Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

Chapters

Pinkie Power Down
First Encounter
Chance Encounter
Zap Apples
The Magic Left Behind
Preparations
Chase
Be Yourself
A Peak at the Mask
Recipe for Disaster
The Magic Thickens
Money is Magic
Between Friendship and Vengeance
Shadows Gather
Conscequences
Future of the Band
A Glimpse at the Big Picture
Yaztec Magic
A Concert to Pie For
Flaws in our Rainbow
Rules of Engagement
The Fog Thickens
End of School
Consultation Recreation
The Man with the Mask
Pawns and Pieces
Sanctuary (Part 1)
Sanctuary (Part 2)
Monsters in Men's Clothing
A Moment of Peace
The Isle of Magic
A Pirate's Secret
Magic VS Magic
Trial and Error
The Two Sides of Evil
My Twisted Guardian Angel
Legacy of the Old Ones
Reprieve
Back and Forth
Home
Pageant Show Down
Face Off
Fashion Disaster
End of a Reign
Invisible Third Wheel
Compromise
Eve
Break Time
End of the Year (Part 1)
End of the Year (Part 2)
End of the Year (Part 3)
Hostile Negotiations
Dangerous Games
School's In
It's only the First Day (Part 1)
It's only the First Day (Part 2)
The Start of Something New
Fluttering Problem
A Growing Magic
A New Player
Shadow's Return
In the Thick of it
Play Date
Dreary Dilema
Mission Pony-Possible
Inside Job
Clues of Her Past
A Prelude to Disaster
Discovery
Aftershock
Dark Clouds Gather
Mimicry
Cracks in Our Bond
Shatter
Tear
Change in Our Magic
Hindrance
Determination
The Coming Storm
Worst Breakup Ever
Torn
Applied Lesson
Timber
The Ways Forward
Magical Espionage
Enemy of my Enemy's Enemy
Visitors
First Punch
Downtime
Slow Motion Disaster
A Date with Disaster
Suits & Suitors
A Helping Hand
Trouble's a Brewin
A Particularly Perilous Problem
The Complex Formula of Love
Ups and Downs
Heart to Heart
Between a Rock and a Pillow

Pinkie Power Down

Chapter 2: Pinkie Power Down

(Sunset’s residence)

Sunset Shimmer paced around her room that night, eyes flaunting all over the place while she held onto her cell phone, counting down the minutes as she waited for a call from Twilight. Her mind hung over the magical wave from earlier and it’s been bothering her ever since she got back from school.

She sent a message to Princess Twilight on her magical diary trying to see if there was anything related to what was happening in Equestria. And thankfully her friend on the other side responded quickly. Unfortunately however the reply she got was less than stellar.

As far as the princess was concerned, nothing notably major was going on in Equestria. The mirror portal she had in her possession was safely stowed away in Canterlot Castle under strict guard. She even reassured her that Princess Luna and Celestia would keep a close eye on the mirror itself for the next few days just in case anyone tries anything. They’ll even double the guards if they have to.

Still… that didn’t really made her feel any better. Sunset would’ve investigated this whole mess if she had a clue. Normally when a magical emergency happens she’d at least have a suspect or a clue in where to start. But right now all she can do is wait for Twilight – this Twilight, to give her some intel.

She only wish there was something she could…

“Shake your tail cause we’re here to have a party tonight!”

“Gah!” She flipped out when her phone suddenly began to ring. But… that wasn’t even her ringtone. Did someone change it? She could only imagine either Pinkie or Rainbow Dash were to blame. But the thought of punishing those two will have to come later. After fumbling through the buttons she answered the call. “Twilight?”

“Oh hey Sunset. Good. You’re still up.” Twilight spoke from the other line. “Listen closely. I’ve been studying that magic burst that we felt from school.”

“Did you find out what it was? Is it harmful? Is anyone in danger?”

“Slowdown.” Twilight spoke back. The sound of a keyboard typing could be heard in the background. “I’ve analyzed the energy spectrum and crossed reference it with all of my data regarding magic.”

“Ahuh. Ok.” Sunset gripped the temple on her nose. “Look Twilight. Not everyone has your level of genius. Can you dial it down for us – or me at least?”

“Oh… right. Sorry. I keep forgetting that not all of us has a degree in techno-sorcery.” Wow. If she wasn’t her friend Sunset would’ve thought that this Twilight was actually being arrogant for a second there. “Ahem. To put it in laymen’s term: The energy that we felt is completely different from those from Equestria. It has a different wave like uh… comparing fruit juice with milk.” A strange comparison but Sunset wasn’t gonna point that out.

“So you’re sure that it’s…”

“I can guarantee you that whatever it was, didn’t come from the other side of the portal.”

“Phew. That’s a relief.” She breathed out a sigh. “I’ll tell Princess Twilight that she doesn’t have to worry about problems on her end. But if this thing didn’t come from Equestria, then where did it come from?”

“I looked into that as well. Luckily I can perform a city wide scan to pinpoint the smallest probably location.”

“You can scan the city for magical energy?” Sunset inquired suspiciously. “Since when did you get that kind of tech?”

“Oh I just planted some detectors in various locations around the city. It boost the range of my scanner, giving me a wider area of view.”

“When did you do that?”

“Oh… in my free time.” She answered innocently enough.

“Girl. We really need to get you a hobby.” Sunset added. “So what does that mean exactly?”

“It means I can detect anyone using magic, if it’s strong enough.”

“Ah… hehe. Is that so?” The redhead’s eyes widened as she chuckled awkwardly. “You wouldn’t have been using that radar to track our every move, would you?”

“What? No~~ I would never do such a thing. I would never abuse my technical findings to spy on my friends as they go to oh… I don’t know…” She was grinning. Sunset couldn’t see her but she was definitely grinning. “… to watch a screen play of Love’s First Free-Fall in the old amphitheater.”

“So you did spy on us!”

“Oh relax.” Twilight reassured her. “My scanner can only track when magic is used. The only reason why you popped up on my radar is because you were trying to read the mind of that actor on stage.”

“Hey I don’t know much about show biz here on this world but I know for a fact that, that man is a genius.” She groaned. “Anyway, that’s a topic for another day. Do you know where that magic burst came from at least? Or what it did?”

“Well I can answer one of those questions.” A shuffling of papers came along. “The magic was pretty feint but it left a trail behind. From my scanner, I’ve been able to narrow it down to a few blocks between Bonjove Avenue and Rorick Road.”

Sunset gave it a thought. “That’s near downtown.”

“And a lot of ground to cover.” Twilight agreed on that remark. “Thankfully I have a way of narrowing it even further.”

“Ok so what’s the plan?”

Twilight shrugged on the other line. “Well I’ll need to get a better reading. We can head over there tomorrow after school and try to pinpoint the origin of that magic.”

“Uh… no.” Sunset replied plainly. “We promised to help Fluttershy in the animal shelter, remember?”

“This is important Sunset. Whatever caused that magical burst must’ve been pretty powerful. If we don’t investigate this, something dangerous could be unleashed. And you know all our experiences with magic.” They’ve been dangerous, that much is true. Near life threatening even. “You don’t have to come. I just need my trusty detector to find our culprit.”

“I don’t know Twily. I don’t like you going alone.”

“Oh please. You do remember who you’re talking to, right?” The egghead countered back. “If it gets too dangerous, I’ll run. Besides, I won’t be alone. I’ll have Spike with me. Isn’t that right boy?” A bark could be heard on the other line. “Besides, I’m not really that comfortable with something that powerful being used on this world.”

Sunset wanted to argue back but knew better than to debate with the queen of logic herself. She too was uneasy about this new found power. Because as far as she was concerned, all magical occurrence seemed to stem of her Equestria. This world she came to had no such thing as magic. Not unless you count Trixie’s smoke and mirrors as such.

“Alright Twilight. I’ll leave you to it. Just… be careful. And remember to keep me posted.” With a sigh, she closed the line and got to bed.

Sunset couldn’t sleep.

Something strange was about to happen in this city and she was afraid of what it was.

(Friday) (Canterlot High School)

School was in that morning in Canterlot High. While the cold chill was still in the air, the thought of the last day of school energized the student giving them something to look for during the last bell. Mr. Cranky Doodle was at the door of course, making sure that everyone was accounted for. While the faculty did trust their fellow students to behave it didn’t hurt anyone to leave someone to supervise them.

Rainbow Dash was first on the scene leaping from the school bus and into the school hallway where all of her friends and classmates gather. There was still some time before the first bell and it gave her time to collect her thoughts and mossy into the area. And lucky for her she stumbled upon the first person she wanted to see.

“Yo Pinkie!” She greeted the bubblegum girl with the same energy as ever. “Are you ready to tackle this afternoon’s Brain Freeze Challenge!?”

“Ready?” Pinkie laughed hiding her face inside her locker. “I was ready before I was even born! An arctic snow storm could freeze this brain. A bunch of tasty treats won’t stand a chance.”

“Good because that ‘all-you-can-eat’ ticket is gonna be ours! Put your game face on and empty that stomach, sister! Because those guys in the competition are going down!”

“You said it!”

“This is gonna be the easiest competition we ever diaaahhhh!” RD jumped back, her face contorted with terror as Pinkie’s face came into view. “Holy molly! Pinkie! What happened to you?”

Pinkie looked around her but saw nothing wrong. “What do you mean? I feel perfectly fine.”

“B… but… but your hair? It’s… combed!” Rainbow continued, still maintaining that ghastly tone. “And your dress! It’s… prim and proper. And you’re wearing pants and shoes!”

“Like… a lot of people?”

“Pinkie is not like everyone else! She is a one of a kind party animal and… and… is that…?” Rainbow quickly closed the distance between them, sniffing the girl’s face. “Are you wearing perfume!? Pinkie never wears perfume! The smell interferes with the taste of her sweets! She said that herself!” She thrust an accusing finger at her. “You’re an imposter!”

“Oh come on Rainbow Dash. You’re exaggerating. I’m just trying a new look. It’s not that big of a deal.” Her fake smile didn’t exactly make her any more convincing.

“Hey guys?” Sunset came along, drawn in by the noise that Rainbow was making. “Is everything alright? I heard yelling. Did something hap…”

“Sunset! You’ve got to help me!” Rainbow grabbed the redhead by the collar shouting directly to her face. “Pinkie has been kidnapped and replaced with this… this… imposter!”

“Imposter?” Sunset glanced over to the accused fake and immediately noted the large differences. Pinkie was wearing clothes. Not the carefree type of clothes but more of a proper girl kind. She traded those sleeveless shirt for a blouse and blazer which gave her a rather sophisticated air. Those frilly skirts that she enjoyed wearing were gone, replaced by long pants with no stains and no paint marks. Even her sandals were gone, and instead came a pair of lady shoes. But most importantly was her hair. The fluffy cotton-candy-like hair which was her pride and joy, was combed and straightened down to a perfect line. It actually kind of reminded them about her sister, Maud.

“Wow Pinkie.” Sunset whistled impressively, all the while trying to get Rainbow off her. “You look… great.” Smart even. But she wasn’t gonna add that just yet. Heck, if you add some glasses and a little eye-liner, she’ll probably look even smarter than Twilight. “Trying on something new?”

“Yeah, my mom did it for me. It’s for umm… reasons.”

“More like a failed imitation!” Rainbow accused. “Who are you!? Some magical creature from the other side!? Are you like… some kind of hive monster bent on eating and replacing us all with your clones!? Or some kind of parasite that takes over our brains to act as your hosts!?”

Girl, you have got to stop watching those late night horror movies. They are really not good for you or your imaginations. Though that last bit sounded a lot like a changling, before their reformation

Luckily the girl didn’t have to answer that ridiculous question when the bell finally rang signaling the beginning of school.

“Oh! That’s the bell. Later girls!” With a fond farewell, Pinkie was gone leaving the two girls behind to discuss the matter.

“RD… please get off me.”

(Later) (Cafeteria)

Lunchtime rolled around faster than Rainbow could’ve hoped for. The whole day she’d been fussing over Pinkie’s new transformation. And while most of her classmates saw it to be something unique and fun, she found it to be an abhorrent abomination against nature itself.

She knew Pinkie better than most people did. That girl was the very definition of a party animal. She’d be messy, annoying, loud, obnoxious and even semi-wild at times. She’s the kind of girl who’d jump into a pool of whipped cream and laugh about while gorging on the cream itself.

Eventually Sunset was able to give her the thought that she might’ve been trying on a new look. But when lunch came along, she was now more than convinced that Pinkie was replaced by an evil clone.

“Ok. Come on guys. You’ve got to find this weird too!” She called on her friends who gathered at one table as she pointed at Pinkie who remained different from her original counterpart. For one… the bubblegum gal was eating her food. She was EATING… properly! Normally Pinkie would just shove her face on her meal and eat it from there or just grab it with her bare hands and gobble it up without a care for any spillage or stains. But now she was using utensils, taking things one bite at a time. She even had a napkin on!

“I’ll admit, it is a little strange.” Fluttershy agreed, looking at Pinkie like a giant elephant in the room. Though naturally she’d prefer if there was an elephant in the room. “Normally Pinkie would be… wilder?”

“More chaotic? Unpredictable?” Applejack added also agreeing. “Messy?”

“Maybe she’s just going through a phase?” Twilight chipped in, pushing her glasses up. “Like Rarity when she was going through those dark themed dresses.”

Rarity coughed. “It’s called Goth – and it wasn’t a phase. Just a period of strife.”

Sunset laughed. “You had that gloom and doom attire for a whole week. In school time, that’s considered a phase.”

“Regardless!” She steamed. “I on the other hand find Pinkie’s transformation a pleasant change. She now has that look of sophistication and regal beauty! I especially love your makeup and nail polish darling. Very impressive.”

“Thanks!” Pinkie gave a toothy smile in return.

“No more of that dirty attire that I wish to burn to the ground. It’s actually quite charming to say the least.”

“Well I’m not buying it!” Rainbow declared. “There’s just no way someone can change like this overnight. She must be a clone! Quick, Twilight. You said that there was this big magic boom yesterday, right? Do you think that could’ve changed her?”

“I wouldn’t really know.” The egghead shrugged back while taking a bite off her sandwich. “That energy was really weak when it reached us. And if it was some kind of charming spell, my detector would’ve sensed it. And right now…” She pulled out her sensor. “… it’s picking up nothing. Other than Applejack’s super strength.”

“Ah… yeah. My bad.” The cowgirl chuckled softly. “I’ve been needing to move a lot of stuff to get the barn ready for the family reunion this Sunday. It’s gonna be the biggest one yet.”

“Then an evil clone! Or a robot!”

“Cloning takes a long time to do and if it was a clone she’d be exactly like Pinkie Pie, not… this.” She pointed out. “And robot replica of humans is still decades away according to my estimates. Besides, if she was a robot.” Twilight pulled out a magnet from her pocket and tossed it over to Pinkie which simply bounced off her hair. “She’d have a magnetic touch.”

“Fine!” Rainbow lost it. “At this point, you leave me no choice. Sunset… read her mind.”

“What? No.”

“Come on! It’s the only way we can know for sure! I am not going to that Brain Freeze Challenge with Ms. Proper over there.” They darted over the said girl who looked back.

“What?”

“Rainbow, you’re being ridiculous.” Sunset calmed her. “This is the same Pinkie. She just has a different look right now. I’m sure she has a logical explanation if we just asked her.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” She challenged, quickly rushing to Pinkie’s face. “Spill it girl! Admit it. You’re some sludge monster, aren’t you!? What did you do to the real Pinkie Pie!? Give my friend back!”

“Hey! Easy!” Pinkie retorted, patting the wrinkles off her blouse. “It’s just a look that my mom wanted me to try out. Nothing more. I just need to wear this for one whole day and I’ll be back to my original self.”

“So it’s just your mom trying out new looks for you?” Twilight deduced. “That’s sweet of her.”

“That… and she also has a big date later tonight.” A stoic voice added garnering their attention.

“Maud!” Pinkie yelled out to her sister who stood at the end of the table with a deadpanned face. “What did we talk about spilling beans!?”

“Sorry.” The older sister replied unapologetically. “Couldn’t resist.”

“WHAAAAAAAT!!!!!?” The table exploded in a wild chorus of high pitched squeals and shouts as the girls huddled over their friend, all thoughts of clones and robots and evil parasite monsters vanishing and replaced with delicious questions.

“A date!?” Rarity gasped, fanning herself with her hands as she tried and failed to control herself. “Darling, you should’ve told us! We would’ve helped you.”

“Who is it?” Fluttershy, while soft-spoken, asked with almost hungry looking eyes. “Is it that boy who you’ve been talking to in the hallway lately?”

“That yellow guy?” Rainbow recalled. “Who was it? Cheese something?”

“Yup that one. I like him. He’s funny.”

“So who is it, Pinkie? Spill!”

“Where are you two going!?”

“Guys! GUYS!” Pinkie hushed them. “Calm down. It’s not even a real date. We’re just going out as friends.”

“Oh it’s totally a real date.” Maud added taking a seat on their table with something that looked like the beginning of a smile on her face. “They even booked a table at this fancy restaurant called the Huffs and Hooves.”

“The Huffs and Hooves!?” Figures Rarity would know such a place. “Why that’s one of the fanciest place in all of Canterlot! It’s ranked amongst the top 10 places for absolutely romantic settings! It’s so busy every day that there’s a 2 months back log of reservations! How on earth could you have possibly get a table there?”

“Family connections.” Maud explained shrugging. “Her date got the table there.”

“Ooooh~ A wealthy clientele?”

Pinkie turned a darker shade of red. “S… something like that.”

“Oh he’s totally loaded.” Again her sister cut her off earning a mean yet adorable glare from Pinkie. “He made the whole arrangement – or at least I think he did.”

“This is so exciting!” Twilight gave a cute glee. “I’m not really good with interpersonal relationships but I’m actually feeling tingly inside. Who is it? What’s he like? Is it someone we know?”

“He’s actually in this school.” The stoic sister answered. “In fact he’s mphhmm!!”

“Hey Maud! You look hungry. Why don’t you try this cupcake!?”

Thankfully Sunset decided to be the voice of reason here and have everyone back off. “Alright guys. Let’s not give Pinkie too much pressure. We can all respect her privacy.” Pinkie gave a pout of gratitude which she immediately regretted. “… provided she gives us all the details on the date after.”

Betrayal!

“I can go with that.”

“Oh yes. I agree.”

“Don’t forget to take pictures!”

Sunset chuckled softly at Pinkie’s expression. “I’m gonna get a refill. See you in class.” But just as she turned a corner to the kiosk she bumped headfirst onto somebody. “Oh! Sorry I wasn’t looking…”

The owner of that body laughed at her clumsiness. “Don’t be. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve bumped onto one another.”

“Flash?”

“Hey there Sunset.” The boy gave her a warm smile which she returned in kind. “You’re looking great as always.”

“Ah… yeah. Thanks.” Her cheeks colored over. “You too – with that new hairstyle of yours.”

He combed over his head giving off a weak laugh. “Yeah well, there’s a big thing coming this weekend so I’m just being prepared. Anyway, are you busy right now? I thought we could talk.”

“Talk?” She froze. “Here?” She looked around. “Now?”

“Yeah. Is it a bad time?”

“W… well…”

“Ahem!” A loud cough could be heard directed at her from the table. From there she saw Rainbow Dash giving her ‘the look’. Come on Dash, can’t you give a girl a break? It’s not exactly to talk things out like this. “AHEM!”

Ugh… fine.

“Actually… now is a great time.” She replied quickly enough which surprised him. Perhaps he was expecting her to blow him off again like all the other times which wouldn’t be much of a surprise at this point.

“Really? Great!” He leaned back when he felt his voice reaching a little too loud. “I mean… good. We never really had a chance to talk alone since… well… a long while ago.”

“Yeah. I know.” She brushed the side of her arm, putting the empty cup away. “We’ve just been really busy with school, jobs here and there…”

“Defeating magical creatures with your superpowers?” The two of them shared a laugh on that last part. When was the last time they shared a moment like this? Sunset couldn’t seem to recall. It felt rather… nice. Warm even. “Yeah. I can understand that. But anyway. I actually wanted to continue our talk from Camp Everfree.”

“Our talk?”

“Yeah. I asked if we could start over but you kinda ran off on me.”

The girl palmed her forehead with a groan. “Oh right! You did that. Sorry. It’s just that…”

“Hey it’s fine. I completely understand.” He replied quickly, not really wanting to make her apologize more than she already did. “You girls had to fight off some crazy plant thing. And if it wasn’t for the seven of you, we’d all be stuck there.”

Stuck there with magical vines growing all over.

“I just wanted to get things out.”

“Get what out?”

“Us.” He answered with one hand over his chest. “I know that you and I didn’t exactly have the best breakup.”

Ah… so that’s what he wanted to get out.

Sunset’s face soured at the memory. She could still recall it. Her old malicious-self cutting through the hallway of the school terrifying each and every one with her mere presence. Their fear outweigh their hatred for her. And the sad part is… that it felt good. The feeling you get from everyone bowing to you was intoxicating. She felt like she could do anything she ever wanted and no one could stop her. No one. Not even the teachers could touch her back then. She felt like a god.

It’s a shame that it only took the near destruction of the entire world to snap her out of it.

“Sunset?”

“Huh?” The girl shook up when she realized that she hasn’t said anything for a whole minute. “Sorry. It’s just that… you saying that brought up some… bad memories. About the old me.”

“Hey it’s ok. I think the whole school already forgave you for that. And honestly I kinda like the new you.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He nodded with an honest to god smile that would’ve melted her heart if it was still made of ice. “And that’s why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to ask you properly just to make things clear.” His eyes locked to hers, those cerulean orbs focused and giving out a cold yet comforting glow. Sunset did the same, a grin crossing her face. “Do you want to start over? As friends I mean.” He added that last bit hastily to avoid confusion. “I really want to get to know the new Sunset better. If… that’s ok with you.”

Sunset glanced at his extended hand and then back to his face. The grin she held blew up into a wide smile and she took his hand with a firm grip.

“I wouldn’t mind getting to know the old Flash either.” She replied earning a chuckle from him.

“This is awesome!” Flash’s voice bombarded her mind. “This is literally the second best day of my life!”

Pffft!

Sunset held a laugh.

“Oh by the way, are you free tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” She gave him a quick raised brow, forgetting that puppy expression he had. “I guess so. Why?”

“Well… my dad is holding this fundraiser project tomorrow night at the museum. I was thinking maybe you might wanna come along?”

“The museum? You sure you know your audience?” She teased. “I don’t know about you but looking at old stuff in a stuffy old building isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. You’re better off asking Twilight that.”

“Yeah… Twilight.” He grunted. “The other one on the other side…”

“Or this one here.” Sunset pointed out to the girl in question. “She might not be the same Twilight but I’m sure she’d be interested in seeing anything educational.”

“If you say so. But… I might hold onto that.” He brushed the thought of it away. “Seeing her… kind of brings back some old memories too.” And surprisingly enough, they were all good ones.

“Hey! Flash!” His friends interjected from afar. “What’s the hold up?”

“Be right there.” He answered back, flashing another smile at the beautiful lady before him. “Anyway. It’s nice talking to you again Sunset. I’ll catch ya later?”

She returned his smile waving back cheerily enough. “Yeah… later.”

(Evening) (Downtown)

Downtown Canterlot was perhaps THE busiest place in the whole city. With its numerous shops, stands and town square and large municipal gardens that doubled as flea markets on several occasions, it was a magnet for shoppers, tourists and pedestrians alike. If it exists, and if there’s a price on it, you can most likely find it somewhere in this area.

Twilight leap off the bus with Sunset and Fluttershy. Their gaze falling upon the busy streets of downtown. Many of them good potential for being new owners of adorable puppies being put up in the animal shelter.

“Well… looks like this is our stop.” Sunset declared. “You sure you’re gonna be ok on your own?”

“I’ll be fine.” Twilight waved her friend’s worries off. “And I told you: I’m not doing this alone. I got Spike to watch my back. Isn’t that right, buddy?” The said dog plopped its head out of her backpack giving a reassuring bark. “Sorry I can’t help with the animal shelter today.”

Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind. “Oh that’s ok. I don’t really mind. I know that magical emergencies takes precedence over a lot of things. But I’m sure Sunset will be more than enough help around there.”

“Just remember to be careful.” Said Sunset. “We still have no idea what this magic is. If you run into any danger or trouble, book it to the animal shelter pronto. Or give us a call when you can. Alright?”

“Yes mom.” She jokingly grunted before parting ways. Sunset was kind of acting like a den mother there. “Geez. I wonder what’s up with Sunset. She’s sounding almost… too protective.” It’s almost like she thinks she couldn’t defend herself. She’s Twilight Sparkle for crying out loud. The smartest, and sometimes the most powerful magic user in the gang. If any monster or villains tried to get on her bad side she’ll toss them away with a single wave of her hand. Telekinesis for the win!

“Maybe she’s just worried.” Spike deduced, plopping his head next to his owner. “It’s normal for friends to be worried when their friends are off on a solo-adventure.”

“Yeah but not when we’re in the city.” She said with her eyes on the device. “Besides, I can handle myself just fine. I don’t need people watching my back when I have you.”

The mutt gave it a thought and agreed. “Well I can’t fault you there. I am pretty awesome.”

“Whoa.” Twilight nearly slipped on her feet when she suddenly noticed her detector suddenly going off. “Well would you look at that. Not even twenty steps off the block and I already got a hit. Chalk up another one for science!”

(3 Hours later)

“Ok… maybe that cheer came a bit premature.” Twilight groaned out loud as she leaned back on a bench, her feet raised from exhaustion. Her montage of a search around the downtown area came to a complete halt as she spent the last few hours trying to pinpoint the origin of that strange magical burst. She expected it to be as easy as having a giant magic to look for a needle in a haystack. But unfortunately that was not the case. Her search led her from one building to another which then led her through an alleyway full of stray cats, which then led her down a sewage drainage pipe, which then led her back to where she started.

To put it short, it was a big waste of time.

“Boy… am I beat.” Spike whimpered softly as he dropped from her backpack, stretching his legs out.

“Spike, you were in my bag the whole time. You can’t be tired.”

“Sure I can. Watching your back has become my full time job. You’ll never know when some monster will sneak up behind you and have you for lunch. You need someone to shout ‘Look out!’ or ‘Run Faster!’. You know? For motivation. And speaking of lunch.”

Twilight wanted to argue but was too tired to do so. Instead she decided to comply with his wishes and pulled out a dog treat from her bag, letting him munch it happily.

“I don’t get it. I calibrated this device to detect all magical energy. But it looks as if the energy is just dispersed to… well… everywhere. It’s like it’s fluctuating from place to place.” She tinkered with the device for a spell trying to see if she made any error, which was probably not the case, but it didn’t hurt to double-check. But she stopped when heard her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hey Twily. How’s my favorite resident genius doing?”

“Timber!” A smile splashed itself across her face when she realized it was her boyfriend on the other line. “H… hey!”

“Something wrong? Did I catch you in a bad time?”

“What? No! Of course not.” She giggled back. “Just… exploring the city. Seeing the sights. That’s what… girls like me usually do… right?”

Spike raised a brow. “Are you asking me?”

“Ah… yeah. Sure? Anywho, I figured if you’re free, maybe we can hangout this weekend. I heard that they have this new movie, Bone Chiller 3. They say it’s pretty awesome. It might even top Bone Chiller 2.”

“That crazy film about a snow monster?” Twilight recognized the name. It was supposed to be some horror movie about a possessed Snowman that comes to life every winter and terrorizes the people. It is then repeatedly defeated by a bunch of teens using some vague nonsensical magic mumbo-jumbo. It would be scary too if magic was still something unknown to her. “I don’t know. I’ll be very busy on Sunday with Applejack’s family reunion. Plus I got some stuff on my plate right now.”

“How about tomorrow then?” He suggested. “After that we can visit your favorite spot at the botanical garden.”

“The botanical garden!?” The girl grinned from ear to ear in anticipation. “Ooooh! I love that place. They just added a new greenhouse! I’ll definitely go!”

“Great! I’ll pick you up, same place?”

“Yes! Looking forward to it already!” But her smile died out rather quickly when her sensor device activated again. This time however, the magical readings were stronger. “Uh… I gotta go now. I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“It’s a date.” She hung up and hastily packed her dog back into her backpack before bolting off. “Come on Spike. I think I got it this time. Once more into the breach!”

(Taxi cab)

Maud wasn’t really sure what to make of her adorable little sister.

On one hand she was proud of having such an energetic sibling who didn’t have the same stoic attitude as the rest of the family. But at the same time she wished that Pinkie would be a little… tamer especially when it came to her official date.

Right now the two of them were riding on the back of a taxi, on route to the Huffs and Hooves to meet with her supposedly secret date. And honestly enough, for the first time, Pinkie actually had a decent look on her. Other than the drool of icing on her lips, the attire that their mother picked for her gave the bubblegum girl a very lady-like look. Instead of the clown she often was.

“Ooooh. Tummy… hurt.” She groaned lowly, pressing her hands over her stomach which was slightly bloated due to the Brain Freeze Challenge.

“I told you to stop.” Maud replied in the same stoic manner as she always did. “You didn’t have to finish those last four cups. You already won the match.”

“79 cups… of ice cream!” Pinkie pointed to the ceiling, grunting. “New… record! Ugh…” She held a hurl. “Totally… worth it!”

“I hope you still have room for dinner with your date.”

“It’s not a date!” She retorted, holding firmly to that statement. “It’s just an outing with some guy. All because mom and dad wants me to buddy-buddy with their friend’s son. We’re just gonna meet, have fun and go back with no strings attached.”

“Hmm… still sounds like a date.”

“Don’t you try to pull one over me, sister!” Pinkie poked her by the cheek. “The only reason I was chosen is because you already have a boyfriend!”

“Mudbriar and I have a healthy and developing relationship.” She countered deadpanned. “It would be unethical to go with someone else when you’re into someone else. That’s why I decided to pass on this opportunity to you.”

“Gee. Thanks a lot.”

“I don’t see what the problem is. It’s not like you’re going out with anyone at the moment.”

“I just know that it’s going to be so awkward! Me and HIM!?” Pinkie dragged her hands down her cheek stretching them. “It’s a good thing no one found out. I still haven’t forgiven you for that incident in the cafeteria.”

“I’m sorry. It was the slip of the tongue.”

Yeah right.

“Anyway. I don’t want anyone finding out. So promise me you’ll keep this to yourself!”

“Fine.” She shrugged. “I promise.”

“Promise it to Boulder?”

Maud’s eyes widened startled but returned to normal when she brought out her pet rock. “Fine. I promise on Boulder’s honor that I won’t say a word to this to anyone. Rockmaster’s oath.”

“Good. Because the last thing I want is for people to get the wrong idea around here. I don’t know if I’m even ready for a date. How do I even act?”

Maud placed a hand over her chin in thought. “How about… not being Pinkie?” Her sister gave a ‘huh’ in reply. “This is a different date. Something you’ve never done before with a boy whose dad is an important friend to our parents. I would suggest you do the total opposite of you.”

“Aren’t you supposed to give proper advice? Like… being myself and all that?”

“I would… if your true self didn’t come with party cannons and confetti.” She explained stoically like always. “So… be… opposite Pinkie.”

“So… Eiknip?”

The elder Pie sighed. “Yeah… sure. Eiknip.”

“But I’ve never been on a real date before. I mean… I’ve always wanted to try one but never like… this.”

“Well we’re about to find out.” Maud Pie stated. “Because we’re here. And look who it is waiting for you.”

Pinkie’s face went full on dread when the taxi finally came to a stop at the super fancy restaurant with all the fancy lights and the fancy looking people with their fancy looking suits. And much to her surprise, her date was already there, dressed to the nines, looking like he was waiting for a while now. It took a moment for him to register her face before approaching the cab, opening the door and greeting her with a warm and gentle smile.

“Hey there.” He said with one hand extended to welcome her. “You’re here early.”

“Ahehe… I am?” She accepted it and got out, her face turning a cool color of pink. “I mean… I AM!”

“Smooth, Pinkie.” Maud whispered earning a glare from her sister. She ignored it and darted her attention to the young man. “Make sure you bring her home by 10. Dad gets cranky when we stay out too late at night.”

The boy nodded back with all the confidence he could muster. “Not a problem.” He looked at her. “And you’re looking pretty good today.”

“Ah shucks.” Pinkie snorted a laugh. “It’s just something my mom did and…”

“Oh and before I go.” Maud called out to their attention, quickly snapping a shot at their faces, catching them by complete surprise. “I promised mom I’d take pictures. That’s done now. Have fun.” She then signaled the driver to go leaving the two behind to groan inwardly.

“Ugh… sorry about that.” Pinkie apologized. “That’s just my sister doing… her thing.” She made a mental note to catch her later.

“Heh. I can see that.” The boy chuckled softly, again extending his arm to her. “So… wanna give this playdate a try, Pinkie?”

She shrugged back but didn’t decline the offer. She held onto his arm and nodded. “Lead the way Flashie.”

First Encounter

Chapter 3: First Encounter

(Huffs and Hooves)

If there was ever a feeling of being a fish out of water, Pinkie would’ve felt it here at the Huffs and Hooves. She had heard of these fancy restaurants before from Rarity. That girl would drag on and on about how one day she would come to one of these establishments with a young gentleman and woo the other patrons with her beautiful trendsetting dress. If only she could see her now, Rarity would be clawing the chalkboard till her nails were spent.

Pinkie didn’t know about the restaurant. In fact, she’s never even heard of the name until her parents mentioned it the other day when they planned this whole date with their friend. They say that it was one of the finest bistro in the city with all of the top quality services ranging from food, to the band playing on stage, down to the waiters and waitresses.

That also meant that the food here was outrageously if not criminally expensive, which would explain why some of the patrons were looking at them with a curious eye. Apart from the staff here, they were most likely the youngest pair in the whole restaurant while everyone else were middle-aged adults and older couples.

How did Flash Sentry of all people even afford to come here? Granted she knew little about him other than seeing him a couple of times in school. But other than his crush on Sunset and Princess Twilight in the other world, he was pretty much just that lead guitarist guy in that 3 man band of his. Never really had much of a reason to know more until now.

And now she was being forced… well not really forced, but rather… pushed to go on an outing with him. Really mom and dad. Of all the people they had to force their daughter to go out with… it had to be him of all people?

This was like playing with dynamites with a lit torch! One way or another it was gonna blow up in her face.

“Pinkie? You alright?”

She nearly hyperventilated when he spoke up. “Whaaaaa? Me?” Her teeth gritted together. “I’m fine. Perfectly perfect. Ahehehehe…”

“Really? Because… you’re acting kind of… weird.”

Was she? Did she do something Pinkie-like without her even knowing it!? Oh gods, was her subconscious already taking over!? Was her mentality this weak!?

“I… am?” She shrunk down into her blouse feeling the stares from the patrons dig even deeper into her soul.

“Yeah. Normally you’d be more… energetic. You know? Jumping around, with that big old smile you wear all the time.” She plopped back up, confused. “Yelling out something like cake or sweets or… even quoting a line or two from a movie.”

“Aha… haha… hahahaHA! You… heard that?” Ok that might be true. She did have a habit of being spontaneous when the situation called for it. It was fun to just flow with the wind and never have to worry about people judging you.

“Hard not to.”

Haa… this is what she gets for becoming aware of people. And to think Eiknip would’ve become such an awesome persona.

“Well I guess I’m trying my best to, stay mellow.” Her reasoning wasn’t really stellar but that’s how she described it. “This isn’t exactly the place for me to go all… Pinkie. Maud said I should go on a quieter note. The uh… opposite of Pinkie.”

Flash laughed. “I guess that’s nice of her to look out for you. But… honestly I still prefer the original Pinkie.”

“Really?” Her face beamed with stars glittering in her eyes.

“Really.” He nodded. “You’re practically the life of every party. Remember Bulk’s birthday celebration?”

“Remember it?” She yelled. “I was the one who set it all up! The balloons, the giant cake, the inflatable huggy bears! The giant cake balloons that doubled as inflatable huggy bears! Even the gift cannon! That was my best work yet.” And it really was. Even Bulk, the overly muscular guy who bench press weights for breakfast, shed a tear of joy when he arrived home to find all his friends there, throwing a lavish party.

“That’s right. So chin up. Our parents are probably trying to set this whole thing up for their hidden agenda and all. But try not to think too much about. Just try to have fun. Think of this as another party. Just… a bit different from what you’re used to.”

“Okie dokie lokey.” And just like that, the tension she had been holding dropped and that bubbly smile of hers returned like an eclipse. “Woo hoo! Partay!”

“Would the next pair come forward, please?” The doorman announced with his hand gestured forward. He was a well-dressed lad leaning on a podium where the reservationists were listed down. As expected, his eyes narrowed suspiciously when they stepped up, but thankfully held his professionalism to a tea. “Good evening young sir and madam. Do you have a reservation with… oh!” His neck suddenly snapped towards her date with his eyes nearly budging out of their sockets. “You must be Flash Sentry.”

The boy looked back puzzlingly. “Uh… yeah. I am? How…?”

This felt oddly familiar for him.

“Yes of course! We have been expecting you.” The doorman practically cooed to the young boy, acting like some kind of employee brown-nosing his superiors. “You should’ve told us that you were here already. If we knew we would’ve brought you forward. There’s no need for you and your date to wait outside.”

Pinkie wasn’t really what caused the man to have a change of attitude and she never really got the chance to ask when several waiters and waitresses were brought from behind then ushered them in, taking their coats and blazer without much of a fuss. They tried to speak but were hushed by the doorman leading them through the filled hall, now earning even more stares from the other patrons due to how much special treatment they were being given. They noted an empty table near the stage that they thought they were being led to but instead they were led to a raised platform that was finely decked out with flowers and red tapestries. One might guess that the empty spaces would’ve had other tables put on but it seemed like they were removed purposefully for this night. It was like they were given a whole room, if not a whole wing all to themselves.

Flash’s mouth dropped when they were put on their respective seats with the waiters vigorously placing napkins on them. On the small round table was a candle holder with three freshly lit candlesticks, a fine assortment of plates and utensils and glasses so fancy that it would be a crime to drink anything out of them. On the side of the dining table was a couch with a clear line of view to the stage, should they wish it.

“Your appetizers will be here momentarily.” The doorman/butler-guy said with a practiced smile. “Should you require anything else at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Uh… ok?”

“And if you wish to request any particular song or music. Simply press the button and we’ll have someone attend to you immediately.”

Pinkie waited for him to leave before finally leaning over to Flash. “Psst! I don’t really come here often but~~ is this normal?”

“Nope. No it is not.” She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a premonition for something worse. “Dad said he had a table reserved for us. Not… this.” He groaned lowly when he remembered that this was their parents setting them up. This was probably his insurance. “I’m guessing he’s… trying to get us together.”

“So your dad too huh?” Pinkie said once they were finally left alone with their non-alcoholic drinks. “My parents are pretty much the same. Though mostly my mom. She’s uh… pretty direct too. Why don’t we just take advantage of this? Since we’re already here we might as well taste some of that super fancy food Rarity keeps bragging about.”

“Yeah… you’re probably right.” But she would immediately regret that decision when she opened the menu and saw its contents arrayed before her. She practically gave up at the first glance having absolutely no viable way to pronounce any of them. At least not without losing a portion of her non-existent dignity. “See anything you like?”

“I’ll uh…” Sweat began to form around her face as she began pointing at stuff on the menu. Nope. To heck with it all. She’ll just go with the saving grace. “I’ll just have what you’re having.”

The waitress who was taking their order gave a snarky look noticing her cheap answer.

When they were finally done with the menu, they were finally given some privacy. Pinkie Pie resisted the urge to face plant herself on the table. She never knew that a date could be this exhausting. And they’ve only just begun.

“Sorry about that.” Flash tried to find a reason to smile but honestly his face was getting tired from doing so. “I didn’t think my dad would make things so… awk…”

“Weird?”

That sounded rather perfect.

“Yeah. Awkweird.” He nodded. “I’m gonna have to have a talk with him after this. Maybe even a lecture.”

“Ha! Yeah. I think I should have a sit-down with my parents too.” Perhaps even an intervention. Maybe she can get Maud to plan it. She could probably bribe her with some rock… or sweet treats. But that’ll be for another day. “Speaking of parents. I don’t think I’ve ever met your dad before. Even during the Parent-Teacher conference thing. Is he like… super small that we can’t see him or is he invisible?”

“Uh… none of the above.” Flash replied shyly. “He’s more of a… away-from-home kind of dad. You know? He’s at home a couple of times and gone most of the time.”

“Oh…”

“But I’m not lonely.” He added quickly enough to avoid that daddy’s boy lone rock star trope. “He keeps in touch all the time and I can call him whenever I want. I’m actually kind of happy that he’s staying a while longer. I just wished he didn’t have to go the extra mile to set all this up.”

“This is an extra mile?” Pinkie gestured to everything around them. “What does a regular mile look like?”

“You don’t wanna know.” Flash sighed, eyeing Pinkie before joining a bizarre laugh. The sudden topic of their parents had tickled their humor in such a way only they could understand. “Can I offer my lady a toast?”

She raised her super-fancy glass in reply. “Why yes you may.” The colorful drink foamed at the edge as they clinked them together. “To good friends! May they never find out about this night!”

“And to our parents?”

“And to our family! May they never do this ever again!”

(Streets of Canterlot)

The streets of the city was a completely different place at night. While it bustled with people from dawn to dusk, when the moon and stars come, folks would say that it looked like a ghost town. The roads would be sparsely populated, if at all. Very few cars would travel here other than the late night workers, street lights that were in disrepair would show up, flickering and buzzing. And on some nights such as this, the whole district would be covered in a thick sheet of mist, giving it a haunting yet mystical feel.

Twilight was completely oblivious to the time as her attention was all focused on her scanner. For some bizarre reason, the source of the magic had become clearer. It was as if the energy had all decided to focus on one point. She had two theories how this could happen.

One: She was a genius.

Or…

Two: Whoever used that magic has decided to use it again only on a smaller scale.

She’d have to go on the latter theory.

“Uh… Twilight. Maybe we should call it a day.” Her little brother in the bag whimpered. “It’s getting kind of dark and this place is getting kind of… creepy.”

“I know it’s late Spike. But I’m getting close now. I think I can finally pinpoint the source of this magic.” The beeping from her device grew stronger and strangely enough it directed her to a certain structure at the end of the road. “And I think I finally found it. It’s… the… Natural History Museum?”

Twilight recognized the building. She visited it before with Pinkie and Rarity during a school fieldtrip. It had a collection of various items from ancient history on display. Some of them looking like… well… ordinary rocks.

She got closer to the building and her scanner began to beep louder with every step she took.

“There’s no doubt about it Spike.” The egghead said to her dog. “This is the place. Whatever’s creating that strange magical energy is definitely in there.” She reached for the door and unsurprisingly found it locked. The museum wouldn’t be open at this time. But thankfully there was a giant sign placed atop the ceiling. “Hmm? The Ancient Wonders of the Mystical Yaztec Civilization?” She gasped.

Spike gave her a confused look. “Ancient Wonders? More like the Boring Wonders. Why would anyone pay to see some silly old vase or some writing on the wall? I write stuff on the wall all the time. Don’t I get a spot in the museum?”

“This explains why this energy just showed up today! The museum must’ve gotten a new addition! There must be an item in there that’s causing all this phenomenon. They probably don’t even know it’s magical.” She reached for the door again and struggled on the handle. “But it’s locked for the night. And it looks like they’re preparing for some kind of event too. We’ll have to wait another time to get inside.” The girl then hastily reached for her phone. “I should probably call Sunset. Wouldn’t want her to worry about me.”

But right before she could send a message or press the call button, her device acted up again. The beeping changed, slowly drifting from one side to another.

“Whoa… that’s weird. My sensor is picking up another energy signature. It’s… the same one as the one we found but it’s… moving? And it’s really close by.”

A shadow whisked pass her startling the girl and her dog. She couldn’t clearly see what it was but she could make out its shape. It was a four legged creature the size of a cow with fur as dark as the night sky. Its hazy form danced around the area matching its rhythm to the strangely flickering lights.

…

……

Clang!

Twilight’s felt her body leap upward when a score of trash bins suddenly tumbled, dropping its disgusting contents. But that didn’t matter as her eye caught sight of the beast.

“There it is!” She shouted.

“Why are we following it?” Spike asked as he hopped onto her. “We aren’t supposed to follow monsters into dark alleys!!!”

She chased the creature through the streets of Canterlot as it tore through public property like a rampaging bull. It ran through benches, stop signs and even more trash bins before finally cutting through an alleyway at a remote intersection.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight didn’t stop for a moment to think as she pursued the beast, following it to a decrepit three storied parking lot. It was old with many of its walls having been broken three times over. And judging from the looks of it, the place seemed like it was scheduled for demolition. It was also the perfect spot for her to lose track of the creature.

Thankfully however, that beast didn’t take into account of her tracking device in her possession. It didn’t matter how fast it was or how many corners it took, the tracker kept its mark on it.

“You can run, but you can’t hide from me.” The girl followed that threat up with a spell lighting her amulet to give her a better sight. “I know you’re in here.”

And she was right on the mark too. Because the moment her amulet lit up she saw the silhouette of the creature in the dark corner, giving off a toothy growl.

“Ooookay…” Twilight said, suddenly regretted her decision. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Ahehehe.” The beast inched closer towards her with its hind legs, swapping the role between prey and predator in an instant. “N… nice doggy? Good doggy. No need to be scared. Because I am pretty much scared for the both of us.” She forced a smile on that last part.

It snarled with its two brightly yellowed eyes, its mouth suddenly parting to reveal a pair of sharp fangs underneath. Was it a dog? No. It was too huge. In fact it was almost four times her size perhaps even bigger than a grown lion. Could it be an escaped animal from the zoo? Was it a timber wolf? No that can’t be it either. There are no timber wolves here in Canterlot. Not even in Everfree forest. At least… she didn’t think so. She’ll have to ask Timber about that when she can – or… if she can.

“B… back away!” She warned, trying to throw the most threatening voice she could muster. And if the creature felt threatened at all, it didn’t show it. It simply inched closer, its massive body growing larger and far more intimidating.

Twilight gasped. She was certain that this thing definitely wasn’t an animal and it didn’t belong on this world.

Without much warning, the creature pounced bearing its teeth at her. But Twilight flimsily dodged it slamming her back against the broken wall.

The girl immediately fought back, using her telekinetic ability to grab some loose debris and tossed it. Fluttershy would probably give her the disapproving look later but she wasn’t here so to heck with that! Her life was on the line for crying out loud! But much to her shock and fear, the objects that she threw at the monster all missed. She tried again with a few more objects on the ground but the result was the same. She missed.

No. She didn’t miss. It was almost like they simply… passed right through the thing. Was this creature ethereal? A ghost?

No. There are no such things as ghosts in this world. Come on Twilight. And you call yourself a scientist?

“That’s… not good.”

Sounding rather humored to the girl’s attempt of resistance, the wolf-like creature snorted and turned its head back at her. She quickly reached for her phone to call for help but the creature pounced once more, faster and stronger. And this time it did not miss.

Twilight let out a grunt as tried to dodge but she was too slow. Its claws tore through her sleeves scratching her forearm. Her phone dropped with the monster as it crashed onto the wall, taking a good portion of the parking lot with it. The whole structure trembled right to its foundation wobbling dangerously.

She wasn’t sure if that was the end of the beast and Twilight decided that she wasn’t gonna wait around to find out. She bolted away from the parking garage, panting heavily and holding her scratched arm in pain.

Hearing the howl and the sound of objects being throw, Twilight knew that she made the right choice in this fight or flight situation. But that wasn’t gonna save her just yet. Because right now that beast had a taste for her and it was coming to finish its meal.

Scared witless out of her life and without a way to call for aid, the young girl did the only thing she could do in this situation.

“Help! Someone! Anyone! HELP!!”

(Near the Huffs and Hooves)

It was the same fun loving Pinkie Pie who skipped down the streets of the city, a wide eyed smile on her face and a song in her head. “Thanks again for letting me take home the cake. I wasn’t sure if that place had doggy bags.”

“No problem. I saw how you were looking at it.” Flash shrugged beside her, wearing nothing but his inner shirt, having removed his coat for Pinkie to wear. “I take it you had a good time?”

“I had a great time!” She gleefully answered. “The food was ok but the entertainment was spectacular!”

“The music?”

“Pfft! No. The waiter.” Pinkie nudged him by the elbow. The two of them were now free from that restaurant having completed their family obligations. Surprisingly enough, the supposed date went off a lot better than she could’ve hoped for.

“Ah. Yeah.” Flash stifled a laugh. “Remember how he fell and the spaghetti spilled all over him?”

“Or how he got covered in sauce and totally looked like one of those horrifying clowns in that movie AT!” She might’ve gotten the name wrong but it was close enough.

“Tell me about it. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or run away screaming.” The poor guy was soon helped by his co-workers who also slid off the food that was spilled doubling the mess. “That was probably the highlight of tonight. I didn’t think I’d laugh so hard.”

“Are you kidding? Did you see the juice coming out of my nose!?”

“Pinkie. I think the whole restaurant saw the juice come out of your nose.”

“Even better!”

“That’s one way to leave a weird impression.” The blue boy shrugged, still smiling. “Hey… anyway. Sorry for this whole… date thing. My dad can be pretty…”

“Blunt? Eager? Doting?”

“I was gonna say ‘Direct’ but those work too. But he does it out of love. He probably thinks that getting you and me on this date will bring us closer together. I’m sorry if it was… kind of awkward at the beginning.”

“Awkweird.” She corrected chuckling with him. “And no big. I told you. My parents are totally the same. It’s always ‘Pinkie, why don’t you go out there?’ or ‘Pinkie, your sister has a boyfriend already. Why don’t you get someone special?’ or something like that.”

“Heh… I guess parents will be parents after all.”

“And besides, I had totes fun!”

And honestly enough, Pinkie wasn’t lying. While the initial cringeness and horror left her bones rattling inside, she enjoyed most of the evening. She thought that she would humiliate herself by doing something wrong or mess up in some way with the food. But thankfully the waiters’ clumsiness broke the ice and she and Flash spent the rest of that night talking and mostly ranting about family and possibly overbearing sisters. They also had some close taste in music, finding more common ground with him than she ever thought possible. All in all, she enjoyed her date, both the food and the entertainment that came with it.

“I’m glad.” Flash said rubbing the back of his head shyly. “I honestly never visited a place that fancy before either. The only fine-dining experience I’ve ever had was back home. And believe me, it was a nightmare.”

That last bit came as a surprise to Pinkie as well. It was only recently that she discovered how loaded Flash’s family was. Even Rarity went on and on about the gaudiness of that place and how expensive their food can be.

“Meh. It was a good change of pace. Having parties every day is fun but taking things slow once in a while can be good for you.”

“Well I’m glad you see it that way. It’s nice to see the other side of Pinkie Pie. You’re really cute, you know that.” They arrive at his car that was parked at the corner of the street.

“I uh… aheh.” Her face suddenly warmed up to the compliment. It’s not every day people call her cute or adorable. “Thanks.”

“We should really hang out more often. I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun with your friends along for…” He paused so suddenly when his ears perked to a familiar voice in the distance. “Did you hear that?”

“Oh! Sorry. That was probably my tummy rumbling. I had loads of ice cream earlier and I think it’s catching up to me.”

“No. Not that. Listen.” The two of them put their ears out into the wind trying to get a gist of the voice. There was something… or someone… calling.

“Help! Somebody help!”

They gasped. “Someone’s in trouble!”

The pair quickly took action and bolted off. They followed the cry for help which led them to a dark alleyway.

“Hello?” Flashed called out. “Is someone there?”

“Help!”

“Stay back!” Pinkie warned as she jumped in front of the boy, opening the doggie bag containing her pastry before dropping to a combat stance. “I got explosive cake and I’m not afraid to use it!”

They heard a ruffling noise from the alley followed by loud trampling footsteps. Whoever it was, was running as fast as she could. The two of them braced but quickly dropped their stance when they recognize the person running.

“Twilight?” Flash barely got a word out when the frightened girl jumped from the darkness and into his arms, hugging him desperately.

“Help! It’s right behind me!” She pointed to the shadows, trembling at whatever it was that chased her. The pair wasn’t sure what was going on but it didn’t matter. If it was threatening their friend, it was an enemy. They quickly got back on their stance and even Spike decided to make a stand for himself, leaping from his owner’s backpack.

They braced and waited, with Flash grabbing a trash bin lid and raising it up like a shield like a certain hero of old.

They waited… and waited…

But nothing came.

No growl, no barks, no man or monster. Only the shadow and the wind that blew with the stench of garbage.

“I… don’t think it’s there.” Pinkie stated, squinting her eyes just to make sure. “Nope. Nothing. Nada.”

“What was chasing you?”

Twilight shook her head furiously. “I… I don’t know! It was some… giant shadow ghostly… wolf thing!” A giant what now? “I know it sounds strange but it chased me all the way from the old parking garage. It was huge and I think it tried to eat me and… ow!”

“Twilight! You’re hurt!” Flash panicked when he noted the nasty gash on her forearm. He looked at the condition and shook his head. “That’s a bad one. We need to get it treated right now before it gets worse. I got a first-aid box in my car. Follow me.”

She did so without a complaint. And thankfully Flash had some skill in first-aid, applying all the necessary medicine before wrapping the wound with bandages. They kept their guard up all the while, making sure that whatever chased Twilight wasn’t going to take them by surprise. But they doubt that the attacker would come here seeing how many people were around.

From there, the girl explained her situation to them though a few of those details were blurred out from all the fright.

“So… you were attacked by an animal?” Flash inquired, adding the final touches to her bandages.

“I don’t know what it was.” Twilight said, finally calming down from her earlier fright. “From what I can tell, it’s not from this world. It was a magical creature. Made from the same magic that Sunset and I felt yesterday.”

“Oooh. Ominous.” Pinkie stated, gorging into her cake which she was planning to use as a weapon earlier. “So… what was it?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know.” Twilight grunted. “I couldn’t even see it… or even touch it. It’s like… it wasn’t even there. But it was there because I have the scar to prove it.”

“Easy Twilight.” Flash insisted on that matter, pulling her arm back for him to finish. “There. That should do it. Feeling any better?”

The girl flexed the wound a bit and flinched. “Much better. Thanks Flash.”

“Hey no problem. Who knew that all those First-Aid lessons with Ms. Cheerilee would actually come in handy? But… we should probably go to a hospital and get that checked out just in case.”

“No!” She covered her mouth holding the yell back. “I mean… no. I’ll be fine. I have a fully functioning lab back home. I’ll be sure to treat it properly when I get back. If I go to a hospital, they’ll have to notify the school and Principal Celestia. And I’d rather keep her and the other students out of this. At least for now.”

“You sure that’s such a good idea? I mean if this thing is dangerous, shouldn’t we let people know?”

“The winter holidays are coming up soon, not to mention Applejack’s family reunion. I don’t want to start a panic or getting hurt because of this. Besides, if this thing is magical, then the only ones who can fight this thing is us. Anyone else involved will only get in the way.”

“I…” Flash opened his mouth to argue but couldn’t find much reason to fight back. Twilight always has been the best when it came to arguments. And she was right. Other than the seven of them, everyone else was pretty much an unneeded burden. They had no magic like these girls. No powers to move objects with your mind, super strength or even make sugary sweet explode on a whim. These girls were special. Individuals who were specifically given these powers to fight the evil that came at them. And him? He was nothing compared to them. “Alright Twilight. Since you guys are the magic expert on this, I’ll let you handle this. Just… please be careful.”

“Thanks for understanding.” She nodded in gratitude. “And… sorry for ruining your suit.”

The boy looked down to his slightly stained outfit where a hint of red dotted his shirt. “Huh? Oh this? Pfft. This is nothing. It’s just some rental. I’m sure it’ll come off with a bit of washing.”

“Speaking of washing. What are you two doing here?”

They froze at the question. “No reason!”

Author's Note

Heya fellow Pony lovers. Here's a little story I made out of my free time. It's a little bit out there but I have a love for Flash centric tales. All manner of criticisms are welcome. And don't forget to put a thumb up if you can. Please and thanks.

Chance Encounter

Chapter 4: A Chance Meeting

(Saturday) (Canterlot Mall)

The Canterlot Mall was buzzed with activity today. With the weekend rolling in, it wasn’t much of a surprise to find this place fully packed to the brim with people nearing shoulder to shoulder just trying to get from one point to another.

Twilight considered her friends to be the most unique bunch of all. They were pretty much the only people in the whole world who she could relate to. The list of those she knows who can actually use magic wasn’t exactly long which often made her feel like an outcast amongst the other students. It was a feeling she was very much familiar with even before she enrolled in CHS. Being the odd one’s out left a scar in her. No one understood what she went through. And thankfully her friends were the most understanding of them all.

“You were attacked!?” She only wished they’d be quiet about it.

“Shhh!” She hushed Sunset as her sudden outburst caused the crowd in the cafeteria to glance in their direction. “Keep it down, will you? Yes. I was attacked.”

“And you didn’t bother to call and tell us!?” Sunset gripped the edges of the table trying her best to control her voice. “What were you thinking?”

“I lost my phone when I ran.” She explained. “It didn’t exactly wait for me to call. But I’m fine now.”

Sunset pulled up the girl’s bandaged arm and pointed at it for all to see. “You call this fine!? You might as well get mauled by a dragon! Arghh! I knew I should’ve gone with you. Ugh… what was I thinking leaving you to explore on your own? You could’ve gotten lost and alone. And with no way of calling for help, it could’ve been much worse.”

“Yes. But it didn’t.”

“So what happened?” Applejack asked, sipping through her soda in anticipation. “Did you fight the monster off?”

“Did you use your powers and throw it across the alley like Daring Do in the Cavern of the Chupacabra?” Rainbow questioned, also looking intrigued, ignoring Fluttershy’s adorable glare. “Or lead it to one of your elaborate traps like in Crypt of the King!?”

“Uh… none?” She answered deflating the multicolor-haired girl’s excitement. “After I got patched up, I stayed with Pinkie for the night. I didn’t feel like being alone after I went through. I tried using my powers but I couldn’t even touch it. It was like it was there and… not there at the same time. So I ran instead.”

“Ah man. And here I was, thinking there’d be action in this story.”

“Rainbow!” Rarity scolded. “Life of a friend here? Remember?”

“Yeah yeah. But we already know she made it out with just a scratch. I was hoping for more danger and…” Their glares made it clear that they were not in the mood. “Uh… so… we’re all really glad that you’re ok?”

“Oh you poor thing.” Fluttershy interjected, reaching for Twilight’s wound. “I know some medicine that’ll make it feel all better.”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Twilight waved it off. “I had a nurse check it out this morning. She said I just need to keep it covered for a few weeks. I’m just glad I ran into Flash and Pinkie when I did.”

“Flash and Pinkie?” The gang turned to one of the suspects in question.

“I… was… getting cake!” Pinkie explained though somehow it sounded rather believable. “After my uh… outing, I met him along the way?”

“Oh right! Your date!” Rarity squealed. “I completely forgot about it. How was it? The restaurant I mean. Was it fabulous? Did the ceiling sparkle like the stars when you were inside?”

“Uh… Rarity.” Sunset thankfully intervened. “We’re kinda dealing with Twilight’s thing right now.” Pinkie brushed off the sweat from her forehead in relief. “But we’ll get back to her afterwards.”

Another betrayal!

“So any luck finding this source of magic?” Applejack questioned. “You were quite obsessed with it yesterday.”

Twilight’s face beamed. “As a matter of fact, I did. I managed to trace the source to the Natural History Museum. The signal was strongest there and that’s also where I first met the shadow monster. My hypothesis is that they brought in an artifact and didn’t know of its magical nature. Someone must’ve used it by accident.”

“Ok, that’s good.” Sunset nodded, finally calming down from her earlier outburst. “So what do we do?”

“Well I’m planning to visit the museum this afternoon and check out the new Yaztec exhibition. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to find…”

“Up tut tut.” Rarity waved her finger at her. “Sorry darling but if my memory serves, the museum is hosting an event to help fund the construction of a new wing this weekend. The place will be closed to the public until then. And unless you have money to put in the giant pot, you may as well not come at all.”

“But… then how am I supposed to find the thing if I can’t even get in?”

“Can’t you just wait till the exhibition is over?” Sunset suggested.

“No we can’t! Whatever this object is, is connected to the monster that attacked me. Who knows what kind of damage it can do if we leave it alone? Other people might get hurt. Like it or not girls, but we’re the only ones who can stop it. I need to find a way in as quickly as possible. I don’t suppose anyone got ideas?”

The gang looked at one another but fail to pop any plan.

Until Sunset recalled something. “Wait… I think I might know a way. Flash said that his dad was hosting this event. Maybe I can get in as his Plus-1.”

“You mean ‘I’ can get in.” Twilight corrected.

“Oh no you’re not. After what happened last night, you’re staying as far away as possible from that place.”

“But this could be the biggest discovery since our cruise at sea!”

“And just like those times, we were all in danger.”

“You do remember that was Rainbow’s fault, right?” Everyone quietly snuck a glance to the girl in question who returned with an awkward laugh, hiding her face behind her soda. “Anyway, this is ridiculous. I can totally handle myself. Besides, it won’t be that dangerous. I’ll be in a party.”

“All the more reason for you not to go.”

“I was the one who found the source of the magic. I deserve to go!”

“Twilight. You’re dealing with powers that we’ve never even seen before.”

“Which is why I’m the one who has to go. I’m the only one who knows how to handle the device capable of tracking it.” She barked back. “And if you’re so worried, why don’t you come along as well!?”

“Fine then!” Sunset reached for her phone and immediately sent a text to Flash. Thankfully she never removed his number from her contact list. Hopefully he still has her number. “We’ll both go to the museum and search for this mystical item. TOGETHER!”

“Fine!”

Fluttershy leaned in on the fashionista. “You think it’s a good idea to leave them alone like this?”

Rarity chuckled with the others. “A single young boy going with two dates in an evening party for the rich and snooty? How scandalous~. What ever would they say?”

“It’s not a date!” They replied hastily just as Flash answered her text back.

“Nothing good, that’s for sure.” The cowgirl whispered. “Speaking of parties. You’re all still going to my family reunion tomorrow, right?” They all nodded, confirming their attendance. “Good. It’s gonna be the biggest one yet.”

“And the Rainbooms will be there to liven things up with our awesome gig!” Dash strummed her air guitar finely. “We all set for rehearsal this evening?”

“You all practice without me. I’m gonna be using a little strength magic to add the final touches in the barn with Big Mac.”

Fluttershy was about to add something to the conversation but was interrupted when her cellphone rang. A message popped up on the screen which was short was quick to the point. “Uh… Twilight. I have a text here for you.”

“For me?” The glassed girl raised a curious brow. “From who?”

“It’s from Timber. He’s apparently looking for you. I have no idea how he got my number though.”

“Timber!” Twilight slapped her forehead and groaned. “I totally forgot. We were supposed to be on a date today. It must’ve completely slipped my mind. And he can’t contact me either.”

Sunset gave a coy smirk. “Aha… I guess that means you won’t be going to that party after all. Too bad. I guess I’ll be doing the investigation tonight.”

Would it be petty to use her telekinetic powers to tilt that plastic cup on her shirt? Because right now that was a very tempting prospect.

“I’ll have to tell him to call it off.”

“You’re gonna blow him off, just like that!?”

“I have to. This is a really important matter. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“Of course he will.” Sunset teased, imitating her sweet little voice. “Dear Timber. I’m so sorry. But I have to bail on our date tonight. I’m just going on another date in a big fundraiser party with Flash Sentry to investigate some magic disturbance. Oh did I also mention that I’m going with Flash Sentry? A boy from my school?” Her grin was so irritating that she just wanted to slap it off her face. “Yeah… try to spin that into something positive.”

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Sunset on this, darling.” The fashionista added. “Timber is your boyfriend and he’s taken time off from his busy schedule to visit you. You can’t just blow it off just because of a magical emergency.”

“But… the magic and…”

“Take it easy Twily.” The redhead rebel cooed. “It’s not every day you get to meet your boyfriend. Why not chill for a while? Get your mind off last night.”

With everyone seeming putting their bits on Sunset’s side, Twilight could do nothing but sigh in defeat and comply with their wishes.

“Ugh… fine. Here.” She handed over her magical tracking device. “I’ve already calibrated the sensor readout. It should point you in the direction of the source. Find out what it is and call me when you do. I uh… gotta go.”

“Relax. I know how to handle your toy. Now go have fun. I’m sure Timber is also getting worried about you.” They watched as the young brain of the group vanished from sight leaving the gang to finally relax. “I should probably head out too. I’ll see you guys later?”

“Ahem!” Rarity coughed to grab your attention. “And just where do you think you’re going darling?”

“Uh… home?” She shrugged. “Flash already agreed to pick me up at my place. I need to get change.”

“And what, pray tell, are you planning to wear to the event?”

“My… uh… usual attire?” Sunset answered back like it wasn’t a big deal for her, which… Rarity could understand.

“You do know that this is a black-tie event right?” The fashionista reminded scanning the girl from top to bottom. “This isn’t just some event dear. It’s a gathering of the rich and influential. No offense darling, your attire is very much you. But if you go to that party with that then you may as well be wearing rags. Everyone will be staring at you and I can imagine you don’t want to stand out now, do you?”

“Well no…”

“Perfect! Then we have just enough time to get you a new dress.” She practically teleported to Sunset’s side waving her arms around in an arc. “We need something bold, something wild, something volatile! Something that screams to the world and says… I am here! Look at me!”

“Uh… what happened to not standing out?”

“Everyone in that party will want to stand out dearie.” Rarity explained with an honest smile. “And by standing out, you will blend into the crowd like a grasshopper on a tree. No need to thank me, dear. What are friends for if not obnoxiously intruding in someone else’s love life? Now come on!” She grabbed the girl by the arm and disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the rest of the gang behind.

