Pain was easy.

It had rules.

It was predictable.

If I got hit, I'd bruise. If I pushed too hard, I'd ache. If I fell, I'd bleed.

It made sense.

But this?

The way my chest felt tight every time Applejack looked at me like she cared? The way my stomach twisted when I thought about what Spitfire said? The way my own thoughts were starting to feel like something I couldn't trust?

This wasn't easy.

This wasn't simple.

And I had no idea what to do with it.

I barely made it through the rest of the day.

My ribs ached every time I moved. My head was foggy, my thoughts too loud, my body too tense-like I was waiting for something to go wrong.

I hated it.

I hated that I felt like this.

Like I was losing control.

By the time the final bell rang, I was already halfway out the door.

I needed to leave.

I needed to breathe.

I needed-

"Dash!"

I flinched.

Applejack.

Of course.

I gritted my teeth, adjusting my bag, not slowing down.

She caught up anyway.

"Where ya goin' in such a hurry?"

"Home," I muttered.

She frowned. "Ya sure that's a good idea?"

My stomach twisted.

I forced a shrug. "Gotta be somewhere, right?"

Applejack didn't answer immediately.

But I felt her looking at me.

And then-softly-

"Ya don't have to go back there, y'know."

I stopped walking.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I turned my head, staring at her.

"What?" I said.

She shifted slightly, adjusting her backpack.

"I dunno," she said. "Just sayin'. If ya ever needed a place to be."

I swallowed.

Something clawed at my chest, sharp and desperate.

"Why do you care?" I muttered.

Applejack didn't blink.

"Because I do."

My lungs locked up.

My hands curled into fists.

Because she said it so simply.

Like it was normal.

Like it was obvious.

Like I wasn't a lost cause.

I exhaled sharply and turned away.

"Well, you shouldn't," I muttered.

And before she could say anything else-

I walked away.

The walk home was cold.

Not from the air.

From the inside.

Applejack's words were still in my head.

"You don't have to go back there."

Like I had a choice.

Like I wasn't trapped.

I clenched my jaw.

Because I was.

No one was going to save me.

No one ever had.

I stepped up to my front door, inhaling carefully.

Silence.

For a moment, I thought maybe-just maybe-

But the second I stepped inside-

"Where the hell have you been?"

My stomach dropped.

She was awake.

And she was angry.

I barely had time to move before-

CRACK.

Pain exploded across my back as something slammed into me.

I hit the floor hard, gasping, my ribs screaming in protest.

Bottle.

Glass.

The sound of it shattering against the wall.

My pulse roared in my ears.

Too fast. Too loud.

Footsteps.

Coming closer.

I forced myself up.

"Get up," she snapped.

I already was.

Didn't matter.

Another hit.

My vision flickered.

The world tilted.

"You don't have to go back there."

Applejack's voice echoed in my head.

Too late.

Too damn late.

I swallowed hard, bracing for the next one.

Because I knew there would be a next one.

There always was.

Pain.

That was all there was.

It burned through me in waves, sharp, aching, endless.

I didn't know how long I'd been on the floor.

Minutes. Hours.

Didn't matter.

What mattered was staying quiet.

What mattered was not making it worse.

I pressed my forehead against the hardwood, my breath coming in shallow, broken gasps.

Everything hurt.

My ribs. My back. My arms.

Even breathing felt like a mistake.

"You don't have to go back there."

Applejack's voice.

I almost laughed.

Because this wasn't something I could just walk away from.

She didn't understand.

She would never understand.

Footsteps.

I went rigid.

She wasn't done.

I braced for another hit-but it never came.

The footsteps faded.

A door slammed.

Silence.

I let out a breath so shaky it almost wasn't a breath at all.

Slowly-painfully-I pushed myself onto my side.

Glass crunched under my hand.

Blood smeared across the floor.

I stared at it.

The dark red streaks, trailing from my fingertips.

Somehow, it didn't feel real.

