In response to his gesture, Derpy plants a big sloppy kiss on his forehead. This action received ewws and awws from the crowd around them. The ewws being from mainly Rainbow Dash herself 

After this, it was Fluttershy's turn. 

Getting on her knees she pulled Heart in a gentle, wordless embrace. Of course not that the teen expected anything less. It wasn't like the yellow woman suddenly could speak. She was born a mute after all, forever cursed to keep silent in a world that was always screaming. Upon feeling a pair of fingers gently rubbing his back Heart smiled.

"I missed you two Fluttershy". 

The speed increased ever so slightly before slowing, moving at a speed that was much slower than before. After a moment he snorted. 

"Oh trust me the place was an utter hell hole, only strictly boiled down to PG 13 content". 

Fluttershy laughed. 

The laugher itself was dead silent. The only indication of it transpiring in the first place was the way her face moved. 

After giving Fluttershy yet another hug the two departed. Next up on the list was that of Twilight Sparkle. After approaching, Twilight took the time to examine her brother's features. She took in every little detail. From the apparent eye patch to the way his cheeks moved as he smiled up at her. Staring into his remaining eye Twilight saw the emotions that she too was feeling. There was happiness, excitement, a sense of belonging, and fear. 

Fear of being rejected. Fear of being alone with nothing but the clothes on his back.  

"I take it that you're release wasn't due by any legal means?" She inquired. At this Heart shook his head. "Naw, they basically let me out for good behavior, stupid of them am I right?'

At this Twilight nodded. 

"Well since you've returned I hope that we can spend the time necessary to strengthen the bond we already share." 

The one-eyed youth smirked. Having figured out what Twilight was trying to say. "I love you too sis." 

In response, she blushed. 

Rarity was next up on the list. 

"Oh, my darling that suit looks all dirty ". 

Confused he looked down at his outfit. Only to roll his eyes upon realizing that he was still wearing the jumpsuit. Not that it bothered him to munch. However, what bothered Rarity was the few stains that were on his shirt. If there was one thing he knew she pride herself on it was being clean. Not only that but Rarity more or less forces others to follow her example. Of course, once upon a time, the young woman had different ideas in mind. Unfortunately that all but simply faded upon realizing just how difficult it would be to achieve her dream. Especially considering that as of now she lacked the materials or income necessary to turn her thoughts into a reality. 

"sorry Rarity, I'll be sure to change my outfit later". 

Rarity for her part nods before giving him a quick peck on the cheek 

With Rarity out the way, Apple Jack or AJ as most call her decided to jump in. 

Wrapping an arm around the teen she then pulls him into a one-sided embrace. The expression on her face was that of relief. "I can't tell ya how worried I was". The smell of weed and liquor assaulted Heart's nose. However, this didn't stop him from embracing her in turn. For a long moment, the two stayed that way. No words needed to be said. Instead, they simply took in the joy of being in one another's presence. 

At least until Pinkie Pie decided to intervene.  

In one moment Heart was on the floor held in an embrace, and in the next, he was being twirled through the air as if he weighed little to nothing. 

"Ohmygoshimissedyousomunchithoughtaboutyoualmostallthetime!" The pink menace said. Having spoken so fast that her words sounded like a jumbled mess. Heart to his credit merely laughed at his sister's antics. Only to laugh harder as the party girl began planting rapid kisses all over his face. When she appeared satisfied she set him back down. However, not before shouting the words, Rainbow Dash was just waiting to hear. 

"You know what that means?! It's time for a party!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth" Rainbow muttered. 

What transpired next was a party for the ages. Music was played, drinks were passed around, blunts were smoked, bets were made, and Moondust was inhaled. In the end before passing out one thought ran through Heart Felt's mind. 

Man, it was good to be home.
> Interruption and plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

, Knock! Knock! 

Twilight groaned. 

Opening her eyes the youth blinked. As she did so she realized that her head was currently resting on Rarity's shoulder. Meanwhile, the white gem had her back against the wall. Her eyes closed and her mouth slightly parted as she snored. A small line of drool rested itself near the outer corners of her mouth. Upon realizing this Twilight smiled slightly before closing her eyes. Her mind slowly drifted itself back into the land of drea-

Knock! Knock! 

Groaning Twilight sat up. Be careful to not disturb Rarity from her slumber. 

"Knock! Knock! 

Getting to her feet the purple teen slowly began to make her way towards the door. Passing a few sleeping forms in her wake. For example, there was Pinkie Pie who lay sprawled out on and off the couch. A pillow was the only thing that separated her head from the cold wooden floor. On the woman's face were various words and symbols that were drawn while the pink girl slept. A party hat having found its way right over her eyes. Next to her was the massive purple beast that resembled a dog. Said, creature like pinkie lay sprawled out on the floor. With his back to the ground, Twilight saw his sturdy hind legs kick lightly every few seconds. Presumably dreaming about chasing rabbits through the field, or something to that nature.

Rainbow meanwhile slept while pressing her back against the walk munch like Rarity. The only difference is that a large bottle of beer was held in her grip. Her eyes had been covered with the hood of her jacket. Far off from Rainbow in a chair, AJ was munch the same. Only she had two bottles instead of one. 

Not far from them near the door were the sleeping forms of three individuals. Fluttershy, Derpy, and Heart Felt. The yellow woman herself lay with her head to the floor. A small but content smile on her face. On the right side of her was Derpy. The grey-skinned youth had seemingly chosen to use one of Fluttershy's arms as a makeshift pillow. Heart Felt however chose the woman's stomach as a good resting place. The one-eyed youth lay there with his head facing the ceiling. A smile that wasn't much different from Fluttershy was spread across his face. 

Knock! Knock! 

Stepping over her siblings Twilight grabbed the handle that was connected to the wood structure. With a tired and exhausted sigh, she pulled it open.

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In life, Twilight Sparkled classifies herself as many things. A high-level genius, a seeker of knowledge and truth, a firm believer in the serpent brotherhood, and the future dictator of planet Earth were only a few of many, but despite this, there was one thing she wasn't, 

And that was someone who liked being disturbed. 

"I hope that there's a logical and sound reason for your visit, let alone the fact that you disturbed my REM cycle". 

Twilight glared at the tall individual before her. 

The said individual was a well-dressed middle-aged man. In height, he stood slightly above Twilight who for her part stood around average height. The man aslo wore a pair of glasses as well as an expression that told her that he wasn't pleased to be here. 

"I'm here to collect on this month's rent that's passed due". 

"It' hasn't been paid yet?" 

"Isn't that what I said?" 

"I see, wait here for a moment". 

Once the door was closed Twilight then turned her attention towards a certain cyan female. Stepping over her siblings once more it didn't take her long to reach her destination. In that short time that she was talking to the person outside their home Rainbow went from sleeping against the wall to on her stomach while on the floor. 

At least until Twilight kicked her. 

Now, normally a kick to the side would be a cause of alarm for anyone. Fortunately, Dash wasn't just your average person. Instead, she simply opened an eye before having it focus on her purple Sister. 

"What?" 

Rainbow questioned. Her voice was more so annoyed than anything else. 

At this Twilight merely crossed her arms. 

"Landlord is outside, apparently the monthly payment that's required for us to live here wasn't received."

They have all agreed long ago that they would take turns paying rent each month. The only ones who weren't expected to do so were Heart and Derpy. The former has been deemed too young to handle that type of responsibility. While the latter wasn't capable of handling such a task while on her own. It so happens that it was Rainbow's turn to pay. 

Upon hearing Twilight's answer the cyan woman mumbled something about old people being dick heads before reaching into her pocket. 

A few moments later Twilight was handing the money. "I assume that this is all you require?" She asked. Secretly asking anyone eldritch deity that would listen to make the man vanish befor her. 

Or at the very least have a bird shit on him. 

Unfortunately, neither of those things happened. Instead, the man merely nodded before telling Twilight to keep it down since he was receiving noise complaints. Twilight merely nodded before watching the man leave. Once he was out of sight she closed the door. 

Returning to her original position beside Rarity Twilight sighed. The man at the door was named Sunshine Smiles. Unfortunately, his name was the exact opposite of his personality. While interactions between him and her family were brief they were never pleasant. The only reason that the man continued to bathe in her brilliance was the fact that killing him would be rather difficult. That and the simple fact that they didn't want to risk losing their home. If that wasn't the case he would have already been six feet deep long ago. Or perhaps he would end up a sacrificial lamb. 

She yawned. 

Well, in anyway case there wasn't much to be done by dwelling on the matter. 

Laying her head on Rarity's shoulders Twilight closed her eyes. Letting familiar darkness consume her being. It wasn't long before she was in the land of dreams. 

Those dreams quickly turned into nightmares. 

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"And then Fluttershy punched him in the face" Derpy finished. A wide grin full of humor is present on her face. 

Heart who was seated beside her let out a loud almost obnoxious laugh. "Now that's funny!" 

Fluttershy who occupied Derpy's left smirked in remembrance. Rainbow Dash meanwhile merely snorted. "I'm surprised you even remember that being that this is you we are talking about". 

Rarity who was busy making breakfast for them all gasp in shock. 

"Rainbow!" 

In response, Fluttershy sent a look in the cyan woman's direction. Dash for her part lifted her hands in defense. "It was just a joke geese". 

"Last time I checked humor wasn't your strong suit" Pinkie pointed out giggling. The woman herself was seated right beside the cyan individual. Dash stuck her tongue out in response. 

Fortunately, Derpy looked completely unphased by her elder sister's poor choice of words. Something that nearly everyone else was grateful for. Heart however made a mental note to avenge Derpy at a later point. The youth knew that Dash truly meant nothing by what she said however it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus he was just itching for a prank. By the expression, Fluttershy gave him he knew that she agreed. 

Now all he had to do was wait for the right moment. 

"Morning!" Aj hollered as she entered the kitchen.  eyes red and bloodshot. 

"Morning AJ!" Both pinkie Pie and Derpy shouted in union. Shortly after that, they looked at one another before bursting into a fit of giggles. 

"Good morning dear" 

"Morning sis". 

"Hello, drunk Jack.". 

AJ gave a grinning Rainbow Dash the finger. 

Taking her spot on the table she looked around. Quickly noticing that they were one person short. " where is Twilight?" 

However, before anyone could answer a voice spoke. 

"Here". 

Raising an eyebrow the orange-colored woman looked under the table. Only to see Twilight on the computer while eating a half-bitten cookie. The expression on her face was somewhat groggy. 

"Is there a reason why you're currently under the table?" 

"It's dark" was the only response she received. Not that AJ was expecting anything less. 

"Gotcha." 

The sound of Rarity's voice drew everyone's attention. 

"Breakfast is ready!"

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"So what are your guy's plans for today? AJ asked. A fork on hand and a bottle of syrup in the other as she looked at everyone present. 

"Pinkie pie was the first to answer. Her voice is full of enthusiasm as always. "I got another gig going today!" She stated. An eager smile formed on her face. In response to this AJ, Rarity, and Heart Felt congratulated her on a job well done. Derpy for her part merely cheered excitedly while Fluttershy smiled. Rainbow Dash on the other hand merely narrowed her eyes. 

After all, if Pinkie was going to do a party that meant that other might show up. If that was the case then depending on the situation it could get ugly real quick. 

"I'll help you out." 

A mixture of surprise as well as shock ranged through the table. 

However, it was at that moment that Pinkie did something almost unheard of. 

She frowned. 

Just as she was about to speak however Aj beat her to the punch. 

"I think that Heart Felt should go instead." 

Upon his name being mentioned, Heart took his eyes off of Rainbow to look over at her. His expression was that of surprise. Normally as a safety precaution, AJ or one of the others would volunteer instead. With the sole exception of Derpy of course. While everyone knew the likelihood of something bad happening while with her pink sister was slim, it was better to be safe than sorry. With that said out of them, all Rainbow would be the least likely to volunteer. 

At least ever since that incident took place. 

"I think that would be the best" Rarity said after a moment. Upon hearing this Fluttershy nodded her head. Once it was clear that nearly everyone was in agreement Rainbow merely leaned back in her chair. A not-so-pleasant look in her expression. 