“She was just looking for an excuse to shop, wasn’t she?” Applejack stated which everyone agreed almost immediately. “Yup… that’s what I thought.”

(Twilight’s House)

Twilight panted heavily when she hopped off the bus. She wished she had biked to the mall instead but unfortunately her wounded arm prevented her from doing so. Her home was just a few steps away. She still had time to clean up and get changed before Timber…

“Twilight?”

“Bwah!” She fumbled on her house keys, nearly dropping them. “Y… you’re here? Already?”

“Well I was here for a while now actually.” He replied, smiling weakly. Crud, that didn’t look good. What kind of a girlfriend was she to keep him waiting outside her house? “I tried calling you but your phone wasn’t working.” Because it was torn to pieces by a ginormous wolf monster!

“Ah… yeah. I uh… dropped it. Somewhere. Ahehehe…”

“Oh ok. So… are we still on for our date?”

“Absolutely! Totally! Yeah! Just uh… give me a minute to change. Ahehe…”

He nodded quietly before his eyes turned to her arm. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“What? Oh! This little thing? It’s nothing.” She hid the bandages away. “It was a cooking accident. I mean… science experiment gone wrong! Yeah… that sounds reasonable. Be back in a sec!” She then slammed the door shut and immediately got to changing.

(Afternoon) (Sunset’s house)

Flash couldn’t really remember the last time he drove to this place. Back when he was still going out with Sunset, he looked forward to coming here every time. Despite her cruel behavior back then, he always saw the beauty in her. She was like a diamond that needed a little smoothing around the edges. And thankfully Twilight came and made her shine even brighter than ever.

Parking his car by the road, the boy fixed his coat and adjusted his hair. But then he realized there really wasn’t much of a point seeing as this wasn’t a real date either. Sunset made it clear in her text that she and her friends were going on a magical adventure and that it could also be dangerous so they shouldn’t stick around together. It was her polite way of saying that he was nothing more than a burden should things get heated.

Only magic can deal with magic. And right now only those girls had the power to deal with mystical monsters from another world.

Walking to the front of the house he breathed a sigh of confidence before ringing the bell button on the side. He wondered if he should’ve brought flowers. No… that would be too daring. It wasn’t a date. Just an outing with friend. Besides, the only flower he got on him was the rose in his breast pocket.

“Coming!” He heard her voice on the other side. There was a commotion that followed. Furniture being moved, things crashing and curses thrown around. “Ugh! Stupid lamp!”

“Sunset?” Flash spoke up. “You ok in there?”

“Yeah just a sec! Argh! How do you even put this…? Aha!” He quickly prompted himself ready as he heard the locks being undone. “Sorry. I’m not used to putting this on.”

“No problem. I was in the same situaaaaaa… tion…?” If he was in a cartoon, his jaw would be hitting the floor so hard that it’d sink to the planet’s crust. “Whoa…”

His heart skipped a beat.

Sunset was dropped dead gorgeous. He was used to punk rebel sense of fashion that showed her strength and independence to the world. But now she traded that skirt and jacket for a short sleeved dress. A long red dress with orange trims that went incoherent with her hair complimenting her arm length gloves. Her hair was still the same but the smell of perfume and the small tinge of makeup that was applied enhanced her natural beauty.

“Do I look weird?”

Perish the thought madam!

Flash shook his head violently that it was amazing that it didn’t come off. Was it getting hot in here? Why was everything going blurry all of a sudden? Oh right, he needed to breathe. When did that stop being an automatic thing? Darn body was betraying him just like his face. Oh no… was he red? He was red, wasn’t he? He could feel it. He was probably even redder than her hair.

Oh god, she’s looking at him. Probably expecting an answer. Quick you moron! Say something! Something clever! Anything!

“Mbuhwll…”

Sunset blinked. “What?”

You stupid idiot!

“I mean… no! Not at all!” He tucked one foot back rubbed the back of his neck. Only did he realize that his hands were empty. Damn it! If he knew she was gonna come like this she would’ve brought her flowers or a whole dang chocolate shop! Where’s Pinkie when you need her!? “You look… absolutely… beautiful.”

She returned the shy gesture, smiling back awkwardly. “Thanks. Rarity picked it out for me.” A thousand blessings go to fashionista! “I… don’t normally attend super formal events so I didn’t know what to wear.”

“Well she certainly made the right choice. That dress really suits you.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” He smiled warmly which made the redhead blush in turn. “You’ll fit right in with the crowd. I think they might even be jealous.”

“Ha! Now you’re just exaggerating.”

“We’ll find out.” He paused when an idea came to mind. “Oh! One second.” With a quick motion he plucked the rose from his breast pocket and tucked it neatly atop her ear. “There… now you’re even more beautiful.” Sunset chuckled back at his sweet actions but didn’t decline it. “Shall we go, my lady?”

The boy skillfully offered his arm to which she graciously accepted.

Date or not… Flash was definitely gonna make the most out of it.

(Movie Theater)

The movie was mediocre to say the least.

The plotline was simply, almost a pale imitation to its prequel. An ordinary sleepy town out in the countryside is visited by a snow monster/ghost and is slowly wreaking havoc across its populace. The locals believe it to be a series of bad luck but several teens witness the monster. They try to tell the folks but like in most cliché movies, no one believes them. And like before these kids band together and try to stop the monster themselves. Everything going according to the tropes.

“Yarrow! No!” The main protagonist shouted as his love interest was taken by the monster into a dark hole. “How could you Bethany!? We trusted you!”

“Mwahahaha! Fools! This has all been a ruse! A ruse to get you all here!”

Twilight shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth as the movie reaches its climax. The teens have cornered the monster in its lair preparing to slay it for good. But it was later discovered that one of the kids was the main villain this whole time as she was the one who summoned the monster here in the first place.

It was a nice plot twist but it wasn’t gonna save the movie from all the critics who are no doubt, ready to give it a half-baked score.

“Something wrong?” Timber whispered noting the girl’s bored expression. “You look… sad.”

“What? No! I’m having. Really. I’m just… really focused on the movie. It’s really interesting.” The answer seemed to satisfy her boyfriend. It wasn’t a total lie. But to be honest she stopped listening to the story about half-way through. The sudden exposition about magic in the plotline really got her thinking about the magic source in the museum. She tried not to think about it and focused on the date but the thought of discovering it first itched at the back of her mind.

“So you were the one who summoned it!?” The protagonist barked. “So you’re the one who’s behind all this chaos!”

“Of course I did! Do you really believe that monsters exist in this world!? I created the beast from magic. It serves me above all!”

Serve? Summoned?

“A summoned monster?” Twilight gave the idea a thought. “Huh… that does sound plausible.”

“You’ll never get away with this! We’ll stop you!”

“Oh please, David. Don’t be such a cliché hero. Because…” An inky shadow surrounded the villain changing her form. “… I’ve already won!” She then came out of the ink in the shape of a giant wolf.

Twilight’s body stiffened while a few others screamed internally in the theater. Memories from last night began to pour in. The fear and terror she felt back then slowly resurfaced making her body freeze. Her wound began to throb and every fiber of her being wanted to do run away. She closed her eyes as the monster leap.

Flash! Help!

xxxxxxxxxx

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Her green haired boyfriend asked as they left the theater, the movie ending in a cliffhanger baiting folks to an annoying sequel. “You looked pretty pale back there.”

Twilight took a deep breath before she answered. “I’m fine. Really. That… scene just took me by surprise, that’s all.” And frightened the soul out of her too. “I just need a minute to catch my breath.”

“Sorry. I didn’t think it would’ve been that scary. I would’ve taken you to a different movie.”

“No no… it’s not your fault. Just some bad memories. I just… need a moment.”

Timber gave her a hand and smiled cutely. “Hey, you know I got ya. We still got time. If you want, we can probably grab a bite before we head off to the botanical garden. I know a diner close by that serves the best clam chowder ever. We can forget all about that lame movie over a good meal.”

Food does sound good right about now. It would certainly take her mind off that monster.

“Yeah… that does sound like a good idea.” She nodded, her color returning to her face.

But the sound of a crowd roaring in the distance caught their attention. They turned to the source finding a line of people arrayed outside a building. Twilight then recalled that the Museum of Natural History wasn’t far from the movie theater. The thought of it must’ve slipped her mind.

“Whoa…” Timber gawked at the people all dressed in their fancy outfits. “Looks like there’s some big party at the museum. Look at all them suits. Ever wondered what it’d feel like to actually attend one of those?”

No. But she was sure Sunset would. Judging by how packed the place was, her best friend was probably there right now with Flash, no doubt looking for the source of the magic.

But she already agreed to leave it all to Sunset. She can handle herself, right? There shouldn’t be any reason for her to go over there and meddle. She should just stay here and enjoy her date.

…!

“What the?” Twilight felt a tingle in her body. It was that same tingle that she felt in school. A wave of that mysterious magic. It acted like some kind of shockwave, reacting her body’s unique geode.

There was no doubt about it. Someone had used the same magic again and in a short burst. Just enough to be felt on the skin of her hair. Something must be up.

“Hey… Timber. Sorry about this but do you mind if we cut our date short?”

“What?”

“I know I know. I’m sorry. I feel terrible after you went over everything for me. And I really want to spend time with you. It’s just that… well…” She gritted back sharply. “It’s kind of a magical emergency.”

“But…”

She was already bolting off before he could ask. “I’ll make it up to you! I promise!”

(Museum of Natural History)

Sunset felt that wave of energy too. It was softer, more controlled, unlike the first time she felt it half way across the city. Twilight was definitely right about the source. Whatever it was, it was definitely coming from the museum. The hair on her head practically vibrated from it. Still, she kept her game face on. She couldn’t possibly do anything to ruin the night for everyone, especially for this kid who was grinning from ear to ear like he was the luckiest man alive.

He was kind of adorable looking like he had just won the lottery. It actually kind of reminded her of when they first started dating. He would smile sweetly at her even though she was cruel to others. The light in his eyes always sparkled whenever they were together.

Ugh…

She slapped her cheeks when the old memories surfaced. Why did she have to remember that now of all time?

Thankfully the car came to a stop, breaking her train of thoughts and a valet came by and opened the door for her.

“Master Flash. Welcome.” An older gentleman greeted by the door. He had that butler attire with the goatee to match it. “Your father has been expecting you. Please enter. I shall have the valet handle your car with care.”

“Thanks Edmund.” The boy nodded to him like he was an old friend and quickly rushed to her side. “Ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Sunset replied grabbing his arm and slowly walked in. “So… Master Flash?”

“Eh… don’t think about it.” He waved it off gently. “Come on. I’ll show you around the exhibition.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Much to Sunset’s surprise, the whole museum looked as if it was reconfigured for this whole event. The banners were changed to match the theme of the event along with all the environment. The main hall where all the rocks and dinosaur display used to be were removed to make space for all the guests to mingle in. Tables were put on the sides with treats and refreshments. And at the far end, the main attraction. The Yaztec collection exhibit.

And much to her relief there were actually a few kids her age hanging around here too. Though most of them looked like they came from Crystal Prep Academy. You can recognize that high and mighty demeanor anywhere. But at the very least she and Flash wouldn’t be the only teens around here meaning they wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

“Wow… they really went all out with this place.”

Flash nodded proudly in agreement. “Yeah. My dad can be a perfectionist. He rented out the whole place for the weekend.”

“How much is that costing him? It can’t be cheap to rent a whole venue like this… or the catering for that matter.”

“No clue. But like Filthy Rich says: You gotta spend money to make money. Or… was it throw money at a problem and it’ll go away?”

“I think you’re right on both marks.” She chuckled. “And… speaking of your dad. Of all the time we were dating back then – I don’t think I’ve ever met your parents.”

“It’s a good thing too. Dad would’ve hated the old you.” Ouch that was uncalled for. “Oh… wait. That came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s fine.” She reassured him patting his shoulder. “I’m used to it. The old me is gone now. I’m the new Sunset Shimmer, remember?”

“Yeah… new.” He tried to laugh it off but failed. His eye fell upon her chest. “Uh… just to clarify. Is that thing supposed to do that?”

Sunset looked down to her chest and immediately noted Twilight’s tracking device acting up. That was pretty quick too. Barely ten steps in and they were already in business.

“Huh. That was quick.” That was plainly obvious. “Guess that means we get to work early.” She turned to the boy and gave a mischievous grin. “So… Flash. Weren’t you gonna give me the tour of the exhibit?” The boy flashed a smile and was more than happy to lead the way.

They acted like a pair, slowly following the tick of the tracker. From there they came across many relics from an ancient civilization, all looking quite intriguing if not a little stone-age. From bow to whip, to slings and spears. Heck they even got a mannequin wearing a fully restored armor of one of their warriors. Rarity would totally want that feather hat for her collection. It’ll greatly inspire her for a bird costume. But whoever these people were, it was clear that they were pretty warmongering. Hardly anything remained that wasn’t associated with battle.

“Anything?”

Sunset grunted in reply. “No. This thing is pointing all over the place. Maybe it’s broken.” She tapped on the device a few times which then prompted it to focus on an object close by. “There! Found it! It’s… wait… now there’s two?”

“Two?” Flash raised a quizzical look. “Is that possible?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “There could be more than one item here that possesses magic. That would explain why this thing is pointing us in circles.” Another blip appeared. “And now there’s three.”

“Can everything here be magic?”

“No. That’d be too obvious. I’d know if there was that much magic in one place.” Her eyes then turned to the largest light on the scanner which in turn darted towards an object at the sideline of the corridor. “And it looks like we found our first winner.”

Flash eyed the object in the glass display and tilted his head to see it in a different perspective.

It was a dagger of sorts. The short handle was already too worn for it to be of any use but the blade itself was still in mint condition. There were runic marks carved onto it which looked like words… maybe even a quote.

“This broken thing?” Flash inquired. “Are you sure? It doesn’t look magical.”

“Definitely sure.” Sunset confirmed it with a nod. “I can feel the magic within it now that I’m close enough. It’s giving out the same feeling as the one I felt from school. Do you know what it is?”

“You’re gonna have to ask my dad.” He laughed awkwardly. “He’s the one who found it and not to mention a history professor too. In fact, all the items you see in this exhibit came from his collection. We normally store it in the house but they probably just gather dust.”

“Wow… your dad is quite the collector. Cleaning all that must be a pain. Does your mom allow it?”

“I wouldn’t really know. My mom passed away when I was very young.”

“Oh!” Sunset flinched. “Uh… sorry.”

But the boy waved it off without a problem. “Don’t be. I hardly remember her, if at all. But I am curious about this thing. I wonder how it feels to be able to see magic. As far as I can see, it’s just an old knife.”

“It’s actually a dagger.”

“GAH!” They startled when a familiar stoic voice interrupted them.

“M… Maud!?” The redhead nearly choked on her spit recognizing Pinkie’s sister. “Wh… what are you doing here?”

“I work here.” She said deadpanned, sporting a maid outfit with a tray of drinks in hand. “The museum curator had all staff come here as extra workforce. It’s extra pay so I volunteered.”

Flash whispered. “Do volunteers get paid?”

“They do in my book.” Fair point. “Anyway, if you’re curious about the object. It’s called the Yaztec Sacrificial Dagger. Like its name suggest, it is a dagger used for ritual sacrifices. The Yaztec was an ancient tribe of people with the sole focus on warfare and conquering everyone that didn’t agreed with their views.” Sounds about right with everything they’ve seen so far. “Their Shamans would sacrifice animals onto altars believing that it would grant them unique powers of that animal.” Ah… ok then. Rule #1: Don’t ever show this to Fluttershy. Ever.

“Wow… that’s kind of descriptive.” Sunset noted. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in anything here other than rocks and gemstones.”

“I don’t. But the curator told us that we should memorize these things. And… I am the museum’s tour guide after all.” Ah right. She forgot about that.

“Then… you know every item here?”

“Most that are on display. I memorized each of them as part of my extra pay. The centerpiece however, will be explained by the curator and the owner of the collection.”

“Great! Then… I don’t suppose you’d mind explaining a few other items for us now, would you?”

Maud blinked. “Actually I do. I’m still on the clock. And doing extra work doesn’t get me a bonus.”

“Please Maud?” Flash pleaded. “We could really use some help. And you’re better with any of this stuff than we ever could.”

The elder Pie looked at him, then up and down, blinked twice and then shrugged. “I suppose I can’t say no to you.”

She can’t?

“Really?”

“But you’ll have to help me.” She added quickly enough offering them a drink from her tray. “I get a 3 minute break for every eight glasses I return. So…” The two looked to each other with a small smile and quickly drank all the glasses in the tray. “Wonderful. What would you like to see next?”

“Wait.” Sunset stopped. “I need to record this. Otherwise Twilight will never let me hear the end of it. Do you think they’ll mind if I take pictures?”

“It’s an exhibition.” Flash reminded. “I think they’ll insist.”

(Applejack home)

Applejack let out a good hollering as she put in the last of the tables into the barn. It was hard work but it certainly paid off. By tomorrow evening, this whole place will be packed with her entire family and a few selected friends from school. The barn would be packed so full that it would be bursting at the seams. Thankfully the outside was still open for everyone.

“Phew. I’m glad that’s done.” The cowgirl declared rolling her arm after a full day’s use of her super strength. “I’d say that this place is ready for the Apple Family Reunion. We got the ciders stored up to the ceiling, Granny’s making her pie, the tables and chairs are all set and the Rainbooms will be playing on stage for the whole world to hear.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed with his usual one word-liner. He pulled a rope by the door raising the large banner with a big large apple plastered in the middle.

“Nice job. Now all that’s left is getting the animals in. Don’t want the cows and horses messing all our hard work.”

“Nope.”

“Oh oh!” Apple Bloom waved her hand, jumping up and down. “Can I help? I’ve always wanted to wrangle the animals.”

“Hehe. Not today Sugar Cube. Big Mac and I are plenty already. But you can still help Granny in the house. We’re gonna need a big meal for everyone tomorrow and she’s running solo.”

“Aww… fine.”

Yup everything was going to be perfect tomorrow. She just hopes that this whole magic business that Twilight got into wasn’t gonna bite them in the rear. They could all use a break from this magic nonsense and enjoy school life like ordinary kids. Not going out on dangerous adventures that would risk the lives of every citizens in Canterlot City… or at least not those in school. Seriously though. If they can go one semester without encountering another magical she-demons or ancient magical monsters, she wouldn’t complain.

“Come on big brother. You handle the horses in the stable, I got the cows. And make sure you put those lamps away. A single drop from those and we can kiss this place goodbye.”

The field of her family’s farm was a majestic sight no matter what time or day they were in. With its open land for grazing, the apple orchard nearby and the cornfield next door, you can pretty much find a whole big bounty every season. It was practically her version of paradise.

The stars had already conquered the sky when got to the cow pens. With their bright queen ruling over them with her soft warm glow. Now normally she’d just let these big eaters just laze around the field and turn in for the night. But with winter slowly approaching she’d rather have them inside the stables than to get sick.

“Alright you lazy lubs. It’s bed time. That means getting in. And I’m talking to you too Mooriella. Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did to me last week. I’ll remind you again that my hair is not a snack to chew on. And that goes double for you Clarice. Now giddiyup.” The cows let out a yawning moo but complied nonetheless. They slowly slumped their way to the stables, their bells chiming in rhythm to their march. “Atta girls. Goodnight to you all. Don’t you be dreaming of sheep now. Ahehehe. Eh?” She paused when she noted the numbers weren’t right. “Wait a second. One two three four… hey where’s Maible?”

The answer came in the form of a moo coming from the cornfield.

“Oh for the love of…” She held back the curse and quickly made her way to the source of the sound finding the not-so-lost cow hidden amongst the corn. “Maible. What do you think you’re doing? Come on outta there. It’s way passed your bedtime and you need to go in with the others.” She leaned in to grab the bovine but found it suddenly whimpering back. “Eh? Maible! Come on girl. I’m tired and I still got a few errands to run. I don’t have time to play hide and seek with you. Maible! Heeeee! Gotcha!”

“Mooo!”

“Whoa there!” Applejack hastily activated her super strength making sure that the cow wouldn’t just bolt off. “What’s gotten into you girl? You look like you just got the color sucked out of ya.”

“Mooo~” Again it whimpered, slinking back to the ground, eyes furrowed in fear.

“Maible?” But just as Applejack was about to hoist it up, a rustling in the cornfield caught her attention. “H… hello? Is someone there?”

…

All she got was silence and the cold breeze blowing from the north.

No… there was someone… or something there. She can feel it.

Another rustling. It was moving faster and a lot closer.

“Apple Bloom? Big Mac? That you?” There was no reply. “If this is some kind of joke, it ain’t funny. You’re scarin the heebie-jeebies out of Maible.” Then there was a growl. “Fellas?” Two brightly sharpened pupil-less eyes appeared and slowly began to approach her followed by a snarl. “Uh oh…”

The large creature pounced, its mighty jaw opening to swallow up its meal.

“Gang way!” But thankfully Applejack had quicker reflexes and bolted off while her cow ran the other way.

She ran. She ran fast and didn’t bother to look back. Because whatever that creature was it was definitely not your ordinary predator. The darn thing was huge! About half the size of her barn but still huge either way.

Was that the thing that Twilight encountered in the city? The big bad wolf that can blow your house down like it was made out of wood and straw?

Why was it here? And why was it after her?

“Gah!” She flinched back when its claws took a swipe at her cutting a row of harvest down with barely an effort. “Hey! Watch it! They’re not yet ripe! Do you know how long it took for us to grow these?” If it had any care whatsoever, it didn’t show it. It just snarled back, preparing for another attack. “I guess you ain’t interested?”

It pounced again and Applejack ducked under it. She made some distance between her and the creature finally reaching the end of the field. An ordinary gal would’ve run home immediately but Applejack wasn’t an ordinary gal.

She quickly bolted to the barn. And with a burst of magic, she reached out for one of the tables and ripped a portion of it off using it like a club. Granny was gonna be ticked off later but she’ll fix it when she got the time. Right now she was gonna make her stand. Nobody threatens her animals and gets away with it.

Like a lion answering the challenge, the beast burst out of the cornfield, huffing. The monster clearly matched Twilight’s description word for word. It was huge, four legged and it definitely looked like a giant wolf.

Suddenly the creature snorted as if it was provoking her to attack. It wanted to play a game of chicken. Well fine. She knew the rules. She can play.

They locked eyes with one another for a brief moment trying to discern a hint of weakness. And for a moment they would’ve stayed there. Until the beast decided to go first.

It ran at her at full speed, fangs at the ready. Just as she planned.

The cowgirl dodged, and then in a moment of fumbling she swung the wooden plank at it with enough strength to make a crater. It’ll take a while to redo all of the remodeling. But it was worth it. At least that monster was down for the count.

Or at least that’s what she thought.

When the smoke finally cleared she realized something was wrong. The monster was still standing and it looked unscathed. There was no way in heck she could’ve missed something that huge at this close range.

Upon closer inspection she realized that her makeshift club had somehow gone through it like it was made out of smoke and shadow. She gasped and groaned when it swiped at her knocking her down like she was made out of sack of flour.

Panicking, the little girl quickly crawled through the barn hiding under tables and chairs. But she only delayed the inevitable. The beast let out a roar and began crushing through all in its path. Its large size and mighty jaw tore the furniture and walls destroying all the work she and her siblings did in the past week.

Eventually it found her, cornered by the wall, terrified out of her mind.

“YAHHH!” A fearsome roar suddenly echoed from the barn, a pitchfork in hand.

“Big Mac!?”

Her brother yelled out another mighty battle cry and began tossing hay bales at the creature trying his best to distract it. But they only seemed to ghost through the creature.

“Stop Big Mac! That don’t work on it!” But her brother wouldn’t listen and charged in with his pitchfork. He swiped at the beast getting at least four good swing. But like before, his attacks simply fizzed through it.

Annoyed by his feeble attempts, the creature swiped its tail at him sending the boy to the wall right opposite his sister. The sound of wood cracking only showed signs of how powerful it was. She cried out his name but to no avail. The monster then turned its attention back to her, preparing to swallow her whole.

Still, Big Mac wasn’t out of the fight just yet. With what little strength he could muster, the boy reached out for one of the old oil lamps he tucked away and lit it up. And then with one swift motion he threw the lantern on the floor. The effects were nearly instant as the fire and oil spread around the ground. The straws of hay scattered around the area then spread the fire to different areas, illuminating the barn.

And from there she saw it clear. Or… at least that’s what Applejack believed. When the barn lit up the monster no longer had any shadows to hide.

It was a shadow. A literal shadow of a beast. It had no physical form other than the eyes and teeth and the silhouette that gave away its shape.

Applejack feared that this creature would be the last thing she ever saw. She expected it to finish her with one big bite. She closed her eyes and braced for the inevitable, thinking of her friends and family. Her body shook. And she waited…

… and waited.

But the bite never came.

Was this it? Is this how death felt like? Was it supposed to be hot and painless?

She waited a while longer, but again nothing happened.

Her fear gripped much of her heart. But eventually curiosity kicked in and she cracked one eye open, expecting the creature to be there, snarling evilly at her. However… to her amazement… it was gone.

That frightening monster vanished like it bolted off the moment the fire spread. Applejack looked around, confused on how she was still standing – unlike the barn that was about to drop on her head.

“Big Mac!” She noted her brother lying on the ground, motionless. Applejack knelt down beside him, a sign of relief spread across her face when she realized that he was still breathing. “Oh thank the stars. I thought I lost you for a second there.” But there was little time to debate when the wood that held the barn up began to creak and crack as fire gripped them. “Hang on. I’ll get us out of here!”

“Arghh!”

“I know it hurts. Just… just hang onto me!” Using her super strength once more, Applejack hastily pulled her brother out right before the whole place came toppling down on them.

The whole barn lost its foundation and crumbled in an instant, becoming the city’s biggest bonfire in a manner of minutes.

The cowgirl quickly laid her brother to the floor, trying to keep his head up. “Breathe Big Mac. Breathe for me. This ain’t no time for quitting, partner. The great big orchard in the sky ain’t open for business yet!”

“E… e…yup.” He grunted painfully.

“Applejack!” Her little sister came over with Granny following not far behind.

“What in tarnation happened? My barn!”

“Forget the barn!” Applejack shouted at them, tears forming in her eye. “Call an ambulance!”

(Museum of Natural History)

“This is the ceremonial bowl of the Yaztec people.” Maud explained gesturing to the third object in question. “It was used by their alchemists to brew potions using a variety of herbs to strengthen their bodies and senses to its peaks condition. The recipes for these potions are said to have been written on tapestries to pass the knowledge on from master to apprentice. However the text and translation have proven difficult and are yet to be announced. It is said that the revelation would be the big thing in the archeological business.”

“Great story, Maud.” Sunset smiled as she snapped a close up photo of the object. “A lot better than the last one. I wouldn’t be able to tell one thing from another without your help. The magic on this item is stronger too.”

“You’re welcome.” She offered the two another tray of drinks which they graciously accepted. Thankfully nothing here was served with alcohol. A bunch of drunken rich folks in a building full of priceless artifacts didn’t fit very well. “Though honestly, I liked the statue.” Of course she’d like it seeing how it was made of rocks.

“I still don’t see anything.” Flash gave out his point of view. “It just looks like a bowl to me. I wish I knew how magic feels like.”

Sunset shrugged. “Well… I can’t really explain it. Magic is just something I’ve had my whole life. When I was in Equestria, I could feel magic when I was just a foal. That uh… a baby horse by the way.” Her ex just waved it off, taking it for what it was. “Think of like… an extra organ in your body… or maybe an extra limb. It’s what gives us these unique powers like… having the ability to fly, being super strong or…”

“Having the power to read minds?”

Ah… right. “That one is different. But like I said, it’s hard to explain.”

“I’ll bet.” He shrugged. “It’s hard to believe that some of the artifacts my dad brought from his exploration actually has magic in them. What does it all mean?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Sunset poked his nose teasingly. “Now come on. There’s just one more signal on this tracker and it’s pointing at those curtains. Any idea what’s in there?”

Flash eyed the mysteriously covered object, thinking deeply but then shook his head in reply.

“That would be the centerpiece of the collection.” Maud answered for him in the same stoic tone as ever. “A priceless artifact that depicts the center of the Yaztec culture. The curator will be presenting it in about… 15 minutes. It’s supposed to be… grand. No one is allowed to view it until then.”

“Well that’s a bummer.”

“Not entirely.” Flash flashed a smile. “You already got all the photos you need. I’m sure you can spend another 15 minutes going around. Why don’t we just enjoy the rest of the evening?”

Sunset gave it a thought. She was supposed to just identify the objects containing these mysterious magic, and honestly she already had pictures of 3 of them. Besides, the party here was not as dull as she thought it’d be. The music was adequate and so far the food and drinks were up to her standard. What was the rush?

“I suppose I can give this museum the benefit of the doubt.” She grabbed the boy’s arm clutching it tightly. “And besides. It is a party after all. Might as well make the most out of it.”

“YES!”

The boy’s thoughts surged into her. She could feel his elation and joy spread. It was kind of adorable.

But right before they could take one step together, they were quickly interrupted by that same butler again. “Pardon me Master Flash. But your presence is required at the entrance.”

Flash blinked. “Me? Why?”

“Oh come on! Why now!?”

“I’m afraid we have a… security incident.” Security incident? That sounded serious.

The blue haired boy sighed. A cacophony of curses sprang from his thoughts. With a quick motion he freed his arm from Sunset’s grip and smile softly at her. “Sorry Sunset. I should probably look into this. Why don’t you have a look around and see if anything else here has magic. I’ll meet you here when the centerpiece presentation starts.”

“Oh… sure.” She wasn’t sure why but she felt something pinch her heart when she let the boy go. Flash joined up with the butler and headed off for the entrance.

Sunset almost thought that she’d have to go through the rest of the museum alone until Maud spoke up. “Nice dress by the way.”

“Huh? Oh… right. I wasn’t sure what to wear for a black-tie event. This is actually my first time attending something this…”

“Gaudy?”

“Yeah… gaudy.”

“I’m actually surprised.” Maud added earning a confused look from the fiery dressed girl.

“Surprised about what?”

“I thought someone like you would be used to things like this.”

“Me?” Sunset chuckled. “Have you met me? Do I look like someone who’d attend something like this? I can barely make my rent with my job at the sushi store.”

“Yeah… but didn’t you used to date Flash?”

She flinched back, mouth agape. “I… I don’t see how that has anything to do with any of this.”

“Flash’s family is one of the most influential people in the whole city.” Maud explained which somewhat surprised Sunset. Flash never really spoke much about his folks or his family. “In fact… his dad owns more than half of the items here.”

“Half!?” The girl nearly spurt out her drink. “I thought he only owned the Yaztec stuff.”

“That’s also true. He donated all the pieces here from his expeditions so they’re technically not his anymore. His lifetime discoveries netted him a lot. He’s actually quite famous.” She paused, letting the words sink in. “And when your parents are famous… the kids tend to be as well. I’ve seen Flash attend some high society gatherings before. It’s kind of a thing for him.”

“It is? That’s strange. I wonder why he never told me about them.” She wondered. “Is that what you meant when you said you couldn’t say no him? Because his dad is the boss?”

“That… and that he’s going to be my future in-law.”

“What?” Sunset felt like she misheard but was suddenly confused when a rock smacked Maud’s face. “Wait… did that rock just…”

Maud covered her mouth as her eyes widened simulating what seemed like the beginning of a startling gasp. “Oh. Sorry. Boulder just scolded me.” Her… pet rock scolded her? “I shouldn’t say anymore. She’ll be angry if I break my promise.” Oh come on! Now you’re just teasing my curiosity.

xxxxxxxxxx

Flash grumbled lowly to himself as he followed Edmund to the entrance. The crowd around him has already passed, no doubt gathering for the presentation the centerpiece of this collection. Curse it all. He could’ve been spending this time with Sunset but nope. Instead he was here… for some reason.

“What’s this all about, Edmund?” He asked finally, keeping his voice to a whisper. “If this is a security thing, shouldn’t you call security about it?”

The butler lowered his head apology as he responded in a very professional manner. “I’m sorry sir. But a lady of questionable attire tried to get pass the front door. The guards managed to stop her before she could enter but she claims to know you and that she wwas invited. She called you out by name.”

“She knows me?”

“Yes. She claims her name to be Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight!? The name lit up his brain like a bolt of lightning. He would’ve ran off immediately if they weren’t already there. With a quick glance, he recognized the girl in question standing by the door with two rather intimidating guards flanking both her arms.

“Twilight!” He ran up to her, as she waved back weakly.

“Ahehe… hey there.” She looked like a girl who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, trying to laugh off the awkward situation. The next thing you know she’ll say that this wasn’t what it looks like. A bit on the cliché side but he wouldn’t blame her if she did. “Sorry to barge in but could you uh…” Twilight gestured to the big burly men that were eyeing her suspiciously.

“It’s alright guys. She’s with me.” And thankfully much to the girl’s delight and confusion, they released her and stepped back. “What are you doing here Twilight? Sunset said you couldn’t make it.”

The girl dusted herself off, glad to know that she wasn’t gonna get thrown out. “Yeah. I know. It’s just that… I felt the magic pulse early and was afraid that shadow monster would show up again.” That sounded logical. Though anyone else would probably say that she was crazy. “Plus I’m… also a bit curious about the magic artifact. I know it’s kind of a last-minute thing but I don’t suppose you can change your Plus-1 offer to 2?”

On a normal occasion, he’d probably say no. But for a magical disaster emergency and an adorable girl? Not a chance. Besides, it’s not like he could just bounce her off back into the streets. That big bad wolf could attack her again.

“For you, anything.” The blue haired boy answered, quickly removing the outer layer of his suit to cover her. “But just for safety, you should probably wear this. This is kind of a… black-tie event.”

“So I’ve heard.” She glanced around noting the many patrons all dressed like they were attending a ball in a palace. “Thanks again. I didn’t mean to drop in like this unannounced. It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about that strange magic.”

“I know.” He chuckled. “Who would’ve thought that these old junk actually had magic in them?”

“It’s more than old junk Flash. This is an unprecedented discovery.”

“It is?” Flash inquired, waving his hand over to the butler, gesturing him that everything was fine.

“Absolutely!” Twilight’s face beamed. “If I can somehow pinpoint the true source of this energy, hone it together and present it to the world. It would prove that magic does exist in this world. Think of the limitless possibilities we can do if we actually had magic. Natural magic here! We’d have a pool of untapped resource just waiting to be exploited. It can be turned into a renewable source of electricity, we’d have cars that can fly, the undisruptive power of communication! We’d be able to do what the ponies in Equestria could do.”

“Then… even ordinary people could use magic.” Flash cast a gaze to the palm of his hand fantasizing about the power he could hold. His greatest wish. His dream of being a part of that world. The world that Sunset and her friends see. “Are you saying that even a guy like me can do what you seven do every day?”

Twilight shrugged with an uncertain expression. “Well… I wouldn’t rule that out. It is a possibility. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’d like to see these artifacts myself.”

“Oh. Right.” He let out a weak laugh. “Sorry. Got too excited there. Sunset already got pictures of the other three. We’re just waiting for the last one to be announced.” And just as he mentioned the last artifact, the lights suddenly dimmed signaling the start of the event. “And just in time. It’s about to start.” With one quick motion he reached for Twilight and pulled her up to the front of the large gathering at the main hall.

A single beam of light shined at the raised platform at the center of the hall illuminating the small display covered by a black sheet.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” The museum curator, a rather large and tubby looking man with a few extra chins, began opening up with a loud and obnoxiously bombastic voice that could practically echo throughout the museum. “I thank you all for coming to this important event. The Natural History Museum is always delighted to entertain such refined guests in our establishment. It is thanks to all of you here, and of course our most beloved and respected benefactor, that we have been able to raise awareness for this humble place.” A slow applause greeted him though mostly out of respect. “With your generous patronage, The Natural History Museum will at long last expand itself housing more of our world’s greatest relics.”

A few approving mumbles came forth though much of the audience remained silent.

“But enough about this place. It is all time I present to our hero who graciously donated all that you see here.” He suddenly gestured his free hand forward to the crowd picking out a face hidden within. “Ladies and gentlemen. Honored guests. Please put your hands together and welcome Professor Sombra!”

The next round of applause was louder this time with the richer looking guests contributing the most with each joining the band with a thunderous roar. It drowned all manner of sounds, silencing and frightening even the night creatures away.

The singular light that shined on the curator quickly darted to the crowd picking him out like he was some kind of chosen one.

He was a tall gray skinned man with long hair as black as raven feathers, sideburns that went down to his chin, bright green eyes and held a presence that commanded respect. Every step he took was heavy and weighted. A malicious smile curled up on his lips as he approached the platform.

The applause grew louder and many others joined in to welcome the man.

All of them applauded. Except for a single former unicorn who stood there… stunned.

Zap Apples

Chapter 5: Zap Apple

(Sunday) (Morning) (Near Applejack’s home)

Damn it Rarity. Somehow this is all her fault.

Flash Sentry let out a tiresome yawn as he drove through the dirt road near the city’s farmstead. This was the last time he was gonna let that girl blackmail him into doing favors. Who in the world wakes up this early on a Sunday to deliver band-gear to someone else’s home? It was barely the crack of dawn and he hardly got a wink of sleep.

But the memories he got from last night was totally worth the fatigue. Seeing Sunset in that gorgeous stunningly stunning red dress gave him sweet dreams for weeks to come. She was so beautiful that he practically burned that image into his mind. He would’ve taken pictures too if he was given a chance. She would be the background of his computer, the fantasy of his dream, his princess to his kingdom.

And if it wasn’t his ex-girlfriend then it was Twilight’s sparkly eyes that lit his heart that night. The bespectacled girl had somehow stormed into the event on the very last minute. And while she looked like she was dressed for a date, her attire didn’t exactly match with the event. Thankfully he was there to give her a tour of the place. Her wide-eyed smile was all he needed as payment. A kiss would’ve been acceptable too but that was probably stretching it. Still…

…

… totally worth it.

“Doh!” The boy was brought back to reality when his car stumped on a pothole causing him to fumble and the band gear behind him to spiral out of control. “Ah come on!” He groaned loudly to himself pushing one of the guitars that was sticking its neck on his hair. For crying out loud Rarity. Next time, he’ll stick to buying his suits at another store.

This was totally not how he pictured spending his Sunday.

His irritation however came to a stop as Applejack’s farm came into view. Rainbow Dash’s directions were spot on in his GPS. At least now his car wouldn’t have to take anymore… punish…ment?

Flash hit the brakes and grinding his vehicle to a full stop just right outside the cute home. But his eyes were locked to the big pile of coal next to it which was once a barn.

Hesitantly he left his car wondering if he somehow got the wrong address. This was supposed to be the sight of a party. He expected, tables, chairs and all manner of festive decorations put around. But instead he found it more barren than an Arid Mausoleum. Pieces of wood were scattered, animals left lying everywhere.

Did a storm hit here last night? It was pretty much clear skies. But this place looked like it was struck with all manner of disasters.

“Hello?” The boy called out only to be replied with chickens clucking at the pens. It looked gruesome to say the least. Like the setting for a haunted movie. “Is anyone here?” He approached the house and knocked on the weak door frame expecting someone to answer. But it all seemed abandoned at this point. Not a soul to be seen or heard unless you count the animals left unattended.

Something was wrong here and he didn’t mean the burnt smell coming from the coal pile either.

“Oh for pete’s sake!” A commotion of breaking wood and curses jolted the boy’s attention. He quickly rushed to the side of the house noting a certain blonde cowgirl trying and failing to hold the fence up. “Stupid apple fudge oak.”

“Applejack?”

The cowgirl jolted upward to the mention of her name. She snapped her head at him, hammer at the ready with all over her body as if she just came out a chimney.

“Flash?” She recalled his name. “Wh… what are you doing here?”

“Rarity sent me. She wanted me to set up the band instruments for your… uh… reunion?” He eyed the surroundings carefully, noting the indiscriminate destruction. “What happened here?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Applejack sighed with a tiresome sigh. She looked like she hadn’t slept all night. And those red streaks on her cheek indicated that she had been crying… a lot. “Sorry. I got a lot of work in my hands right now.”

“I can see that.” Flash noted the burnt out barn whose only portion left standing seemed to be on its literal-last-leg. “I don’t suppose you need help?”

“Nope. I got it covered.”

“Really? Because you look like you don’t.” Her knees were weak and her hands were shaking. She looked like she could fall to the ground any second now. “You look exhausted.”

“Ah that’s a hoot. I never back out of a challenge. Besides… I’m already catching my second wind. This is just hmph – something to spice… hurrkk – things up! Ha! There! See?” She presented her newly flimsily rebuilt section of the fence which looked like it was being held by spit and willpower. “Good as new.” And like a comic strip, the fence fell and broke apart. “Oh for the love of…!” She threw her hammer away in frustration nearly hitting the boy. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

He quickly waved it off, understanding that it was just an act of anger. “Don’t mention it. Why don’t you tell me what happened and we can figure things from there?”

Applejack opened her mouth to argue but quickly found out that her limbs were barely responding. If she continued now, she’d probably just drop dead right then and there. She couldn’t even beat Flash in an arm-wrestling match if she wanted.

“I… guess a quick break wouldn’t hurt.”

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Applejack spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the events from last night to her visitor. She practically sprawled herself on the couch, fatigue finally kicking in. Strangely enough, the incident seemed oddly similar to that of Twilight’s encounter with the shadow monster. Though this story seemed to have had a worse ending.

“And you’re sure it’s the same animal that attacked Twilight?” Flash inquired, offering the cowgirl a bottle of apple cider that somehow managed to survive the onslaught.

“Oh I’m sure. Trust me. It’s the same one. With giant eyes, sharp teeth and everything. And almost as big as my barn too.” She shuddered at the thought. “And I’d be its supper too if Big Mac didn’t come along when he did.”

“And is he…?”

“Oh he’s fine. Sort of.” She answered quickly enough dispelling all horrifying thoughts. “The doc said he won’t be going anywhere for a while so Granny and Apple Bloom are staying with him until he gets better.”

“And why are you here?”

“Someone needs to fix the barn for tonight. This place looks more broken than that cornfield outside and I’m partially responsible for what happened. Besides, the whole family will be coming this afternoon. Can’t let them down either.” She was still planning to host the party even after all this mess?

“But that’s impossible! Look at yourself. You’re a mess. You can’t fix this whole place in just a few hours and definitely not by yourself.”

“I gotta.” She struggled to push herself off the couch but found her legs asleep. “It’s been my dream to host the family reunion and I ain’t gonna let them down.” The girl gave out a huff and a puff but the wind she blew out drained her.

“Easy. Just lie down for a spell. You’re won’t be doing anything if you push yourself too much.” He grabbed some tissues nearby wiping the sweat that accumulated on her brow. “You look pretty beaten up too.”

“Eh… it’s just a scratch.”

She calls that a scratch? He didn’t even want to know what a wound would look like in her point of view.

“Need to… get apple fritters. Flour… oil… wood for the fire. Three legged race. And the big family photo at the… barn.” She recounted her chores, sighing and moaning. “It might take some extra leggin but apple grease always gets the job done.” With some enthusiasm she forced her body to stand only to wobble in the process. Thankfully Flash was there to catch her and put her down.

“I don’t think extra leggin will be enough, even for you Applejack. This isn’t something you can just fix with your powers.” Or any of their magic. Not unless you had a small army of magically enchanted ponies. “Maybe you should call it quits. I’m sure everyone would understand.”

“And tell them what? That my place was sacked by a giant shadow monster and we had to set the barn on fire to drive it away?”

He puckered his lips and paused. “Ok maybe not everyone. But still! There’s just no way you can fix this whole place up in your condition. I mean look at you! You can barely stand.”

“I… have to.” Again the cowgirl rose, but her eyes were getting heavy and her whole body ached. The adrenaline from last night had finally released its grip on her putting her mind in auto-pilot. “And I can. Just… watch me.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Flash insisted this time, gently pushing the girl back on the couch. “You’re taking a long break. Starting right now.” With a quick motion the boy got to work grabbing pillows and blankets and putting Applejack in a comfortable position.

“I’ll be fine.” She whined back weakly. But the boy ignored her and quickly rush to the kitchen earning a confused look. “Wh… what are you doing?”

“Making you breakfast.” He ruffled through the shelves, putting one of Granny’s apron on. “We need to get your strength up and a balanced meal is the proper way to do it.” The boy made a mental note to properly thank Ms. Cheerilee when he gets a chance. Who would’ve thought that all those extra home-ec classes would actually prove useful here?

Applejack didn’t try to stop him. She was far too weak and far too exhausted to even try at this point. She opted to close her eyes for a bit, to take her mind off this whole mess. However the splattering sound coming from the kitchen only seemed to deter her. She tried to block it out, muffling her ears with the pillows and counting sheep. But the more clinking and clanging she heard, the more worried she became.

“What in mackerels’ tarnation is going on back there?”

“Uh… nothing!” The boy reassured her. “It’s just a special surprise. Nothing to be worried about.” That sound of plates breaking wasn’t reassuring.

About twenty minutes went by before Flash returned with a bowl in hand. His whole body reeked of sauce and spice and the burning smell from the kitchen didn’t elate Applejack’s irritation.

“Tada!” He revealed his result of his work presenting it to her like a culinary masterpiece.

Applejack looked down, not really sure if she was supposed to see something or just her wrinkly reflection on the plate.

“Soup?” She asked, eyeing her supposed savior like it was supposed to be some kind of punch line to a joke. “You made me soup?”

“Yup.” He smiled warmly, pushing the plate forward. “What better way to restore your strength with a little bit of… corn soup?”

The cowgirl looked at it. “I don’t see the corn.”

“Oh it’s there… somewhere.” It wasn’t supposed to be soup. It was supposed to be chowder. Corn chowder to be honest with a hint of carrot. Flash had put a number of ingredients in and even a couple of carrots but for some reason after he boiled it through they somehow… mysteriously disappeared. That was normal… right?

“I’m afraid to look at the kitchen.”

“Shh… no need to worry about that.” He chuckled awkwardly. “Just try it. At least get something in you. And please, do add any constructive criticism.”

Applejack looked at the soup, noticing the bizarre smell and the odd color, and then to him. She repeated that action about four times, trying to find a reason, any reason, to decline. But her growling stomach answered for her instead.

With a sluggish motion she grabbed a spoonful, eyes squinting to the bubbling texture. Honestly, what was in this thing? The more she looked at it, the more repulsive it became.

But Granny always said that she shouldn’t judge an apple by its color. So with a heavy gut she slurped.

…

And then her whole world exploded… in a torrent of vomit.

“Arghhh! Water water water water!” Desperate, she reached for the nearby flower vase and chugged the contents in, ignoring the flora Apple Bloom collected. It took a full minute for her to finally stop, breathing in just to remove the taste from her mouth.

“Was it… that bad?”

“Bad? BAD!?” She snapped. “That doesn’t even begin to describe what sam-heck infernal realm that thing came from! That… was the worst tasting soup I have ever had in my life!”

“Oh come on. That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?” He regretted those words immediately when he tasted his own creation, face turning a shade of purple before swallowed a chunk of his vomit. “Oh god. I think I just lost the will to live…”

“What in the world did you do?”

“I… don’t know what went wrong. Honest!” The boy held the bowl away, looking like he created a biological weapon. “I followed the recipe that Ms. Cheerilee gave us.” Or at least he thought he did. “I even put in a lot of salt to add extra flavor.”

“Tasted a little too sweet to be salty.” Applejack groaned wiping her tongue. “You sure it wasn’t sugar? We labeled the bottles.”

“Of course I’m…… sure…” He pulled out the vial that he believed contained salt but saw the word printed on the lid and paled. “Well… nobody’s perfect… right?”

“Sure…” She grumbled to herself now looking even more stressed than before. “Listen. Why don’t we make a deal? If you promise to stay out of the kitchen from here on out, I’ll rest. Ok?”

Flash nodded not trusting his words at this point. He wished he could take her out of this place. While her home was probably the most comfortable place for the little apple, the thought of seeing that old burned out barn and the messy farmstead must be torturing her on the inside. She can’t stay here. Not unless you wants to get better.

And through some miracle, his prayers were answered. “Applejack!”

Her friends poured from the door in a form of a messed up ball piling on one another.

“Fellas?” The cowgirl got up, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“Apple Bloom called us and told us what happened.” Twilight explained first.

“We came as quick as we could.”

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“Was it the same monster? Was it big? Was it cool!?”

“How are you feeling?”

“Is someone cooking?”

“Guy!” The tired girl snapped, silencing the girls. “One at a time please. I already got a big headache. I don’t need another. And I’m fine. Mostly. It’s my farm that took most of the beating. And yes… it was the monster. Or… at least I think it was.”

They scanned their surroundings noting the burnt smell done from last night. They’ve never seen this kind of damage before. At least not on their personal property.

“But why did it attack here?” Sunset inquired. “Or… why you for that matter? I thought it’d only be in the city.”

Applejack scoffed. “It didn’t exactly stay long enough for me to ask. It wasn’t exactly the talking type. And I was kind of distracted. You know? Running for my life?” Twilight shuddered back knowing well exactly how it felt. “I just wished it didn’t leave such a mess behind.”

“I’ll say.” Rainbow Dash cringed, looking at the grounds through the window. “Look at all that damage! I don’t think we’ll be able to fix that up any time soon. How are we gonna handle the party?”

“There ain’t gonna be a party.” The cowgirl sighed in defeat. “There’s just too much work to handle. There’s no way we can get it done in time even with magic. I stayed up all night trying to fix it but it’s hopeless. I’m sorry fellas… but I’m gonna have to call the whole thing off.”

“But darling. Hosting the reunion has always been your dream.”

“It’ll be my worst nightmare if my whole family comes by expecting to see a fair and instead they get to see… this.” She gestured to all the mess, the burnt barn and the animals let loose on the field. There was just no way would people willingly come here to celebrate… well… anything. “They’ll have more fun hanging out at the swamps than this place.”

“Ooooh~~~~ that sounds like fun! Mud pile!” Pinkie screamed out of place. “We could hang in the bushes, playing with frogs and throw mud at each other! It’ll be like kindergarten! Oh hey Flash. Woohoo!”

…!

“Flash?” Oh now they noticed him.

Sunset tilted her head confused. “What are you doing here?”

Doing you guys a favor carrying your stuff.

He rolled his eye in return. “No reason.” Pinkie then poked her head in his direction, eyeing the bowl he had on hand.

“Ooooh! Were you making soup? I’ll have some.” And the death dish claimed a third victim. The bubblegum gal took one little sip and dropped dead on the floor, the color drained from her face for a split second before she shocked herself back up with the power of her innate sugar. “Wow! I thought I saw the light on the other side for a second there but it was actually just my hunger pangs kicking in.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “That is definitely, absolutely THE worst soup I have ever tasted in my life. And believe me… I’ve had the cafeteria meatloaf.”

“Thank you… Pinkie… for that colorful… insight.”

“I’d sure hate to meet the person who made that. I mean… the damage you can do with that thing to someone’s stomach. It’ll be an epidemic of pandemic proportion!”

His eye twitched. “Thank you… Pinkie. I get it.”

“Why don’t we take you out for a trip to the mall, AJ?” Rainbow suggested. “Staying here is clearly making you miserable.”

“Thanks Dash. But there’s a lot of stuff I need to do first. Granny and Apple Bloom will be coming on back later and this place is still a mess.”

“You’re exhausted, Applejack.” Sunset pointed out the obvious. “You’re in no condition to do anything at this point. Besides, you’re gonna need a whole team of professionals if you want to repair this place. Some time off is probably best.”

A light bulb idea popped on Flash’s head. “Actually. Why don’t you girls take Applejack to the park? A bit of fresh air will do her some good. And I heard that the winter flowers are best this time before snow.”

“That’s… a wonderful idea!” Fluttershy agreed. “A change of scenery is always best for fatigue.” The rest followed suit, nodding in rhythm. “Then it’s settled.”

“Fine.” Applejack threw her hands up in defeat. There was no fighting this persistent group. It was six against one. May as well throw in the towel. “It’s not like I’m gonna get anything done here with all you guys yapping about.”

They gently lead the girl out of the house and hopefully get to the city, but not before Sunset noticed Flash lingering behind. “You coming?”

The boy smiled at her. “You go on ahead. I… have a mess to clean.” Sunset gave him a raised brow and was about to press for more but her friends’ calling beckoned her to drop it. Once she was gone, the boy quickly reach for his phone and dialed a number. “Edmund? It’s me.”

“Master Flash?” The butler on the other line answered with a rather surprised yet steady tone. “How may I be of service?”

(Celestia/Luna’s apartment)

Celestia let out a tiresome sigh as she slumped onto the couch after a nice warm bath. The weekend was a time to unwind and relax after a grueling week of paperwork in school. She didn’t have to sign another document, have a serious talk with another student or hear any of her faculty’s complain about this and that. No siree. It was just her, her jammies, the couch, this hot-steaming-sexy caffeinated drink in one hand and the remote for the TV in another. Yup, all was right in the world and that was how she liked it.

But her little paradise was interrupted when the phone line rang nearly making her spit her coffee. She eyed it bitterly and was quite thankful when Luna was there to answer it.

The Principal returned her attention back to the TV, ignoring the conversation behind her. Whatever it was, her sister would know how to handle it. For all she knows it was probably just another sales pitch or the board trying to make another appointment. All trivial stuff.

She switched the TV on and saw the local news channel come up. A fire incident on the outskirts of the city. Meh. Pedestrian sighting a large animal roaming the streets. Boring. It was all boring. And strangely enough she liked it that way.

Boring meant safe. Boring meant that there was no one getting hurt. Boring meant that there was no magic going around. And god knows that she had seen enough magic gone through her school already. Seriously, that mystical mumbo-jumbo has caused her and her students and faculties nothing but trouble. If she could remove that factor from the world, she won’t shed a tear for it.

“Uh… sister?” Luna called out holding the phone, breaking the woman’s train of thoughts. “The… Chairman wants to talk to you.”

Oh come on now. Seriously? It was Sunday of all days. Can’t she have one moment to relax?

Celestia held back a sigh and hesitantly answered. “Principal Celestia speaking.” The man on the other line muttered to her softly, just enough for her to hear. “Yes Chairman. I heard. The new Superintendent sounds very promising. I’m sure Vice Principal Luna is more than capable of showing him around and…” There was a lull. “Me? Why me? Who…” She listened intently until the name dropped making her eyes go wild. “Oh…”

Celestia glanced a knowing glance at her sister who also seemed to be aware what was happening.

There was a long pause before she resumed the conversation. “Yes. Of course.” She said finally, breathing a solemn breath. “I understand, Chairman. I’ll meet him at Crystal Prep Academy tomorrow. Yes. Thank you. Goodbye.” With a grunt she hung up, putting the phone on the seat next to her. The Principal’s eyes cast downward, while memories spurned in her head.

“Are you alright, sister?”

Her short silence said much. “I am. Thanks for asking Luna.” She sighed. “The Chairman has asked me to usher the new superintendent of Crystal Prep Academy. With Principal Cinch resigning after the Friendship Games, they need me to do the introductions. If all goes smoothly… he’ll be the new Principal of the Academy by the end of the year.”

“What about Cadance? I thought they made her the new Principal of Crystal Prep.”

“Cadance was simply there to fill in the seat until a replacement could be found.” Celestia explained. “It was never to be permanent even though we would’ve preferred it.”

“And now ‘He’s’ going to be there.” Luna stretched the ‘he’ part questionably. “You know I can take your place. I can talk to the Chairman for you, if you want.”

“No Luna. But I appreciate the offer.” Celestia stood from her couch, reaching for a framed photograph that she placed by the window.

A younger version of herself and her sister stared back with brightly sparkling eyes filled with love and hope for the future. And standing with them were her fellow alumni, throwing their academic caps into the air. One might say that this was the happiest time of their lives. But she didn’t look at any of them. Her eyes were focused solely on the dashing young man standing next to her younger self, holding her in his arm like she was the most precious treasure in the world.

“Besides. We can’t escape our past forever.”

(The park)

Sunset wasn’t really sure how cheering up works here in the human world. If it was anything like in Equestria, it would usually involve cake and ice cream. A LOT of ice cream. And thankfully that part of her culture seemed to be similar here.

When they found themselves an empty table at the park, the gang quickly got to work in giving Applejack everything she needed to get through the day. By the time they got their seats, Applejack was flooded with every treat the park could offer.

Pinkie practically dotted on the poor cowgirl, giving her nonstop attention. Going as far as providing foot rubs.

“Guys. Seriously. You don’t have to do this for me.”

Twilight shook her head and shrugged. “We didn’t. But we want to.”

“And you’re looking very famished. So eat up! I’d totally recommend you start from the top to bottom to keep the structural balance of the plate otherwise it’ll fall on your and the sauce can get really REALLY sticky!”

“Thank you Pinkie.” Applejack pushed her off her face resisting the urge to comment on personal space. “But I’m telling you guys. I’m good. I only got a few bruises. Nothing like Big Mac got.”

“I still don’t understand why that thing would attack you.” Sunset stated. “Did you do something to make it angry?”

“Not that I can think of.” The cowgirl shook her head solemnly. “We were just closing up when I saw that thing hiding in the cornfield. I took one peek… and the next thing I know I was fighting for my life.”

Rainbow Dash frowned, hands on her chin. “Couldn’t you have just whacked it? I mean, you got super strength. I’ve seen you carry a giant tree on one hand and eating cotton candy in another.”

“And that’s surprisingly not an exaggeration.” Fluttershy agreed. Applejack was stupidly strong. Probably strong enough to take on a professional wrestler.

“I did! I tried to whack it. I even tried to hit it with a club. But…” Applejack shuddered, remembering the cold feeling when her attacks simply passed through the monster. “But nothing worked. Every time I tried to hit it, my fists just goes through it. It’s like it was some kind of… ghost. Just like what Twilight said. It was a rigged fight from the start. It could touch me but I couldn’t touch it.”

Twilight understood that fear. Normally when they fought against monsters they could at least fight back with their unique powers. This thing on the other hand had the power of invincibility. It was like playing a game except that the cheat codes were now working for the other team.

“It’s alright Applejack.” The egghead held her arm, calming her down. “You’re safe now. Why don’t we discuss something else? Something that could actually help us solve this problem. Sunset, can you show us what you took in the museum?”

The redhead rebel nodded and brought out her phone showing the pictures she got last night. “We did some digging on the artifacts.” She pointed to each object. “From the looks of it – the strange magical energy that we’ve been feeling are all coming from these items.”

The gang huddled over to her phone squinting at the low resolution photo. It was hard to tell what they were if at all.

“Twilight and I looked into these things and found traces of magic.”

“A broken knife, a bottle and a statue of a dancing man?” Rainbow Dash deduced from what she could see. “So these are the things that are bringing this monster to us?”

“Well… not entirely.” Twilight spoke up. “I double checked and discovered that these objects had only traces of magic. They were more likely used for casting spells, but not the true source.”

“We believe that the real source, comes from this.” Sunset swiped the screen presenting them with a picture of a jeweled chalice that outshined everything they’ve seen so far. It was a cup made out of silver, with five different colored gemstones the size of quail eggs embedded on the outer layer. It was held up by a single stilt which reflected its magnificence for all to see.

“Oh my…” No surprise that Rarity would take a shine on it. “How beautiful. How needlessly gaudy, how excessively regal! It would make a fine addition to a collector for sure.”

“It’s called the Chalice of Wishes.” Twilight graciously explained in her usual genius tone. “According to legend: And anyone who drinks from it will be granted one wish. But not just anything. The Yaztec shamans had to prepare a special kind of brew. It was very powerful and many sought it, which of course, ultimately led to their extinction thousands of years later. I know it sounds ridiculous.”

That because it was ridiculous. When people hear something about wishes in this day and age they’d think about genies in magic lamps or magical fairies that can grant your every desire. Not… cups.

“A cup?” Pinkie said with a voice of disappointment. “Boo! Boring!”

“A Chalice!” Twilight insisted. “It might be a little unorthodox, but remember: This is an ancient civilization we’re talking about. They don’t have our reference to pop culture.”

Applejack didn’t seem all that convinced though. “I dunno Twilight. I have to go with Pinkie on this one. I find that statue more convincing than a fancy looking mug.”

“I thought so too.” Sunset agreed on that notion. “But that was until we saw these.” She tap the screen, zooming onto the chalice once more revealing a face on the yellow gemstone. Which looked surprisingly like a wolf. “Does that remind you of anything?”

“It’s that wolf thing!” The cowgirl gasped. “There’s no doubt about it. I’d recognize that ugly mug like I saw it yesterday.” Which she did.

“I thought as much.” The egghead gave a confirming nod. “According to legend, that wolf is called Uta. The Ghost of the Shadows. It’s one of the 5 guardian spirits that the Yaztec people created.”

“Oooh…” Rainbow whistled intrigued. “So it’s an evil spirit that goes around hunting people?”

“Actually it’s not an evil spirit at all. It’s a familiar. A summoned creature.”

“Kind of like the wizards and witches in Ogres and Oubliettes. They summon these cute animals like pets who help on their research and experiments.” Sunset froze when all eyes landed on her. “What? I play games too.”

“In other words, the summoned is only an extension of the person who summoned it. Which begs the big question.”

“Who was the one who called it – and – why did it go after Twilight and Applejack?”

That was a big question. One to which they didn’t have the answer to. It was frightening to know that someone would actively try to harm them, physically.

Applejack gave it a thought and came to a troubling conclusion. “Now that I think about it, we have been making a lot of waves lately. After everything that’s happened I wouldn’t be surprised if we made a couple of enemies along the way.”

“I bet my socks that it’s those no good Dazzlings.” Rainbow deduced with no real evidence to back it up. “They’ve been looking for a way to get back at us since our school’s Musical Showcase. Especially that Adagio girl. I bet my other socks that she’s the one behind it.”

“Or the Shadowbolts from Crystal Prep.” Fluttershy added sadly. “I hear that a few students there still has a grudge from the Friendship Games.”

“Oh oh oh! Or maybe it was Flim and Flam or or or or… Gloriosa! She could’ve gone back to her evil plant magic thing while our backs were turned!” Pinkie… just… no.

The names went on for the girls. With all the adventures they’ve been going through and all the evil plans they’ve foiled, it wouldn’t be a surprise that some folks would hold a grudge against them. Even the Dazzlers sound like a solid lead. But the list of suspect was long. Too long to make any quick guesses.

But in Sunset’s mind, there was one she wanted to point out. Someone only she saw.

“Got something to say there, Sugar Cube?”

Sunset darted up when she noticed her friends staring at her. “Huh? No. I was just… thinking about our… usual suspects.”

“Really? Because you have that look in your face right now.”

“Look?” The girl blinked, tilting her head confusingly. “What look?”

“That look you have when you got something to say but can’t really say it.” Rainbow Dash explained, pointing at her cheeks. “You normally have one hand on your chin, your brows down about 30 degrees and you have this frown on your face.” She paused, smiling. “Yeah… that look. You have it just like… all the time. Especially when we have these magical adventures.”

Did she now? She never really noticed that she had a habit of putting on a look. Huh. The more you know…

Twilight nodded in agreement. “You know something Sunset?”

“Ah… well. It’s… stupid. I’m probably just bias.”

“Might as well spill it.” Applejack insisted. “It can’t be any worse than Pinkie Pie’s theories.”

“OH! Broccoli! The villain of vegetables!”

Sunset gave up a sigh. There was little good to hide her own suspicions. “Well… I might be wrong and this might sound kind of bias, but I think this guy might be the culprit.” She tapped her phone again putting on another picture of a tall dark haired man.

“Professor Sombra?” Twilight recognized him instantly while she failed to notice Pinkie spitting out her drink. He was the man of the hour during the fundraiser event yesterday. “The investor?” The girls gave them a questioning look. “He’s the one who discovered the artifact and donated it to the museum. From what I can tell he’s pretty well off. Even more so than Filthy Rich.”

“Is he now~~?” Rarity’s eyes twinkled like stars for a second there while her humming sweetened.

“Don’t even think about it.” Sunset warned.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about darling. I’m simply admiring his… unique outfit. That’s all.” Their squinted eyes made it clear that no one believed that line for a second. Rarity was anything but subtle when something or someone caught her eye. If it shines like a diamond, you can bet your breeches that she wants it in her pocket. “Though I must admit that he is quite easy on the eyes.”

The gang stuck their tongues out in disgust.

“Rarity! He’s like… way too old for you!”

“At tut tut. Age is but a number, Rainbow.”

“He’s also Flash’s dad.” Sunset pointed out.

“He is?”

“Oh!? R… really!?” Pinkie chuckled in a strangely robotic manner. “I did not… know that. That is entirely brand new information. Ha… ha… haha.”

“Why is he a suspect?” Twilight inquired curiously. “Do you know something about him?”

Sunset groaned. It was a difficult thing to explain. That tends to happen when you see two worlds at once. “Well… not exactly. You all know that I come from another world, right?” They nodded and shrugged like it was just another fact of their daily lives. “And you know that pretty much almost everyone here has a counterpart there. Like Princess Twilight and our Twilight.”

“Who isn’t a Princess.” Rainbow teased though it failed to get a proper reaction from the egghead.

“Well in my world… there was also someone named Sombra. And he wasn’t exactly the nicest guy in Equestria.”

“So a villain?” The multicolored girl gave an interest.

“The worst kind. In my world he’s known as King Sombra. A powerful and tyrannical unicorn who once took over the Crystal Empire. He enslaved his own people and forced them to wage a drawn out war across all of Equestria. And he would’ve conquered everything if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna didn’t banish him.”

“That… does sound like someone I don’t want to meet.” Fluttershy shuddered.

“But this is a different Sombra.” Twilight reminded. “Not everyone shares a one dimensional outlook. I mean look at me. I’m just a high school student on this side of the mirror but my counterpart over there is a Princess. And Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna are our teachers, not royals.”

“And that’s exactly why I didn’t want to bring him up.” Sunset explained to them, sighing. “Like I said: My opinion is kind of bias.” And knowing a tyrannical dictator on the other side didn’t exactly improve his image here.

