The Paranet was a complex arrangement of those who had some small measure of magical ability, built to help them learn to protect themselves and seek help, if needed, from Supernatural threats. Through it, victims of Supernatural threats could call for help from each other, and nearly a dozen of the heavy-hitters of the Supernatural community.
It was through the Paranet that Harry Dresden, one of the most famous, or perhaps infamous, Wizards in the world, had been contacted by a potential client.
She gave her name as Bonbon, though that was not surprising, since anyone who knew a little about Wizards knew that they could do all sorts of bad things to you if they have your real name from your own mouth. She was young. Perhaps sixteen. And her hair was an odd combination of Pink and a deep purple, complimenting her bright blue eyes. She wore a somewhat utilitarian skirt and top, which were marked with what appeared to be old flour stains.
Harry gave her a reassuring smile as she settled into one of the chairs opposite him. “Alright, Miss… Bonbon, is it?” he said, “Why don’t you tell me why you are here?”
Bonbon nodded. “O-okay…” she said nervously. “I am here… Because several months ago, my best friend, Lyra, disappeared.”
Harry frowned, slightly. “People go missing all of the time, Miss Bonbon.” He said, trying not to sound dismissive. “Typically, if they are not found within a few days, there is nothing to find. Sometimes they just don’t want to be found, and sometimes they can’t. What makes you think that your friend is still out there to be found?”
Bonbon held up a file folder. “Because after Lyra disappeared, I did everything I could to find her.” She said, “I followed leads, and talked to everyone who I believed might have seen her before she vanished. Everything pointed to her having been at School- Canterlot High School- when it happened. So I looked up information of disappearances at the school and this is what I found.”
Bonbon set the folder down on the desk and Harry opened it. Inside, there were dozens of old police reports and cold case files from the City of Canterlot. Disappearances going back over 150 years. In some of the files, the missing student was found within a day or two of their disappearances with no memory of the time they had been gone, in others the student was never found.
Individually, these reports might have been easy to sweep under the rug, but when taken as a whole, it was easy to tell that there was something suspicious going on. If those pages were correct, there could be some sort of serial Kidnapper or Serial killer loose in the City of Canterlot, preying on the high school specifically.
Harry looked up at the girl. “Have you taken this to the authorities?” he asked.
Bonbon nodded. “Yes, but they claim that they have no time to follow up on ‘events that are not necessarily related.’” She gave a frustrated sigh. “The details are too similar, though. I am sure that whatever is behind this took Lyra, too.”
The stack of reports shifted slightly on the desk, and Harry’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then he looked back at Bonbon. “So you figured it had to be something supernatural, and that led you to the Paranet?” he asked.
Bonbon nodded. “They told me that in this part of the United States, you were the one to go to about things like this.” She replied. “Can you help me?”
Harry nodded. “I will see what I can do. My standard Rates are fifty dollars per hour, plus expenses, but if you cannot afford that, I am sure we will be able to work something out.”
Bonbon nodded. “I can afford it, if I try.” She said, “I work at a Bakery in Canterlot. It is only part-time, but it’s not like I have any other bills.”
Harry nodded and ushered her to the door. “Alright, then, I’ll start looking into it as soon as I can.” He said.
Once Bonbon had departed, Harry turned back to the seemingly empty office. “Molly.” He grated. “I thought I told you not to spy on my clients.”
A sigh came seemingly from nowhere and Molly Carpenter Appeared beside Harry’s desk. “I know, I know.” She said, “But I am your apprentice, and I want to be involved in the Detective-y parts of this business, too.”
Harry sighed. “I told you, you have a lot you need to learn before you can really help me on my cases.” He said, “You don’t even have your GED yet.”
Molly looked at Harry with a bit of frustration in her eyes. “But… That takes a lot of work, and I dropped out of high school when I was sixteen.” She complained, then she gestured to the folder on the desk. “I am your apprentice, so I need to learn this stuff if I am going to be a Professional Wizard like you.”
Harry sighed. “Right.” He said, “For now, you head back home and tell your dad I said to work on your restraint while under a veil some more. You shifted that paper right in front of me, Padawan.”
Molly grumbled a bit, and departed.
After she had gone, Harry looked over the pages again. There was a pattern to all of this. He could feel it. It was not his magical senses, but those he had honed over years of being a Private Investigator. He knew there was a pattern, but he just did not have enough brains to figure it out.
Fortunately, he knew someone who did.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
“What do you think, Bob?” Harry asked, looking at the skull as he perused the stack of files.
Bob’s eyelights flickered, annoyed. “I think you are using me for a calculator again.” He said with a sigh. “You were right, though. There is a pattern. All of the abductions match the same parameters, and can be grouped situations when the abductee came back, and situations when they did not. There is also a correlation with the dates. There is a definite pattern indicating three days of activity to about thirty days of down time. All of the permanent vanishings, including this Lyra, are concentrated on the third active day.”
Harry listened carefully as Bob spoke. “Any idea what it could be?” He asked when he was done.
Bob pondered for a moment. “Well, it could be any of a number of things really. A ritualistic Serial killer is the mundane answer, or it could be a Supernatural Baddy that operates on that kind of time scale, but to me, it feels like a portal.”
Harry looked at Bob. “What makes you say that?” He asked.
Bob’s skull shifted slightly. “The ones that come back have all memory of the day missing.” He said, “According to this one, the victim vanished in the evening of the first day and reappeared on the second. He was reported as being confused as to why he woke up at school, instead of in his bed, and was unaware of the day having passed. He lost the whole day. It reeks of someone on the other side erasing memories to hide their own existence.”
Harry thought about that for a moment. “So… those that don’t come back are just missing the bus? No time to ‘Flashy thing’ them before the portal closes?” he asked, using an MIB reference.
Bob’s eyelights flickered. “That’s my take on it.” He said. “And if it is a portal, then it is someplace in that school.”
