Sunset Shimmer: Student of Magick

"I could have done the geas, but we like to have witnesses for as much as we can. It helps make sure you aren't planning something bad, plus there'd be more people to complain if you tried to break the promise."

"No one trusts anyone else?"

"Would you trust someone who can change all the rules when you're not looking and make you think they didn't?"

Sparky shook her head. "Silly question. Still, why would you have made that kind of bet, anyway?"

"To teach you something ... and I like hanging out with you, and now I have to so I can make sure you aren't planning to use my name against me." Midnight paused, and flashed a warm smile. "And we're even now. Since it wasn't your fault I found out yours, I figured you needed a chance to get back at me. Besides, my cards told me there'd be a surprise, so I thought there was a good chance you'd win."

"Your tarot cards? I didn't know they could be that ... blatant."

Midnight shook her head. "It's all about how you ask the question. You also have to know how to read them. If I won, then maybe I didn't read them right or ask the question right. Maybe the surprise would happen because of something else. I don't think even the Imperial Masters always get it right." Another smile. "But I didn't say that."

Sparky pantomimed zipping her lips, adding a padlock and throwing the key into the trash. They were still laughing when they got back to the table, where Ace and Clash had joined the group.

"Perfect timing," Ace said, standing when he saw them. He stretched his limbs as though trying to ease tension from his muscles. "Clash and I are going for a walk out back while we have a chance. Want to join us, Sparky?"

"I don't mind, I just don't want Orchid to feel like I'm ditching her."

Orchid smiled, putting an arm around Midnight's shoulders. "We can hang out. I'm sure Midnight will protect me."

"Want to play a game?" Midnight asked, playfulness in her voice.

In one swift movement, Orchid grabbed the deck of cards and shoved them into her pocket. Midnight countered by producing three more decks from somewhere. The adults shared a laugh at Orchid's dismayed look.

Pearl stood. "If'n y'all're good, Ah'm gonna catch up with some of mah contacts. Midnight'll know where ta find me."

When Pearl left them to make her rounds, the younger girls moved to face each other across the table, Orchid apparently resigned to having to play a game against Midnight Radiance. Reasonably certain that her two young friends would be fine, Sparky followed Ace and Clash toward the back of the Great Hall. Another door like the servant's entrance was tucked into a far corner. It opened to reveal part of the city's green belt.

Walking trails curved around small ponds - most of them artificial - and between trees. Sparky suffered a brief vision of following a small, twisted path through a dark forest, but a quick shake of her head dispelled it. She reminded herself that she had no reason to fear a stroll through such a mundane area, one that was so thoroughly shaped by human labour.

Despite the late hour, solar powered lamps provided sufficient light to be safe without ruining the mood of an evening stroll. There were a few others from the party wandering and talking, but all groups gave each other respectful distances and kept their voices and conversations to themselves. Had it been daylight, any of the small parties could have easily been white-collar colleagues enjoying a perk of working in the area. It was almost disappointing to Sparky that a night full of monsters could feel so normal. Still, the occasional glimpse of fangs and the sound of gruff voices combined with the whisper of High Speech to remind her that for all the appearances of normality, this place was currently a world unto itself. She had bled for the right to enter it, whether she had desired it or not.

A mostly natural river cut through the area. The trio made their way toward the bridge spanning it, stopping in the middle and leaning over the side to watch the river's water flow leisurely on its way to some remote destination. Sparky could see where there had been some minor flooding caused by the spring rain, but it had settled back into its routine by that point.

"I heard you beat Midnight," Ace said. "Congratulations. The Consilium will be talking about that for a while."

"Honestly, I still think she went way too easy on me."

Both Ace and Clash chuckled, the former replying, "Trust me, she may have been taunting you and let her guard down, but she always plays to win. You mind if I ask what you wagered?"

"True Names."

That caught her companions' attention; neither had any rejoinder to it. They all turned back to watching the river. It had not changed, the quiet rush of water offering a soothing accompaniment to the crickets. Sparky could see the full moon reflecting in the water.

"Did she tell you anything else?"

After a glance to ensure they were still alone, Sparky replied, "She told me about her past and her Awakening."

"I see. Did she tell you anything else?"

"That was it."

Ace was silent, staring at the river. After a few seconds, he said, "She obviously already has a great deal of trust in you. I've never seen her take to someone so quickly, not even me. Whatever happened to her, she took a long time to trust me, even as a baby." He sighed. "In case you haven't noticed, most Awakened don't have happy backgrounds. I think that's why we're able to resonate with the Supernal Realms."

"I guess I haven't really heard a lot of Awakening stories."

"True." He turned from the river to gaze at the moon. "I Awakened when I was fourteen. My parents were Wiccan practitioners. What they practised is what we call 'hedge magic.' Most of the time, it's hocus-pocus compared to our Willworking, but sometimes ... it'll work.

"When I came back from the Primal Wild, I was alone. I didn't know what had happened to me or where my parents went. After what I had seen, I ran away and ended up living on the streets, which is where I met Clash. I found Midnight in a dumpster one day when I was scavenging for something to eat."

Clash nodded. His voice and demeanour were surly as he added to Ace's story, muscles tensed for a fight he could not have. "I remember when he showed her to me. The little thing was starving. Babies shouldn't ever be that thin. We ended up stealing baby formula and a bottle and spent weeks nursing her back to health. I can't count how many nights we both stayed awake, so afraid that she'd just give up if we took our eyes off her."

Sparky felt a few tears in her eyes as she said, "I don't want to believe people would be so horrible, but I know damn well they can be."

"The world's not a happy place. Most folk still in the Lie pretend everything's swell and nothing bad's going to happen. They have to believe it. When they hear about child abuse, murder, violence ... they just convince themselves it's a few rotten individuals. They recoil when serial killers appear on the news, glad they weren't a victim." Ace's voice rose with his emotions, though not to a point that it would reach beyond the bridge. Sparky could feel hurt and anger radiate from him.

He continued his speech as though he was desperate to say his piece after being denied any opportunity to speak. "We can't pretend, Sparky. We know how bad people are. We know about everything else out there. The spirits, Abyssal entities, ghosts, monsters. It can crush us, you know. Finding that little girl thrown away and taking her in saved me. I wanted to keep her safe from what's out there, since her parents hadn't wanted to do it."

"That's how we keep up our own fight." Clash's voice was low with a slight growl. "I've lost over a dozen pack-mates since my First Change. Things aren't getting better, but I'll keep fighting until something rips my throat out. A lot of people are rotten, but not all of them are. I'll hunt every spirit that wants to destroy humans so that the good people can have a chance."

Though she did not feel they were expecting her to say anything, Sparky felt she had to join them. "I can't pretend to know what things are like. I haven't seen much yet, but what I have seen scares me. Still, I'd go through all of that again if it would keep my friends safe."

"Keep that sentiment," Ace said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "It'll keep you going."

Clash looked at the moon and then to Ace. "We should go in. They're probably looking for you, Ace."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go. Midnight as a baby had more resilience than some of these so-called Wise. Hey, wanna place bets on how many favours Midnight's won so far? I'm going with five."

"She's with Orchid. I'll say two."

They looked at Sparky. "No idea. I guess three?"

"Losers call the winner 'master' for a day?"

"What are we, eight?"

They shared a laugh as they returned to the Great Hall.