“Ok so what’s the plan?” Applejack asked at last sounding even more exhausted. “We can’t exactly go through everyone we’ve met and see if they know anything about this stuff.”

Thankfully they didn’t have to as their resident Einstein already had a plan. “Actually, I think we can narrow it down. Seeing as this is a magical mystery on its own, why don’t we look into those who have ties with Equestrian Magic? Our most notable suspects, as Rainbow suggested, are the Dazzlings. Rainbow Dash, you will handle them.”

“Yes!”

“Take Fluttershy and Applejack with you. Just in case. The Dazzlings might’ve lost their powers but you can never be too careful. The rest of us will investigate the area I found the monster and see what we can find. If there are clues, we’ll find it.”

“Ah… ahem. Pardon.” Rarity raised her hand up like a kid beckoning a question to her teacher in class. “But Applejack and I would like to be exempted from this scavenger hunt.”

The cowgirl bobbed her head in her direction. “We do?”

“Yes. Apparently I’ve scheduled a spa session in the city and would very much like to take her for a moment to de-stress. I’m more than certain she could use it.”

“Now hold on a minute. I didn’t agree to no…”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Sunset agreed much to Applejack’s confusion. “No offense Applejack but Rarity is right. You’re exhausted. You look like you could drop any second.”

“I’m telling you, I’m fine!” How many times has she said that now? It’s hard to keep count. “Besides, if you guys are going out looking for that monster, I want in. I owe it a smack down for what it did to my farm.” She tried to flex her arms and tried to act tough but they ultimately failed. She would’ve fallen off the bench if Fluttershy didn’t held her back.

“You can barely stand, darling. And you’re practically filthy. You’re in no shape to be fighting or doing anything for that matter.”

“She’s right.” Even Rainbow Dash saw the logic – or at least they hope she did. “We’re not looking for that wolf monster right now. So it’d be better if you just rest up and get charged. And even if we did meet it, I’ll be sure to clobber it for ya!”

Everyone else chimed in agreement and again Applejack found herself outnumbered. With another defeated sigh, she agreed.

“Alright alright! I get it. I heard ya the first time. No need to speak up like some broken recorder.”

Rarity giddied and quickly dragged the tiresome girl out of the park. “Wonderful darling. Oh! We are going to have so much fun, you and I. We’ll have a makeover, a manicure/pedicure session and a good old massage to get that negative energy out of you.” She held a squeal. “So exciting!”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile as she watched those two grab a taxi leaving the rest of them to do the heavy lifting. But knowing what AJ went through, they believed she deserved it.

“So… the Dazzlings.” Rainbow Dash pumped her fist together, readying herself for whatever that may come. “Where can I find these creeps and give them a piece of my mind?”

“You won’t have to look far.” Twilight answered with a reply ready. “They actually have a part-time job working over at a store a few blocks from here. It’s an internet café called… the Sleepy Sirens.”

…

Ha!

The Magic Left Behind

Chapter 6: The Magic Left Behind

(Canterlot Day-Spa) (Afternoon)

Applejack felt the tension on her shoulder melt as she sat on the sofa, her hair wrapped in a warm towel while a masseuse attended her feet putting pressure in places that just sent electricity running through her body. She wasn’t the kind of girl who’d go for this kind of treatment. Applejack always thought that hard work and labor were its own reward. But considering the things she just went through she didn’t think anyone would think any less of her. Heck, if her body could melt then and there, she probably wouldn’t even care.

“Ahhh~~ Now this is the life.” A moan of pleasure escaped Rarity’s lips, two slices of cucumber placed upon her eyes combined with a thick layer of moisturizer. Two professionals catered to her hands and feet giving her the stature of a spoiled princess. “What better way to spend the afternoon than being pampered from head to toe by true masters?”

There were a lot of things Applejack could say there but she decided to keep them to herself.

“This sure is great Rarity. But you sure we should’ve left the others off on their own? I feel bad for not helping.”

“At tut tut.” One of the spa employees waggled her finger in Rarity’s stead. “Applejack sweedom. Your desire to help is most welcoming but there are times when you need to simply sit back and enjoy the view.”

“Not much of a view with these pickles on my face.”

“Cucumber actually.” She corrected pleasingly. “And I was being metaphorical. You work far too much and have absolutely no time for yourself. How could you possibly enjoy this world if you don’t stop by and smell the roses?”

Applejack shrugged. “I’ve always been a hard worker. You have to be when you’re running a farm as big as the one we have. Besides, it’s a lot more fun when you’ve got friends and family with you. Don’t you feel the same?”

“Yes dear. I enjoy making clothes just as much as you enjoy raising your farm animals. Work is part of life. But that’s still no excuse for overtaxing your body. Why even the mere thought alone is enough to get me wrinkles.”

“Rarity… you think everything gives you wrinkles.”

“And they do.” She insisted. “Which is why we are here – to continue the good fight against time and nature! To hold back the tide of pimples and hair loss. Which reminds me. I’m feeling a rather terrible itch. Aloe! Better make it a triple for today.” Applejack wanted to laugh as the attendee complied to Rarity’s wishes, applying more moisturizer on her face. Who knew that coming to a day-spa like this would be considered a crusade against mother-nature herself? “But enough about all this work talk and wrinkles. We’re here to relax. Why don’t we speak of more pleasant topics?”

The cowgirl raised an imaginary cup over her hand. “I guess a little pampering won’t hurt.”

The fashionista’s face beamed at the thought. “Speaking of pampering, you looked pretty comfy having Flash Sentry hover over you like that.”

She groaned miserably in reply. “If you can call it that. He wasn’t exactly that helpful.”

“Oh darling. Come now. The boy looked worried. I thought it was very sweet that he was willing to look after you. Having a man like him attend to your every need is a pleasure all on its own.” Oh yeah sure – until he goes into the kitchen and whips you up a meal that’ll literally kill you.

“Just make sure he doesn’t go into the kitchen.” Applejack remarked. Though she would admit that it was nice to have someone watch over her. If that boy didn’t come when he did, she probably would still be working on that barn fixing up something that can’t be done. Heck she’d probably collapse from exhaustion alone in the middle of the field. If Flash found her like that, he’d have a stroke. Heck she can already picture him carrying her up like a bride and whisking her off to the nearest hospital.

“Oooh? Now there’s a reaction I’d never thought I’d see.” Rarity took one cucumber off her eye just in time to see her friend deep in thought. And whatever it was clearly got the cowgirl’s cheeks to warm up.

“It’s… it’s nothing.” She stuttered. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh don’t be such a sauerkraut.” The fashionista cooed. “Attention-to-details is something of a specialty of mine. Come now. Did something happen? Tell me everything.” Figured she’d be thirsty for gossip.

“Nothing happened.” Applejack insisted.

“Aww… boo. What a bore. I was hoping for something… spicy.”

She gave the fashion-maniac a glare. “You do know that he and Sunset used to date, right?”

“Your point?” Was she serious right now? “Pfft. I’m joking darling. I know exactly what you mean. It’s just that I’ve never seen you with that kind of expression before. It’s actually kind of refreshing. To think that the strong and independent Applejack would have such an adorable side hiding under all that calluses.”

(The Sleepy Siren)

Rainbow Dash stood at the front of the store with Fluttershy and Pinkpie Pie on her flanks. The Sleepy Siren, whose name is just too much of a coincidence, was a run of the mill internet café. While it served patrons with access to the internet, they also served a good selection of pastries on the side. The air here was thick with coffee. You can practically smell it from a mile away.

Through the glassed door they could see Adagio, the leader of the group, standing by the counter with an irritated expression on her face. While her powers may have been sealed away that didn’t exactly make her any less dangerous.

With a brave face, she pushed door and entered.

“Welcome to Sleepy Sirens. What can I get…” Adagio recited her welcome line in a tone that was pretty much as bored as she was. She stopped though when she realized who it was. “Oh… it’s you. What do you want?”

“Cut the act, Adagio.” Rainbow Dash threw out an accusing finger at her. “Spill the beans! We know you’re behind it all!”

“Did someone say beans?” Sonata, the cheerful sounding Siren asked, holding said coffee beans. She waved at her former enemies, not a trace of malice on her face. “Oh! Hi guys. You here for our famous latte? We’re having a special discount just for today!”

“Oh oh oh! I’ll have one!” Pinkie requested matching Sonata’s wavelength almost instantly.

Adagio rolled her eyes and slowly slapped Rainbow finger away. “What. Are. You. Idiots. Talking. About?”

“Drop the cookie act sister! Stop pretending like you don’t have anything to do with the wolf that’s been stalking us.”

“We got cookies too!”

“I’ll take five!”

The leader of the Sirens scoffed and brushed the side of her puffy hair. “I have no idea what you’re going on about. Do we look like the kind of people who’d keep pets?”

“No. But you look like the kind of people who can use magic to summon monsters that attack our friends!” Rainbow added accusingly. “Admit it! You’re the ones behind it all!”

Again Adagio groaned. “Ok. You are going to start making sense in the next three shakes or I am calling for security.”

“Oh! We also got fruit shakes! Apple or coconut? They’re really good~~.”

“Sonata!” The orangette snapped. “Not… now.”

“Ah… right. Sorry.” The cheery Siren smiled softly towards Pinkie. “That’ll be 4.99. Please and thank you.”

Ignoring the two airheads, Adagio poked back at Rainbow. “If this is some kind of prank, you guys are terrible at it. Whatever it is you think we did, we didn’t do it.”

“Oh really?” Dash challenged. “So you’re saying that you don’t have anything to do with the strange magic that’s been going around the city lately?”

Well so much for subtlety.

“Of course n… wait… did you say magic?” Adagio looked to her companions who quickly gave out the similar knowing expression. “Are you talking about that weird fuzzy magic that’s been hanging around that weird museum?”

“AHA! I knew it! You are responsible!”

Thankfully Fluttershy pulled her friend back before she could continue with her accusations. “You know about it?”

“Of course we know. We might’ve lost our forms but we are still creatures of magic.” The Siren boss lady stated in her annoyed attitude. “Sensing strange energy like that is child’s play. But if you think we’re responsible – then think again. We have standards.”

“And we’re just supposed to take your word for it?”

“Do I look like I care about what you think?”

Fluttershy hastily interjected pushing the two away. “I’m sorry for Rainbow Dash. It’s just that two of our friends have already been attacked recently and we’re looking for any clues that could lead us to the culprit.”

“Well…” Adagio rubbed her chin looking somewhat half between interested and annoyed. “That does make us the likely suspects. I could totally see myself doing something that would make you all… disappear. But sadly… no. We’re not the ones you’re looking for.”

“Besides. After what you did to us during our musical performance, we barely have enough magic to sustain ourselves.” Aria added appearing out from the backroom. “Spending that kind of energy to simply hurt you girls is just a waste.”

“Totally. We had to resort to working in this wretched place just to keep us fed.”

Here? In this dusty store at the edge of the city?

Fluttershy looked around and tilted her head sideways. “The internet café?”

“You think we’d work here for the money? Oh please.” Adagio scoffed at them waggling three fingers and rolling each down with each remark. “The work hours here are atrocious, the pay is lame and the customers are complete jerks. If it wasn’t for necessity’s sake I’d sooner burn this place to the ground.” Yeesh… talk about extreme measures. “But you’d be surprised how much negative energy comes from this place. Some hothead online players, a blogger posting a mean comment yet being anonymous. You know… the usual?”

That does make sense. The internet has been a boiling pot for all manner of perversions. Where else would you get such a powerful yet natural dose of negative energy in this world?

“So you’re not responsible for the strange magic?”

“Sweetie. Please. We’re Sirens. We have standards.” She poked over the Fluttershy’s face. “Now unless you want to make a purchase, I suggest you move along. I have customers to attend.” Adagio gestured to the back where a line of patrons were piling in.

“Just one more question, if you’d be so kindly.” The animal lover spoke. “Would you know anyone who might’ve used that kind of magic?”

“No.” The answer was straight, plain and simple. “But if it’ll help get you off my counter, I can give you one bit of information.” Oh! That was progress. “That magic source that’s coming from the museum has been getting weaker.”

“Weaker? What do you mean?”

“Think of magical energy as fire. You can convert the magic to become spells or objects if you know the recipe. I know someone used that magic source at least four times.”

“Four?”

“It means someone used it. Now the source itself has become weaker and weaker. Soon there won’t be any magic left. I’d give it a week or two before it burns out. Now shoo. I got paying customers to deal with.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy looked to one another and agreed to part off, Pinkie falling not far behind with another pack of treats in her arms.

“Bye! Come again soon!”

(Parking lot)

“Two weeks?” Sunset looked startled at the revelation of this new information. “Are you sure?”

“That’s what Adagio said.” Fluttershy said on the other line. She could hear Rainbow Dash saying something about not trusting their word it but she ignored that. “I don’t think she was lying to us. And I don’t believe that the Dazzlings are responsible for this either. Sorry. But I believe that this might be a dead end.”

“No, that’s fine.” Sunset waved it off even though she knew that she couldn’t see her. “You got us more information. I count that as a win in my book.”

“How are things there? Did you find anything?”

“Just rocks and rubble. Nothing else to go on. No magic trace or anything.” She paused. “But the good news is that we did find her phone.”

“And in good condition!”

Sunset chuckled softly at her. “Anyway, this place seems like a bust. We’ll give it another look but I don’t think we’ll find anything else here. Let’s meet up at the diner downtown in about an hour? We’ll go over everything we know together.” Both sides hung up leaving Sunset to look over Twilight as she searched the parking lot. There was hardly anything there – or anyone for that matter. “Got anything?”

“No.” Came her sad and disappointing answer. “I really thought we’d get at least something, but my tracker isn’t picking anything other than the source from the museum. It’s like that monster didn’t leave any trace behind.”

“Well you did say it was a ghost. And ghosts don’t exactly leave a lot. Unless you know a thing or two about ectoplasm.”

Twilight gave her a scowling look. “That’s ridiculous. Ghosts are simply fictional beings. They don’t really exists. And I called the monster ethereal. A totally different concept.”

Sunset gave out a coy smile which somehow irritated her. “Sure. I believe that. And… speaking of the museum, I still can’t believe you blew Timber off yesterday. That was really not cool to break a promise.”

“I thought we were through this!” Twilight groaned, having one hand on her face. “I needed to see the artifact for myself. Get a first-hand experience. Besides, it all worked out in the end.”

“More like you were lucky that Flash was there. Otherwise security would’ve just thrown you to the curb. You can’t just show up like that on the very last minute.”

“It was a magical emergency!”

“You blew off a whole date.”

“Half! HALF a date.” That didn’t exactly make it sound better. “Besides, I promised that I’d make it up to him later. This situation we’re dealing right now is big.”

“Big enough to blow off your boyfriend to hang around with another boy?”

“Hey no fair! Flash was just around when I needed help. And to answer that question: Yes. It is.” Sunset recoiled from that answer. She certainly wasn’t expecting her friend to simply agree. “Don’t you think that this situation is important? I mean look what happened to Applejack. She and Big Mac got hurt because of this thing.”

“Yeah, but how is that our fault?”

“Because we’re the only ones who have the ability to fight this creature.” She reasoned angrily, eyes fuming. “You know that this world isn’t exactly ruled by magic like in your Equestria. No one else has any kind of defense against that kind of power. What if this monster starts to go on a rampage? Innocent people could be in danger because we didn’t stop it.”

“I know. But remember, we can’t be responsible for every magical disaster. At least… not you guys. We’re still kids.”

“Kids with powerful magic that we hardly know anything about!” Twilight covered her mouth when she realized her voice snapped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just that… you once said that we were all given these powers for a reason. I’d like to believe we were given them to protect and help people. And seeing these magical nature hurting folks… I can’t help but feel like I haven’t done my best.” She glanced over to the crowd in the distance holding a wistful look. “No one here knows what we go through with our lives. All the power, the burden we have to hold back. It feels… heavy sometimes.”

“Twilight.” Sunset skipped over to the girl, holding her shoulder. “Since when did you start thinking like this?”

“Ever since our Spring Break.” She answered. “After you and Princess Twilight decided to lock the portal with your magic key, that whole event with the Storm King got me thinking that… those people in the cruise could’ve gotten seriously hurt.”

“But they didn’t. We saved them.”

“Exactly. We saved them because of our powers.” Twilight countered. “Do you think any of them would’ve been able to handle the Storm King or carry a thousand pounds worth of equipment with their minds? Of course not. And… that’s exactly what scares me.” She shuddered at the thought. “If we couldn’t save them or protect them… then it would’ve been our fault. Because we didn’t try hard enough.”

Wow… talk about heavy. Even Sunset was beginning to feel the weight of her burdens. But there was some truth in there. Even she knew that the humans of this world had little to no defense against magic. It’s why the Sirens were able to influence them so easily or how she nearly turned an entire student body into a personal army of mindless zombies. There was simply nothing here that can counter that. If magic was allowed to run rampant like it did during their cruise… no one would be safe. It would continue to evolve, changing the world in ways they could never imagine. The damage that could happen would be… irreparable.

“I guess you’re right there.” Sunset agreed after a short pause. “But you should’ve told me about this earlier. I would’ve helped you look for an answer. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know. It’s just that… I don’t want to fail. Not with this. Not when those that I care about can get hurt.”

“Hey. We’ll figure it out.” The redhead carried her out of the parking lot and back into the light. “Whatever happens, we’ll see it through. Together.”

“I…… well…” Twilight slumped. “Yeah. I guess we will.”

“That’s the spirit! Now come on. It’s passed noon. And I figure neither of us wants to be caught here out in the dark.”

On that, they both can agree on.

(Diner)

Ding!

“Order up!”

The smell of burgers and fries was heavy in the air that evening as Sunset and her friends gathered around the table. The information they’ve gathered was sparse at best but it was a step in the right direction. It would certainly be a lot easier if they had an obvious suspect to go with.

“So here’s what we know so far.” Sunset recapped, using a pen and pad to jot down their intel. “We all know that this strange magic is coming from these objects in the museum. We also know someone has used them four times. Considering that there are four artifacts in total, it can’t be a coincidence.”

“I don’t know.” Rainbow Dash protested. “I still think that the Dazzlings have something to do with all this. I’m gonna keep one eye open for those three. Just in case.”

“We also have a raging shadow wolf monster hunting us and no clue who’s summoning it and why.”

“Don’t forget that the whole magic thingie is burning out faster than a birthday cake on a raging birthday party!” Pinkie added stuffing her mouth full of treats.

“Yeah. That too. And right now we got a whole mess of questions and not a lot of answers to go by.”

“Can’t we just let it be?” Rarity suggested, her whole body gleaming with a soft glow from all the pampering. “If this magic is slowly weakening then surely the problem will resolve itself if we just leave it alone.”

“We can’t guarantee what Adagio said is correct.” The redhead explained. Though as much as she would like to believe so, she can’t exactly trust the word of another former villain on a whim. “Even if she was right, there’s no telling what could happen in the next two weeks. We can’t allow this monster to run rampant. Not when we know we can still stop it. We just need to think this through.”

“I don’t suppose we could just call Twilight – uh… Princess Twilight I mean.” Applejack put her two bits in. “She’s really our only foreign expert on this whole magic thing. No offense Twily.” The other Twilight brushed it off. “I’m just saying we might need a real professional to deal with this kind of problem.”

Sunset agreed on that idea. If anyone could solve a magical problem, it’d be her friend on the other side. “I’ve been writing to Twilight about this whole thing. But from the looks of it, there are some problems happening in Equestria too. It doesn’t look like she’ll be able to help us any time soon. And I really don’t want to use the portal or I’d be risking more magic to leak to this side. We all agreed to put that lock and use it only when absolutely necessary.”

Fluttershy sighed. “I guess being a Princess in the other world comes with a lot of responsibility. We can’t always call on her when things look bad here.”

“Exactly.” Sunset nodded. “Princess Twilight already has enough on her plate with just one world. Besides, this thing seems to be magic from this world. We’ve fought worse things before. I think we can handle one little wolf.”

“I’m game.” Rainbow Dash raised her fists up in approval. “So how do we fight it? Do we Pony-up and blast it with our rainbow beams? Or do we play a jam and blast it with our music?”

“First we’ll need to find it.” Twilight spoke up. “I’ll use my tracking device back home and do a full sweep of the city. If the shadow creature shows itself, I’ll let you guys know.

“And then we Pony-up?”

They rolled their eyes at the bloodthirsty member of the group. “Yes Rainbow Dash. We’ll ‘Pony-up’. But that means we have to be together when the time comes. I don’t suppose you guys will mind a sleepover at my place?” Her friends shouted with approval. They’d never turn away a sleepover. Not to mention they’d all feel a lot safer being together knowing that there was a wolf chasing after them.

“I’ll be sure to bring some extra lotion. Can’t be too careful these days.”

“Woohoo! Sleepover!” Pinkie cheered. “We’ll make it a party. And then we can take our mind off Applejack’s disaster family reunion.”

…

Wait… the reunion?

All eyes turned to the girl in question whose face froze up like ice.

“Oh no…”

(Applejack’s residence)

“Oh I am so stupid! How in the world did I forget!?”

Applejack was pretty much desperately screaming in her head as the taxi pulled over to the last stoplight to her farm. Her full attention was directed at her phone noticing the many missed-calls from various family members across the board. She forgot that she put it on silent when she was at the spa and never bothered to turn it back on. No doubt they were wondering why there was no one there to greet them or why the farm looked like it was hit by a storm and an earthquake all at once. She tried to dial them back but every cousins, aunts, uncles or family twice removed wouldn’t answer. Most of them were going straight to voicemail which prompted her to consider the worst case scenario. She bit her nails, trying another number and getting no response.

“Oh this is bad. REALLY bad! No one’s answering! Not Uncle Orange, Apple Dumpling or even Apple Cobbler! I’m doomed!”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think?” Twilight tried to laugh it off only to earn herself a strangling grip from Applejack.

“Don’t you get it!? This is the family reunion! The biggest gathering of the whole family! Only one of us gets to host a reunion once a year and this was my time to shine! I promised them games, music, singing and a barn full of our family’s special cider! If they find out that I got none of those and the house looks like a whole lotta mess, they’ll never let me host another one ever again…… EVER!”

“Breathe Applejack. Breathe!” Sunset tried to sooth her but it looked like she was getting a panic attack. “Calm down now.”

“Don’t tell to CALM DOWN!” She was starting to look like Princess Twilight when she’s panicking. When her phone rang, her hand teleported to it. “AHA! Apple Bloom! Sugar Cube! Where are ya!?”

“Applejack? We’re at home. Where are you? The whole family’s been looking for ya.”

“The whole family!?”

“Yup. Uncle Bushel just arrived with Uncle Cobbler. We’re at the barn right now.” The barn!? No! That’s the worst place to be in right now! “You’d better hurry back. Things are getting really crazy over here and we could really use your help.”

“I know. I know! I messed up!” Applejack groaned. “I should’ve called them when I had the chance. How bad is it? Is it bad? Are they all mad?”

“Mad?” The girl on the other line sounded unsure. There were noises in the background. Some yells and barks but nothing she could make out. “Well… they’re a little agitated with Granny but… uh… HEY! Apple Dazzle, Jonagold, you put that down! Ow! Hey! Stop that! I’m not gonna tell on you if you don’t stop! Ow! G… give that back! Stop!”

The line suddenly went dead leaving Applejack holding a terrified expression.

“She sounded… well?” Pinkie tried to chip in but that only made it worse.

“I knew it! It’s over!” The cowgirl exploded in terror. “The family is on a rampage and now they’re taking it on Granny and Apple Bloom!”

“Now that’s an exaggeration.” Sunset added, quickly breathing a sigh of relief when the stoplight turned green. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious!? DID YOU NOT HEAR that call, woman!? They’re clearly being hung to dry! We’re doomed! It’s serious family capital punishment! It’s over! Say goodbye to yours truly!”

“Will you calm down!!?” Rainbow Dash barked from the passenger seat, a cookie in hand. “Your doom and gloom is making me nervous and I can eat when I’m nervous!”

Sunset wanted to try to ease her friend but was quickly stopped when she saw the farm coming into view. “We’re coming up on the house now.”

“I can’t watch!” Applejack shrunk into the seat, her heart thumping heavily on her ribs. She closed her eyes shut hoping that this would all be over soon. She expected her friends to sigh and groan, awkwardly waving to see her entire family giving out disappointed and upsetting gazes upon them. But strangely enough there was nothing. The gang had suddenly gone quiet like their voices were stolen – or were they mesmerized by something? “How bad is it? Are they mad? They do look upset?”

“Uh… Applejack.”

“No wait! Don’t tell me! I don’t wanna know! Just hide me!”

“Applejack.” Twilight poked at her, her face locked to the window. “You… might want to see this.”

Applejack didn’t feel like raising her head. She was far too afraid to face the judging look of her family. But oddly enough she took a quick peek. Bracing herself for what was to come. And when she did…… her mind died out.

An ocean of light greeted the girls in a bright and warm embrace. A large crowd had gathered there, no doubt the majority of the Apple Family itself. They huddled in groups eating and cheering while smiles and laughter passed around like a currency to be spent. A big open area was made as a temporary dance floor. Wide swaths of tables and chairs lined the area with bottles of empty cider stacked up on one corner, and a giant buffet table right in the middle for all to pinch from.

The gang slowly got out of the taxi with Applejack being the last. An array of colors welcomed the girls in the form of banners and decorations. Sunset paid the driver, not even remotely interested in the change. All their eyes were locked at the sight, some of them wondering if they were dreaming.

“Ow! Pinkie!” Twilight was shocked out of her gawking face.

The bubblegum gal snickered. “Sorry. You looked like you needed a pinch. But yeah! Woohoo! PARTY!!!”

“Applejack!” It was Apple Bloom’s voice that broke her big sister’s trance. “There you are! Where’d ya been?”

“Apple Bloom?” The girl replied still in shock. “How… did you…? The field is… and the barn is all…” She pointed at the large tall red building at the side of her house which she was sure was burned down last night.

“I have no idea. The party was in full swing when Granny and I got back from the hospital.”

“But I thought you… and Granny were… in trouble?”

“Trouble? Us?” The little apple raised a brow. “Why would we be in trouble? Granny’s over there playing cards with Goldie and her cousins. But the bigger question is… how in the world did you get all this done!?”

Me? Did I do this? Applejack wasn’t sure anymore. Actually… she wasn’t even sure if this whole thing wasn’t just a figment of her imagination. An illusion created by her fear and anxiety.

“I did?”

“Yeah! How’d you get the barn fixed so fast? How’d you set up the whole place? Granny and I thought you’d up and call off the reunion.” She was.

At least… that was the idea at first.

“Hey! There’s our star of the hour!” A bombastic voice boomed from a middle-aged couple who quickly came by and grabbed Applejack in a loving hug.

“Applejack, sweedom! There you are!”

“Where’ve ya been?”

“Great party! Probably the best one yet!”

“Almost thought we’d have to run this place without ya.” The poor girl was bombarded with praises and compliments, so much so that it left her stunned and confused. She had a list of question on her and not enough time for answers. “And that boy you brought in was a real game changer!”

What boy?

“Guys!” A familiar voice chimed from the back of the crowd wading through masses of the Apple Family. The boy looked practically haggard, like he just came through a tornado.

“Flash?” Sunset gave him a puzzled stare.

“Oh thank god you’re all here. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.” The lightning boy smiled. “I would’ve called you earlier but your family is really energetic after we fixed the barn.”

“You?” Applejack stuttered in disbelief directing that question back. “You did all this? But… how?”

He shrugged with a nod that was brimming with humility. “I called up a friend who… called a friend who called a contractor. It took some effort but we managed to get the whole replace renovated. You like it?”

“I love it!” Pinkie blew out a party whistle, quickly descending upon the giant cake at the buffet table. Some of the children joined in as well, laughing and chuckling like nothing mattered in the world. “Double frosting! My favorite!”

“This is awesome!” Rainbow squealed, her face practically beaming from ear to ear. “We can still have a proper party! Hey. What about our instruments?”

“In the barn. They’re all set.” Flash answered gesturing to the stage that he set up for the band. “You think you can play a tune?”

“Ha! Watch us! Come on guys!” The speedster was at the stage already shouting on the mic. Fluttershy chuckled at her childish notion and slowly joined her.

“I… wh… I don’t…” Applejack on the other hand still seemed to be in shock.

“Is… she ok?”

“Just give her a moment. It’ll pass.” Sunset reassured them. “Come on. I’ll go and rock bass in her place.” With a wave she and the other members of the Rainbooms got up on stage, readying their instruments. They shot each other a knowing look and played a tune with Rainbow Dash in the lead. The song alone attracted the whole family to the dance floor shaking the very earth itself.

“I… I don’t get it.” Applejack said finally, her mind sane enough to form proper sentences and questions. “How? How did you do it? The barn was burned.”

Flash again waved it off. “Oh it was nothing. The construction team were real pros. They got it fixed in just a few hours.”

“But the field…”

“Covered them up and flattened the dirt in.”

“The animals?”

“Hired the ranchers next door. They were good at it too.”

“The tables? The decorations? The food?”

“Rented them, and there was a store throwing out some old holiday decorations so we put those instead. As for the food, I hired a caterer from the city. Bought a whole mess of apple-cider too. Not bad eh?”

How can you say that so easily? Applejack calculated the cost in her head and she was convinced that there was just no way could she count that high.

“But… why?” She asked like it was the strangest puzzled in the world. “Why would you…?”

“Why not?” He shrugged back, answering her question with a question. “You’re always so hard working Applejack. I figured you could use a break. And… it sounded to me like this whole reunion meant a lot to you. It might not be as good as what you planned but I figured I can do something just as fun.” There he goes again with that smile. That goofy smile that won over Princess Twilight. “Besides, it’s the least I could do to help you girls with your magical adventures.”

“I…” Applejack looked at him, unable to find the words. She wanted to laugh, cry and punch something really hard all at once. She wanted to do something to show her appreciation, to tell him how grateful she was. But nothing came. All she could do was stand there, stare at his face, her cheeks flushed as her heart beats to the rhythm of the song playing in the background. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He nodded back and cringed when he noted some of the apple family calling out to him. “Uh speaking of which. You mind dancing with me right now? I really need a good excuse not to join your extended-family over there. No offense to them, but I’m pretty sure they’re secretly trying to kill me with their love and attention.”

The cowgirl stifled a laugh. That kind of love sounded a lot like the Cobblers.

“Sure thing partner.” She grabbed his arm and drag him into the dance floor, a big’ole smile plastered on her face.

The party went on through the night thankfully without hindrance and the Rainbooms played on until dark.

xxxxxxxxxx

“That was the greatest, bestest, most fantastic party… EVER!” Apple Bloom crashed into the living room practically hopping on the couch holding the widest smile she’s had in weeks. “I can’t wait for the next one. We should totally hold it again next year!”

“If it means I can beat Goldie in that ring toss game a few more times, then I’m all for it.” Granny Smith readily agreed patting her small granddaughter over the head while holding on a small stack of money in the one hand. “She always was a sucker in our little games.”

“Alright you guys. Hold your horses.” Applejack smiled. “Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. Besides, Golden Delicious volunteered to hold the next one and I’ll be honest, he can have it.” It was just too much work and too costly for her book. “I think I’ve had enough of a party to last me a lifetime.”

“He’ll never be able to top what you did tonight big sis! Not in a million years.” Nope. No he won’t. And it technically wasn’t her who made all this arrangements.

“It was also nice for that young man to help out.” The old apple lady winked. “What was his name again? Flutterina something?”

“Flash Sentry.” Apple Bloom answered. “He’s from our school. He’s the one that asked big sis to dance with.”

“Oh~~~ did he now?” Granny Smith grinned, her tone dripping with suggestion.

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Granny…”

“Oh don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here, waiting. Why don’t you two hop on to bed now?”

“Aww, but it’s still so early!” No it isn’t. It’s already half passed midnight. It’s technically tomorrow. “I’m still excited from the partying. I don’t even think I can sleep tonight.”

“Hehe… you and me both Apple Bloom.” Applejack readily agreed on that. The party might be dying down now with everyone already heading home but she still felt energized. Perhaps that spa treatment with Rarity really did loosen her up.

“Oh! Soup. Did you make this soup Granny?” Heh. Even after all the food in the party she’s still hun…

Wait… soup?

“Apple Bloom, don’t…!”

But it was too late. The little apple took one sip and her face went paler than concrete. “GAHHH! My tongue!! Water! WATER!” She ran off into the kitchen grabbing the closest liquid she could find and chugged it down.

Applejack couldn’t help but laugh. She should’ve thrown that thing away when she got back. It must’ve fallen off her mind after all the partying.

Quietly the cowgirl approached the bowl by the couch, staring onto the oddly colored meal. The face of a certain blue haired boy came to mind causing her to snort amusingly. The smell of the soup reached her nose and already she could tell how bad it would taste.

Still… that didn’t stop her from picking up her spoon and took a mouthful. And just like the first time, it was horrible. It was sour and sweet at the same time, and a multitude of flavors exploded into her mouth, none of them good. It was absolutely the worst soup ever made in the history of mankind. An abomination of the culinary world.

…

But even so… why? Why did she like it so much? Why did her cheeks brighten thinking of him? And why can’t she get this stupid grin off her face?

Preparations

Chapter 7: Preparations

(Monday) (Canterlot High)

Flash yawned out groggily that morning as he, not so much as walk as in slumped his way to his first class, looking like a half-cooked zombie in a post-apocalyptic world. His band mates greeted him along with a few of his friends but he just waved them back not wanting to be rude. He was far too exhausted to speak – or study at all.

As he closed his eyes the events from last night came flooding in like a migraine. He can’t really recall them all but he was certain that there was dancing, music, apples and cider.

Ugh… oh god.

There was a lot of cider.

He must’ve drank like two gallons of that stuff and more. However the other members of that fruit family seemed to inhale like it was air. And it’s not like he wanted to compete with them. It was those annoying extended family members of the Apples. The Cobblers… or something. They were the ones responsible for his aching stomach and throbbing headache. The old man insisted that they had a drinking contest saying that it was tradition for guests to prove their worth or something along that line. Flash obviously didn’t even get close to beating them and would’ve puked the contents of his stomach if Applejack hadn’t stop them.

Word of advice to his future self: Never try to outdo an Apple. You’re only gonna get yourself hurt.

Speaking of Applejack, Flash found himself strangely drawn to that country girl. Her smile was downright infectious and it beamed throughout the event like a star. Seeing her home fixed and her family enjoying the festivities brought out the joy in her like never before. She was, dared he say, kind of cute too.

They must’ve spent the whole night together going around the farm, introducing him to every passerby that asked. She was practically glowing in the moonlight. Though that might just be because she just came from the spa.

The party itself lasted well into the night with him being dragged from one side to the next. He wasn’t really sure why but it seemed like the whole apple family wanted him all to themselves. Perhaps they were just being overly friendly. He was just glad that there were no alcohols provided, otherwise it would’ve been a totally different party.

His dad would probably lecture him later for his abrupt spending. Hiring an entire construction company to rebuild, repair and remodel a whole farm on such short notice was going to put a dent on their bank accounts. But considering who he was helping, he’d say that it was worth it.

While he wouldn’t openly say it, Flash had secretly wished that he could be a part of those girls’ magical adventures. To be able to see and use magic like the ones they performed throughout the school year left a lingering sensation. He wished he could use magic – or at the very least see it like they do.

But no. That wasn’t meant to be. Those girls were the heroes of this story. They were the main cast, the protagonists of this book while he and everyone else here were cast on the sidelines to be nothing more than background characters. As far as those girls were concerned, he was probably just another guy that the author simply gave too much screen time for no reason.

Ms. Cheerilee started her class not long after the bell rang. She called out names and took attendance. He raised his hand of course when called but didn’t really pay much attention to anything else. He was too tired to do anything.

Maybe he’ll just sleep through first period.

“Attention.” The school’s PA system blared up catching the attention of the class. “Would student, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, please report to the Principal’s office?”

Hmm?

The names suddenly sparked the boy awake lifting his sleepy head from the table. It’s strange for the two of them to be called like that. They couldn’t have caused trouble. Twilight was practically a model student and Sunset is…… well it wouldn’t be her first call to the office but she’s reformed now.

There can only be one other reason. And Flash knew exactly why.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight didn’t really liked being called to the Principal’s office. While she does know that she couldn’t have done any wrong… at least not that she knows of, that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. Being called to the head honcho’s office was like a dent on one’s reputation in school. If anything, such a call would put a massive stain her personal school record. It would give future teachers the impression that she was a troublemaker.

With a sigh she knocked on the door with Sunset by her side.

“Come in.”

The girl creaked the door open, sticking her head inside. “You called for us Pri… Vice Principal Luna?” She was startled when they realized that it wasn’t Celestia on the throne. “You… called for us?”

“I did. Please. Have a seat.” The two of them did so, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“We’re… not in trouble, are we?” Sunset asked just to be sure. “Not that we have any reason to be in trouble or anything ahehehe.”

Luna smiled back reassuringly. “You can relax girls. Neither of you are in any trouble.” They breathed a sigh of relief. “I actually called you two here because of another matter.” She pulled out a newspaper from the desk and showed them a segment at the far back. “There’s been word going around the city lately that a large wolf-like creature has been seen roaming the neighborhood. While I don’t usually take these rumors seriously, several of our staff and students have been reporting seeing it as well. They all agree that this… animal is like a living shadow, appearing and reappearing wherever it wishes. I don’t suppose you girls would know anything about that now, would you?”

The two eyed one another, clearly showing signs of suspicion.

“Well… it’s… complicated.” Twilight answered. “Very complicated. It just so happens that we discovered magic here and we believe that it’s somehow related to that creature.”

“Is that so?” Luna eyed them carefully. “And I don’t suppose this creature is related to why Big McIntosh was rushed to the hospital the other day?” Ah… right. They forgot about that. “Girls. I understand that this magic of yours is not exactly… common. The school has agreed to keep it a secret but there’s only so much that we can do before this whole thing blows over. I don’t want this turning into another major incident like the Fall Formal or the Friendship Games.” The two girls cringed at the memory of those events. “We all know that this school could use a break from your… magical escapades. And I don’t want anyone else, including yourselves, to get hurt.”

“It won’t happen.” Sunset said with determination. “We promise.”

“Good. And with Principal Celestia going on a goodwill assignment with the new Superintendent of Crystal Prep Academy, I don’t want anything to interfere with the school. Especially not so close to the Winter Holidays.”

“Crystal Prep?” Twilight blinked. “You mean Professor Sombra?”

“You know him?” Luna somehow looked surprised.

Sunset nodded. “Flash uh… told us about him the other day. He said that he just came back from some exploration?”

“His expedition in the Yaztec Forest.” The Vice-Principal corrected. “Though that is kind of surprising. Flash doesn’t normally talk about his family to anyone.”

“He doesn’t?” Both girl gave a questioning eye-raise. “Why not?”

“He doesn’t like people knowing the true status of his family. Being a well-respected and recognized Professor in Manehattan, you might say that such a position comes with certain… privileges – and wealth.” That part was pretty much obvious ever since he singlehandedly fixed Applejack’s home. “He just wants people to see him as he is, not because of where he came from. I heard that they used to be close until his mother passed away.”

That was a surprising tidbit of information. “You know Professor Sombra too Ms. Luna?”

“We went through college together. He was the smartest out of our whole class. He was pretty much the best of us before……” She paused, a sad memory returning. “… things happened.” But she quickly brushed it off, forcing a smile. “But that’s all in the past now. Look at me, gossiping to you girls. In any case I want this incident nipped in the bud before it spreads. I don’t want anything strange or bizarre happening to this school while Celestia is away.”

If only she knew of all the magical adventures that they’ve been through, she wouldn’t make that kind of order.

“Don’t worry, Vice Principal Luna.” Sunset reassured her. “We’ll do everything we can to stop it. We got this.”

(Cafeteria) (Afternoon)

“We so don’t got this.”

Twilight patted her friend as she slumped onto her table with a deep groan. Sunset was feeling really confident about their chances of solving this mysterious magical case. But after hearing what Twilight had to report, her confidence plummeted to the ground.

“Sorry about that. I forgot to tell you about the scans yesterday. As powerful as my equipment are, they can’t exactly track the shadow monster precisely.”

“Aww man!” Rainbow Dash forked her baked potato in frustration. “And here I thought we’d get to Pony-up and fight that thing head on. I even got Rarity here to find me a Daring Do costume from the movie: Knights of the Rectangular Table! It was supposed to be my epic comeback!”

“Didn’t you say you improved your umm… tracking thing?” Fluttershy reminded. “I thought you could see us whenever we use our powers.”

“It’s easier with Equestrian Magic. That’s how I tracked the Dazzlings in the first place. But this power seems more or less… sophisticated. Even the artifacts that are in the museum look like they cover an entire block of the city. Tracking the wolf monster will take a while longer. And when I do, it’ll most likely move the moment we get there.”

“Well we all knew it wasn’t gonna be easy.” Applejack stated with some hint of relief. “If all our adventures had such a clear sight, it wouldn’t be called adventures. I’m just glad it didn’t strike my farm a second time. I’m keeping a nightlight with me from here on out.”

“Is there any way we can help, darling? We might not be on par with you and Sunset when it comes to magic and science and stuff but we do want to do our part.”

“Oh! I can make a victory cake!”

“We haven’t even fought it Pinkie.” Rainbow pointed out.

“I know. But we all know we’re going to win. So it’s great to plan ahead.”

The multicolored gal opened her mouth to argue but paused. Soon she gave it a thought and smiled, nodding. “Huh… you make a good argument. I’d like mine to have all chocolate… please.”

Twilight smiled back gratefully. “Thanks. But right now the only way to improve my tools would be to have a direct source of that magic to work with. If I could just get my hands on one of those artifacts, I can use it pinpoint the shadow creature much faster.”

“Oh sure. That sounds like a great idea.” Sunset dramatically added with a tone dripping with sarcasm. “Why don’t we just break into the museum and steal a priceless historically significant artifact? I’m sure that’ll look good on our permanent record.”

Twilight gave her friend a glare which didn’t leave much of an impact seeing how adorable she was. “Actually I was thinking we could ask Flash to get it for us.”

Say what now?

“Eh?”

“Flash.” She repeated. “His dad technically owns those items. So I was wondering if he could ask if he could let us take a look at it…”

“Whoa whoa whoa. Easy there Twily. I was only kidding. You know that right?” Sunset blurted, waving her hands out in panic. “It’s one thing to ask Flash to get you in at the museum event. But asking him to grab one artifact? That’s a step too far even for me. And trust me… I’ve done a lot of bad things back in my early days here.”

“But how else are we supposed to find this monster? You heard Vice-Principal Luna. This shadow wolf has been seen all over the city. Who knows what it’ll do next? And you said that we’ll do everything we can to stop it. We need to be daring if we want to get to the bottom of this and Flash is our best ticket.”

“Someone called my name?” The girls squealed when the boy in question mysteriously appeared at the foot of the table with a tray of food in hand. “Uh… hi?”

“H… hey…” Applejack smiled, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head while tilting her hat down to hide her rosy cheeks. Pinkie also had a similar reaction though she hid her emotions well with whip cream.

“Flash.” Sunset chuckled awkwardly. “H… how long have you been standing there?”

He looked over to his imaginary watch and shrugged. “About five seconds. And then I heard you guys call me.” Twilight smiled sweetly at him before suddenly scooting away to make room. She gestured him to sit which he gladly accepted. “I heard you two got called to the office. Let me guess: It was a magical problem?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Why else would you two be called into the Principal’s office?” True. Ever since the Fall Formal, Sunset hasn’t exactly been getting herself in trouble. And Twilight was too much of a goody two-shoes to get herself into any sort of trouble. (Less they be magic of course) “It doesn’t have anything to do with the big bad wolf that’s been going around, does it?”

“Bingo bongo!” Pinkie cheered.

Twilight’s face sweetened. “Actually Flash… we are investigating the recent sighting of the monster.”

“Twilight…” Sunset gave a warning tone to her best friend who was looking at Flash with a cutesy look on her face. Surely she wouldn’t try and pony favors on him. Pun intended.

“And… we were wondering if you could help out.”

“Really!?” The boy’s expression beamed like someone had just set up a surprise birthday party for him. He was like an easily manipulated puppy who would happily do any trick or bear any humiliation when its favorite treat was being dangled in front of it. Sunset felt somewhat guilty for that, knowing how much her ex-boyfriend wanted to be a part of their adventures. “Sure! Anything for you girls.”

“I know it’s kind of a big thing to ask. But what are the odds that you can get one of the magical artifacts from the museum?”

“The what now?” Ah… good. He’s not completely naïve. The boy was probably expecting something easy and simple but he was handed a rather daring task. “You want one of that Yaztec stuff from the museum?”

“I know that they were donated to the museum and all…”

“Loaned, technically.” Flash corrected earning a surprised look from the girls. “They were just put on display temporarily for the fundraiser event. They’ll be officially donated to the museum once the new wing is finished. Right now they’re just sitting in my house.”

“Your father keep priceless relics… at home?” Even Rarity found that to be strange.

“Well… yeah. We have this vault where he keeps everything he brings back from his expeditions.” A vault in a house? Geez, the more they learn about him the more he starts to look like the rich kid in the neighborhood. How much did it take to make something like that? She could barely afford to replace her own backpack. “But why do you need them?”

“Would you believe me if I told you that we need it to track a giant wolf monster that’s been going around the city lately?”

The boy blinked, looked up and then down at her again. “Surprisingly… yes. But I’m not sure dad will like me taking things out from the vault.”

“Please Flash?” Twilight pleaded. “I know it’s a lot to ask but this would really help us out. Besides it’s not like we’re gonna keep it forever. We just need one of them for a few minutes to copy the magical energy components and then you can bring it back before your dad even knows it was gone.” She smiled sweetly, batting her eyes.

…

“I really can’t say no to you girls, can I?”

“YES!” The nerd pumped her fist up in triumph. “You’re the best Flash.”

His smiled widened at that comment. Like a dog wagging its tail to its owner. Was he always this easy to manipulate? It’s a wonder why he even broke up with her when he did.

(Crystal Prep Academy) (Principal’s office)

Ok… let’s do this one more time. I know we’ve gone over everything about two… hundred times already, but one more time wouldn’t hurt.

Clothes… wrinkle free… check.

Hair… perfect… check.

Speech? Recited and practiced to heart… check.

Makeup… check.

Heart and mental fortitude… fortified! Double check.

Right. She was ready. As ready as she’ll probably ever be at this point. She just needs to walk in, smile, wave, give an inspiring speech to the students and pose for a picture or two and then she’ll be on her way. No need to linger here and make things anymore awkward than it needs to be. Maybe give a compliment or maybe even a gift.

Yes! A gift! That’ll be perfect!

… but there wasn’t much time to find anything or gift wrap them.

Dang it! If she knew this whole ordeal would take all afternoon she would’ve done something extra. Now she’ll be just as bare as her hands.

Ugh! Why do we have to be stressed now of times!? Come on Celestia. Think of those breathing lessons Luna taught you. Just focus on the task at hand and exhale.

Oh! Coffee! There was a coffee pot right next to the Principal’s table. Strange. She always thought that Cadance was a tea person. Regardless, she wouldn’t mind if she helped herself for a cup.

Hmm…

That’s weird. Are coffee supposed to taste like this or was that her stress just messing with her? Ah who cares? It’s coffee! Just add cream and sugar and it’ll taste as good as new.

“Principal Celestia?”

The woman stood up at attention when a familiar voice called her out. Two figures approached with soft and professional looks on their faces.

“Oh! Principal Cadance. How good it is to see you again.”

“You too.” Cadance returned her smile exchanging pleasantries. “But I’ll be back to Dean Cadance after today. I’ll be forfeiting my position to the new superintendent. But you probably know that by now.”

“Yes. It’s a shame though. I really enjoyed our time during the last summer fair. We could’ve gone for so much more.”

“Don’t remind me. I still got the stomach cramps to prove it.” The former Principal quickly turned to her companion. “Oh and let me introduce you to my partner. This is Shining Armor. An alumni here in Crystal Prep. He’s been helping me greatly when I was running the school taking my old position. He’ll be stepping down of course just like me.”

“Too bad. I was kind of getting used to ‘Dean’ Shining Armor too.”

“Yes. I heard about you. Twilight Sparkle mentioned you a few times.”

“She did?” The young man’s cheeks turned a shade of red as he shook hands with the older woman. “That’s… unexpected. She wouldn’t happen to mention anything… unusual… about me?”

“No. Not that I know of.” She grinned. “Though she did mention something about winning the Sibling Supreme Crown.” Something she was adamantly proud of.

Shining Armor groaned, planting one palm on his face. “Of course she would.”

“Speaking of crowns, where’s…?”

“Superintendent Sombra is meeting with the other faculty. He should be around shortly.” Cadance answered. “I’m really glad that you came to usher him in to the other students. Normally I’d be the one to handle this part. But with things as they are…”

“I know. Believe me. I completely understand how you feel. When I had to be ushered in by the last Principal of CHS, it was really awkward. He made it look like I was doing a hostile takeover.” The three of them shared a laugh with one another breaking whatever tension that was between them. “By the way, I helped myself to some of your coffee. I hope you don’t mind.”

The mention of coffee seemed to make the two curious for a moment. “Coffee? I don’t drink coffee.”

Shining Armor’s face paled. “Wait. You didn’t… drink from that pot over there, did you?” Her awkward silence answered his question. “That… hasn’t been used since Principal Cinch left the academy.”

…

Oh crud. Somehow her stomach wasn’t feeling so good and her face turned greener than grass.

“I think I need to use the restroom.” She mad a dash for the door only to have it open from the other side. And there she came face to face with the last person that she needed to see.

“Lesty?” The man spoke, clearly just as surprised to see her.

“Sombra!?”

The world suddenly went silent for a moment. Memories of a previous life flashed before her eyes. That charming face and rugged sideburns. His gleaming green eyes and gray skin. He was exactly how she remembered him. The lonely boy who she saw in the school library so many years ago who then one day became her special-someone. Words churned in her head wildly, as they tried to form around her throat.

Powerful feelings that she buried inside of her all those years ago then suddenly began to resurface.

And then came in the form of her vomit spilling all over his coat.

(Sleepy Sirens)

Closing time. Finally.

Adagio let out a sigh when she closed the door to the café stretching out her arms from a long shift’s work. Despite it being only five hours of work, it felt like an eternity had passed by. And spending those hours with two of the most annoying people in the world stretched her patience to its limits.

“Ugh… finally we can go home.” Aria grumbled out loud like she always do. “I thought this day would never end. Why do we have to work here again?”

“For the negative energy silly!” Sonata answered back far more cheerful than the other two. “I mean, we’ve been doing it for months now. I’m surprised you forgot.”

“I was being facetious.”

“OH! Well… I was being facetious… too.”

“You don’t even know what that means.”

“Sure I do!”

“Prove it.”

“Enough!” The orangette snapped, rubbing the temple between her eyes. “It’s bad enough I had to spend an entire day with you idiots. My brain feels like it’s being shrunked just by being near you two. It can only handle so much stupidity.”

Aria scoffed back. “Whatever. You’re lucky you don’t have to deal with that four-eyed punk who keeps calling for assistance.”

“Aww… come on Aria. You know he’s only doing that to get your attention. He totally has a huge crush on you.” It was true. It was kind of adorable actually. The kid seemed to be infatuated with Aria and always gave her this puppy-dog look when she wasn’t looking. And he wasn’t the only one either. Aria had become somewhat of a celebrity in the café. With her looks at sharp tongued attitude she managed to assemble a pretty respectable fan club.

The purple haired Siren gagged her tongue out in disgust. “Oh please. As if I’d want to go out with a human. Give me a break.”

“Quiet! Let’s just go home and get some rest.”

“Oh oh! Can we get something to eat first? There’s this cake place called the Sweet Shoppe just a block from here. They have like the BEST donuts ever.”

“Fine! If it’ll get you to be quiet for the next fifteen minutes. We…” The leader of the Sirens paused when she felt the air shift behind her. The street lights flickered while the clouds loomed over threatening to pour soon. Her eyes sharpened in the dark alley a few corners away from the café.

“Adagio?” Aria noted her behavior. “What’s up?”

She glared a bit at the shadow before returning to them. “Nothing. Just a smell. Come along girls. The last thing we want is to be caught in the city at night.”

(Flash’s home)

If you would judge Flash Sentry by his appearance and attitude alone, no one would blame you to say that he was just your average rocker guy living a humble life. Heck, with his attire, you’d probably say that he was just a teeny-tiny bit above average than most of the students in CHS. And you’d never picture him living in a giant mansion. Unless of course he became a successful rock star.

The large green garden was the first sight anyone would see with a circular road at the center decorated by a beautiful fountain. A marbled path led up to the steps of his home that marveled any visitor who caught a glimpse of this place.

There was a reason why he never brought any of his friends home. If any of them ever found out where he lived, the rocker boy image he built over the years would come crumbling down in an instant.

Parking his car by the garage door, the boy was greeted by his butler who bowed lowly at his presence.

“Welcome home, Master Flash. How was school?”

The boy shrugged back like he always did giving the same answered he repeated thousands of times before. “It was great Edmund. Same old same old. Is dad home?”

“Master Sombra is currently meeting with the board of directors today at his new school. He will not be back any time soon, sir. Speaking of which, shall I have the chefs prepare supper? The salmon today is quite fresh.”

“Not today Edmund. I got plans tonight.” If the butler was offended by the late minute change, he didn’t show it. He quietly followed Flash into the house where it expanded into a luxurious living room with marbled floorboards and stairs leading to the third floor. “I wouldn’t mind a sandwich though.”

The butler curled the smallest of smiles. “I shall have the chef prepare them. Strawberry jam, correct?”

“You know me best, Edmund.” The boy quickly dismissed the older man before quietly traversing the halls of his home. Normally by now he’d go straight to his room for a little rest or the bathroom to get the day’s sweat off his body. But right now he had bigger plans.

With some hint of stealth, the boy made his way to his father’s vault. Though the word ‘Vault’ would be too much of an exaggeration. They simply called it that because it was where they put all the priceless artifacts that he collected over the years. Some of them had the value in the tens of digits while others were simply items that the old man found interesting. A glass jar, a statue of an acrobat, this weird mask or even a sword or two which Flash found kind of cool. There were times he would even entertain the idea of bringing them out to play but eventually outgrew it. The thought of using priceless relics as toys wasn’t exactly a good idea.

Eventually he came upon the artifacts. The ones that was supposed to contain magic. It was a big risk, taking such objects from the safety of their display cases. Dad always said that they should be handled by professional movers with their industrial white gloves and no one else. Doing so would risk damaging the relics.

The boy weighed his options, glancing at each objects carefully. The statue seemed like a safe bet seeing that it was made out of stone. But it was also pretty big and cumbersome. He’ll have to lift it with both his hands to transport it safely and people here would notice. The dagger was portable but it looked very fragile. Not to mention you can still cut yourself with that thing. The Chalice of Wishes was a tempting choice too but seeing as it was the centerpiece in his father’s collection, people would notice it missing immediately.

And so with a heavy heart he made for the next best thing.

The bowl. It was the most logical choice. It was made out of ceramic, a bit fragile but it could survive a night outside its safe-space.

“Calm down Flash.” The boy muttered to himself, breathing heavily. “Remember, you’re doing it for them. They’re counting on you. You’re just borrowing it for one night. You’ll have it back before anyone realize it’s missing.” He quietly reached for a hidden compartment behind the vault door finding a set of keys within. He’s been through this place a thousand times before. They never changed the location of the spare keys. With a defining click, the display case opened. There were no alarms, and hardly anyone would take a look at the security footage until tomorrow.

He then quietly stuffed the bowl into his jacket and walked out the door.

(Twilight’s home)

The frown on Sunset’s face went deeper than one might expect as she scanned the text on her phone, reading the words carefully. She was the first to arrive at Twilight’s place, preparing for a fight… or a sleepover, whichever came first.

“Flash just sent me a message.” She announced to her best friend who cuddled her pet dog tightly. “He’s got the artifact and is on his way.”

“Excellent! I’ll get my equipment ready.” The girl hastily got to work, putting all the gadgets and gizmos up like they were Christmas decorations. Her room practically looked like the setting of a mad scientist’s laboratory. With all those pipes, wires and gauges that measured some twisted data, it’s no wonder she was voted to be the resident nerd of the school last year. All that was missing was a platform that raises corpses to the roof to be struck by lightning and brought back to life.

“I still can’t believe you actually went and got Flash to do this.”

Twilight sighed. She was really getting tired of this conversation. “I didn’t force him to do anything. He wanted to help so I asked him. The artifact will speed up our search process. And the faster we find this shadow monster, the faster things will go back to normal.”

“I know. It’s just that – It looks like we’re using him for all of this. He means well but I get the feeling that he goes a tad bit too far.”

“Are you talking about how he fixed Applejack’s farm in just a single day.”

“Yeah. Kind of like that.” She admitted that it looked a bit strange. “I mean… I’ve known Flash ever since freshman year and we’ve dated for a while but I never knew that he…” The words were lost to her.

“Came from an incredibly wealthy and highly-respected family?”

“Yeah… that.” Sunset tilted her head in thought. “I mean… how did I miss that?”

“Well you heard what Vice-Principal Luna said: Flash doesn’t talk about his family that much. He probably likes to keep to himself.”

“You’ve seen Flash, right?”

Twilight shrugged back. “I know that despite his… personal appearance, it is surprising. But there are things that people like to keep to themselves. I mean… even I have a few things that I don’t you guys.”

“You mean like your Sibling Supreme contest with your brother?” Sunset stated with a dung eating grin.

“Hey! I told you that in confidence.”

“I’m just saying that it’s weird that I’m only learning about this now. It… kind of makes me realize just how bad of a girlfriend I was to him.”

The scientist puckered her lips in thought. “Huh… maybe that’s why you’re so hung over about this.”

“Excuse me?”

“About Flash helping.” She explained, not stopping on her work. “Maybe it’s because of your previous relationship with him, you’re seeing things from the perspective of the old you. You said it yourself that you only dated Flash because it would boost your popularity in school. And somehow that’s twisting your logic. You used him for your own benefit and seeing me do the same is pulling all those old feelings back. I think deep down you’re still feeling guilty about what you did to him back then and don’t want to repeat that process.”

“That’s…” Sunset opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it when she thought about what her friend said. It’s true. She was a horrible person before she reformed and perhaps an even worse girlfriend than she thought. Perhaps all that time she never really got to mend fences. “That actually makes sense.”

“Remember how things turned out with Wallflower Blush when she brainwashed everyone?”

“How can we forget?” She paused thinking on that sentence. “Pun intended. But… yeah. I see your point. I just never really thought about it. It’s just that… when he said he forgave me for all the things I did, I must’ve believed that everything was back to normal. But I guess I haven’t really forgiven myself. I did some… really bad stuff back then.”

“No one’s perfect Sunset. We all make mistakes. It’s what we do afterward that makes the difference.” Twilight smiled warmly, giving a reassuring pat on the back. “And hey, maybe when all of this is done we can take him out for something nice. I’m sure everyone would pitch in after what Flash did for us. It’ll be like a party.”

“That… does sound good.” Sunset nodded, a smile spreading on her face. “I’m sure Applejack would approve. He did build her a new barn after all.”

Twilight laughed. “This is usually the part where Rarity goes: Goodness me. Seven girls taking one boy out for dinner? Oh the scandal! Whatever would they say?” She imitated the fashionista from her voice down to her fall-on-couch technique which made her friend snicker.

(Sweet Shoppe)

As much as Adagio wanted to hate this little detour, she had to admit that the food here were pretty good. She wouldn’t mind visiting this place again so long as they have Sonata’s favorite donuts. Those round pastries with colorful dust put on top. She sunk her teeth in one and felt the flavor explode in her mouth.

“I can’t believe we got here just before closing time.” Sonata happily stated as she chewed on her share of the treats. “Those cake people were so nice they even gave us two extras! How awesome is that?”

“More like they didn’t want them to go to waste.” Aria deduced deadpanned. “How can you stomach that stuff? Don’t we like… eat these at the café like all the time?”

“Yeah but the treats we have there have no frosting. The boss keeps saying that its budget cuts. Whatever that means. Oh! Maybe we should try lattie next.”

“It’s pronounced latte.”

Sonata waggled her finger at her. “Tsk tsk tsk. Come now Aria. I’m the one who works at the coffee stand. I think I know best when it comes to pronouncing things there. Like capanchio.”

“It’s cappuccino.”

“Yeah! What did I say?”

Ugh… for the love of…

Do these idiots have to argue over the dumbest things? Who cares what they’re called!? As long as you can serve in time without complaints, then it’s fine. There’s no need to memorize everything that jerk of a boss tells you to. They’re all doing a good enough job already. They don’t anymore…

Hmm?

Adagio’s eyes sharpened when the air shifted once more. She felt that strange presence once again lurking nearby. It was the same one she felt back near the café. It was a pressure, a dangerous one at that. And whatever it was, it was making her skin crawl.

“Come on girls.” She urged them. “Walk faster.”

They did so at her command.

And just as she suspected, that ‘thing’ followed them too.

Quietly she gave her ‘sisters’ a knowing look and they nodded. They quickened their pace, still pretending to be oblivious to their stalker.

They found a quiet corner hidden away from prying eyes. It was a narrow alley behind an apartment building where the tenants discard their trash. No one would be there at this time of night.

And like a lost puppy ‘it’ followed them, turning to the alley only to find it… empty?

“Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? Don’t you know it’s rude to be stalking people in the middle of the night?” Adagio stated appearing from behind as if by magic. But if the creature felt any sense of intimidation it certainly didn’t show it. Instead its eyes narrow back at her, showing its hidden fangs. “So you’re the big bad wolf those annoying girls have been talking about? I thought you’d be bigger.”

“Aww… it’s like a cute shadow puppy. But… bigger.” Sonata and Aria followed suit, appearing from the other side of the alley cornering the beast. “Can we keep it?”

“Not really sure the owner would like that.”

“It doesn’t matter.” The head of the Sirens scoffed. “What matters is that I don’t like folks trailing me like some kind of hound. Now.” She raised her hand up, her fingers glowing with power. “Are we going to talk? Or do we need to send you back to your master whimpering?”

It replied with a roar and lung at her with its hind legs.

Adagio expected that kind of response and quickly opened her mouth. The magic flowed from her finger creating a bright ray of light that banished the darkness.

The shadow reeled back, feeling its own skin fizzle and burn like a vampire facing the sun. It growled and barked before quietly changing target.

Aria followed it up using the same spell to blast another bright light pinning the monster to one side of the alley. It seemed like a one-sided fight.

Until the creature got smart and sunk into the nearest shadow, seemingly retreating from this battle.

“Pfft… not even a challenge.” Aria grumbled feeling like the whole fight seemed anti-climactic somehow. “And to think that those girls that beat us are actually afraid of this thing.”

“Aria! Behind us!” Sonata shouted spotting the monster coming out of the dark and quickly cast the same light spell to fight it. Thankfully she was quick enough and the beast recoiled from the beam. “Ha! Nice try doggy. But it’s three against one! You don’t stand a cha-eh?” She regretted those words immediately when she noted the shadow wolf suddenly split a piece of its own body to summon two smaller versions of itself. “Uh… can shadow monsters do that?”

“Stop talking for one minute and fight back!” Adagio ordered combining her magic with her ‘sisters’. But much to their surprise the giant shadow wolf simply split more of itself sending its minions to attack their blind spots. The roles then reversed and now them found themselves surrounded by this beast. They fought back valiantly, blasting one small shadow monster after another. But with every beast they took down, it was quickly replaced with another. They were as numberless as the darkness around them.

“Uh… Adagio. I think we might in over our heads.”

Darn it all! To be beaten by shadow slaves of all things!? How humiliating. It’s bad enough they had to be beaten by a bunch of kids, now this? If only they still had their amulets and their full Equestrian Magic, she’d make an example of whoever was controlling these things and give him/her a piece of her mind!

But just as she formed a plan, Sonata suddenly noted the mother of these shadow spawns suddenly grew in size. It towered over them, bearing its eyes and teeth ready to swallow them whole. She quickly realized its plan. There was no way to dodge it.

“Ow! What are you…” Adagio never got to finish when she found herself thrown out of the encirclement with Aria. The blue haired girl’s deathly scream faded as the monster gobbled her up.

“Sonata!” Aria cried out in panic and tried to rush in but her leader stopped her.

“Are you crazy!? You’ll get eaten!”

“But… Sonata…!”

“Focus your magic.” Adagio ordered stepping forward with both hands glowing. “Full power! Hold nothing back!” And with a blast of magic not seen in this world for some time, the two Sirens burned like the stars and banished the shadows from whence they came. The spawns and the mother vanished instantly leaving behind the girl it swallowed unconscious on the ground.

“Sonata!” Aria called out and reached for the poor girl cradling her head in one hand. “Sonata, say something!” The girl stirred, her eyelids lifting up just barely. Her lips moved but they couldn’t make out the words. “Don’t worry. I got you now. We’ll get you home and you’ll be all better.”

But Adagio didn’t share that sentiment. Her eyes darted to the darkness and noticed how the shadows there began to reform. The beast was coming back and it was spawning more of its children for a second round.

“We need to move. Now.” Frightened and panicked they quickly grabbed Sonata and bolted out of there before they became the monster’s next meal.

They ran. Ran faster than they’ve ever done before. But despite their efforts that ‘thing’ followed them. She can feel their magical presence slithering through the darkened corners of the street. It chased them from one block to another, breaking light bulbs and lanterns along the way.

“They’re gaining on us!”

“Yes I can see that, Cpt. Obvious! Keep moving! We have to find some place that has enough light that it won’t be able to chase us!” Which was a lot easier said than done seeing as most of the stores in the downtown area were closed. No one would be dumb enough to drive through this area at this time of night.

But to her surprise, she was wrong and there was someone dumb enough to come through here in their time of need. A vehicle was coming through.