None of this felt real.

I closed my eyes.

And the world went dark.

I don't know how long I was out.

Maybe minutes. Maybe longer.

But when I woke up, the house was quiet.

Too quiet.

I rolled onto my back, biting down a cry as pain flared through my ribs.

Not broken. Not broken. Not broken.

I pressed a hand against my chest, wincing.

Bruised. Maybe cracked.

Didn't matter.

I had to get up.

She was done-for now.

That meant I had time to get out.

Slowly, carefully, I pushed myself onto my hands and knees.

Every inch of my body protested.

But I moved anyway.

Crawled to the wall.

Pressed my hand against it, using it to pull myself up.

The second I was on my feet, the room spun.

I gritted my teeth, leaning against the wall, forcing the dizziness to pass.

I was fine.

I was always fine.

I grabbed my hoodie from the floor and yanked it on, ignoring the way my arms screamed in protest.

I needed to go.

I needed to-

"You think she actually cares about you?"

I froze.

The voice was right next to me.

I turned my head.

No one.

No one there.

I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping the counter.

Not real.

Not real.

Not-

"She's just waiting for you to break."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

My heart pounded.

I turned again-faster this time-

And for a split second-

I saw her.

Standing in the kitchen doorway.

My mother.

But not real.

Not real.

Not-

I blinked.

Gone.

The kitchen was empty.

My breath came in shallow, shaking gasps.

I stumbled back, pressing myself against the counter, my fingers curling around the edge.

She wasn't there.

She wasn't-

But I still felt her.

Still heard her.

Still smelled the whiskey in the air.

I pressed my hands to my temples.

This wasn't happening.

This wasn't-

A loud knock at the door.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I spun, heart slamming against my ribs.

Silence.

Then-

Another knock.

I swallowed hard, forcing my body to stay still.

It was probably nothing.

Probably just-

"Rainbow? You in there?"

My stomach twisted.

Applejack.

Of course.

I hesitated.

For a second, I thought about not answering.

But she knocked again.

"Dash?"

Her voice was lighter than usual.

But something about it felt tense.

Like she already knew.

I exhaled, walking carefully to the door.

My hands were still shaking when I reached for the handle.

I hesitated.

Then, finally-

I opened it.

Applejack stood there, hands stuffed in her pockets, her green eyes sharp and scanning.

The second she saw me, her jaw tightened.

I realized too late that I hadn't checked the mirror.

She saw.

The split lip. The way I was holding myself.

The bruises I hadn't covered.

She saw everything.

And for the first time ever-

I didn't know how to lie about it.

Applejack didn't say anything at first.

She just stared.

At the bruises.

At the way I was standing, one arm wrapped around my ribs, my hoodie still slightly crooked from rushing to put it on.

At my split lip, the blood that I hadn't even bothered to wipe away.

I clenched my jaw. "What do you want, AJ?"

Her lips pressed into a thin, white line.

Then-

"Who did this to ya?"

My stomach twisted.

I knew this was coming.

I should've had an answer ready.

I should've been able to lie.

But I couldn't.

Not with her standing there.

Not with the way she was looking at me-like she already knew the truth, but needed to hear me say it.

I swallowed hard.

"It's nothing," I muttered, turning away. "I just-got in a fight. It's not a big deal."

Applejack stepped forward.

I tensed.

"Rainbow," she said, voice lower now, steadier. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" I snapped.

Applejack exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair.

"Don't act like this don't matter," she said. "Like it ain't real."

I clenched my fists inside my hoodie sleeves.

It wasn't real.

Not really.

Because if I let myself think about it-really think about it-

I would break.

And I couldn't do that.

Not now.

Not in front of her.

So I forced a smirk-even though my lip stung from the movement.

"You really need to chill, farm girl," I muttered. "I'm fine."

Applejack's jaw clenched.

She was mad.

Not at me.

At whoever did this.

At the fact that I wasn't telling her.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

I took a step back.