After that was over and done with everyone else began to share what they planned for the day. 

"Twilight planned to gather information about mythical creatures that are used to increase one's life span using the Internet. Fluttershy and Derpy are planning to volunteer down at the nearest animal shelter. However, they agreed to take Spike on a walk beforehand. Once he heard his name being mentioned the purple giant himself patted into the room. Rarity meanwhile planned to contact old clients of hers to gain some more money. While Rainbow Dash merely shrugged and mentioned something about taking a stroll through the park. Upon hearing this Rarity sternly told her to not do anything reckless or potentially life-threatening, munch to the cyan woman's annoyance. Last but not least Heart told everyone that he planned on going down the basement and play some of his old video games for a bit. Afterward, he intended on helping Pinkie Pie with the party. That immediately drew the attention of Pinkie herself, and surprisingly AJ. The latter of whom rarely if ever played in the first place. 

With their daily activities in mind, everyone went about to start the day.
> Readying for a party.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

AJ wasn't the type that is overly interested in playing video games of any sort. 

However, that didn't mean that she didn't partake in watching others enjoy themselves 

Hence why she sat watching both Heart and Pinkie play. The game itself was called Collector of the demon head. A loosely based first-person shooter with high graphics and almost nonstop violence. Fortunately, it also had a multiplayer setting.  

"On your six!" 

"Take that, you big meanie!" 

Currently, both Pinks and Felt we're stuck in a rather small tunnel battling what looks to be a never-ending horde of demonic-looking creatures straight from the Bible. 

"I'm hit!" 

Pinkie Pie gasped upon seeing her brother's character get hit in the chest by what looked to be a mixture between a human and a scorpion covered in red spikes. 

"I'm coming, little brother!" 

Switching out her shotgun for a chainsaw pinkie charged towards the thing. Mowing down hordes of beasts who foolishly decided to get in her way. Upon reaching her brother Pinkie then used her chainsaw to split the demon in two. However, unlike its brethren, the thing wasn't so easily defeated. Dodging the chainsaw the thing opened its mouth before breathing out a wave of fire. Upon seeing this Pinkie chose to evade. Rolling out the way she then swapped her chainsaw for an automatic rifle. She then wasted no time showering her enemy in a rain of bullets. Unfortunately, the demon's hid proved to be too strong to penetrate. With that said the thing rushed towards her, sending the woman's character through a wall and taking a good portion of her health in the process. 

Charging through the hole the demon charged. Spewing a wave of fire directly at her. Seeing this Pinkie managed to roll away just in time. Switching from her gun to a mini grenade launcher. 

"TAKE THIS!" The pink female roared 

However, instead of taking it, the demon dodged. With that said the resulting explosion there is somewhat off balance. Seeing her chance Pinkie then pulled out her enchanted blade. Releasing a war cry she charged at the behemoth, ducking under the swipe of its claws. As such, she dug the blade deep into the thing's heart. Causing it to roar in pain. However, before she could finish it off the demon headbutted her. Once again her character was sent flying.

"Hold on Pinks im coming!" 

Jumping through the hole was none other than Heart Felt. Having managed to fully heal his character. Upon seeing the demon he immediately began firing. However this time instead of using a normal gun he used an enchanted firearm blessed by the four priests of the holy word. The bullets within tore through the beast's hid like toilet paper. Screaming the scorpion-like humanoid turned its attention to Heart. The manic rage-filled look in its eyes was unmistakable. However, before it could so much as take a step a large blade pierced its skull. 

Killing it instantly. 

"Take that!" Pinkie grinned. 

Both siblings then proceeded to high-five one another. 

After that, the two proceeded to regroup before advancing towards the next level. As they did they were met with great counter-resistance Fortunately the two when working together served to be a force to be reckoned with. As such no horde was able to effectively stand in their way. At least until the higher level, demons showed up. 

AJ for her part smiled as she watched her siblings play. The orange-colored woman missed moments like this. It's been a while since she saw Pinkie truly happy. Sure she was happy before that munch was obvious, but it wasn't as much as the pink woman would lead you to believe. Of course, no one but AJ knew this. This was mainly due to her ability to read people. Of course, she couldn't read the pink girl's mind, but she can tell that often than not that Pinkie's smile was forced. All though AJ knew that, that itself wasn't uncommon it was munch more present than usual. Pinkie Pie herself was a person who loved making people happy. Not only that but she also cherished those around her. The pink woman was the type to try to see the good in every little thing in life. Even under the bleakest of moments. However, while Pinkie was good at heart she was also more than willing to put her life or the lives of others on the line for the sake of those closest to her. 

Taking a swing from her bottle AJ sighed. 

Unfortunately like the rest of them, the pink woman's past left scars that might never heal. 

She hoped  Heart's return would give the party girl more reasons to smile. 

Or at least help her deal with the other side of herself. The one who bore as a reminder of what happened in the past. Well, it wasn't like the past was going to forget about her or any one of them any time soon. 

"Hey AJ!" 

Shaking her head Apple Jack looked over at Pinkie and Heart. Both of whom paused the game to look over at her in concern. 

"Something the matter?" 

Heart shrugged. 

"I don't know, you're the one who spent the past five minutes zoning out". 

"Yeah! And your face was all scrunched up and sad looking you look like you needed a hug, do you need a hug? Or a blanket? Or-" 

"I'm fine" AJ interrupted. Not wanting either of them to worry about her. 

Both siblings shared a look. 

It was a well-known fact that AJ was stubborn in more ways than one. For instance, if a situation arose she would deal with it herself not letting the others get involved unless absolutely necessary. She also tended to keep most if not all of her problems and emotions bottled up. She hated the thought of showing weakness to those who often looked up to her for guidance and or emotional support. In fact, Once upon a time ago, Apple Jack used to bore the responsibility of paying for the bills on her own. Refusing any help whatsoever. However, the stress proved to be too much and her drinking increased. She began to snap at the others for seemingly no reason at all. It got so bad that at one point a mistake from Derpy led to a five-minute one-sided shouting match. 

They were barely able to hold Fluttershy back. 

After this, the others confronted her about it and the rest was history. 

"Do you wanna play?!"

At her sister's question, AJ shook her head. "Naw I prefer to watch you two have fun". 

"I can't help but feel that that statement alone was sexual in nature" Heart said. 

Both women stared at him. 

Upon noticing this Heart's expression turned into a look of mock innocence. 

"What?" He asked. 

Turning to look at each other then back at Heart they did the only thing they could. 

They laughed. 

Heart joined them not long after. 

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How does one prepare for a party? 

The answer varies depending on the type of party involved. For example for a kid's party, all you have to do is pop up some balloons, set up a bouncy house or two. For a party that mainly consists of a small number of individuals, it is best to bring a few alcoholic drinks as well as a small-time DJ. For a party involving someone's 18th birthday or older perhaps a stripper or two would do the trick. If the individual that it involves is into that sort of thing of course. 

However, the types of party Pinkie Pie involves herself in aren't exactly legal. At least not this one. As such the pink woman needed a few things to get this going. 

First things first she needed a place to party in.

Fortunately, this wasn't difficult as she managed to call in a few favors. After that was settled they took the time to clean everything up beforehand. The second thing they needed was a DJ who had no problems turning the other cheek. Once again after making a few calls everything was sorted. Now with a place to party, lots of room, and a DJ they needed one more important ingredient to make everything complete. 

Drugs, 

And lots of them. 

"Are you sure that this isn't a setup?" 

"Don't ya trust me?" 

"It's not you I don't trust.' 

Once nearly everything was set up Pinkie went ahead and called someone who was capable of getting what they needed in a short amount of time. That person was someone Heart never met before. Usually, a woman by the name of Crystal Shades would be the one delivering the goods. However, it turns out that she got busted by the feds three months ago. Because of this Pinkie's party business took a pretty big hit. While the pink woman did host other types of parties they weren't as profitable. As such, she had no other choice but to find a replacement, and she did. 

Now parked in a secret location in a car that may or may not have been stolen the trio waited for the individual to show. 

Heart on the other hand was more than a tab bit suspicious. 

"What time did she say that she was going to show up?" 

"4::20". 

"It's almost five o clock". 

Pinkie rolled her eyes. 

While she loved her brother deeply for who he was she wished that he was a little less jumpy. The same could be said for Twilight but she wasn't around at the moment. 

"We did just place a pretty big order." 

"If that's the case then she should have said that she might end up being late". 

While he did have a point Pinkie likes to think that the woman simply ended up sidetracked. Plus no one was perfect. Not even high valued drug dealers. "You got to give certain things time silly". 

"I'm not silly! I'm just not ready to get locked up and potentially face real-time". 

"soo paranoid as usual then?" 

"I thought that was obvious". 

Giggling pinkie reached over to squash her brother's cheeks. He merely rolled his eyes in response. 

"Who's my little adorable paranoid gangster who still needs his stuff zebra to sleep at night? You are." 

"This is why Fluttershy is my favorite." 

Pinkie gasped putting a hand over her heart. "You wound me so". 

"Aye we can't all be emotionally happy all the time am I right?" 

In turn, Pinks stuck out her tongue. 

Rolling his eyes with a smile Heart looks out the window. As he did so he briefly thought about his friends back at High Moon. He felt bad about leaving them in that hellhole but at the same time, there wasn't much to be done on his part. It's not like he could mail them money or anything of the sort. The only thing he could do was wish them the best and or pray. Unfortunately, his belief in a higher power died a long time ago. 

"What was it like?" Pinkie asked. Seemingly reading his thoughts. 

At this Heart snorted. "Like hell on Earth". 

"It couldn't be that bad". 

"I saw someone hang themselves on the first day". 

The woman flinched. Now that was a mental image she didn't want to have. 

"As if being able to read her mind Heart shrugged. 

"Eh, I've seen worse". 

That wasn't a lie either. Still, she could tell by the way his fist lightly shook that it somewhat bothered him. With that said she knew that now wasn't the right place to talk about it. At least not when they're expecting someone. 

"Tell me about them." 

Upon hearing the softness of her voice mixed with a hint of concern Felt sighed. He didn't need to ask who she was referencing. 

"There were two of them, Daisy and Shaky though he prefers to be called ground, I can understand why". 

Pinkie nodded. 

Daisy was sent there due to shooting up a liquor store the cashier having been five dollars short". 

Heart chuckled at the thought. 

"Ground ended up beating a 14-year-old nearly to death for insulting his mother". 

Pinkie whistled. Now that was someone who took the label mama's boy a little too far. 

"At first we had our issues, though about slicing Ground's throat with shank a few times". 

"Wait you had those?" Pinkie asked in confusion. 

"Naw, but I knew I could make one out of a piece of metal I found lying around." 

She grinned, "Talk about cutting it close". 

He snorted. 

"Anyway after a while, we managed to work things out, afterward we along with a few others became good friends". 

The pink woman hummed. 

"It sounds like your going to miss having them around". Looking over at his sister Heart opened his mouth to respond. Only to jump upon hearing someone knock on the window. Looking over the duo saw a figure waving at them from outside the car. An apologetic look on her face. 

"It's about time" Heart muttered before getting out. 

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The three of them stood side by side facing one another. 

"Hey, Cheerilee!" Pinkie waved. 

"Sorry I kept you waiting, I had to deal with a few loose ends on my part" Cheerilee explained. Her smile was still present. The pink female of course opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted. 

"Where's the stuff?" 

Frowning Cheerilee looked at Heart. Her eyes narrowed upon realizing that she saw him before. 

"Who's this?" 

Rolling her eyes Pinkie answered. "Just a paranoid brother of mine that I wouldn't trade for the world". 

The woman nodded. 

"I see, well in any case I shouldn't keep you waiting any longer follow me if you will". 

Walking over to her car Cheerilee popped the trunk. 

Looking inside both siblings couldn't help but gasp, before grinning wide. "I take it that this should suffice in your endeavors?" The female drug deal asked. A knowing smirk on her face. 

Momentarily sharing a glance with his sister Heart looked over at her. A glint of excitement mixed with greed in his eyes. 

"It's perfect".
> Reflection.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Music?