“Wait here.” Adagio ordered before suddenly jumping onto the road blocking the car’s path. Thankfully the driver on the wheel slammed hard on the breaks screeching the tires out, the front bumper just inches away from turning her into road-kill.

“Hey!” The young blue haired driver popped out from his car, shouting. “What’s the big idea?” But she didn’t have the time or patience to deal with this and quickly shoved him back inside, signaling Aria to hop in before taking the passenger seat.

“Drive.”

“What?” The driver questioned before the shadow wolf caught up roaring loudly at them.

“I said DRIVE!”

Author's Note

Hey there folks. Here's another exciting chapter.
Don't forget to leave a like, comment and spread this story to other groups you might believe in

Chase

Chapter 8: Chase

(Streets of Canterlot)

A lone car sped through the streets of the city that night racing around like its life depended on it.

For the occupants of that car, it really was a race for dear life.

“Look out!” Adagio held on as they hit another hump on the road making the car bounce along with the passengers. Her head rattled slamming on the ceiling while her body rocked back and forth from the impact. “Can you be a little more careful!?”

“Hey you’re free to take over if you want!” The driver snapped back, one part angry while another part panicked over the shadowy terror chasing behind them. “Is that the magic wolf thing that’s been going around town?”

“What gave it away? Its giant fangs or its shape?”

“I thought there was only one!”

“Quit your yapping and drive!” The boy did so, putting his weight on the acceleration already passing the legal speed limit around here. It was a fast car but the shadows were just a tad bit faster. Soon they slipped out of the ground galloping on their four legs. “These things are really starting to tick me off!” She blasted a beam of light at one of them banishing it to the void.

“Ugh! Dang it. There’s no room back here!” Aria complained, trying to find a comfortable spot to put her feet up.

“Sorry but this is a two seater car. Not a lot of room for a third passenger.”

“Then I’ll make room.” She grabbed the largest object at the back and tossed it out the window.

“HEY! That’s my guitar!”

“Not anymore!”

“Eyes on the road!” Adagio barked again to which the driver had little choice but to comply. “Aria. How’s she doing?” The girl on the back glanced over to her unconscious friend who seemed to be drained of all her color.

“She’s not looking so good.”

Adagio bit her lip swallowing a curse. Whatever those monsters did it was sucking the life out of her friend. “We need to get to uptown.”

“What? Why!?” The driver questioned back. “That’s half way across the city!”

“These magical creatures thrive in darkness. While there’s shadow they’ll never stop hunting us. Uptown has the biggest lightshow in the city. They won’t be able to come after us there.”

He didn’t trust that argument one bit but when one of the shadow wolves latched on, he knew he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Uptown it is. Hang on!” The driver quickly changed gear and spun the wheel taking a sharp turn on the next intersection. The beast that clung onto the car lost its grip tearing a good chunk of the car with it. “Hey come on! I just got a new paintjob!” He complained uselessly like it would actually care.

The chase went on for another minute or so with the shadow monsters cutting close with every attack. More and more began to show and several pedestrians nearby could’ve sworn they saw something too but were too engrossed by the speeding car to actually take notice. By then they’d simply shrug and think it was just a pack of stray mongrels.

“Hey! No free rides!” Adagio blasted another of their pursuers that somehow managed to land on the hood of the car. Its blackened body evaporated from the blinding light she emitted. But when it vanished another three latched on with their claws and fangs eating away at the car, chipping it off piece by piece. “Don’t these things give up!?”

“What did you guys do to get them so mad?”

“Why don’t you go and ask them yourself!?” She barked back, flashing another beast away. “Can’t we go any faster!?” The driver growled but decided to keep his comments to himself.

Clang!

A claw pierced through the roof cutting the boy up ever so slightly but just enough to make him bleed. He would’ve panicked but not before a thought came to mind when he noted a narrow alley directly ahead.

He licked his lips, narrowed his eyes and shifted gear, putting the pedal to the metal.

“Uh… driver man.” Aria called out, noticing the alley as well. “What are you doing?”

“Hang on. I know a shortcut.”

“But… that’s too narrow.”

“Relax. We’ll fit.”

“We’re not going to fit.”

“We’ll fit!”

“We’re not going to fit!!”

“Then you’d better suck up that gut.”

“We’re not going to fit! WE’RE NOT GOING TO FITTTTT~~~~~!!!!!!” The two girls screamed as the vehicle slid in just barely through the two opposing buildings. The side view mirrors were the first to tear off as the walls closed in on them, the alley getting narrower as they progressed. The sound of metal scrapping against the bricked wall was irritable but it was drowned out by their screams and wails. The windshield cracked and many other parts loosened and scattered all over the ground never to be seen again. The whole process lasted for a good long minute until finally… they got through.

The boy panted heavily, swallowing a chunk of his vomit back in, eyes blaring as he made a snarky comment. “Heh. I told you we’d fit.”

“I don’t think that counts.” Aria groaned before noting Sonata’s lack of breath. “Oh no. Sonata? Sonata!”

“Aria. What’s going on?”

“It’s Sonata.” The girl panicked. “She’s getting cold. I don’t understand. It’s like…”

“The magic was sucked out of her.” Adagio deduced with her eyes widened. Realization dawned on her. “Of course. That explains it.”

“Explains what? I don’t under…!” The driver asked before suddenly hitting the breaks. The tires screeched to the halt just a few dozen feet away from a large intersection where the mother of all shadow wolves stood between them and Uptown. “Oh… that’s… that’s a big dog.” Adagio agreed on that notion. And there was certainly no way to outrun that thing, not in this wreck of a car. They’ll be dog chow before the sun came up.

“Adagio?”

“Quiet! I’m thinking!” If they charge in they’re dead, if they reverse they’re dead. Not a lot of plans to go by and her magic was waning with each use.

“Wait!” The driver boy spoke. “These guys are afraid of light, right?” The Siren beside him tilted her brow but nodded. “Do you think you can use some of that magic to boost the car?”

She looked over at the broken vehicle and the idea dawned on her. “I like your thinking. Aria – together.”

“Got it.” At her command the two placed their hands over the steering wheel. They poured what little remained of their magical energies into that broken hunk of metal letting it glow with power.

With one last look, the boy revved his engine and smiled, shouting. “Hey dog breath! You think you’re so tough!? Well why don’t you have a taste of 60 gigawatts of pure power!” With a flip of the handle his forward lights lit up and shined like the sun itself. It banished the darkness away covering the whole block with a radiance so magnificent that one could paint a picture on it.

The shadow monster let out a mighty pained howl as it felt its body peeled away inch by inch. It tried to sink into the pavement but there was no shadow to hide under. Its little minions vanished instantly, drowned out by the light. Finally after a moment of pain, the big bad shadow wolf was banished letting out one last roar in defiance. It disappeared not soon after, not a spec of it remained.

“Whoa…” Yeah… that was the word she’d use too. Who would’ve thought this stupid bucket of bolts had fangs of its own. “That was AWESOME! Sorry. Too loud?”

“A little.” She answered stoically. “Aria. How’s…? Oh…” She didn’t need an answer. She could see it as plain as day. Sonata was turning pale and cold. Any more so and she’d look stiller than a statue. “We need to get help.”

“Help? Who in this world would want to help us?”

(Twilight’s home)

Ding dong.

The doorbell rang with a cute tone alerting the resident of visitors.

“Be right there.” A cute and honest reply. Figured someone was expecting company. But at this hour? Someone might get the wrong idea. They could hear locks being undone on the other side. “Hey Flash. You’re late. What took you so…”

Adagio reached out and slammed the door open catching the girl mid-sentence. “We need your help.”

…

xxxxxxxxxx

“YOU WERE WHAT!?” Sunset exploded in a yelling tone that night, eyes brimming equal part furious and confused. The Dazzlings spent the last fifteen minutes explaining the incident to her. It was quite a tale to be sure though some of the action scenes were toned down a bit to save time, much to Rainbow’s dismay.

“Like I said: We were attacked by that giant dog.” Adagio replied irritated that she had to repeat the gist of it all. “Which part of that didn’t you understand?”

“And you brought in other people into this mess!? What were you thinking!?”

“I was thinking that I didn’t want to be the monster’s next meal.”

“I’m ok~” Flash announced, raising a thumb up to the Mane 7 while his face had this cheesy grin plastered on it. For someone who just experienced a life-threatening scenario, he looked pretty happy. Perhaps it was the adrenaline kicking in… or more likely the fact that Applejack offered her lap for him to rest his head while Fluttershy tended to his injuries. “Don’t worry about me.”

Sunset took a breath and calmed herself down. She was letting anger cloud her emotions and it was messing up her tone and the words she was using.

“Alright. Let’s say for a moment I do believe you. Why in the world would the shadow monster go after you? I thought it was only targeting us.”

“It wasn’t after us.” Adagio corrected earning a questioning look from the girls. “As much as it looked like it, that ‘thing’? It was after our powers.” She paused on that sentence. “To be more precise, I’d say it was after our magic.”

“Your magic?” Twilight parroted. “I don’t understand. I thought you lost your magical abilities.”

“We may have lost our forms and much of our powers when we were banished to this world, but that doesn’t change that we are still creature of magic.” The Siren leader explained, demonstrating her magic through a glow in her hand. “We breathe magic, feed off it like water. Unlike most magical creatures in Equestria, or you humans for that matter, it sustains us. Without it, we’ll wither away and eventually turn to dust. And trust me, that’s no way for anyone to go out.”

“Is that what’s happening to her?” Rainbow pointed over to Sonata who lay on the bed with Aria cradling her head. The poor girl was looking worse and worse by the minutes. “Ouch…”

“That wolf is a syphon.” The Siren continued. “It drains host or objects of their magic robbing them of all their energies. Seeing as there’s about as much magic here as water in the desert, we must’ve stood out like a buffet.”

“Food?” Pinkie jolted but was put down quickly with a stare from the others. “Ok. I get it. Not a joking moment.”

“That… does make sense.” Twilight’s face beamed as if coming to a realization. “When I chased that wolf creature it didn’t attack me until I used up a light spell. And it came after Applejack because she was using her powers to set up the things for her family reunion. It can sense magic.”

“Give the girl a prize.”

Sunset scoffed, still looking angry. “Fine. That makes sense. But I still don’t understand why you’d come to us.”

The two Sirens still standing traded looks and nodded. Adagio groaned but sucked her pride in. “Out of everyone we know in this city, you girls are the only ones who possess any real magic. So…” She sighed. “I’d like to propose a trade.”

A trade?

Sunset turned to her friends who looked all partly confused. They’ve never had any kind of dealings with former villains but it doesn’t seem like anyone disapproved. They may as well hear what they have to say first.

“We’re listening.”

“You give Sonata a portion of your magic. Just enough to restore her.” She gestured over to her unconscious friend. “At the rate she’s going, she might just disappear forever. Do this. And in turn we’ll help you find whoever is behind this magical conundrum.”

“Wait what?” Flash choked. “Didn’t we just beat that thing?”

“We only banished the monster.” She explained casually so. “The summoner can simply replace it. And whoever was controlling it is definitely getting stronger. He probably used the magic from the museum to bring it out and hunt other sources of magic to sustain it. If you want to get rid of the shadow beast… you need to take the summoner out.”

“And do you know who this guy is?”

“… no. But I’m willing to put an effort.”

“Please.” Aria pleaded. “She doesn’t have a lot of time. Anything will do.”

“Listen…” Sunset spoke up. “We’d love to help you out but our powers aren’t exactly what you think they are. We use spells. It’s completed magic.”

“But you have a power source, don’t you?” Adagio snapped. “All that power you wield requires magic! And it must come from somewhere!”

“It does.” Twilight added. “But we’re not sure of it ourselves. While our powers are connected through our geodes we don’t rightly understand where the magic comes from. I’ve been studying it for a long time now and even I don’t know the full extent of it.”

“Is there really no way?” Fluttershy asked.

“I could probably do some tests and see how it works. Maybe even perform a biometrical rea…”

Adagio’s eyes flared. “Arghh! Shut up! I don’t care about the details! Just help her!”

“Hey easy!” Rainbow stood her ground. “There’s no need to fuss. We’re all on the same boat here.”

“There is no boat! Gah! If I knew you lot were gonna be this useless I wouldn’t even suggested to come here!”

“We never said we had a method of helping. You made that assumption on your own.” Sunset countered.

The shouting match started with both sides berating each other with insults and mean words.

Thankfully however Flash jumped between the two sides and raised both his hands to stop them before it escalated any further. “Guys. GUYS! Hang on a moment. Fighting isn’t going to get us anywhere. And……… I think I have a solution.” They all looked at him questioningly before he pulled an object from his jacket. “You said that you need magic to sustain yourselves, right?” He offered the bowl to the Siren leader who eyed it from a distance like it was live grenade. “This thing is supposed to contain a fraction of magic. I don’t really know much about the subject but… maybe it can help her.”

“Flash!”

Adagio ignored the nerd girl’s yelling and looked at the thing. Quietly she reached for the ceramic bowl jolting back when she felt a familiar presence lingering within it. “This magic. It’s the same from that monster we fought.”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

She looked up to his worried expression and slowly nodded. “It’s faint but this is definitely raw magic. We can use it to restore Sonata.”

“Great!” Sunset beamed with a sigh of relief. “I can use a spell to extract the energy inside and…”

“No time!” With one swift movement Adagio yanked the bowl and dropped it to the floor before stomping it shattering the relic to pieces.

Twilight mentally screamed within while everyone else stood in shock. “What have you done!? That was a priceless historical artifact!”

“Oh put a sock in it!” Adagio waved her hand over the shattered relic drawing out a blue mist from its shattered remnants. “Aria, hold her steady.” With a wave, the mist hovered over the Sleeping Beauty and slowly flowed in through her mouth and nose. Nothing was wasted, nothing was left behind.

…

Everyone in the room stood still not trusting their actions. No one dared move in this crucial moment.

After a brief pause Sonata’s body began to glow with a soft hue. Her body warmed to the touch and her color slowly returned to her face. She stirred, her expression twisting to discomfort before finally blinking her eyes open. The girl gave out a soft and pained smile looking back at their worried faces.

“Hey guys.” She said weakly. “Is it breakfast already?”

“Sonata!” Relief spread across Aria’s face as she pulled that idiot in a tight embrace hiding her teary eyes in her hair.

“Whoa! Someone’s touchy… aheh~.” She replied groggily like she was just waking up from a long nap.

“You stupid stupid idiot! Don’t you ever do that ever again! You hear me!?”

“Whaaevver you say~” The girl on the other hand didn’t seem to understand the reason but decided to go with it either way. She returned the hug, smiling ever so sweetly. “Hmm… this is nice.”

Whatever tension the gang had a few seconds earlier was instantly evaporated by the sight of that warm family bond. Sunset knelt and scooped the pieces of the broken artifact only to cringe at the thought that she was now holding pieces of a priceless museum piece, something of great historical value.

“We… we can fix that. Right?” Twilight hoped though a part of her doubted.

“We’re going to need a lot of glue.”

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Aha! Ahahahahaha! Oh my god! My spleen! Pfahahaha!” Luna held her stomach back as her laugh echoed throughout the apartment. She rocked her chair back and forth dangerously so, a glass of juice in her hand threatening to spill.

Celestia on the other hand looked far less amused, glaring daggers at her sister who seemed to be reveling in her torment. The Principal looked haggard and worn, her outer coat having a green stain on it.

“Luna… please!”

“Pfaha! I’m… mhaha… I’m so sorry sister. It’s just that – that is just too funny!” Luna stifled herself and failed as she just burst out laughing once more. “I mean you haven’t seen him for 20 years and the first thing you do to him is throw up all over his coat!? It’s hilarious!”

“Don’t… remind me.” The sparkly woman groaned angrily more to herself than anyone. “It’s embarrassing enough to live through it once.”

Luna regained her balance on the chair holding her laugh in as the conversation went on. “Well what happened next? Surely that can’t be it. Did you deliver your speech?”

“No~~” Celestia sulked slamming her head on the table, one hand reaching out for her glass. “After I spilled my guts all over Sombra I felt even worse. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the nurse’s office crying over a pillow. Principal Cadance had to usher him in for me and I… never saw him again.”

“Wow sister. I am seeing you in an all new light.” She glared at her once more which was left rightly ignored. “I mean what are the odds? The boy who you broke up with coming back to meet you for the first time in two decades and you just… vomited all over him. I mean who does that?” Her sister apparently but she didn’t want to say it out loud. “You could’ve taken him out on one date first.”

“Luna…”

“Alright alright. That was the last one, I promise. Still… what did he say? I mean… after you decided to share your lunch with him. Pfa!”

“He…” Celestia thought back. “He said nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“I ran off after I puked on him. Didn’t even get a chance to say anything else.” She banged her head on the table mumbling something incoherent.

“Ouch. That must be… traumatizing.” You could say that again. “But hey, look on the bright side.”

…

“Which is?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping someone would fill in the blanks for me.” Dang it Luna! “Ok. No need to give me the mean glare. But I’m sure he doesn’t hate you. It’s been over twenty years now. He moved on with Sophie. I’m sure whatever happened between you two is pretty much water under the bridge. He’ll probably remember you as the girl who threw up on him instead of the girl who broke up with him.”

Celestia’s face twitched unexpectedly which didn’t escape her sister’s notice. She tried to laugh it off but failed to do so.

“Celestia?” Luna’s eyes furrowed. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing! Aheh. Why would you think that there’s something?”

“Because you’re making that face.”

“Face? What face?”

“The face you make whenever you have something to say but trying not to say it.” It was a face only a sister like her would know. “What’s wrong?”

“I… don’t…” The blue haired Vice-Principal folded her arms in defiance. “Oh… ok fine. I may as well say it.” Celestia stood from her seat and marched towards the coffee pot (Poison free) looking like a puppy that just got lost. “You remember that story I told you about how I broke up with Sombra right before I left for my new post in Hooverton?” She nodded, eyes narrowing to daggers. “Well… I might’ve left out a few key details out.”

She didn’t like where this was going. Not one bit. “But you did break up with him, right?” There was a pause. “RIGHT!?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Her little sister slunk back in relief. “Just… not in person.”

“You what!?” Luna choked on her drink before slamming it on the table. “Sister! Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying. You told me you broke up with him!”

“And I did.” She replied calmly yet also holding a hint of shame. “It’s just that I… decided to leave it on a note.”

“A NOTE!?” Luna screamed like a banshee while her elder sister cowered behind her coffee mug raising it up like a shield that would protect her. “You left this man for 20 years with a note!? That’s not a breakup, that’s a slap to the face! Though I think I’d prefer a slap to the face than a note. That’s so…… so… unlike you!”

“I know. I know!” Celestia groaned, chugging her coffee down. She remembered that night pretty well. The panic she had when she gathered her things while scribbling her last words to him on a piece of paper. It was absolutely the worst breakup ever. “I was horrible.”

“Wow… I am seeing this whole thing with you and Sombra on a whole different light.” The Vice-Principal added sighing heavily. “It’s no wonder he was so worked up about it. And here I thought you were the reasonable one. Even I’d take his side right now.”

“Not really helping here, Luna.”

“I’m sorry sister. I know that the offer in Hooverton was very important to you but what you did to him is simply unacceptable. That man has every right to despise you. You should be ashamed.”

And she was. She really was.

“Ugh… maybe you were right. I should’ve let you do the goodwill assignment. Meeting him again was a mistake.”

“Now now sister. There’s no need to be dramatic.” Luna reached out and patted her on the back. “You said it yourself: We can’t escape our past forever. And if it’ll make you feel any better, you reap what you sow.”

Celestia stared. “How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It wasn’t.”

Be Yourself

Chapter 9: Be Yourself

(Tuesday) (Canterlot High)

Flash was… in a bit of a foul mood today. If you asked him why, his answer might surprise you. For one thing his car was totaled. Every piece of it having need replacement or repair which would take weeks if not months. Apparently Equestrian magic and combustible car engines don’t exactly mix that well.

Secondly was his guitar which was also ruined after it was tossed out during the fight. It was recovered of course though it was missing a few strings and a few parts that would take some time to gather. Nothing too major but it still sucked that his prized possession was caught in the crossfire.

And lastly of course was the artifact itself. The super important relic that he was supposed to keep safe was shattered in a blink of an eye. While he was mad to see it destroyed so suddenly he couldn’t exactly blame Adagio for what she did back then.

Her friend’s life was on the line and they didn’t have a lot of time to debate on values. If there roles were reversed the boy would’ve done the same thing with no hesitation whatsoever. Her desire to save her friend outweighed everything and that alone was pretty admirable to say the least.

Sunset and Twilight offered to repair it however they can but he wasn’t gonna hold on to hope at this point. Fixing something as ancient as that bowl was like trying to put a million-piece jigsaw puzzled back in a minute. Flash decided to fool the security by replacing the bowl with something from the kitchen. Thankfully his father seemed a tad bit busy with his new job at Crystal Prep to actually notice. However this ruse can only go on for so long. Eventually the magic curtains will rise and the illusion will vanish. The boy dread what kind of punishment would be in store for him when the time comes. If he was lucky, dad might just cut him off his allowance until he graduates…… from college.

But there was little point dwelling on such things right now. Whatever happens will happen. It’s a philosophy that he learned in Professor Doodle’s class.

“Hey Flash.” The boy perked up from his locker when a familiar voice called out to him.

“Oh… Sunset.” He stuttered her name a bit, smiling. “What’s up? I don’t suppose you managed to fix my uh… arts and craft project.” Her disapproving headshake didn’t give him much hope. “Oh… well I’m sure it’ll all turn out ok. Right?”

“Y… yeah. Somehow.” She rubbed her arm trying to ease things over. “Actually. I was hoping we could talk. Do you have a minute?”

A minute? For her? He’ll skip school if he had to.

“For you? Always.” He added with a warm grin which somehow made her look kind of… guilty. “What’s wrong? Did you find out who’s controlling the shadow monster?”

“No. Twilight’s looking into that.” She answered while they walked through the hallway. “I actually wanted to talk about… well… you.”

“Me?” There really wasn’t a lot to talk about in that subject. Flash was never one to reveal his history other than what people already know about him in school.

“About you… helping us.” She added which narrowed down the subject.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No! Of course not.” Oh that was a relief. For a moment there he wondered if he screwed up somehow. “Don’t get me wrong here. You’ve been a great help to us these last few days. With our investigation and fixing Applejack’s farm. It was really sweet of you. But I think it’s… um… I think it’s time that you stopped.”

The boy froze on his tracks. “What? I don’t understand. I thought I was helping.”

“You are. Really.” She nodded. “It’s just that… I’m worried that the more you help, the more you might get drawn into this whole mess. And… I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Are you talking about this?” He pointed at the wound he suffered from the wolf last night which healed up nicely after it was treated. “Pfft. It’s just a scratch. It’s nothing to get worked up about. I’ve had worse injuries with my guitar.”

“Not just that.” Sunset corrected. “Sure it might be small now. But then your car, your dad’s artifact? If this keeps happening, who knows what might happen? The next time, you might get seriously hurt. Doesn’t that scare you?”

Flash scratched the back of his head not really sure what to say. “Well… I guess you could say that. But you girls get hurt all the time too.”

“That’s because we have magic.” That same reason again. It was starting to get irritating. “We can protect ourselves from the monster with our powers. But you on the other hand don’t have those.”

“Just because I don’t have magic doesn’t mean I can’t help.”

“Flash. Listen to me.” She urged him. “We were given these powers for a reason. I don’t know what they are just yet but I want to believe it was to protect people like you.” Sunset gave him a smile, her hand unconsciously moving to his cheeks. “You’re a great guy who deserves a lot better than this. So please… don’t put yourself in danger for our sakes. Leave the magic stuff to us.”

“But Sunset… I want to help.”

“I know you do. But… I want you to do it from a safe distance.” She added. “That means no more stunts like last night. No more risks.”

“But…”

“Please.” The rebel pleaded to him. “The last thing I want to see is you getting hurt because of something we did. You don’t deserve this. Promise me you’ll stay out of this from here on. Promise that you won’t just go running into fire.”

“I…” Flash felt like he was being drawn to a corner. His ex-girlfriend was going out of her way to get to him cut off with them. And there was no way she’ll take no for an answer. He knew that she was the most stubborn out of all the Mane 7 with Rainbow Dash being a close second. With a defeated sigh, he nodded. “I really can’t say no to you.”

Her face lit up slightly. “So you’ll stay out of it?”

“Yes Sunset. I promise I’ll stay out of your adventures from here on.” She pulled him in for a big hug which he hesitantly returned. The boy noted a few classmates eyeing him from afar, some giggling and passing silent judgment with their dagger-like stares.

“Thank you for understanding.” She then pulled away, a shy blush appearing on her cheeks. “I should… probably get to class. I’ll um… see you later?”

“Yeah…” He waved farewell as she left him just in time for the school bell to ring. The boy slumped, his mood going down faster than a popped balloon. “… later.”

(Crystal Prep Academy)

Ok Celestia. Second time’s the charm. You might’ve made a mess of the first approach but you can still salvage this. Just tell him that I was having a bad stomach day. You can restore your integrity by making a good second-impression. And you don’t have to worry because this time you came prepared. A box of brownies freshly baked at the Sweet Shoppe. She didn’t want to sound like a cheeky pun book but this is sure to earn you some brownie points.

Now all she had to do was… uh… wait a second. Where was she?

She was supposed to be at the Principal’s office by now. Dang it! She should’ve paid attention to Cadance’s directions. Now she’s lost!

And it’s not like it was her fault either. All these hallways look all the same. Put a little color code around here or at least have signs or labels. How is anyone supposed to find their way around here without some kind of landmark? You’re more likely to trick them into going in a loop for all eternity!

Now don’t panic. Just find a student and ask for directions. It should be simple, right? No need to be scared. The students here aren’t that different from her school.

Ring!

“Oh crud. Was that the bell just now? All the students are rushing to their classes! Quickly now. Grab one before they all disappear.”

“Excuse…” Nope too late. “… me?” The hallways were deserted a moment later.

Oh boy. This was gonna be one of those days, wasn’t it?

She wanted to cry.

Was the universe fighting against her? Did she do something bad to deserve this? Did the cosmos decided for karma to strike her back after all these years?

Well… better start walking. One way or another she was bound to run into the office eventually. I mean… how big can this school be?

“Celestia?”

“Bwahh!” She galloped forward when a voice snuck up behind her making her spill her box of cake. Thankfully however the owner of the voice was fast and caught the box right before it fell. “I’m so sorry. You startled me and…… and…”

And right then and there she saw him. The face that she hasn’t seen for over 2 decades. It was still the same as she remembered but older, more mature. His hair certainly grew along with those sideburns. That chiseled jaw and those deep green eyes.

“Sombra… I… hi?” Wait that came out sounding like a question.

“Hi back at ya.” The tall man replied giving a knowing smile. He paused for a moment, not really sure what to say until he eyed the box in his hand. “Double cream filling? Again? I thought you’d outgrow those things after college.”

“What? Oh! Right. I was… actually going to share that with… Cadance and… you.” She took the box back, giving a good two steps back.

“No coffee?”

“No. I don’t really… oh!” Her eyes widened in realization. “You mean yesterday? Aheh… again I’m… very sorry.”

Sombra laughed and shrugged. “Don’t be. I know exactly what bad caffeine can do. And you actually did me a favor. I was getting bored of that coat anyway. You gave me a good excuse to change my attire. Something new and fresh and doesn’t reek of rain-forest.”

“I can tell.” She scanned him from top to bottom recognizing the form of her old dear friend. “I see you grew that hair out.”

“Says the girl with the flowing rainbow hair?”

Ah… right. She forgot about that. “You’ve certainly changed since we last met.”

“And you’ve improved. Greatly.”

Celestia stifled a chuckle. “You always had ways with words.”

They stood there for a moment, gazing into each other’s eyes trying to find a hint of lingering emotions hiding within. But instead they shared a laugh, breaking whatever tension they had.

“It’s really good to see you again Celestia. It’s been a long time.” Far… far too long. She wanted to say. “Oh! My congratulations on your promotion. You must’ve worked really hard to get to where you are now. You always said that you wanted to run your own school. I guess your dreams do come true.”

“Y… yes!” She stuttered, trying to get into the conversation, blatantly trying not to spill out other topics. “Well most of it anyway. It’s been a bit of a challenge.”

“Oh? Let me guess. Troublesome teens?”

She opened her mouth to protest but stopped. He wasn’t that far off except for the magical nature of those troubles. “Actually… very close.”

“Ha! It must be hard holding the fort out all on your own.”

“Not really. I mean Luna has been a big help.”

“Luna?” He shot up surprised. “She’s still with you? Wow you two really are inseparable. I figured someone of her personality would land her somewhere on the moon.” He held back a laugh when he noted that she wasn’t joining. “Uh… you know? Because she’s Luna?”

“Oh no. I got it.” She brushed it off. “It’s just that you use that line way too often. Doodles does the same joke all the time. And yes, Doodles is working in my school too.”

“No kidding? Wow. I can’t believe my old gang is in town. We should certainly get together sometime. It’ll be like the good old days.”

Celestia’s smile faltered. “Yeah. The… good old days.”

The good old days before that night.

Sombra stopped when his wrist began to beep. “Oh. Would you look at the time? We’re going to be late for our first meeting. Shall we?”

“Right! Of course. The meeting.” She nodded quickly, brushing the old memories away. “Please, lead the way.”

“Oh no. After you.”

“Oh don’t be like that. It’s your school.”

“Come on. I insist.”

The woman raised her hand up to protest until it dawned on her. She looked to him and stared. “Sombra. Are you lost?”

He chuckled back shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.

(CHS) (Cafeteria)

“Alright guys, listen up.” Twilight opened up calling the gang into order. “Thanks for coming by on such short notice but Sunset and I have an announcement to make.” It sounded official, like a club president performing a rehearsed speech to its members.

Sunset nodded in agreement and stood by her friend as she spoke. “Twilight and I have been digging through the magic at the museum and we came to a conclusion.”

“You found out who’s behind this wolf thing attacking people?” Rainbow Dash deduced though sadly they shook her heads in reply.

“Not exactly.” Twilight answered. “I managed to extract some of the magic from the artifact after… Adagio destroyed it.” She said that last part venomously. “With it I’ve been able to recalculate my detector. So the next time whoever uses that same magic source, my equipment will detect it and send me the data in a matter of seconds. However… that will still take time and there’s no telling what the shadow monster will do in the mean while.”

“Which brings us to our second agenda.” Sunset took this next part nodding to her friends. “Now that we know what this thing is after, I’ve decided that we should take extra precautionary measures to make sure that it doesn’t catch us off guard. So from here on out, effective immediately, I am putting the ban-hammer on all magic. That means no telekinesis, no barriers, no super strength, no explosive pastries, no talking to animals, no mind reading and no super speed.” Somehow they all had the feeling she directed that last bit directly at the owner.

“Aww come on!” Rainbow whined. “No magic? How am I supposed to get home then?”

“Didn’t you used to bike here?” Applejack recalled.

“Yeah but I hardly use that thing at all ever since I knew I could run faster than the city train.”

“This isn’t just for your safety Rainbow.” Twilight explained. “It’s for everyone. We all know what this monster is capable of doing and it doesn’t seem to care who gets in its way. As long as we have these powers and the magic that channels it, we will be putting those around us in danger every time we use them. We can’t afford to take that risk.” She darted at the girls who seemed conflicted about the whole ordeal. While the powers were strange at first they all grew accustomed to it using them on every day chores.

“What if the monster decides to attack the school?” Sunset painted a horrifying picture to all of them. “Or even worse, attack our homes like it did with Applejack? Do you really want to risk any of your friends or family getting hurt?”

Fluttershy shuddered at the thought of her animal shelter becoming a target for the monster. “Oh dear. I really don’t want to stop talking to all my animal friends. But if it means keeping them safe then I suppose I can keep myself in check.”

“Indeed.” Rarity readily agreed. “We’ll just have to do things the old fashion way. Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Yeah. Watching cupcakes go boom isn’t as fun as it used to be.” Pinkie chimed in, taking a bite off her food. “I’d much prefer to gobble them up. I’m in.”

“Apple season is pretty much over so I don’t really use mine that often now.” Applejack shrugged. “So no complaints from me.”

Their eyes then fall upon the last member of the group who grumpily noted their looks.

“Ok fine!” Dash submitted. “I promise I won’t use my powers. There. You happy now?”

Twilight of course nodded. “Very much. And now we move on to our final agenda for today. The official founding of our very own CIC.”

…

Huh?

“The what now?” The Cowgirl asked for all their sakes.

“The Canterlot Investigation Club.” Sunset explained to them with a knowing look on her face. “It’s an idea that I’ve been running with Twilight for a while now. Seeing as there have been more magic sightings around the city lately, and not all of us have a lot of time for a get together session like this, we thought we could use this whole club thing as an excuse.”

“We wanted to call it the Magic Club but the CMC group already had dibs on the acronyms.” A cough from Apple Bloom who sat a few tables away caught their attention. She eyed them wearily with her friends doing the same. “So we decided to go with the CIC instead. We ran this through with Vice-Principal Luna and she agreed to help out by giving us access to the school grounds on holidays. That way we can use some of the resources without putting others in danger.”

“So… it’s like a club?”

“Not like a club, Dash.” Twilight corrected. “It’s ‘A’ club. Right now it’s just me and Sunset but we were hoping you guys would join up to make it official. We made reservations in the music room to act as our headquarters.”

“Oh! Does that mean we get to wear matching outfits?” Rarity grinned in excitement.

“Uh… sure?”

“Aiii! Please let me do it! No. I demand to be the one to do it! The theme will be: Fantasy Private Investigators! A combination of Sherlock and Wizardry!” The fashionista put her palm forward raising it over in an arc. “I can see it now. We shall wear capes, easy footwear and wizard detective hats! It will be… ingenious.”

Applejack laughed. “Well I’m in. It’ll be nice to hang out even more without looking for a reason.”

“Excellent!” Twilight cheered. “And with that I conclude our first ever CIC meeting. I’ll set up our next meeting once I have more information on our mysterious attacker. Club Dismissed.” She slammed her imaginary gavel on the table earning a weird look from her friends. “Sorry. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“Well I’d say you nailed it, Vice-President Twilight.” Sunset cooed. “I’ll be sure to leave all the reports to you later on.”

They shared a quick laugh forgetting their woes for a moment.

“Ahem. Now that we’re done with all the serious talk. I’d like to discuss something far more pleasant and less stressful.” Rarity opened up again with her head on her hand. “I believe you’ve all heard of the fashion performance in Canterlot Mall this weekend? Oh what am I saying? Of course you do.”

The girls shared a look with one another clearly not even remotely aware that there was even going to be a show. But instead of denying it they just nod back and put in half-hearted replies.

“Well as you might also know is that dozens of designers from all over the city will be showing off their masterpieces at the catwalk. And you’ll never guess who’s taking the center stage attention.”

“If it’s not you then this is a terrible story!” Pinkie proclaimed.

And of course Rarity simply laughed it off. “Unfortunately it isn’t me. But thank you for the encouragement Pinkie.” The bubblegum girl simply smiled and returned to her food. “It’s actually my boss, Ms. Prim Hemline. We will be showing off our Winter Collection, bedazzling the audience with all of our arts. She was also so impressed with some of my work these last few weeks that she decided to add me as her sideshow performance.”

“Sideshow?” Rainbow noted. “Wait… are you talking about that animal show?”

“Precisely!” The fashionista announced. “I will get to design clothes for all manner of household pets. Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds! Even… pigs too.”

“Oh that’s right.” Fluttershy’s face beamed. “I remember Ms. Cureall saying something about that. Apparently she’s putting some of the animals there to raise awareness and hope that they’ll get adopted too. I didn’t know you’d be the one to put them all in dress-up.” She shied away a tad bit. “I don’t suppose you’re looking for an assistant?”

“Consider yourself hired, darling. I was going to ask you anyway seeing as I’ll be taking measurements out of all the animals in the shelter.”

(After school) (Football field)

Flash let out a sigh as he slumped back to his seat watching the football team practice their plays. It was a boring event but at least they were quiet about it. To say that the boy was depressed would be an understatement right now. With his constant sighs, groaning and miserable posture people might think that he was just recently dumped. And sadly they wouldn’t be far off the mark.

When Sunset asked him to stay out of the fight, he could do nothing but agree. It was hard to accept her condition but she had a point. The incident that happened last night was probably one of the most exciting moments of his life. For a second there he was at the top of the world believing that he was some kind of knight that vanquished a demon on his trusty steed not even realizing how close to death he was.

It was his dream to be a part of that world. To be a part of the magic that the girls have embroiled themselves in. And for a brief moment he actually felt like he was there.

And now he had willingly decided to leave it all behind and go back to the ordinary world. He wasn’t gonna lie. It hurt. It hurt a lot. And it was taking everything he had just to keep himself sane.

The world just wasn’t fair. If only he had magic. A way to control magic. He could fight by their side like those heroes he saw on TV. He’d love to shoot rainbow beams out of his hands, cause cake explosions. Heck he’ll take talking with animals. He just wants to be with them.

He wants to help them.

Help them… in any way. Is that so wrong?

Why should the burden of the world fall on the shoulders of those girls? Why should they be the only ones who fight while everyone else stood on the sideline? Flash didn’t want that. He didn’t want to be just another viewer. Someone who just watched while those girls risk their necks in magical duels. There has to be something he could do. Something he could just…

“Well someone’s feeling down in the dumps.” The boy was interrupted from his train of thoughts when a voice chimed in, speaking to him. He looked to the side of the benches coming face to face with a familiar figure holding a mean looking grin. “I can smell your negative emotions for miles.”

“Oh! Hey uh… umm… you…?” He got up only to stumble on her name.

“Adagio.”

“Right right. Adagio. Sorry. I… didn’t really catch it when we met.” The boy patted himself looking somewhat embarrassed to be caught in such a position. “I’m…” He extended his hand forward, trying to smile it off.

“Flash Sentry. I know.” She ignored his gesture allowing the hand to fall as she spoke. “Hard to forget after last night.” The Siren gave out a smirk gesturing to the scar on his head.

“Oh this? This is nothing. Your friend got it way worse than this little bump.” He paused. “Is she…?”

“She’s fine. More or less.” The girl shrugged. “A little weak on the legs but she’ll get better eventually. Aria’s looking out for her. None of us want to hang around the city after dark.”

“And… what about you?” He asked. “Aren’t you afraid of the monster?”

“Like I said: The monster only comes out after dark. It can’t exactly go around while the sun is in the sky.”

“Oh… right. That makes sense.” He bobbed his head lowly. “Are you here to meet with Sunset? I think she’s still inside.”

“That’s the idea.” She gruffly added, darting her eye sideway. “Though I seriously doubt anyone would point me in the right direction if I asked.”

Flash didn’t really understand what she was trying to point out until he noticed some odd whispers coming from the area. He looked around and saw several students looking in their direction. Or… to be more precise, they were looking at Adagio. And he could probably guess why.

“I’m guessing the folks here are still bitter about the Battle of Bands.”

He cringed. “Well… kinda. I mean you did try to hypnotize them all. That’s not the kind of thing that people forget.”

“And you?”

Flash blinked. “What about me?”

“You don’t seem all that surprised to see me. Aren’t you mad about being put under a spell.”

“Ah… right.” He rubbed the back of his head shyly. “Well I’m not really one to hold grudges. Besides, if I have to be honest, it wouldn’t be the first time I got brainwashed by some power hungry girl who tried to take over the school for her own benefit.” A certain redhead came to mind.

“Speaking from experience?” She cocked him a knowing grin.

“Partly. But that’s all in the past now.” He added quickly. “You can start off fresh just like Sunset.”

“Oh please.” Adagio scoffed raising her hand up to his face. “Don’t insult me. Not in a million years would I want to mingle with your kind or be seen as some goody two shoes. We’re perfectly content where we are.”

“Really? Sounds kind of… lonely.”

“We’re creatures that thrive off the negative emotions of others. Making friends isn’t exactly our forte.”

“Point taken. But still…” He smiled warmly at her. “It never hurts to try new things.” His eyes then cast over to the school where he noted the magic girls coming out in pairs. “Hey, there’s Sunset. You should probably get to her before she gets on the school bus.”

Adagio eyed them from afar sighing. She really didn’t want to talk to those girls. But then she noted that the boy who directed her wasn’t following. “Aren’t you coming?”

“Me? No. I’m… I’m not part of the group.”

“Why not?” She raised a brow, curious. “After what I saw last night I figured you were much a part of this as any.”

“Heh… well I’m glad someone thinks so.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid after what happened.”

“No! Of course not.” That was far from it. “It’s just that… I promised not to get involved anymore.”

“And why is that?”

“Because… I don’t have magic.”

Adagio’s face frowned deeply. “And your point being?”

He sighed. She definitely wasn’t going to drop this. “Sunset doesn’t want me helping.”

She followed his gaze to the girl in question and immediately put two and two together. “Oh I see.” A mean grin showed itself on her lips. “Big red over there doesn’t want her precious little human pet getting hurt. After she saw you get a little boo-boo, she must’ve freaked out like an overprotective mother.”

“That’s not… how I would’ve phrased it but… yeah.”

“And like a puppy you obeyed without question.”

“I’m not really…”

“Let me give you a piece of advice, boy.” Adagio laughed evilly as she snaked her hands around the boy’s face cupping his cheeks meeting little to no resistance. She then took him by the collar, gripping it tightly, her eyes brimming with anger. “Never… Ever… Let anyone dictate what you can or cannot do in this world. Why do you care what she thinks and what she wants? Does she knows what’s best for you? You think she’s little Ms. Perfect and you should obey every word she has on a whim? You are your own person. Be a man and grow some self-respect.”

“Gah! Ow! Hey! What are you doi…?”

“You wanna stay on the sidelines forever? Are you going to just sit there and let people walk over you? Are you just gonna stand by while those girls put themselves in harm’s way?”

“What? No! Of course not.”

“Then what is it you want?”

“I want to help!” He blurted as she pulled him closer with their nose just barely touching.

“And you think you can keep doing this without getting hurt?” Adagio breathed out shoving the boy down to the ground. “In the world of magic, you can’t afford to be soft. What if your friends over there get attack right now? What if one of them gets injured because you refuse to lift a finger? Is that what you want?”

No… that’ll never happen. Not while he was around.

“Never.” The boy rose up, pangs of anger and rage suddenly flaring from the pit of his stomach. His hands balled into fists while his nostrils flared like a bull ready to go on a rampage.

Adagio didn’t even flinch at his expression, instead cocking her head down to meet his anger with a satisfying grin. She looked pleased.

“Well now. I guess you can be a man after all.” She said smugly which somehow deflated the boy’s wrath. “Don’t let a little pain stop you from doing what you want. Because I… never do.” She added menacingly as she held out a familiar cellphone.

Flash looked and his eyes widened in realization. He patted his jacket noting a bulge missing from one of his pocket. “How did you…?”

She ignored his question and dialed a number before tossing it back. “Here’s my number.”

Huh?

The boy tilted his head, confused.

Adagio added brushing her hair with an expression that looked like a mixture of equal part shyness and irritation. “For your car and… your guitar and that bowl thing. They looked pretty expensive and… you did technically save my friend. And I don’t like owing others. So if you need anything, give me a call.” She turned around and walked away leaving a very confused boy behind. “Oh and one more thing.” The boy looked up at her. “Thanks… for last night. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

And just like that she was gone.

Flash wasn’t really sure what just happened. There were so many mixed signals in their interaction that he hardly remember them all. One moment she was all wise, sassy, then she was angry and then she was shy and solemn? Are all women this confusing or just the ones he know? He wasn’t sure anymore – and even less so when he looked down at his phone seeing a number printed on screen. Why did she add herself into his favorite contacts?

And… why in the world did she put a heart emoji on her name?

Author's Note

Special thanks to Raistlin for some special insights. Yeah. I think Flash did need a wake up call. Some backbone put in him!

As always, don't forget to drop a like, fav and comment ^_^
Will also being doing some redos on the earlier chapters, adjusting paragraphs and spacing so the next chapter might take a while.

A Peak at the Mask

Chapter 11: A Peak at the Mask

(Thursday) (Evening) (Natural History Museum)

The Natural History Museum looked a lot less gaudy when Sunset returned to it. After the fundraising party last week it almost looked… kind of normal. Gone were the large tapestries and fancy decors. Gone were the huge banners and white sheet tables. No more tribal outfits or wall carvings. Just the simplistic design of rocks and skeletal remains of prehistoric creatures that were most likely extinct by now. The museum was back to the way it was and strangely enough Sunset was happy to see it that way.

“Thanks again for helping me with the investigation Maud.” She spoke to the stoic girl who led her through the museum. “I never would’ve been able to get through this place without you.”

“It’s the least I can do after you and Flash helped me during the fundraiser.” Maud nodded happily… or at least she believed she was happy. “I’m not all that interested in these Yaztec stuff but I can point you in the right direction.”

“Hey, no investigation is ever easy. We all have to start somewhere.” They sat down by the information booth where it was practically empty at this point. Most of the staff seemed busy re-renovating the place to pay them any attention. “Now I know that this is a long-shot in the dark but you wouldn’t happen to know who had access to the artifacts that we looked through.”

“You mean the statue, dagger, bowl and the Chalice of Wishes?”

“Yeah… those.”

“Only the staff in the archive department and the curator are allowed to handle all items on display.”

“Uh huh… and how many would that be?”

“If you include the curator, it’ll be about 12 to 15 people.” Just about a dozen!? Wow that was a lot better than what she’d hope. For a moment there she thought she’d had to go through hundreds of staff members. I must be better with this investigation stuff than I thought.

“That’s great! I don’t suppose you have their names?”

“No.” She said deadpanned. Sunset was hoping for too much. “But if you must know that the archivists that dealt with the Yaztec exhibition are not part of the museum’s staff.”

“They’re not?”

“No. The museum has its own team of handlers. But this group was specifically hired by the donor to handle the items. It was part of the deal with the collector.”

“So they work for…?”

“Professor Sombra.”

Ok that was definitely unsettling. Even Sunset could feel her hair tingling at the mere mention of that name. It was like someone speaking a taboo word. She really didn’t want to judge a man just because of his counterpart on her world but she can’t shake this feeling that he was somehow involved. When she first saw him that night she could tell there was something dangerously suspicious about him. There was just something about that man that rubbed her the wrong way and it definitely wasn’t because of his flowing hair.

“They’re actually still here.” Maud continued which somehow surprised Sunset.

“They are?”

“They’re supervising the design of the new wing of the museum. I can take you to them if you want.”

Sunset blinked. “That would… actually be very helpful. Yes! Thanks.” Getting to see her suspects up close might actually give her a better vantage.

She hastily followed Maud deeper into the museum pass the yellow restricted line at the far end where much of the construction was taking place. A rough guess would say that this was where the new wing of the museum would be.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunset expected it to be like the rest of the museum. A simple design with much of the same etched to save on money. But much to her surprise she was wrong… in all the weirdest reasons.

The moment she walked into that place Sunset knew that something sinister was going on.

For one thing, this whole new wing looked like a complete extension of the museum itself. The whole architectural culture turned a complete 180. While the rest of the museum displayed everything in perfect synch and order, this place looked like some kind of ritual ground. Several hallways that lead to dead-ends, each connected to a massive central hall where a platform was being constructed, possibly where the Chalice of Wishes was to be put on for all to see.

Strangely enough there were no windows bar the one directly above the platform and another pointing at the west side of the building. At the right time of day you might even see the sun and moon floating on each of them, casting their rays down in all their glory.

Any visitor would find this place intriguing if not frightening. Heck, even though it was still incomplete you can tell that something unsettling was happening behind these walls.

The hair on her back stood up at attention. It was like every cell in her body was telling her to just turn around and get out of there while she still could.

“Intriguing. Isn’t it?”

She forced a dry laugh. “That’s… certainly one way of describing it.”

Though frightening, terrifying and haunting would be more appropriate.

“Over there.” Maud pointed to a small crowd of people who were handling a large cave wall carving at the wall of the halls. “Those are the archivists.”

Excellent. Her suspects were all there lined up neatly together. This was going to be easy. If she could just read their minds, she’ll be able to find the perpetrator and find out their plans.

“No no no!” An overbearing voice shouted from within the crowd startling the big men. “I told you a hundred times. The 10th century artifacts goes to the rear. Only 12th to 14th century relics are allowed to be put on display at the central area. And that one goes a little to the right.”

“What the…?” Sunset tilted her head feeling a strange sense of familiarity in that voice. She turned over the voice finding an old lady who barked out orders to the rest of the crew like some matriarch. “Who is that?”

“That’s the Head Archivist.” Maud answered plain as day. “She was personally hired by the donor to oversee the whole project. Why?”

“I don’t know. Something about her just feels… familiar. I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.” But then the darkness cleared as the light shone itself upon the woman in question revealing her identity for all. Sunset’s eyes widened like saucers as she immediately recognized the old hag in the business suit. “Wait a minute. Is that…… is that…”

Principal Cinch!?

(School library)

Ah… the school library. The fountain of knowledge itself, the center of the universe where logic and reason gather together to dispel the might of ignorance and mysticism. A place where history and culture diverge in all its pages, where wisdom was the product.

There was no place in all of CHS that Twilight didn’t enjoy more than this sanctuary of books and knowledge. If she had her way, she probably would’ve lived here forever. And it’s not like she’ll ever be bored. With new versions of books coming each year she could probably spend eternity cross-referencing everything. If only her frail mortal shell wasn’t in the way. She would spend every hour of every day shifting through pages. But alas, this human body required nourishment and it needed rest for at least 7 hours. 7 hours of idleness was simply time that could be used to gather even more knowledge!

Ugh… why in the world did Ms. Cheerilee only give them two assignments today? How can she hope to test the intellectual capabilities of her students if she doesn’t push them hard enough?

A 20 page essay? Pfft, she can do that in her sleep.

Reading one chapter ahead in a book? HA! Please. Have you met me? She already read through that book three times over and probably advance versions of that book before it was even published!

Equations and questions relating to the topic they studied on? Woman! That wasn’t homework, that’s Thursday!

Seriously, she needed some extra credit on her extra credit.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when her phone buzzed on the table. She kept it silent of course, knowing the basic rule of the library. Her face perked up when she saw the name on screen. She tried to answer but quickly fumbled on her wounded hand. She completely forgot about that.

“Hey Timber.”

“Hey, how’s my favorite nerd doing?” The boy spoke chirpily as ever. “Haven’t heard from you all week. Not since our date.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. It’s just that I’ve been so busy lately with uh… school stuff. Not to mention that I’m also in a new club.”

“You got into another club? Again?” He sounded irritated. “Aren’t you in like three of them already?”

“Four actually, now including this one.” It’s not like it was a competition. Just the book club, science club and robotics club. Nothing to fret over. “I’m now Vice-President of the Canterlot Magic Investigations Club. Secret name still patent pending.”

“That sounds like a kind of club that comes from the Bone Chiller trilogy.” He chuckled softly. “Don’t tell me you guys go around the city looking for trouble.”

“Magical trouble to be precise.” She stated out too proudly. “It might sound like a cliché thing to do but the pros totally outweighs the namesake. But enough about me. What are you doing?”

“Well if you’re interested, I am happy to announce that Camp Everfree has completed its renovations. We will be officially open next week.”

“Really!? That’s great!” Twilight huddled when she realized her voice went a few decimals too high. “I mean… that’s wonderful.”

“Yeah. The last construction team is putting on the final touches right now. It is awesome. You should definitely come and see it. With our new and improved obstacle course, boat rides and cabins, this place is looking mighty Spruce. Heh… get it?” She did and she gave him an obligatory laugh in response. “Anyway, we got a lot of applications too.”

“Wait…” Twilight realized something. “It’s the Winter Holidays. Do people go camping in the snow?”

“Absolutely! You’d be surprised how many folks like to experience the cold wilderness.” He answered back, giving an example. “Cooking marshmallow over the fireplace with a hot cup of chocolate on your side, watching the snow outside the window as it covers the whole camp, skating at the river, cozying up together keeping each other warm. Folks dig that kind of thing.” She had to admit that it did sound appealing especially with those with an eye for a romantic setting. “Besides, the Winter Solstice will be coming soon and we’re holding a big event here at the camp for that special day.”

“The Winter Solstice? I read about that!” Twilight’s eyes gleamed. “It’s called the hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice. It happens twice a year when the planet tilts its maximum distance away from the sun.”

“A+ for my girl.” Timber laughed. “So… I was wondering if you’d like to spend some time here with me at the camp. It’s been a while since we did something together. We can watch the sunset on that day. I can reserve one cabin just for us. It’ll be super romantic, I promise.”

Wow… that was kind of bold even for Timber. Perhaps after a year of dating finally got him to branch out of his comfort zone. He was never so aggressive in their relationship.

“That does sound romantic. I’ll have to check in with my parents first but I don’t think they’ll say no to an educational trip.”

“I can throw in a free skating lessons if you want.”

“Deal!” She gleefully agreed. “I can’t wait. It’ll be a great opportunity to study the midwinter climate. It’ll just be me and… Flash?”

“Flash?”

The boy in question appeared in front of her waving awkwardly. “Hi. Are you busy?” Kinda. Though she wouldn’t say that out loud.

“I’ll call you back Timber.” She hung up not even waiting for a response as she turned to meet the boy. “Ah… hey Flash. Hi?”

“Hi?” He questioned back. “So…”

“If this is about the bowl thing, I swear I’m almost done with it.” She answered quickly. Her words leaving her mouth faster than she could form them. “I know that I promised to fix it as fast as I can but I just need a little more time.”

“Oh. No. That’s not what I wanted to talk about.” The blue haired rocker raised his hand up in decline smiling back softly. “I actually came here to ask for your help.”

“Oh…” Her head bobbed. “About what?”

“Well it’s kind of complicated and…” He looked around the room. “I also came to tell you that the library is closing.”

Twilight shot up and quickly scanned the room finding out that they were the only occupants there.

“Oh…”

(Natural History Museum)

Principal Cinch…

… or as folks used to call: Abacus.

Sunset recognized her the moment she came into view. There was no way she could forget such a face. After what she tried to do at the Friendship Games, she was practically labeled as a villain to much of the student-body. Her abusive nature made Crystal Prep Academy a power horse in the city and would’ve hurt many people had she not been stopped dead on her tracks at CHS.

Ever since her resignation from the academy there had been little word of her activity if any at all. How she found her way to this place of all places was a mystery. And Sunset was gonna solve it.

But how could she approach her? The last time the two of them met, it didn’t end on a happy note. And Cinch looked like the kind of person who would hold a grudge.

Maybe she’ll just casually walk in? No. Too suspicious. Stroll by pretending to be a journalist? That could work. She is the editor of the school year book after all and a member of the photography club. That’ll be a perfect excuse to be here.

“Ms. Cinch. Can I have a moment of your time?”

Eh?

Wait a second…

Maud!?

Cinch flicked her glasses up as she turned to them with a look that would’ve frightened grown men in their beds. She approached the two. Her every step she took was calculated, precise and downright bone chilling. Her very presence made workers and staffs alike part away like Moses splitting the Red Sea.

And when they finally came face to face, her eyes showed signs of recognition. There was no doubt that she remembered the redhead. Sunset even saw something akin to a snarl at the top of her lip but she held it back when she noted her companion.

“Ms. Pie.” She greeted casually, hand tilting her glasses like a wolf trying to see her better just so she could lure her in with a sense of security.

“Hello.” The elder Pie waved back so casually that you wouldn’t think she was greeting the wicked witch of the north. “Long time no see ma’am.”

“Yes. Quite.” The woman replied sternly like she was just making a fact. “What is it do you want?”

Ok let’s not be too hasty here. Let’s circle around. A direct approach is never the way to…

“My friend and I were wondering if you we could ask you some questions regarding the Yaztec artifacts that are to be donated to this museum.” What the heck Maud!?

“Oh?” Principal Ci… no… she guessed it’s Ms. Cinch from here on. She raised a brow in a curious fold. “And what exactly do you wish to know about them? Their history, their lore? If you wish to know about the Yaztec in general, I can point you to the public library for reference.”

Twilight already did that and she found next to nothing other than they were a bunch of warmongering folk who fought to their doom.

“We were actually wondering who had access to the relics when they were here at the museum.”

You know what? Forget it. Maud was firing in all cylinders right now. May as well stick with it.

Again Ms. Cinch raised her brow up, curious. “And why in the world would you like to know that?”

“Just curious.” That was a poor excuse Maud and you know it. “Sunset here believes that some of the artifacts contains some kind of magic and suspects that someone used it for some nefarious purpose.”

…

Did she… did Maud throw her under the bus just now?

She did!

“Magic, you say?” Cinch’s eyes sparkled dangerously at them. Something akin to a predator suddenly finding its prey in its most vulnerable time and would pounce at a moment’s notice. “Well I’m no expert on that subject. Your friend on the other hand will probably know more about that than I, I’m afraid.” Her gaze fell to Sunset who felt malice coiling on her very skin. “As to answer your previous question, the only ones who are allowed to handle those objects are myself, my team you see here and Professor Sombra himself. These relics have been exposed to the elements for some time making them fragile to the touch.” Yeah, she knows. Adagio smashed one of them with a single stomp. “They must all be handled delicately.”

“So no one else touched them?”

The former principal’s gaze sharpened like daggers on their throats. But Maud didn’t seem all that intimidated. “None. They are kept within their display cases at all times when we put them out during the fundraising event and returned to the vault at a room temperature before they were shipped back to Professor Sombra’s estate in Uptown. I handled the transfer myself.”

Well that narrows the list of suspects down to… well… you, you, you, you… and you. Mostly you.

“Anything else, Ms. Pie?”

Maud turned her head over to Sunset who shook back in reply. “No. That’ll be all. Thank you.”

Cinch was about to turn away when Sunset decided to speak up. “Uh… it’s um… good to see you again, Ms. Cinch.” She offered her hand up to which the old woman simply stared blankly at it.

“I wish I could say the same, Sunset Shimmer.” And with those last words she returned to her team and her duties, barking out orders like nothing happened.

xxxxxxxxxx

Maud slowly led her back out of the creepy wing of the museum, which Sunset was more than happy to be.

“Why didn’t you tell me Principal Cinch was working here?”

Maud shrugged. “Because it wouldn’t really matter. But mostly because I wanted to see your reaction.” If she had a sense of humor, she’d be laughing right now. “Hope that helps.”

And surprisingly enough, she actually did help. While her direct method was a bit off-putting at first, she couldn’t deny that it brought in great results.

“Well at least I know where to look now. There’s no doubt Cinch is involved somehow.”

“Really?” Maud shot her a surprising look – or at least something close to that expression. “That’s fast. You sure you’re not just jumping to a conclusion?”

“No. I’m very sure.” Sunset nodded confidently. “Because she was brimming with it.” She turned over to the entrance. “Brimming with the same magic as those artifacts. And she also didn’t shake my hand.”

“Maybe it’s because she bears a deep rooted loathing for you and your friends for humiliating her in front of hundreds of people during the Friendship Games which subsequently led to her resignation from Crystal Prep Academy and has forced her to find an occupation in a field beneath her which also pays 3 times less than what she originally had.”

…

Sunset blinked. Ok that was also a good reason…

“Or maybe she didn’t want me to read her mind.” It was a possible explanation, one that she was so sure of.

“You can read minds?” Maud asked, somewhat surprised.

“Huh? Uh… yeah. I can read people’s minds when I touch them.”

“Can you read my mind?” She quickly offered her hand up. “What am I thinking right now? Spare no details.”

“Uh… maybe later.” Sunset brushed her off. “I need to let my friends know. Thanks again for your help.”

And with that, Sunset dashed off to the exit leaving with brand new information…

… completely unaware of the monster that somehow managed to sneak onto her shadow.

(Canterlot High)

“Wow Flash. That’s… actually pretty cool of you.” Twilight stated, her eyes broadened in amazement as they wrapped up their latest conversation. “I’m sure Rarity will be very happy.”

“I hope so.” He nodded. “So you think you can help out as well?”

“Of course I’ll help! I’ll give Rainbow Dash a call and set everything up by Saturday.” She penned the topic on her notepad smiling. “She’ll be thrilled, I just know it.”

“Great. She worked really hard for this show and I’d hate to see her disappointed.”

“Same here. By the way. How’d you know where to find me?”

Flash gave a knowing smirk. “What? The smartest girl in school with no plans for a Thursday night? Where could she possibly hang out? Hmm?” He dodged a nudge from her as he cackled. “Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time you passed out studying in the library. Ms. Cheerilee said that she found you sleeping under a mountain of books one time after school. Ha! She was so scared that almost called the ambulance.”

“Ugh… don’t remind me.” That happened once and only once. “Shining Armor scolded me for hours and banned me from the public library for a whole week! He called Dusty Pages, the head librarian, of all people! I mean who does that!?”

“Heh… I guess even the smartest girl doesn’t know her own limits.” Another nudge and another miss.

“It’s this frail human body!” She complained. “Why are we given such weak and fragile shell? If I didn’t constantly need sustenance and sleep I would study all day long. What I wouldn’t give to plant my human brain in a robot host – or better yet, a computer! I could surf the internet forever! Can you imagine having all that knowledge at the palm of your… whoa!” Her face froze up when they got to the school courtyard noticing the moon in the sky. “It’s night!? How long was I in there?”

“Guess you need to get a watch to keep time for you before you go putting your brain in a computer.” A third nudge came and this time she made contact.

“Don’t be sassy. I already get enough of that out of my friends.”

“Heh. Fine. But uh… are you gonna be ok going home all by yourself? I mean… with the… you know.”

“The giant shadow monster?” She retorted. “I’ll be fine. So long as I don’t use magic.” Twilight added hesitantly as her eyes darted to the long stretch of shadow that stood between her and the bus stop. “I don’t suppose the bus will be here anytime soon?”

“Don’t you ride your bike to school?”

“Sometimes. But… not today. Aheh…”

“Well if you don’t mind. I can give you a lift.” The boy offered gesturing to the parking lot where a stylish motorcycle was parked in placed of his fancy car.

But Twilight brushed him off casually. “That won’t be necessary. I am fully capable of getting home on my own. It’s not that far a walk and I’m not afraid of some monster in the dark. What do you take me for? A six-year old?” But those words proved a lie when the wind blew over ruffling the bushes nearby. She jolted forward unconsciously grabbing the boy by the jacket wrapping her arms around him like a protective pillow. “Ah… ahehe. For the record, I was startled, not scared.”

“Sure.” His eyes rolled not believing that for a minute. “At least let me stay with you until the bus gets here. The last thing you want is to be left alone out here in the middle of the night.”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest but hesitated when she noted the scenery around her. She never imagined that the school would be this frightening at night. The flickering street lights, the cold breeze and the rustling of nature? And with the security cameras only watching the inside of the school, it was the perfect setting for a crime waiting to happen.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Flash gladly followed her, dragging his bike to the bus stop sign where a few lights illuminated the place. The two of them waited. Listening to the bugs and crickets go by while standing together in absolute silence.

Until one idiot decided to open his mouth. “So how are you and Timber?”

She shot him a surprised look but didn’t seem offended by it. “Oh… uh… we’re umm… good.” She nodded back shyly feeling like she was boasting. “We’ve been hanging out a lot more now these days. We were just talking before you came along.”

“Yeah, I realized that. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. We just made plans for the Winter Holidays. I just hope that we can settle this whole magic adventure problem by then. I wouldn’t really mind one semester without having to deal with a magical enchantment from here or Equestria.”

“Hey, with you and Sunset at the lead, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Flash cheered her on. “You always have in my book.”

Twilight smiled back though her expression felt lacking. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I just wish that was the case in all our adventures.” She noted his questioning look. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to go on these adventures from time to time, and getting to understand magic in this world is a great extracurricular activity. I just wished it didn’t involve us in all these dangerous situations.”

“Well if it gets too much for you, you can always count on me to listen to your problems.” The boy mentioned, shrugging.

“Thanks but I think only my friends can understand what I’m going through.”

Flash shot her a look. “Aren’t we friends?”

“We are. We Are!” She corrected quickly enough. “Just… not…”

“No magic. I understand.” He chuckled breaking the tension.

“Let’s uh… change the subject.” The bespectacled girl suggested to which he naturally agreed. “Can I ask a question?” She blinked. “Other than the one I just asked?”

“Fire away. I got nothing to hide.”

That was an offer he would later regret. “How come you never talk much about yourself?” His eyes shot up for a moment, noting her odd expression.

“Wha… what do you mean?”

“I mean we’ve known each other for a while now and… it’s just now that we’re getting to know the other you.” She pointed out plainly, eyes not leaving him. “All this time I thought you were just this…”

“Cool guy from across the street?”

Her smile sharpened. “I was going to say the run of the mill rocker guy but sure.” Ouch… that actually hurt. “It’s just that, it’s only now that we all noticed this other side of you. Even Sunset didn’t even known about all this stuff. About your folks, your life. Your incredibly wealthy and influential background. I mean… did you know that your dad is actually a candidate to run for mayor of Canterlot City and has the highest statistics to win!?”

“Yeah. He mentioned something about that.”

“My point exactly!”

Flash sighed as he put the stand on his bike. “Well to be honest I didn’t want people looking at me like the spoiled runt in school. I’d prefer to be known as the lead guitarist. I mean… can you imagine me having that rich boy look?” No… no she could not. “And besides, I don’t really like talking about my folks.”

“Oh… I see.” Twilight tipped her lip, suddenly feeling rather guilty for bringing it up. “Sorry. I thought for a moment you and your dad were close.”

“We are.” He nodded again. “Or… we were. Back then he’s always been off on his exploration trips. I figured we’d reconnect now that he decided to stay and take that job at CPA.”

“Are things not working out between you two?”

“It is. It’s just that…” He grumbled, lowering his gaze to the pavement. “We don’t really have a lot to talk about. I mean what do I say to someone whose been gone for years?”

“What about your mom? Doesn’t she stay with you?”

“Not that I can remember.” The boy sighed. “She passed away when I was really small.”