"Listen, AJ," I said. "I get it, okay? You're all about honesty and caring and whatever, but this-" I gestured vaguely to myself. "This isn't your problem."

Silence.

Then-

Applejack's green eyes locked onto mine.

"That so?" she said.

"Yeah," I muttered.

She took a step closer.

I backed up.

She took another step.

I hit the doorframe.

Then-softly, so damn softly-

"Then why do ya look so scared?"

My heart stopped.

My breath hitched.

I forced a laugh. Forced it like my life depended on it.

"Pfft. Please," I muttered, shoving my hands deeper into my hoodie. "I don't get scared."

Applejack tilted her head.

Like she was seeing right through me.

Like she was watching me fall apart in real-time.

I swallowed hard.

Then-mercifully-

She exhaled, stepping back.

I felt like I could breathe again.

But just as I thought she was letting it go, she said-

"I ain't stupid, Dash."

I froze.

She stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"If ya ever wanna stop lyin' to yourself," she muttered, "lemme know."

And just like that-she walked away.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

My body screamed at me to relax.

But I couldn't.

Because for the first time-

I felt like I was actually losing.

The next day- School

I barely slept.

The hallucinations were worse now.

I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't.

Every shadow felt like her.

Every whisper sounded like her voice.

I had to get out of that house.

So I left early.

By the time I made it to school, the halls were mostly empty.

Except-

There was someone at my locker.

I stopped walking.

It wasn't Applejack.

Or Spitfire.

Or anyone else I really talked to.

It was-

Twilight Sparkle.

I blinked.

What the hell was she doing here?

She glanced up from her notebook, pushing her glasses higher on her nose.

"Oh, good," she said. "I wanted to talk to you."

I frowned. "...Why?"

Twilight exhaled, looking slightly awkward.

"Well," she said, shifting her books, "you left class yesterday. And then I saw Applejack looking extremely distressed, and statistically speaking, those two things are probably connected, so-"

I groaned. "Oh my God, are you seriously here to psychoanalyze me?"

Twilight hesitated. "I wouldn't put it like that-"

"Well, don't," I muttered, brushing past her to open my locker. "I'm fine."

Twilight paused.

Then-softly-

"That's exactly what Applejack said you'd say."

I stiffened.

My fingers clenched around my books.

I turned my head slowly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Twilight pursed her lips. "Just that you're lying. A lot."

I rolled my eyes. "What are you, a detective now?"

Twilight sighed.

"I just..." she adjusted her grip on her books. "I don't think Applejack would worry about you this much if she didn't have a reason to."

I swallowed.

Twilight was too damn smart.

I hated that.

So I did what I always did.

I shut down.

"Listen, Sparkle," I muttered. "You and AJ can play hero all you want, but I don't need saving, okay?"

Twilight frowned.

But before she could respond-

A new voice cut through the hall.

"Wow. Look at this. The nerd squad's expanding."

I stiffened.

Twilight blinked. "Oh. Spitfire."

Spitfire grinned.

And my stomach dropped.

Because the look in her eyes?

It was worse than usual.

Like she had something planned.

Something bad.

And I knew, deep down,

That today?

Today was going to be worse than any day before.

Spitfire grinned.

The kind of grin that made my stomach twist-not just from anger, but from knowing.

Knowing she wasn't done.

Knowing she was about to ruin my day.

I clenched my fists inside my hoodie, forcing my face into something neutral.

Twilight adjusted her glasses. "Oh, great. More immature power games. How original."

Spitfire ignored her, stepping closer.

"Y'know," she mused, tilting her head, "I gotta say, Dash, it's kinda hilarious how pathetic you look lately."

My jaw clenched.

I did not react.

Don't react. Don't react.

She smirked, leaning against the lockers. "I mean, you've always been a loser, but lately?" She let out a mock whistle. "You look like something someone scraped off the bottom of their shoe."

Twilight shifted next to me. "Wow. Did you think that insult up all by yourself, or did you have to practice in the mirror?"