Check. 

Drugs?

Check. 

An easily accessible escape route in case the police decide to show up? 

Check. 

With this in mind, Pinkie watched with glee as people dance, drink, and did other things that aren't exactly appropriate around her. The pink woman herself was busy drowning a glass of an alcoholic substance. While the taste wasn't exactly pleasant, the way it made her body tingle was something she heavily enjoyed. With that said however she cast a glance beside her. Thankfully, Heart was still close by. His eye was closed and his body moved in time with the music. A relaxed expression on his face. This was the side of her brother that she enjoyed. The side was relaxed with little to no worries at all. Unfortunately, moments like these were few and far in between. Not that neither side didn't enjoy them. Rather it was fear and worry that constantly held him back. Her brother cared about her and the rest deeply. However, that care also comes with thoughts of abandonment. Not that Pinkie nor her sisters would do such a thing, but it was more so due to him having clinged to something that showed him love and kindness. After all his life before just like the rest wasn't exactly a happy one. Though that little common fact they all shared is what she believed brought them together in the first place. 

("Ah yes, well a little girl can dream can't she?")

Rolling her eyes pinkie decided to ignore the comment in her head. Instead, the pink female looked over and saw an empty table not far from where they stood. Nodding to herself she grabbed Heart's hand. Leading her brother to a place where they can both start to really enjoy themselves. 

The music was loud, too loud. This meant that the chances of them hearing one another was slim at best. Still, Heart decided to try and say something anyway. Munch to his sister's amusement. 

"THIS PARTY IS PRETTY AWESOME!" He screamed. Hoping that it alone would be enough to be heard through the music and the crowd. Luckily for him, Pinkie wasn't the type to disappoint. 

"AWW, THANKS I HAVEN'T THROWN ONE OF THESE IN A WHILE!" Heart nods. 

Once they reached the table pinkie went through her pocket before pulling out her favorite type of party drug. 

Moondust. 

The said drug was well known and distributed in the city. Once used it can bring extremely high bouts of euphoria, as well as an intense high. It can also heighten one's senses for a short amount of time. However, it aslo had a knack for making one feel invincible. Like nothing on planet Earth and or beyond can hurt you. 

("Ugh here we go again".)

Opening the bag pinkie poured a large amount of its powder-like contents into her hand. Once done the woman then lifted her hand into her face before breathing deep. 

The effects were immediate. 

A strong surge of joy, as well as euphoria, surged through her. Breaking the locked caged that kept true happiness. She was happy, she was pinkie, and that's all that mattered. Not the scars on her back that refused to heal nor the thoughts refused to go away. She was free, she was pinkie. 

("You're just too pathetic sometimes, makes it much harder to hate your guts sense you want to make my job a whole lot harder than it needs to be". 

Pinkie laughed. 

She didn't care. All she cared about was having fun with her brother by her side. 

("At least you have priorities"( 

Looking over at her brother Pinkie saw him inhale a small amount of the substance. This was good. While Moondust wasn't exactly deadly even in high quantities Pinkie didn't want to take the chance. 

("Wow some twisted role model you are".) 

Giggling again Pinks grabs his hand. "LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!" 

Heart shrugs, grinning. 

Leading him to the dance floor Pinkie began to dance. Her body moved in time with the beat. However, Heart who didn't like dancing in crowds merely nodded his head. Even with this in mind Pinkie still found great enjoyment. However, it soon became clear that Pinkie's moves gained the attention of a few guys here and there. Rolling her eyes the pink female ignored them. Choosing instead to focus on the person that matters. After all most guys here are only interested in a quick fuck. She didn't want that. No, she wanted to be free, free from pain, and free from those who oppress her even within her mind. She wanted to feel something, anything. She needed to know that this was real, that she was real, she had to be real. 

"Pinkie?!" 

Or was she just crazy? That's what everyone told her, her entire life. Her parents, her sisters, the people who ran that godforsaken orphanage. No! None of that mattered now. What mattered was the present and her new family. The one's who never sought to use burning met-' 

"PINKIE!" 

The woman blinked. 

Looking down at her brother she saw the look of concern in his eyes. No, it shouldn't be that way! He was here to have fun not worry about her. 

("Well you don't exactly make the fun part easy".)

Shaking her head Pinkie smiled. She was fine! they were fine. Grabbing Heart's hands the high woman began to laugh as she spun them around on the dance floor. This seemed to do the trick since it didn't take him long to laugh along with her. The two continued to spin around. As they did so Pinkie stared into his eyes. In them, she saw excitement, joy, and another emotion Pinkie never took for granted. 

Love. 

He loved her. Not the romantic type of love that can easily fade away and never return, but the type that formed over the years they spent together. Once more solidifying the relationship they had with one another. He was her brother, she was his sister, no more no less. It made her have a sense that was both fulfilling and downright depressing. It wasn't sad because he cared about her, no it was sad because not once in her entire life did she see the same emotion in her parent's face. 

She hated them. 

("No surprise there".) 

No, it wasn't a surprise, but it was something that Pinkie will never forget. 

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Voices. 

Loud noises. 

Shouting. 

Lights, why are there so many lights? 

Then suddenly she was floating. 

She couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel. 

There was just nothing all around her. No colors, no lights, just an empty void full of absolutely nothing. 

What happened? 

Pinkie tried to remember. There was a party, people having fun, a lot of music and everything. She was dancing, having fun with people all around her. She was high of course that wasn't much of a surprise. Let's see... There was someone else with her. Someone she knew for a long time. Someone important. 

It clicked. 

HEART! 

Okay, so she and Heart we're together. They were dancing then she ended up drinking. Heart didn't like that of course. Not because he had a problem with her drinking, but because he feared that someone might put a little something else in it. She didn't want to worry so she only took a sip. Then when he wasn't looking a sip turned into a gulp. 

Pinkie cringed. 

Damn it! This was all her fault! She let the music and the overall vibe get the best of her! 

Okay, calm down. 

Let's see the person who gave her the drink was a girl not much older than herself. Pinkie saw her before, but from their brief interactions, she seemed decent enough. Okay, so the girl gave her something to drink, she down the whole cup and then, 

Nothing. 

Pinkie furrowed her brow. 

No, wait she remembers now. After that Pinkie and Heart went to get high before going back to the dance floor. After a while, she started to feel a bit dizzy. When Heart saw this he told pinkie that they were going to get some fresh air. The pink-colored woman for her part agreed. After going outside the two spent a few moments looking at the stairs. Heart said something about stairs being a bunch of little mini suns. That alone blew Pinkie's mind. Suddenly the girl she talked to earlier appeared. Only she brought along two of her guy friends. When they came Heart immediately knew something was up. So instead of asking what they wanted he opted to pull out a gun. 

Only to realize that it wasn't there anymore. 

The girl Pinkie talked to. There was a moment beforehand where she accidentally bumped into him from behind. Or at least at the time, it seemed accidental. Pinkie herself completely forgot to bring her firearm in case of emergencies. The party having been at the forefront of her mind, along with her brother. 

There was laughing, cursing, Pinkie suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. Suddenly she collapsed. The World was spinning around her. She couldn't tell what was right from left and left from right. 

There was a struggle. The sound of someone shouting her name. A scream then, 

Darkness. 

No new memories came after that. 

Pinkie gasped her eyes going wide in horror. A mixture of fear and regret poured into her very soul. 

She needed to get out of here and find her brother! She needed to-'

The void around her exploded. 

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"Can I get you two anything else?" 

"No that's fine you've done enough". 

"It's just highly unfortunate you two found yourselves in that type of situation." 

"Yeah, stuff happens I guess." 

"I'm just glad that you know who managed to get you guys out of there." 

"Me foo Bonnie, me too". 

Groaning the pink woman opened her eyes. Only blink in confusion upon starting up at a ceiling that she did not recognize. Moreover, she found herself laying on a couch back first. Unfortunately, she aslo had a pounding headache. 

"Oh looks like she finally awakes". 

Snapping her head towards the direction of the voice Pinkie Pie found herself staring at someone she hasn't seen in a while. 

"BonBon!?" 

Bonnie or BonBon as some might call her smiled down at the younger woman. Besides her eating a box of cereal was Heart, 

And he did not look happy. 

"Hello, pinkie" BonBon greeted in a warm tone. Unfortunately, her greeting went ignored. 

"HEART FELT!" 

Before anyone could react Pinkie was already on her feet and pulling her brother into an embrace. Felt for his part didn't stop her, but he didn't return the embrace either. 

Upon realizing that the two needed to be alone Bonnie went ahead and excused herself. 

Looking her brother over Pinkie saw that he sported a black eye as well as a bruised cheek. Upon realizing this a wave of guilt hit her. She didn't mean for him to get hurt. It was even worse knowing that this was all her fault, to begin with. 

("Yeah, I'll be honest you could have easily avoided this whole thing but no instead you chose to be reckless. The only difference between you and Rainbow Dash in that regard is that she would have seen it coming a mile away.") 

Pinkie's eyes began to water. 

With that said she chose to focus on more pressing matters.  

"Are you okay?! 

"Do I look okay to you?!" 

Upon hearing, anger in his voice she lowered her head. He was angry and he had every right to be. She endangered not only herself but him as well. If it were any one of the others their reactions would have been similar. 

"I'm so-"

Heart raised a hand. 

She paused. 

"Look, I get that you can get a little carried away sometimes especially at a party, but what you did was the dumbest shit I've ever seen." 

Pinkie nodded knowing he was right. 

"I've told you not to drink it but you did anyway as soon as I wasn't paying attention and look where that led us. While you were too busy being drugged I was getting the life choked out of me. Do you how that feels? The fear?" 

She choked a sob. 

He sighed. 

"I-i tried fighting back I did, but the odds weren't in my favor. Especially considering that one of them had my gun, luckily that shit was only for show." 

Felt laughed. It was a cold humorous laugh that tore Pinkie's heart in two. 

"Shaking his head Heart sighed a second time. 

"In any case, everything turned out alright in the end, those bastards are dead and we managed to get out in one piece". 

He looked at her. His eyes held a mixture of anger and disappointment. At that moment Pinkie was once again reminded of her parents. 

"Listen, I won't tell the others what happened out there, but with that said I don't feel like talking to you as of right now. Make no mistake Pinkie I do still love you, but at the same time im deeply disappointed in you."

She nodded. 

His words cut deeper than a knife through skin. With that said the girl knew that she was the only one to blame for putting them in this situation. That fact alone made her want to curl up into a ball and disappear. 

("Maybe now you'll stop and think for once."( 

"Come on, the others are probably worried about us".   

Nodding her head Pinkie waited until he was in front of her before following him out the room. A single thought played on repeat in her mind. 

In the end, no matter how hard she tried in some way shape, or form, she was just like her parents, 

And that terrified her.
> Watched.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight stared at Heart. 

Heart stared right back. 

"So in short, you accidentally bumped into someone at Pinkie's party which then lead to an altercation." 

"Yup." 

"An altercation in which ended with you receiving both a black eye and a bruised cheek". 

"Mmhm". 

"In the end, you with the help of Pinkie managed to win the fight. A fight in which you were the only one physically injured despite facing three opponents at the time". 

"That's about right". 

Twilight blinked. 

"Do you expect me or the others to believe this?" 

Heart shook his head. "No, not really". 

"Then I presume that the truth isn't exactly any better?" 

"Correct." 

Shrugging Twilight turns back towards her computer. While she isn't exactly a fan of being lied to she assumes that the reason behind said lie was a good one. In any case, she hoped that whoever was responsible for committing such action was dealt with accordingly. Though from what Heart and the pink woman herself the people responsible weren't treated nicely. Regardless both siblings received a stern talking-to from Apple Jack. Twilight suspected that the older sibling didn't buy into the obvious lie either. The others certainly didn't. Well everyone besides Derpy. 

Twilight Knew for a fact that Pinkie would never let Heart get into a fight. At least not one that she could handle, and from what Twilight has seen it takes more than three people to take the pink woman down. With that said she wasn't invincible. As such, she suspected that there was more to the story than meets the eye. Unfortunately, neither Heart nor Pinkie felt like giving away the details. Regardless the youth knew that it was only a matter of time before the truth will reveal itself. 