Twilight mentally smacked herself for that question. “Oh… sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m fine with it. But I think that’s one of the reason why my dad buried himself in his work and why he keeps his distance from me.” He played with a bang of his hair as he continued. “Apparently I look very much like her and it reminds him of the good old times.”

“You… look like your mom?”

“That’s what they say. Apparently it’s the hair. It’s very distinctive.”

“Huh. Now you colored me curious. A female version of you.” She eyed him suspiciously which he stepped back.

“Uh… Twilight? What are you doing?”

“Shhh. Hold still. I’m trying to visualize it.” She squinted, hands forming a triangle. “Yes. I can see it now. A ponytail and a long skirt. I’m thinking Fluttershy mixed in with a little bit of Rainbow Dash.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’re… playing with me right now, aren’t you?”

“Just a little bit.” Twilight laughed, not really denying it. “What would you prefer? Dress or slacks?”

“I think I’ll refrain from answering that question.”

(Alleyway)

Professor Abacus Cinch strode through the empty alley of Canterlot City that night. One would know that a woman like her would never stoop to walking in such a decrepit place. Even less so in such a dirty environment. But tonight she made an exception. Because her purpose required full secrecy and such a place cannot be found within the open streets of the city.

Her footsteps echoed through the old filthy pavement frightening alleyway cats and dogs alike from their holes. Bugs and other critters also scrambled away, terrified of her presence.

When she finally reached the deep end of the alley, the woman cast a glance to her surrounding making sure there were no prying eyes or curious ears poking around. Secrecy and privacy was key.

Once she was sure that that there were no interference the old woman breathed a sigh and pulled off the cuff of her sleeves revealing a bracelet hidden within. A dark gemstone that acted as the centerpiece hummed with a mystical vibe pulsing with energy. Within seconds a portal tore itself at that alley like a small window to another realm.

Cinch waited for the portal to stabilize before retracting her arm. She adjusted her blazer, patting the dust away like she was meeting a very important guest.

There was a short pause before a hazy figure appeared on the other side, its feminine voice muffled by the portal. “This transmission is not scheduled, Cinch. This had better be important.”

The former Principal bowed shallowly to the figure. “My apologies Master. I know I promised much but there have been… complications.”

The woman snorted back, not even trying to hide her irritation. “Explain.”

“My position in the museum may have been compromised.” Her tone sharpened thinking at the girl who came to her earlier. “One of the girls from CHS, the one who possess magic, seemed to understand that the relics have powers. They somehow managed to track me down. While they don’t have concrete evidence yet, it won’t be long before they pin me as the prime suspect.”

“And the Chalice?”

“The Chalice of Wishes and the other artifacts are safe within the confines of Professor Sombra’s estate. I made sure of their transfer. There should be no problems there.”

The ethereal woman huffed. A hand over her chin, thinking. “This is unacceptable, Abacus. Your constant lack of discretion of your new found powers risks exposing us and our plans to these… children and the public.”

“I only did so to find more magic like you wished.”

“Finding more source is ‘His’ task. Not yours. I gave you the Uta to protect the relics, not hunt down wayward magic. At the rate he’s been acquiring, we will have more than enough to accomplish our goals. Leave that task to him rather than interfering.”

“As… you wish.”

“And make sure that our plan remains secret. You must leave no trace of our involvement unless you want everyone to know the existence of magic.”

“Yes. Of course Master.”

“Good. How goes the construction?”

Cinch nodded back pleasingly. “We are ahead of schedule on that regard. The new wing of the museum will serve as the perfect staging ground for our master plan. We should be done very soon as long as there are no delays. But like I said before… those children from CHS can very well be a problem.”

“Their powers are a tempting source of magic but they can be too much to handle should they come together. Their activities these last few months alone have proven that they are… capable at the very least.” There was a hint of admiration in her tone when she mentioned them. “Best keep a distance away until the time is right. They are not part of the plan so there’s no reason for bringing them in.”

“And if they do become a problem?”

“Should they become a hindrance then I will have ‘Him’ deal with it personally.” The owner of the voice groaned. “The Winter Solstice is just a few months away. We are so close now. Do not let your personal vendetta get in the way of our goal. Is that understood?”

“I do… Master.”

She bowed lowly as the portal vanished into thin air leaving an eerie silence in its place. Once Cinch was sure that her unnamed master was gone she turned over to her shadow, snorting, waving a finger beckoning the beast inside the approach. It did so whimpering softly like a pup that knew it did something wrong.

“Aww… don’t be sad. You’ll have your chance soon, my dear.” She scratch the beast by its dark fur letting it rub cutely around her fingers. “Just because we can’t hurt them directly doesn’t mean we can’t still hurt them.”

Recipe for Disaster

Chapter 12: Recipe for Disaster

(Friday) (Morning) (CHS courtyard)

“Cinch!?” Twilight let out a mighty gasp when she heard the name. Sunset covered her mouth but not fast enough to catch the attention of the students around them. “Are you sure?”

“Believe me, I’m 100% sure. Creepy eyes, glasses and a scowl that could make your skin crawl? It was definitely her.”

“And you think she’s behind these attacks?”

“Absolutely.” Sunset gave a confident nod. “When I was close to her, I felt the same kind of magic that came from the artifacts. She’s either behind all of this or is part of it.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Twilight opted, continuing their walk to school as they spoke. “I know that Principal Cinch was upset about what happened at the Friendship Games. But I didn’t think she’d be upset enough to actually hurt others.”

“But doesn’t it make sense?” Sunset challenged. “She has motive, she knows that magic exists and she had access to those artifacts. I’d say those are more than enough to make her guilty beyond reason.”

“Sounds like someone’s just bitter.”

“That still makes her a prime suspect in my book.”

“I don’t know Sunset. That seems like jumping to conclusions to me.” Much to her surprise, Twilight actually defended that woman. “I know that Cinch wasn’t exactly the nicest person to be with but I find it hard to believe she’d stoop down to such a level. What you felt might just be magic residue that lingered off her body. You did say that she was one of the few people who touched the artifacts, right?”

“Yeah… but…”

“But she doesn’t appear on my scanners. It could just be she held the object in her hand, so some of that magic might’ve just passed on to her. And if we leave it alone, it’ll just disappear like Adagio said.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

“Did you check everyone else who also had access to the relics?”

Her face went down. “Well… n… no. But she still strikes me as our prime suspect. I mean who else could it be?”

“Just because she did something horrible back then doesn’t make her a villain now.” Twilight berated her. “We shouldn’t go accusing people just because of what they did in the past. You and I should know that better than anyone here.” Her friend recoiled at that outburst. “Everyone deserves a chance – or at the very least, give her the benefit of the doubt. Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair after what we’ve done ourselves?”

She might be. After all, she was once like Cinch. Doing everything for the sake of victory. Heck, she even took it a few steps further, turning in a raging She-Demon in the process almost turning the whole school into an army of zombies. And Twilight nearly entombed the whole school when she was Midnight Sparkle. Who would’ve thought that they would be labeled as the queens of means in this school?

“You’re… probably right.” She let out a defeated sigh. “I shouldn’t be pointing fingers at everyone I don’t like. Maybe I’ll… do a double check on her just to be sure.”

“We both will.” Twilight assured her, passing a soft smile. “I’ll do a full scan of the museum with my equipment. If she really does hold the magic like you say, then we’ll confront her together. And besides, it’s not like she can get her hands on the artifacts right now.”

“Yeah… yeah that’s true. I guess I was worried for nothing.”

“And even if she did bring out her shadow wolf, we know how to beat it.” Twilight thrust her fist forward pretending to shoot some kind of magical beam out like one of those magical girls in cartoons. “Speaking of wolves. Did you hear about the plan Flash made for Rarity’s animal pageant show?”

(Crystal Prep Academy)

At long last. Friday.

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the sister school of CHS. It was the last day of the week and the last of her goodwill visits. Having to see Cadance these last few days have been great but being away from her own school was pretty lonesome. Luna has done a wonderful job keeping things together and there have been little complaint by the faculty staff but it would be nice to finally return to her own office and be with her own students.

As she paced through the hallowed halls of Crystal Pep Academy, she could see that most of the kids here have grown accustomed to seeing her around. Some even greeted back making it look like she was an actual teacher of this school. Heh… that would be a barrel of laughs.

Taking another turn, she found herself staring at the door of the Principal’s Office. The name tag on the door was freshly minted. A rough guess would say that the new Superintendent has finally decided to move in.

She gave a gentle knock and heard a voice beckoning her to come in. With a soft sigh she entered, eyes shooting up when she saw the newly renovated office.

“Ah… Lesty. Good timing. Come on in.” Sombra offered her a seat as he put out his diplomas on the wall and a few mugs on the table. The coffee pot that had given her a bad stomach was gone, replaced with an expensive looking teapot. Something akin to what Fluttershy would have in her dashboard. “Sorry for the mess. I just had the old stuff put away for mine. Can I get you some tea? I made a fresh pot.” He paused for a moment, a coy smirk growing on his lips. “I promise it won’t make you sick.”

Celestia rolled her eye back at him. “You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

“Not in a million years.” He answered, placing two cups on his desk. “I also see that you found your way to my office. All by yourself.”

“I only got lost twice.” She reasoned back puffing her cheeks in such an adorable way. “And if I remember correctly, you were lost too. In your own school no less.”

“I wasn’t lost.” Sombra defended feigning innocence. “I was just umm… patrolling the halls, making sure everyone was in class.”

“Emm hmm… sure. Like anyone would believe that.” Celestia shot him a wry look. “You’ve never been very good at lying.”

“That just goes to show that I am an honest man at heart. Or… so some people claim to say.” He rubbed the back of his long raven hair shyly.

“I guess all that time in your expeditions didn’t change that part of you at all.”

He laughed. “Well when you’re exploring cavernous areas and ruins of long lost civilizations in the rain forest, you don’t exactly have much options in terms of company. One time I was trapped in a canyon for a whole week. I was so mad for company I started talking with rock formations like they were my friends.”

“Ha! And you thought that our school mascot was crazy.”

“Hey in my defense, I was young and I didn’t know that seahorses were a thing.” They glared at one another before suddenly burst out laughing. “Ah… I missed this. I can’t remember the last time we bickered over something so… mundane.”

“I know. Remember our college debate on snacks?”

“How can I forget? You and Luna argued which was better: Liquorish or popcorn. That whole thing lasted for weeks. Doodles and I had to separate you two.”

“Those were the good old days.”

“The best of days.” Sombra corrected smiling nostalgically. “Even Sophie had a good laugh every now and then.”

Sophie…

The name rang so many old bells in her memories dusting away the cobwebs and reopening distant events.

Sombra’s late wife, Flash’s mother and…… a dear old friend. A companion that they all went through together.

“I’m sorry about what happened to Sophie.”

The man quickly realized his mistake and hastily waved it off, forcing a smile. “Don’t be. She lived a good life and she was happy at the end. I couldn’t ask for anything more for her.”

“I wish I could’ve talked with her one more time.” Celestia said solemnly. “She would be very proud of her son. Flash Sentry has grown to be quite the gentleman. You can’t imagine the things he’s gone through.”

“So I’ve heard.” He nodded. “I’m sure his mother is looking out for him wherever she is. I just hope he won’t turn up like me. Going on adventures every waking moment.” His bones shivered at the thought. “Trust me. It’s not as exciting as it sounds.”

“You don’t think he has the aptitude for it?”

“I’ve come to realize a little too late that: Wherever you go, there are just some voids you can’t fill deep in your heart.” Sombra’s face darkened as if concerned over a serious matter. “The past has a way of catching up to us when we least expect it.”

Yeah. Somehow she understood those words.

“I know the feeling.”

“Say…” The Superintendent brightened up. “Are you… free tomorrow, Lesty?”

“Me?” The question naturally caught her off guard. “Well… I’m not doing anything in particular. Why?”

“Well it just so happens that I’m hosting a pageant show on Saturday and I was hoping you could come as my morale support. Some important friends from the capitol are flying all the way here and I could really have someone watching my back.”

Celestia’s brow ticked upward. “You mean like… a date?”

“NO!” He muffled his mouth. “I mean… no. Of course not. It’s not a date-date. Ahehehe…” Oh god, he looked so adorable. It actually reminded her of his younger self back in college. “But there’ll be an after party with a lot of important people. It wouldn’t hurt to rub shoulders with the boys and girls at the top. Right? So what do you say?” The man eyed her expectantly. “Care to be my Plus-1?”

She eyed him curiously, but couldn’t help but smile at the offer.

(Midtown Apartment)

Aria sighed lowly that afternoon as she strolled through the kitchen of their apartment casting an eye on each shelf along the way.

It was a humble place near the edge of the city that served as their home for the last few years since they were banished to this place. While Adagio might call it a dump it still provided a roof over their heads and better shelter than their van.

The apartment had about five rooms total. Two bedrooms which she and Sonata share one. The living room and kitchen were connected along with the dining room. There was also a spacious bathroom for all their hygienic needs and a simple storeroom. Thankfully the rent here wasn’t extortionately expensive and they’ve been able to live by with what they could scrounge up. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing.

But at the moment, it would seem like they really did have nothing.

All the cupboards were entry, their pantry was nothing but dust and cobwebs and the half eaten sandwich in the fridge left for a poor sight.

“So… what’s for lunch?” Sonata asked from the dining table with spoon and fork in hand.

“A half-eaten sandwich.” Aria replied showing the said treat. “I think it might’ve been… tuna… or maybe mystery jam. I don’t know. Want to try it out?” The airhead nodded back and gleefully bite into the sandwich.

“Oh. Yup. That’s definitely tuna.” She paused. “Or… it could be mystery jam. I can’t really tell.”

“Ugh. This is ridiculous. Whose turn was it to do the groceries this week?”

“Not me. Mine was last month. I would’ve helped but you guys banned me from shopping.”

“That’s because you spent our entire grocery money for a stupid doll!”

“What!?” Sonata gasped grasping a large stuffed animal twice her size. No one knew what it was except that it had a snout, a scarred eye and a feathered cap. “How dare you call Sir Hugsalot stupid!? He’s the most adorable huggable creature ever!”

Aria couldn’t help but groan. “You do know that guy pretty much conned you to buy that thing for 4 times the price, right?”

“And he was worth every bit.”

“Ugh you really are an idiot.”

“Pfft. You’re just jealous because you don’t have a huggy buddy.” She cuddled the strange animal with such affection that it made Aria gag.

“I’m this close to turning your hug buddy into dinner.” But thankfully she didn’t as their fearless leader returned, rubbing her nose like she was trying to suppress a migraine. They saw her toss her phone to the table, grunting angrily before snatching the cold sandwich off Sonata’s fingers. “What’s eating you?”

“Technically she’s eating a sandwich.”

Adagio ignored their banter and spat out her bite. “Ugh… what is this? Mystery jam?”

“It’s actually tuna.” Sonata corrected as she caught the sandwich back and gladly took another bite.

“Well I just had a long chat with our esteemed manager at the Sleepy Sirens.” That didn’t sound promising. “I told him that we can’t take the late night shift anymore.”

“I take it he didn’t take it very well.” Aria deduced to which she was probably right.

“He didn’t.” Adagio grumbled. “He says that he has to let us go. I guess that’s simply the polite way of saying that we’re all fired.”

“Well good riddance. I never liked that place anyway. Always so crowded and loud.”

Sonata sobbed. “Aww… but I like that place.” No it wasn’t. The pay was mediocre, the customers were nightmares, the boss was absolutely overbearing and don’t even let Aria get started on the fan club. “Does that mean I won’t be able to bring back leftovers from the snack table?”

“It means we won’t be going back there. Ever.” Aria explained. “Speaking of which, someone needs to run down to the grocery store. We’re pretty much out of… well… everything.”

“Not so fast girls.” Adagio raised her hand up. “If you remember, our savings aren’t exactly top notched ever since we splurged it on that 2nd hand van for our mini-tour around the countryside. We have about enough to pay our rent this month alone. And we can’t exactly go back to our old job.”

“Ugh… great. We’re broke in more ways than one. What other place do we know that generates a lot of negative emotions?”

“None that we know.” Their leader sighed. “Looks like I’ll have to take that waitress job in the mall.”

“Ugh… you’re gonna smell like fish.”

“Oh be quiet. It’s not like we have any other ideas. As long as that monster is out there hunting for magic, we can’t afford to be out the city at night.” Sonata whimpered behind recalling the attack.

Aria unconsciously reached out for her frightened sister reassuring her with a soft smile. She wasn’t gonna let that monster near her. Not as long as she had anything to say about it. “What about those girls back in Canterlot High? Did they find anything?”

“Not a peep. Though that’s quite understandable. I’m not exactly thrilled of looking for monsters that see us like buffet tables on a deserted island.”

“Oh oh oh!” Sonata waved her hand up like a child wanting to answer a question her teacher gave out. “Can I help? There’s an opening at that Cake Shop we passed the other day.”

“No!” Adagio shot her down before she even got out of her seat. “That magic we got from that Flash guy was just enough to keep up. You need to rest.”

“But I’ve been trapped in this apartment for days now.”

“And you’ll continue to stay until we can find another place that serves negative emotion on a platter.” She leaned on her seat deep in thought. “We just need to think.”

(Fashion Boutique) (Canterlot Mall)

Rarity walked softly down the halls of the mall that evening heading to her workplace with a half-cooked smile on her face. The mall’s renovation had begun and the main square was already being converted to a runway where models of all kind will be strutting through with grace, decked out with fabulous clothes and thick sheets of makeup. Large neon lights and smoke machines were being installed and even a DJ booth was erected at the second floor, ready to blare out all the remixed noises they want.

The models who will be strutting over there will all shine like stars tomorrow, and oddly enough she didn’t meant that in a metaphorical term. With the amount of jewels Ms. Hemline brought out of her personal stash, those models out there will be gleaming and glittering painting the whole mall with all the colors of the rainbow.

She could hardly wait.

If only her designs would have such an impact.

Oh well… there was always next time.

Eventually…

She reached the front of the boutique unsurprised that everyone was still going on about like a bunch of headless chickens. It seems like Prim Hemline wasn’t gonna be pulling any punches. She can expect her rivals from the other stores to put just as much effort. Still… if she was gonna put her money on a winner, Hemline would take the pot.

“Everyone stop!” The whole crew froze on their tracks when their boss kicked down the door of her office breaking it off its hinges. “We need to redo the second lineup! Right now! Put away those glitter and replace hems! You and you! Man the stations! I’ll do it myself if I have to!”

“Ms. Hemline?” Rarity managed to break through her fright and speak up. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong with the second lineup? They look wonderful.”

“Wonderful isn’t enough!” The fashion mistress retorted, her eyes widened in panic. “They need to be perfect! Absolutely perfect! We must use all of our resources to make them shine ever brighter!”

“All of it? I know it’s an important show, ma’am. But isn’t that a bit excessive?”

“Not when they’re coming!”

They? The word made her staff tilt.

“They who?”

“I just got a call from my former agent in the capitol. The world renowned rivals, Fancy Pants and Hoity Toity are coming here! They are to be the judges of the pageant show!”

Fancy Pants and Hoity Toity?

Everyone in the store gasped in both fear and amazement.

There was not a single one in the fashion business who didn’t know their names. They were once co-star fashion designers who were at the top of their industry during the dark-age of art. They were pretty much nobodies back then until they found each other in Manehatten. Pitching their ideas together they created a lineup of dresses, suits and costumes that practically cornered the market. They opened their own store and became names that were known throughout the country. And ever since their debut on the grand runway, they made tours around the world showing up in talk shows, billboards, magazines and had their designs put on display like museum art pieces. ‘The Power Partners’ as people called them. Their original first-gen designs were practically auctioned for millions.

But then one day they the two of them got into a massive argument and split, each of them starting their own brand and have been rivaling for the first place ever since. It was practically a show biz drama story.

“H… h h h h h Hoity Toity and F f f f f Fancy Pants? The founders of Hoity Toity Trendsetter and The Fancy Fabulous?”

“The very same! They’re flying in the air right now and will be in Canterlot City within the hour!” Their two screams could probably wake up at the dead at this point.

“But why!? Are they here for the fashion show?” Rarity couldn’t wrap her head around it. “I mean I know that they’re super stars of the industry but why would two of the most iconic figures of the fashion world attend such a…”

“Small? Insignificant? Mediocre?” Prim punctuated that last bit. “You might be right on that regard. But apparently a certain ‘benefactor’ of ours is a close friend with each of them. He pulled in a few strings to get them to come over.”

A benefactor?

The only name that came to mind would be Sombra, Flash’s father. Did he have such a connection with those two? That would certainly make him quite the influencer.

“My goodness. That is amazing.” Rarity’s eyes beamed. “Oh dear. To be in the same room and breathe the same tasteless air as those two. It will simply be…”

“… divine.” Prim agreed, before her face suddenly contorted with fear. “We need to redo the whole thing! Everyone stop what you’re doing! We are redoing the second lineup, right now! And someone get me a pile of clothes where I can scream into!” Yup, she was having a meltdown. “Rarity!”

“Y… yes?” The girl stiffened when her boss held her by the shoulder, looking into her eyes deeply like a woman with a purpose.

“This show has been escalated to the top.” She declared loudly. “We must do our utmost to impress them! Hold nothing back. Use everything and anything you want from the storeroom. I am lifting all restrictions from the tailoring stations. Do whatever it is you have to! We must win this pageant at any cost!”

“Of… of course Ms. Hemline. You can… count on me… ahehe…”

“Very good!” She screamed a tone too high when she finally released her. “Someone get me my coffee! And where’s that pile of clothes I asked for!?” The lady then returned to her work, screaming and yelling at anyone who came her way.

Oh dear. This just got complicated.

Rarity looked over to her section of the store where her four designs were prepared. She had made them yesterday and sadly there were only four on the roster. Most folks here expected to see a whole rack full of her clothes but alas… fate has dealt her a cruel hand. She was doomed to forever be beneath the low born of the fashion world.

“Hey Rarity!” She looked up immediately when her name was called out. It wasn’t Ms. Hemline. She was busy roaring over her lineup.

“Bulk?” The young lass turned over to the door noticing one of her overly muscular acquaintance waving by with his pet dog in hand. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah… I heard from Fluttershy that you needed animals for the show, so I thought I’d bring Wooyoo.” The man/boy’s dog barked cutely in return, wagging its tail like the most adorable ball of fluff ever. “She says that she wants to wear something deep and meaningful… like my MUSCLES!”

Rarity chuckled back accepting the little fluffy guy. Fluttershy must’ve gone through some hoops to get him to come over. “I will be happy to add you and little Wooyoo here to my roster, Bulk. Your contribution will make an excellent addition.”

“YEAH!” He flexed out wildly nearly ripping off his shirt. “That is… AWESOME!”

“Rarity! Heya!” Another voice chimed in catching the fashionista’s attention.

“Apple Bloom? Winona?” She startled. “How…?”

“Heard you needed animals for the show. So I brought in Winona along. Applejack wanted to bring her personally but she’s out visiting Big Mac at the hospital. Granny even brought Max and Maxine along for the run.” Those would be the goats outside.

Rarity’s eyes widened a bit. She clearly wasn’t expecting aid to come so soon. “Why… thank you. I never imagined you would…”

“Hey Rarity!” Rainbow Dash came next before she could even finish her thanks. The speedster came in with her pet turtle in tow. “Got room for one more in your lineup? Remember, I want Tank to be 20% cooler than everyone else.”

“Hey Rare!” Twilight and Spike? You too?

“Rarity! Yoohoo!”

“Rarity, over here!”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has… hey! I’m still talking here!”

“Oh Rarity!”

Before long the whole front of the boutique was jam packed with her friends waving over with all of their adorable pets. A smile began to grow on Rarity’s lips while her heart melted.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Wow… I guess that plan worked out too well.” Flash chuckled to himself as he watched Rarity drown in with her friends as their pets lined up to be measured by the fashionista herself. She looked… happy. Like really happy.

“Oh I think it worked out perfectly.” Fluttershy cutely agreed patting the boy on the back. “Are you sure you don’t want to put Banana in as well? I know your little fluffy friend would love to be part of the big show.”

He looked back at the store and shrugged. “I think Rarity’s got her hands full with those guys already. She doesn’t need more than that. Thanks for giving me your contacts though.”

“I should be the one thanking you. I’d never be able to talk to everyone and ask them to bring their animal companions to Rarity.” She added while petting her pet rabbit. “It was really nice of you to do all of this for Rarity’s sake. I really didn’t want to disappoint her because of that bad food incident.”

The boy shrugged back casually. “Meh. I figured she could use a break. She has been working really hard on those designs after all. I’d hate to see them go to waste. It might not be a magical emergency but I’d love to help out either way.”

“Well I think what you did for her is still very sweet. All the animals will be happy they get to wear something really fancy for once. Even Angel here is excited.” Her rabbit gleefully agreed, already imagining itself as a daring musketeer.

“You think so? I only just called a few friends over. You and Twilight handled the rest.”

“Now you’re just being humble.” She threw him a punch which felt more like a soft breeze rather than a hit. “How about this? As a thank you. Why don’t I take you out for the movies this Sunday? Rainbow Dash has been going on about this new Daring Do movie all week.”

“A beautiful lady asking me out to a cool action movie?” He teased. “How could I possibly say no?”

Fluttershy chuckled back, holding her flushed cheeks in check. They then noticed the animals in the store began to go on an uproar which didn’t bode well for the boutique. “Oh… I think that’s my cue. Won’t you join us?”

Flash waved it off. “Nah, I’ll probably just get in the way. You go on ahead. I’ll catch the whole thing on the pageant tomorrow.” He leaned back and watched as Fluttershy entered. And within seconds, all the animals in the store began to calm down like they were put under a spell. “Good luck ladies.”

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

Celestia was in a bit of a rut that evening.

For one thing she was grateful that it was Friday. That meant that there was no need to get up early tomorrow. She also had a Not-date with a certain Superintendent tomorrow and right now she was raiding her closet for the proper attire.

She wondered if she could go in with her casual attire. It was simple, comfy and looked stylish.

Ah… no. That won’t do. There was an after party later, with all those important guests in Sombra’s political circle. She’d need to look prim and proper. Maybe she could try on that white dress she bought some time ago during Mayor Mare’s acceptance speech. It had a certain elegance to it, warm and was hot dang stylish to boot.

But would that look good for the pageant show? Ugh… dang it. Now she’s just going in circles!

“Sister?” Luna called out after knocking on the opened door. “What are you do… whoa!” She gasped when she saw the mess sprawled all over the room. “What happened here? It looked like a tornado just passed by.”

“I wished.” She groaned, piling up another set of clothes on her bed. “I’m currently trying to find an outfit for tomorrow. I’m ah… going to a rather lavish party.”

“A lavish party? That sounds intriguing.” Luna’s eyes squinted as a grin showed itself on her face. “Anything I should know about?”

“Nothing you should be concerned about. Just… mingling with some of the local elites of the city.”

She gasped. “Really now? That’s good. But how in the world did you get invited?”

“I’m actually going as a Plus-1 to a certain… wealthy benefactor.”

“A Plus-1?” Luna put her mind at work and suddenly connected the dots. “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me it’s… Sombra!?” Her guilty expression answered that question. “No way. You actually talked it out after all these years!?” Her sister shrugged back smiling happily. “And now he’s asking you out as his date!?”

“Not a date.” Celestia corrected. “Just friends. He needs someone as a morale support. He’s hosting a pageant show tomorrow and will be one of the judges in the panel.”

“Right~~ and you’re picking out an attire to… what? Seduce him?”

“Sister. I am not that kind of person.” Luna gave her a look. “Well… not anymore. My dating days are behind me.”

“Emm hmm. Sure. I believe you.” She definitely didn’t. “But… let’s say for a moment you’re… still in the market. Would you go back to him?”

“I… I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Oh come on Celestia. You can’t be this ignorant! Can’t you see the hints?”

The Principal backed away. “Wh… what hints?”

“The SIGNALS!” Her little sister squealed. “I can’t believe you can’t even catch the signals.”

“What signals? What are you going on about?”

“Don’t you see? It’s clear that he wants to get back with you!”

Celestia brushed off that nonsense. “Don’t be ridiculous. There was no such hints.”

“Oh please. Why else would he ask you out?”

“Because we share the same occupation and have the same aptitude for public appearance. We complement each other on a natural level.”

“Ah huh… and he likes you.” The damn woman insisted. “Face it sis. It’s so clear that he’s still holding a torch for you even after all these years.”

“That’s… that’s preposterous.”

“Did he ask you all shy and nervous? Or was he totally direct?”

He was kind of going around at first but eventually came clean. And now that she thought about it, he did look kind of fidgety.

“He was… hesitant about it.”

“Then you’re in the clear! Sombra is definitely still into you.”

“But what about Sophie?”

“Oh don’t bring her up now.” Luna scolded, pulling her sister to the mirror. “It’s been over 10 years since then. I’m sure Sombra is ready to move on. And seeing you must’ve sparked that torch that he’s been holding ever since. Speaking of which… I hope you guys settled your past grievances.”

“We did… somewhat.”

“Good enough for me. Now let’s have a look.” She quickly dove into the pile of dresses and frowned. “Wow sister. Since when was the last time you shopped for clothes?” She picked one out of the pile and cringed at the designs. “Wasn’t this from your prom… back in college?”

“High school actually.” That didn’t make it sound any better. “I just never thought I’d have to deal with this kind of thing again.”

“That’s a sad state of future you have there.”

“Excuse me!?”

Luna brushed her anger off. “Now now. Let’s not give up hope. There must be something here you can wear that won’t make you look like some kind of adult trying to play kid again. Don’t you have anything for formal events?”

“The last dress I have was for Mayor Mare’s acceptance speech. I could just raid my closet again. But… most of the stuff I have here aren’t exactly for… high class.”

“And there’s no way we can shop for anything at this time.” Luna grumbled lowly before a thought popped in. “I got it! Wait right here!” She bolted off to the adjacent room and trampled through furniture before finally returning with a deep blue dress. “Here. Try this on.”

Celestia’s eyes widened in shock when she saw the dress. Her mouth opened in awe while her breath was stolen away by the beauty of it. “Why… Luna. It’s… gorgeous. Where did you get this?”

She shrugged. “I might’ve splurged a bit last month. I was actually saving it for the Winter Holiday party in school. But I figured you deserve this much of a chance.”

Celestia looked at it. The dress was a deep navy blue that went just above her ankles with glitters that formed a crescent moon on the lower side. One might guess her sister had a hand in that. It might not agree with her appeal but it looked damn good even from afar.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. Try it on.” She quickly pushed the lucky gal to the divider watching her change into it. “Well? How is it?”

“It’s absolutely divine.” Not a surprise there. “But… there’s just one slight problem.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“It’s a little tight around the chest.”

Luna threw a roll of socks at her.

Author's Note

Last update for the year fellas. Sorry but my Christmas obligations come first.
I'll try to update after the Holidays, or New Year if I have more to do.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and whatever else you guys are celebrating!
Cheers

The Magic Thickens

Author's Note

Ok this is now seriously the last chapter of the year. Just got back from Star Wars ROSW and I needed something to scrub my eyes.

The Magic Thickens

Chapter 13: The Magic Thickens

(Saturday) (Morning) (Flash’s house)

‘Hoity Toity and Fancy Pants arrive at Canterlot City.’

‘Power-Partners reunite for the first time in years’

Photo submitted by Photo Finished

Those were the headlines Flash read on the newspaper with a photo of two abhorrently fashionable men looking away from one another in a disgruntled manner. Apparently they were some kind of major stars in the fashion industry and were visiting Canterlot for the pageant show at the mall. He didn’t know about them until recently when his dad mentioned them at one point. Surprisingly enough these two rivaling folks were able to be friends with his old man.

Makes him wonder how influential his father really was. But… then again… he was planning to run for mayor during the elections next year. Flash thought that his old man was just some dusty old explorer like Daring Do who would raid tombs and ancient ruins for lost treasures. Now he was rubbing elbows with all the political elites.

That would make things even more awkward if everyone in school found out.

Flash Sentry, the son of the mayor of Canterlot City. That’ll look good on his profile.

“Refill, Master Flash?” His butler offered with a jug in hand.

“Yes Edmund. Thanks.” The boy bit off the side of his toast as he answered. “Hey, quick question. What do you know about my dad’s campaign election?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask your father directly, sir?”

“I’d… prefer an outside opinion.” He reasoned. “I mean… my dad’s barely been back a few months and the next thing I know he’s the new Principal of Crystal Prep. And now he’s running for mayor? I mean those are pretty big achievements.”

“Master Sombra is a well-respected man in both political and academic circles.” Edmund explained. “He has spent the better part of the last few years acquainting himself with very important people. I am not one to spread rumors but I did hear from some of the employees that he is using various favors to fund his campaign. With his reputation alone as a benefactor of arts, science and desire to improve the education of the children, he stands a great chance of winning. It will certainly end Mayor Mare’s streak of running the town hall.”

“So it’s already in the bag before it begins huh?” The boy grunted, tossing the paper aside. “Next year I’ll be the son of the mayor. If I didn’t know better, he might put a security detail around me.”

“I think that’s a natural thing to do for political figures, Master Flash.” He replied in a monotone voice. “Speaking of which. Do you have any plans for today sir?”

“Just a few this afternoon.” The boy yawned brushing the topic aside. “I got some people to meet at the mall myself. I don’t suppose my car is back from the shop.”

“Unfortunately the replacement parts will take a bit longer to arrive, Master Flash. Your customized vehicle isn’t exactly on store shelves. Our mechanics are working as fast as they can to have your order done though they can only do so much.” He picked up a phone from the landline. “I can call in the chauffer to take you there if you wish.”

He waved it off. “Nah. I think I’ll be fine on my own. Thanks for breakfast.”

“My pleasure sir.” The older gentleman nodded. “Will you be coming for dinner?”

“Maybe. Depends on what happens tonight.” Flash tossed a joke in. “Speaking of which, is dad around?”

“He left to greet his guests at the Hotel Florin for the pageant show earlier this morning. Your father will also be attending an after party so I’m afraid he won’t be returning for dinner.”

Heh… what else was new? With all the time he spends in his meetings and social events it hardly ever feel like he’s back.

“I guess I’ll be ordering takeout then.”

“Please refrain from eating those junk food sir. They are quite… hazardous to your health. I’d rather suggest you take a balanced meal.”

“I know Edmund. Like you told me a hundred times before.” He laughed as he walked away. “Just keep the lights on for me. I’ll give you a call if I need anything.”

The butler sighed but bowed lowly either way. “Always a pleasure sir. I shall have your secondary vehicle brought up immediately.”

“You’re the best Edmund.”

(Canterlot Mall) (Sushi Store)

“Thank you. Come again.” Sunset slumped behind the counter as she waved to the last pair that claimed their takeout. She rubbed the side of her cheeks feeling it sore in her fingers. Throwing those forced smiles every minute or so have been tiring for her face. She can’t tell how much longer she could last around here. Maybe pulling that extra shift wasn’t such a good idea. But the offer was just darn too tempting.

The whole mall was in full swing as customers and patrons flooded the grounds in anticipation of the fashion show. She saw many familiar faces pass through the store, and many more coming in for a bite. The whole place was practically swamped. It’s no wonder the manager was willing to double their pay. With the amount of customers that were rolling in, they stand to roll in enough cash to actually fix that salmon rack that broke down a month ago. Heck, even that tip jar they put in front of the cashier was looking mighty bloated right now. A few more bits and she’ll be able to share it with her co-workers.

She looked down to her watch and noted that her shift was about to end in two hours. The pageant wasn’t gonna start in another three so that gave her enough time to finish up and go for a little shopping. Tickle Fruit 3 ‘Revenge of Colonel Squirrel’, the highly anticipated sequel of her favorite game just came out on store yesterday and she was planning to spend her earning to get it. It was something to look forward to this weekend. She could use it to get her mind off this whole magic fiasco, just for a little while.

“Sunset-san.” Her manager, a rather slim, soft eyed man with an Eastern accent, called out from the back room. “May I have you here for a minute?”

“Sure thing boss.” She answered signaling her co-worker to take over the counter for a while. “What’s up Sakura-san? Did the fridge break down or did the over blow another fuse, again? I keep telling you that we need to replace the circuit-breaker so it won’t overload.”

“No no. Nothing of that sort.” He waved it off casually which seemed to state that some of the equipment here weren’t at tip-top shape. The store wasn’t exactly up to code in some key areas either. “I was hoping you could help guide our new waitress who will be taking the afternoon shift starting Monday.”

“Me?” She pointed at herself dumbly. “You want me to show the new girl around?”

“No one here is most experienced than you. You are the most senior member of the store, and you can pronounce each sushi fluently. You can perhaps… as they say: Show them the ropes?”

Sunset tilted her head around hiding a smile under all that fatigue. “I don’t know Sakura-san. That sounds a lot like extra work. I’m already swamped just manning the table today and…”

“I will give you first pick on all our leftovers for the whole week.”

“Deal.” She shook his hand faster than Rainbow Dash ever could. “So who’s our new waitress?”

“She is right in there.” The older man opened the door to his office beckoning the newbie to enter. And soon enough, the smile on Sunset’s face slipped and fell to the floor shattering into a million pieces. “Sunset-san. Please meet…”

“Adagio!?”

The new recruit palmed herself in reply. “Oh you have got to be kidding me.”

Their boss darted between the two of them with a curious eye. “You two… know each other?”

“We’re…”

“…acquainted.” The Siren leader folded her arms with a smug look on her face.

“Excellent!” Either the man didn’t catch the dark tone of her voice or that he didn’t care, he clasped his hand in joy. “This will make your teaching much easier Sunset-san. I have absolute faith in your abilities. You can start right now. And if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my station. Chop chop girls. This is not a self-serving store.”

Without even waiting or listening to Sunset’s protest, the manager bolted back to the kitchen leaving the two alone to stare at one another like two predators trying to claim the same land.

“What are you doing here Adagio?”

She rolled her eyes back. “Uh… what do you think? I’m here to get a job. Apparently this is the only place in the whole mall that actually pays half-decent for non-skilled labor. And if knew that you were working here, I wouldn’t have made the extra effort.”

“Work? What happened to the Sleepy Sirens?”

“The manager only has openings for evening shifts. And if you remember, me and my girls aren’t exactly keen on hanging out at night.”

Oh… right. The wolf monster.

“Oh…” She blinked. “Uh… well this is awkward.”

“You’re telling me. So are we doing this thing or should I just ask the next lady that comes by?”

“No no. It’s um… fine? I suppose.” Sunset wasn’t really sure if she was trying to convince her or herself. “I guess we’ll be working together for a while. That shouldn’t be too bad. And I am getting extra servings on the leftover table. You sure you can handle it though? Waitressing isn’t exactly an easy job.”

“I’ll stop you right there.” She raised her palm up in annoyance. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been trapped in this world longer than you and I didn’t last this long on charity alone. I’ve gone through more jobs here than you or any of your friends combined. So don’t treat me like some kind of newbie.”

Huh… now that she mentioned it, Sunset did recall from Twilight’s stories that the Sirens were banished to this world a long time ago. Roughly around the time when the Pillars of Old Equestria were still around.”

…

“Wait… how old are you guys?”

“Not important.” She brushed it off so naturally. “What’s important is that this place gives me enough so we can pay our rent, so I need to make a good impression on the boss. When the Winter Holiday rolls in, there’ll be less work going around and I’m not spending cold nights in our van… again.”

“Wow… Adagio. I guess I never really thought of it that much. You must have way more experience in this world than I do.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Her smug grin only made Sunset want to smack it off. “Speaking of experiences, what’s the situation with our… magical problem?”

Sunset’s gawked in realization. “Oh… right. I totally forgot to update you. Well… it’s… complicated.”

…

“So you’re saying this Cinch person is responsible for these attacks?”

Sunset shrugged back with a hint of uncertainty in her movement. She had spent the last fifteen minutes explaining everything she had found with everything regarding the magic and her latest suspect.

“Well not a hundred percent but we’re getting there. Out of everyone I know, she’s the only one with motive, has general knowledge of magic and the capability.”

“Sounds like a winner.” Adagio grinned. “Why don’t you confront her?”

“I want to, but Twilight thinks that I should get my facts checked. She doesn’t want me pointing fingers just because of what happened during the Friendship Games.”

“Giving that banshee the benefit of the doubt?”

Sunset nodded. “Something like that. It’s just… something you learn out of experience.” She looked down to her empty tray. “I mean… me and Twilight were once turned into magical monsters bent on destroying or conquering the world. We hurt a lot of people back then and it took some effort to get a fresh start. If people like me could change for the better, why can’t she?”

“What an adorable little story.” Adagio hid an eye roll gesture. “So what’s your next move?”

“Well… after the pageant show, Twilight and I plan to check the museum one more time.” It was technically something Twilight insisted on actually. But she didn’t need to know that. Her friend practically muscled her way into the investigation. But honestly she probably wanted to see if Cinch really was there. She was her Principal back in the day. Maybe she wanted some closure.

“Hmm… that sounds kind of reckless.” She added as she placed a tray down. “Going into the lair of the enemy with just the two of you? If I were thee villain in this story, I would’ve prepared a trap for you two seeing as you’re probably onto me. That… or flee.”

“You got a better idea?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” The songstress grinned. “Let me tag along.”

“You?”

“If this woman really is responsible for what happened to Sonata, you bet your bonus I want in.” She tightened her grip on a plate threatening to break it. “Besides, I have a better knowledge of magic than you and your friends. Seeing as I drink it like water.”

Sunset gave it a thought. There was no doubt that Adagio was indeed stronger than her when it came to magic. She proved that once before during the Battle of the Bands. Not to mention that she also had also fought the shadow monster head on and survived. That made her a proven weapon. And if they do meet that beast again, they’ll at least have a fighting chance.

“Hmm… we could use the extra firepower if things get hairy.” She nodded, finally convincing herself. “Alright. You can come. But no funny business.”

“Oh please.” The woman scoffed. “I’ll be a hoot.”

(Square)

“Wow! Isn’t this amazing Maud!?” Pinkie gleefully hopped her way around the second floor of the mall seeing the finalization of the event. From the balcony she could see the runway extended towards the fountain where she and her friends would strutting with their pets like real daytime models. Banners and posters hung from every corner of the wing showing off names and figureheads she didn’t recognize. They even have a giant fog machine built at the back of the stage ready to put on an ambience of mysticism. And to top it all off, they even had this unknown DJ playing in the background. “Look how many people are out here! I’ve never seen the mall so packed even on the holidays. There has to be over a thousand people here!”

“Uh huh…”

“How cool is it that we get to walk the same runway as those supermodels!?”

“Ecstatic…” Her sister replied, sadly, still stoic as ever.

“Just think how gorgeous Gummy would look in that suit and tie. He’ll be the star of the show!”

“Yeah that’s…” Maud paused, eyes lit. “Wait… Gummy’s a guy?”

“Uh… duh. He has been for years now.”

“Huh… I did not know that.”

“You think Rarity will let me borrow that suit? He’ll look so good in parties. The clown outfit I had for him is really getting worn. I think he might be growing a little too fast.”

“That’s the problem with having an organic pet.” Maud replied. “They grow. You should consider getting something rock-based. Take Boulder here for example.” She pulled out her pet rock from her pocket. “He lost half an inch last year. I’ve been keeping him on a very strict diet and daily exercise. And he hasn’t complained. Well… most of the time anyway.”

“Uh… huh.” Pinkie didn’t stop her hopping. “So anyway. When I go down the runway – do you think I should do my sassy side or my goofy side?”

“You mean your usual side?”

“Yup!”

“You sure you don’t wanna try your third personality?”

“You mean Eiknip?”

“Yeah… her. The strong SILENT type.”

“Meh. I think I’d be better off doing what I do best. Hey!” Pinkie spotted a familiar figure in the distance. “That’s Rainbow Dash! HEYYYY!!! Rainbow Dash!” The sports maniac jolted when her name was called. So much so that she nearly dropped her phone.

“What? What are you talking about!?” She panicked when Pinkie sped up to her side. “I wasn’t doing anything suspicious!”

“I… never said you were.” Pinkie replied. “So whatchadoin?”

“N… nothing.” That was a lie and everyone knows it. Rainbow looked embarrassed about something and she wasn’t keen on sharing what it was. “I was just um… taking a selfie. You know? To uh… update my profile.”

Maud then noted the poster at the wall with a vampire knight and werewolf fighting over a bridge and a girl watching helplessly from a tower.

“Are you planning to watch Fangshire 3: Wilhelm’s Rebellion?”

“What!? Th… that lame sappy love triangle movie?” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Pfft! No. I’d never go anywhere near that thing. I’m more of a… super action kind of guy. Ahehe… hehehe.” Yeah… that tone of hers wasn’t convincing anyone. “Ah… anyway I just remembered. I need to be somewhere and… it’s super important. Later!” And just like that she was gone.

“Huh… that was very suspicious.” Pinkie cupped her chin in thought. “You think Rainbow has a thing for vampires?”

Her big sister rolled her eyes. “I think you should ask Rarity that question. By the way, you should really stop hopping. You might hit someone in this crowd.”

“Oh pa-lease. I’ve been bunny hopping on my feet before I could even walk. I’ve mastered the art of hopping. Why… I’m so good at hopping, I can do it with my eyes cl—doh!” And once again the universe decided to answer her challenge. “Ow… I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking.”

“Don’t mention it. It wouldn’t be the first or last time.” The boy replied, smiling.

“Flash!?” She squealed. That was starting to become a trend lately whenever they met. But her shock died out when she noted his empty ice cream cone in one hand and a chocolate stain on his jacket. “Oh… that’s… umm… sorry.”

“Forget it. I was just about to drop this with the cleaners tonight anyway. Hey Maud.”

“Hey.” The elder Pie greeted back with a hand wave, a smile growing when she saw Pinkie’s reaction.

“Let me… get that for you.” Pinkie pulled out a napkin from her dimensional hair and began to wipe the stain only to realize a little too late that she was making it worse. “Uh… aheh. That’s umm… better?” She tossed the napkin aside, quickly changing the subject. “So… you here for Rarity’s show?”

“Isn’t everybody?” He gestured to the floor below where many of their friends gathered. Heck, from the looks of it, the whole school was here. “And… aren’t you supposed to be with Rarity right now?”

“Oh she’s finishing up her designs. The show doesn’t start in a couple of hours. Besides she probably has her hands full with everyone we called up. You know?” Of course he knows you idiot. He was the one who came up with the idea! You practically shared all your contact numbers with him back in the diner. Come on, get your head out of the sky for a second. “Ouch…”

“Something wrong?”

“Not really. I just feel like the author of this story just scolded me for being silly.”

Flash opened his mouth to question but decided not to jump into that rabbit hole. “O…k? Well I don’t know anything about that. But I know what can help. A good side of ice cream. Wanna join me?”

“Oh… umm… well… Maud and I…”

“Would be happy to join you.” Her sister interjected quickly dragging the pinkette with her.

(Backstage)

Sombra was amazed in how much attention his pageant show had garnered. The mall was practically brimming with people and the crowd gathering outside the stage looked as if they were about to explode. He made a mental note to give the security team extra pay later. If it wasn’t for them the whole place would’ve been swamped already.

Behind him stood the largest gathering of designers and models ever assembled in Canterlot. Many here were known celebrities in their own business but a few unknown stood out as well, all of them eagerly waiting to have their clothes strutted down the runway and have their names printed in on the newspaper. Already he could see rival designers and their underlings eyeing one another trying to intimidate the other side to submission. It will be a tough competition and some of these jackals will do anything to get an edge over their competitors. Though hopefully nothing against the rules. The last thing he wanted was a scandal over this event.

“Mr. Sombra.” Prim Hemline greeted with a plastered smile on her face. “I wasn’t aware you were coming to visit. Were the judges not allowed to visit the backstage before the show?”

“Just making sure everything was in order.” He replied smiling professionally. “I may be one of the judges but I am also the host of this pageant. I’ll be a poor host if I didn’t come to see things for myself.”

“Spoken like a true benefactor.” They shared a short laugh. “Speaking of benefactors. I don’t suppose the… other judges have arrived yet? I was hoping to make a good impression.”

“Hoity Toity and Fancy Pants are already here somewhere. But as you can probably guess they don’t see a lot of things eye to eye. I’m sure your designs will catch their attention. However…” He stretched that last bit with a wink. “I can probably introduce you to one of them in the after party.”

“Eeeep! Yes! I’ll take it! You can certainly count on my vote when you run for mayor next year.”

“It’ll be a landslide victory.” He chuckled before turning to his watch. “That’ll be my cue to go. Good luck on the pageant.”

“It’s already in the bag.”

Sombra exited the back stage with a smile. At least now he was sure that the jackals behind the curtains won’t eat each other before the show started. He looked at the time and noted that there were still hours before the sideshow started. Apparently Prim Hemline still had a card to play and had her protégé handle it.

“Everything in order?” A voice asked to which he gasped.

“Lesty?” Sombra felt like his breath was taken away by some magic when his eyes fell upon her. The formal shirt and pants she constantly wore was now replaced with a gorgeous deep blue dress with a moon glittered pattern on the lower area. Her well-toned body stretched out the dress in all the right places and you could tell some of the passersby were staring. “W… wow.”

“Do you think I overdressed?”

Shove the thought into an airlock and throw it into space!

“N… no! Not at all.” He gestured to several models in the back row. “You fit in perfectly around here. But… you’re a bit early. The pageant isn’t starting for a few hours.”

“I figured seeing as you wanted me as morale support, I thought I’d come in and see wizard behind the curtains.”

Sombra laughed, failing to hide his reddened cheeks. “Well you certainly got me fired up.” The woman raised a brow. “Ah… I mean… motivated. That’s right. Motivated. That’s what I meant to say.” He coughed into his hand as he approached. “Kind of reminds me of those good old days back in school.”

“You mean the time when you wore both a bowtie and a tie?”

“Need I remind you? That was my mother’s fault. Not mine.”

“Technically adding a bowtie to a tie makes it a double tie.” Another voice interjected coming from a gentleman in a vintage suit. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of being daring in fashion. After all I made one myself.”

“Fancy Pants! You made it.” Sombra greeted back patting the fancy looking stud with a sophisticated mustache. He practically looked like a nobleman from the renaissance age. “I thought you were still busy signing autographs.”

“I’ve filled my quota of one hundred signatures.” He replied, stretching his wrist. “Can’t be too generous or my brand would simply lose its value.”

“Well it’s good to see you old friend.” The professor shook hands with the fashion demi-god. “Oh. Fancy. Allow me to introduce to you my good friend from when. This is Celestia. She’s now the Principal of Canterlot High.”

“Charmed.” The fancy man nodded, giving her hand a kiss. “Two Principals in one room? I dread to see what kind of punishment you would give to children who get out of line. Ahehehehe. Ahem… sorry. Bad joke.”

“It’s… also good to meet you too, Mister… Pants?”

“Please. Just call me Fancy.” He insisted. “Any friend of Sombra is here is a friend of mine. Why… we’re practically brothers in arms since your expedition into the Foalaskan snowy desert.”

“Fancy was looking for a new inspiration for his winter lineup a few years back.” Sombra explained. “I told him I was heading the expedition for the lost city of Yakistown in Yakyakistan who were famous for their coats. I never would’ve found it without his help.”

“Oh please. You give yourself too little credit, old friend. Anyone could’ve spilled that hot soup randomly which revealed the cavern entrance of the great city. Why if it wasn’t for your discovery, I never would’ve had that flash of inspiration to combine both our modern technology and the primitive history into one magnificent piece.” He shed an imaginary tear for effect.

“That uh… sounds… interesting.” Celestia cocked a brow.

“It was one of my finest work I tell you. The cuffs were hand-stitched together to give the wearer the most pleasant feeling at all times.”

“And that’s why you’ll always be… second rate.” Another cocky voice interjected which came from the marvelously dazzling man with silver hair wearing purple shades and a gray blazer which fit him almost too perfectly. “You never were one for imaginations.”

“Hoity… Toity.” Fancy Pants growled lowly just enough to be heard. “I thought I smelled mediocrity for a moment. Turns out it’s just you.”

“Ha! Oh so very original. How long did it take you to come up with that?” HT strutted them, smiling beautifully for the cameras as he approached. “I see you’re still wearing the dullness on your sleeves. You’re so behind, Fancy. Don’t you know that cuffs are yesterday’s trend? This is the age of collars and frills.”

“Oh sure. Like that last one you made that nearly suffocated your models?”

Hoity fumed. “Th… that was an error on the calculations! And mind you, that was simply an experiment. You can’t craft perfection without breaking a few eggs. Unlike you fancy coat that had two buttons too many.”

“It was for diversity in adjustment!” He reasoned back. “You can keep your collars and your frills. People actually prefer clothes that are comfortable and stylish. Not like your prison uniforms. You could use some cuffs to spec that wrist of yours!”

“Oh you mean this?” Hoity Toity flexed his wrist at them. “I was busy writing thousands of autographs. I have to get my name out there after all. I must’ve reached a thousand by now.”

“Ha! What’s in a name if it doesn’t have value!?”

“A name that is chanted across the world. Unlike you, old man.”

“Old!? Why I’ll tell you…”

“Boys. Boys!” Sombra stopped them before gesturing to the cameras in which the two immediately altered their expressions to fair for the newspaper. “Let’s not bring out old wounds. This is a pageant I’m hosting and I’d very much love to share it with my old friends. I won’t ask you to bury the hatchet but can we at least have a truce for a short moment? Just for tonight?”

They looked at one another and huffed like children.

Hoity Toity answered first, arms folding. “Fine. But only because you’re helping me open a branch here in Canterlot.”

“WHAT?!” Fancy Pants held a curse back which made his ex-partner grin.

“Oh? Didn’t you hear? I’m planning to open a branch of my brand here in Canterlot City. It’s a very mysterious place with a lot of untapped potential and Sombra here offered to help. He’s been really sporty about it.”

“Only because I owe you for that expedition in Marewood. I wouldn’t have found the Treasure Armada without your help.”

“And besides… I have an eye for these things. Which is why he asked me to be part of this pageant. I simply don’t understand why he’d ask you.”

“Oh that’s it you little.”

“Gentlemen, please.” Celestia jumped in before the haymaker started throwing. “Remember, we’re still in public. Why don’t we all settle in for a while before the main show starts?”

Again they darted one another like two cats hissing for dominance over the area.

“Fine!”

(Ice cream parlor)

There have been many great mysteries here in Canterlot City. One could say that it had a culture of magic and mysticism back in its days. Even now, many elderly folks would claim they’ve seen the great yeti in the forest or the multi-headed hydra by the river banks or maybe the ghosts haunting the old cemetery in the old town yonder. All of them were tales worth telling – and all of them worth passing down from parent to child.

But all of them paled in comparison to the unexplainable legend of the black hole that wanders around town. Bakers and restaurant owners know of it. They dread it, fear it… but at the same time welcome reluctantly with open arms. Because they know they cannot fight it.

That ungodly force of nature that is… Pinkie Pie.

Flash watched as the girl practically inhaled what was once a sixteen scoop ice cream platter with triple frosting whipped cream doubled with bananas. An ordinary human would take hours to consume such a feat but Pinkie here gobbled in up before it even started to melt. How she doesn’t suffer brain freeze or toothache after all that sweet was a mystery no amount of science or magic will ever be able to solve.

“I have to ask.” He whispered to Maud who was perfectly content with her donut. Though she was mostly just feeding it to Boulder. “Where does all of that go?”

“I stopped trying to make sense of it a long time ago.” She shrugged. “You learn to phase it out after a while. Trust me. You’ll save your sanity later on.”

“Huh… I guess there are just some mysteries that doesn’t need explaining.” He noted Pinkie eyeing his share which he gladly pushed away in her direction.

“Speaking of food. Mind telling me how the date went?” Maud asked turning the table around metaphorically. She ignored her sister’s glare turning to Flash who blushed back. “Pinkie here wouldn’t say a word about it but I’m willing to bet you’d have something to say.”

“O… oh… well…”

“Hey! Maud!” Pinkie scolded. “What did we talk about meddling into your sibling’s private business?”

“You meddle with me and Mudbriar all the time.” Maud countered.

Ok she might be right there but she was only doing it to get to know the guy better. Seriously the guy was had the strangest obsession with wood – or to be more precise: Sticks.

Don’t ask.

“And technically I’m not meddling in your private business, I’m meddling in Flash’s business.” That was a poor excuse and she knew it. “I want to know how it went through his perspective. Besides, is it wrong for your big sister to be worried about your love life? I’m just making sure that he’s treating you properly and protect you from potential danger. I’m only doing my sisterly duty. Isn’t that right Flash?”

“That’s… a loaded question, isn’t it?” He added smiling weakly much to Maud’s displeasure. “Besides, that was a one shot thing between our parents. We only did it because they insisted. I seriously doubt Pinkie would ever want to date me again.”

Well… that’s not… entirely true.

“Is that true Pinkie?” The stoic gal asked to her bubbly sister who flinched at her question. “If you had a chance to take this charmingly handsome boy out on a second date, would you take it?”

Pinkie opened her mouth and opened it twice. But sadly no words came. She looked at the boy in question seeing his cool-goofy smile shine at her. It’s not like she wouldn’t want to… it’s just… inappropriate.

Sure, Flash was a cool guy to hang out with and he is pretty cute. She could totally picture the two of them together again. Though not in a fancy dress or suit… and definitely not in another fancy restaurant like the Huffs and Hooves. She’d prefer a simple diner, or maybe an ice cream parlor like this. They’d come in as a couple, hold hands, tell jokes, he’d laugh at what she says and she’d laugh at what he says. They’d dance over the jukebox, and they’d take a drive to the hill overlooking the city where they would spend the evening watching the sun go down. Then Flash would take her by the shoulder and…

Whoa! Hold on a second there. Too much. That was just way too much!

Pinkie’s face turned red as those images crossed her mind. She tried to brush them off only to realize that she had been silent for the last minute.

“Pinkie?”

“I uh…” Her face flushed while one finger twirled around her hair. “I couldn’t wouldn’t exactly… not say no.” Wait… was that a triple or quadruple negative? They couldn’t tell.

“So that’s a no?”

“No!” She yelped. “I mean… yes? Maybe? Which answer will make me look better?”

Maud grinned. “I think you just answered your own question.” Oh she was definitely enjoying this. Maud might have the expression of a stone but she certainly have the wit of a villain. If anything, Pinkie might think that she was actually entertained by her misery. “See that Flash? I think you two have a good start.”

The boy chuckled awkwardly. No! Don’t blush! You’re just making things worse.

But thankfully before Maud could add more fuel to their fire, her hair began to vibrate. She reached in and pulled out her phone. She noted the name on the screen and answered. “Uh… hello?”

“WHERE ARE YOU!!!?” The voice on the other line practically blasted in full pitch blowing her hair like a dryer.

Pinkie reaffirmed herself before answering. “Rarity? I’m at the ice cream parlor. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong!?” The dress maker asked, her tone practically bearing fangs at this point. “What’s wrong is that you were supposed to be at the backstage right this very minute!”

“Now? But the pageant show doesn’t start in a few hours.”

“Yes darling – pageant show doesn’t. But my sideshow starts in fifteen minutes!!!” She screamed again, this time the phone practically spraying spit at her. “I am already stressed enough as it is with all of this, not to mention that two of the biggest stars in the industry are visiting. So please do not add fuel to my fire.” The girl breathed out using some old meditation technique which doesn’t appear to be working. “Allow me to put it in laymen terms. You either get over here right now or GUMMY HERE WILL BE THE FIRST ORPHANED ALIGATOR WHO WILL BE WALKING SOLO ON MY CATWALK!!!!”

That wasn’t laymen. That was a downright threat.

Pinkie looked up to her friends and quickly gobbled the remains of her platter. “Sorry! Gotta run! Rarity needs me!” And without even waiting for a response she bolted out the door with such speed that would give Rainbow Dash a run for her magic. “Gummy! Wait! Don’t leave without me!”

The remaining two looked at one another oddly.

“Should we follow her?”

The stoic lady shrugged.

(Square)

“I gotta admit, you weren’t kidding when you said you’ve done this before.” Sunset stated giving an admirable gesture to Adagio. Their shift at the sushi store had just ended and much to her surprise, there really wasn’t a lot to teach her. The Siren boss practically knew everything there was to waitressing. While her attitude left something to be desired, she at least knew how to wait on tables without using some snappy words to scare the customers away, take orders and post them on the kitchen and remember table numbers by heart. Heck, she’d probably be teaching her if she joined the sushi store a week earlier.

“I’ve waited tables in far more prestigious places before. I know the rules and regulations.”

“Your pronunciation of the sushi could use some work though. But I think those will just come naturally. You just have to learn the dialect. Give it time and you’ll be able to tell the difference between a temaki and sashimi by the end of the month.”

“Oh goody. I can’t wait.” She groaned lowly eyeing the location they were heading next. “Must we really attend this thing? I don’t understand the necessity of this. We can make it to the museum and have plenty of time before the sun goes down.”

“And miss once in a lifetime viewing? Not a chance. I mean… where else would you get to see animals wearing costumes?”

“You came from Equestria.” Adagio reminded her. “I think that speaks volume.”

Ah… well… she was technically not wrong in that regard. There were plenty of ponies and other creatures back there that wore costumes that matched their personality and cutie-marks. But it just wasn’t the same.

“Well… that’s different.” She replied though the Siren had a look that stated that she didn’t believe that for one second. “Just watch, alright? My friend put a lot of effort in this. The least you can do is clap.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “I’ll be sure to put on a performance.”

The lights then dimmed replaced by a multitude of colors that danced around the runway. The fog machine quickly sputtered, engulfing half the stage in a thick mysterious mist. It was amazing how the power of technology can create such wonder that would be equal or greater than magic itself.

“Ladies and gentlemen…” Rarity’s voice echoed across the speakers garnering the attention of the audience. No doubt that gal had been rehearsing that line to perfection. “Visitors from near and far. Allow me to dazzle you all today with the side show performance. Coming to you from your very own local Canterlot City, please welcome my troupe as they present: Rarity for You!”

And just like that the show was on.

(Much later) (Outside the mall)

Flash slumped down on the bench that evening breathing a sigh of relief. It seems like the entire city population had decided to squeeze themselves into the mall leaving the whole place practically abandoned. There was not a soul to be seen or heard save but the few animals that were left prowling around.

By now the pageant show was probably at full swing. He could hear the crowd inside gasping and gawking loudly while the DJ blast some heavy beats to match it. No doubt some main headliner was throwing everything he had on the pageant revealing some godly design for all to see. Either that… or one of the models just tripped on the runway which would undoubtedly embarrass everyone around.

“Why… hello darling.” A soothing yet seductive voice chattered him up by surprise. “You come here often?”

“Rarity?” The boy’s eyes widened as he turned to the figure. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be with your boss basking in some of that glory you keep talking about.”

The fashion designer strutted over to his side offering a can of carbonated drink to which he accepted. “Oh I will. I’m just taking a little break after my sideshow. But even a rising star like myself often have to come down for air. It’s just natural.”

“Well the air is free.” He scooted over, giving her room to sit. “Did everything work out?”

“More than I could ever hope for. Everyone performed admirably, especially Bulk. Who knew that a brick like him would look so regal in a musketeer’s outfit?” Oh he saw that too. The big overly muscled boy donned an infantry attire with cape, rapier, feathered hat and everything. His dog, Wooyoo also played the part as his sidekick with a similar uniform who practically captured the heart of the crowd. They practically went wild for him. And if he didn’t know better, his father might’ve actually been impressed by it.

“Tell me about it.” He smiled warmly at her. “And in my opinion: Your designs look way better than whatever they put on stage.”

Rarity gave him gentle nod. “Thank you darling. But even I know that my designs are still paling compared to whatever Ms. Hemline and the other designers put on stage. Why, the fabric alone made them sparkle like gemstones. And that only motivates me to strive to be even better. By next year, I will make something that would outshine even the best of them!”

“Then I guess I know who to vouch for in the next pageant show.”

“Oh now you’re just being sly.” She chuckled cutely as her hands slid to her drink. “But I didn’t just come here for a bit of air or to hear compliments from you.” She didn’t? That didn’t sound like the Rarity he knew. She loved getting praises. “In truth I came here to thank you in person.”

“Me?” He blinked. “For what?”

“Oh don’t be so modest.” She patted him on the back as he flipped open his drink. “Fluttershy told me everything about your little scheme. I could scarcely believe it if I didn’t see them myself.”

Flash chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “Well… I figured you could use some help. Besides I didn’t do much. I just called a bunch of my friends and told them that you needed help. No biggie.”

“Yet you did it anyway. All for me.”

He blushed. “I… didn’t want to see all those beautiful designs of yours to go to waste. You worked really hard on all of them and it’d be a shame if you didn’t get your time to shine.”

“Flash, darling.” Her hand reached out for his as she spoke softly to his face. “You don’t need to make an excuse for helping me. I find it to be the sweetest thing you have ever done. I never would’ve thought of asking all of my friends from school to take time off their busy schedule to help me – and I really can’t thank you enough for it.”

“Well… I did say I always wanted to help you girls. You face magical adventures almost on a daily basis. I thought you could use a little help to make life easier.”

“Well you certainly succeeded in that regard.” Rarity added taking a sip from her drink. Her eyes fell softly on the boy beside her, a natural feeling thumping in her chest. “Normally I’d show my thanks to my friends with clothes, shoes and other accessories I can get my hands on. But you don’t appear to be the type who enjoys such things.”

“Hey seeing you girls happy is enough for me.”

“Perish such thoughts darling.” She brushed her hand up as if blowing away an imaginary thought-bubble. “If anyone’s showing generosity around here, it will be me. I don’t care what you people say about chivalry, I won’t allow good deeds go unrewarded in this town.”

“Heh. Seriously Rarity. You don’t ha-” His voice clogged in his lungs when he felt the fashionista’s soft and tender lips press against his cheek caressing it like a lover’s touch. She planted it there for barely a minute yet it felt like eternities flew by when she finally released.

