✦☆✦☆✦☆✦☆✦

The group walked slowly toward the school, their chatter subdued as the weight of CJ's sudden departure lingered in the air. The sports arena, now mostly emptied of spectators, felt quieter than it had in hours, the buzz of victory drowned out by their lingering confusion.

Sunset replayed CJ's parting words in her mind. "It's like waking up from a dream, only to realize this is real." She frowned, trying to piece it together, but the meaning eluded her.

"What do you think she meant by all that?" Twilight asked, her brows knitted in concern. "Something about a dream and reality... She seemed so... shaken."

"I'm not sure," Sunset admitted, her voice soft, her gaze fixed on the ground. "But something's definitely bothering her. And it's not just something small."

"Maybe it was just her being dramatic?" Pinkie Pie offered, her tone light and bubbly, trying to lift the mood. "Sometimes people just have their little moments. I mean, we did win the game; maybe she was just overwhelmed or something!"

Rarity turned to Pinkie with an arched brow. "Darling, that is my thing," she quipped with a dramatic toss of her hair, though her usual flair was tempered by the tension in the air.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at Rarity's comment, but her mind wasn't on their banter. She clenched her fists, her voice unusually serious when she finally spoke. "No. Did you see her face? The fear in her eyes? Something definitely happened. She saw something, and it shook her. I'm sure of it."

Fluttershy, walking beside Rainbow, nodded softly, her voice filled with empathy. "She did look scared," she agreed. "I just... I hope she's okay."

Twilight, her analytical mind racing, turned toward Sunset. "But what could have happened? She seemed fine earlier. Actually, she seemed... happier than when I first met her. What could have changed so quickly?"

Sunset remained quiet for a moment, her gaze drifting to the far distance as her thoughts churned. Finally, she shook her head, her expression heavy with worry. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I've got a bad feeling about this."

By now, the group had reached the school entrance, their footsteps echoing faintly on the path. The dim light of the setting sun cast long shadows across the doors as they approached. But just as Rainbow reached for the handle, a muffled sound caught their attention.

Inside, voices rose in a cacophony of panic and alarm.

"What's that?" Fluttershy asked, her voice trembling as she glanced nervously toward the others.

Exchanging worried glances, they didn't wait to ponder. The group rushed inside, the heavy doors swinging open to reveal a chaotic scene. Students were scattered across the hallway, some whispering in shock, others frozen in place, their expressions wide with fear and disbelief.

And there, at the center of the commotion, was CJ.

Her teal hair framed her face like a storm, her eyes blazing with a fury none of them had seen before. The very air around her seemed to crackle with an almost tangible energy.

Lightning Dust lay sprawled on the ground nearby, looking utterly stunned, her usually cocky demeanor replaced with shock as she scrambled to sit up.

The group froze at the sight, their hearts racing. "CJ?" Sunset called out, but there was no response.

CJ stood there, breathing heavily, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white. The intensity of her rage was like a physical force, and it was clear that something had just happened; something that had pushed her far past her breaking point.

"What... what's going on?" Twilight whispered, her voice barely audible over the murmurs of the crowd.

And then, before anyone could say another word, CJ's sharp voice cut through the air. "You think you can mess with me and get away with it?" she spat, her voice trembling with anger as she glared down at Lightning Dust. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

The scene was electric with tension as the others stood frozen, trying to process what they were seeing. And as the realization of CJ's rage sank in, a single question loomed in all of their minds: What just happened?

********

So, for odd reasons 🫠, I recommend listening to Loneliness by Poylow and Mandrazo for an extra effect
Anyways, enjoy the rest of the chapter 🌹🎶

♣️

CJ’s feet pounded against the tile floor, the sound echoing in the empty hall. Her breath came fast and shallow, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts she couldn’t outrun.

"How did it come to this? How could I let it get this far? Stupid. Stupid!"

Her vision blurred as unshed tears burned her eyes, and she wiped at them furiously. The last thing she wanted was for someone to see her like this. Vulnerable. Weak.