With this in mind however Twilight has two theories of what might have occurred. 

One the lie told to them wasn't a lie, but merely a half-truth. Witch happened due to an incident that was pinkie's fault. 

Or two they were attacked by the serpent brotherhood in an attempt to drive Twilight away from her research. 

She suspected that it was the latter. 

If that's the case then it was only a matter of time before they come after her directly. Which meant that she only had a small opportunity to prepare ahead of time. Be that as it may, she felt confident that when the time came she'll have everything they'll need to fight back against them. Yes, it won't turn out as it had before. This time she'll be ready. 

"What are you looking at?" 

Upon hearing his question Twilight gathered her thoughts before answering. 

"I'm studying the different types of snake poisons and the effect they have on the human body". 

'Any particular reason why?" 

The reason was simple. 

Twilight knew that regular methods of knocking people unconscious wouldn't work among the secret snake-like humanoids that walk among them. As such, she hopes that poison of their less intelligent counterparts would do the trick. Of course, she could be wrong, but even if that was the case she could easily find another solution. With that said she didn't expect an individual with a lesser mind to understand. Not that she thought of her brother or those around her as stupid. No, the motion in itself did not sit well with Twilight. Instead, she thought of them as individuals who lacked the knowledge necessary to see the truth around them. That wasn't their fault, but the fault of society for blinding them with things that never really mattered in the first place. They were tricked into believing that they had free will. No, that in itself was a lie fed to the lower class to maintain control. 

Free will was nothing but an illusion, a fairy tale told by a false god who wanted those around him to feel free and happy. In truth, if one was truly free then they would have the power to do anything they wanted. Things such as theft, murder, and rape should be perfectly illegal in their society because their so-called free will should allow them to do so. You cannot be free and get to choose only to be forced to follow someone's laws because you were told to do so. Whether it be man's laws or an act of a god. 

Twilight truly pitted those who believed in such a falsehood. For they did not see the only thing that truly mattered. 

Control. 

Once you have that nothing on planet Earth can stand in your way. 

Twilight craved control, but not in the normal sense. No, she wanted to control everything and everyone around her. Of course, complete control was not possible, but world domination? That was another story. Once long ago a certain man with a mustache attempted such an act, and all though he did not succeed Twilight respected his effort in doing so. Of course, that didn't mean that she agreed with his methods. No such things left a bitter taste in her mouth that she couldn't quite explain. Regardless Twilight hopes to one day gain control of the world around her. Making everything and everyone bend to her will and her will alone. Of course, she knew that others will rise and try to fight back, but with the aide of the Fallen Ones, she hoped to make them see the error of their ways before it was too late. 

"Earth to Twilight you there?!" 

Upon realizing that she was spacing out Twilight coughed. 

Even if he didn't understand that didn't mean that she too will hide secrets. 

"I'm curious to see if it might have any effect on those who watch us from afar". 

Heart blinked. 

"You mean the snake people?" 

"Yes." 

Heart paused. For a moment there seemed to be a look of conflict within in his expression. For several long moments, Twilight watched her brother open and close his mouth several times. Seeing this Twilight tilted her head in confusion. She didn't quite understand why her brother acted in this manner. She can only assume that something about her words deeply bothered him. Why this was the case she hadn't the slightest clue. Though she supposes that he was simply in awe with her brilliance. Or perhaps he was reminded of something that deeply troubled him. If that were the case then she didn't mind him expressing his thoughts to her. 

However, before she could say anything Heart spoke. 

"They aren't getting bolder are they?" 

Twilight hummed. Not missing the look of guilt in his expression. Perhaps he wasn't ready to talk about whatever it was that was bothering him. Perhaps later on he might feel more willing to talk. 

Until then. 

"I don't believe so, but you can never be too sure". 

Heart nods. The guilt in his expression vanished, and for a moment Twilight questioned if she saw such a thing in the first place. Though she supposed that it didn't matter. After all human emotions were a difficult concept to understand. At least for her. Not that she didn't feel any emotion, but more so she had trouble understanding it. In anyway case, Twilight decided that a bonding activity was in order. 

Fortunately for her, she had something in mind. 

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"Come on you asshole!" Carrot Top shouted. The woman was currently stuck in traffic. Unfortunately for her, it felt like she was getting nowhere fast. 

"I knew I should have left work earlier" the woman mumbles. It's not like she was getting munch in her dead-end job anyway. Suddenly the car in front of her began to move. "Finally!" She sighed. After a moment she moves into an intersection. 

Only for a white truck to hit her full force. 

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" She screams. 

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Leaning back in her chair Twilight watched the chaos unfold before her. Hacking into the traffic system was beyond easy. So easy in fact that it took her as little as two minutes. Staring at the destruction she caused with amused eyes Twilight couldn't help but feel a smile form on her lips. 

Beside her Heart was starring at the screen. Tilting his head the teen whistled. Impressed by his sister's hacking abilities. "Twilight between just the two of us you never fail to amaze me". 

The youth blushed. 

"I am pleased to know that I have yet failed in capturing your attention". 

Heart smirked. 

"Of course Twilight you are the best sister in the world after all". 

Her blush deepened. 

He laughed. 

Twilight was undoubtedly his favorite sister to tease. Mainly because her entire face lit up like a tomato every time he did so. In his opinion, her red brimmed face was the second cutest thing he ever saw. 

The first is Derpy's smile. 

Nothing in this realm can top Derpy's smile. 

"Anyway im pretty hungry, wanna go grab a bite to eat?" 

Upon hearing his question Twilight nodded. 

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Hay Burgers is a fast food place that despite the name has an all-meat menu. 

Taking a bite of her cheeseburger Twilight casually glances out the window. During so she spots something strange. Well, scratch that it was downright terrifying. 

Standing in a dark corner a block or so away was an unknown individual. This individual wore nothing but black. He was large, standing around seven to nearly eight-foot-tall. He wore a hat that manages to cover his face. However, even with that said his very presence alone brought a sense of paralyzing fear to those who looked at him long enough. 

One of them being Twilight herself. 

The teen stared at the figure. Her eyes were wide and her expression conveyed a deep primal fear that not many have ever felt before. 

He's here. 

Memories flashed before her eyes. 

The feeling of the cold night air around her. 

The sound of her parents screaming. 

The sensation of someone breathing down her neck.

The feeling of rough skin as a hand slowly moved down her chest. 

"Twilight?" 

He stood above her now. Staring down at her with those cold unfeeling eyes. 

"Twilight?!" 

Her breathing increased. Her hands started to shake uncontrollably as her heart began beating a mile a minute. 

No! This can't be real! 

The figure took a step closer. 

Twilight's eyes widened. 

They needed to leave. 

The figure took another step. 

"Twi-' 

Heart never got to finish his sentence.

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He doesn't know what went wrong. 

In one moment they were having a quiet and relatively relaxing lunch, 

And in the next, they were bolting down the street as if they were being chased by the cops.

Looking over his shoulder Heart saw no one chasing them. Looking back at Twilight he saw her cast glances over her shoulder as if she saw something he didn't. What that was exactly he hasn't the slightest clue. Regardless he knew that he had no chance of calming her down. At least not when they're busy running. 

Turning a corner Twilight spots a park nearby. 

Perfect. 

With people around them, their risk of being attacked rapidly decreased. With this in mind Twilight bolted towards their newfound destination. 

Once they entered the park the purple female slowed to a halt. Breathing deeply she looked around at their newfound surroundings. Only to see a bunch of families and loners enjoying the bright sun. 

Good. 

With this many people around Twilight felt confident that they were safe. 

"Twilight." 

Upon hearing her brother's voice she looked over at him. When she saw l the concern mixed with fear in his eyes Twilight sighed. 

She didn't mean to cause him any concern but at the same time, they had to get out of there before the rest showed up. When there's one humanoid serpent nearby that means that more of them are present around the area. It was with that knowledge that Twilight decided that they needed to get out of the immediate vicinity as soon as possible. She should have known that something like this might occur sooner or later. Unfortunately, she failed to see that in time. Because of her recklessness, they both nearly died. In any case, she can't dwell on it for long. Not when there might be a chance that the serpent brotherhood might reappear. 

A strong grip on her hand broke Twilight out of her thoughts. 

"What. Happened." 

She gulped. 

Her thoughts were clear but her emotions were a different story. Taking a deep breath Twilight forced herself to relax. She needed to remain calm. If she panics then he'll panic or worse leave her side to seek aid. She didn't need a doctor she only needed to make sure that they stayed together. 

"T-the brotherhood I saw one of thier members out the window". 

There was that conflicted look that Twilight saw earlier. Only it caused her stomach to twist into a knot. 

Closing his eyes Heart breathed in deep. 

"Are you sure that it was just one?" 

Twilight nodded relaxing somewhat. The knot in her stomach having disappeared upon hearing his response. 

Looking around Heart spots a bathroom nearby. 

"Okay, I say that we clean up first before heading home, hopefully by then they'll lose interest". 

Good plan false idea. 

They will never leave her alone. They wanted her because she knew too much. Because she posed a threat to their very way of life. They tried to take her out before, and when that didn't work they began actively hunting her down. Regardless the plan was still a good one. At least they'll give up for now. So with this in mind Twilight nodded. 

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Staring into the mirror Twilight sighed. 

In her reflection, she saw a scared little girl struggling to hold everything together. 

Turning on the water she rolled up her sleeve. As she did so she saw a large pointed mark near her wrist. Starting at it for a moment Twilight briefly wondered where the mark came from. She didn't remember it being there three months ago. 

Or was it two years? 

In anyway case, she can figure it all out later. For now, though she needed to get her head together. With this in remind, Twilight began to wash her hands and face. 

As she did so she didn't notice Heart staring at her outside the bathroom. 

"The truth hurts" he mumbles staring at her wrist.
> Always trying to find a reason.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It happened again". 

Fluttershy paused. 

Tilting her head she looked over at the mirror to see his reflection. Upon noticing her gaze Heart stared back. 

The look on his face said it all. 

"What happened?" Derpy asked. Curiosity oozed from her expression as she glanced up at her brother. Upon noticing this Heart merely smiled before patting her head. He didn't want Derpy to worry about things that were out of thier control. 

"It's nothing Derpy, just something that occurred a few days ago". 

Realizing that she was going to be left in the dark the grey youth pouted. "It's not nice to keep secrets you know". 

"True, but this isn't something that you need to concern yourself with". 

Derpy opened her mouth to respond, only to close it upon seeing the look Fluttershy was giving her. It was a look that told her that enough was enough. Sighing Derpy lowered her head. Only to immediately brighten when Felt kissed her on the cheek. Giggling like a school girl Derpy leaned in towards her brother as he was busy brushing her hair. Behind him, Fluttershy was doing much the same. This was a tradition that the three regularly took part in whenever an opportunity presented itself. It was a sort of bonding ritual that could only be complete when all three were present. As such Heart who missed an entire year's worth of this activity took great pleasure in doing his sister's hair. 

"You know Derpy one day I think you and your sister should enter a beauty pageant, you girls are certainly beautiful enough to try". 

She blushed. 

Fluttershy on the other hand merely smiled. 

"Thanks" Muttered Derpy twirling her thumbs around, "but I don't think im very beautiful". 

In response, Heart gasped. All though such an act was exaggerated. "Surely your jest! 

Derpy giggled at this. However, it wasn't long before a frown appeared on her face. "I'm not very pretty like big sister Shy or the others, especially Rarity". 

For a long time now Derpy has been struggling with her self-image. She wasn't ugly that munch she knew, but compared to the rest she might as well be invisible. At least then she wouldn't be forced to look in the mirror. Every time she did so she saw a grey girl with funny-looking eyes. Eyes that caused her nothing but trouble ever since she fell off that swing. It was moments like those that she understood why her family gave her up for adoption. That and the other reason being her severe memory problems and low-level intelligence. Derpy knew that she wasn't stupid per se, but she wasn't exactly the smartest muffin in the batch either. If only she was someone else entirely. At least then that version of her would have been good enough for her family to keep. 