Harry looked at the stack of reports. “So all those kids could be in danger of falling through the Portal into the Nevernever somewhere in their school?” he asked.
Bob gave a marginal approximation of a shrug. “Maybe.” He said, “But it is not like the Portal is anywhere where Students might regularly walk through it. If it were, we would have heard about it by now.”
Harry thought about it for several minutes and then looked at Bob. “So it is a high likelihood that there is a portal somewhere on the campus on that is well-hidden enough that most students won’t fall through it, but still there so that some students might?” he clarified.
Bob’s Skull nodded slightly. “Though, I would go more like a moderate likelihood.” He said, “There are enough other possible things it could be that this being the most likely does not mean it is very high in likelihood…”
Harry shrugged. “Never mind that.” He said, “It still probably means kids in danger. When is the next time that conditions will be right for the portal to open?”
Bob thought for a moment. “Later this week.” He said. “Wednesday will be day 1.”
Harry glanced at the calendar on the wall. “Tomorrow is Monday, so we have about five days to infiltrate the school, find the portal, go through, threaten or bargain with whoever is on the other side into releasing Lyra, and then find a way to close the portal permanently, so it can’t threaten anyone again.” He summarized.
Bob’s eye lights gazed at Harry intently. “Sounds like a plan.” He said, “Though, if I might ask, how do you intend to infiltrate the school, Harry? You aren’t exactly Faculty material, and no way are you passing for a student.”
Harry smiled at Bob. “I know just the Padawan for the job.”
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
“You want me to what?” Molly grated.
Harry smiled at his apprentice. “I just want you to find the portal, Padawan.” He said, “Preferably without drawing attention to yourself. That is why you are going as a student.”
Molly stamped her foot. “I can’t go back into that drama-filled gulag they call a school system!” she said, “I will go crazy! I will flip out inside of a week!”
Harry chuckled slightly. “Then it is in your best interest to find the portal as soon as possible.” He replied.
Molly glared at him. “Why are you doing this to me?” she asked.
Harry looked her in the eyes. “You wanted to be involved in the ‘detective-y’ side of things.” He said simply, “And High-Schoolers or not, those kids are in danger. I would do it if I could, but the fact is, I am far too old to pose as a student and I won’t be able to get on as faculty soon enough.”
Molly thought on that for a few moments. Then she looked at the picture Bonbon had given Harry of Bonbon and Lyra together and thought about her own friends from school. She hung her head in defeat. “Alright.” She said, “I’ll do it.”
Author's Note
For those of you that are curious, the thirty days = thirty moons thing is mostly drawn from the fact that there is no way Sunset Shimmer (barring a contrived mcguffin off screen) could have known that Twilight had found the Elements, let alone become a Princess, let alone would be conveniently close to the portal at exactly the right time to make her plan work, unless the time frame was much shorter than the generally accepted 1 moon = about 28 days (which is based on our moon, not Equestria's).
Alone in a Sea of High School Drama
Canterlot High School was, to say the least, an imposing building. It held two floors of Tall windows evenly spaced in its Red brick façade. Its roof boasted a glass Dome skylight, topped with a small tower adorned with a clock. Its main entrance looked out upon a courtyard, flanked by two of the school’s wings, with a statue of a rearing Horse at its Center. Above the door was a stained glass window, also depicting a Horse. Probably the School’s mascot, that.
The small amount of research Molly had managed to do had claimed the team name to be the “Wondercolts”, which she supposed explained all of the horse-based theming. What it did not explain was the students’ hair. Now, don’t misunderstand. Molly’s own hair was platinum blonde with pink and green tips this week. But as she sat in the passenger seat of Harry’s old Volkswagen, the “Blue Beetle” She observed a number of the school’s students walking passed with hair in shades of green, pink, blue, and a half dozen other colors.
And that was to say nothing of the general fashion sense. Molly guessed that is was just local flavor, but all of the girls were wearing skirts that stopped about mid-thigh with shoes that came up to their knees. And all of it in a Riot of colors that would not look out of place on one of her little sisters’ Dolls.
She looked at Harry with an angry frown. “You know I am going to make you pay for this, right Harry?” she said acidly.
Harry just grinned at her. “Sure you will.” He replied, “Now get going before you are late for class. Remember, you have to fit in while you look for information about the Portal, so try to mingle and make some friends.”
Molly gave Harry a baleful glare. “I am not here to make friends.” She said flatly, “I am here to make sure some stupid kid doesn’t fall through a portal into Hell. The world does not depend on my making friends.”
Molly stopped the moment the words left her mouth. “Crap.” She said, “I just challenged the Universe, didn’t I?”
Harry’s grin widened. “Yep.” He said. “But I wouldn’t beat yourself up over it. It happens to all of us from time to time. Now get moving.”
Molly shouldered her backpack, opened the door, and slipped out.
As she moved off, the Blue Beetle sputtered to life and tottered away, shuddering as it went, as if it was about to give out at any moment. Molly frowned after it briefly, realizing that she had failed to ask her master what he would be doing while she navigated the treacherous waters that were high school social circles in search of rumors of magic.
“Look out!”
Molly turned just in time to get barreled into by a rainbow-colored blur, sending her tumbling backward into a very inconvenient puddle, product of an old Janitor that was not really paying attention to the hose he was watering with. She felt the mud coating her clothes, and she stared indignantly up at the girl who was now straddling her in the mud. Under her own layer of mud, the girl sported no less than four colors in her hair, as well as astonishingly crimson eyes.
The girl got up and brushed some of the mud off herself, grinning sheepishly. “Um… Excuse me?” she said in an awkwardly questioning tone.