So consumed was she by her spiraling thoughts that she didn’t see the figure coming around the corner—until it was too late.

WHAM!

The impact sent CJ stumbling back. She landed hard, her bag skidding across the floor, and pain shot through her wrist as she caught herself.

“Watch it, loser!” came a sharp, familiar voice.

CJ blinked, shaking her head to clear it, and looked up. Her stomach dropped. Lightning Dust.

The smug smirk stretched across Lightning’s face as she realized who she’d run into. “Oh, it’s you.”

CJ forced herself to her feet, ignoring the ache in her body. She bent to pick up her bag, her hair falling into her face to shield the emotion she knew must be written there. She hoped—prayed—that Lightning would just leave it at that.

No such luck.

Lightning’s voice carried that mocking lilt she always seemed to reserve for moments like this. “Hang on...” Lightning tilted her head as she got a good look at CJ. Her smirk widened. “Are you... crying?”

CJ froze, her bag still halfway to her shoulder. She swiped at her cheek instinctively, feeling the faint trail of a tear she hadn’t realized was there. She cursed under her breath, straightened, and tried to keep walking.

Lightning moved in front of her, blocking her path. “Aww, poor little CJ. Bad day already? Or is this just your thing now?” She feigned a pout. “Want me to call someone for you? Your sister, maybe? Or...” she paused dramatically, “... oh, wait. It's not like she'd even care for a lowlife like you.”

CJ’s head snapped up.

“Lightning, don’t,” she said sharply, her voice low and uneven.

But Lightning didn’t stop. She leaned in, her smirk dripping with cruel amusement. “What? Did I hit a nerve? Or are you just off your game today? Not too heavy on the sarcastic comebacks this time around, huh?”

CJ’s fists clenched at her sides, but she refused to give Lightning what she wanted. She tried to step past her again.

“Wow,” Lightning said with a laugh, throwing up her hands as she turned to walk a small circle around CJ. “This is kinda sad, honestly. I mean, where’s the fire? You always have something to say. Not today?” She stopped in front of CJ again, her grin widening. “Guess you really are a disappointment.”

CJ flinched, her breathing uneven.

Lightning seemed to see it, feel it, and went in for the kill. Her voice turned sharp, a dagger made of words.

“You know, I feel bad for your parents.”

CJ froze.

Lightning’s grin was venomous now. “If I were them, I’d be so unlucky to have someone like you. A real failure, huh? Bet you remind them of that every day—oh wait! You probably can’t. Because—”

Before she could finish, CJ moved.

Her hand shot out, palm open, and the sharp crack of her slap rang through the empty hallway like a gunshot.

Lightning Dust staggered back, eyes wide with shock. She stumbled and landed on the floor, one hand flying to her cheek.

CJ stood above her, trembling with anger, her sapphire-blue eyes blazing. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The only sound was CJ’s ragged breathing as she tried to hold herself together.

“Don’t. You. Ever,” CJ growled, her voice shaking with fury, “talk about my family like that again.”

Lightning Dust stared up at her, stunned into silence for a split second—until her shock gave way to fury. “You’re gonna regret that,” she hissed, staggering to her feet.

“Regret what?” came a voice down the hall.

The two turned sharply.

Sunset Shimmer stood there, flanked by Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and the others, who were approaching quickly. Sunset’s expression was a mix of confusion and concern, her sharp gaze darting between CJ and Lightning.

“CJ?” Sunset’s voice softened as she took in CJ’s trembling form and the red mark still faintly visible on Lightning Dust’s cheek. “What happened here?”

CJ opened her mouth to respond but hesitated. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt like she might throw up. Say something. Say anything, she told herself.

Lightning Dust beat her to it. “She attacked me!” Lightning pointed an accusing finger at CJ. “Completely unprovoked!”

“Unprovoked?” Rainbow Dash’s voice cracked with disbelief as she looked between the two. “Are you serious right now?”