If only. 

"You wanna know what I think?"

Tilting her head Derpy nodded. 

Putting the brush down Heart then leaned onto his sister's head. Wrapping his arms around her neck. Looking up at him the teen saw him smile. 

"I think that you're the most beautiful girl in the whole world". 

Derpy furrowed her brow. 

"What about the others?" 

He chuckled before planting an affectionate kiss on her forehead. "I think the others are beautiful as well, but you wanna know the type of beauty you have that sets you apart from the rest of them?"

She nodded. Both curiosity and excitement were present on her face. 

"Your heart". 

Derpy blinked more than a little confused. 

"Your heart" Felt repeated. Staring at his sister with one single eye. When her confusion still lingered he explained. "Derpy, it's no secret that I and the others tend to do bad things for various reasons. Some being more than a little selfish" 

She frowned. It was like he was saying that he along with the others were bad people. They weren't bad by any means. No, they weren't they were her family, and as a family, they loved and cared for one another. If they were bad then Derpy was sure that they wouldn't take the time to be nice to her. So that meant that they were good people who just did bad things. While Derpy didn't understand why they did bad things she decided long ago that, that didn't matter, 

"But you're different Derpy, he continued. His smile growing. "Your heart is pure and good which in itself is the most beautiful thing I ever saw". 

Giggling the grey golden-eyed youth shook her head. "Don't be silly you can't see my heart". 

Upon hearing her response Felt smirked. "Maybe I can maybe I can't, it's my little secret". 

Derpy gasped eyes wide. "No way! You have more secrets!? That isn't fair!" 

"Life isn't fair Derpy" he replied. Booping his sister on the nose. That caused the grey teen to giggle. Not wanting to take such an attack lying down she booped him back. Narrowing his eyes Felt then proceeded to tickle his sister right under her armpits. Derpy proceeded to burst into fits of laughter. 

"Say, uncle!" 

"Never!" 

Felt grinned. 

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Amusement. 

That's what Fluttershy felt while watching Derpy and Heart play. Both siblings were busy tickling one another. Derpy having decided to not take such an assault while lying down. Setting the brush down on her bed Fluttershy hummed quietly to herself while watching the tickling battle before her. She missed moments like these. Moments that simply involved her two siblings having fun. Ever since Heart Felt was arrested and taken into a place where they couldn't visit and or send letters times as these disappeared. Whether he knows it or not Heart was a crucial part in keeping this family together. AJ played the role that was similar to a mother figure that the others needed. However, with that said Heart was the one who lifted thier spirits. The one to bring a sense of love and acceptance every time he walked into the room. He didn't judge, not like the ones before him. Not like the supposed caretakers at the orphanage. He was different. Different in a way that Fluttershy had trouble comprehending at first, but over the years she came to truly love and accept him in turn. After all, he was one out of two people that we're able to understand her. 

Fluttershy was born mute. Unable to interact with the world around her unlike her parents and older sibling. 

Her old family. 

Fluttershy couldn't help but feel a smile tug at the corners of her lips, 

But it wasn't a pleasant one. 

Sky Range and Yellow Cloud. Two parents loved and cared for her just as any parent should. They were gentle, kind, compassionate, and able to see the beauty of things even if that beauty was practically nonexistent. Rain Drop her sister was someone that Fluttershy cherished more than anything. Rain Drop unlike thier parents understood Fluttershy in ways that she alone couldn't fathom. She was someone whose views were a bit different, but she never once hesitated when it came to helping someone in need. Of course, she wasn't perfect. Neither were her parents. More often than not Rain could be a very stubborn child when it came to how she wanted to do certain things. Her parents on the other hand weren't exactly the most capable of people to rely on. Regardless even with those flaws, they were still the best family she could have asked for. 

At least until she killed them. 

Her memory of the event we're a tad bit fuzzy, but she cherished what she did remember. The sensation of the blade held in her grip. The feeling of anticipation mixed with fear and excitement as she quietly made her way into her parent's bedroom. The sound of metal piercing through flesh combined with the feeling of blood splashing against her skin. 

The look of betrayal on her sister's face as she dragged the blade across her neck. 

Fluttershy doesn't remember much after that. The only thing she could recall was laying on some type of bed. Her eyes were closed, but she heard various voices all around her. She felt cold, wet as if she took a shower that she no longer remembered.  

While she laid there she heard one of the voices, male by the sound of it suggesting something about a break-in. What happened after that Fluttershy hasn't a clue. Regardless the yellow-colored women woke up in some type of orphanage. Once there she spent countless sleepless nights thinking about what happened. Nearly every time she did so she felt a burning sensation within her core. One that she was more than willing to extinguish. 

If people knew the truth of what had occurred on that fateful night they would ask one question and one question only. 

Why? 

Her response? 

Why not? 

People often seek the answers to things that they didn't understand. Unwilling to accept the fact that sometimes there aren't any real answers to be found. Her actions were simply a buy product of that constantly denied truth. There is no logical conclusion, no justification for her actions, no deeper meaning to be found. She did what she did for no reason at all, 

And she would gladly do it again.

Not because of some sick pleasure or anything of the sort, but because if she hadn't she would have never met Heart and the others. 

Especially Derpy. 

The grey youth reminded her of Rain Drop. That in itself was like connecting to her sister from beyond the grave. Even with that said, Fluttershy did not only think fondly of her because of her past sibling. While that played a significant part, it was also because Derpy was someone who she learned to admire. Yes, Derpy had memory problems, and yes she aslo wasn't as smart as everyone else, but what she did have was determination. Derpy herself knew that she wasn't normal but that didn't stop her from giving it her all in life. If you give her a task she'll try her very best to complete it. Even if it was something that she could barely comprehend. To that end, Fluttershy couldn't help but admire said determination. Even if it proves to be utterly useless in the end. 

Smiling to herself Fluttershy soundlessly giggled upon seeing Heart get a pillow thrown into his face. Only to duck as she too became a target. 

"I almost had ya! Derpy giggled. The teen had two pillows held in her grip. "This time though I won't miss!" 

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. 

She figured that it was time once again to show the pair why she currently held the title of pillow queen. However with this in mind, as she looked over at Derpy only for an image of Rain Drop suddenly appeared before her. However, it disappeared as soon as the woman blinked. 

She then received a pillow to the face. 

Shaking her head Fluttershy grinned. 

It seemed as if the connection she shared with her sister did indeed go beyond the grave. Or perhaps she simply went mad. Oh well, sanity was overrated. 

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"I'm sorry" the doctor muttered. His gaze aimed down at the floor. They tried everything they could truly they did, but in the and end it just wasn't enough. 

"It's fine, I understand".

The doctor nodded. 

"Mind if I get some time alone with my aunt?'

"Of course". 

She watched as the doctor made his way out of the room. Once he was gone she stared unblinkingly at Gilda's unmoving corpse. Briefly, she wondered if her aunt was currently having one of those out-of-body experiences she heard so much about. Or maybe since she was dead her soul just went straight to the afterlife. 

Suddenly her phone ringed. 

Pulling it out of her pocket she answers. 

"Hello?" 

A male voice spoke. 

"We found them". 

She breathed a sigh. 

'Where?"

"Near the edge of town, from what we gathered their not the type to get law enforcement involved". 

"I figured". 

"Orders?" 

She paused. 

For a moment she stared long and hard at Gilda. As she did so memories of the past flooded her mind. 

Sighing once more she spoke. 

"Wait for me to arrive, it's time we pay the ponies that killed my dear aunty a visit". 

"Yes, ma'am." 

Gabby hung up.
> Not a stalker.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fuck that was good". 

"I'm glad that I could be of service dear" Rarity smiled. 

The man who Rarity has yet to know the name of despite knowing him for a good amount of time nodded. Pulling up his pants as he did so. Sitting up Rarity tried her best to make her hair look smooth and even. 

"How munch?" 

Rarity hummed. Taking a moment to twist a knot out of her hair. It wasn't an act that she thoroughly enjoyed, but over time she learned that it often comes with her line of work. Whether she liked it or not. 

"I think 850$ will do quite nicely". 

Nodding the unnamed individual was quick to give Rarity her payment for the night. Once it was received she wasted no time in getting everything she needed before leaving. She knew that staying any longer than necessary was to munch of a risk. Not that she wasn't prepared, but she rather not push her luck. Especially when dealing with someone she barely knew and didn't interact with outside of business. Doing so might give the wrong impression and might cause some rather unpleasant situations. That was something Rarity didn't want to risk happening. Not for a third time at least. 

"Hey". 

Rarity paused. Turning her head away from the door she looked over at her client. 

"Yes, dear?" 

She smiled. The sight itself was dazzling, to say the least. 

"Same time next week?" 

Rarity mentally cringed, Feeling a wave of disgust wash over her. However, even with that said her smile never faltered. "It would be my pleasure dear". 

She winked. 

The man nodded. 

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Who was Rarity? 

The long purple-haired woman herself thought she knew, but now? She wasn't so sure. 

There was a time in her life where she had dreams. Dreams that she wanted to achieve no matter the cost. She wanted to be known for her stunning creativity and her knack for all things fashionable. She wanted her face to be known worldwide. To be the very idea of fashion itself. 

Fame, fortune, power, she wanted it all. 

Or at least she thought she did. 

Perhaps it was fate that intervened. Or maybe it was her having to realize just how foolishly that dream truly was. Or maybe it was none of those things. Maybe it was God telling her that her path wasn't one full of glory and colorful dresses. If that's the case then Rarity didn't know who she hated more. 

God. 

Or herself. 

After all, she was the one whose dreams had gotten in the way of what mattered most. Now with that precious part of her gone Rarity felt numb. She had one chance in making everything right and she blew it all because of a false promise. Now here she was, walking down the street in the middle of the night while wearing a dress that was more than a bit too high for her liking. Not like that type of thing matters now anyway. Not when she showed and did much worse things. Not when she has no one but herself to blame for being in this situation in the first place. She came to the two of them hoping for a better life, only to get nothing but the clothes on Her back in return. Though if Rarity was honest with herself part of her knew that her dream wasn't going to come true, and yet like a naive little girl she tried anyway. 

For a moment Rarity briefly wondered about what her parents might say. Only to shake her head upon realizing that none of that truly mattered now. 

What did matter was getting home safe and sound.

Perhaps when she gets there she could ask Heart if he wanted to help paint her nails. That would give the two a munch-needed moment to talk. The last time that happened was while the young boy was heading off to court. The expression on his face was something that Rarity would never forget. Nor the nasty look that the female judge was giving him. One of these days Rarity will end up on that judge's front doorstep. The so-called visit won't exactly be a pleasant one. 

"That's if I can find the rude bitch" Rarity mutters to herself. The cool night air feeling remarkably pleasant against her skin. 

Rarity was by no means a violent individual. With that said however when push comes to shove she'll act first and feel guilty about it later. When it came to the judge well, that was just one of those rare moments that violence seemed much more preferable. Of course, Rarity knew that her actions had consequences. However, if things go south she had no problem serving another sentence. Only this time she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a short one. 

Behind Rarity, someone whistled. 

Rolling her eyes the woman simply ignored it. 

If there was one thing that Rarity realized while working it was that humans were nothing more but a bunch of sexual creatures. Male and female alike. Though said nature was helping her get paid in the first place. With this in mind Rarity couldn't exactly fault the primal behavior that existed within them all, including herself. 

She could however feel disgusted at herself and the actions that her clients had her perform. The sheer amount of kinks and fetishes she encountered over the years both amazed her and made her sick to her stomach. 

"At least my night was a short one." 

Walking down the street Rarity couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. With this in mind, she began to look over her shoulder. Upon doing so she spots a white vehicle not that far from where she stood. Now, this wasn't exactly a cause for concern, but the feeling in Rarity's gut told her otherwise, plus she's been around these parts long enough to tell when she's being followed. 

Looking back Rarity reached into her purse. 

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Glenn had one job. 

Keep an eye on one of the members that killed his boss and report back to Gabby if anything strange happens. Unfortunately, that meant that he couldn't take revenge on the bastards that killed Gilda. As such he decided to do things a little bit differently. 