I almost laughed.

Almost.

But Spitfire didn't look at Twilight.

She only looked at me.

And something was different.

She wasn't just trying to piss me off.

She was trying to get under my skin.

I exhaled sharply, gripping my backpack strap. "I don't have time for this, Spitfire."

She grinned. "Oh, but I think you do."

Then, before I could react-

She grabbed my hoodie and yanked it down.

I flinched.

And that was when I realized.

My makeup had worn off.

The bruises were showing.

The second Spitfire's gaze flickered to my cheekbone, her expression changed.

The smirk flickered.

Just for a second.

Like she hadn't expected that.

But it wasn't pity.

It was opportunity.

And that was so much worse.

"Whoa," she said, mock sympathy dripping from her voice. "What happened, Dash? Did your face forget to dodge?"

My stomach twisted.

"Shut up, Spitfire."

She grinned. "Or what?"

I clenched my fists.

She saw.

And she leaned in.

"Hit a nerve?" she murmured.

I wasn't breathing.

Her voice.

Her stance.

The way she was too close.

It was her.

My mother.

For a split second, I wasn't in the school hallway.

I was in the kitchen.

The air was thick with smoke and alcohol.

Her hand was on my hoodie.

Her breath was hot against my face.

"You're useless."

"You don't belong anywhere."

"You should just disappear."

I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

The world was closing in.

Spitfire's lips curled into a smirk. "C'mon, Dash," she cooed. "Tell me. Who gave you that lovely little bruise?"

I snapped.

Before I could stop myself, before I could think,

I grabbed her by the collar and slammed her into the lockers.

The sound echoed through the hall.

Everything went silent.

Spitfire's eyes went wide for half a second.

Then, she laughed.

A slow, cruel sound.

"Wow," she breathed. "Look at you."

I was shaking.

My fingers curled so tight into her shirt that my knuckles burned.

I should let go.

I should walk away.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't.

She leaned in, her voice lower now.

"You gonna hit me, Dash?"

My breath came in shallow, shaky gasps.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

I could feel my mother's breath on my skin.

"Do it. See what happens."

My chest tightened.

My grip loosened.

I was dizzy.

I was losing.

Spitfire grinned. "That's what I thought."

And then-

"Rainbow!"

A new voice.

Not Twilight.

Not Applejack.

Someone else.

I blinked.

And suddenly-

The hallucination was gone.

The kitchen.

The smoke.

The whiskey.

Gone.

Just the school.

Just Spitfire, smirking at me.

And just-

I turned my head.

Sunset Shimmer.

She was standing a few feet away, her brows furrowed, her eyes sharp.

Fluttershy was behind her, wide-eyed, clutching her books to her chest.

More students were watching now.

I was still holding Spitfire by the collar.

I was still shaking.

And suddenly, I realized.

I had lost control.

I let go.

Spitfire adjusted her jacket, looking victorious.

I took a step back, my breath coming in short, broken gasps.

Sunset stepped forward, her gaze locked onto me.

"Hey," she said, softer now. "You okay?"

I swallowed.

I needed to leave.

I needed to get out of here.

I turned on my heel and walked away.

Fast.

I didn't care where I was going.

I didn't care who was watching.

I just knew-

I couldn't do this anymore.

I couldn't.

I didn't stop walking.

Not when I hit the doors.

Not when I stepped into the cold air.

Not even when my legs started shaking.

I just kept going.

Away from school.

Away from them.

Away from what just happened.

The image of Spitfire's face was still burned into my brain.

The way she smirked.

The way she knew.

She had gotten to me.

She had won.

I clenched my fists, my breath coming in short, uneven bursts.

I wasn't going home.

I wasn't going anywhere.

I just needed to be alone.

I turned the corner behind the school, heading toward the empty sports field.

No one came back here during lunch.

No one would find me.

I needed-

I needed-

I collapsed.