Molly grunted and started to get up while taking in the overall look of the girl in front of her. She was clearly a Tomboy, dressed in a simple layered look, and supplementing the skirt that seemed omnipresent on the girls of this school with a pair of shorts that ended just short of her knees to avoid embarrassment while doing active, sporty things. Like Rollerblading into total strangers on the sidewalk.
Molly fussed a little over her own outfit. She had been wearing an old Heavy Metal T-shirt, torn in a tasteful manner, over a frilled black skirt, calf length socks and her ratty old Birkenstocks. Now, though, mud coated much of her clothing, and it was likely that she would be wearing it for the rest of the day.
Then the Rainbow-haired girl picked up the Janitor’s hose. “Here, let me help you.” She said, and Molly was quickly drenched in cold water.
On the bright side, the spray from the hose did manage to remove the bulk of the mud from her person. On the other hand, she was now Soaked and feeling like a drowned rat. She gave the rainbow-haired girl a baleful glare.
The girl had the good grace to blush. “Oh… Oops…” she said, “I guess I over did it… I know!”
Before Molly could say or do anything to stop her, the girl caught her by the arm, and in a feat of not-unimpressive strength, pulled her off the ground and began to spin in place on her rollerblades, whirling Molly along with her and impressive speed. After several long moments of spinning, the girl slowed and let Molly back on the ground, which did not stop spinning several seconds.
“One Spin Dry, courtesy of Rainbow Dash!” The girl announced. Then she gave Molly a once- over, and fell over laughing.
Molly bent over and gripped her knees, waiting for the shifting ground to stop moving. She was surprisingly dry as she managed to suppress the dizziness, but her clothing was now in total disarray, and her hair was a tangled mess. She was about to rail into this “Rainbow Dash” when the sound of the first bell rang.
Molly bit back a swear word, (Curses meaning something entirely different to a wizard) since she had meant to be meeting with the Principal early enough to get placed in her first hour class. Now it looked like she was never going to get there before the second bell, and she would look like a mess when she did.
She looked at the source of her woes, and wished she had more time. “I’m Molly Carpenter.” She said, “I’m new here. I am running late now, and need to talk to the Principal before first hour, and I am sure you have class to get to, so I won’t hold you up.”
Rainbow smiled at Molly. “Oh, I’m Rainbow Dash.” She said, “I am the captain of nearly every sports team there is. I was going to head to class as soon as I finished practicing.”
Molly sighed and decided to indulge the girl. “Practicing for what?” she asked.
Rainbow smiled. “For the Wonderblades.” She declared. “They are coming to town in a couple of weeks, and I am going to show ‘em my stuff.”
Molly thought she had heard of the Wonderblades once or twice, they were a regional extreme rollerblading team. They were known for speed and midair maneuvers that should not have been possible in anything resembling the traditional laws of physics as Molly knew them. Roller blading not being a mainstream sport in Chicago, it really wasn’t something she knew a lot about.
Still, maybe she could use it to get rid of this girl. “Oh, please.” She drawled, “I doubt they would accept someone who can’t even get to class on time in High School.”
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I can get to my homeroom in ten seconds flat.” She said.
Molly smiled. Hook, Line, and… “Prove it.”
What she did not expect was the iron grip the girl suddenly had on her arm.
“Fine!” said Rainbow, spinning and charging off, dragging Molly behind her. The rainbow haired girl was briefly the most solid thing in the world as Molly lost her footing and was pulled into the school behind the Girl, catching a glimpse of a trophy case and several hallways of lockers. They finally stopped outside a Classroom on the first floor.
Molly collapsed heavily against a nearby drinking fountain, her heart thundering in her chest, eyes wide and gaping at the girl who had do have crossed over one hundred yards in moments.
Rainbow Dash smiled proudly. “What did I tell ya?” she boasted. “Ten. Seconds. Flat.”
Molly just gaped.
Rainbow laughed. “You’re a riot, Molly.” She said, “We should hang out sometime. See ya.”
With that, the Rainbow haired girl disappeared into the classroom.
Molly stared after her for a long moment. “Okay…” she said softly, “That… wasn’t crazy at all…” She gathered her wits again, she looked around to get her bearings. She was pleasantly surprised to find herself directly across the hall from the Principal’s office.
“Oh, thank God.” She said, crossing the hall and opening the door.
Inside, she found herself in an understated office. The School’s secretary, a woman with an understated dress with a frill at the neck, wide yellow glasses perched on the end of her nose, and skin whose youth belied the authenticity of her grey hair, sat behind a stoically arranged desk. She looked up as Molly entered, “Yes?” she asked, “Do you have business with the Principal?”
Molly stepped up to the desk, feeling a nervous flutter in her stomach under the woman’s gaze. “I have an appointment with Principal Celestia.” She said, “I am a new student. Molly Carpenter.”
The woman took in Molly’s ruined clothing and mussed hair in a glance and made a disapproving sound, before turning to the intercom. “Principal Celestia, there is a new student here to see you.” She said, simply.
A moment later, a melodious voice issued from the intercom. “Of course. Send her in.”
Molly walked through the door and was met by one of the most strikingly contrasting women that she had ever seen.
Principal Celestia was a tall woman with a very professional demeanor. She wore a light yellow blazer over a violet blouse and trousers. Her eyes were violet, and were at once warm and calculating. Her entire being declared her to be a strict taskmaster and consummate professional. But the cascading waves of her hare stood out in waves of pink, purple and blue, and there was a slight quirk in the side of her mouth that suggested a sense of humor.
As she took in Molly’s appearance, one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose slightly. “Miss… Carpenter, was it?” She confirmed, “I certainly hope you have not been causing any trouble on your first day.”
If the secretary’s gaze had made Molly’s stomach flutter, Celestia’s made her heart drop into her heels. Molly had met Sidhe nobility that did not have this level of effect on her. She all at once felt like she was back in kindergarten again, small and humble in the face of a much more assured adult. “N-no, Principal Celestia.” She said, much more meekly than she had expected of herself, “I just got bumped into a puddle by a girl on skates… Rainbow something-or-other… she… was kind enough to help me clean up and help me get here… ma’am.”