“It’s not the adequate reward I wanted to give you but it will do for now.” The little girl stated softly, grinning sheepishly at him. It took a while for his brain to return to its function having to mentally reboot itself from the sheer overload of information.

The gob smacked boy sat there, stunned, eyes bulging from their sockets. He brought his hand up to his face feeling the texture of her lipstick as he brought it forward seeing the red stain on two of his fingers, finally putting it down to stare at the flustered and embarrassed Rarity, who quickly looked away.

“A… anyway. I should probably be going.” She announced, standing up from her seat, still facing away from him, both of them failing to notice her pony ears and tails slowly glittering on her body. “The pageant is still going on and I wouldn’t want to miss out on Ms. Hemline winning the show. Tata.”

Flash could do nothing but watch as she strutted away, the girl desperately trying to hide the fact that she was going a little faster than normally. Her silhouette vanished through the doors of the mall as the sound of the crowd grew even louder than before. The boy sat still, his drink slipping from his fingers when his face turned redder than a rose.

A single phrase ran through his mind

…

… totally… worth it.

(Evening) (Natural History Museum)

Twilight took a deep breath as she walked to the entrance of the museum. It has been a while since she came here. During her last visit she was practically apprehended by two burly security guards who were ready to throw her back out like some street-rat. Luckily Flash was there to get her out of a jam. And much to her surprise, that night viewing all those ancient relics from a lost civilization was pretty fun.

“Alright. Got everything you need?” Sunset inquired as she got off the taxi.

Twilight quickly ran her hand through her backpack pulling out her magic tracker. “All’s in order. I got my magic scanner, energy reader, flashlight for emergencies and my handy dandy voice recorder.”

“Voice recorder? What do we need a voice recorder for?”

“For scientific recording, obviously. Like this.” She played an example, pressing the red button. “Vice President Twilight Sparkle of the C.I.C. Magic journal entry #1: Arrived at museum of natural history to investigate the magical energy disturbance. Will continue search for any magical properties left behind. End recording.” She added that last part with another click, smiling over at Sunset. “What do you think?”

“I think you really need to stop watching those documentary channels. Heh. It’s too bad we couldn’t celebrate with Rarity for a job well done. She put a lot of effort on her sideshow than I thought.”

But the bespectacled gal waved it off. “Oh don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’ll understand that our investigation here is very important. We’ll make it up to her another time. Besides, Pinkie Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are with her. They’ll have a blast even without us.”

“Heh… you’re probably right.” She nodded. “So anyway. Maud said that the team handling the new wing are working overtime today. Ms. Cinch should also be there. So we need to hurry if we want to catch them.”

“Uh huh. Just one quick question.” Twilight pointed her finger at the stranger behind them. “What is she doing here?”

“Subtle.” Adagio scoffed, checking her nails like they were more important.

“Adagio said that she wanted to help out so I thought I’d bring her along just in case. It never hurts to have numbers on our side. Besides, if we get into trouble, we can at least count on her for backup.”

“And you’re sure she won’t stab us in the back like an actual villain?”

The woman glared boringly at them. “I’m not deaf you know.”

“Relax Twilight. She’s cool. Just give her a chance. You told me that we shouldn’t judge people because of their past.”

Twilight eyed the Siren not really sure if they were trustworthy. But sadly time wasn’t on their side. “Fine. As long as she promise not to break any more historical relics.”

“Deal.”

“Hooray~ for team.” She waved out sarcastically.

Their investigation would’ve been rather spontaneous too. But before they could even set one foot inside the museum they were stopped by three large guards.

“Uh hi.” Sunset greeted weakly. “We’d like to see the exhibit.”

“Sorry Miss. But the museum is closed for the day. Curator’s orders.”

“Closed?” Twilight questioned as she looked at the timer on her phone. “But it’s barely passed five. You can’t be closed now.”

“Sorry but that’s what they told us. Only staff and construction workers are allowed. This is for your safety so please come again when we’re open on Monday.”

The trio looked at each other with a giant question on their heads. They wanted to argue but decided not to press their luck on the giant hulking security guards. Quietly they left, heading to the local store next door.

Adagio spoke first bitterly. “Well that was a big waste of time. So much for our investigation.”

“Maud didn’t say anything about the museum closing early.” Sunset stated folding her arms together. “This is very suspicious.”

“They’re probably just doing this to keep people like us safe. It is a massive project after all.” Twilight reasoned. “We can’t expect everything to go our way all the time. It’s probably just a coincidence. Why don’t we try again on Monday and see where it goes?”

“That… does seem like the only thing we can do.”

“Why don’t we just sneak in?”

“What!?” Twilight turned to the Siren who made that suggestion. “Are you crazy? We can’t just walk into a place we’re not supposed to. That’s called breaking and entering! We can get into serious trouble for doing that!”

“I don’t see what you’re worried about. I do it all the time.” That statement was more volatile than she realized.

“You what!?”

“Easy Twilight.” Sunset stopped her. “Remember we’re all on the same side here. But yeah – sorry Adagio, but we’re not breaking into the museum.” As cool as it might actually sound. “Let’s all take a break and we can come back on Monday. We can enter the place legally then. Alright?”

“Hmph. Fine. But you’re paying for the taxi. My income isn’t exactly covering my…” But just as they were about to turn in for the night, that same uncomfortable feeling came again. The three of them froze on their tracks as electrical equipment around them went haywire. Parked cars began to blare out alarms, streets lights flickered and even their phones died out. “Please tell me you felt that.”

“That magic.” Sunset recognized it, her body shivering from the energy surge. “It’s the same one I felt from back then. And… it came from inside.” They all eyed the building just as the commotion in the area slowly began to die down. “But how is that possible? The relics are supposed to be in Flash’s place.”

“Either you’re wrong or someone decided to use that magic to cast a spell. And a powerful one.” Adagio nodded, her brow curling downward. “I don’t recognize it though.”

“We have to get in there. Whoever is using it is our culprit and the one responsible for all these attacks.”

“You’re really planning to break in!?” Twilight screamed in panic. “Have you gone mental!?”

“Twilight, this is our one time chance to find out who’s responsible for all these attacks! We need to go in now or never.”

Twilight gave it a thought, biting her nails. While she did want to find the culprit, breaking and entering would ruin her perfect record. If they’re caught they might be turned in to the police and her parents will find out!

After twiddling her thumbs for a few seconds she finally decided. “Alright fine. But how do we get in? Those guards aren’t gonna let us through.”

Adagio grinned. “Leave that to me.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“Ugh… four hours until the end of shift. I don’t know how much more I can take, just standing here.”

“Oh stop whining.” The guard sitting by the information booth groaned, rubbing his aching neck. “It’s bad enough we just stand around here doing nothing. I don’t need to hear you complain about it all the time.”

“Easy for you to say. You get to sit around watching camera go left and right.”

“Hey! It’s still a job. And it’s a lot harder to keep an eye over everything.”

“Why don’t we trade places and see who has it harder?”

The guard with the coffee scoffed. “What? No! Why in the world would I want to trade places with you? You can’t even keep your own eyes open for twenty minutes.”

“Oh! So you think you can do better?”

“I know I can do better.” He irritably added.

Before long the three guards began to argue at one another, anger and irritation rising in their chest like they were being influenced by some kind of magic. And in the midst of their argument, the three girls slipped through their watch like a bunch of cat burglars.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight was amazed how easily three large men fell enamored by the Siren’s call. While she never saw how it worked on a large scale before, she can’t deny how effective Adagio’s powers were. In just one stanza she made those guards bicker like school children.

“Wow Adagio.” Sunset sounded awfully impressed. “I almost forgot how powerful your voice can be.”

“You’d be amazed how often we use it to get what we want around here.” The Siren smirked. “They can be quite… ugh…”

Sunset reached out quickly when she saw the girl fumble on her step. “Whoa. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. Just… a little weak. I haven’t eaten in days.”

“Oh.” Sunset ruffled through her pocket. “I have a candy bar.”

She brushed the unicorn off. “I meant magic, you idiot. You can’t compare candy to the sweet nourishing power of magical energy.”

“Because you’re creatures of magic, right?” Twilight recalled. “You feed on it.”

“Because we need it to survive.” She corrected. “Never mind. Forget it. Let’s just find this magic user and be done with this. The faster things go back to normal, the faster I can get my job back at the Sleepy Sirens.”

They all agreed on that and hastily made their way to the back of the museum through the restricted area where the new wing of museum was being made. There were a few construction workers hanging about but none of them seemed to be aware of their presence. They were far more concerned on their task to pay them any mind.

When they arrived at the Yaztec exhibition, Twilight could tell something was amiss here. Just like her friend, the nerd gal felt every fiber of her being standing at attention. A voice at the back of her mind screamed at her to run out of there and don’t look back. The atmosphere and ambience alone made the hair on her neck stand on ends. It was like this very area was giving off an aura of danger.

“This is the new wing of the museum?” She gawked both in disbelief and fear. “Looks kind of… creepy.”

“I know, right?” Sunset agreed wholeheartedly. “I don’t know what it is about this place but every time I look at it, it just feels… wrong somehow. Maud said that they were trying to get the feeling of the old Yaztec civilization or something.”

“Well if they were going for the creepy shamanistic culture of the people, I guess they got it.” Twilight shivered. “But this doesn’t look like any kind of museum wing I’ve ever seen before.”

“That’s because it’s a ritual ground.” The two of them turned to Adagio who made that comment. “A ritual ground? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen one before.” Twilight and Sunset looked at each other confused much to the Siren’s annoyance. “Ugh. Seriously? How in the world did I ever lose to you?” She pranced over to the side of the main hall where the raised platform was built. “You know how magic and spells work right?”

Sunset nodded. “Of course. Magic is the energy used to power spells. Our bodies are the tools that are used to convert them.”

“Correct. But you must also remember that your frail human bodies can only take so much magic. Use too much and you’ll break down. Ritual grounds like these are made to channel large amount of magic using them as mediums to use more powerful spells. With the right materials, timing and location, they can be used to conjure sorcery of the greatest kind.”

“Like… the elements of harmony!”

“Bingo.” Adagio nodded. “Your geodes are also vessels though on a lesser scale. This however…” She gestured to the platform. “… this is way bigger. Whoever designed this wing surely knows what they were doing.”

“Can you tell us what they’re planning?” Twilight asked. “Any information will be helpful right now.”

The Siren leader quickly looked around and shrugged. “From what I can tell, this whole wing appears to be a chamber of some kind. Each hallway is meant direct energy to the object at the main platform like a focal point. And judging that there’s only one window on that side, the spell being used here will require either the sun or moon to be at a very precise angle.”

Twilight’s eyes shot up. “Did you say the sun or moon?”

“Yeah. I think it’s a catalyst. Something to refine the magic quickly. But it would require very precise timing.”

Sunset noted her friend’s expression. “Is something wrong Twilight?”

“Well… the Winter Solstice is coming up two months from now. It comes twice a year and judging from the timing of all of this… I’m starting to believe that it can’t be a coincidence. Something big is about to go down and I’m afraid what we might find.”

“Don’t you worry.” The redhead patted her back reassuringly. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. Now come on. What’s your gizmo saying?”

Twilight nodded back. Panicking or worrying about things they didn’t understand was pointless. Quietly she reached for her tracker, noting a tick pointing in the direction of the nearby door on the other side of the hall. There were a few people standing there. No doubt part of the archivists group. They didn’t seem to notice the girls hiding in the dark. Not yet at least. There were a lot of dark corners here. None of the lights seemed to be working and the sun was dropping fast.

“It seems like the magic energy is coming from that office. We need to sneak by those guys.”

“Got it. Adagio. You got enough strength for one more song?”

The woman looked back sighing weakly. “I’ll try. Just…”

“Wait!” Twilight whispered, pulling the two of them back just as the said door suddenly opened from within. A familiar figure exited wearing the same scowl she wore since she last saw it. “It… it really is her. Principal Cinch.”

“I told you so.”

“What is the meaning of this!?” The former Principal yelled out to her crew who cowered at her. “I thought you said that everything was in order.”

“We’re sorry ma’am. It’s just that… we need to realign the old armor set first.”

“And I told you those are secondary. The painting and murals are first. The armors are supposed to be secondary.”

“We know ma’am. But this order came from the top. He wants all the mannequins dressed up in the armor before his next visit.”

Cinch’s eye rose. “Professor Sombra said so?”

“Yes ma’am. He made the call just a few hours ago.”

The woman groaned, one hand rubbing the temple between her eyes. “Fine. If he insists, then we’ll just have to do it first. Come. We’ll get the dolls from the storeroom.” She brushed pass them leading the men through the darkened corridors.

“Huh… hey wait a second.” Twilight tilted her glasses when she spotted something shiny around her former Principal’s neck. “Is that…?”

“Come on Twilight.” Sunset urged her forward. Taking the chance they rushed towards the door where she struggled with the knob.

“Ugh… figures. It’s lock.” But to Twilight’s surprise, Sunset took point on that. “Uh… what are you doing?”

“Picking out the lock.” She answered pulling out a hair pin from her pocket and using it like some post-apocalyptic adventurer. “I did it once when I broke into the Fashion Boutique to change Rarity’s window display.”

“Uh huh.” Twilight cocked a brow. “Should I be worried that my best friend from the other world knows how to pick locks?”

“Hey, I was a very different person back then.” She reasoned. “This world was far different from where I came from, ok? I needed a skillset to survive around here. Without my usual magic I couldn’t do most of the stuff like I did back home. And speaking of which, pfft. What a joke. This is a Ruther three spring lock-set. These things are pretty much antiques. The door to the school library is twice as tough as this.”

“And your uncouth gloating isn’t exactly filling me with assurance.” Twilight swallowed those questions away when the door opened moments later.

It was a simple office with a desk, computer, a few shelves and a reading light. For some reason this place actually reminded her of the Principal’s office back in Crystal Prep. It was dark, cold and with only a single headlamp dangling from on top. One might even say that it was an exact replica. Heck she even had a fresh pot of coffee at the ready and several of her diplomas hanging on the wall. If she didn’t know better a rough guess would say she was still clinging to her old position back in her old school.

There was a vent on the side though, perhaps big enough for people to squeeze into.

“Anything?”

Twilight checked her scanners again but tilted her head when she saw the dial spinning wildly. “No doubt about it. We’re definitely at the epicenter of where the spell originated from. Quick. Look for anything out of place. Something strange or magical in nature.”

“No need to look far.” Adagio announced pulling out a strange purple seashell-like object from the drawer of the computer table. “Found it. This thing was practically humming with magic.”

“This thing?” Sunset snatched it eyeing the strange object eyeing it carefully. “Wait… I feel like I’ve seen this thing before. Somewhere. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“I can.” Twilight declared, grabbing the seashell. Her eyes flared solemnly as she clutched it tightly within her palms. “Because I was the one who made it.”

Money is Magic

Chapter 14: Money is Magic

(Museum of Natural History)

“You… made that?” Sunset questioned when she finally came to her senses. Twilight cradled the strange object in her hands watching it with a hint of nostalgia. “But… how? When?”

“Remember that old magic tracker I made when we first met during the Friendship Games? The one that sucked out your magic?”

Realization dawned on the girl when she cast her sight back on the shell. Of course. No wonder it looked so familiar. That thing was practically the cause of all their troubles back during the games. It even caused some serious harm too.

“Oh right. I remember now.” She nodded back before she threw in a puzzled expression. “Wait… wasn’t that thing destroyed when you turned into Midnight Sparkle? We all saw it blew up.”

“I know. But there’s no mistaking it. This is definitely mine. It even has my initials written on the bottom.” She showed the two letters printed at the side. “But that can’t be right. I only made one of these prototypes. That could only mean someone must’ve brought the pieces together and fixed it.”

“My money’s on the old lady.” Adagio chipped in to which Sunset readily agreed.

“I hate to admit it but it seems like you were right Sunset. All the evidence points to her.”

“But how did she repair the tracker?” The former unicorn inquired. “I mean… I know she’s smart and all but I doubt that Cinch has a P.H.D in magic.”

“No doubt she stole the design plans from me.” Twilight deduced much to her friend’s confusion. “Right when I transferred to CHS I noticed some of my personal belongings went missing from Crystal Prep. Nothing important. Just a few trinkets and outdated research notes. I thought they were just misplaced. I never really thought of them since then. But looking back at it now I’m think Professor Cinch might’ve taken them. That data drive I saw her wearing is definitely one of mine. It contained some of my theorems and magic energy research.”

“Knowledge of magic, power, motive and theft? This woman is beyond guilty at this point. So what do we do?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” The Siren ruffed back in a battle tone. “We take her down. I say we ambush her right here. She won’t even see us coming.”

“No.” Thankfully Twilight came in with the voice of reason. “We can’t confront her. Not until we know the full scope of her powers… or what her plans are. We should discuss this with the others and come up with a strategy. If Cinch used the magic in this tracker, a big bet would say she summoned that shadow monster again. We’re in no position to fight her, especially with the sun going down.”

“I’m with you on that.” Sunset agreed. “Besides, if we start a fight here we’ll be damaging countless priceless artifacts. And yes… present company included.” Adagio rolled her eyes in response. “Now let’s get out of here. We wouldn’t want to overstay our… wel…” She froze when she heard a familiar voice coming from outside.

“Wait one moment. I forgot something in my office. Just put the armor set over there and arrange them in age-order.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Oh no! It’s Cinch!” The redhead whispered in panic.

“What do we do!?”

The knob fiddled as the woman groaned on the other end.

“Ugh. Stupid antique locks. All the money we made from the fundraising and Sombra can’t even afford to improve security around here.”

“She’s coming in!”

A few seconds later, the door burst open.

…

“Hmm?” Cinch raised a brow as she scanned her office, her body shivered from the draft that came through. “Hmph. I’ll have to add better ventilation to the budget.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Adagio gasped for air when she punched the vent, dropping out of the pipeline and into the pile of trash below along with the two idiots that came along. It was a simple idea, a trifle one, maybe even cliché. But it worked. They were lucky that the vents inside weren’t shielded. No doubt a side effect of construction. If they were, they’d been caught in seconds. And who knows what that old lady would’ve done to them?

Still… they were able to get away safely and without anyone knowing.

Who knew that all those spy movies that Aria watched would actually be useful?

“It’s clear.”

“Phew. That… that was close.” The nerd girl plopped out of the trash, grateful that they weren’t caught but also disgusted about that banana peel on her head. Getting caught there wouldn’t only be bad for her but it would also be the most awkward reunion with her former Principal. “A few more seconds and we would’ve been caught. You ok Sunset?”

“Are you kidding? That. Was. AWESOME!” Sunset boomed excitedly when she got her head out of the trash bin. “I’ve always wanted to go through the air vents like those spies in the movies! That was totally exhilarating! I can’t wait to tell Pinkie Pie about this! She’s gonna be so jealous! Sure it might not be as glamorous with the trash and all but hey… we totally snuck in and out of that place like real secret agents! You think next time we could bring a few gadgets? Like like… a suction cup gloves, or jet packs or or or or or that surveillance camera drone? No wait! Grappling hooks~”

“Sunset? Hello?” Twilight waved her hand in front of her delusional friend. “Sunset! Shadow monster? Cinch? Magical chaos?”

“Ah… right right. Sorry. Just got caught in the mood for a second there. But you gotta admit that was super fun.” They glanced up to the sky noting the disappearing sunlight. “We should probably also head home before this place turns into the wolf’s hunting ground. Catch up with you tomorrow?”

She nodded back holding the old tracker in hand. “Absolutely. Now that I got this baby, I can probably figure out what Cinch is planning.”

“Wait what!?” Adagio burst. “You took that thing with you!? What were you thinking!?”

“Uh… I was thinking that I didn’t want to leave such a dangerous device in the hands of someone like Cinch.”

“Are you serious!? Don’t you know what you just did? The moment she finds that thing missing from her room she’ll know that someone broke into her office! She’ll be even more on guard now when she realizes that her precious thingamabob was stolen.”

Ah… right. That actually sounded pretty logical.

“W… well… technically we didn’t steal. This thing was mine to begin with so we only committed one infraction. And no one got hurt.”

“Not yet.”

“Ok ok. Enough Adagio.” Sunset raised her hand up to stop her. “There were a few bumps along this mission but at least now we know who’s behind these attacks. That’s better that we hoped for.”

“Hey. Did you hear something?” A guard-like voice from the alley spoke. Cones of light dangled closely. “It came from over there.”

“And that’s our cue. Go go GO!”

(Town Hall)

The Town Hall of the City was about the same as Celestia remembered it when she visited it a few years back. It was still the center of governance here in Canterlot City and where many representatives from various districts come to complain and whine about their needs and such. Today however it seems like this place has been converted to accommodate a small gathering.

And Sombra wasn’t kidding when he said that this party would include a lot of important people. You can’t take two steps around here without bumping onto a celebrity or a senator… or maybe even both at the same time. This was practically a prime hotspot for politicians to mingle with one another. If you look close enough, you’ll see folks here give half-baked promises, alluring smiles, shake hands one moment and cross their fingers with the other. Heck, some of them might even be arranging marriages already.

“Care to share a drink, Principal Celestia?” A familiar figure approached her with a cocktail in hand.

“Ms. Mayor.” She greeted back with a smile. “I’d be honored.”

The slightly older woman took her place by the Principal’s side eyeing the folks at the party. Her hair was graying out but her figure was still as slender, honed through years of discipline and hard work. She wore these sophisticated glasses and a green scarf that complimented her dress suit.

“A wonderful party you have here.”

“Thank you dear. But I’m afraid it may be the last one I’ll be hosting in the town hall. Elections are coming next year and the competition is quite… strong.”

“Oh don’t be so dramatic, mayor. You’ve handled tougher opponents before and came out on top for three terms now. I’m sure you can deal with whatever comes your way.”

“I’ve dealt with politicians, celebrities and other ambitious people before.” The mayor agreed. “But I seriously doubt I’ll be able to match your date.” She pointed her gray hair over to Sombra who was surrounded by several high-class looking folk and impressively darting his head around dangling 9 separate conversations without pause.

So it was true.

Celestia heard the rumors about Sombra running for mayor. Using his nearly limitless finances and connections across the world, he was able to build a power base throughout the city, securing a comfortable position in the race.

“He really is running for mayor then.”

The lady beside her nodded. “Yup. He’s barely been back for a month and already he’s making waves. That kind of power doesn’t just come up without effort. I mean… look over there.” She pointed to the long bearded man who dressed like a noble from a foreign nation. “See that man over there having a hearty talk with Sombra? That’s the ambassador from Shire Lanka. He flew in all the way here just to visit him. Not the City, not me – Him.”

“That… is amazing.” Having dignitaries come and visit you from far away does make for a great influence.

“You bet it is. I can hardly get my secretary out of bed to get her to work.” The Mayor sighed. “Well I suppose it was nice while it lasted. I guess running for more than a decade should be good enough for my legacy. But don’t go thinking I’ll be going without a fight. If Sombra wants my chair, I’ll be sure to fight him tooth and nail for it.”

“I’m certain he won’t pull any punches.”

(Sunday) (Morning) (Movie house)

“Oh dear oh dear oh dear!” Fluttershy sprinted across the street as she tried to fix her bedhead. She frantically looked between the road and her watch like a very peculiar rabbit that was late. “Of all the days to oversleep. I knew I was forgetting something!” She quickened her pace again but immediately came to a stop when the stop light turned red. The animal lover began to panic and trotted over the concrete floor ignoring the multiple stares she was getting from the pedestrians. “Come on, come on, come on, come on! I’m going to be late!”

Thankfully the signal was quick and she hastily took advantage when it turned green. Once she was on the other side, she spotted her mark just a quick jog away. His blue hair was easily picked out in amongst the crowd. She cooled her jets and eased her pace feeling a hint of relief spreading in her heart.

The boy spotted her back and waved, beckoning her to approach. “Hey Fluttershy.” He greeted, taking note of her panting breath. “What happened to you? You look exhausted.”

“No… parking… at… the parking lot.” She said between pants before her breath finally caught up. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that I forgot to set up my alarm last night. I don’t really do much on Sundays. Am I… too late?”

“Not at all.” Flash smiled. “We got a good 15 minutes before the next show.” He gestured her over to his side. “How are things back at the pet store? Is everything ok?”

“Well, the pets won’t be getting adopted while they’re sick. But at least the worst is over. Ms. Cureall is busy replacing all the old food stock we had to throw out so I’m helping out whenever I can.”

“That’s a relief.” He sighed. “Those animals at the store are lucky to have you.”

“Oh please. You’re too kind. I’m just happy to be around animals.” The soft talking girl replied giggling cutely. “We should… probably get our tickets before they sell out.” But just as they approach the ticket booth, the two of them quickly realized the customer at the front. “Rainbow Dash? Is that you?”

The athlete panicked at her voice and dropped to a stance. “Oh! F… Fluttershy. Flash. Wh… what are you two doing here?”

“I invited Flash to watch a movie with me. Are you here to watch the new Daring Do movie too?” What is she talking about? Of course she is! Why else would she be here?

Rainbow blinked… and then laughed awkwardly. “Ahehe… y… yeah. You know me. Always first in line for all her shows. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Hehehe.”

But then the worker at the ticket booth appeared facing them. “Sorry Rainbow Dash. But I’m afraid we’re no longer showing Fangshire 3. The last one was yesterday.”

Fangshire 3? Fluttershy recognized the title. It was the third installment of an old classical love story between two ancient rivals and a girl who was caught in the middle of the war.

Rainbow’s face froze as she refused to make eye contact with the ticket man. “Ah… pfft. I aheh… I’m don’t know what you’re talking about, good… sir. I’m pretty sure I was asking for the next screening of Daring Do and the Terracotta Army.” The boy in the booth cocked a confused look as she leaned in to whisper. “Seriously?! But the posters said that they’ll be on all weekend! There has to be one left!”

“I’m sorry Dash. But I checked all our screening and the screening of the other theaters. None of them will be showing Fangshire 3. That movie barely pulled in any customers at all. That’s why they decided to pull the plug early to make more room for the new Daring Do flick.”

“Oh come on! Can’t you make an exception for me just this once? Please? I’ve been a loyal customer since I was in the ninth grade! I’m begging you here!”

“Sorry Rainbow. But that’s out of my hands.” He shook his head much to her dejection. “I can offer you and your friends a discount on the new Daring Do movie though.”

Rainbow slumped down in disappointment. You’d think that a ticket to the new Daring Do movie would make her grin from ear to ear.

“Fangshire?” Flash spoke. “Isn’t that the lame love story they made years ago?”

“Fangshire is not lame! It’s a classic!” She bolted to his face threatening it with her finger. “People these days have no appreciation for a good story! It’s not just some love story. It’s a true love story with awesome action sequences. It only got bad reviews because the critics couldn’t see the gem hidden inside! So don’t diss it until you see it!”

Fluttershy nodded. “I agree. The love between the three main characters is so believable. Claire was so brave despite everything that happened to her.”

“I know right!?” Rainbow agreed, quickly changing her tune. “She’s a damsel but she’s the kind of damsel who can kick butt and take names! You could even say that she was the inspiration of Daring Do.”

“And it was so romantic when she finally picked the love she…” She paused when Rainbow’s hand pressed her mouth.

“Dude! Don’t spoil it! I haven’t gotten that far yet! That’s the whole reason why I’m here! To watch the last of the trilogy!”

“Wait…” Flash finally put the pieces together. “So you’re a fan of Fangshire?”

The sports maniac flinched. She opted to rebuke it again but figured that the cat was already out of the metaphorical bag. “Ugh… fine. Yes I’m a big fan of Fangshire. I watched all the movies including the spin-off and the duology books. All except the third and final movie!” She directed that last part to the ticket boy who cowered behind his booth. “There, ya happy? Go ahead and mock me.”

Aww… she looked so adorable when she pouts.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed about liking something Rainbow Dash. Though I’m actually surprised you actually liked the movie. I never would’ve imagined you would be into something so… sweet?”

“I didn’t.” She groaned. “It’s just something my parents forced me to watch on our movie night. It was years ago and I’ve never even heard of that movie until then. I thought of it to be nothing more than some ordinary vampire movie. But I was wrong and it turned out to be something way better! It had everything: Story, awesome battles, action! That was way better than two Daring Do movies combine!” Those were some big praises especially when it came Rainbow. “And don’t even get me started on the love-triangle! Like Count Vladcula and his eternal love for Claire or her friend Wilhelm, who turned out he was a werewolf this whole time. I got so invested into the story that I followed the whole thing. Then I found out that they were re-showing the last installment of the movie this weekend! But… they pulled it out.”

“Oh that is unfortunate.”

“And who knows when they’ll put it back again, if ever!? I’ve been keeping myself from reading and listening to every spoiler on the internet! I was waiting for this moment! I just… really thought I can finally see the ending.”

“Oh don’t be sad Rainbow.” Fluttershy tried to cheer her up. “I’m sure they’ll show it again. If not we can find a copy of it in the video store.”

Again the athlete slumped. “I already tried that. But the studio that made the movie went under. They never had the chance to make copies of it.” She sobbed. “Ugh… I would do anything to watch it! Anything at all! But I guess that’s not gonna happen now.”

“Not necessarily.” Flash added having an idea pop in. “You two wait right here. I need to make a call.” He rushed out to the side of the road, pulling out his phone and dialing his favorite number. “Edmund, it’s me.”

“Ah Master Flash. How may I be of assistance?”

“You mind checking the record room for me? I’m looking for a certain movie, Fangshire 3. The last of the trilogy.”

“Fangshire. Hmmm… yes one moment.” The sound of ruffling items could be heard in the background. “Ah yes. Here we are. Fangshire 3: Wilhelm’s Rebellion. Starring Ms. Flour. I believe it was one of Master Sombra’s favorite. It appears to be in decent condition. No scratches noteworthy.”

“Can you set it up for me?”

“Absolutely. It will be done.”

“Great. Oh and mind sending the driver to pick me up? I’m bringing some friends over.”

“He’s already there, sir.”

And to his truth a car suddenly pulled over, rolling its window to reveal his dad’s chauffeur. “You’re the best Edmund.”

“Always a pleasure, Master Flash.”

Hanging up his phone, the boy turned over to his friends who eyed him curiously. “Fluttershy. You mind if we make some changes on our plans today?”

“Umm… sure? What did you have in mind?”

A surprise…

(Twilight’s house)

Sunset considered herself a smart girl. Even though the math and sciences of this world were light years ahead of Equestria she grasped them pretty easily. But compared to Twilight she may as well be mundane.

How that girl can combine magic and technology together in such short notice is a mystery on its own. But she can’t deny that it brought in some progress. Heck with everything she’s done so far, she could probably earn herself a Nobel Prize – whatever that was.

From what the redhead can tell from a glance it looked like Twilight had been busy constructing… or deconstructing her old tracking device using all of her technological gizmos to take it apart and put it back together. She was so enraptured by it that it looked as if she totally forgot that Sunset was even here.

“Should I…?”

“Please do.” Spike pleaded. “She’s been on that thing since last night.”

Well if her dog commands it, who was she to say no? “Uh… Twilight. You know when I said that we should come up with a plan together? That usually means… the two of us.”

The nerd gal jolt up from her work, grinning. “Huh? Oh right. Sorry. I’ve just been so busy working on this thing. Cinch really did a number on this tracker. She even added some kind of extra function but I can’t, for all intent and purposes, figure out what it does. But she was definitely using this to harness raw forms of magic. She must’ve used it on the Chalice of Wishes at one point to draw power from that artifact.”

“That would explain where she got so much magic.”

“Yes. But the good news is that I think I found a way to stop her!”

“You did?” She tilted her head sideway. “How?”

“When I brought my old tracker back to my lab, I had a flash of inspiration. Remember how this device used to track and drain Equestrian magic during the Friendship Games?”

“And put all of us in life threatening situations and turned you into Midnight Sparkle?” She reminded earning herself a cute glare. “Not exactly easy to forget.”

“Anyway~~ I’m planning to replicate that effect!”

Wait… what?

“Whoa hold on. You say what now? Don’t you remember how dangerous that was!?”

But Twilight brushed her hand off. “Oh relax. I tweaked out all the problems and made some adjustments. I reconfigured the systems to trap magic in its purest form. It won’t have any effect on the wolf monster seeing that it’s already a completed spell. But if Cinch has any more of her magic lying around, we can suck it out of her without lifting a finger.”

Wow… that actually sounded… better than what she imagined. While Sunset had some reservations about that thing, she can see the benefit of it. If they had that kind of weapon by their side, Cinch wouldn’t stand a chance. Once they defeat her shadow wolf creature, she won’t have anything else. She’ll have to surrender to them.

“That’s… actually pretty good.” She admitted hesitantly. “But wouldn’t all that magic cause the device to go haywire? What happens when you lose control?”

“I won’t. I told you I tweaked out all the problems. After taking a look at my geode, I only needed to improve the spectrometer and added secondary shielding to complete the air-tight sealing. Once the magic goes in here… they don’t come out unless I want it to. And once we contain all that magic from Professor Cinch, we can put it somewhere where it won’t do any harm and let it disappear naturally.” She held the seashell-object forward presenting it like a prize. “I call it… the Magic Trap!” She paused for effect. “You know? Because… it traps magic?”

“Why don’t you leave the jokes to Pinkie Pie?” Sunset offered. “But I gotta admit. I can’t believe I’m saying this but that’s actually a good idea Vice President, Twilight.”

She returned a graceful bow. Probably something she practiced when she would accept her Nobel Prize. “Thank you. I was sure you’d approve. Now we just need to test it out.” Her eye darted to her best friend. “I don’t suppose you’re willing to be a test subject.”

Sunset frowned but sadly accepted. “I suppose if anyone’s gonna get their magic zapped out of them, it might as well be me. What do you want me to do?”

“Just stand right there and do nothing.” Without warning Twilight opened the old device and pointed it at her. It hummed to life for a few seconds before emanating a soft light. Sunset then felt something slowly draining out of her. A red hue of sort. The pure essence of Equestrian Magic slipping from her body. Her eyes grew heavy while her mind became light. Seeing this, Twilight quickly closed the device. “So? How do you feel?”

“Ugh… weak. Just like last time. Can’t… really… focus.”

Twilight panicked. “I must’ve taken too much. Sorry. Here… let me give it back.” After a few button press the device hummed again and reversed the effect. The magic that was taken flowed back with a strange vibe. “How’s that?”

“Not… good. Feeling… sick.” She grumbled, her hand reaching out to the table to keep herself balanced. “I guess we can say that was a successful test. I’m… just gonna lie down over here for… a minute.”

“Ooh… yeah you do that. Looks like Adagio might be right. Our bodies really can’t handle that much magic all at once. Want me to get you anything?”

“Juice…” Sunset replied weakly waving one finger up from Spike’s pillow. “And… a sandwich. Preferably… jam.”

“Coming right up!”

The moment she dashed to the kitchen, Spike suddenly felt a strange shift in the air. He looked around, noting something wrong with Sunset’s shadow. It looked… as if it was taking a different shape. Did it just… snarl at him?

Huh… maybe he was hungry too.

(Flash’s home)

Rainbow Dash had seen giant mansions before. They were a dime a dozen here in Uptown. Overly compensating houses that were made for the rich and famous... or the famously rich. All of them had their own unique style. Some had fancy rooftops, others with privacy walls, large gardens, a menagerie of their own, even a miniature racing ring and Rainbow swore that she even saw one with a giant chess board with a full complimentary life size pieces.

But alas… all of those paled in comparison to the one they arrived. The car they rode in drove passed a large obsidian gate. The road encircled around a giant fountain which was also then surrounded by a magnificently decorated garden with enough flowers to make even Wallflower Blush blush.

And the house itself was three stories tall, made of equal part bricks and cement. It was so huge that it might as well encompass 1/3 of CHS. And… was that an outdoor pool over by the side? Ok, forget it. This house takes the cake! She was so enamored by the whole thing she didn’t even realize that they were already out of the car until now.

“My goodness Flash.” Fluttershy gasped, finally breaking out of her zone. “You live here? It’s so big”

He shrugged. “Eh… I wouldn’t really say ‘live’ here exactly. But… yeah I totally live here.”

Ok. Be cool Rainbow. You don’t need to act surprise. Just be cool. You’re the coolest cat of Canterlot. Something like this shouldn’t impress you. You’ve gone through Equestria and back. Seen ponies and a dragon hatchling who live in a castle made out of crystals. You can do this.

“This place is huge!” Rainbow Dash burst out, covering her mouth the next second in barely restrained excitement. “I mean look at this place! You can fit everyone in school here and you’d still have room to dance!”

“It’s… not that big.” Flash blushed. “We only got like 20 or 25 rooms give or take.”

Fluttershy took stock of the walls and turned to the garage door where she caught a glimpse of the super fancy cars all parked neatly in a row. They all looked well maintained and well designed that even Rarity might grow jealous. “Wow… how does your family afford all of this?”

“My dad invests in a lot of stock.” That was his quick and precise explanation.

Mental note. Find out what stocks are and how to invest.

“Now come on. We don’t want to miss the movie. Not that we can. But you never know.”

They entered through the finely crafted door and gasped again. The two girls were greeted by a multitude of furniture ranging from crystalline chandelier to brush painted portraits and carpets thicker than their own winter attires. And the floor! The floor was so clean you can probably eat off it without fear of germs.

Rainbow Dash was now convinced. Flash was loaded. Like… Scrooge-kind of loaded. Like the kind who would dive into a bin full of gold coins and have no fear of breaking every bone in his body.

“Master Flash.” A man in servant’s attire came to greet them with a gentle bow. “Welcome back sir. Everything has been prepared as you requested.”

“Thanks Edmund.” The boy nodded. “Oh Fluttershy, Raindow Dash. I’d like you to meet Edmund. He’s my family’s butler.”

“Charmed.”

You have your own butler!? Rainbow restrained herself from shouting. Just barely. Her eye began to twitch.

“Please, madams. This way to the record room.” Edmund bowed gracefully as he led them all to one of the hallways where they were greeted with even more portraits and furniture. Despite its heavy hue, this house looked as if it was made of glass. Everything here looked like they were worth millions. Even that simple vase over there looked fragile and gaudy to the touch. One wrong move and one simple bump and you’ll working the rest of your life just to pay it back.

“Wow… this place is so… huge.” Fluttershy stated. “How do you find your way around here?”

“Oh you get used to it… eventually.” Flash waved it off. “Believe me, I got lost in here so many times just looking for the bathroom.”

Surprisingly enough Rainbow believed it. But she quickly snapped out of it. “So what kind of treatment are you getting us? An outdoor screening? A giant flat screen TV?” She asked with a wink.

“Eh… something like that.” Oh please. Don’t insult her. After what she saw from the entrance alone, nothing could possibly surprise her at this poi…

“Here we are, sir, madam.” The butler opened up a large door revealing a red room which made her jaw drop.

It was a theater – or… at least something akin to a theater. There were seats rows, red curtains, and even lights that dimmed to set the mood.

Her head exploded. “YOU HAVE YOUR OWN MOVIE THEATER!!!!!?” Forget being cool, forget being chill! This place was awesome!

“We actually just call it a record room. But yeah it is a theater.” He said that so casually that it hurt just hearing it. How did they no one ever mention that he was this rich!?

They were quickly ushered in to the center seat where they had plenty of leg room to go by. Fluttershy looked around but felt strangely comfortable, mostly because there weren’t a lot of people around. She must’ve expected a few other servants nearby like maids or maybe even a cake butler.

Rainbow Dash on the other hand was ecstatic. She glanced around and pinched herself wondering if she was just dreaming.

Ok calm down. This place might’ve taken you by surprise. But you can still play it cool. No need to be so gullible or naïve.

She coughed into her hand clearing her surprised face. “Ok ok. I’ll admit. This is pretty all awesome. But it would 20% cooler if we have drinks and popcorn.”

“Salted butter or caramel?” She ate those words instantly when the butler returned with a trolley of snacks making her hyperventilate like Twilight. There was even a popcorn popper bursting on top. “And for you Madam Shy?”

Fluttershy’s eyes sparkled. “Oooh. You wouldn’t happen to have ginseng tea, would you?” Edmund responded with a flamboyant tea set and poured her a cup. The aroma alone was alluring. “Oh my. It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what to say anymore. Her mind was fried. Everything she’d seen so far looked like something out of a fairy tale. It might not be magical but the effects were definitely the same. The mysterious carriage that appeared out of nowhere, the journey to the beautiful palace and all-powerful fairy-god-mother (Butler) who can do anything!? All they needed now was a song and dance and she’ll be running out of there screaming ‘Nothing makes sense anymore!!!!!’. She clung onto the large soda drink and the two popcorn buckets fearing that they might disappear along with her dream.

Thankfully the room dimmed so as to hide her panicked huffs. The curtains rose revealing a screen and an old styled projector on top.

The movie she dreamt of watching came in a few seconds later.

…

“Oh my god! That was… AMAZING!” Rainbow Dash burst out the door with a smile plastered all over her face. The movie had ended on a high note leaving the girl in a state of absolute euphoria. She was practically ready to run around the mansion screaming. “I can’t believe Claire actually decided to stay with Count Vladcula! I really thought for a moment there she would stay by Wilhelm’s side, but no! She found true love with the immortal vampire!”

“Ahuh…” She failed to notice her two friends grinning at her childlike attitude.

“And that battle sequence! Two sides duking it out in front of the red moon. And just when things were gonna get bad, Claire comes in and wins the day! I always thought that girls like her would go for the strong athletic type. But nope! She went for him! Isn’t that super romantic!?”

“Absolutely.” Fluttershy gave a complimentary nod.

Flash also agreed. “Well to be fair, Vladcula did die for her like…… four times in that movie.” Nine if you include the first two of the trilogy but Rainbow wasn’t gonna mention that.

“Pfft! And he’s way cuter and stronger than that Werewolf. I mean… muscles and fur are cool and all, but they’re nothing compared to the dark, emotional insecurity of a vampire. Why I wouldn’t mind letting Rarity put mascara on me just to look like Claire.” She paused. “Please don’t tell Rarity I said that.”

“My lips are sealed.” Fluttershy gave a mouth zipped gesture.

“Speaking of which…” Flash opted. “You guys wanna stay for lunch?”

“Absolutely!”

“Oh no.” Fluttershy interjected. “We wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Come on Fluttershy! How often do you get to eat at a place like this? Don’t you want to at least experience it?”

“Rainbow Dash.” She scolded back politely. “We shouldn’t impose ourselves. Flash was already kind enough to let us watch in his home theater. We really shouldn’t overstay our welc…”

“If you want, we can have it in the aviary.”

Fluttershy froze, snapping her head back at him. “You… have an aviary?”

xxxxxxxxxx

He had an aviary.

Or to be more precise, his family had an aviary. And no it wasn’t like those small boxes Fluttershy often see in zoos or animal shelters. Those were just miniature prisons in her eyes. This aviary was ten times… no… correction – it was a hundred if not a thousand times bigger than those she saw. It was a hot dang sanctuary for all feathered folks!

The whole dome itself was built around a large ancient tree that towered at the back of the mansion. A multitude of birdhouses were hung across each and every tree branch acting like some kind of hotel for birds. Four open sections ventilated all the smell, allowing the cool winter breeze to whistle their way in. A few birdbaths also dotted the area giving a place where these folks could wash themselves. A single gazebo acted as their primary hangout with a wide picnic table for them to use.

A single large pond sat at the edge of the aviary and acted as a home to several families of ducks who seemed to have migrated in for the season. Flash said that there would also be flamingos around here but it seems like they decided to move on. It was disappointing but seeing all of this alone was more than enough to make up for it. By the time lunch rolled in, Fluttershy was practically giggling childishly, surrounded by her feathery friends.

“So what happened to not imposing ourselves?” Rainbow asked with a knowing grin.

The animal lover simply shrugged back feigning ignorance. “Well… I suppose we can stay for another hour or so. Isn’t that right little fella?” The birds on her arm chirped happily in agreement. “Oh yes you are. Yes you are.”

Flash couldn’t help but laugh.

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

Luna awoke to the smell of something good. It stirred her from her bed, beckoning her to come out of her room. She tried to resist it, but it tickled her funny tummy and by then, she had surrendered to it. The dark sky haired woman yawned and slumped out of the comfort of her blanket, feeling the winter chill breezing through her window. Perhaps it was high time to change into her winter attire before the first snow fell.

Putting on her squeaky slippers she followed the smell into the kitchen where she was surprised to find her sister cooking something.

“Good afternoon Luna.” She greeted with a coy smirk. “Doing your Sunday routine, I take it?”

Luna yawned again taking a seat by the table. “You know I’m never a morning person, sister.”

“Staying up late is never good for you.”

“Speak for yourself.” She grinned mischievously back at her. “I didn’t exactly see you come in last night either. I take it your date went well?”

“It wasn’t a date.” Celestia insisted, though that blush on her face said otherwise. “I was just there for morale support.”

“Ehmm hmm. So what did you two do… exactly… after the pageant show?”

“Oh… nothing noteworthy. Just… some light meal and meeting a few people. I met the mayor again.”

“Ms. Mayor? She still in office?”

“Apparently so. But not for much longer if Sombra has any say in it.”

Luna whistled. “Oooh. So the rumors about him running for office is true.”

“He’s also the most likely candidate to win.”

“My dear sister. Going after politicians now? You really have moved to higher prey. Not exactly the same as those roughnecks we used to ogle over back in school.”

“That was just you, Luna.”

Her sister scoffed. “Oh don’t deny it. Remember the Quarterback you had a massive crush on? What was his name again? Griffon? Gideon?”

“Gael.” Celestia corrected. “And he was the Wide Receiver. The Quarterback was your favorite.”

“Ah… right. He really was dashing with that amazing jawline.” She added dreamily. “But enough about the past. Don’t tell me that little ‘Friendly’ outing of yours didn’t lit any spark.”

“Oh… I wouldn’t say that.”

Aha! She knew it!

“Well? What happened!? Spill girl! Did you at least kiss?”

“Luna! Of course not.”

“Boo! Chicken!”

“I’m just being professional.” She reasoned as she flipped the pancake on the pan. “We’ve only just gotten back together and I don’t want to accelerate things, now that we’re actually talking with one another. I think he and I prefer to take things slow for now. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“You leaving him a second note?” Luna replied with a wide eyed grin.

Author's Note

This is by far my favorite chapter. I enjoyed writing Flash's home scenario. :pinkiehappy:

Between Friendship and Vengeance

Chapter 15: Between Friendship and Vengeance

(Monday) (Afternoon) (Canterlot High) (Band room)

“… and then we got to use his pool! Which is twice the size of what we have here in school!” Twilight dodged Rainbow Dash’s arm as she swung it out trying to express the exaggeration of her story. She and Fluttershy had been regaling them about their amazing adventure in Flash’s house. Rainbow in particular seemed to be the more bombastic of the two spinning the story in such a way that many of them found rather… exaggerated. But surprisingly enough Fluttershy confirmed all of it. “And you guys should’ve seen his garage. His whole basement is a parking lot! He’s got a lineup of all the latest models! It’s like an art gallery… but for cars! He even has these all-terrain-vehicles just gathering dust on the back!”

“Don’t forget the aviary.” Fluttershy added cutely as ever.

“Wow…” Sunset whistled impressively. “Sounds like you guys had a great time over there.”

“Great? It was a blast!” RD made an explosive sound. “Who else do you know has their very own pool? Or a basement full of exotic cars!?”

“Or an aviary.”

“We should definitely a have a party there one day. One big pool party! You guys have to come and see it! It’s got a giant diving board so tall you can practically touch the clouds!”

“And the aviary!”

The girls looked at the two and chuckled. It didn’t take a genius to know that they had the time of their lives in there.

“Speaking of aviaries.” Twilight interrupted turning over to the fashionista and raising an imaginary glass in her honor. “Congratulations to Rarity on her successful sideshow. I heard that you got some kind of… prize?”

“Not so much as a prize but an acceptance, darling.” She casually waved it off while she gleefully squealed. “Hoity Toity of Hoity Toity Trendsetter, was so taken in with one of my designs that he wants to build upon it as an inspiration! He already ordered 10 of them to be made by the end of the week. He’ll even cover all my material cost!”

“That’s wonderful Rarity.”

“Thank you darling. Which is why I’ll need to ask Rainbow Dash to help me with the designs.”

“Me?” Rainbow pointed at herself dumbly. “Why me? I don’t know the first thing about clothes. Pretty much all I can do is look at something and tell you if it’s clothes or not. Like… this chair I’m sitting on?” She pointed at it, looked at it, and then nodded to her friends. “Definitely not clothes.”

“I know darling. But Hoity Toity was absolutely taken by the buttoned blazer you wore and the coat with the extra lovely collar. I’ll need you to model for me so that I can make multiple variants of it. Trust me. You’ll become a star at the end of the week.”

Sunset and the others gave her an applause. “Wow Rarity. That’s…”

“And that’s not even the best part!” It’s not? “I just got word that renowned designer, Hoity Toity, is also planning to build a branch store right here in Canterlot City!”

“Yay!”

“No Pinkie. No yay.” The pinkette deflated like a balloon. “Anyway. He plans to open it at the old Uptown Amphitheater. He’s hosting a show there looking for unknown artists to present their designs!”

“Yay!”

“Not yet darling.”

“Oh come on!”

“And if I make the cut, he’ll put three of us on the hit show, Fashion Firebrand, at the Grand Runway at the Capitol City as his latest discovery. We’ll be presented there as the new upcoming stars. His successors, his protoges! I’ll be famous! Can you believe it? An entire show all for me!?” She paused then, allowing the words to sink in. “You may ‘yay’ now.”

“YAY!” Pinkie brought out her mini-confetti cannon and fired it off.

“Does that mean you’ll be leaving Ms. Hemline?” Sunset inquired, sounding a little intrigue. “You worked at that place for a while now. Don’t you think she’ll feel… unappreciated?”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about her. As you can guess, her designs won over the audience in a landslide during the pageant show. Her Winter Collection at the store are selling over like hotcakes if you can believe that.” Rarity added with a small grin. “And not to mention her agent in the capitol got her a contract for some upcoming gala. Why I wouldn’t be surprised to see her on the front page of this season’s Fabric Fontaine. She’ll hardly notice that I’m gone.”

“Wow Rarity. From small time employee to rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. You’re moving up in the world.”

“I know, darling. Isn’t it exciting!?” She placed her hand over her head in a dramatic fashion. “A small town country girl dreaming of becoming star. She came from nowhere, unheard of, until one day… she appeared on stage and shined brighter than the sun itself! Eeeeep! Yes! These are the kind of stories that inspires greatness! People will be lining up to buy my own autobiography! They might even make a movie about me. Oh and who would star me? J.R. Mewling? Chestnut Magnifico? Spoiled Rich?”

“Actually if you shined brighter than the sun, it would ultimately…”

Applejack placed a hand over Twilight’s mouth, smiling. “Why don’t you let her have this moment, Sugar Cube?”

After a few more minutes of idle chattering, Sunset raised her hand up to call the gang into order.

“Alright guys. While it has been fun, I didn’t call for a Canterlot Magic Investigation Club meeting just for this. There’s something you all need to know.” They hushed up, knowing well that this was a serious talk moment. “During our investigation at the Natural History Museum yesterday, Twilight and I stumbled on something… big.”

…

“Whoa…” Rainbow Dash muttered what everyone thought when Sunset finished her tale. It was hard to believe but seeing the proof they brought with them, they could hardly deny it. No one ever really thought about Cynch since the Friendship Games. “I don’t believe it.”

“Me neither.” Fluttershy agreed. “Poor Ms. Cinch.”

“Ye – wait what? No! Not poor Cinch! Bad Cinch! She’s the bad guy!”

Rarity gasped. “Goodness. I knew that she was quite the meanie back then. But I never imagined she’d hold a grudge against us for what happened. It was her fault to begin with, forcing Twilight to unleash all that magic. A lot of people could’ve gotten hurt.”

“And it looks like she’s using some of Twilight’s research to further her own purposes.” Sunset finished.

“So she’s sending this big bad wolf out there to gather magic?” Applejack deduced questioningly. “But why? What does she need all that magic for?”

“We’re not sure. But it can’t be good.”

“What we do know however that her plans are still months away from completion.” The nerd gal added. “The spell she’s trying to cast requires the Winter Solstice which is in the middle of the Winter Holidays. So we still have plenty of time.”

“But we’re not going to give her the chance.” Sunset said with a determined look on her face. “We’re gonna put a stop to her plans before it even comes up. Vice President Twilight. Would you care to do the honors?”

“With pleasure President Sunset.”

Applejack chuckled at their tone. “You two are really taking this whole club thing seriously, aren’t ya?”

“Of course! We’re an official club now. Each of us here all have our own positions. Sunset and I are President and Vice President respectively. Rarity’s our web designer.”

“We have a website?” Rainbow Dash blinked.

“It’s been on the school website since last week.” Sunset pointed out. “Where’ve you been?”

“Uh… ahehehe…”

“Applejack is naturally our treasurer who handles all the money should we ever start any activity, Fluttershy’s our club secretary…” The girl in question nodded back holding a notepad. “…and Pinkie Pie is our very own Publicity Officer.”

The party girl grinned widely. “Want a poster made out of frosting, flyers made out of macaroni? I’m your girl! Woohoo!”

“That’s awesome! But… wait.” Rainbow noted something amiss. “What about me? Don’t I get a cool position too?”

“Oh…” Twilight opened her mouth and checked her notes. “Well I guess you can be our… Club Historian. You’ll be in charge of all the notes and taking pictures.”

“I can lend you one of my instant cameras if you want.”

RD wasn’t really sure if she should be grateful, annoyed or insulted that Fluttershy suggested to give her last gift back.

“Anyway now that’s settled, let’s discuss our plan: To take down Professor Cinch and stop her once and for all.” Twilight moved over to the blackboard flipping it around to reveal a rather detailed plan of the operation. “As we all know, Professor Cinch has somehow managed to acquire and use Yaztec magic. She’s done it to summon Uta, the shadow wolf from the legends. We don’t know how but we can speculate that she needs an item of sorts to channel that energy. She’ll most likely have it with her at all time. We take it from her, and all the magic she has will be useless.”

“But it’s not going to be easy.” Sunset added. “By now she probably knows we’re coming. She’ll definitely be on her guard. She’ll most likely have a few tricks up her sleeves so we have to be ready for anything. Not to mention she still has that shadow monster on her side. We’ll have to beat it before we can even get close to her. And if what Adagio says is true, that thing can split into smaller versions of itself. We might get outnumbered.”

“Leave them to me.” Rainbow Dash cockily stated. “I’ve taken on bigger monsters before and a giant robot to boot. A few hungry wolves aren’t gonna be a problem.”

“I’m in too.” Applejack agreed much to everyone’s surprise. “I got a bone to pick with that creep. It’s the reason why Big Mac’s lying in the hospital and it tore down my barn. I’ll be more than happy to even the score. So how are we doing this?”

Sunset nodded back continuing the briefing. “I asked Maud to keep watch over Cinch while she works at the museum. From what she’s gathered Cinch works at the museum around the clock coordinating with the other archivists. That place will be crowded with people so having a fight there isn’t an option. However, there is a bright spot. She’s usually the last person to leave the museum after dark. That’ll be our opening.”

“That’s when we Pony-Up and pounce her to the ground before she even knows what hit her!”

“What? Pounce? No!”

Twilight gasped. “Rainbow Dash, how could you? This isn’t an ambush. We are not attacking Cinch.”

“Oh… a…ha. Sorry.” The sports gal blushed. “I got a little emotional there. It’s just that the way you said those things kinda made me assume that we were gonna pounce her. Weren’t we going to stop her from using magic?”

“We are.” Sunset confirmed it. “Just… not with pouncing. You guys have to understand that magic can be a bad influence to ordinary people. Remember Gloriosa, Wallflower Blush or Juniper Montage? When they got their hands on magic it corrupted them, twisted their desires into something… different. This could be the same case. Cinch might not even realize what she’s doing.”

“So what?” Applejack asked. “Are we just gonna walk up to her and ask her nicely to give up her powers?”

“It worked before.” The redhead smiled. “We have to appeal to her humanity. Despite everything we’ve done to her, she deserves a chance to do the right thing. And besides, I believe that violence should always be a last resort. And when it comes to that, I’ll have you guys to back me up.”

“And should the worse come to worse. We’ll use this.” Twilight proudly showed them her newly recreated device. “It’s the Magic Trap. If Cinch tries to use any spells, this thing will drain all the magic she has into this gizmo. And then she’ll be powerless.”

“Just remember to point it in the right direction. That test run we did gave me a splitting headache.”

“Hey that only means it’s working properly.”

“So when are we doing this?” Rainbow inquired.

Sunset turned the group, nodding. “Tonight…” She answered. “We’re doing this all… tonight.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Professor Cinch tapped the final entry on her keyboard that afternoon detailing the financial report of the new wing’s construction. It was a job for her and a front for everything else she did. After all you can’t expect her to go gallivanting around with magic less she drew the attention of more… unsavory characters.

She took a sip out of her coffee mug finding it warm to the touch. It was a welcome taste in this godforsaken weather. While it wasn’t snowing yet, she still felt the chill from the outside. She missed the brew back in her old office in Crystal Prep. The Valiant Black. A rather pricy brand but one that she had grown accustomed to. It was one of the few perks of being the Principal there.

But she stopped on her work when she felt a familiar presence slithering through her window. It came through unopposed, merging itself to her shadow. Silently it leaned over, whispering to her ear, making her smile evilly.

“So the girls want to play?” She removed her glasses, eyes furrowed like daggers as the news was delivered. “Very well then. Let’s prepare a… cold welcoming.” A multitude of slit eyes opened within her shadow, fangs and hungry snarls followed by her malicious laughter.

(CHS soccer field)

Flash grunted as he carefully made his way through his opponents kicking the ball as he went pass their defenses with little resistance. Snips and Snails attempted to outmaneuver him but they ended up stumbling on one another then falling on their backs.

With the path clear and one last obstacle to clear, Flash set the ball up and put all his focus on the kick sending the ball curving around the goalkeeper, slamming against the net with a defining swoosh.

The crowd… or at least some of the students who were watching cheered out. If any of them had banners or foam fingers in hand they’d be waving it too. It was a clean goal and it ended the game in a high note. Some of the boy’s teammates came by and patted him on the back congratulating him on that awesome kick and a fine game before parting ways to get cleaned up. They all worked up quite the sweat.

He opted to join them until his eye caught a familiar figure leaning by tree. Her large puffy hair was hard to miss but judging by the way she kept to herself, one might guess she was probably trying to keep a low profile.

“Hey Flash.” His friend called out. “Me and the guys are gonna grab lunch. You want in?

He waved back declining the offer. “Nah. You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up later.” The boy waited for them to disappear into the school doors before he went to approach the figure. He swiped a soda can from the bleachers where his jacket was, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

“Nice game.” Adagio stated with an amused grin. She was giving off those mixed signals again which confused the heck out of him. “Those losers didn’t stand a chance against you.”

“Uh… thanks. I guess?”

“Never took you as the athletic type. Figured you were just a one-trick pony with those sweets words and that instrument.” If that was a compliment, she was sure to make it sound painful.

“Well… I’m no match for the soccer team but I’d say I’m good enough for a friendly match. It’s all just fun and game.”

“That didn’t seem like the case with those guys.” She darted her eye over a few lingering watchers crowding around a tall, blonde scraggly boy.

“Thank you for your kind patronage.” Zephyr Breeze held back a laugh ignoring his fellow classmates’ sulking sobs as they reluctantly handed over a portion of their lunch money. “Yes yes. Thank you sir. And you as well. Better luck next time folks. Come back whenever you want and don’t be shy either.”

Flash groaned, tracing one hand down his face. Those guys must’ve betted for the other team to win and were now paying for misjudgment… literally. He can’t say that he felt sorry for them but he’d wish that they’d keep that stuff away. It would set a really bad example for the younger kids.

“Their sorrow and misery are quite… delicious.”

“Well… nobody likes to lose.” He popped the soda can open and took a sip.

“True words.”

He chuckled. “So what are you here for Adagio?”

“Why? You sound like you don’t want me around.” Her smile turned to an irritated frown.

“No. It’s not that. It’s just that… you don’t look like the type who’d go anywhere without a reason.”

Again her smile returned, though looking more impressed than annoyed. “Very observant. Did you made that assumption based on something or did you simply guess?”

Both actually, but she didn’t need to know that. “Well you just don’t look like that kind of person who’d waste time doing nothing.”

“So both then?” She assumed correctly earning an irritated growl from him to which she smiled back at. “Don’t be mad. I can’t help it, seeing how you’re like an open book. Your face practically gives everything away. You’re a lot of things, boy, but a good ‘liar’ isn’t one of them.”

“And you would know?” He countered back sounding confident and cocky only to pause when he remembered who he was talking to. She grinned menacingly back like a cheetah. “Ok that was a bad comeback. Let me try another.”

“You got presence Flash. But presence alone isn’t gonna cut it if you don’t have control.” She tapped him on the shoulder, cupping his chin in one hand. “The moment you lose control, you lose the fight. You have to keep your face in check. Try smiling more.”

“Smiling?”

“It gives the impression of control in any situation.” She explained with a wink giving him a prime example with that smug grin on her face. “Even when you have no tricks left up your sleeves, even when everything looks hopeless – as long as you have that smile on your face, you’ll always make the other guy doubt their actions.”

“Like a poker face?”

Adagio released his head and nodded. “A good example but you’re going to need something a bit more… believable. It has to look natural. Practice it in front of a mirror or something.”

“Yeah I don’t think I can just smile on command.”

“You’ll have to if you don’t people like me reading you like an open book.” Her smiled grew even more diabolical. “So come on, lover boy. Give me your winning smile.”

Flash wasn’t sure where she was going with this or what kind of game she was playing with him. But if she was right then he certainly use a lesson in lying. It wasn’t exactly the best trait to have but he decided to comply either way. With a slow nod he loosened his cheeks and smiled – a little too widely with teeth and gums showing. “Hhhowes gish?”

It was obviously fake and painfully forced. Painful enough that even she felt it. Adagio patted his cheeks sighing. “Now you’re just trying too hard.”

“Ugh… please don’t tell me this is another one of your ‘advices’. I can still feel that last one you gave me on my back.”

“Then it’s working.” She laughed. “Pain is a good reminder and an even better teacher. It becomes a lesson you don’t easily forget. I should know. I have plenty of them to remind me of all the mistakes I made in my life.”

“Sounds like a rough life.”

“It was, considering that I’m a creature that feeds off the negative energy of others.” The Siren approached him, dragging one finger around his cheek as if she was trying to lure him to a trance. And there was little point in trying either. He had no defense. Not like those girls he hangs out with. “But we can trade history another time. To answer your previous question. You were right before. I did come here for a reason.” His eyes shot up at attention. “I thought you’d be interested to know what your ‘friends’ will be doing tonight.” She swiped the soda can from his hand and took a deep gulp in.

(Principal’s office)

Ah… it’s good to be back. The same plain old office, same plain old desk, same plain old paperwork and the same plain old coffee pot. After a week of visiting Crystal Prep, Celestia can finally sit on her own throne and worry about the normal things in school life rather than all those awkward conversations with Sombra. No more speeches or annoying meetings or high class parties. Now it was back to overdo paperwork and assignment charts.

“Welcome back, Principal Celestia.” The lady greeted raising a pot in hand. “Coffee?”

“It’s good to be back. And why yes I would. Thank you Vice-Principal Luna.” She returned to her chair, noting the seat lowered. No doubt her sister did something to the adjustment. “I take it everything is in order while I was away?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a few things that I need you to sign.” Luna placed a folder on the table with a nice hot mug of coffee beside it. “Our cafeteria lady wants to restock the condiments before the New Year. Salt, spice and everything else. I approved it of course. Having the kitchen stocked for the next semester will be one thing off the list.”

“Good good. What else?”

“The new order of books for the library. Ms. Cheerilee noticed that many of our stocks are rather outdated and wants them replaced with newer volumes. I also approved that one. Naturally of course. I even picked out the supplier who offered a good deal for delivery.”

“Hmm… not bad. Sounds like you had everything under control. I hope you didn’t let all that authority get to your head.”

Luna shrugged. “Well it was fun being the boss for a change around here. I did enjoy the power. Speaking of which, some of the students have been requesting that we use the gymnasium to hold a Winter Holiday party. Some of the teachers have also agreed and I have the signatures from almost all of them right here.” She placed a sheet of paper on the table.

“Hmm… a party for the end of the semester? That doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll ask Leo if he would work on the day after to clean up the gym afterward.” She gave the approval stamp on the paper. “So long as the party is tame. We’ll need to have someone chaperone the whole thing.”

“I… Luna, Vice Principal of Canterlot High, humbly accept the responsibility of that position.” She raised her hand up while the other placed on her chest like she was swearing an oath.

Celestia simply threw her a knowing grin. “You’re not planning to pull another stunt like what you did back at the last party, are you?”

Luna looked away feigning ignorance. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Really? Because if my memory is correct, Granny Smith reported several cases of cider and root beer missing from the welcoming party during the Friendship Games.”

Luna clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Tsk tsk tsk. Students these days will do anything for a free drink. Some of them really have no respect for the games at all.”

“And Doodles stated that a few canned peaches from the canned food drive mysteriously vanished right before delivery. They were all replaced by… beans.”

“Terrible. Just terrible. Swapping delicious treats for bland beans is an insult to the integrity of this school! What diabolical children. Those responsible must be severely punished.” Luna shook her head shedding an imaginary tear. “If only they weren’t so well organized, we would’ve found them by now.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Well… seeing as you’re the one volunteering, I don’t have any valid reason to turn you away.” She paused. “Fine. You can be the chaperone.”

“YES!”

“But keep the party tame. I don’t want to receive any calls regarding over the top noises. I already had two complaints regarding Vinyl’s performance.”

“You can’t blame her. Music is her passion.” Luna reasoned.

“There are times and places for such things. She already got one strike from the local hospital. Two more and they’ll impound her car. And I don’t want that.”