My back hit the brick wall, my knees slamming into the ground.

My ribs screamed.

I didn't care.

I just-

I couldn't.

I buried my face in my hands, pressing my palms against my temples, trying to shut everything out.

The voices.

The memories.

The fact that I had lost control in front of everyone.

I was slipping.

I was breaking.

I couldn't keep doing this.

I couldn't.

Footsteps.

I tensed.

Then-

"Rainbow?"

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Of course.

I knew she'd follow me.

I knew she wouldn't let this go.

Applejack.

And-

Sunset.

I inhaled sharply, my fingers curling into fists.

"Go away," I muttered.

Neither of them moved.

Sunset hesitated, then took a slow step forward. "Rainbow, we just-"

"I said go away."

Applejack's voice was steady.

"We ain't leavin'."

I laughed.

It was a broken, bitter sound.

"Of course you're not," I muttered.

Sunset sat down a few feet away.

Not too close.

Just... waiting.

Applejack stayed standing, arms crossed, watching me like she was bracing for a storm.

I clenched my jaw.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking.

My breath wasn't steady.

I felt like I was about to burst into flames from the inside out.

Applejack sighed.

"Ya don't gotta talk," she said. "But we ain't gonna pretend we didn't just see what happened."

I tensed.

Sunset nodded. "Yeah. That... wasn't nothing, Rainbow."

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.

"You don't get it," I muttered.

Sunset tilted her head. "Then explain it."

I snorted.

"Explain what, huh?" I snapped. "That my brain is turning against me? That I see things that aren't there? That I can't even tell if I'm awake or dreaming half the time? That I'm-"

I stopped.

Too much.

Too much.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my chest tightening.

I shouldn't have said that.

I shouldn't have-

Sunset's eyes softened.

"You're hallucinating?" she asked carefully.

My stomach twisted.

I should have lied.

I should have-

Applejack knelt down.

And when I looked at her-

She wasn't shocked.

She wasn't judging.

She just looked like she understood.

I hated that.

I hated that so much.

I swallowed hard, turning away.

"You don't have to do this alone, Rainbow," Sunset said quietly.

I let out a breath so sharp it almost hurt.

"Yes, I do."

Applejack frowned. "Why?"

I laughed again.

Because I had to.

Because I had no other choice.

Because-

Because-

I inhaled sharply, my ribs protesting.

And before I could stop myself-

I whispered,

"Because that's all I've ever done."

Silence.

Real. Crushing. Silence.

And just like that-

I realized I had finally cracked.

Silence.

The words were already out.

"Because that's all I've ever done."

I wanted to take them back.

I wanted to laugh it off, roll my eyes, change the subject.

But I couldn't.

Because Applejack and Sunset heard it.

And worse?

They understood it.

Applejack inhaled slowly, her green eyes locked onto mine.

Like she was putting the pieces together.

Like she was seeing me for the first time.

Sunset exhaled, adjusting her jacket.

"You've been dealing with this alone for a long time," she said carefully.

It wasn't a question.

It was a statement.

I looked away.

I didn't want to see their faces.

Didn't want to see what they were thinking.

Didn't want to see that they knew too much now.

Sunset shifted slightly. "Rainbow, listen-"

"I'm fine," I cut in automatically.

It was too fast.

Too practiced.

Applejack frowned.

I clenched my fists, pressing them into my hoodie. "I don't need help, okay? I don't need-"

My breath caught.

Because suddenly-

I wasn't outside anymore.

I wasn't behind the school.

I wasn't with them.

I was in the kitchen.

My chest seized.

The air was thick with smoke and alcohol.

The lights flickered.

And in front of me-

She was there.

Standing in the doorway.

Watching.

Waiting.

Her eyes were dark. Unreadable.

The way they were the night she said-

"You should just disappear."

I stopped breathing.

She took a step closer.

No.

No.

Not real.

NOT REAL.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The voices outside faded.

All I could hear was-

"You think they actually care about you?"