Celestia pinched the bridge of her nose as if trying to ward off a headache. “Rainbow Dash… again…” she sighed, and then made a note on the pad on her desk. “Alright, Miss, Carpenter… I have had a look through your file, and I must say, I am somewhat concerned with your history of… Delinquency. I am sure I do not have to tell you that I will not tolerate any drug use, vandalism, or… Public Nudity?” She sighed again.
Molly blushed. “It was a phase.” She said, “I got some mentoring from a friend of my Father’s who had a troubled youth as well, and I am all on the up and up now. I promise.”
Celestia steepled her fingers. “Frankly, Miss Carpenter, I would not have agreed to allow you in the school if not for these letters of recommendation.” She ran her hand over the file. “I was rather surprised to find that this was the Bishop’s personal number.”
Molly smiled slightly. “My father is fairly well connected in the Church.” she said.
Celestia smiled. “Apparently.” She said. “I have taken the liberty of arranging for you to have a tour guide to help you through your first day here, and hopefully keep you out of any more trouble with the more… energetic… members of the student body.” She pressed the button on her desk. “Miss Mare, could you send Rarity in?”
“Right away, Principal Celestia.” Came the response.
The door opened to admit a young woman with violet hair and shining blue eyes. “You wanted to see me, Principal Celestia?” she asked.
Principal Celestia nodded. “Yes.” She replied. “Rarity, this is Molly. She is a new student, and I would like you to keep an eye on her for me so she does not get herself into any more trouble.”
Rarity smiled and turned to Molly. “Oh, of course. Please to-WHAH!?” she said, suddenly flinching back when she got a good look at the girl. “Oh my, Darling! Whatever happened to your ensamb’le?”
Molly blinked. “My outfit?” she asked, “It’s a long story. I just want to get to class, and-“
“Looking like that?” Rarity interrupted her, “Oh, no, no, no, no, NO! We can’t have that! Come on Darling, there is plenty of time to get you cleaned up before class.”
Molly suddenly realized that she was being bustled out of the room. “Wha- Hold on… Wait…” she stammered, trying to convince the girl to slow down.
As the door began to swing shut behind them, Celestia shot Molly a quick and mischievous grin. “Good Luck!” she called.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Harry sat at one of the tables in a quaint little old-style malt shop not far from Canterlot High School. He sipped slowly at his soda as the woman he had arranged to meet walked in the door.
She was tall, with smokey blue eyes and two-toned hair in dark blue and purple. She was dressed in a lavender top and dark violet pants. At her neck was a moon shaped broach. She looked him over very carefully. “Harry Dresden?” She asked.
Harry nodded and stood up, pulling her seat out for her. “Yes, and you must be Luna.” He replied. “I trust this meeting was not such an inconvenience?”
She rolled her eyes at him, and then sat. “I am the Vice Principal, but they still don’t need me there this morning.” She said, “I was just a little bit too curious to find out what a Private Investigator would want with me.”
Harry took his seat opposite her and nodded to himself. “I was hired to look into the disappearance of one of your students several months ago.” He said, sliding Lyra’s picture across the table. “I was looking into it and I found information about a number of previous disappearances associated with your school over the course of the last hundred and fifty years.” He tapped the file he had on the table.
Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Dresden, if you are trying to make an assertion about the safety of our students…” She cut off as Harry slid a list of the names in front of her, with a single name highlighted: Her own.
Harry watched Luna’s expression darken. “This list is every individual that disappeared from the school in a manner that coincides with the pattern that I found.” He said, “You are the only one on that list that stayed in Canterlot after your particular incident. What happened back then?”
Luna’s face darkened further. “I don’t want to talk about that incident, Mr. Dresden.” She said, standing. “This meeting is over.”
With that, she stormed off, leaving a thoughtful Harry in her wake.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
“I must say, Darling, Your natural hair color is much lovelier than you give it credit for.”
Molly could hardly believe her eyes. It had been years since her hair had been the shade of blonde that matched to her mother’s. She had steadily kept it dyed any number of colors, usually more than one at once, for at least five years, and it had been platinum blonde a year before that.
Somehow, though, the hair, as well as the outfit Rarity had picked out for her- A deep purple skirt with leggings woven with star patterns, topped by a light pink blouse covered by a grey jacket with light grey trim- somehow suited her more perfectly than anything she had worn in a very long time.
Molly looked at Rarity for a moment. “How did you know what my natural color was?” she asked, “Even I wasn’t really sure what my natural Hair color.”
Rarity just smiled. “When you live in a place with as many… unusual natural hair colors as Canterlot, you develop an eye for that sort of thing.” She said, when she reached for Molly’s hand. “Come now, we must hurry to our first class. Principal Celestia matched your schedule to mine, and-“
She cut of suddenly as their hands touched.
Molly felt just the slightest tingle as her aura touched Rarity’s, though Rarity visibly shivered.
“Oh my… Darling…”Rarity said softly, “You’re a practitioner?”
Molly nodded. “Yeah.” She said, “You?”
Rarity nodded as well. “Yes, though I can barely use enough magic to light a candle when it does not involve fashion.” She said quietly. “We… Should talk about it more after our first hour.”
Molly nodded, and the two girls rushed out to their first class.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
During the class, with the teacher’s back turned, Rarity produced a cellular phone. She sent two texts before the device sparked, popped, and died in her hand, producing small puff of acrid smoke. She looked at Molly with a pout.
Molly silently mouthed her apology and Rarity shrugged, indicating that it did not really matter.
Once the class ended, Molly approached Rarity. “Sorry about your phone.” She said, “I reached a point where I stopped carrying the things at all.”