His plan? 

Follow the white chick around and when an opportunity presented itself take out her and whoever else stood in his way. 

An eye for an eye.

Staring out the window he saw the prostitute pull out her phone. Now, normally this would be cause for slight concern however the anger Glenn felt overrode his common sense. As such he didn't think much of it. 

That turned out to be a big mistake. 

Glenn watched as the woman began talking to whoever was on the other line. The anger and need for vengeance continuously grew for every moment that passed. He needed this. He needed to avenge the person that saved his family from bankruptcy long ago. 

Suddenly the woman stopped. 

Upon seeing this Glenn went ahead and parked a few distances away from her. As he did he saw her hang up the phone. Snorting Glenn leaned back against his seat. He assumed that she was waiting for a ride of some sort. Good, that meant he had an opportunity to take her out. As soon as she opens the car door he'll ride over there and put a few bullets in her, and in whoever's sitting in the front seat. A two for one special, he liked the sound of that. 

Now all he had to do was wait. 

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"Knock! Knock! 

Startled by the sudden noise Glenn jumped. Looking over at his driver's window he saw a figure standing outside. Confused Glenn looked back at the girl he was following. Only to realize that she hadn't moved from her spot. With this in mind, he figured that he still had some time on his hands. 

"Can I help you? Glenn asked as he rolled down his window. 

The figure before him looked to be a woman of a decent age. She had orange skin and a pair of dark green eyes. She wore a white tank top and a pair of orange shorts. However, what got his attention the most were her medium size jugs. Now if Glenn was a sucker for anything it was a girl with a good size cleavage. As such the woman before him had his full attention almost immediately. 

The woman smiled. 

"Yes, you see I was wondering if there was a reason why you were following my sister around". 

Glenn blinked. His mind was too preoccupied with not-so-pleasant thoughts about the woman before him. Unfortunately, that meant that he was currently a bit slow on the uptake. 

"Sister?" 

Suddenly he felt cold metal being pressed against the back of his head. 

He froze. 

As he did he heard a feminine voice from behind him speak up. Her voice was filled with energy and excitement. What exactly caused her to be so excited in the first place he didn't know, but he hoped that it wasn't the prospect of blowing his brains out. 

"Yeah! And by sister she meant Rarity, you know the one that you've been following around and staring at for the past 20 to 30 minutes? That Rarity. All though with that said I have to ask are you a stalker? Because Rarity doesn't like stalkers. The last one ended up as dog food for our big boy Spike. Oh! And there was this one time where we chopped one's di-" 

"Pinkie". 

Upon hearing the tone of the orange woman's voice the person behind Glenn went quiet. 

"Sorry about that, she tends to ramble from time to time". 

Glenn merely glared. 

If she was affected by this she sure didn't show it. 

"Now imma keep this simple, why are you following my sister?" 

He didn't respond. 

The woman shrugged. 

"Okay then, imma just have my pink companion here shoot you in da head and call it a day". 

She was serious that munch Glenn knew. However, he also knew that regardless if he told her the truth or not he'll still end up dead. He also knew that the others wouldn't even bother with avenging him. At least not when Gabby is in charge. 

Well, all except one. 

Suddenly an idea came to mind. 

If he was going to die he might as well pin two groups against one another. 

"I was planning to kill her". 

The reaction was immediate. 

The orange-colored woman tensed, eyes wide. 

From behind him, Glenn heard a gasp of shock. 

He couldn't help but grin. 

"Why?" 

His answer was immediate. 

"Because one of you killed my boss named Gilda". 

Upon hearing said name the orange woman blinked in surprise. A moment later a look of realization spread across her face. Looking down she muttered one single name. 

"Rainbow Dash". 

Glenn nodded. 'That's right, and because of her my friends are itching to get revenge". 

Her eyes narrowed accusingly. 

"Your lying". 

"Maybe I am, maybe im not, the question you should be asking is, is it worth the risk in not taking it seriously?"

She glared. 

Glenn's grin grew wider. 

The two stared at each other for a long moment. Trying to figure the other out. 

For her part, Apple Jack could tell that the person before her wasn't being as truthful as she would have liked. She knew that he was holding back a crucial part of information, but at the same time, he had a point. AJ had a family to look after and as such she couldn't just simply turn the other cheek. At least not when it came to something like this. Plus there had been times when she made wrong assumptions in the past. That alone meant that she couldn't exactly trust her gut 100%. Either way, she was not the type to take a risk of this magnitude. In this type of situation, it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus even if they weren't planning revenge now that didn't mean that they won't do so in the future. 

"AJ?" 

Upon hearing the worry in Pinkie's voice she sighed. 

"Kill him, and once your done call the others and tell them to prepare". 

"Prepare for what?" 

AJ stared into the man's eyes. The expression on his face now was that of pure childlike glee. It was clear that he won and they both knew it. Regardless upon hearing her sister's question she uttered one single word. 

"War".
> Not how she planned.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabby stared. 

Her informant stared back. 

"So let me get this straight" she started. A not so pleased look on her face. "Glenn, an individual I sent to keep an eye on the Harmonies decided to go rogue and try to kill one of them out of revenge ". 

He nodded. 

"Only to end up failing and getting caught in the process. Upon realizing he was going to die he told them that we were planning to wipe them out,". 

He nodded again. 

"Upon hearing about his death his cousin Garry managed to gather a few men and is now heading towards the edge of town". 

A third nod. 

"He plans to avenge his cousin, and while doing so he's essentially proving Glenn right, and declaring all-out war under name of the Golden Griffins. This means that if he fails he not only puts me in endanger but also the life of my newly born son in the process". 

"I'm afraid so".

Closing her eyes Gabby breathed in, 

And breathed out, 

And breathed in again. 

Once done she screamed one single word. 

"FUCK!"

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Life was funny sometimes. 

Like for example, Heart Felt went from waking up in the morning, eating a box of cereal, and deciding to spend the rest of the day playing video games with Derpy. 

"Aye yo pass me the shut gun!" 

"Do you want regular bullets or armor-piercing rounds?" 

"Surprise me". 

To arming himself to the teeth because apparently, some gang wanted them all dead. 

You wanna know what made it even worse? 

It was on a Monday.

"Mmhm...uhuh...okay thanks!" 

Walking out of the kitchen Pinkie hung up the phone before looking back at the others. There was a smile on her face however, it was more than a little tense. 

"They'll be here any minute". 

Nodding AJ pulled back the safety on her AR-15. 

"Okay listen, I know things might seem a little uncertain right now due to our current circumstances". 

"You mean the situation that Rainbow Dash brought upon us?!" Rarity seethed. By the look on her face, anyone could tell that she wasn't happy in the slightest. 

'Hey!" 

'Enough!" AJ barked. Her expression turned into a glare that was aimed at the two girls. Now wasn't the time to play the blame game. Unfortunately, AJ realized that this issue needed to be addressed and quickly. Not unless she wanted the tension between the two to get in the way of the fight that was coming to them. 

"I am only going to say this once, Rainbow what you did is what led us to this situation". 

"Don't you think I know that?" The cyan woman growled. She wasn't dumb, as such she didn't need someone like Rarity or AJ to point out the obvious. She had trouble dealing with enough guilt as it is. 

However, a look from the orange woman kept Dash from saying anything more. 

"Even with that said I know for a fact that a good amount of us would have done the same, even you Rarity". 

Said, individual for her part looked as if she wanted to protest. 

"The judge". 

The look on Rarity's face upon hearing those words said it all. 

With the matter settled AJ went ahead and told everyone what they needed to do. 

"Dash, Pinkie, and Rarity take point upstairs, Felt and I will handle things down here while Fluttershy goes ahead and guards the back door in case they try to get in that way". 

Everyone except Derpy nodded. 

Looking over at the grey youth AJ smiled. "Derpy I need you to go in the basement and wait until we tell you that it's safe to come out". 

"NO!" 

Derpy refusing an order was not a common sight. Hell, it was practically unheard of right up until this very moment. As such her answer alone took everyone off guard. 

AJ blinked. 

"Pardon?" 

For her part, Derpy stood firm. She was not planning to turn back now. Not after everything her family has done for her in the past. Beforehand Derpy was always skittish when it came to a fight. Especially when it involves guns. She also didn't like the prospect of seriously injuring someone. Let alone the infamous k-word, but at the same time, she hated leaving them behind to do all the work. She had to do this. 

"I-i want to help". 

They looked at her. Each one has a different expression. However for the most part they all shared a look of shock in some form or another. 

Heart was the first one to speak up. 

"I don't think that this is a very good idea". 

He understood her reasons he did but at the same time, Derpy was a kind soul. As such he didn't want her to become consumed with guilt at what she had done. He also didn't want to risk her getting hurt. 

Or worse. 

However, before Derpy or the others could say anything Fluttershy stepped forward. Looking the grey youth in the eyes she made a series of hand gestures and expressions that almost no one understood. 

The keyword is almost. 

When it was all over Derpy nodded with a confident look on her face Heart meanwhile looked speechless. 

Upon seeing this Rainbow Dash leaned close to both Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "Do you guys have any idea what she said?" 

"Nope!" 

"Unfortunately not". 

Rainbow nodded 

"I figured". 

The sound of a dog barking brought everyone back to reality. Looking over the trio saw Spike barking his head off. His eyes transfixed at the window. A few moments later they heard what sounded like five vehicles coming towards them. 

Looking over at AJ they saw the orange woman crack her neck. The look in her eyes burned with determination. If they wanted a war they'll get a war. 

"Let's show these farm animals what we're made of". 

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Revenge. 

That's what Garry wanted more than anything in the world. 

At least until they arrived. 

Now he stood, using his vehicle as a shield as a wave after wave of bullets barraged him and his men. 

His plan before was rather simple. 

Arrive, bust in the home, shoot everyone inside and call it a day. 

What he didn't expect was for him and his men to be immediately shot at as soon as they arrived. What he also didn't expect was for a grenade to be thrown their way from inside the home. Fast forward to the present and his need for vengeance turned into a need for survival. 

Crawling on all fours Garry desperately tries to make it towards the driver's side of his vehicle. Only for the window to explode into several pieces making him second guess his decision. Cursing Garry retreats back to his original position on the other side. 

"What do we do boss?" Asked one of his followers. However, before Garry could answer a bullet pierced's the woman's skull. Causing blood as well as brain matter to splash all over his face. 

He threw up. 

Not the manliest thing to do he knows, but at the same time what he witnessed was something he was not prepared for. He's killed people in the past that munch was true, but at the same time, he was still a human being, and as such he had his limits. 

Another explosion, screams of pain and fear, blood. So much blood. 

Shaking his head Garry knew that he needed to pull himself together. If he wanted to live then he needed away out. If escape wasn't optional then he needed to think of some other way to survive. 

His eyes widen. 

Backup! 

He'll call Gabby to explain the situation and have reinforcements arrive faster than he could blink. Not only that but, in the end, revenge for his cousin would be delivered. Yes, he could see it now. 

Pulling out his phone Garry began to dial. 

It ringed once. 

Twice. 

"Hello?" 

He sighed in relief. 

"Boss! I need your help!" 

There was silence on the other line. 

"Hello?!" 

"You at their home aren't you?" 

"Well yes, bu-"

"Witch means that you deliberately went against my ideals". 

"I know bu-"

"NO EXCUSES!" 

He went silent. 

Gabby paused, however, it wasn't long before she spoke again. By the sound of her voice, she was far from pleased. 

"I'm on my way". 

"Of thank yo-"

She hung up the phone. 

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Gabby wasn't happy. 

In truth, she was more than a little pissed. 

Traitors, misunderstandings, and a potential war all appeared after her aunt's death. Truly Gilda was one of a kind. 

"DUCK!" 

Gabby did so. Just in time as a bullet broke through the glass. 

"Damnit!" She hissed. Feeling shards of glass pierce her skin. 

The day was getting better and better. 

"What should we do boss? One of her men asked her. A pistol held in his grip. The look in his eyes was one of bloodlust that needed to be satiated. 

Unfortunately for him, Gabby had other ideas in mind. 