“Very well sister. I’ll make sure that the sound we make is within acceptable parameters.” But then her mood darkened. “Moving on however. There are a few incidents that require your attention.” Incidents? That didn’t sound good. “One of our students, Big McIntosh, was hospitalized earlier last week.”

“Big Mac?” Celestia recognized the name. He was Applejack’s brother and a strong one to boot. He didn’t join any sports club in school but the boy was definitely stronger than your average teen. Heck even Bulk Bicep would agree that he was a tough nut to crack. They once arm-wrestled each other to a tie. And that was after they broke two tables with their overwhelmingly manly pressure. “Whatever happened to him?”

“I’m… not quite sure on the details. He claims that he was attacked by a wild animal but I get the feeling that there’s more to that story than he’s willing to tell.” Celestia wasn’t sure what was more surprising. The fact that one of her students was attacked or that Big Mac actually talked. “If I were to follow my gut feeling, I would point it over to 7 girls I know well enough to get into some… unnatural mischief.”

“Let me guess. Magic.” Her sister nodded in reply. Of course it would be magic. What else could it possibly be? “As if we didn’t have enough to worry about. The finals are in a week and the Winter Holiday starts the week after. These magical incidents are becoming a problem more every year.” She groaned. “Sometimes I feel like I want to remove that statue at the courtyard and drop it into the ocean.”

“I don’t think anyone would mind.” Luna gave it a thought. “It is a rather old statue and we can use some of the school funding to get a new one. We can pass it on to the board of directors and see if we can get funding for the project. We can simply say that we want to do some… renovations.”

“Luna. When did you get so sly?”

“Oh please. It’s just something I developed when we were in college.”

“While I do appreciate the idea… I don’t think the board will want us to waste precious money on… renovations. You know how tightfisted they are.”

Her grin widened. “If that’s the case… we can probably ask your boyfriend to fund the project.” Celestia’s face froze. “He is rich after all. Like… super rich. A little sculpture like that would hardly put a dent in his accounts.”

Don’t fall for it. Celestia breathed out. She’s baiting you for a reaction. Don’t stoop to her level. Resist the urge to slap her even though she totally deserves it.

“There will be no renovations.” She said finally much to Luna’s dismay. “Besides, it has sentimental value. Speaking of which. What did Sunset and her friends have to say about this?”

“They say that they’re handling it.” Luna took a sharpened breath and sighed. “I decided to give those girls some leeway as a gesture of good faith. So I gave them permission to form their own club.”

“A club?”

“It would give them maneuverability when they investigate these incidents. I granted them full access to the school on holidays. It’s the least I can do seeing as no one else here has any knowledge of magic.”

“That sounds… rather reckless.”

And Luna would agree on that. “Do you have a better idea on how to handle this?” No… no she did not. “Do you want to intervene? Lunch is still in session right now but I could probably call them over.”

“No.” She raised her hand up in decline. “While I wouldn’t want anything better than ridding this school of all its magical elements, those girls have proven themselves to be strong and capable. They deserve a chance to handle this on their own. So long as it doesn’t endanger the school any more than it has.”

“And if it does?”

She looked at her sternly. “We intervene.”

(Evening) (Twilight’s house)

Ok… one last checklist before I go.

Flashlight? Check.

Emergency energy snacks? Check.

Night vision goggles? Oh wait… those are from Pinkie. She’d better return it. Check.

7-way walkie-talkie that she personally handcrafted for this operation? Check check!

Band-aid in case of injuries? Hm… maybe it would be better to bring more than one. Check.

“Uh Twilight.” Spike spoke up with a worried look on his face. “Are you sure you should do this? It sounds kind of… dangerous.”

“Oh it’s definitely dangerous Spike.” She replied patting the little guy on the head. “But we have to do it. If Professor Cinch really is using magic to hurt people, we have to stop her.”

“But does it have to be you and your friends? Can’t you like… call the authorities or something?”

“And tell them what? My former Principal is using dark magic to attack people with a shadow monster? They’ll never believe it.” No but he wished she would at least try. “Besides, if she really is using magic, they’ll be powerless against her. As far as I can see, when it comes to all things magic, we’re the authorities here.”

“That… doesn’t feels right to me.”

“I know it doesn’t Spike. But we’ve been given these powers for a reason. It’s our responsibility to ensure that people don’t abuse magic for their own twisted desires.”

“I don’t know. That sounds like a pretty big responsibility even for you.” He whimpered. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you? I can still watch your back or be your lookout. It doesn’t feel right to leave you alone out there.”

“Thanks for the offer Spike. But this might be a little too dangerous for you. I don’t want to put you in harm’s way for my sake.” Twilight quickly poured the guy a serving of his dinner and made sure his water bowl was full. “Besides I won’t be alone. I have all my friends with me. With the seven of us together, there’s not a problem we can’t tackle. And… here.” She gave him an extra portion on his bowl. “I’ll be staying over at Sunset’s place for a ‘Study-group’ sleepover so I won’t be around for your breakfast. Promise me you’ll be good until I get back?”

The little mutt sighed. “Alright. But I expect some premium treats afterward.”

“Deal.”

A knock on the door came a few seconds later. “Twilight honey. Your friends are here to pick you up.” That must be Fluttershy. She was carpooling with her to their destination.

“On my way!” With one last glance she tucked her items in her bag and dashed off to the door.

(Downtown) (Alleyway)

Sunset was sure that the plan would work. It wasn’t the best thought out plan but at the very least they covered most of their bases. While they were prepared for the worst possible outcome she had high hopes that it won’t come to that conclusion.

The Natural History Museum was just across the street and most of the store in the area were closing up for the night. There were a few pedestrian by the streets and a few security personnel guarding the museum itself. The streetlights were coming on as the sun went down. In a matter of minutes this whole place will be going dark. And that meant that the shadow wolf will be coming out to play.

There were only three exits in the museum and two of them were only used by staff members or during fire emergencies. She and Pinkie covered the front gate while Applejack and Rarity covered another. Rainbow Dash covered the third. If they were going to confront Cinch they will have to do it when she was truly alone. That meant no one else must be involved.

She had a car parked in the local parking lot which meant that she was still inside. Either she was burning the midnight oil or she was plotting something within.

“This is Sunset to all teams. Report in.” The redhead unicorn whispered to her walkie-talkie while peeking on her binoculars behind the large trash bin that acted as her cover.

“Rainbow Rocker here.” RD replied. “All clear on this end. No sign of Professor Evil. Yet.”

“Breaker breaker. This is Apple Taters. All quiet over here.” Applejack grunted on the other line. “It would also be a lot easier if I didn’t have to wear this ridiculous hat.”

“Don’t be ridiculous darling. You look absolutely gorgeous.” Rarity chimed in. “It’s a great improvement over your whole cowgirl look. And besides, it’s just a prototype. I just wanted to see how it looks on you before I make one for each of us. And I must say that you are quite dazzling.”

“You do know that we’re trying to look inconspicuous, right?”

“Why of course. That’s why you’ll notice that I decided to go for the darker colored fabric. And the hat really brings out the color of your eyes.”

“I don’t really get it.” Rainbow Dash argued. “Don’t we get these super awesome costumes every time we Pony-Up? I don’t see what’s the point if we’re gonna have the coolest uniforms ever.”

“Yes but they disappear every time we un-pony-up. Why settle for amazing for half the time when you can be amazing at all times?” Though no one could it see, they can tell that Rarity was grinning on the other end. “I’ll even add a nice long flowing cape for your uniform Rainbow.”

The sports gal paused. “You… can do that?”

“Of course! Diversity creates individuality. If everyone in the club looked the same, we’d look ridiculous. Every uniform should have a touch of personality.”

“If that’s the case then I want mine to be 20% cooler. Oh! And extra pockets for gadgets just in case.”

“And change my hat.”

“Functionality and fashionable.” Rarity jotted it down seperately. “A little out of my depth but I think I can work with that. Anyone else wish to add something to their designs? I’ll be more than happy to add variety in yours.”

Sunset chuckled. “Why don’t we focus on the mission before we worry about our uniforms?”

She couldn’t believe that Rarity got Applejack to actually wear the darn thing. She traded that Stetson for a deerstalker hat, replaced her shirt and skirt for a thick long sleeved buttoned coat over a blouse, and a short cape that protected her from the elements. Rarity kept her word and made her look part detective and part wizard. All that was missing was a wand and a bubble pipe for effect. It was even more surprising that Applejack agreed to it at all. Perhaps deep down that Cowgirl actually had a secret desire for fashion.

“Are we late?” Twilight’s voice chimed in as Fluttershy parked her car close by.

“Not at all. We just started.” About half an hour or so. So far all they’ve noticed were people coming and going. The museum wasn’t exactly rolling in locals like they used to. Not surprising seeing as they haven’t had anything new in the exhibit for years until Professor Sombra added his collection to the roster. “We’re keeping an eye over all the exits. So far Cinch has moved from the museum. And from the looks of things they added extra security. I’m guessing our recent theft got her attention. You and Fluttershy can take the high ground and keep watch over the area.”

“Ooooh! This is so exciting. We’re actually doing a real live stakeout like those detectives in those cop movies!” Sunset gave her a mocking look. “What? I do like things other than science, you know?”

“Uh huh.”

“Oh hush. Look. I even brought some snacks.”

“Pinkie already got us covered for that.” She gestured over to the said girl who was continuously pulling pastries out of her hair. “But just so you know, real stakeouts aren’t like those you watch in the movies.”

“And how would you know about stakeouts?” Sunset returned cocking one brow with a playful grin. “Oh come on!” Twilight whined. “Can’t you give me one tiny shred of hope? I thought these stakeouts were supposed to be a tense moment where we share our feelings and deepest darkest secrets which will in turn give us conflicting emotions that will boil over to an argument in the next chapter! Maybe even a side story!”

“Yeah… I think we already had those.”

“Like… many of them.” Pinkie added. “Like in the span of 5 movies. Unless you include those short video chapters on the internet, musical numbers and a bunch of non-canon fan fictions!”

Twilight opened her mouth to argue but she’d rather not dive into Pinkie’s reasoning. She figured she’d just let Pinkie Pie’s logic be as it is.

“Ugh… there goes another dream in my bucket list, dashed.” She groaned. “One of these days Sunset, you and I are gonna have a serious talk about your unusual skillset.”

“Like I said. I used to be a very different person.” She reasoned back casually. But before she could add anything else, another figure arrived with a grin on her face. “Adagio?”

“Missed me?”

Twilight’s eyes sharpened at her with a hint of distrust. “Oh… right. You’re here too.”

“Oooh, the egghead’s can growl.”

“How did you get here?”

She shrugged back nonchalantly holding a suspicious smile. “I… hitched a ride. Public transportation are such a drag when they charge you.” Her face suddenly turned serious. “But enough about me. What about that old lady? Is she out yet or do we have to get in there and drag her out here ourselves?”

“Easy Adagio.” Sunset cooled her jets. “While I’m glad that you’re here, I’m sure that it won’t come to fighting. We’re just gonna talk to Cinch. I’m sure we can convince her to stop her plans.” She paused. “Whatever it is.”

“So you’re going for the passive approach?” She asked sounding rather skeptic. “This is a woman who is hell bent on gathering magic and doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way. You really expect someone like that to just give up if we asked them nicely?”

“It worked before.” Twilight reasoned.

“Well you certainly didn’t try hard enough with us.” Adagio reminded. “It took you guys all your magic to beat us at our full powers summoning a giant crystal alicorn and blast us with your silly rainbow beams.”

Yeah… that did happen.

“We won’t know unless we try.” Sunset said.

“Well we can find out right now.” Pinkie announced as she pointed over to the museum main entrance where Cinch came from. “Wow. Isn’t that weird? She came out of there at the exact moment when the sun went down and this strange fog rolled in out of nowhere. Quite a roll of coincidences, don’t you think?”

Author's Note

Heya fellas. Not a lot of Flash in this chapter. I'm really trying to integrate him into the gang but that might come later down the story. I like Flash. I wish Hasbro would've fleshed him out as a character. But alas we will never see that day.

Anywho, I am now officially making Tuesday my update day. So look forward to next Tuesday for a fight! Woohoo :pinkiehappy:

Shadows Gather

Chapter 16: The Shadows Gather

(Parking lot)

It was quiet in the museum parking lot that night. Deathly quiet.

One might even say that it was haunting. With the flickering streetlights and this thick heavy fog lingering in the air coupled with the ghastly noises of street animals, you wouldn’t be surprised if a mysterious killer or stalker came out and attack someone. And while many ordinary folks would find this to be absolutely creepy beyond all reason, Rarity would say that this whole place gave the vibe for another one of her fantasy ace-detective stories.

Professor Cinch casually walked down the side of the road, one hand on her sling bag. Her footsteps ticked every moment. They were calm, precise and carefully calculated like she was expecting someone or something to appear out of the fog.

She spotted her car a few blocks away from her work place. It was the only vehicle there and she liked it that way. She had her own personal private parking space near the museum of course and she loved to use it. But today she needed to be somewhere… isolated.

Because tonight was a special night. And she was expecting some rather… pungent guests to arrive any moment now.

As she reached for the door handle of her car, a voice called out to her.

“Professor Cinch.” It was a voice she knew very well. A voice that she deeply resented. Slowly she turned around and saw the owner of that voice standing a good distance away… and a certain rebel redhead beside her.

“Twilight Sparkle.” She uttered that name hiding the spite that she wanted to throw. “And… Sunset Shimmer.” The two girls responsible for her resignation at Crystal Prep. The two who shamed her at the Friendship Games and broke her perfect record. The girls who utterly destroyed her enduring legacy. “How can I help you?”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up at attention when Cinch gave her that glare. It was the look that made gargoyles break under pressure, freeze erupting volcanoes and put the greatest leaders to shame. If looks alone could kill, she and Sunset would’ve died ten times over before they even knew it.

Calm down Twilight. We got this. There’s no need to be afraid. You have your friends with you, so there’s nothing Cinch can do to hurt you.

“We’d like to ummm…”

“We’d like to have a word.” Sunset finished, her tone already dripping with a verdict before the trial.

Cinch didn’t seem to take her tone very well but hid it under her eyes. “Oh? And would that be?”

“We know you’re responsible for the recent attacks going on around the city these last few days. We also know that you’re using your shadow monster to steal magic from sources to power up that ritual ground.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“And don’t even try to deny it! We’ve got evidence that you’ve…” Sunset blinked when she realized something amiss. “Wait… what did you say?”

“I said you’re correct.” Cinch repeated flicking her glasses upward. “I am the one responsible for this creature and all its actions. Uta has been a most loyal pet.”

So it really is Uta. Twilight had a rough suspicion that it may have been just a coincidence but hearing the name spoken by another simply confirmed her theory. It really was the monster from the legends.

“Then all t-t-these attacks?” She stuttered. “Applejack’s farm, the Dazzlings?”

“All my handiwork. Yes.”

…

Ok. That was a lot easier than they thought it would be. For a moment there they actually thought that Cinch would deny all those allegations they had and maybe go around the conversation like some kind of manipulative witch that she always has been. But no. Instead she just confessed to everything and wore it like some kind of badge.

The two girls exchanged confused glances not really sure how to proceed. They were ready for an argument, but they never expected the former Principal to just lay it out for them.

“If that’s the case, then you know why we’re here.” Sunset gave a threatening tone. “You need to give up your magic, right now.”

The older woman gave a passive look. “And why in the world would I want to do that?”

“Because they’re dangerous.” A case and point logic. “You don’t understand what you’re wielding. The power you’re using is far too much for an ordinary human. It’s corrupting you. Twisting your desires. You have to give it up before it’s too late.”

“You ask me to give up my powers? Yet you still cling to yours? A rather hypocritical standard, don’t you think?” She shot them daggered glares. “What makes children like yourself more qualified to handle such power, than I? Is it genetic? Or is it the simple trickery of fate?”

Twilight blinked. Something about her tone made her freeze on her tracks.

“Why do you get to enjoy the benefits of magic while the rest of us here toil away with our sweat? What gives you the right to take what I have earned? You don’t even fully grasp the power in which you hold.” She continued, not taking her eyes off them. “You have the ability to change the world at the palm of your hands yet you use them for such mundane things. Helping others, silly construction work, harvesting apples, talking with animals? You can be so much more. But instead you settle for mediocrity.” Her eyes suddenly flared up in anger. “If anything, the one who doesn’t understand the true nature around here is you.”

“Please Professor Cinch.” Twilight pleaded. “Don’t do this. You’ve seen what magic can do. While it can do wonderful things, it can also be a source of terrible disasters. It’s not worth whatever it is you have planned.”

“And that my dear… is where you are wrong.” Cinch smiled as the shadow behind her rose from the ground forming the image of a giant wolf. Twilight’s body tensed up seeing that beast once again. Memories of their past encounter flooding through her mind. “Magic is far more complicated than you think. And I’m going to need a lot more if I’m going to get what I want. And your little trinkets would make… an excellent addition to my collection.”

That didn’t sound good.

“Look out!” Sunset shouted as the beast lunge at them, fang and claw together. She immediately grabbed her geode blasting a beam of light through her hand making the monster flinch. The sudden surge of magic coursed through her body as tails, wings and ears grew out donning her Crystal Guardian attire. “Everyone! Together!” Her rallying cry signaled the gang to spring out of their hiding place and attack.

The fight was on.

(Flash’s house)

Sombra let out a sigh as he walked down the hall of his home only to pause when he came upon the family portrait. He glanced up to it, focusing on his younger self starring back and the beautiful woman who sat beside him who had that smile that could melt even the coldest heart.

Memories of a happier time played through his head. A time when he could still feel the warmth of her touch, the radiance of her glow, her sweet voice banishing all worries from his mind.

“Master Sombra.” His favored butler spoke up interrupting his trip down memory lane. “Will you be having dinner sir?”

He retracted his hand from the painting as he answered. “I suppose so. It’s been a while since I had anything close to home cooking. Thank you Edmund.”

“Do not mention it sir. Always a pleasure to be of service.”

Sombra chuckled. “Speaking of which. Where’s Flash? I was hoping we could dine together for once.”

“Master Flash called earlier mentioning that he had a… prior engagement to attend with his friends. He will be returning quite late.”

“Does he always do that?”

“Quite often, sir.”

Sombra sighed once more. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. With him being gone for months every time, it was natural that his son would find family comfort elsewhere. Eating alone here all the time must’ve been lonesome for the boy. A home isn’t a home if the people you love aren’t there. It was a feeling he knew quite well.

But just as he spoke, the phone in his breast pocket rang. He looked at the number and frowned. It was a simple text message with a single line written.

“I’ll have to take a rain check on that dinner after all, Edmund. Something just came up. Have the driver pull up the car for me.”

“Meeting with someone sir?”

He paused, his mood darkening. “Something like that.”

(Parking lot)

“Cupcakes in the hole!” Pinkie yelled out as she threw pastries from her cover detonating it over the giant shadow monster. She had a bandolier around her body equipped with a row of cupcakes and other culinary weapons to use. The beast recoiled from the explosion finding it both effective and delicious at the same time. The others have Ponied-up gathering the magic in their geodes transforming them into half-breed heroes and donned their armor.

“Applejack, Rainbow Dash. Distract it!” Sunset ordered.

“You got it!”

“Hey ugly!” Applejack called out to the monster taunting for its attention. “Remember me?” The beast growled back. “I reckon you do. Cuz I got a score to settle with you. Why don’t you try biting me off now? You’ll find me a tougher bone to bite than Big Mac!” She fired a flare off at the creature making it groan in pain.

“Pinkie, Fluttershy. You two take the high ground and give them cover.”

“Okie dokie lokey!”

“Everyone else, with me!” Sunset then led the charge with Rarity and Adagio not far behind. “Get Cinch!”

They attacked the woman on three sides expecting to catch her off guard.

“Not so fast.” But the former Principal had more tricks up her sleeves. She raised her hand up and conjured a net-shaped barrier which knocked the three of them down. It vibrated with a blue hue pulsing with a defensive enchantment. “You didn’t think I’d be a one-trick-pony now, did you? You will need to do better than that if you want to outmatch me.”

“What the…?”

“My turn.” Cinch raised her hand once more swiping it horizontally creating a wave of sorts pushing the fashionista away with an invisible force. “Oh~ that was a lot more fun than I thought.”

“Rarity!”

“Hey old lady!” Adagio shouted at her grabbing the gem around her neck. “You think you’re the only one who knows how to use force? Let me show you mine!” She gathered air in her lungs and shout it out like a sonic wave cracking window glasses alike. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to penetrate her shield.

“Such power.” Cinch grinned back menacingly, eyes gleaming with greed. “It seems like I wasn’t mistaken after all. When my pet sucked the energy from that girl I knew something was different about you. You’re a creature of magic… from another world! So much power in such frail bodies. It’s a wonder how you can hold all of it. You’d make an excellent specimen.”

“Dream on.” She unleashed another sound wave, making a crack on the shield. But it mended itself instantly in a blink of an eye.

“Hahaha! My dear. With the power I command, my dreams often come true.” The woman then sent the Siren flying against the wall with another gesture of her fingers. “And I don’t let others say otherwise.”

“STOP!” A burst of magical energy flung against the old witch making her go on the defensive.

But she soon recovered only to sneer at the opponent that dared try to defy her. “Twilight Sparkle. I cannot say that it is good to see you again. Not after what you did to me in the Friendship Games.”

“That wasn’t my fault!” Her former student countered. “You forced me to unleash the magic! It was too much and it corrupted me!”

“You lost control because you never learned to handle such power to begin with!” Cinch shouted blasting a shadow bolt of her own nearly hitting the girl. “You had all that energy. All that magic! You could’ve done so much! Winning that match would’ve been child’s play! But you failed!” She seethed between her teeth. “Because of you, the record I held for Crystal Prep is gone! Because of you, I had to squander in the dirt! All my labor and love, gone because of you! It was a mistake to bring you there! A mistake I aim to fix!”

“Twilight! Look out!”

Twilight froze as a bolt aimed for her. But a diamond shield formed in front of her nullifying the attack.

“Honestly darling. I’ve heard of people who hold grudges but you are simply taking it way too far for my liking.” Rarity rebuked holding her shield up. “May I suggest getting yourself a hobby? I hear that knitting is a great pastime for the elderly.”

“GRAHH!” She fired another bolt but again it bounced off Rarity’s shield without even making a dent.

“Oh please. If it didn’t work the first time, then it won’t work a second time either.”

But her taunting only served to fuel Cinch’s anger. “Look at you. All of you! You wield such power with such grace and ease yet you use them for the most useless things! That kind of magic should be used to benefit all of mankind! You children are unworthy of it!”

However, in her fit of rage Twilight noticed something shining at the woman’s wrist. With her 20-20 vision she was able to spot something amiss. A black gem dangled from a bracelet. It pulsed with magic, glowing just like their geodes.

“That bracelet.” She gasped before turning to her friends as realization dawned on her. “Sunset! The bracelet! That’s what she’s using to cast her spells! We take that away and she won’t be able to use magic!”

“Got it!” The redhead jumped in blasting another beam at the former Principal but her barrier stood firm. “Gah! It’s no good. Her shield is too strong.”

“But it can’t go on forever.” Adagio added. “Her magical energy isn’t unlimited. Every time we damage the shield she needs to use more energy from that bracelet to fix it up. If we pile it on, she’ll run out of juice eventually.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sunset nodded. “You heard her! Pour it on!”

They did so and began firing repeatedly on Cinch. Even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy gave in some free shots from the rooftops whenever they could. While the barrier held, they could clearly see the woman inside struggling to keep up. Cracks and tears began to appear on the shield but every time they appear the witch inside simply mend them back together. However, they could sense more and more magic being used up.

“It’s working! Keep it up!”

“My my… how enthusiastic.” Cinch laughed. “But a game like this must be played fairly. Why don’t we level the playing field?” She swung her hand up in an arch aiming at each street light, breaking them with just a thought. It didn’t take long for the darkness to envelop the area leaving the girls in pitched black. Afterwards multiple smaller versions of the shadow monster formed around their master, growling threateningly. “Attack!”

Seeing the new found enemy multiply, Sunset quickly got to blasting. She fired colorful beams out of her hand to repel them but those that she beat simply slink back into the shadow and restore themselves before attacking again. They snipped and snapped at them. One even got close to her newly grown tail.

“Applejack! Rainbow! A little help over here!”

But Sunset saw that her friends had their hands full dealing with the giant beast.

“Uh… a little busy right now.” Applejack replied roping the monster only to find herself being dragged around like a clown. Rainbow Dash was the same, having difficulties just trying to keep the shadow monster at bay as it snapped at her heels.

“We’re fighting a giant wolf monster here!”

Up on the rooftops Fluttershy came in contact with one of the creatures. She tried to coo it down with her unique ability like it was any other animal but its snarl only made it clear that it had no intentions of becoming friends.

“Look there! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NOPE! It’s Pinkie Pie!” The pinkette blasted in, putting two smaller wolves out of commission before noting the gang below being pinned. Taking a deep breath, the girl sprinkled sprinkles around her bandolier supercharging her pastries with magic “Looks like this is a job for… Pinkie dive bomb! EVERYONE TAKE COVER!” Hearing her warning and knowing well what she was about to pull off, the gang quickly duck for the closest thing they could use as a shield. Pinkie then took a leap of faith pulling a culinary kamikaze maneuver that wiped the field like an angered chess player.

“Pinkie!”

The pastry master gave a thumbs up gesture in return as the smoke cleared. “I’m ok! Just a little… sugar crash. I think I’ll… lie down here for a minute.”

But her stunt paid off. The wolves that Cinch summoned were all gone. Even the giant Uta felt that explosive force which stunned it for a good moment.

“Why you insolent little…”

“Think fast!” Rainbow yelled out tossing a trash bin slamming it at her shields, spilling all the trash inside which blinded her for moment. “Oops. Not fast enough I guess.” She giggled childishly. “And I thought Applejack was the messy one.”

“RAHHH!” Seeing an opening, Applejack closed in on the older lady throwing a solid punch at her barrier having it tremble under her might. “This is for wrecking my barn!” A crack appeared where her blow landed. “This is for scaring my cows!” It grew wider with the second punch. “This is for ruining half of our corn field!” A third one came and it creaked. “And this… is for BIG M-”

“Enough!” The woman shouted creating a shockwave sending the cowgirl back. “If you continue to be persistent, then I guess I’ll have to go a step further! Uta! Come to me!” The wolf howled and slinked back into the darkness merging with Cinch’s shadow. “Let me show you what real magic can do!” Her shadow then split into a dozen taking solid shape of the former Principal like a perfect shadow copy.

“Now. Let’s try this again.” They spoke in unison before unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts at each of the girls forcing them to go on the defense.

Rainbow Dash rushed over to Sunset’s position, grunting. “Great! Now what? We can’t keep up like this!”

“I know that.” Sunset agreed painfully. She ducked behind a knee-high wall hiding from the torrent of electrical shots fired at them. “Twilight! You got the Magic Trap ready?”

She nodded back in return. “Yeah. But I can’t use it on Cinch while that barrier of hers is up! And none of our attacks are effective enough.”

“Not ours… but Applejack did a number on it.” Sunset reminded forming a plan. “Alright here’s the plan. Applejack. We need you to punch through that barrier. Rarity. You’ll cover her. Everyone else distract the copies until she’s done.”

“You got it!” The cowgirl gave a playful salute before putting her fists together. “This one is for Big Mac!”

“Ready? GO!”

And with the signal Applejack threw out of cover and charged into the line of shadow clones. They spotted her instantly, barraging the poor girl with a volley of lightning bolts that would’ve fried an ordinary man. But Rarity was there to cover her creating a formation of diamonds that shielded her from those attacks.

In mere moments she covered the distance between her and the former Principal landing one good haymaker on her barrier. Applejack grinned noting that the woman was stuck there so long as she held that shield up.

“Oh this is gonna be good.” With her back secured, she went to town with the shield throwing one good punch after another focusing everything on one spot. The crack appeared moments later, growing wider and wider without stop.

“No… NO! Stop that at once you insolent child!”

“Or what? You gonna sick your dogs at me?”

Cinch snarled. “I just might.” She snapped her fingers calling her shadow clones to attack. But before they could blast her, Sunset and the others drop out of cover and returned fire forcing the shadows to duck and dodge. “Grrr! I have had enough of this!” Angered and annoyed, Cinch raised her hand up and fired a steady stream of electricity at Applejack pinning her to the ground. Her friends called out her name but they were drowned out in the exchange of fire. “You never should’ve had these powers to begin with!”

“Oh shut yer trap, ya old varmint!” Applejack countered slowly rising back on her feet. “I don’t give two dimes what you think and what you believe in. I ain’t got a clue why we got these powers or why magic is doin what it’s doin. And I don’t give a hoot! All I know… is that you’re the reason why my brother is at the hospital with a broken leg! And right now… I… just… want… to… hit you… with my own fist!”

Summoning what little strength she had left, the cowgirl delivered on her promise and bounded the crack on the barrier shattering the entire form like glass. The blue hue surrounding her vanished and the impact sent the woman falling breaking the spell placed on the Uta. Those shadow clones vanished instantly, returning to their master, protecting her from the fall.

“Twilight, now!”

With haste, the egghead leaped in with her tool getting in close enough to touch her former Principal. She pointed it at her and just as it sensed magic, the purple seashell came to life.

Cinch tried to shield herself with her arm but that only gave it a perfect angle for the Magic Trap to do its work. The pure essence of magic flowed from the black gem and into the shell draining it of all potent energy.

The shadow wolves tried to resist but without magic to sustain them, they could only howl in futile resistance before vanishing into the darkness.

The battle ended with a quick flash as the device finished its task sucking the last drop out of the old witch. She drop on the ground a moment later looking weakened and powerless.

Sensing that the danger was no more, Sunset and the gang approached wiping imaginary sweats off their brows.

“Did we win?” The redhead asked, panting heavily.

Rarity nodded back in confirmation as she helped Applejack off the ground. “I think we did.”

They had won. Barely. So many things could’ve gone wrong there but they pulled through in the end. It was a victory worthy of note. Even Rainbow Dash was feeling pretty good of herself after that fight smugly patting the dust off her pony attire.

It took a while for Cinch to recover, though she didn’t seem to have the energy to get back on her feet. “No…” She whimpered. “How? How could it be? How can you all possess so much power and still not see?”

“It’s over Cinch.” Sunset stepped forward. “You have no magic left.”

The woman looked up finding the little girl glaring down at her. “So it would seem.”

“Hand over that bracelet.” She demanded in which the old lady chuckled back humorously.

“This thing? I can’t give up something that was offered to me. It’s a gift.”

“A gift?” Sunset questioned. “From who?”

“You think I’d tell you anything?”

She frowned. “You don’t have to.” And with a quick motion she grabbed the woman’s arm and let her powers do the rest. The ability to read minds came in handy for stubborn people like her.

With this she would be able to find out what her plan was. She’ll find out who gave her this magical charm. Everything will finally be revealed. Everything will…

Wait…

Something wasn’t right. Normally Sunset would be able to see or feel something out of this. She could find out when Professor Doodle would present another pop quiz in a blink of an eye or find the last moment when someone had their phones. But this time… there was almost nothing. She could see images flash by but nothing solid or clear. It was like trying to watch a television show with terrible reception or a radio station with so much static.

“What the? Why can’t I…”

Cinch’s chuckle turned to a full blown laugh as she returned the gesture grabbing Sunset by the arm. “Such a predictable little girl.” She grabbed the portable data drive on her neck and pressed a button hidden within. Instantly the Magic Trap that Twilight held up reactivated and came back to life.

“Wh… what’s going o-arghhh!” Adagio fell the ground a second later feeling the life force being drained out of her.

“Adagio? What’s wroo-oooh!” Rainbow Dash was next to fall, hitting the floor faster than she could run. “Wha… I feel… tired.”

Fluttershy grabbed her. “Rainbow Dash! No! G… get… get up.”

The rest of the gang followed in suit, all fumbling and falling to their knees as the magic sucked out of them like a vacuum. Even Sunset felt her body going limp as she tried to reach for the device that fell out of Twilight’s hands. But Cinch’s wrinkly fingers had it first, scooping it off the floor and held it up to her chest with a triumphant grin.

“You didn’t think I would come to a fight without a plan now, did you?” She gloated like a comic villain. “You think I’d let you take this trinket from my office just like that? And here I thought you were smarter than this.” With a few taps on the device the woman returned her magic to her bracelet feeling it supercharged. She could feel the energy coursing through that black gem pulsing with enough power that could level a building.

“Cinch… no…” Twilight struggled to reach out but found her arms and legs unresponsive. “You can’t…”

“Don’t pretend to know what I’m doing.” The former Principal berated, watching as the girls de-ponied back to their original forms. She glanced up to the Magic Trap eyes lighting up in awe of all the power she had. “Yes. YES! I knew you girls were source of great magical energy. There’s almost enough here to use the Chalice! I can undo everything. All the errors, the mistakes. EVERYTHING! Haha! Just a little bit more and we’ll have a top-up. And I know just where to get more.”

Her eyes then cast to Adagio who froze when she realized what she planned to do. She tried to summon her strength but found nothing left in her body. All she could do was crawl in futility. The others tried to stop her but they were just as weak as she was. Even Rainbow Dash tried to grab the woman’s shoes but her fingers wobbled off with little resistance.

No… no! Sunset wanted to cry out but she struggled even to speak at this point. The magic was drained out of them, leaving the gang defenseless.

Someone… someone help her…

Anyone…

“Now now dear. Don’t be afraid.” Cinch cooed as she approached the poor Siren, pushing the device closer like an evil dentist frightening her patient. “I just need a little more out of you.” The Magic Trap activated again and soon began draining Adagio of the last trickle of her energy. Her hair began to gray and her face wrinkling into dust. “Yes… YES! That’s it! Just a few more drops!”

“I think you’ve had enough for one night, lady.”

…

Huh?

Cinch blinked when she didn’t recognize that voice. She rose and turned to the source just in time to see a wooden bat swinging at her. It happened so quickly that she no way of defending. The woman stumbled back, her hand covering her face for protection. But in the process the Magic Trap slipped from her fingers to which the attacker gladly smack.

The purple seashell collided against the nearby building, shattering into pieces. The energy stored inside quickly burst out in a cascade of colors erupting into a volatile element which then exploded, tearing through wall like acid.

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!” Cinch wailed in horror seeing her object of desire destroyed in a manner of seconds. She turned to the perpetrator, anger and malice building. “What have you done!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? YOU FOOL!” She casted a spell on the attacker striking him with a bolt of lightning which he shielded with his hand. He cursed loudly but quickly recovered and responded with another swing of his weapon snapping it against her wrist. “GRAHHH!!” Cinch tried to cast another spell but quickly discovered her magical trinket gone. “Wha? The gem! Where is it!? Where did it go!?”

Another explosion followed making both side flinch as the fire engulfed the parking lot in flames. Two electric poles fell to the ground tearing up wires, shooting sparks everywhere. Seeing this destruction, Cinch decided to call it off and escape to the nearby alley.

Sunset felt herself being scooped by the guy cradling her like a bride.

“I got ya.” The boy whispered. “Grab on. Quickly.” He moved on to her friends scooping Twilight with his free hand. “Aria, get the van!”

She heard someone reply but couldn’t quite make out what it was.

“I don’t care! Sonata, grab the other two! I got this.”

Aria? Sonata? Aren’t those the other…Sirens?

Sunset couldn’t focus anymore. She didn’t have the strength or the willpower to make sentences. The world around her spun violently… before darkness took over.

Author's Note

Ok so it's not Tuesday. But I did finish it early so............ here ya go? :duck:

Conscequences

Chapter 17: Consequences

(Later) (Alleyway)

Cinch panted heavily as she fumbled her way through the alley of the city clutching her aching hand. Whoever attacked her certainly used a lot of force. Enough to break two of her fingers in the process. The fire of that explosion was now raging behind her. Police sirens and other emergency services echoed in the distance no doubt attracted by the battle that was just fought.

Curse those girls for ruining her plan. Curse them all!

For a brief moment she had all the power. All the magic! She could feel it. The ability to conjure anything she desired. The very powers of a god at the palm of her hand. She could’ve had it all! Everything was going her way until that very last moment when it all shattered to pieces, literally.

Now all the energy that she gathered in that tiny box was gone. It expelled into the air becoming nothing more than lights that danced in the night sky. All because of that boy!

Still… it wasn’t a complete loss. She was able to defeat those girls draining them of their Equestrian Magic. It would take them some time to recover. And it would be easy to track them down. So long as she had one of Uta’s little copy attached to Sunset’s shadow she’ll know exactly where they are and what they’re planning.

Right now it was perhaps best to lay low and build her cover story. If the master finds out about this, she’ll no doubt be furious.

“Tsk… tsk… tsk… what a mess.” The woman froze on her tracks when she heard someone click their tongue in the shadow standing directly ahead of her. “You really rocked the boat this time, Abby. And here I thought you were more of a fighter.”

She slowly straightened herself to meet with the new arrival. Her face twisted in disgust as the well-dressed man appeared, showing a smile that was borderline arrogance.

“Hoity Toity.” She spat. “I should’ve known your visit here wasn’t a coincidence.”

“Oh it is.” He corrected as he filed his nails not even looking at her. “I wasn’t supposed to be transferred here until my shop was done but an old friend of mine invited me to his ridiculous pageant show so… I took the opportunity.” He let out a short laugh. “But you should know much about opportunities, shouldn’t you, Abby? Getting beaten by a bunch of kids. Twice? Oh how the mighty truly have fallen.”

“I wasn’t beaten!” The woman countered, flaring. “I had them by their throats. They were weakened. I could’ve had it all!”

“And you lost in all in a hair’s breath. Tsk tsk tsk. What a shame.” The fashion designer glanced upward noting the unusual aurora flowing in the sky. “It is quite beautiful though. What an absolute waste. We could’ve used that energy for our purpose too.”

“Those children possess more magic than we know. If we combine our powers we can strike them now while they’re weakened. Help me Hoity!”

“Oh I’m afraid I didn’t come to help you, Abby.” The man replied, his tone turning dark as he peeked down from his shades. He then slowly pulled a green egg-like object from his pocket which hummed with dark magic.

“The memory stone?” Cinch gasped taking a few steps back in fear. “But… but why?”

“The Master has grown tired of your… interference.”

“I have done everything she asked of me!”

The man rolled his eye boringly in response. “Oh she knows. And she also knows what you’ve been doing these last few weeks.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “Stealing magic from the chalice to serve your purpose was strike one. Disobeying orders was strike two. And now losing both immense sources of magic and your ‘Medium’? Not to mention nearly blowing all our cover? Now that’s one strike too many.”

“But it wasn’t my fault! Those girls attacked me! I had to defend myself!”

Hoity Toity sighed. “I’m afraid she doesn’t see it that way.” He raised the stone up and allowed the magic within to do its work. The woman could do nothing to defend herself.

(A few hours later) (Canterlot Hill Picnic Grounds)

The first thing Sunset noted when she woke up was this odd painful sensation.

She reached out for her head but immediately regretted it when she felt her limbs ache at every sudden movement. The girl grumbled and groaned before finally gathering the strength to open her eyes. The moon and stars welcomed her back to the land of the living followed by a gentle breeze that cooled her face.

By the time her visions cleared she noticed that she was laying on grass right beside Twilight and Pinkie Pie. The two of them looked practically tuckered out – or at least Twilight looked that way. Pinkie simply snored away comically like everything was right in the world.

But moments later the events of the fight came flooding back. She remembered it all in a blink of an eye. The shadow monster, the Magic Trap...

“Cinch!” She jolted up raising her hand in a stance before her knees gave way. “Wh… whoa!”

“Hey!” An arm came by, grabbing her before she fell on the ground. “You alright Sunset?”

“Flash?” The girl recognized the voice almost immediately. Her eyes cast over to him, relief and joy spreading across her face for a brief moment as she unconsciously embraced him before pushing him back, questions pondering over. “What are you doing here? You… you can’t be here! It’s…”

“Hey! Easy!” He grabbed her by the shoulder trying his best to calm her down. “It’s ok. It’s over. You’re safe now.”

“But… what about Cinch?”

“I don’t know.” The boy responded, carefully letting her lean on a tree to support her weakened state. “After the fight, all I could do was get you out of there before the whole place burned down.”

“Burned down? What are you talking about?”

Flash pointed over to the city over by the cliff which roared with a bright and dangerous color. From there Sunset’s eyes shot up in terror when she noted the blazing inferno in the distance.

Oh no…

A whole section of the city was burning. You can see traces of fire and a long plume of smoke rising above it. Police and fire-truck sirens could be heard echoing from within. A smoldering ruin of fire was left in the wake of their battle leaving nothing behind but ash. It was… devastating.

Was this…

Was this their fault?

Did they do this?

“How could this have happened?”

“Sunset?” Flash froze up when his ex-girlfriend grabbed onto him, her head burying into his chest trying to hold in a pained sob and hands shivering in fear. The boy reacted naturally too. Slowly he placed his hand on her back, reassuring her. “It’s ok. I got you.”

…

It took a few more minutes for the rest of the gang to wake up from their weakened slumber. Some of them were left shaken and traumatized but most were just groggy and tired. Having the magic drained from them really put them at a vulnerable position. And seeing the destruction just below made them feel even worst.

They gathered around a picnic table where Flash had placed a variety of drinks and snacks for their leisure.

Rainbow Dash was the first to express her irritation “Ugh… I haven’t felt this kind of wipeout since I slammed at Bulk’s back on the skating ring last year. What the heck happened?”

“That’s what I want to know too.” Applejack agreed, holding her aching head in one hand while holding a cider bottle in another. “What in tarnation did Cinch do? One second she was on the ground, the next thing we know, the roles were reversed.”

“Ugh… no… more… Pinkie Dive-Bomb.”

“It’s my fault.” Twilight admitted casting a guilty look on the table. “Cinch reverse-engineered my Magic Trap. She had a remote function set inside and activated it when we least expected. She knew that we would use it against her in our fight. That’s why she allowed us to steal it.”

“That’s a big blunder.” The cowgirl grumbled trying her best not to sound mean. But the aching head and weak body didn’t exactly stop her. “We all thought we had her cornered when in reality, she had our number this whole time.”

“It’s not your fault Twilight.” Sunset stated having calmed down from her earlier fright.

“But it is. I should’ve seen it. Cinch is a very cunning and clever person. Of course she’d set up something like this.”

“Don’t…… blame… yourself… darling.” Rarity said weakly, her face on the table. “You couldn’t have…… seen everything. We were… all duped as far… as I can… see it.” Flash rushed to her side offering her a drink which she smiled back softly as she accepted. “Thank you.”

“It was scary how she did it.” Fluttershy shivered at the thought. “We were all drained. I’ve never felt so… defenseless before.” And that was a lot coming from a girl like her. “I don’t even want to think what would’ve happened if Flash hadn’t come at that moment.”

“Yeah. Great timing Flash.” Rainbow nodded at the boy in question giving him an impressed gesture. “That was a good swing by the way.”

He shrugged back. “Hey, I’m just glad it worked out.”

“What were you doing there though?” Sunset asked throwing a suspicious glance. “How did you know where we were?”

“Because I brought him there.” A smug voice answered making the girls turn to the direction of the purple van that was parked nearby.

“Adagio!?” Sunset gasped, surprised to see the Siren and her lackeys step out of it looking just as intimidating as ever. Even more so when their leader stood by with the same annoyed look on her face. “You’re… ok? But I thought…”

“Thought what?” She sneered back annoyingly. “That I was drained of all my magic by that stupid witch?” They held their breaths, a few slowly nodding in reply. “Well you’re not wrong. For a moment there I actually thought I saw my life flashing before my eyes. Luckily someone actually decided to come prepared for some… certain eventuality.” She walked over to Flash and handed him an old antique looking dagger. “That’s twice I owe you now.”

He gave her a coy smirk. “Should I put it on your tab?”

She returned the gesture with a flirtatious shake of her hips. “You know I’m good for it.”

“Is that… another Yaztec artifact?” Twilight recognized it. “Did you…”

“Suck the magic out of it?” Adagio answered back without any hint of regret in her tone. “Pretty much.”

“We didn’t break it though!” Sonata added earning a look from the gang. “Just saying.”

Adagio ignored her and took her place at the head of the table. “So…… I can guess that stunt of ours didn’t exactly go as planned.” That was stating it bluntly. “I’m even going as far as saying that it went… horribly.”

“Yeah, we get it.” RD responded folding her arms together. “It was a disaster. You don’t have to remind us. We were all there.”

“Just putting it out there. The better question would be… what to do now?”

“We’re not stopping.” Sunset stood up, the fire returning to her eyes. “We’re gonna put an end to this no matter what it takes. As long as Cinch has that bracelet, none of us here is safe. She was able to get some of her magic back. That means she can use the Uta against us.”

“Wait… bracelet?” Flash spoke up garnering their attention. “Are you talking about that bracelet she wore? The one with the black gem?” They looked at him questioningly as he pulled the said object from his pocket.

“That’s the one!” Sunset snatched it off his hand. “How did you get this?”

“I smacked it off her arm when she tried to cast a spell.” It was a lucky swing too.

“Well paint me red and call me Apples. That's a mighty fine hit!” The cowgirl cheered as the gang jumped in realization. “Without that thing she won’t be able to use any magic to threaten us.”

“That means we win… right?” Rainbow Dash deduced. “Right?”

“Not so fast guys.” Twilight spoke up blocking their joyous triumph. “We might’ve gotten her the bracelet. But remember what Cinch said?”

Sunset nodded in agreement much to everyone’s annoyance. “She said that it was a gift. Meaning someone gave it to her. But the question is, who?”

“Wonderful. Mysteries upon mysteries.” Rarity groaned.

“Didn’t you get to read her mind?” Applejack reminded.

“I did… but it was hazy. It’s like she had some kind of shielding on her.” The redhead groaned. “All I got were a few blurry images and I can’t really make any sense out of them. I can’t even think straight with this headache on me. But whoever gave this bracelet to Cinch clearly has enough power to spare. This thing pretty much looks like our geode. And what she said back then really got me worried. She said that if she had enough power, she can ‘Undo’ everything.” Oh yeah. That didn’t sound ominous at all. “It definitely has something to do with the Chalice of Wishes. I know that for sure. She said it herself.”

“But the brew that was supposed to be drank from the chalice is lost.” Twilight pointed out. “No one knows the recipe.”

“I’m willing to bet whoever gave Cinch this bracelet knows about it. We need to dig deeper into this rabbit hole and see where it goes. Twilight. Can I leave this gem with you?” The nerd gal gladly accepted. “We should all probably head out to my place too. We are supposed to have a sleepover after all.”

“Sleep~~~ over~~ party~…! Yay…” Pinkie tried to fire herself up but failed.

Everyone agreed on that notion. After all, no one felt like being alone tonight. Not when they knew that Cinch might still be out there planning her revenge. Besides, they were too tired to get home. Their energy were drained right down to the last drop. It was hard just trying to stay up.

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

In the dark corner of Uptown, in the once well-known amphitheater where the new Hoity Toity Trendsetter store was to be placed, the owner of the establishment entered. His new store was hardly ready yet. But with a few days of work and some phone calls, he can make this the center of fashion in the whole city.

But that was a dream for another day. Right now he had far more important matters to attend to. Clothes and fabric can be done later.

After closing the curtains on his window display, the designer approached the center of his room and raised his hand dangling a bracelet with a dark gem attached to it. The gem hummed for a moment before opening a portal across space and time.

He knelt down to the floor when a feminine figure revealed itself to him. The shadow of the room covering her face “Is it done?” She asked as if he already knew the question.

“Yes Master.” The fashion designer nodded tipping the center of his shades as he replied. “Cinch has been dealt with. Though I may have overdone it with the stone.” He held up the green glowing object as it pulsed with memories of those it robbed. “The repairs on the Memory Stone seemed to be incomplete."

“Irrelevant. So long as she cannot reveal us to anyone else, her condition means little to me. She knew the consequences of failure.”

“As you wish…”

“And the magic she stole?”

Hoity shook his head reluctantly. “I’m afraid they’re gone. Cinch used the device we repaired to steal magic from the chalice to further her own agendas. As we suspected, she must’ve been doing this several times already.”

The woman on the other side of the portal hissed. “I should’ve known someone as weak as her could not be trusted.”

“She was out for vengeance – and revenge can be a powerful motivator.” The man stated, ticking his shades knowingly. “I should know. I have it too.”

“Because of her interference, we might not have enough magic to power the chalice! The Winter Solstice is closing and all this setbacks will cost us time. Time that we do not have! I will have to double our partner’s effort to find more relics to feed our need.”

“Perhaps I can help?” Hoity offered. “I sense some lingering magic here around the city. Perhaps I can do some searching of my own.”

“No. ‘He’ will handle it. Unlike you, that man knows how to be discreet.”

Ouch. A little hit below the belt there but understandable. “Very well. And what of the girls? Shall I deal with them as you requested?”

“They have caused great interference only because Cinch was careless. Now that she’s out of the picture they may return to their dormancy believing that they were victorious.”

“So… that’s a no then?” She growled which he quickly raised his hand up in defense. “I was just checking. What do you wish me to do then?”

“Solidify your presence there and keep watch. Spread your… influence over the people.”

“So I should just do what I always do?” He sighed, wiping the lenses of his shade with a wet tissue never revealing his eyes. “That shouldn’t be too hard. And I do love people chanting my name. If I can do that in Las Pegasus, it should be child’s play here.”

“Excellent. And should those girls intervene, you may eliminate them at your leisure. Just make sure to keep it quiet.”

“It will be done.” And with a final bow the portal vanished leaving the man in his shop. He grinned menacingly as he opened his eyes at last revealing two oddly swirling lines in them.

Once the vision was sure to be gone, a seductive voice in the darkness spoke up.

“So what did the Master say?”

“Can we come out to play?

“Or are we still grounded today?”

Hoity laughed at the three figures. “Now now, my dear. I know it’s been a long trip. But do wait a little longer. Can’t have you running amok too soon.”

(Tuesday) (CHS)

The air around school was different. Sunset could feel it as she walked with her friends taking in the odd scenery. Everywhere they looked students were gossiping over, huddled in groups bringing in their closest friends together like they were expecting something to happen. Old hatreds were put aside out of fear and paranoia as the students moved together, each of them eyeing out for something amiss. There was a massive tension in the air. It was so thick a single dog bark would probably spring this whole school into a panic spree.

The explosion and fire from last night was on everybody’s lips. Rumors circled around while theories, conspiracies and such made them put out unnatural conclusions. A tinge of fear gripped their hearts. Fear of the unknown. And sadly only a handful knew the truth.

Walking through the doubled doors, Sunset came upon the same scenery but far more clustered. Everyone was whispering, hushing, some casting suspicious glances at one another and others accusing passerby like they were spies.

“Looks like everyone’s one edge.” Twilight stated the clearly obvious. “Guess they all know about the fire from last night.”

“Kinda hard to miss a boom that big.” Rainbow Dash pointed out, waving to a few of her classmates who greeted back. Thankfully they didn’t seem to suspect them as the perpetrators.

“That’s some tension.” Applejack agreed noting the rather deathly quiet nature of the school. Even as they entered through the double doors the same scenery played out but in a more congested state. “Everyone here looks like something or someone’s about to jump out and scare the pants off them.”

“I can’t blame them.” Fluttershy shivered. “Even I’m feeling a little… scared myself… after what we did.”

“That wasn’t us.” RD protested, forcing a smile to her classmates as they pass them by. “That was totally Cinch’s fault. She was the one who went all bat nut crazy over power!”

“It doesn’t change the fact that we played some part in it.” Twilight reasoned. “It was our magic that caused all that destruction. I can’t help but feel somewhat… responsible.”

They arrived a few moments later at Sunset’s locker surprised to see Flash waiting for them.

Or… it wasn’t really that surprising. Flash, Sunset and Rainbow Dash have been locker neighbors since they all enrolled at CHS. It’s natural for him to be there.

“Guys!” His mood brightened when he saw them. “Glad to see ya. I was worried after I dropped you over last night. Are you ok?”

“We’re fine, Flash.” Sunset reassured him. “You don’t have to watch over us like a Griffon.”

“I think we should be the one asking you that question.” Applejack stated gesturing to his bandaged hand. “What happened to you?”

He quickly hid it away shyly. “Oh this? It’s nothing. Just hurt myself over… stuff. It’s just a small cut.”

“Small cut my foot.” Applejack reached over, grabbing the wounded hand to which the boy flinch painfully in response. “I recognize that sizzle. Gauze and alcohol. Cheap and effective. That’s a second-degree-burn you got there, Mister. And a bad one too.”

A burn?

The thought of last night’s explosion came to mind.

“Oh you poor thing.” Rarity gently patted the boy trying to each his pain with her touch.

But he brushed them all away giving out a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing guys. Really. You’re all making a big deal out of this. This is hardly anything compared to what you guys went through. What’s a little daring rescue without a little pain?”

“A lot actually.” Sunset scolded. “You get what you sow.”

“Oh lighten up Sunset. The guy saved our butts out there.” Rainbow nudged her, giving the boy an approving wink. “If it wasn’t for him, we’d be half-cooked bacon.”

“And that’s what he gets for helping us.”

“Hmm… it doesn’t look that bad. If you want. I know an old family recipe that’ll do just the trick.” Applejack offered and quickly released the boy’s hand when she realized that she had been holding onto it longer than necessary. “Something Granny taught me a while back. One little smudge and you’ll be right as rain the next morning.

But Flash had to decline. “Thanks for the offer but I think I’ll keep it around a while longer. I already had the nurse look into it and she said it’ll heal up in time. Besides, I think having a scar might make more popular around here. I hear some girls dig a man with scars… right?”

Well he’s not exactly wrong there. Seeing that little string of bandages over his hand did raise a few hearts, but none of them would openly admit that. Even Rarity in particular looked… intrigued.

“As long as you keep your adventures in moderation.” Twilight cooed at him. “Which reminds me. I never really got to say thank you for helping us last night.”

“Hey you girls were under duress.” He waved his hands up. “I think I can give you all a pass. I just wished things went better than they did.”

“You can say that again.” Applejack groaned looking over the hallway. “This place is quieter than Goldie's place during the Holidays.”

Pinkie agreed. “This mood is so unsettling even I’m feeling pretty down.”

Sunset sighed back at them as she arrived at her locker. “Look guys. I know we’re all conflicted over this. But let’s not talk about it right now. We’ll meet up at the band room at lunch period. For now just act natural and try not to stand out.” They agreed on that wholeheartedly. But before any of them could take a step into their respective classrooms, the PA system hummed to life.

“Attention. Will the following student please report to the Principal’s office: Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.”

Twilight groaned as all eyes in the hallway turned to them. “So much for not standing out.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Being called to the big man’s office was never gonna feel right. Even more so now that the whole crew was called in. Normally they’d be called in pairs or alone but today was going to be different. They can all feel it.

As they entered, Sunset immediately noted Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna beside her, having a stern look on their faces. One might say that they did not look amused. The windows behind them were closed and the blinds covered. Clearly they didn’t want anyone else hearing about this.

“Thank you for coming.” The lady on the chair spoke. “Please. Take a seat.” An array of chairs were laid for them comfortably. The sisters were definitely expecting them. Swallowing their fears the gang complied and took their seats close the table as Luna closed the door behind them.

You can sense something… dreadful in the room. Like a life changing decision was about to occur.

There was a pregnant pause in the air. A single needle was all it would take to pop it.

But before any of them could speak, Celestia opened a copy of the Daily Canterlot Newspaper and laid it on the table for all of them to see.

“I take it you all know why I brought you here.”

They all glanced at the headline cringing as the photo below it showed a gruesome scene of burned up buildings.

‘Wild Animals and Faulty Wiring destroys city block’

Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “That’s uh… that was… ummm… not really our fault.” She pretty much just confessed either way.

Celestia eyed them. “An entire city block was burned down last night with untold damages including the Museum of Natural History. Thankfully no one was badly hurt.” That’s a relief. “Eyewitness stated that they heard wild animals in the area and a series of blinding colorful lights. Some say that the whole thing looked even… magical in nature.” They gulped. “Right now the authorities are blaming it on faulty wiring and bad engineering. But I can tell something is amiss. Any of you care to explain what in the world just happened?”

Sunset traded looks with her friends and sighed. “It’s… a long story, ma’am.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “A very long story.”

The Principal placed a handful of notes on the table wearing a deep frown. “I am prepared to get you all out of class for the whole day if it’ll mean getting to the bottom of this.” She sighed. “Girls. I know that I have my knowledge or understanding on magic is not as good as yours. I have seen you use it to benefit not only yourselves but everyone around you. And that makes me proud to see you work. Which is why we’ve all decided to keep it a secret here in school. However… after seeing this kind of damage, I’m beginning to think that it may have been a mistake.”

She might not be wrong on that regard.

“We worry about our students and the seven of you included.” Luna added. “So please explain to us what happened so we can understand.”

The gang turned to one another once again unsure of what to do. But Sunset quieted them down before finally nodding.

…

“So… yeah… that’s about it.” Sunset finished on a soft note leaving the Principal and her sister to ponder on the story.

It took about an hour or so to finish explaining the whole ordeal. From the Yaztec relics to Cinch… to the battle that took place last night. In all honesty the more they explained, the more it sounded like a farfetched story. But Celestia knew better than to question them on that. Magic wasn’t exactly a thing around here until Sunset came along.

By the time she was done the Principal had chugged down two… maybe even three cups of coffee just to ease her of the stress.

“So let me get this straight.” The woman frustratingly held her tone back rubbing the temple on her nose. “You’re telling me that this… new magic is running rampant across the city? And someone is trying to use them for some… personal gain? And Abacus Cinch is one of them?”

“We don’t know exactly who or how many there are.” Twilight explained. “But we do know it has something to do with the new wing of the museum, the Winter Solstice and the Chalice of Wishes. That’s… uh… one of the artifacts.”

Luna gave a quirky glance before speaking. “That’s… a rather farfetched story. But I’m willing to put my common-sense away for now. I can understand the relic, the solstice and all. But as for Cinch. That… might be… complicated.”

Fluttershy questioned. “Complicated? How so?”

“Principal…” Celestia coughed on her fist to correct herself as she lifted from her seat. “Dean Cadance from Crystal Prep Academy called earlier this morning. Apparently Professor Cinch was found not far from the explosion last night by emergency services. She was wounded and taken to the Twin Sister Hospital for treatment.”

The gang froze.

“She… she’s not hurt is she?” Twilight gasped.

“Nothing of immediate concern. A few scrapes and bruises and nothing else. However… she must’ve suffered a big concussion because when she woke up she said the strangest thing.” Strange? You mean stranger than the story we’ve told you? “She doesn’t to have any recollection of recent events.”

“No recollection?” Sunset questioned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean what I said. She has no memory of her time here in Canterlot City. It’s like she has a bad case of amnesia.”

“AMNESIA?”

“Wait… amnesia is actually a thing?” Rainbow asked out of the blue looking rather confused. “I thought that was just a plot-device they use to move the story along in cheesy TV shows.”

“Oh that’s gosh darn ridiculous.” Applejack didn’t seem to buy it though. “I bet she’s just acting it up to make people pity her.”

“That’s not what Dean Cadance thinks.” Luna replied from her corner. “She even visited her when she got the call. Cinch didn’t seem to recognize her. In fact… she doesn’t even seem to remember her time in Crystal Prep at all.”

That would be weird if it were true.

“Nothing at all?”

“Nothing. She doesn’t remember anything other than her name. And that’s a frightening thing.”

“We’re getting off topic.” Celestia interrupted. “Whether or not Cinch is pretending, I’m afraid I have come to a decision. This magic of yours, while it is wondrous in nature, can also be extremely dangerous. Accident or intentional, that explosion last night has put everyone quite on edge. People are scared, me and Luna included. And so, for the safety of the students and everyone involved, I have no choice but to ban all of your magical activities from our school.” The gang gasped. “That means the Canterlot Magical Investigation Club is forbidden from using school resources.”

“You’re kicking our club?” Sunset retorted.

“I’m sorry. But knowing what this power can do, it simply isn’t worth the risk to have it around anymore. I’m sure you can all understand that. We simply have no way of responding or defending ourselves to magical situations like you do.” She returned to her seat holding that tired expression. “You may continue with your investigation but Canterlot High will not be a part of it. Please… don’t drag us into another magical incident if it can be helped. Can I count on you to do that?”

Again they sighed, trading glances with one another before nodding.

“We understand, Principal Celestia.” Sunset answered for the crew. “We promise not to use our magic in school.”

“And that’s all I can ask.” She nodded. “You may go now. You have classes to attend.”

One by one they departed leaving the two sisters alone in the office. But not before Rainbow Dash plopped her head back in.

“Oh! Quick question. Is that offer to skip all our classes for the day still good?” They gave her a threatening glare in return. “I thought not. Just checking. Bye!”

(Afternoon) (Soccer field)

“Whoa… so you guys are like… band from using magic in school… forever?” Flash gasped after hearing the news from Sunset herself. His ex-girlfriend having taking him away from their friends for a private conversation by the soccer field.

“Hopefully not forever.” The bag of chips on Sunset’s hand ruffled. “But I can understand her reasoning. Even though we’ve done some good with our magic, it’s been nothing but a source of trouble here in CHS.”

“Hey that’s not true.”

“But it is. Ever since I brought magic here from Equestria, it’s done nothing but bring harm to people. You can’t defend it.”

Flash shrugged. “Ok, I won’t say that magic hasn’t been a problem. But that was Equestrian Magic. The magic that you’re dealing with now is from here.” He reasoned. “So I don’t think it’s fair that you’re beating yourself over something from our world. And if anyone here is more qualified to deal with magic, I can’t think of a better team than you and your friends.”

She laughed at his attempt of cheering her up. “Thanks for the vote of extra confidence. But after last night, I’m not even sure anymore. The damage we done there was… big.”

He… couldn’t argue with that. The report from the newspaper alone was extensive. The explosion created a fire so bad that it pretty much damaged the whole block. While most of the buildings there were abandoned, there were still a few apartments lingering at the edge. By the time emergency services arrived, the fire had already spread to all the buildings and burned down not soon after. Many families were displaced because of it.

“Yeah… that was pretty bad. But it could’ve been a lot worse if you hadn’t stopped Cinch. Who knows what she was planning to do with all that power.”

It was a fair point. But honestly, neither did they.

“Well we won’t know now with all that magic gone.”

You mean after he swung that bat and shatter the Magic Trap into a million pieces?

“Right… sorry.”

She chuckled. “No… I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I’m just… sad that it was wasted, that’s all. Though your swing needs a bit of practice.”

“Hey what can I say? I’m a lover not a fighter.”

“It’s just that… it was kind of unexpected.” Sunset added. “Speaking of which… why were you there in the first place?”

The boy sighed, slowly rising from his seat. “Well… Adagio told me about what you girls were going to do.”

“And you decided to come knowing the danger?”

He cocked a brow gazing directly in her eyes. “You’d prefer if I didn’t show up?”

“No. Not that. I’m……” She wasn’t really sure what to say honestly. Her hand reached for her hair, rubbing it annoyingly. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful and all… but…”

“Is it because of this?” He showed her his bandaged hand. “Sunset. What happened to me isn’t your fault. I was the one who decided to go in and help you. Anything that happens to me is on me so you don’t have to beat yourself up on my account.”

“I know. But can you help me for worrying?” Sunset reasoned. “You saw what happened back there. I don’t want you getting caught in something like that.”

“The same goes for me.”

Her eyes shot up. “Wh… what?”

“Sunset, you guys go after magical adventures on a weekly basis. Sometimes it finds you, sometimes you find it. And like last night… anything can happen. You’re worried that if I get myself involved, I’ll get hurt. And I feel the same way. I know I broke my promise to you. But whenever I see you guys go charging into danger… I worry too. Even before tonight I’ve seen you and your friends fight off monsters from another world, out of control magic and all kinds of weird stuff. It’s not fair that you get to shoulder everything while people like me get to sit on the sideline. You’re my friend and like it or not… we live in the same world now. Don’t I get to protect it too?”

“I…” Her face flushed as she pushed her hair back a bit. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Just because I’m your ex-boyfriend doesn’t mean I get to stop caring about you.” The boy added to which both of them turned red in response. “Wh… what I’m trying to say is that umm… you… all of you are really… uh. Special... to me.”

“O… oh! Really? That’s umm…” They would’ve gone on with their embarrassing tangent for a whole minute had they not notice a snowflake landing on her nose.

Their eyes quickly cast upward noting the dark clouds blotting the sky. A soft and gentle hail of snow followed not long afterward falling over the soccer field.

“Wow… would you look at that.” Flash gawked at the beautiful scenery, his previous comment immediately being forgotten. “I guess you got the first snowflake of the season.”

She chuckled softly, cheeks still flushing. “Yeah… I guess I did. Happy Hearth’s Warming.”

He blinked. “Hearth what?”

Sunset snapped herself at her error. “Oh… sorry. Old habit. That’s… uh… Equestria’s equivalent to your Winter Holiday around here. It’s kind of the same thing except we celebrate it as our unification day.”

“That’s… pretty cool.” He admitted as he opened up his hand palming a good chunk of snow. But before he could add anything else, his eyes cast over Sunset who slowly but surely began to glow. “Uh… Sunset. Are you… supposed to be doing that?”

“Doing what?” She immediately noted herself ponying-up like she was going overcharged. Her tails, ears and everything were coming to light. “Whoa!” And then they suddenly vanished the moment she became aware of them. “Ok… that was weird. That… never happened before. At least… not unintentionally.”

(Evening)(Twilight’s house)

Ah… home at last. Twilight though today was never going to end. While she adored Principal Celestia, she had to admit that getting told off by her didn’t exactly sit well. But then again she can’t blame her from banning them from using the school resources. Though they weren’t technically responsible for the damage done to the city she can’t help but feel partially responsible. Hearing that the museum would be closed for another month for repairs and Professor Cinch hospitalized, she wondered that she might’ve been right.