"They're just waiting for you to break."

"Just like I always said you would."

My heartbeat roared in my ears.

My ribs ached.

I couldn't move.

Couldn't breathe.

I wasn't real anymore.

I was ten years old.

Small. Weak. Nothing.

A hand grabbed my wrist.

I flinched-hard.

And just like that-

The hallucination shattered.

The kitchen was gone.

The smoke was gone.

The only thing in front of me was-

Applejack.

Her hand was on my wrist, firm but not tight.

Her eyes wide with concern.

My breath came in short, broken gasps.

I could still feel it.

The bruises that weren't there.

The handprint on my face.

The weight of her words-even after all these years.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I had to leave.

I had to get out of here.

I tried to pull away-

Applejack didn't let go.

"Rainbow," she said.

I froze.

She wasn't stopping me.

She wasn't holding me down.

She was just... there.

Keeping me here.

Keeping me grounded.

Sunset took a slow step forward.

Her voice was gentle now.

"Rainbow," she said carefully. "What just happened?"

I inhaled sharply.

I couldn't do this.

I couldn't.

If I said it out loud, it would be real.

And I couldn't survive that.

I shook my head, trying to pull away again.

Applejack held firm.

"Dash."

I swallowed hard.

I needed to run.

I needed to get away.

But I was too tired.

Too exhausted.

And for the first time-

I wasn't sure I could do this alone anymore.

I sucked in a breath, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I think there's something wrong with me."

Sunset's face softened.

Applejack's grip tightened slightly.

But neither of them looked surprised.

Like they already knew.

Like they had just been waiting for me to say it.

And that was when I realized-

I couldn't take it back.

"I think there's something wrong with me."

The words were already out.

Hanging between us, heavy, unfixable.

I felt like I had just ripped open my chest and let them see what was inside.

And I hated it.

Applejack and Sunset didn't say anything at first.

They just looked at me.

Like they were waiting.

Like they were expecting more.

I clenched my jaw, turning my head away.

I shouldn't have said that.

I shouldn't have-

Sunset spoke first.

"Rainbow," she said slowly, "we know something's wrong."

My stomach twisted.

Applejack nodded.

"We just don't know what."

I inhaled sharply, my fingers curling into my sleeves.

There it was.

The thing I had been trying to avoid.

They wanted answers.

They wanted to know why I was like this.

I should lie.

I should say anything to make them drop it.

But my brain-my stupid, exhausted, broken brain-

Did something else.

I laughed.

It wasn't funny.

It wasn't even real.

It was bitter. Dry. A defense mechanism.

And once I started, I couldn't stop.

Applejack and Sunset exchanged glances.

But they didn't say anything.

They just waited.

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.

"You really wanna know what's wrong with me?" I muttered.

Neither of them spoke.

I scoffed.

"Fine," I said. "Here's what's wrong: I see things that aren't there. I hear things that aren't real. I can't sleep without hearing her voice in my head, telling me I'm worthless. Every second of my life is just me trying to act like I'm okay, when I'm actually falling apart so bad that I don't even know if I'm real anymore."

Silence.

Sunset's eyes were wide.

Applejack's jaw was tight.

I took a shaky breath.

Then-softly-

"Is that enough for you?"

Sunset exhaled slowly.

She looked shaken.

Like she hadn't expected me to actually say it.

Applejack...

Applejack looked angry.

Not at me.

At something else.

Her hands were curled into fists.

Her body was tense.

She looked like she wanted to hit something.

I swallowed hard.

And then, before I could stop myself-

I whispered,

"She says I should just disappear."

Applejack froze.

Sunset's head snapped up.

Too much.

I had said too much.

I needed to take it back.

I needed to-

"Who?" Applejack said.

Her voice was too calm.

Too controlled.

My stomach dropped.

I turned away. "It doesn't matter."

Applejack took a step forward.

"Who," she said again, "said that to ya?"

I clenched my jaw.