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"WE GIVE UP!" 

The sound of gunfire ceased.  

Taking a deep breath Gabby then proceeded to walk right into the open, hands up. 

"What are you doing! Garry shouted. She had to admit the look on his face was priceless. 

Too bad laughing could mean her death. 

Instead, she merely gestured for him to come towards her. For his part, he hesitated but in the end, he didn't want to aggravate her even further so he did as she wanted. 

Once he was close enough Gabby continued. 

"THERE'S BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING!"

"What are yo-" 

Garry never got to finish his sentence. 

Partly due to having a knife lodged within his throat. 

There was a gasp, gurgling, the sight of his eyes rolling to the back of his head. 

He collapsed. 

The life having left his body before he even touch the ground. 

"HE AND OTHERS LIKE HIM WERE THE ONES CAUSING TROUBLE, ME? I JUST WANNA TALK!" 

Silence was her reply. 

Gabby waited. 

She knew that there was a possibility of simply being killed where she stood, but even so, nothing says I wanna talk then by standing right in the line of fire. Or maybe she was Just dumb. If that was the case then she hoped that her newborn child had more brain cells than her. Or at least the third generation. 

Suddenly the door to the house opens. 

Coming out of it were two individuals. 

One is an orange-colored woman, 

And the other was a yellow female who looked to be a tad younger. She wore an outfit that was a mix between green and blue. Her eyes being pink in color stared at Gabby. The look in the girl's eyes told the gang leader that she wasn't the type to be messed with. Not unless she planned to sleep at night with one eye open. 

"I wouldn't move if I were you" the orange one warned. "Not unless you wanna catch led between ya eyes". 

Gabby nodded. Knowing full well that it was a now due or die situation. 

"I just wanna talk". 

"We're listening". 

By her posture and the way she spoke, Gabby could tell that the woman in front of her was the leader. Good, this makes explaining the situation so much easier. 

"The attack at your home wasn't my idea". 

"Oh? You see the way I see it whether it was your idea or not your people were the ones who attacked us". 

"True, but to be fair you killed one of our own first". 

The woman before Gabby clicked her tongue. As she did Gabby saw the yellow one flash a smirk. To Gabby, it sent one single message. 

Fuck your loss. 

'You have a point, but at the same time your people attacked my family, and I don't take too kindly to that". 

Gabby nods. "Im more than willing to give some green for the trouble". 

There was a pause. 

"How much green are we talking?" 

She smirked. 

"How does $100,000 sound?" Oh and a thank you." 

The woman blinked, taken aback. "A thank you for what?" 

Gabby's smirk was replaced with a genuine smile. 

"For killing my aunty of course".
> In the face of fear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So ya have a kid?" 

Gabby nods. The young woman was currently preoccupied with her drink. She watched as a smile formed on the Orange woman's face before she took another swig of her drink. 

At the moment the duo was sitting at a table inside a bar of sorts. The only difference being is that the place offered more than just-drinks. While not exactly the cleanest by any means Gabby still thought of it as a good place to talk. 

No weapons 

No bullshit. 

Just AJ and her siblings along with Gabby's most trusted followers.

Fortunately for them, it seemed as if everything was moving along nicely. 

At least for now. 

"So you're the oldest?" 

Upon hearing this question AJ chuckled. The sound itself wasn't exactly unpleasant to Gabby's ears. 

"Basically, but it takes more than age to deal with a group like mine. Not that you'll see me complaining". 

Gabby chuckles. Finding a little humor in that statement alone. At this point in the conversation, she decided that AJ was likable. Sure she smoked and drinked a little more than what she liked, but then again it wasn't like that alone was a deal-breaker. 

"How long have you and the others been living in this city?" 

AJ shrugged. 

"A few years give or take. Ah wasn't exactly born here but god had other plans." 

"You a believer?" 

"No, but my granny was. That woman was the only one I ever bothered to look up to". 

Gabby nods. So she had family issues it seemed. Then again it seemed like they all did in some form or another. For Gabby, it was the fact that her aunt treated her more like a servant than actual flesh and blood. It also didn't help that she was one cruel bitch who was even crueler to those under her command. 

"Take that motherfuckers!" 

An all too familiar voice shouted. This causes Gabby to glance over. More than a little curious. In doing so she saw a crowd of her people, as well as a few bystanders, circled to what looked to be a game of cards. 

A game that Rainbow Dash just won. 

The cyan-haired woman was grinning ear to ear. Holding what looked to be a pile of 100 dollar bills. Beside her were Heart Felt and Derpy. One was smirking while the other was too busy jumping for joy. Sitting on the stool not that far away was an amused-looking Rarity. A glass of wine in hand. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were also present. However the former was nowhere to be seen. This however was a common occurrence when dealing with a rather large crowd so no one was surprised or worried. The latter however was currently dancing to their heart's content. Well, one was, the other was simply bobbing her head back and forth eyes closed. 

"It seems like they're having fun, but I must confess im a bit concerned about the purple one's whereabouts". 

"Oh, Twilight? I've learned a long time ago that she tends to be closer than you think". 

The way she spoke and the expression on her face told Gabby that she was speaking the truth. That made the newfound leader a bit more cautious of her surroundings. Of course, her gut instinct told her that she was safe. Still, the possibility that Twilight could be way closer than what Gabby was comfortable with. Let alone be so well hidden unnerved her if only a little.  

Then again if they wanted Gabby was sure that she would have already been dead. 

The only question was who would be more willing to take her out. 

From what her informants gathered each sibling was deadly in their own right. 

AJ was a woman who thrived in both long and short-range combat. Being able to take down most foes using speed and brute force. However, her stamina was somewhat lacking. Because of this, the orange-haired woman would rush at her opponents before giving them everything she got. This type of fighting style while effective can cause her to make crucial mistakes when fighting one on one. 

Rainbow Dash on the other hand had an insane amount of stamina and the speed to match. Not only that but her aim was far superior. Only coming in second in terms of accuracy. However, because of her reckless nature and short temper along with her tendency to tank then dodge her win and loss ratio was surprisingly even. With that said when she's focused and calm during a fight, she becomes something else entirely. 

Rarity wasn't the best in terms of fighting skills. So much so that a middle schooler can easily take her on if not win. With that said when it comes to guns or anything of the sort, she ascends to a level nearly unheard of. With that said Rarity is rarely the type to engage in violence. Only ever doing so when necessary. When that fails she would use her charm and good looks to lower the enemy's guard before going in for the kill. 

Twilight is well known for using Orthodox methods when it comes to any form of confrontation. Her range of weaponry was quite extensive. It was essentially anything from gas and or poison to a hammer and a pillowcase. With that said she tended to avoid a direct fist match. Only ever relying on her items and brilliance to beat down any foe. Let it also be known that if you somehow managed to beat her once don't expect it to happen a second time. However, there is a possibility of her getting overwhelmed when things don't go as she planned. 

Pinkie Pie on the other hand used the element of surprise agility, as well as reflexes to take down her foes. Thanks to her endless amount of stamina as well as her insane amount of determination to protect those around her when the need arises she easily becomes a force of nature. Add to the fact that she had deep connections it was safe to say that she had the power to take you out in a variety of different ways. Munch like her purple sister. The only downside is her somewhat fragile state of mind. 

The rest was a bit tricky. 

Heart Felt wasn't exactly known for his fighting potential, but he did have the ability to rob you blind if he is so pleased. Or perhaps he'll have one of his sisters take you out from a distance. Or maybe he'll slit your throat well before you even noticed his existence. All that was known for sure was that he was a tough little bastard that was slightly above average with a gun. 

Derpy and Fluttershy we're two strangely unknown factors. 

For some reason, that fact alone made Gabby far more unsettled than anything else.

Suddenly movement out the corner of her eye snapped Gabby out of her train of thought. 

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"My shirt!" Someone shouted. The individual was tall, lanky, and had the appearance of someone who didn't have a whole lot of chances in life. 

In front of the said individual was Heart Felt. An empty drink with an apologetic look on his face.  

However, what concerned her most was the look in the man's eyes his eyes. Even from afar, she could see the vileness and hatred that emulated from those tiny orbs. From that and the expression on his face, Gabby could tell that this particular encounter will not end pleasantly. 

She watched as the guy's mouth moved. She's too far to make out the words but from the way, Heart's expression changed into something similar to shock Gabby could tell that it was serious. 

The gang leader looked to Apple Jack. Only to realize that she was too busy with her drink to notice. 

Looking around she saw that the others were currently too far in their world to notice. 

Gabby turned to glance back towards the man. Only to see him roughly shoving Heart aside. The teen nearly tripped as he momentarily lost his balance. 

Gabby growled standing up. At that moment she decided to take matters unto her own hands. 

"Don't" 

The steer cold voice of Apple Jack made Gabby pause. Looking over at her company the leader of the Golden Griffins couldn't help but ask one question. 

"Why?" 

Instead of answering AJ simply pointed. 

As she did so a scream pierced the air. 

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Gabby met all kinds of monsters and demons. 

Slam! 

We're talking pedophiles, serial killers, rapists, and child molesters. You know the types of people who are born fucked with little to no redeeming quality and or sanity about them.

Slam! 

The type of people who crawled through the depths of hell with raw, wicked, and ready to torment others. 

Slam! 

Yet not a single one of them triggered a sense of fear. 

Slam! 

That was until she met Fluttershy. 

Slam! 

"P-please s-stop". 

Grey eyes met pink. Underline fear met rage with a mix of something else. Something darker, rabid, instinctual almost, 

And it held everyone's attention like flies to light.

Pulling his head back Fluttershy slammed it back down. The force she used caused the table to shatter into wooden shards. 

The man's body suddenly went limp. 

Fluttershy didn't stop. 

Instead, she pushed him. Letting fall backward on the cold hard floor. Once his head made contact so did Fluttershy's foot. 

She did it again, 

And again, 

And again, 

And again.  

It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder did she stop, and even when she did the expression on her face made Gabby's breath catch in her throat. 

"By my calculations, I am 98.4% certain that the man is no longer among the realm of the living". 

Fluttershy turned her head. Only to see Twilight looking right back at her. Her expression was calm and collected as she stared at her older sister. 

After a moment Fluttershy nods her gaze somewhere else entirely.

"However, since what transpired was a blatant attack of character-based off of old myths around fortune i feel as if the number I have mentioned isn't suitable". 

The yellow-haired woman blinked before managing to fully focus on Twilight. As she did so the young teen was revealed to be holding a rather large-looking hammer. 

"This should suffice" The younger woman stated before nonchalantly handing it over to Fluttershy. 

Fluttershy didn't smirk, grin, chuckle, or laugh.  Instead, she did something far more terrifying. 

She smiled, 

And it was the most genuine thing Gabby has ever seen.
> I'm Daring ya
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Running. 

heart was running, 

And he didn't stop. 

The words of that drunken man echoed in his head. Words of hate and falsehood were once shared by those who believed in ancient texts that were written by a mad woman. 

He hated it. 

He hated them. 

Heart gritted his teeth. 

Memories of the past he tried so hard to bury entered his mind. 

Misfortune. 

Bad luck. 

Yellow-eyed devil. 

No good parasite. 

Your fault. 

She died and it's all your fault.

He fell, and as he did an image of a much older woman holding up a pair of rusty old chains flashed in his mind. 

His heart race. 

She cooed stepping forward, holding the metal objects as if they were an offering. 

His vision blurred. 

She cooed again moving closer, reaching. 

He started. 

She smiled. Whispering the words he never wanted to hear again. 

"it's time to be a good little boy, now come to mommy."  

He screamed, 

And the world fell apart. 

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Daring Doo was a nobody. 

Then one day she decides to change that. 

On that day she cut ties to her past life and decide to move into the big city. 

Only to get robbed. 

Twice.

Regardless Daring moved forward. Choosing to start small before moving up in the food chain. 

Those plans ground to a halt upon seeing a kid pass out in the middle of the street. 

Now Daring was known to be heartless. Especially those who dealt with her including so-called friends and otherwise. 

But this? 

She had to do something. 

Witch leads her to the current situation she found herself in. 