Applejack frowned, her arms crossing over her chest. “CJ?” she prompted, her voice gentle but firm. “What’s this about?”

CJ’s gaze dropped to the floor. She couldn’t meet their eyes. The weight of everything—her emotions, the words Lightning had thrown at her, the sound of the slap still echoing in her head—was too much.

Fluttershy, her voice soft, stepped forward hesitantly. “CJ... are you okay?”

The question caught CJ off guard. Her fists slowly unclenched at her sides, and the fury on her face melted into something else.

Pain.

“I...” Her voice came out as a whisper, broken and unsure. She looked at Fluttershy, then Sunset, and finally back to Lightning Dust, who stood a few steps away, smirking triumphantly now that an audience had arrived.

CJ shook her head faintly. “I can’t...”

Before anyone could say more, the sharp click of heels announced the arrival of Principal Celestia. Her gaze swept across the scene, taking in Lightning’s reddened cheek, CJ’s tense stance, and the group surrounding them.

“What is going on here?” Celestia’s voice rang with authority.

Lightning Dust wasted no time, pointing at CJ again. “She hit me! Completely out of nowhere!”

Celestia turned to CJ, her expression unreadable. “CJ? Is this true?”

CJ hesitated, her lips parting as if to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She looked away, staring at the ground.

Celestia’s gaze softened just slightly, but her tone remained firm. “Both of you. My office. Now.”

Lightning Dust shot CJ a smug look before following Celestia, her movements stiff and self-satisfied.

CJ stayed still for a moment, her shoulders slumped as though the weight of everything had finally crashed down on her.

“CJ,” Sunset said softly, stepping closer. “Whatever this is... you don’t have to go through it alone.”

CJ looked at her, her eyes shining faintly with unshed tears, before she turned and walked after Celestia.

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

“We can’t just leave her to handle this,” Sunset said firmly, determination in her voice.

“Agreed,” Applejack added. “We’ll get the truth.”

Rainbow Dash clenched her fists. “And Lightning Dust? She’s not getting away with whatever this is.”

The group lingered for a moment longer, silent yet united. Irrespective of the circumstances, they refused to let CJ face it alone.

********

The door to Principal Celestia's office clicked shut behind them, the tension in the room palpable. CJ sat in front of Celestia's desk, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her eyes unfocused. It was as if the world outside had faded completely; she was somewhere far away, staring at nothing. The weight of the accusations, of her own actions, left her feeling numb, a hollow emptiness where her thoughts should be. Her voice had been stolen.

Lightning Dust sat across from her, her posture a mix of defiance and subtle satisfaction, her arms crossed as she glared at CJ. Celestia's sharp eyes flicked between the two students, her expression unreadable as she folded her hands on the desk.

"CJ," Celestia said, her voice carrying the seriousness of the situation. "What happened? I need to hear your side of the story."

CJ didn't respond. She didn't even blink. She was lost in her thoughts, adrift, unable to focus on the question. The silence in the room stretched, and Celestia's eyes softened with an unspoken understanding, but she couldn't let CJ off so easily. The atmosphere thickened as Lightning Dust took her opportunity to add her own words.

"Come on, Celestia," Lightning Dust sneered, looking directly at CJ. "She's not gonna say anything. Let's just get this over with. I didn't do anything to her, but she just came at me out of nowhere." She glanced at CJ, her voice dripping with mockery. "Must've been real tough, huh? Mommy issues?"

Celestia shot Lightning Dust a piercing look, her brows knitting in disbelief. "Is that so, Lightning Dust?" she asked, her tone sharp but composed. "This is an interesting accusation. I want to hear from CJ."

CJ's eyes remained unfocused, her gaze still distant, as though she was staring at something that wasn't there. But the tension in the room seemed to snap when Celestia asked her again, this time with quiet authority.

"Did you hit her, CJ?" she asked, softer than before, yet firm.