Rarity nodded. “I understand, my dear.” She said, “Usually go through one a year, just on my own. And we have learned from experience to keep our phones off when our Circle meets.”
Molly smiled. “You have a Circle?” she asked.
Rarity nodded. “Yes, a few of us with talent banded together for little things like making wards and things.” Rarity said, “It has not been so easy since Lyra vanished, though. She was the strongest of us. Nearly as strong as you.”
Molly blinked. “Did you say Lyra?” she asked.
Suddenly there was a commotion from down the hall. “Watch where you’re going, Loser!” someone shouted.
Molly and Rarity were drawn by force of the crowd of students, toward the scene as it unfolded. Surrounded by a ring of students, a Girl with red hair streaked with yellow stood over a Girl with two shades of blue in her hair. “I- I’m sorry Sunset Shimmer!” The downed girl was saying, as she tried to use her arms to protect her head from the possibility of the other girl choosing to strike her. “I was just in a hurry and you walked right around the corner and…”
Sunset Shimmer caught the girl by her shirt and pulled her up to eye level. “Listen up, you toothpaste haired little freak.” She said, “I don’t care if the school is on fire, if you ever bump into me again, you will live to regret it. Do you understand?”
The girl nodded hastily, and Sunset Shimmer tossed her back down. The Bully looked around menacingly and straightened her leather jacket, and then turned to the pair of boys that were clearly flunkies. “I don’t have time for any more distractions.” She said sourly, “Snips! Snails! Come on. We have things to do.”
She turned and stalked off, leaving the other girl to begin gathering her dropped things.
Rarity waited until Sunset Shimmer was out of sight. “Minuette!” she called, rushing to the downed girl’s side. “Darling! Are you alright?”
The girl paused in her gathering to look up and give Rarity a smile. “Oh, hey, Rarity.” She said, “I was just coming to see you. Is that the girl you texted me about?”
Rarity nodded. “Molly, this is Minuette.” She said, “She is a member of our circle.”
Minuette smiled and thrust her hand toward Molly. “Most people call me Colgate, because my hair looks kind of like toothpaste.” She said.
Molly smiled and took the girl’s hand, feeling again the slight tingle of her aura.
Minuette’s eyes widened and she looked at Rarity. “You were right, she is strong.” She said.
Rarity nodded. “Yes, she blew out my phone from ten feet away, just after I sent you that text.” She replied. “I will have to tell the others in person later.”
Molly knelt to help the girl pick up her books. She smiled at Rarity as she did the same. “You mentioned someone…” she said carefully, “Lyra?”
Rarity smiled sadly. “Oh, yes.” She said, “Lyra was the strongest of our circle, up until she disappeared, just before the Spring Fling.” There was a tiny hitch in Rarity’s voice. “She was always certain that there was greater magic out there. She was always going on about old Legends and the White Council.” She paused, “Have you heard of them, Darling?”
Molly suppressed a chuckle. “The White Council of Wizardry?” she asked, “Yeah, you could say I have.”
Rarity blinked questioningly at her for a moment. “Well, we got a visit from one of their Wardens last year, because someone was experimenting with Time Magic.” She shot a playfully accusing glance at Minuette.
Minuette blushed. “It was just slowing time down a little bit.” She said, “But Mr. Ramirez was really nice and warned us not to try actual time travel. Paradoxes being a concern.”
Molly looked at Minuette. “Ramirez, huh?” she asked.
Rarity suddenly pulled the others to their feet. “We need to get to class, girls.” She said, “We can talk about it more at Lunch.”
Minuette and Molly both nodded in agreement. Rarity lead Molly to their next class, home Economics, while Minuette ran off in the other direction.
As Molly walked into the classroom, however, she was immediately confronted by a pair of startlingly blue eyes less than an inch from her face.
“Hi!” the girl who belonged to those eyes said, “You must be new, because I know everyone in Canterlot High, and I don’t know you yet! I’m Pinkie Pie. What’s your name? Do you like cake? I made a cake! I mean, I know class had just started, and we weren’t supposed to be making cakes today, but I made a cake anyway, and since you are new here I decided that it is just for you! Oh, hey Rarity.”
Rarity scowled at the girl. “Pinkie Pie!” she said, “Remember what I told you about personal space!”
Pinkie wilted slightly. “I was just saying hi, because she is new, and if she’s new she can’t have many friends, and that is like so sad.” She said. “I wanted to introduce myself to her so she would have one more friend.”
Rarity assumed a haughty look. “Well, I am glad to find that you care about ONE of your friends.” She said in an accusing tone before she turned and stalked off to the other side of the room.
Pinkie Pie’s face fell. She reminded Molly of a kicked puppy.
Molly sighed and offered the girl a smile. “I’m Molly Carpenter.” She said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Pinkie Pie immediately brightened. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you, too, Molly!” she said, “Would you like some cake? I can wrap it up for you to eat at Lunch if you want.”
Molly could not help but grin. “That would be nice.” She said, “Thank you.”
Pinkie Pie clapped her hands and hurried over to the other side of the room as the students all began to settle down, and class began.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Harry wandered around the town of Canterlot for a few hours having played out his only lead. He was just about to head back to the hotel when he spotted Vice Principal Luna sitting on a park bench alone with her head hanging. She appeared to be crying.
Never having been one to let a crying girl alone, Harry walked over, took a deep breath, and sat at her side. “I want to apologize for earlier.” He said, “I get that that incident wasn’t something you like to talk about, but I honestly believe that there are kids that are going to be in danger if we don’t figure this out.”
Luna sighed and looked at him, tears still streaking her face. “I know… It’s just… I was in such a dark place then.” She said, “And vanishing for a day, and losing my memory did not help.” She hung her head. “Mister Dresden, Do you know how it feels to be so messed up that you hurt those you care about most?”