I should lie.

I should-

But I couldn't.

Not with the way Applejack was looking at me.

Not with Sunset staring like she just realized something awful.

I exhaled sharply.

And-quietly, brokenly-

I said,

"My mother."

Silence.

My throat burned.

My hands trembled.

Applejack's face changed.

Sunset's breath hitched.

I shouldn't have said that.

I shouldn't have-

Applejack's hands curled into fists.

Her shoulders tensed.

Her face went from shock to something else.

Something dark.

Something dangerous.

Her green eyes burned.

"She said that to ya?" she asked.

I didn't answer.

I didn't need to.

Because she already knew.

Sunset's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Rainbow..."

I inhaled sharply, pressing my palms against my forehead.

This was too much.

Too much.

I needed to get out of here.

I needed to-

Applejack's voice was low.

"Does she hit ya too?"

I flinched.

My heart slammed into my ribs.

I didn't answer.

That was enough.

Applejack stepped forward.

"She does, doesn't she?"

I exhaled too fast, too shaky.

I needed to run.

I needed-

Applejack reached out-not to stop me.

Just to be there.

And that was when I broke.

I sucked in a breath and turned away, my body curling in on itself.

I couldn't say it.

I couldn't admit it.

Because once I did-it would be real.

Applejack saw.

Sunset saw.

They both knew.

And suddenly-

I couldn't stop shaking.

I was not okay.

I was not okay.

I was not okay.

Applejack's voice was softer now.

"Rainbow."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I wasn't crying.

I wasn't.

But I felt something break inside me.

Like the last piece of my armor had finally shattered.

And I didn't know if I could put it back together again.

I wasn't breathing right.

I could feel it-sharp, uneven gasps, my chest rising and falling too fast, my hands trembling so hard that I had to curl them into fists just to keep them still.

I wasn't crying.

I wasn't.

But something inside me had snapped.

Applejack and Sunset weren't speaking.

They didn't have to.

I could feel them.

Watching. Waiting. Seeing everything I didn't want them to see.

And that was worse.

So much worse.

I sucked in a shaky breath, forcing myself to straighten.

"Forget it," I muttered, my voice hoarse. "I shouldn't have said anything."

Applejack's jaw tightened.

Sunset took a step forward.

"You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," I snapped.

The words came out too fast.

Too automatic.

Like they had been drilled into me.

Applejack's eyes darkened.

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.

"This is my problem," I muttered. "Not yours. Not anyone else's. Just mine."

Sunset's expression hardened.

"You're wrong."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh yeah? And what, you're gonna fix me? You and AJ gonna slap a friendship sticker on me and call it a day?"

Sunset didn't blink.

"You don't need to be fixed, Rainbow," she said simply.

I stopped.

I didn't expect that.

She meant it.

She actually meant it.

And for some reason, that made something in my chest feel even tighter.

Applejack exhaled, her voice low, steady.

"Listen to me, sugarcube," she said. "You are not alone in this. Not anymore."

I flinched.

Not because of what she said-

But because of how much I wanted to believe it.

Sunset crossed her arms.

"You think you have to do this alone," she said. "But you don't."

I clenched my fists.

I wanted to fight back.

I wanted to tell them that they didn't get it-that I had spent my entire life being alone.

That needing people just meant getting hurt.

That trusting people meant losing them.

That every single time I had let someone get close, it had ended in pain.

I wanted to say all of that.

But instead-

I whispered,

"I don't know how."

Applejack's face softened.

Sunset inhaled slowly, her eyes scanning mine.

"Then let us show you," she said.

I swallowed hard.

My body was so tired.

Every instinct told me to run.

To shove them away.

To pretend this conversation had never happened.

But for some reason-

I didn't move.

Applejack and Sunset waited.

Like they weren't going anywhere.

Like I wasn't about to scare them off.

And suddenly-

I was too exhausted to fight it anymore.

So I did something I had never done before.

I let them stay.