A gun aimed at her skull, 

And the owner of the said gun looked seconds away from pulling the trigger. 

For some reason, it seemed as if karma herself lined up a few dates for the two of them. 

"easy kid, your safe, and im not gonna hurt you." 

Putting her hands up the much older woman backed up a few feet. The best way to calm a tense situation is a little space so the individuals or person, in this case, can feel a little more at least. 

It worked. 

At least somewhat. 

The kid relaxed a little before scanning everything with his eyes. Once done he looked back at her with a questioning gaze.

"I took you to my place after seeing you passed out like that"  

The kid nods slightly before again looking around. His expression was much calmer than before but he was still most definitely on edge. 

"what's your name? 

He didn't answer. 

Alright then. 

"Look, is there anyone I can call or something to come pick you up?" 

Dating tried to be nice she did, but the frustration from having a gun pointed at her was evident. She did her good deed for the day now she wants to get back on track with her current newly formed life. 

However, fate had different plans. 

"Those are drugs right?" 

The kid pointed at the large duffel bag that Daring was gonna use to sell her goods. Not the smartest idea in terms of not drawing attention but there was little else she could do. 

Daring raised a brow. 

She was caught off guard by the question.  Then again from the looks in his eyes, she could tell that he wasn't the goody-two-shoes type. 

Still, she wasn't gonna spill her secrets. Gun or not she wasn't the type to back down as such she merely narrowed her eyes in response. 

Then there was a click that meant the gun was on safety up until this point. 

"Yes." 

The kid nodded. 

"get us a car"  

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Turns out the kid was either deeply connected or was just generally good with people. Regardless a short drive turned a two-week sale into a batch that only lasted thirty to forty minutes. 

Daring was impressed. 

No, scratch that she was more than impressed, amazed even. 

Suffice it to say the kid earned her respect. 

Unfortunately for her the bread earned wasn't going into her pocket. She knew that much as soon as they began. This wasn't a handout but rather a lesson in future sales. 

Sure it sucked, but she was new to the game and needed to learn, and the kid was a damn good teacher. 

When it was all over she watched as he made a phone call before directing her to a new location. Upon arrival, she was met with three young girls she had never seen before. 

Regardless all three entered the vehicle without so much as batting an eye at her. 

"sup bro?" 

"what took ya so long?! 

The third didn't answer. 

When Daring went to look she found that the yellow-coated woman was staring directly at her. 

Her gaze was chilling, to say the least. 

Especially when it seemed as if she had very little need to blink. 

"Where is everyone?" 

"Home" the blue one answered shrugging. The kid nods before turning to give Daring new directions. 

She didn't bother asking questions. 

As they drove the kid and the pink one began to talk among one another as if they were tight knight friends. Of course with very little to go off of Daring just assumed that he and the rest were companions or a pair of mismatched siblings. However, the other two kept quiet. 

The blue one was looking out the window. Only occasionally joining in the conversation. Daring assumed that she had too much to drink and wisely decided to keep her mouth shut.

The yellow one on the other hand. 

Daring shivered turning her head slightly to see the girl still staring at her. Gaze never watering for a second. 

"Are you okay?" 

The kid nods muttering something about bad memories. 

That seemed to get their attention. 

The response? 

Roll a joint. 

Surprisingly there was one already prepared seemingly just for the occasion. 

They even let her take a hit. 

One smoke session and a fast food binge later Daring Doo was left at her house with no car and or any cash to her name. 

Signing the 28-year-old looked down at the number written below along with the promise of a better score. 

Now, normally she wasn't one to believe in promises, but then again something told her that she was in for one heck of a wild ride. 

She grinned. 

The food chain suddenly seems a lot shorter.
> Keep your mouth shut.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freedom. 

That was what the local protestors were fighting for when it come to the ethical treatment of animals trapped in a zoo.  

animal Freedom revolutionaries AKA AFR are a small local organization that for months now has been protesting what they call wildlife imprisonment. essentially they fundamentally believe in the freedom of all creatures instead of having them up for display. As such they deliberately go out of their way to cause as many problems as possible for local zoos. 

Iron Will himself didn't exactly believe in their methods. Regardless he and his much older collage were assigned to keep an eye on things. Unfortunately, being the only set of officers set to this location if anything were to go wrong there wasn't much they could do. 

Being a transfer to the area Iron Will was still relatively new to the city. The only thing the young lad knew for certain was that the force was incredibly ill-founded. 

Fetch his partner was more laid back and helped give Iron details about his surroundings and or the people around them. 

Suffice it to say this city had problems. 

As the two continued to watch things from a distance Iron noticed a black SUV pull up before stopping completely in the middle of the road. A moment later five individuals exited the vehicle. With one being from the driver's side. The said driver proceeded to get on top of the car while the four including what looked to be a little kid and or a teenager went over to the protest circle. Signs and like held in their grasp. 

"Who are they?" 

Fetch whistled upon spotting the trio. A look of excitement in his eyes. 

"they my friend are the ones who are gonna make today a whole more interesting."

That caught Iron will's attention. 

"what do you mean?" 

"you'll see." 

So they waited. 

As if on cue twenty minutes later another car pulled up only to be stopped by the first vehicle. Immediate beeping was heard that in turn did nothing but cause the woman in the car to wave her hands in dismissal. When the second driver realized that the SUV wasn't going anywhere she committed her first mistake. 

She got out of the car.

Iron Will's eyes went wide. 

The person who got out was a rather well-known upcoming boxing who only recently started getting media attention. 

Diamond Tiara. 

AKA Purple fury. 

"Oh, this turned out much better than I expected." 

Iron Will merely shook his head. 

It was clear to him that Diamond was probably visiting family and thus didn't think to bring security with her.

"Should we do something?" 

A jolly old laugh was the only response he received. 

Okay then. 

They watched as Diamond Tiara start to vigorously point and shout at the woman on top of the car before crossing her arms. The way she did it seemed almost mocking.

The one on top of the hood turned,

And from her expression Iron Will just knew that this wasn't gonna end well. 

The two exchanged words briefly before the blue-colored woman wearing a white hood jumped down. In response, Diamond raised her fits in a challenge. overconfidence oozing from her demeanor. 

Now, this was gonna get ugly. 

As if on cue the blue woman swung without warning   

Diamond moved her head to the side before throwing a quick jab aimed at the face. It connected but that barely seemed to do anything but piss the other off. 

The blue girl swung again. 

Diamond again dodges before delivering a two-piece along with a vicious-looking haymaker. 

Again the blue woman was merely more pissed off than before. As such, she delivered a nasty-looking headbutt that connect to Diamond's face. 

She staggered. Unable to recover quickly enough from the next attack which landed on her right cheek. 

However, surprisingly enough that seemed to snap her out of her daze and she threw her own punch in response. 

Her blue opponent took it and moved as if she barely felt anything except more rage. 

Diamond ducked under a wild punch and moved to capitalize, 

Only to have a fist connect with the side of her face. 

Fetch laughed. The smile on his was one of pure enjoyment. 

"looks like the rest of them finally decided to step in. " 

Two out of the four people who exited the vehicle earlier had approached Diamond from behind. With one who was pink having attacked the young boxer from behind. 

Diamond went down. 

As soon as her body hit the pavement the blue one pounced. 

Or would have if the pink one didn't top her. 

Iron Will watched as the trio allowed Diamond to get up. At this point, everyone in the crowd was watching. Most with their phones out while others simply cheered in delight. Enjoying every second of what's transpiring right before their eyes. 

Getting to her feet while realizing she was surrounded the boxer looked to be weighing her options. 

However, it was already too late. 

In seconds the pink one was on her. Throwing punches at a rapid rate that Diamond couldn't keep up with. As such, she managed to put distance between them before countering. 

The pink one merely leaned her body backward allowing a flying knee to connect with Diamond's face. 

The force sent her to the ground in an instant. Only to be picked back up roughly by a yellow-colored woman. 

She gasped as a blue fist struck her in the gut. 

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"Should we do something?" 

Iron will questions as he and his partner watched what was to be one of the best fighters around become a living punching bag. 

It was quite honestly sad to see. 

"she swung first."

Will looked over at him confused   

"That's not what I saw."

He shrugged keeping his eyes on the scene. 

The younger officer sighed but did as well just in time to see a young grey girl deliver a few punches of her own. Though with a glance he could tell that she was somewhat inexperienced. 

Well, at least she had the chance to get tips from a pro. 

If said pro was still conscious that is.
> Just business
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Griffins. 

A highly organized gang that deals in almost everything under the sun. 

Drugs, weapons, prostitution, you name it they did it. 

However, their biggest trade is weapons dealing. With help from outside sources, they managed to grab top military grad firearms and the like. From this alone along with other deeds they managed to set a heavy anchor in this city. Unfortunately, this also means that they have a lot of enemies. People who see what they are doing either wants a bigger slice than what's allowed or want to take it all for their benefit. 

Either way Gabby can't allow that to happen. 

Not when the people around her sacrificed so much to get where they are now. 

Even if she never liked most of them.

A business opportunity? 

Gabby watched as the orange woman known as Aj blinked before looking around the warehouse they managed to secure. It was large and was fit to do most of its operations without the fear of being discovered by law enforcement. At least the ones who took their job to heart. 

A bunch of fools who will waste their time fighting a war they can never win. 

Then again it's not like the cycle has even a possibility to be stopped or controlled. Sure you can send your very best on the streets but the scum of this city will always find a way. When there is an opportunity how can you blame a person for taking advantage of it? Especially when money can be made just from the act alone. 

Gabby smiles, nodding. 

"Yes, we are both groups who try to protect our own and make money in the process. Why not use those similarities to better the both of us?" 

Aj raised a brow,

"and what is in it for my family?" 

"A large income that's possibly worth a lot more than what you are getting now." 

Rainbow snorted crossing her arms. 

"Like you would know." 

Gabby has an overall good idea but now wasn't the time to voice it. Not when she was gonna double anyhow. Sometimes It's best to leave things unsaid than risk forming a problem.   

"why us?" 

The white one who Gabby remembers her name to be Rarity asked. She had a look of suspicion in her eyes. A distrust that was more than understandable considering what has happened between their two groups already. Gabby knows that the risk of betrayal in the future is there. Especially when greed comes into play. However, she also believed that if they play their cards right the potential for a business relationship that ends with them all content is there. However, despite this, there is another reason for her decision, and that is the suspicion of a rat within her people. She doesn't who, but she knows that it might be someone she is considered close with. With that thought it's comforting to work with people outside of her gang whom she might be able to trust with more important dealing in the future. Leaving Gabby enough time to discover and deal with the rat herself.

If not then she might have to do things that'll make others question her authority. 

That would be bad for business.  

Especially considering her son and the possible dangers if Gabby gets it wrong. 

That wasn't worth the risk. 

"Hey! Don't touch that!  

Looking over Gabby sees Fluttershy checking out one of the weapons they hsd in stock. Her eyes scanned the gun with a look of glee in her eyes that just felt eerie. 

At least to Gabby. 

The memory of what happened a week before played in her mind causing her to grip her fist. Not used to feeling this type of emotion. Not even when her aunt would punish her for a job done wrong. 

The others though looked like they couldn't care less. 

Even after she started pointing the barrel at everyone in the room. 

Including her family. 

Gabby gestured for her people to just leave the psycho alone. As much as seeing her with a gun by the looks on AJ's face it wasn't something she needed to be worried about. 

"because just like us you need money." 

Aj hummed. Thinking about the offer as the other two kept their eyes on Gabby 

"All I require is for you to sell here and there and you'll most definitely have enough profit that you can split among yourselves three times over." 

That perked their interest. 

Gabby can see it in their eyes even if they try to hide it. 

Aj chuckled. 

"That sounds good sure, but I gotta run it by the rest before I make a decision." 

Gabby nods it makes sense. A possible partnership can always go downhill if nearly everyone involved isn't fully on board. Fortunately for them, gabby is a patient woman. She'll give them time to make their decision she can only hope that it will be the right one. 

If not? 

Well, she had a feeling that it won't happen. 

The future is bright, 

And Gabby isn't afraid to grasp it.