Harry nodded. He thought of Suzan Rodriguez. He thought of Elaine Mallory. One doomed because he could not leave the Vampires alone, the other spent years under the thumb of the Summer Fairy Court because of him and his former master. “I know that feeling all too well.” He said.
Luna looked at him for a long moment, and then nodded. “After… the incident,” she said, “The nightmares started.” She stared into the middle distance as she thought. “Always the same. A winged being shining brighter than the Sun, speaking with my sister’s voice, telling me to leave, and never return.”
“Night in, Night out. But I could not leave. My sister, Celestia, was still in college at the time, studying to finish her teaching degree. She told me the dreams were only dreams, but the creature in the dream spoke with her voice, and such undisguised pain, I suppose it is no surprise that it started to color how I looked at her. I became bitter and angry at her always being the head of the family, being both the mother and the big sister. And now it seemed like she was telling me to stay and to go at the same time, both with the authority she should never have had over me.”
Luna trembled slightly as she took a sobbing breath. “It… It drove me mad. So much so…” she said, her breath catching in her throat. “I tried to kill her.”
Harry put a comforting hand on Luna’s shoulder. She wilted against him, sobbing. He gently stroked the back of her head as she clung to him for support. After a little while, she seemed to gather herself again.
Luna sighed. “Celestia had seen the downward slide of my mind.” She said, softly. “Instead of sending me to jail, she suggested that I should be committed to the Solace Moon Mental Institution. Over the course of ten years, I worked my way back into sanity again with the help of my sister and the doctors at the institution. Celestia… She never stopped believing in me.”
Harry smiled at her. “I see.” He said, “That fits with my theory.”
Luna looked at him. “Theory?” she asked.
Harry nodded. “Suppressed memories.” He said, “I think there is something in that school and that someone is going to major lengths to hide it.”
Luna’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me that something is hiding under our noses and messed with my memory all those years ago?” she asked, “And that that was the reason behind my nightmares?”
Harry regarded her levelly. “It is just a theory.” He said. “We would need evidence.”
Luna nodded. “That makes sense.” She said, “I will talk to my sister. Can we meet with you at the school tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.” Harry replied. “In any case, I don’t think anything is going to happen until Wednesday. There is the pattern to consider.”
Luna nodded. “Then we will meet again tomorrow.” She said, “Celestia is probably having a fit over my not being there yet. And… Thank you. It has been a long time since I have been able to talk to anyone like that.”
Harry smiled. “Sometimes a willing ear is the best way to cure an old hurt.” He said sagely.
Luna smiled at him and then turned and strode off, a sway in her hips that would draw they eyes of every man inside a city block.
Harry watched her walk away for a long moment, and then smacked himself in the head. “Down, Harry.” He told himself, “You have a girlfriend to think about. Don’t risk what you have for what might never happen.”
Harry gave Luna one more glance as she turned out of sight before deciding to head back to his hotel room for a cold shower.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
The lunch room was packed with students, but there might as well have been walls dividing them into smaller groups.
As Molly walked in at Rarity’s side, it seemed to her almost as if the groups were determined to ignore each other, where they did not look like a fight was about to break out. The tension could have been cut with a knife.
Molly glanced at her guide. “What’s with all the tension in here, Rarity?” she asked. “Everyone is looking at everyone else like strange cats.”
Rarity gave a sigh. “I know.” She said, “It wasn’t always like this. Canterlot High used to have such a high level of solidarity and friendship among their students. And then, after my freshmen year, something happened. All at once, the solidarity was gone, replaced by contempt and division. It even tore apart my group of best friends.”
Rarity looked at the cake in Molly’s hand.
Molly thought for a long moment. “I take it Pinkie Pie was one of them?” she said with a flash of insight.
Rarity sighed wistfully as she picked up a lunch tray and handed one to Molly. “Yes. Pinkie and I had a falling out after the fourth time she chose to disregard my offers to help her with arrangements for school functions, only to do it all on her own.” She said, “It is really too bad, too. The divisions opened the way for… Her.”
Molly followed Rarity’s gaze to where Sunset Shimmer and the pair of goons she kept with her walked up to a table full of students, and immediately emptied it. “What is that girl’s deal?” She asked.
Rarity sighed as they picked up their food. “Sunset Shimmer first arrived at this school about two years ago.” She said, “She strides through our school like some kind of giant, using the divisions between the cliques to gain popularity by driving the divisions even deeper.”
Molly looked at the girl. She could not be sure, but something felt… off… about her.
The two of them approached one of the tables, which was already occupied by a young teen with purple and pink hair. “Hey, Rarity!” she said brightly. “I got a text from you earlier, but it was all garbled. What’s up?”
Rarity smiled at her. “Oh, Molly, this is my little sister, Sweetie Belle.” She said, “Sweetie, this is Molly. She is a very powerful practitioner. I was just sending my text to you when her magic blew my phone out on Accident.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened. “Seriously?” she said, “I wish I had that kind of ability. I can’t even muster enough magic to levitate a piece of paper…”
Molly smiled. “It’s really overrated.” She said, “I can’t carry a cell phone anymore, and my Dad has to fix the water heater every time I take a shower. Oh, and any car I get into from the last decade or so breaks down inside forty miles.”
Rarity gave a low whistle and then spotted Minuette walking in with two other girls, one with light blue hair dressed in blue and wearing a star-shaped pin in her hair, and the other with two shades of blue in her spikey hair, wearing a pair of headphones and a pair of shades with purple lenses.
Rarity turned to her sister. “Sweetie Belle, darling,” she said, “Would you be a dear and go warn Vinyl about Molly’s magic? You know how she gets when something happens to that player of hers.”
Sweetie Belle nodded and got up and trotted over to the girls walking in.
Molly glanced at Rarity. “So, that girl you told me about earlier… Lyra?” she asked carefully, “Do you have any idea what happened to her?”