CJ's breath caught in her throat, and for a long moment, the silence stretched. She felt her pulse quicken, her mind scrambling for the right words, but all that came out was a sharp, brittle "Yes." The word sliced through the air, an admission that seemed to hang in the balance.

Celestia's face softened, a shadow of disappointment flickering across her features. She nodded slowly, her gaze shifting back to Lightning Dust.

"Miss Dust," Celestia began, her voice steady and measured, "what exactly did you do? What happened?"

Lightning Dust met Celestia's gaze with a defiant glare. "I didn't do anything, okay? She just attacked me out of nowhere, for no reason. I was just walking, minding my business, then she came at me."

Celestia's expression hardened. She had seen this game before. She had heard this story more times than she cared to count. Her voice dropped, as if delivering a warning.

"Lightning Dust," Celestia said, her tone colder now, "this isn't the first time you've been in trouble for causing issues with other students. You've been reprimanded multiple times, and yet you continue to disrupt things. I've given you second chances before; detention, suspension, but this ends now."

Lightning Dust's eyes widened in shock, her jaw tightening as she began to understand where this was going.

Celestia's voice rang out with finality. "I'm afraid you're no longer welcome at Canterlot High, Miss Dust."

There was a beat of stunned silence, the weight of Celestia's words settling into the room. Lightning Dust blinked, momentarily speechless, before she let out a dry laugh.

"What?" she scoffed. "You're expelling me? For what? I didn't even do anything wrong!"

"Do not argue with me, Miss Dust," Celestia warned, her eyes flashing with authority. "This is the last straw."

With a look of contempt, Lightning Dust stood up, her expression turning dark. "Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You can't tell me what to do." Without another word, she stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her with a furious bang.

Celestia let out a quiet sigh, turning back to CJ, whose eyes were now filled with a mixture of confusion and fear. She knew this wasn't easy for CJ, but Celestia also knew she couldn't let the situation go unaddressed.

Her voice softened as she looked at CJ, her gaze filled with understanding but also a hint of sadness. "I'm sorry, CJ, but I can't just let you go free from this either. I can't allow this to slide."

CJ's heart sank as Celestia spoke. She had expected this. The weight of her actions felt too heavy to escape, too undeniable to ignore. She lowered her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I'm sorry," Celestia continued, "but you'll have to serve a suspension. It will only be for two days–Thursday and Friday. Consider this a warning, CJ. I understand you're new here, but this kind of behaviour is unacceptable, even under the circumstances."

CJ's eyes widened in shock. She had expected punishment, yes, but part of her had hoped for something different. Her chest tightened with guilt, but she nodded slowly, accepting her fate, even though she hated it.

"Thank you," CJ whispered, her voice barely audible.

Celestia gave her a nod, her expression softening, though the seriousness of the situation lingered in the air. "Take this time to reflect, CJ. I know this isn't easy, but we need to ensure that the environment here at Canterlot High is safe for everyone."

CJ didn't respond, but stood up from her seat. The weight of the entire situation pressed down on her, making her feel smaller and smaller. As she turned to leave the office, she glanced one last time at Celestia, but the principal's gaze never wavered.

Walking down the hallway toward her locker, CJ felt the eyes of the other students on her. Whispers floated around her, their voices muffled but unmistakable. She could feel their judgment–her failure, her punishment, all of it hanging in the air. They looked at her with pity, with curiosity, with disdain.

And as she reached her locker, CJ pressed her hand against the cool metal, feeling the weight of everything settle on her shoulders. The hallways were quieter now, but CJ's heart raced as she opened her locker, her mind swirling with confusion, regret, and anger.

She knew she couldn't undo what had happened, but the journey ahead was still hers to take. Whether she was ready or not, she had to keep moving forward....Or more so, life would keep pushing her forward.

But was she willing for it?

********

See? Told ya I'd post between yesterday and today 🌚🌚🫠🫠

Let me know what y'all think of the chapter in the comments <3

And who knows what happens next 👀