Rarity shrugged. “I just thought the lucky dear had been scooped up by the White Council.” She said, “Can you imagine it, Molly? Being whisked away by some globetrotting Wizard to learn how to use magic and protect the world from evil?”
Molly smiled knowingly.
Sweetie Belle returned with Minuette and the others in tow, the spikey haired one, apparently the “Vinyl” Rarity had mentioned, was no longer wearing her headphones, and looked slightly put off by it.
Before anyone else could speak, though, a cry raised from the other side of the Room, drawing everyone’s attention.
“You little brat!” Sunset Shimmer was shouting at a young, red-haired girl, as she stood, the contents of the girl’s lunch tray all over her lap. “Do you have any idea how much this skirt cost?”
Behind Molly, Sweetie Belle gasped. “Oh, no… Applebloom’s in trouble!” she said in a hushed voice.
The kid stumbled back just out of reach as Sunset made a grab for her, and Sunset loomed over her menacingly. “I am going to make you pay for this, you little hayseed.” Sunset spat, reaching for the girl.
Then there was a blonde. She wore a cowgirl had, and she caught the girl’s arm as she extended it. “How about you leave my little sister alone, Sunset Shimmer.” She said with a country accent, “I’ll cover the clothes she messed up, if that’s what it takes.”
Sunset Shimmer glared at the girl. “Well, if it isn’t the bigger hayseed here to defend her worthless little sister. I guess the rotten apples don’t fall that far apart. I was going to take it out of her hide, but I guess you will do as a demonstration instead.”
Molly was at the girl’s side before she realized what she was doing. Something about a big sister standing up for her little sister reminded her of home. “Hey, how about you back off?” she said, standing off with Sunset Shimmer in front of the entire crowd to stunned onlookers.
Sunset Shimmer seemed taken aback by the fact that she was being stood up to, but she ultimately laughed. “You must be new here.” She said with a sneer. “I pretty much run this school, and I never. Back. Off.” With the last words she flicked Molly’s nose.
The instant their skin made contact, Molly’s world exploded. It was like her aura had been struck like a bell. The intensity grew until after a split second that felt like an eternity, Molly’s consciousness shattered, and fell away, leaving her in the deep, dark abyss of unconsciousness.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Harry stopped in his tracks, his Wizard senses screaming. He felt a wave of magical energy spread over him. That could not be good. It felt like it was centered on the high school. He swore, and hoped that Molly was alright. Ultimately, though, he realized that having him come charging in would probably only cause more trouble and would certainly blow Molly’s cover if it was not already blown.
Instead, he would just have to wait and count on Molly to be able to get herself out of whatever situation she had gotten herself into. She had a good head on her shoulders. Both he, and her parents had taught her how to handle situations that got out of her control, both supernatural and otherwise.
He just had to believe she could handle herself.
Harry sighed. Easier said than done.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Molly came to in the School’s small nurse’s office. From the clock on the wall, she guessed that she had been unconscious for a few hours.
The nurse, a pink-haired young woman with a name tag reading “Redheart” stood up and walked over to her. “Oh, you are awake, dear.” She said, “You gave us all a bit of a scare, passing out like that.”
Molly tried to sit up, but found that she barely had the strength to raise her head. “What… happened?” she said, though it only came out as a kind of croaking whisper.
Nurse Redheart came over to the bed and put a hand on her forehead. “I was hoping you could tell me.” She said, “Around lunch time, all of the lights suddenly blew out, and my computer shorted out something fierce. Then a bunch of Students brought you and Sunset Shimmer in. She woke up a short time later with no idea what had happened. She wasn’t hurt, so I sent her back to class.”
Molly groaned. “Feels like I got hit by a truck.” She said, raising a hand to her head.
Nurse Redheart made some notes on a pad. “You can rest here as long as you need, dear.” She said, “I would imagine that your friends will be along to check on you as soon as class is over.”
Molly blinked. “My friends?” she asked.
The nurse smiled. “Rarity and Applejack seemed especially concerned about you,” She said, “and several others helped them bring you in, so any of them may come to check on you. Principal Celestia may also be in to talk to you about the incident, as well.”
Molly winced. Explaining what had happened at lunch to the Principal would be difficult, even if she herself had a clue what it was, and wasn’t also trying to maintain her cover. As it was, all she could really do was fain total ignorance, and hope she did not get in too much trouble.
She let herself relax and slept for the next half an hour or so, when the bell rang. A few minutes later, an argument arose out in the hall. It started low, but it soon grew rather heated. Molly drew tried that Listening trick Harry did. Most people really don’t know how to truly listen. They let every little sound distract them, other sensations overwhelmed the sounds they were looking for and made it hard to truly listen. Something about wizard training allowed for a significantly higher level of focus, though, so a wizard that knew how to try could learn to Listen far more effectively than any normal human.
Thanks to Harry, Molly had learned.
“…don’t know what your problem is, Applejack.” That was the voice of the girl Molly had met that morning, Rainbow Dash. “Molly and I met this morning. We hit it off. She is my friend, so I have every right to be worried about her.”
“Listen, I know you two have your issues,” that was Rarity, “But could they perhaps wait until after we have checked on Molly? I mean, the poor girl fainted after confronting Sunset Shimmer. I think we can all agree to put aside our petty squabbles so as not to make things harder on her.”
“Well, I suppose Rarity is right, Y’all.” Molly thought that was probably Applejack, the girl protecting her sister at Lunch. “We need to think about our friend, even if we aren’t friends with each other anymore.”
There was a sound of assent, and then came the voice of Rarity’s sister. “Okay, now that you guys have had your moment, can we go in already? I can’t wait to find out what she did to Sunset Shimmer!”
Rarity gasped. “Sweetie Belle!” she said, “Such a thing to say. Just because both of them fainted at the same time does not mean Molly did anything. Well, not on purpose anyway.”
Molly pushed herself into a seated position, wincing as the door opened, and the girls began to file in. She waved weakly as they entered and were greeted by the nurse.
“Hello girls.” Nurse Redheart said, “Molly has been awake, but resting for a while now. She should be ready to get up soon, but don’t rush her. We still aren’t sure what happened to her.”
The girls nodded. In agreement, and then turned their attention on Molly. Their group included the speakers from the hallway, as well as Pinkie Pie, Minuette, the redheaded girl from lunch, and the two girls Rarity had been trying to introduce.
Applejack was the first to step forward. “Hi. My name’s Applejack.” She said, “I just wanted to thank you for what you did at lunch, sticking up for me and my sister like that. It was pretty gutsy to stand up to Sunset Shimmer the way you did, and I appreciate it.”
Molly smiled at the girl. “How could I not?” she said, “My little sisters may not go to this school, but I still know what it is like to be the big sister who sticks up for the younger ones.”
Applejack smiled. “Anytime you need anything, you just give us a holler.” She said, “The Apple Family always looks out for our friends.”
Rainbow Dash snorted.
Applejack rounded on the girl. “You got somethin’ to say?” she snapped.
Rainbow Dash squared off with Applejack for a tense moment, but it was cut off by the sound of a throat being cleared.
Principal Celestia stepped into the room and looked at the two girls frozen looking like they were just about to start throwing punches. “I am sure I don’t need to remind you two that this is the nurse’s office, and not a boxing ring, do I?” she said, then proceeded to step around them, fixing Molly with a level glare. “I thought I told you to stay out of trouble, Miss Carpenter.” She said, “First day here, and you are already making a name for yourself as a disruptive influence. I should expel you based on this event and your past history.”
This brought a sudden cacophony of voices from the girls in the room. Each of them arguing against Molly being expelled.
Applejack leapt to the front. “Now, hold on Principal Celestia, Molly wasn’t to blame for what happened to day.” She said, “Sunset Shimmer was threatening my sister and me, and Molly came to our support.”
Rainbow Dash also stepped up. “Yeah, and nothing she has done could possibly be as bad as that time I collapsed the gymnasium.”
Pinkie Pie joined them, “Or that time I accidentally filled the entire home eck room with buttercream.”
Rarity smiled. “I was with Molly all day, and with the exception of the incident with Sunset Shimmer, she did nothing but make friends.”
The others of Rarity’s circle nodded in agreement. “She even helped me with my books when I bumped into Sunset Shimmer in the hall earlier.” Minuette put in helpfully.
Celestia looked around at the girls and then looked back at Molly. “It would seem that you have done a good deal of good today, Miss Carpenter.” She said, “I haven’t heard these four agree on anything since their freshmen year. Perhaps you are just what this school needs, after all.”
Molly looked around the room and blushed at the attention. “I just did what any new student should.” She said, “Make friends and avoid trouble if it is avoidable.”
Celestia nodded. “Indeed.” She said, “Well, you should all be getting home. Miss Carpenter, I advise avoiding contact with Sunset Shimmer in the future. She isn’t a student to be taken lightly.”
Molly nodded, and Principal Celestia turned and walked out. Molly sat up slowly, her energy still spent, and looked over her friends, who were now standing in awkward silence. She could tell that the hurts that had divided them were still there, but it seemed that standing up for her had reminded them of the friendship they had had at one point.
Molly began to get to her feet, but faltered, drawing Applejack and Rainbow Dash to her side immediately, amid protests of “Don’t strain yourself” and “Are you sure you can get up yet?” and other similar lamentations. Molly leaned pretty heavily on Applejack and Rainbow, but otherwise, she shrugged off the protests, and glanced at the trio of girls in the room to whom she had not been properly introduced.
“I don’t think all of the proper introductions have been made yet.” She said, “Hi. I’m Molly Carpenter.”
The girl in the shades nodded. “Name’s Vinyl Scratch,” she said, “but you might have heard of me under the name of DJ PON-3. And this is-“
“THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” interrupted the other girl, producing a card with a flourish that just barely failed to hide the fact that she had pulled it from her pocket. The card declared her to be a stage magician. Apparently she thought a lot of herself.
Applejack waved a hand, indicating her sister. “And this here’s Applebloom, my sister.” She said.
Molly smiled around. “Alright.” She said, glancing at the clock, “My ride should be getting here soon. I don’t want to keep you girls from anything you need to be getting to.”
This prompted the rest of the girls to look at the clock. Not surprisingly, all but Applejack and Pinkie Pie had some sort of extracurricular activities to get to, and quickly made their farewells. Rarity stepped up and straightened Molly’s top just a little, slipping a small piece of paper into her pocket as she did so. Then she, too, said goodbye and departed.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie helped Molly out to the bench in front of the school, and then sat with her until the Blue Beetle rolled up, passing the time with idle chit chat.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Molly’s clothes and hair, but said nothing as Applejack helped her to the car, and Pinkie carried her things, including the cake Pinkie had rescued after the incident at lunch.
When the door shut and the car began to putter away, Harry looked at Molly from the corner of his eye. “How did it go?” he asked.
Molly closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the hard headrest of the Blue Beetle’s passenger seat. “No talk now.” She mumbled, “Long day. Need rest.” With that, she fell asleep.
Harry sighed. At least she was alright, and it looked like she had made some friends. Hopefully, her day had gone well. For now, though, it could wait. There would be plenty of time for talk tomorrow. Nodding to himself, he turned the corner and headed back to the motel.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Author's Note
Thanks for giving this a read. I appreciate any thoughts you may have. If you liked it, and have suggestions, I am always open to suggestions. If you did not like it, I would love to hear why, so that I can do better in the future. Much appreciated.