In retrospect they were all technically just children at this point. Children who have been given powers beyond their imaginations. She often thought that they were given these powers to help others, to better mankind. But instead they were here doing mundane tasks. She used her telekinetic abilities to fixed things, lift objects much heavier than her. Pretty much using it like a clutch of convenience. Even Applejack, who possess the strength of ten maybe twenty men was using that ability to… harvest apples.

If they went public with this power, announce to the world the existence of magic… it would change everything.

It would change this world forever.

The thought alone was both inspiring and frightening at the same time. The kind of change that would make lead the people here to a new age. Forget the Industrial Revolution or the Digital Age. An Era of Magic here will become the new cornerstone of the world. She was getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

“Twilight.” The girl was torn from her thoughts when her brother called out from the living room.

“Oh! Shining Armor. You’re… here?”

“Uh… yeah?” The boy responded her question with another questioning statement. “I used to live here. Remember?”

“What happened? Did you get kicked out of your apartment?”

“What? No! Why would you think that?”

“I’m just assuming.” She calmly replied. “So what are you doing here? Did the thing with Cadance not work out?”

“How are you…?” He quickly calmed down taking a deep breath. “No. I’m here to visit you, mom and dad.” He answered back like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “For the Winter Holidays?”

“Ooooh~ that’s right. You guys get off earlier than high-school.” She cooed. “Welcome then! Or is it welcome back? Speaking of which, I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch because I might’ve converted your room into a server room to store up all the data I’ve been sorting through.”

“Yeah… I noticed. The large blinking lights and wires gave it away.” Shining Armor shook his head in frustration. His sister can be a hurdle to handle sometimes. Especially when she as a lot of things on her mind. “Anyway. Sit down for a moment. We need to talk.”

“Oh… ok.” Twilight blinked but complied either way. She took her usual spot by the couch in the living room while her brother took dad’s favorite chair. “What’s this about?” It couldn’t be about the magical incident earlier since Celestia promised to keep it a secret.

“It’s about… your lab.”

Her face went full panic mode. “My lab?! What happened? Did something spill? Did Spike get into one of my chemical pools again!? I keep telling him that those things are not bubble baths!”

“No no. Nothing like that. Your lab is fine.” Oh that was a relief. “And Spike’s fine too… I think. It’s just that… mom and dad wanted to tell you that you have to uh… move it.”

“Move my lab?” She questioned. “Why? I have a perfect setting here. My spectrometer array is at an optimal angle with no other tall buildings blocking the sky, my supercomputer has all the spatial wiring needs and our kitchen provides the most excellent cooling vent system, and my holographic projectors look almost realistic thanks to the lighting from the sun.”

Shining Armor quirked one brow, hardly interested. “Yeah. But don’t you think that it’s a little excessive?”

“Not at all. Everything here is within the city’s safety regulations.” She boasted smugly. “I should know. I read all 70 pages. I even added emergency sprinklers and shut-off switches.”

“Yes. We know. You spent weeks assembling those. But Twilly, you have to remember that everything you do have consequences.”

“Of course I know. That’s why I added that extra security for the house.” Her brother sighed again and quickly tossed her an official looking paper at her. “What’s this?”

“That… is this month’s electricity bill.”

Electric bill? Hmm by the order of the Public Provincial Electric Authority. Blah blah blah… excessive use… yada yada yada… after fault warning… ahuh… calculate all to a total of…

“WHAT!?” Her eyes bulged out of their sockets nearly shoving her glasses out of her face. “This is how much we pay for electricity!?”

“This is how much mom and dad PAYS for electricity.” Shining Armor corrected folding his arms together in a stern manner.

“This isn’t a bill! This is outright robbery! There has to be some kind of mistake! Maybe they forgot a decimal point somewhere? That is at least two digits too high for your standard bill!”

“Oh there’s no mistake. We know. We triple checked it.” Her brother firmly stated. “Ever since you moved back from your dorm in Crystal Prep, the amount had been steadily rising. At first mom and dad could keep up with the payment. But ever since last year, the whole thing shot through the roof. Remember last Spring? They had to cancel their holiday trip because of it.”

They did? But dad said they canceled it because his back was aching.

“I didn’t know it was this bad.” Twilight looked down at the numbers again and shuddered. The only time she saw an amount that long was only in her computers. “Why didn’t they tell me?”

“They tried. But you were always so focused on your ‘Research’ to listen. That’s why I’m here to have a sit-down with you. Because of this, we have no choice but to cut your lab and your room off from the house’s electrical grid.”

“What!?” She screeched. “But my lab! The solar arrays and batteries I put up can only supply it for an hour!”

“Sorry Twilly. But until you can foot the bill, we can’t keep with all these extra expenditures.” Twilight groaned but understood his reasoning. Not even mom and dad could pay these bills forever. Heck, not even if they took two extra jobs. She didn’t know it was this bad. “However… we do have an alternative solutions for you.”

“Really?” Her eyes sparkled with hope. “I’ll do it!”

“Hold on now. Let me finish.” He raised his hands up in protest though he seemed glad that his sis was eager to make amends. “Seeing as your graduation is coming up next year and Cadance securing your scholarship in Everton Academy, mom and dad thought that it’s high time that you consider… moving out.”

“Moving out?” She parroted. “Like… to a new dorm?”

“Or a new apartment.” Shining Armor suggested putting down a folder with a long list of potential homes for his sister. “Since Everton is hours from here, we thought you’d like to have a place all to yourself. You’ll have complete freedom there. Obviously your lab will have to be… minimized. But at least then you won’t be burning through electricity here.”

Twilight glanced at the folder cringing a bit. “Isn’t this a little too sudden?”

“I know it’s a big step forward, and you still have plenty of time. But this will be a good chance for you to plan ahead.”

It was a good idea. With the next semester being her last time in CHS she should consider planning for her accommodation in Everton Academy. It was a long drive going from the eastside and back, and gas wasn’t gonna pay itself. So living close to her new school should ease her travel expenses. If she can get it to be within biking distance, then all the better. Plus she’d also have a new pad to call her own. An independent gal with no strings attached. Thinking about it sounded kind of… tempting.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try.” She accepted the folder with reluctance. There were a lot of pictures, recommendations and even color-coded alignment based on rent and size. No doubt Shining Armor spent a lot of time making this during his school years. Heck he even had several of them encircled because of the giant benefits. That… or it’s because two of them had community pools. Shining Armor did love to take the occasional dip.

“That’s the spirit.” He offered a smile. “But there’s no need to rush just yet. Take your time and look through all of them. I’m sure there’ll be one that’s perfect for you. If you want, I can even drive you to a few of them I recommended.”

With a last nod, the boy departed leaving his sister to ponder on her own future within the pages of his folder.

Author's Note

Happy Tuesday folks. Hope you're having a great week. If not... well... I hope it gets better. :raritywink:

I wanted to spend more time showing the future of the gang and the consequences of their actions. Though I know the show never really touch on the REAL life subject other than school, I thought that this might be a good chance to show things that could happen.

Well, see ya'll next Tuesday.

Future of the Band

Chapter 18: Future of the Band

(Wednesday) (Flash’s house)

Flash let out a yawn as he exited his room dressed in his usual attire preparing for another day of school. He seemed to be in a better mood after the fight at the parking lot. Other than the itch he feels from his new found scar, he was feeling pretty keen. Something good was about to happen today, he can feel it.

“Master Flash.” Edmund spoke up intercepting him by the stairs. “Your bag, sir.”

He graciously accepted it. “Thanks Edmund. Anything I should know for today?”

“A few things sir.” The butler stated following the boy down the hall. “You’ll be happy to know that the parts for your personal vehicle has just arrived last night.”

The boy beamed. “That’s awesome!”

“Yes. The mechanics are making the final touches and it should be placed in the garage by tomorrow. I told them to leave the painting to you, sir.”

Flash grinned. He knew that today was going to be a good day. “You know me best, Edmund. And… you wouldn’t happen to know about my guitar, would you?” The older gentleman answered pulling his guitar out from his back and handing it over with care.

“Freshly scrubbed, polished and tuned to your specifications, sir.”

The boy grabbed it, swung the wicked looking instrument over his body and strummed a few notes to get the feeling back. His guitar purred like a kitten in his arms. It felt great to have his favorite toy back to where it belonged.

“Sweet! I can’t believe I’ve gone so long without my baby. You’re the best Edmund.”

“Always a pleasure sir.” He bowed lowly. “Shall I pack your lunch?”

“No need. I’m good with this.” Flash smiled and played another tune grinning happily like a child only to pull a stop when he bumped onto another. “Doh! Oh! Dad?”

“Son.” Sombra replied as documents clumsily spilled from his hand. “Oh dear.”

“Sorry. Let me get that.” The boy offered kneeling to scoop up the papers. “I thought you’d already left.”

He laughed back awkwardly. “Oh well… I just came back to get a few things. Real-estate mostly. I'm making a few new purchases around Canterlot. Crystal Prep is far better maintained than I imagined. Dean Cadance did such a splendid job that it practically runs itself.”

“So… I guess you got some free times on your hands, huh?”

Sombra paused, taking a good look at his son sighing. “Well… you know that I want to spend some of it with you, Flash. It’s just that…”

“I know I know. You have a lot of responsibilities with the museum and the election coming next year.” He glanced down to the document in his hand noticing a few odd pictures attached to them. “Hey wait. Why does this place look familiar? Have I been there before?”

“Well you should. It’s our old house.” Sombra smiled.

“Our old house?” His memory from long ago clicked in, though just barely. He had some hazy memory of that place. Bits and pieces of it scattered in fragments just like the photo on the paper. It was a small old decrepit mansion situated far to the east, right at the edge of the city overlooking the ocean. It was built on the cliff with a stairway leading to the beach below. Flash recalled some of his childhood there. He remembered building sandcastles, watching the sun set into the sea and large boats sailing against the currents. “Wow… I didn’t even remember we had an old home until now. Looks pretty cool. Why did we move?”

His father’s face looked solemn and nostalgic. “Well since my work took me deeper into the city and you getting older, I thought it was high time we moved to where people were. Besides…… it didn’t really feel the same ever since Sophie – your mother – passed away.”

Oh… right. That actually made sense. He spent all his high school years here in the big city in this huge mansion. It would be natural that those times back in that place would fade. Heck he hardly even recognize his own mother too.

Shrugging the thought away, the boy flipped the page and noted a decrepit looking fortress in the next one.

“Hey… what’s this? It looks like a castle.”

His father’s eyes sparkled. “You like it? That would be Castle Hoofbeard. It’s an ancient sunken fortress built on Freefall Island, just a few miles off the coast of Canterlot City. It was used by the first settlers long ago as a lighthouse to guide ships into the dock. But it was later captured by the infamous pirate, Hoofbeard, Captain of the Salty Sea Mare. He rebuilt it into a fortress and plundered hundreds of ships in his lifetime before mysteriously vanishing from legends.”

That sounds like a great story to be told in campfires. A dream of adventurer, exploration into the unknown, buried treasures and piracy? Yes please!

“Wow… that’s pretty cool. But why did it sink?”

“Aha! That is one of the greatest mysteries!” Sombra’s face lit up like a Christmas tree showing his academic side for once. “Nobody knows! Some say that the weight of all the gold he stole from traveling merchants was so heavy that the island itself couldn’t support it. Another story says that one of Hoofbeard’s crew planned a mutiny so he decided to blow the place up and take the riches with him to the sea!”

Ok now Flash was definitely certain that this story would make a pretty awesome tale over a campfire.

“But there also exists a legend, people talk about.” Sombra added in an old sage’s voice. “It is said that during his adventures, Hoofbeard fell head over heels with a mermaid. A bright and beautiful jewel named Coralita. Against the wishes of the ocean, the two fell in love and eloped. They were very much happy together. But… then a storm broke out. Lightning threw into the castle, burning it from within. The sea roared over, grabbing the castle by the walls, dragging it down to the depths out of sheer anger! And by the end, not even the famed captain could match the power of the sea.”

“Yikes…”

“Yikes indeed.” Sombra agreed. “Not exactly a good way to go, but not underserving for a man running from the law.”

“I guess I was expecting a happy ending for the guy.”

“Perhaps you can write your own story.” His father suggested tapping his son's guitar. “I heard that you play in a band. Maybe one of this day you’ll let me hear one of your songs.”

Flash’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Of course! Why we have so much in common. I too used to be a musician when I was your age.”

“You played lead guitar?”

“What? Oh heavens no." He chuckled. "I preferred the more… classical instrument. That piano in the living room isn’t just for show, you know?”

“Really now?” The boy gave out a cheeky grin. “I’ve never heard you play it before.”

“I don’t really have that much time to pursue my old hobbies. Oh but I was a natural. Why your mother and I would put up a private performance side by side every odd moon lit night by the terrace at our old home. She was a genius in her academics and skillful with her violin. We’d play from dusk till dawn while eating bite size sandwiches and cracking the silliest jokes you’d ever hear. Why... there was this one time we spent one whole night thinking of a name for you. Sophie wanted to call you… Lightning or… Turbo. Can you believe that?”

Flash blinked. “Ok. The fact that I could’ve been called Turbo is a subject for future debate. But it sounds like you had a lot of fun with mom.”

His father’s face went solemn. “They were the happiest moments of my life, son.” He glanced up to a portrait of his late wife, one hand reaching out to it. “And I’d do anything to have her back.” He let out a nostalgic sigh before his mood brightened as a thought came to mind. “Speaking of which. I just had a fantastic idea! Do you know about the fire that burned down a city block the other day?”

The boy cringed. “Uh… well… yeah. Of course! Who hasn’t?”

“Well as part of my future election campaign, I’ve decided to hold a donation event to help rebuild the apartments that were destroyed. This kind of publicity stunt will greatly win me a lot of goodwill from the people and a lot of votes in the future. And it would make me very happy if your band would play for the event.” He laid one hand on the boy’s shoulder as assurance.

A live performance for an event? Flash’s eyes widened like saucer plates. That kind of gig would definitely be big. Huge even. It’ll draw in a lot of eyes. A lot more than anything they’ve had in their time in CHS. Not even the Rainbooms could gather that kind crowd in all of their performances.

“Wow dad… that’s…”

“If you don’t want, that’s also fine.” The older man said quickly.

“NO!” Flash closed his mouth when he realized his voice was a few decimals higher than normal. “I mean… I was just surprised by the offer. It’s… a lot bigger than what I’m used to. But… yeah… we’ll definitely perform.”

“Splendid son. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to see a man about an island.”

(Afternoon) (CHS Cafeteria)

Oh you’ve got to be kidding me. That much just a studio sized room? There wasn’t even an air-conditioning. How is anyone supposed to live there during the summer when the temperature rises over the natural body level? You'd be crazy to live in a place like that. It’s a fire hazard just waiting to happen.

“Uh… Twilight?”

And this one? Three rooms for a good deal but there’s a disco bar right next to it. Not even white noise generators could block out all the beats. She might recommend it to Vinyl but it definitely wasn’t for her.

“Twilight darling. Are you there?”

And don’t even get her started on this one. A penthouse? What kind of student could possibly afford a penthouse? She knew that Shining Armor really wanted his own personal bachelor pad but this was just going way over the top. I mean… sure it had its perks. Wide open space where she can set up her lab, comfy beds for her and Spike to lie on, an amazing view of the city, and advance automated security for protection. No Shadow Monster was ever gonna sneak up on her. But the cost was way beyond what a college student could go through. Come on bro. Get your head out of the clouds.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

“Mnyaah!” She nearly flipped when Rainbow stuck her face at her. “What? WHAT!? What’s happening?”

“You’re happening.” Rainbow Dash replied grumpily.

Even Rarity agreed with her. “Honestly darling. I know that the finals are coming next week but there is a thing as too much studying.”

Twilight quickly put her ‘notes’ away smiling apologetically. “Sorry. Sorry. I just got my head occupied right now. What were we talking about?”

“Sunset here was just telling us that her powers almost went cock-a-doodle-doo yesterday but you were so deep in your book that you didn’t hear.” Pinkie explained. “Mind telling us what happened again Sunshim?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know what happened.” Sunset answered, hand in her hair. “One minute I was just hanging around, the next thing I know I was ponying-up like my powers went supercharged.”

“You sure your geode ain’t broken?” Applejack suggested. “It might’ve dropped when we fought Cinch the other day.”

“No… at least I don’t think so.” She muttered, her hand tapping on her necklace. “I wouldn’t even know if it was broken. These things don’t exactly come with an instruction manual.”

“Well maybe you should have a semi-professional look into it.” Rarity opted gesturing to Twilight who again returned to her ‘notes’. “Twilight… darling?”

“Huh? What?”

“Sunset here was wondering if you could do some of your research on her geode. You’re the only one here with the proper equipment after all.”

“Ah…… yeah.” She sighed. “I don’t think I can do… any of that… any time soon.”

Applejack raised a brow. “Why not? You’re always into studying magic. Nothing stopped you before.”

“It’s… complicated.”

“Does it have anything to do with why you’re looking at apartments?” Fluttershy deduced holding one of the pages of her folder which slipped out.

“HEY! Give it.” The gang immediately went to full murmur mode which forced the egghead to confess. “Alright alright. I’ll explain everything. I… just happen to realize that running a fully functioning lab at my house isn’t exactly cheap. All my research and running equipment used up a lot of electricity and it worked the bill up so much that my parents had to cut it off completely.”

“Ouch… that must’ve hurt.” Rainbow nodded. “But what does that have to do with you looking for a new apartment? Don’t tell me they’re kicking you out.”

“Of course not. It’s… kind of a future planning actually. With next semester being our last time here in CHS and my scholarship in Everton already secured, I need to find a new place closer to the academy. My brother got me these so I can narrow my options.”

“Ooooh~ how chic!” Rarity cooed grabbing a page off her folder. “A penthouse? Now that’s living the dream. Wide open spaces, magnificent views for inspiration and imagine all the parties you can throw. And… oh… oh my.” Her praises stopped when she looked at the monthly price tag. “I guess that’s a little too rich for my blood. But it’s always nice to dream.”

“How about this one?” Rainbow suggested pointing at one particular building. “This one has a private gym and an obstacle course!”

“This one looks nice.” Fluttershy pointed over to a selection. “Two bedrooms, kitchen/living room put together and one bathroom. It also has a nice balcony view of the river. And the price isn’t so bad either.”

“Yeah, I thought of getting that one too. But they don’t allow animals. And there’s no way I’m moving out without Spike at my side. Not to mention I’m going to need the extra room for my lab if I want to get any research done.” She paused. "I could turn the extra bedroom into my lab... but I'm a little worried that it might take more than I could afford."

Sunset groaned in return. “I guess we’re not getting much out of the investigation. Without any leads or suspects, we’re practically back to square one.”

“Investigation?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Are you guys still doing that? I thought Principal Celestia booted out our club.”

“She booted our club out of school.” Twilight nodded in confirmation. “But she didn’t disband the club. She said that we’re still free to carry out our investigation but we’re not allowed to bring trouble to CHS. Meaning we can’t use any of the school resources. And… we’re not entirely out of leads either.” She brought up the bracelet with the black gem attached to it. “Before they cut off my lab I was able to get a reading from this artifact. As Sunset guessed, it’s a magical device that acts similar to our geode. It uses magical energy to convert it into spells. But here’s the kicker: This trinket… was manmade.”

Sunset gasped. “Manmade? Are you sure?”

“Definitely. Natural gemstones are often form with other minerals or gases which causes color variations, fissures and such. This one was definitely lab grown as it’s 99% pure of the same element. You can even see that this thing was freshly cut. Whoever made this was definitely a professional.”

“Not to mention that it would go well with an evening gown.” The gang turned over a lazy eye to their resident fashionista. “What? I can’t help it. Say what you want about that little thing, you have to admit that an accessory like that will definitely fit well with just about anything. Everything does look better in black.”

“Anyway…” Twilight continued. “I also found out what Professor Cinch was using it for. After garnering the magical residue, she seemed to have been using this magic bracelet like a scanner.” She noted their confused look. “She was looking for more magic. That’s why her spell was spread all over the city. She was looking for strong sources of magical energy.”

“That makes sense.” Applejack nodded. “She’d use that thingie to look for magic and send that big bad wolf of hers to do the dirty work.”

“And that’s not all.” Twilight added much to everyone’s anticipation. “I also think she might’ve found some too.” She pulled out a map of the city laying it on the table. “The readings were a bit vague but I think she might’ve actually found real powerful sources of magic. And they’re not small puddles like those that we found around the world in our adventures. I’m talking big strong, possibly renewable sources of magic. Bigger than all our geodes combined.”

The gang huddled around the map noting the red dots placed around the city. They were all scattered and none of them within driving distances.

“That’s… a lot of magic.” Fluttershy stated.

“And get this. They all share the same structural reading as the magic in the Yaztec artifacts! This proves that magic is a naturally recurring element in this world! An energy that can be harnessed. Think of the possibilities!” She gleefully added, her smile widening like a madman.

“If they’re so powerful, why didn’t your scanners detect them?” Sunset asked.

“A good question, President Sunset. That’s because they’re outside of the city itself. My scanners can only find magic inside the city. These ones… are miles away. I suggest we make it the CIC’s mission to find these pockets of magic and study them – or at the very least contain them and keep them out of the wrong hands.”

“Ooooh! Road trip for the holidays?” Pinkie was all in, naturally of course.

It sounded like a good plan. Perhaps a long term project in the long run. It would definitely keep them busy too with the Winter Holidays coming up. Most of their part time job would freeze up, some quite literally. Other than their family obligations to spend with their folks and Rarity’s new assignment with her new boss, they were practically free. And as far as they knew they were the only semi-official authority regarding magic.

“That sounds like a great string of adventures and all but I think you’re missing something here.” Rainbow Dash spoke up pointing at the map. “Most of these places are huge. It’ll take forever to find what we’re looking for.”

But that of course only made Twilight grin even wider. “Fear not fellow members. Because I already have a solution for that." She paused for effect. "We’re going to let the good people of Canterlot help us.” Again they turned a confused look except for the fashionista. “With the assistance of our lovely Web Designer – Rarity – we’ve changed our club website to be a gossiping ground for myths, legends and mysterious sightings.” She grabbed her phone, connecting it to the internet and showing the website itself where their club was on.

“I designed the logo of course.” Rarity stated proudly. “A little flashy. But if we want to get our name out there we have to be a little bold.”

“People from all over the countryside can log in, chat, spread rumors, post pictures and even discuss things. Like say… the new mysterious cavern at the Everfree Forest?” She showed them a photo posted by an anonymous user showing a few odd looking sites. “Or the spooky voices at the old coal mine? Once people start talking, I simply cross reference keywords here and there with other local websites and then bang! We got our next lead.”

“Wow…” Sunset whistled, amazed. “That’s very impressive. And very efficient. It certainly beats running around aimlessly. Great job, Vice President.”

“Thank you. And with all this information, I plan to check the place out this Friday.”

“Friday?” The gang choked.

“Isn’t that a bit early?” Fluttershy stated unsure.

“The earlier the better.” Twilight explained casting a look at her friends. “Who knows what kind of mishap can happen if these things are left unchecked? Better to have them in our hands rather than the wrong ones. Besides Principal Celestia declared this Friday to be an unofficial day off to give everyone a chance to study for the finals. What a better way to spend an open holiday than an adventure?”

“We’re kinda busy this week Sugar Cube. Big Mac’s getting released from the hospital tomorrow and I want to make sure he’s settled in nicely. Not to mention that we have the finals coming up too.”

“And I have to prepare my collection for Mr. Hoity Toity’s show that day. You know I can’t miss it.”

“The animals at the pet store also need care after their food poisoning.”

“I also got a makeup test.” Rainbow Dash groaned. “I didn’t exactly do well on my last pop-quiz so Professor Doodle’s got me doing overtime.”

“And I’m working at the diner right after school.” Pinkie added. “It’s going to be my last shift there before the Winter Holiday. With bonuses to boot!”

Wow… Twilight almost forgot how busy they were during the last months of winter.

“Well I got a shift at the sushi store on the weekend later on, so I’m free.” Sunset stated much to her relief. “I guess it’s just gonna be you and me Twilight.”

It would certainly seems that way.

(Midtown Apartment)

“Sweep sweep sweep sweep! Twirl your broom and sweep sweep sweep sweep!”

Sonata bobbed her head to the rhythm of the music as she swept through the apartment doing a little… winter cleaning. It wasn’t the fanciful thing for a Siren to do but considering that the only other option was to sit around and watch TV, the little airhead decided to be productive for today. And considering that this apartment was the only roof they over their heads had she thought that it deserved some extra love.

“They actually made a song about sweeping?” Aria stated from the couch grabbing a cookie from the bowl in front of her as she eyed the television with a lazy eye. “And here I thought this world couldn’t get any more bizarre. Humans are so weird.”

“I know, right?” Sonata cooed, still sweeping. “I mean who would’ve thought it’d be so catchy? You’ll never see something like that back in Equestria. This band is like… gonna be the next big thing. I just know it.”

“Hmph. Next thing you know they’ll be making a song about mopping and dusting too.”

“Actually they have a song about Spring Cleaning which isn’t as popular as Sweeping but you get the idea.” She stopped half way when she noted someone coming through the door. Unsurprisingly it was none other than their fearless leader, with groceries. “Hey Adagio. Okaeiri nasai.”

Aria shot her a look. “What’s that?”

Sonata shrugged. “Oh it’s just some greeting thing I heard about. Apparently the sushi store comes from this far off island country and they have this language which is super rad.”

“Of course you’d learn something so useless.” She turned to Adagio. “So how’s work?”

“Well… the boss isn’t a pain in the tail. And the pay is decent. Not a lot of negative energy to go around. But so far no complaint. Got a pretty good haul from the leftover table.” She added, which Sonata giddily dug in. “I paid this month’s rent so we’ll be living off canned goods for a while.”

“You sure you don’t want me to tag along?” Aria offered taking one from the leftover box. “We could make double if both of us were working.”

“There’s no opening at the restaurant.” Adagio muttered lowly as she hung her coat. The three of them then sat around the leftover box picking it off together. “And with the Winter Holiday just around the corner, there won’t be much of an option. And even if there was an opening, you think it’ll be a good idea to leave Sonata alone?” They turned to their resident airhead who continued to gobble on her share oblivious to their stare.

“Fair enough, but you can’t do this alone. Why don’t you stay behind and I’ll take your shift? You got wasted the other night fighting that witch.”

“I’m fine.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I said I’m fine…” She repeated throwing a stronger tone. “The magic I got from that boy was more than enough.”

“Yeah, but we can’t go on like this.” Aria pointed out. “I’ve been taking Sonata to that fast food place ever since we stopped working at the internet café. The negative emotions there is appalling. We need a real meal to sustain us.”

“I’m working on it.” Adagio sighed back. Though she can’t really fault them. Negative emotions didn’t exactly come in spades around here. Not unless they generated it themselves and that would take a lot of time and effort. Something they were all in short supply. “Speaking of the café. Did you give the boss a call like I asked?”

Aria threw an annoyed glare. “Yup. And no, he’s not taking us back. That idiot said something about us breaking people’s hearts. He already got us replaced with some chumps from Uptown.”

“Great… now we need to find a new place to gather negative energy. So much for that plan.” She nibbled her favorite sushi, the one with the salmon. She didn’t really quite have the names jotted down yet. “Looks like we’ll be dining on fast food for a while too.”

“So… just like old times?”

“Like old times.” They hated the old times.

“Oooooh~ this one has cheese on it!”

(Evening) (Pinkie’s house)

The trip back home wasn’t all that special for Pinkie. Normally she’d have a mini party on the school bus using her giant confetti cannon to spread love and pastries to her fellow bus riders. But with the finals coming up next week she’s been having less and less time to prepare treats for them. Studying has become a higher priority to baking and that always leaves her in a bitter mood. Even more now seeing as Maud had some business in the museum.

After waving the bus goodbye the party gal got to her house. It wasn’t as big or as fancy as many of the residents in Midtown. Her parents were old fashioned folk who held tradition and the old way of life above all else. While they have come a long way from living in stone houses, that didn’t mean they welcomed the future with open arms. Heck, it practically took her her dad to have four kids before he finally decided to replace his horse drawn carriage with a working car.

And speaking of cars, Pinkie noted that there was one car parked just outside of her house. It looked very fancy. The brand alone looked like it would take years to pay off with her current job. Did they have a visitor? One of their distant relatives?

“Hey sis.” Just as she reached the door, it opened up revealing a punk rock gal on the other side. “What’s cracking?”

She gasped. “Limestone!? You’re ba—ack!” Pinkie tried to reach out and put her eldest sister in a bear hug but was stopped by her mighty hands.

“Easy there you party animal. Remember what we talked about with your hugs?”

“To… not do it unless you approve?” She whimpered back throwing a cute pity eyes. “Pretty please?”

Limestone grunted back annoyingly. “Fine. I’ll give you ten minutes of hug time free of charge. But that’ll be my gift to you for this Holiday.”

“EEEEEEP!! Best… gift… EVER!” Without even waiting she took advantage of that gift and wrapped herself around Limestone curling like a snake. “When did you get back? I didn’t even know you were coming back. I thought you were still studying in Oxhoof! Did you get me any souvenirs?”

The eldest of the Pie siblings had a face that stated ‘I immediately regret this decision’. But thankfully she refrained from saying anything. “I got home this morning. And yes, I am still studying in Oxhoof but I’m on Winter Break. And no, I did not get you any souvenirs.”

“Aww, that’s ok big sis. Because I can get you plenty! We can get stuff from the mall and you can bring it back to your apartment and show it off to all your friends! It’ll just be like old times!”

“I hate old times.”

Pinkie laughed. “Bwahahaha! Classic Limestone. You and your silly jokes. But hey… cool car though.” She gestured to the fancy car outside with her nose. “Did you buy that all by yourself? Looks pretty expensive. My big sister, splurging on her own salary.”

“That’s a Heimer vintage classic.” Limestone explained. “It’s one of the most expensive brand in the world. They don’t’ make them here.”

“Ooooh! So you imported? That’s so like you.”

“I didn’t drive here.” She pushed the younger Pie down putting a pause on her gift hug. “It belongs to that guy dad’s talking.”

Oh? Dad actually has a friend that stopped by? There wasn’t a lot of them but they normally had a good personality to show.

“Oooh! Is it someone we know? Is it Grandpa Granite? Uncle Andesite? Or or or…”

“Pinkamena.” Their father’s voice called out from the living room. “Would you kindly come here for a minute?”

She giddily replied. “Coming dad! So who’s our surprised guests for to-----day…” Her happy-go-lucky mood immediately went poof when she noted the face of their visitor. His darkened smoke-like hair flowing back while deep red-green eyes gripped her attention.

“Ms. Pie.” The older gentleman greeted, one hand extended in offer as he rose from his seat, towering over the girl like a dark lord meeting with the hobbit for the first time. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.” The little pink girl froze like a deer in headlight.

“Pinkamena. Tis rude to keep our guest waiting.” Her mother, Cloudy Quartz tapped her shoulder forcing her daughter to go on auto-mode greeting the older man back. “Me believes you recall our good friend Sombra from our last meeting? He is father to Flash Sentry. The boy in which courted you.”

How could she forget? Sombra had been dad’s number one clientele for the last few years. Their family owned an old mining/excavation company that have operated for generations since Canterlot was just an old dusty town. They did things the old fashion way using little to no heavy machineries in their work. If you wanted to find oil, gold, or an ancient cursed ruin city at the bottom of a creepy ravine surrounded by lava and all manner of death traps? All you need to do is give the family a call and they’ll solve your problem in no time at all, customer satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

“Uh… hi! I’m Pinkie!” Pinkie mentally slapped herself. He knew that already.

“Courted!? Really?” Limestone had her eyes bolted up in the background. “When did this happen?”

“Flash told me all about your dining experience.” Sombra added which made the girl in his hand blush.

“He did?”

“Yes. He told me the hilarious story of the waiter that spilled spaghetti all over himself. And he mentioned that you were quite… adorable to boot.”

“He… he did?” Her cheeks slowly began to burn. “Ahe… ahehehe. He wouldn’t happen to say anything else… would he?”

“I’m afraid I don’t really recall much of what he said. But he didn’t seem to mind for a second outing.”

He would!?

No. NO! Pinkie! Don’t fall for it. That’s a blatant lie. He’s probably just saying that to get your parents’ approval. Flash said that he wouldn’t be interested. Don’t be duped.

“That sounds like a terrific idea.” Igneous Rock, her father, added. And no, it wasn’t a terrific idea dad. “Perhaps we should have them go for a second outing.”

“Dad!” Pinkie protested.

“Wonderful.” Sombra nodded wearing a knowing smile. “As a matter of fact, I’m holding a donation event this weekend for the unfortunate souls from the big fire the other day.” Pinkie turned to him surprised. “And my son would be playing with his friends. Perhaps your daughter would be keen in helping.”

“An astute idea.” Her father agreed, placing one hand across his chest. “It is a Pie family value to provide aid for the less fortunate when possible.”

“Excellent. I’m certain my son would be more than happy to see you again.” He laughed softly before picking up a few documents on the coffee table. “Well, would you look at the time? I have to get home. I wish we could talk more Igneous. I could really use your company’s expertise in my next excavation.”

“I’m sure it can wait fair old friend. The ground isn’t suitable for digging at this time of year. Perhaps after the snow has melted, can we continue this.”

The older gentleman nodded back in agreement. “Yes. Of course. Till next time then. Pinkie, Ms. Pie. Mrs. Pie. Good day.” He tipped his imaginary hat to the ladies before casually walking out back to his super fancy car.

Pinkie could do nothing but watch as both her parents and that guy simply agreed to let her go out with Flash – AGAIN! It almost sounded like they want the two of them to get together. Ugh… she can already tell that Maud was gonna have a field day the moment she hears this. Pinkie can already see her grinning face teasing her around the clock just to get a reaction.

Well tough luck sis, because right now she was immune to her teasing.

“So~.” Limestone spoke up, her tone dripping with suggestions as she blocked the stairs leading to her room. “Who’s the unlucky guy?”

Ah cake fudge.

Author's Note

Happy Tuesday once again folks. Here's another chapter in.
For all you readers out there. Don't forget to hit that like button because it really helps the story out.
It also never hurts to put a little something on the comment section. I'd like to hear what you guys have to say about it too. :twilightsheepish:
So see ya next Tuesday.

A Glimpse at the Big Picture

Chapter 19: A Glimpse at the Big Picture

(Thursday) (Evening) (Rarity’s house)

In through the front door, around the back, peep through the window, and jump off Jack!

“Tada! Done at last!” Rarity declared with a proud raising of her hand as the last stitch of her work was finished. “Ten variants of my buttoned blazers all knitted and ready to be put on display. And people tell me that doing all of this in one night is simply impossible. HA! Take that Manehattan Weekly!”

“They’re beautiful, sis!” Sweetie Belle sang her praises, a smile on her face. “You really outdid yourself this time.”

“That’s sweet of you sweetie. But it’ll take a lot more than this to impress someone as skillful and knowledgeable as Hoity Toity.” She patted her sister gratefully. “But nonetheless this will, at the very least, get me in good standing with him. I can’t wait to show him my designs. Which reminds me. Would you mind putting my design folders in order? I want to present them to Hoity when I meet him. One of them is bound to catch his attention.”

“No problem.” The little Belle gave a playful salute and hastily made her way to Rarity’s work table putting down several notebooks where the fashionista had jotted down all of her future ideas.

“Speaking of attention.” Rainbow Dash forced a cough to gather her attention. “Can I move now? I think my legs are starting to cramp up from all this ‘No-moving’ you made me do.”

“Ah… of course.” Rarity allowed it. “You may move. Just be sure not to make any tares. Otherwise I’ll have to do the whole thing all over again.” And neither of them wanted that. “Thank you again Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Oh sure you can.” She flashed a toothy smile. “But probably 20% less cooler.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, already used to the usual response. “Oh dear. Is it night already? My word. Time really does fly when you’re doing your labor of love. Looks like we’ll be ordering takeout today. Would you care to join us Rainbow? Consider it payment for putting yourself up there for so long.”

“Ugh… love to. But I got to get home and study. I still got my makeup test with Professor Doodle tomorrow. Maybe this weekend you can treat me to pizza.”

(Canterlot Mall)

Sunset felt like a pack mule today. And that wasn't surprising seeing that she was being treated like one.

When she agreed to come to the mall with Twilight today to prepare for expedition tomorrow she didn’t really think much about it and agreed not really expecting much. Twilight said that they were only packing a few essential things. Sunset probably thought a few gadgets here and there. But after two hours of shopping later, she wondered if she should've just slept through the day. With all the gears they've prepared, they practically looked like hardcore explorers or prospectors. The only things missing were drills and pickaxes.

“Twilight. You know how I like to prepare for all eventualities. But don’t you think you’re overdoing it just a tad bit?”

“Not at all.” Twilight casually replied. “These are simply the basics. We’re about to go in an unexplored cave system. Who knows how deep it goes or what we’ll even find down there. We can’t afford to leave anything to chance. So anyway. I’m thinking we should double up on protective gears and maybe some extra repellant along the way.”

“Yeah… but why do we need diving gears?” Sunset gestured to the third bag on her left arm.

“Just in case we run into an underground water system!" That's your reasoning? "Come on. Don't give me that look. Haven’t you seen Daring Do and the Cavern of Lost Souls? If Daring Do had been a little more prepared, she wouldn’t have lost the Arsene Amulet to Dr. Caballeron and his goons and had to go through Saddle Arabia for the whole ordeal."

Yeah... and the movie would've been an hour shorter too. But Sunset didn't want to point that out.

“I’m thinking that the adventures of a fictional character in a story isn’t the perfect example of survival in real life.” She put the bags down resting her arms. “All we need are our phones, flashlights and some food. We don’t need any of this.”

“But what if we get attacked by poisonous snakes, or get attack by cave bears, or worse yet… get bitten by cave bats!?”

“Ok. Snake bites are… possible.” Sunset agreed somewhat. “And maybe we’ll find bats. But I seriously doubt there’ll be bears there.”

Twilight folded her arm, cocking one brow in a challenge. “Oh really? Where do you think those bears in the animal shelter came from?”

…

Sunset opened her mouth to argue, but then thought about it for a second before coming to a conclusion. “So I’m thinking we triple on the bear repellants and the bug spray, just in case.”

“Triple it is!” They gave each other a congratulatory high-five and laughed at their idiocy. But then Twilight noted a familiar figure sticking out of the corner of her glasses. “Hey… is that Flash?” They turned to the boy noting he was at a toy store making a rather large purchase.

“Blue hair and sweet guitar?” Sunset smirked eyeing her friend. “Couldn’t be anyone else. And… is he buying a box load of… stuffed animals?”

Out of curiosity they approached him, which he quickly sensed. “Oh, hey there you two. Doing a little last minute shopping for the weekend?”

“I’ll say.” Sunset chuckled, looking over the large box brimming with all manner of childish toys like choo choo trains, dolls and other kiddy stuff. "And so are you, apparently. Aren’t you a little old to be playing with toys?”

“You’re never too old to play with toys.” He countered with his own grin. “I still keep my favorite first ever action figure of Rockhoof the Mighty in my room at all times.” But then he paused at that remark. “Wow…… that sounded a lot better when it was in my head.”

Twilight stifled a laugh. “Don’t worry Flash. We won’t tell anyone that you still play with dolls.”

“Action figures. Totally different.”

“Sure.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “And you splurging for the Winter Holiday has nothing to do with it.”

“I can say the same thing for you.” He gestured to the stacks of bags on her arms to which she blushed.

“Th… they’re all Twilight! I was just holding it for her!” She shoved the plastic bags in her direction hearing her yelp on the floor.

The boy laughed in return. “Hey it’s cool. These toys aren’t for me either.” He leaned in to whisper. “They’re for the families who lost their homes in the fire the other day.” Oh! The girls cringed at the thought. “Yeah. Many of them pretty much lost everything in that fire. I kinda feel responsible. And… I figured that it was the Winter Holidays. So what better way to give back to them than with a bunch of presents?”

“W… wow Flash.” Twilight flicked her glasses up, her voice sounding awed and impressed. “That’s really sweet of you. Does your dad know you’re buying all of this?”

“Of course. He’s the one paying for it.” He replied handing a credit card to the cashier. “He’s actually holding a charity event as part of his election campaign. And seeing as he’ll be giving to the city itself, he may as well get a few voters while he’s at it.”

“So… it’s a selfish charity.” Sunset smugly stated.

Flash opted to argue but found the name to be fairly fitting. “I wouldn’t say it that way but yeah. Kinda. A lot of folks will be there to help out. And I don’t want to toot my own horn here. But yours-truly will be performing live on stage as well.” He patted his coat down being as show-off-ish as he could. “Not to brag but there’ll be at least five hundred people watching us. Way bigger than what the music festival ever pulled.”

“How very humble of you.” Twilight snickered. “Make sure Rainbow Dash doesn’t hear about it or she might try something to out-stage you.”

“Heh… she’s welcome to try. But I have something that’ll blow their minds away. I got Micro Chips working on a little surprise.” Flash winked which in turn made her blush. “I don’t suppose you girls would want to stop by and help out. The event is this Saturday at the park. We could certainly use the extra hands – and it’d be nice to have you around.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Sunset nodded in agreement.

“As long as our little outing doesn’t take too long.”

Flash blinked. “Outing? Are you guys going somewhere?”

But Sunset covered her partner’s mouth before she could say anymore. “Oh we thought we’d hang out together tomorrow to uh… study!” She forced a smile out sending a signal to Twilight to hush. “You know? For the finals? She’s helping me brush over a few subjects that I’ve been having some trouble on.” That made sense. Right?

“Really? I figured you were great in every subject.” And she really was. When it came to science, math or sports, Sunset had more than enough credits to pass all of them with barely much effort. Apparently the educational system here was pretty much child’s play compared to the lessons she had to learn in Equestria.

“Well they do get harder every year.” She reasoned poorly. “And I haven’t really had the chance to study these last few days. So an extra brain would help.”

“Oh… ok then.” The boy had the look saying ‘I’m not buying that’ but decided to let it go for now. The cashier soon returned with his receipt and handed the literal box load of toys. “I’ll see you on Saturday then.”

“Yeah… absolutely.” They watched at the boy departed with his purchase. It took a while before Twilight decided to finally pull her friend’s hand off her mouth.

“What was that about?”

Sunset shrugged feigning ignorance. “What was what about?”

“That!” She pointed at the boy in the distance. “Why didn’t you tell him that we were going to the Everfree Woods?”

“Because……” She paused, looking the floor guiltily. “I don’t want him involved.”

“Involved?” Twilight raised a brow as they left the store together. “Are you still upset that he saved us from Cinch the other night?”

“No of course not.” She eyed her. “Ok. Maybe not entirely. I know things could’ve gotten bad if he didn’t show up. But I don’t want him to endanger himself for our sakes. And if we told him about our little adventure to Everfree forest, I’ll bet my bits he’ll join us at the drop of a hat.”

“Ok. Firstly, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Flash isn’t that irresponsible. He’s a strong, kind, brave and independent boy who knows what he’s getting into. If it wasn’t for him, Cinch would’ve taken all our magic and who knows what might've happened. Second… what are bits?”

“I know… and I’m grateful for that. But… I just have this feeling that one of these days, he might seriously get himself hurt. First his car, now he’s getting scorched. And… the worst part of it is that we’re responsible for it.”

“Nothing bad will happen to him Sunset.” Twilight reassured her. “He's big enough to know what he's getting into.” She gave a care free smile. “Besides, if he's with us then at least we know there'll be two powerful magic users to protect him. Now come on. We still have time to get those bear repellants.”

Sunset tilted her head in confusion. “Wait… those actually exists here?”

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

Luna sat by the dinner table that night eating peacefully while listening to her sister talk on the phone. Her lips curled to a sultry smile as she saw how bashful Celestia was. With the way she waved her hand, playing with the long end of her hair and grinning like she just won the lottery, one good guess would say that she was talking with her new boyfriend.

It was rare to see Celestia this way. If anything it kind of reminded her of the time when they were still in college. She’d be all giddy whenever she talked to him and they’d spend the odd days out late at night. God knows what goes on in their private moments.

It took about half an hour before she finally came back to the table looking like she was luckiest girl in the world.

Luna placed her head on her hand wearing that knowing smile as she asked. “Sooo? What did he say?”

Celestia gave up on trying to hide anything from her sister anymore. If anything, denying it only made her all the more devious. “Nothing much. Sombra was just asking if I was faring well.”

“And~?”

“And he wanted to invite me us to the charity event he’s hosting in the park this Saturday.”

She cooed. “Ooooh… another event? And out in the park? How romantic. I can see you two strolling down by the lake watching the moonlight glitter on the waters.” Of course she’d like that too.

“He invited both of us, sister and all of our old friends from school. Besides he’s hosting the event. I doubt I’ll get to see much of him.”

“Oh please. For a man like him, he’ll likely find a way one way or another.” Luna grinned mischievously. “If I didn’t know any better, it might even make a good place for a proposal.” Her sister was not amused. “Too soon? Yeah I thought as much. But… just saying.”

(Friday) (Morning) (Everfree Woods) (Picnic ground parking lot)

The Everfree Forest wasn’t really much of a forest. At least not compared to the one in Equestria. From Sunset’s point of view, it looked more like a string of meadows, trees and mountain clumped together around a river. The one in Ponyville was dark, deep and mysterious in various ways. The tree lines there were so thick that you could hardly see the sky at all. Heck, it even had literal Timberwolves and other manner of evil creatures haunting its trees. The Everfree forest here had about 1/3rd the danger level of its worldly counterpart.

There were even a few settlement communities littered around the area with dirt roads leading deeper within. Some of Applejack’s relatives also live here making it tamer by comparison.

“Uh… Twilight. Are you sure this is the right place? I don’t see any caves around here.” The two of them were standing over a large parking lot that was used by hikers who enjoyed a stroll in the woods. Sadly though there weren’t any coming around here at this time of year. With the snow already piling in, you’d need a good reason to go delving into the woods. Even the forest rangers had put up warning signs discouraging folks from going too deep.

“Definitely. The map that our fellow website users gave us dictated that the cave with the mysterious voice is not far from here. But I understand your concerns so I took the liberty of getting a guide for us.”

A guide?

“And here he is now.” The egghead pointed over to the parking lot entrance where a truck rolled in parking right next to their vehicle.

A man with vibrant green hair stepped out with a lady-killer smile. “Hey there ladies.”

“Timber?”

“Yup!” Twilight confirmed it with a smile of her own. “Timber is actually one of our website user.”

“I was sure I left myself anonymous.”

His girlfriend elbowed him. “Oh please. Sapphire Spruce? Can you be any more obvious?”

“I was thinking of you when I made that.” He let out a small chuckle tapping her nose. “Anyway, I figured I’d give you guys a hand with your new club activities. When Twilight told me that she wanted to visit the spooky cave, I volunteered. Figured I’d spend more time with my favorite girl.”

“Oh stop that. Now you’re just teasing.”

“Only because I know you like it.” Oh god. The sweetness level these two are showing are off the charts. Sunset felt her stomach churning her breakfast. “So ready to head out? We have to do this while there’s still sunlight. You don’t want to be caught dead in the woods at night.”

Sunset nodded and told him to lead the way. And led the way, he did.

xxxxxxxxxx

They took a dirt road path just a few clicks off the parking lot where the tree lines were thin. The snow covered trees made for an excellent view around this part of countryside making it feel like they were back in nature's embrace. You can even spot several wildlife going on about which Fluttershy would be more than happy to see.

But as they pass through the area, Sunset and Twilight began to notice the trees becoming sparser and sparser the deeper they went. Whole sections of the forest seemed to have been cut, some of which were uprooted from the ground. It was as if someone or something had been deforesting this part of the woods.

“Uh… Timber. Is it just me or are there less trees around here than normal?”

The boy groaned into his hand. “So you noticed huh? No… it’s not just you. It’s the construction.” He led them to a nearby hill above the trees where you can see a large portion of the forest. “You can blame that little black spot over there.” He pointed to a large construction site in the distance where cranes and other heavy equipment were parked and a giant billboard holding the face of a certain millionaire winking back at them.

“Is that… Filthy Rich?”

“Everfree Day Spa Resort.” Twilight read the name out loud. “Wait… is he building a spa!? But I thought we raised enough money for the camp.”

“We did.” Timber nodded. “But that didn’t stop him from buying the land next door and building his spa there. Apparently he got it for dirt cheap from his new ‘Partner’ so now he’s building his high-class spa right here. And it’s going to be opening next month for the holidays. Right when we have our new campers too. They’ve been clearing the forest for weeks now to make room for all their equipment.”

“Ouch.” Sunset cringed. “How’s Gloriosa taking it?”

“How do you think? She’s been having fits. I can tell because she twitches every time someone mentions it. But like before, she tries not to show it.”

“Let me guess. ‘I got this’!” The redhead added doing her hand motion copying the camp manager’s style which earned her a couple of snickers from the pair. “I’m sure your camp will do fine even with that new spa. It’s not like people will just ditch the camp to enjoy a nice and hot relaxing bath.” Rarity might but that wasn't saying much.

“I hope so. I really don’t want all our renovations to go to waste.” Something tells her that wasn’t really going to be case. “Anyway, we’re here.” He pushed the bushes away revealing a cave mouth on the other side. It was a lot larger than what was shown in the website.

“Whoa…” Sunset gasped. “That’s a big cave.”

“Yeah. I know right? Hikers tend to come through here to get a view of the woods. When construction started on the day spa they accidentally caused a rockslide which opened this new cave system. Some people tried to explore it before but they ran off when they heard the spooky noise coming from within.”

“Spooky noise? What kind of noise?”

“The voices of the dead! Ooooooh~~~! Goh! My ribs.” He clutched the side of his body feeling Twilight’s elbow.

“Knock it off. This isn’t like one of your campfire stories. Besides, everyone knows that strange noises from caves are simply ambient sounds caused by wind and the natural shape and/or structure of the cave itself. Think of it as a giant flute playing one tone.”

Wow. Way to ruin the mystery there Twilight.

“I know. But you gotta admit: This place has the making of an awesome ghost story.”

“Ghosts are merely figments of people’s imagination. There are no such thing.” She paused. “But if there was… maybe I can find a way to efficiently harvest ectoplasm! Oooh! Maybe I can ask Flash to fund my research!”

Sunset chuckled but quickly noted something wrong with Timber. Did... did his eye twitch just now?

“Speaking of ghosts, did you make sure you packed your gear for cave exploration?”

Twilight casually grab her backpack revealing the multitude of equipment she purchased from the store. “Flashlight, flares, glow sticks, diving masks, snacks and refreshing energy drinks.”

“Diving mask?”

Sunset groaned. “Don’t ask.”

He thankfully didn't. “Well if you have everything, then let’s do this!”

“That’s fine Timber. Sunset and I can take it from here. It might be a bit dangerous going in.”

“Oh no you don’t.” The boy protested sternly. “The last time I allowed a girl to go into a cave alone she discovered these magical gemstones that gave her supernatural powers and nearly turned our camp into an evil lair of nature.” The two can guess who he was referring to. “I’m coming too.”

"Are... you sure? It could be dangerous."

"Oh please. Danger is my middle name." He paused, noting their blank stares. "Ok it's not. But it would certainly sound cool! Timber Danger Spruce! AKA: Danger Sprout."

Sunset laughed. "Whatever you say, Sprout."

Twilight wanted to protest but immediately went against her own wishes. If she pushed him out of the action she'd be acting just like Sunset. “Alright. You can come. But if anything magically dangerous happens, you let us deal with it? Ok?”

“Camp Everfree scout’s honor.” Gathering their courage together the three marched into the cave pulling out their flashlights to illuminate the path.

The cave itself was large and open. It was probably big enough to accommodate Sunset’s apartment. Provided the lack of electricity. But despite its size, the place was rather easy to traverse. The ground itself was smooth and weathered. It gave the kind of feeling that only Mother Nature can do.

This went on for about ten or so minutes before Sunset started to notice Timber trying and failing to get his girlfriend’s attention. Poor guy got the guts to reach for her hand only to find Twilight finding interest with the wall and the formation of stones. The boy grumbled and groaned but he wasn’t giving up. He even went for the obviously-fake-yawning-then-overextending-his-arm-around-your-special-someone trick and he missed – by a large margin. She heard of people trying too hard but this guy was the literal definition of it. Heck it was painful just to watch him fumble around.

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

Ok Rarity. This is it. The big leagues. You’ve worked hard for this day so you’re not going to screw this up. You’ve gone from independent designer to working for the best of the best. Time to take off the kiddy gloves and show the world what you’re made of.

You didn’t spend all that time working for Ms. Hemline and not learn a few tricks. If you want to be noticed, you have to be hungry. Yank fate by the hair, and pull that lady with everything you have! Make noises, be positive, never show weakness to the boss or you can kiss your butt to the curb.

Slowly reeling, the fashionista took a deep breath and stared at the door in front of her. The atmosphere here in Uptown was a league different from the rest of the city.

Fancy mansions as far as the eye can see. Paved roads, cleaned sidewalks and decors so beautiful they may as well be putting on a parade. Even the people here dressed differently. She can judge the wealth of a man just by the clothes on his back… and the jiggling of his wallet. It was either the ruffling unchangeable bills or the sound of credit cards scratching the leather.

One of these days she was gonna move to a house here. One of these days.

With another deep breath she pushed through the doors finding a woman decked in a secretary outfit waiting for her by the cashier. Judging by the amount of items put on display, the store was just about ready to open.

“Name?” The secretary lady asked to which she blinked.

“Oh… um… Rarity. I was asked to come here to present my collection for Hoity Toity.” She gestured to her clothes rack which she brought herself.

If the lady had any interest, she certainly didn’t show it. Instead she returned to her table looking down on a piece of paper scanning for her name. When she finally spotted it she looked up and nodded. “You’re expected. Mr. Toity is waiting for you at the stage. You’re the last to arrive.”

“Last to… arrive?” Rarity wasn’t really sure what that meant. She’s never been late. In fact she was 10 minutes early. The secretary lady didn’t seem interested in explaining and simply led her to the back of the shop where the amphitheater was. And from there she immediately understood what she meant.

Standing in a row on stage was a group of young talented designers. Each and every one of them vying for Hoity’s attention. And the master of fashion was there too, going through their collection like a demi-god judging their work trying to see if he would deem them worthy… or be banished forever into the void.

“Mr. Toity.” The secretary spoke up catching the man’s attention. “The last of your invitees, has arrived.”

Hoity Toity glanced at the fashionista under his shades before showing a wild smile. “Aha! Rarity! Of course! You are the one who made the adorable Musketeer poodle! Welcome. Please join us. We’ll be starting in a few minutes.”

Rarity gladly took her place on the stage standing by her other fellow designers. She adjusted her clothes rack like everyone else until she noted a familiar face beside her. “Vignette? Vignette Valencia is that you?”

“Rarity! How good to see you again my fellow chic!” They shared a light hug. “I knew I wasn’t hearing things. What are you doing here?”

“Hoity Toity invited me for his pageant show.”

“Ah! Me too! I guess he certainly has an eye for fashion if he invited the both of us.”

“He is one of the best in the business after all.”

Vignette laughed. “I know. Oh this is such a welcome surprise. We definitely have to catch up after this. My treat.”

“Oh no. I couldn’t possibly.”

“Quiet please.” Hoity Toity spoke up garnering their attention. “Thank you. Now. I’m sure you already know why I have gathered you all here. As you may have heard, the Winter Holidays is coming up and I intend to host the pageant show here at this very place. You were brought here because you are all recommended to be both imaginative, and talented. And most importantly each of you have had some measure of exposure to the public.” The participants all nodded in agreement on that part. Even Rarity has been seen on TV every once in a blue moon along with Ms. Hemline. “But to truly thrive in this business, to shine like the stars themselves, you must ensure that everyone… EVERYONE knows your name. Your brand is your creed, your badge of pride! Which is why each and every one of you will be competing in the pageant. The media will be broadcasting your designs to the world so exposure to the public will be guaranteed.”

“Ooooh!” Rarity giddied. “How exciting.”

“However…” Of course there’d be a catch. “Do not think that this show will be some charity. Only the best of the best among you may pass through. I am here to weed out the weak from the strong. Only three from the forty of you will be selected. And those that are picked will become my new protégés and you will bring your designs and join me at the fashion show of the Grand Runway next year.”

Eyes bulged as a collective gasp came from the crowd. Murmurs of excitement echoed as many planned to form secret alliances within.

“Ex… excuse me.” Vignette raised her hand up. “Are you talking about the…”

“The Grand Runway fashion show in Las Pegasus. Yes.” Hoity answered already knowing the question.

The Grand Runway…

Rarity felt her breath leaving her body. There isn’t a fashion designer alive who didn’t know that event. It was a three day festival that can last as long as a week if necessary. Once every five years or so, the greatest and brightest designers from all over the world would gather in Las Pegasus for 15 minutes of spotlight. The Grand Runway was the pinnacle of every designers’ ambition, their greatest desire made manifest. The slots in that event very limited to only barely a hundred. Only the most talented and influential are permitted. But every now and then, some star would introduce someone new into the fold letting them bask in the glory of fame. Those that show their designs on that runway are guaranteed to become famously rich in a matter of minutes!

Sponsors, talk show hosts and all manner of media exposure would make every participant known throughout the world.

Many of them here would tear each other apart just to get a spot on that show.

“But do not expect this to be easy.” Hoity added bringing them all back to reality. “In the weeks you will be spending with me, you will all be challenged in more ways than you can imagine. The pageant is in 3 weeks’ time. And by the end of each week, I will eliminate the worst of each of you until only 3 remain. Do not expect mercy from me. Compris?”

They nodded. The rules were simple enough. Be the last designer standing. It's pretty much a standard game of Battle Royale, fashion designer edition.

“Excellent.” He continued, eyeing each of the competition fiercely. “Now, you have all brought what I asked of you. Good. This shows that you are committed and have some spunk! For the pageant, you will bring the best your puny brains can make. This pageant requires imagination, a sense of the times and art! And the theme for the first part shall be: Magic fantasy!”

“Magic?” Rarity raised a quizzical brow.

“Yes! Magic! The mystery of the culture itself! The culmination of stories passed through generations. Dragons, mermaids, unicorns, adventurers and dark lords! Elves and dwarves. Knights in armor saving princesses from lonely towers trapped by foul wizards! Bring me five of your best examples by next Friday! Only half of you shall move on to the next round. Move!” With that last order the designers scrambled like headless chickens. “All materials will be provided and paid for. You may get them at the back of the stage. You may work here or at home. I do not care. All that matters is the final product! Do not fail me!”

Free fabric? Rarity’s eyes gleamed as she dashed off to the back with the rest of her rivals and saw the numerous rolls of silk, wool, reeds and leather provided. This was going to be her time. Her moment to shine. And nothing was going to stop her.

(Everfree cave)

How deep does this cave go?

That was a question ringing in Sunset’s head as they pressed through the seemingly endless tunnel. It had been well over an hour since they entered the cave and thankfully it’s been a singular straight path. But the deeper they went, the more everything here started to look the same. It began to feel like they were walking in circles.

Sunset pressed the side of her head trying to remove that thought. She sensed no magic around here but she could also be wrong. The magic of this world didn’t exactly follow the rules of Equestria. Here, magic was just plain bizarre in all kinds of wa…

“Yeow!”

Twilight flinched quickly turning her flashlight in her direction. “You ok?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Sunset waved it off kneeling to reach her feet. “The sole of my boots just tore off, that’s all. I guess it finally reached the end of its mileage. I don’t suppose you packed some glue?”

“No, but I did bring duct tape.” Twilight showed her the tape to which her friend gladly accepted. “Let’s take a quick break and rest up for now. I brought snacks.” She gently pulled Sunset to a flat stony surface to use as a seat putting a can of soda along with a bag of chips by her side. “You stay here while I go and collect some rock samples. There are some fascinating specimens here.” She didn’t wait for a reply as she headed off to the closest rock formation.

Huh… and here she thought she’d only hear something like that from Maud.

Sunset returned her attention to her boot and slowly began wrapping the sole up with duct tape.

“Here, let me do that.” Timber offered grabbing the tape from her hand. “Trust me. When it comes to fixing things or using duct tape, I’m your guy.”

“Thanks.” Sunset appreciated it and allowed him to handle the repairs. She would’ve dug into the snacks Twilight provided had she not noticed his oddly repressed irritated expression. “Is something wrong?”

The boy blinked back, the expression returning to ignorance. “Hmm? What do you mean?”

“You have that look on you. Like… you’re mad about something.”

“What? No~~. This is my normal face. I’m just being cautious. You know? Be prepared for all eventualities?” He didn’t look like he was lying. Either that or he was really good at hiding his real thoughts. “You never know what can happen in these caves.” He reached out for her hand to help her up but would soon regret it when Sunset’s powers activated at the touch.

What she felt through him… wasn’t exactly pleasant.

If she was to put a word into describing Timber’s emotions right now, it would be… jealousy. A growing irritation building at the pit of his stomach. Like a pack of porcupines was playing a game of hopscotch in his belly. He’s keeping it all in – or at the very least, he tried.

The boy was agitated. Perhaps even conflicted. And from what she saw in those visions, Twilight seemed to be the source of his anguish.

“Whoa…” The girl muttered softly. “Timber……” He let go of her hand as she whispered. “Are you… having relationship problems with Twilight?”

“What!?” He coughed, forcing out an awkward laugh. “Pfft… no! Of course not. What makes you say that? We’re fine. I’m fine. She’s fine.” She gave him a frowned look which shattered his own illusion. “Ugh… is it that obvious?”

“Not really. But… a part of you kind of gave it away.” She didn’t want to mention her powers fearing he might take offense to it. “So what seems to be the problem? I thought you two were happy together.”

“We are!” The boy stifled his voice as they turned to the girl in question who seemed strangely taken by a bunch of rocks. “I mean… I think we are. Don’t get me wrong. Twilight is an amazing gal and I love being with her. But I get the feeling that I haven’t been spending a lot of time with her.”

“Didn’t you guys go to the movies the other night?”

“Yeah and we had plans to go to the botanical garden but she kinda bailed on me at the last minute. Apparently something important came up. I assume it was something magic related.”

He must be referring to that night at the museum.

“W… well Twilight has been busy these last few weeks. We all have our own lives to deal with.”

“And not just that. It’s been getting worse too.” He added with a bit of concern in his voice. “These last few days she’s been going on and on about this guy, Flash like he's the greatest. Every time we’re on the phone she’d go on and on about him being so cool and awesome.”

“Twilight has more than one guy friend.”

“It’s not that.” He corrected quickly, making sure he didn’t portray himself as a clingy possessive boyfriend. “Of course Twilight can talk to anyone she wants. But whenever she starts mentioning ‘Him’, I get this feeling that there’s something more. Do you ever noticed your special someone having a deeper connection with someone other than you?”

Sunset opened her mouth and closed it thinking twice over what the guy was going through. Now that she thought about, her best friend does seem to have grown a soft spot for her ex-boyfriend ever since their time at Camp Everfree. Not surprising seeing how that guy has been around them these last few days. He’s been going around, risking his neck over magical problems like some hero wannabe.

But then again he has been sweet on the girl too saving her flank from and pulling her out of a jam a few times already. Not to mention that ‘Arts and Craft’ project they’ve been handling. If anything, Twilight would almost feel indebted to the guy. It wouldn’t be surprising that she’d have nothing but praises for him.

“Listen Timber. I’m… probably the last person who should be lecturing you about your love life. But I’m more than certain that it’s not as bad as you think it is.” She pat his shoulder reassuringly. “Flash is just a really good friend and I guess you could say that he’s a bit of a worry wart. A lot of stuff has been going on around the city lately. And with Twilight moving out and this whole magic fiasco, we’re kind of in a bind and…”

“Whoa whoa. Hold up. Back up a minute here.” His eyes shot up. “Twilight’s moving?”

“Yeah. She’s graduating after the next semester and moving closer to Everton. The academy is a little up on the eastside of the city so she’s looking for an apartment close by.”

“Huh… she never said anything to me.”

“I’m sure she just didn’t want you to freak out. Don’t worry about it. Be the better boyfriend she deserves.” Sunset once again patted his shoulder reassuring him. “How about this? After we’re done here, you can take Twilight off to some big romantic dinner. I’ll just tell her I uh… forgot a dentist appointment.”

“You’d do that?”

“Absolutely!” She pumped her chest proudly as she returned her broken boot back in its rightful foot. “And to prove to you that I’m committed I’ll give you two 10 minutes of alone time.”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

With a swift motion of her hand Sunset knocked her can of energy drink down letting it roll down the floor backtracking down where they came. “Oh no~ I dropped my drink and it’s rolling back~. I’d better go and get it before it’s lost forever… ooooh no~” With that poorly acted line given out she gave a knowing wink to the boy before casually walking back to get her beverage, making sure to take her time coming back.

It didn’t take long for Timber to realize that he and Twilight were now alone in that stretch of the cave. He turned over to his girlfriend who still – surprisingly – busied herself with the rocks.

“Soooooooo… whatcha find?” The boy chimed in.

“Nothing much.” Twilight replied fidgeting with her glasses with one hand while holding onto a magic tracker on the other. “I was hoping that this place would have some trace of magical energy. But my tracker isn’t even giving a tick.”

Ok Timber. You can do this. You’re Twilight’s boyfriend. No other guy is gonna swoop down and take her from right under your feet. There’s no need to worry. You can just play it cool and be the bigger man. Be calm and understanding. Be the better boyfriend just like Sunset said..

“How come you never told me that you were moving?”

Or you can just go for the Hail-Mary approach and drop the bomb on the whole thing.

Twilight turned to face him, adequately shocked. “What?”

“Sunset told me that you were moving. How come you never said anything?”

“I… didn’t think it was important.” She said calmly though a hint of panic could be felt within. “Besides, I still have one semester ahead of me. I’ll have plenty of time to pick and choose.”

“Yeah… but the least you could’ve done was give me a heads up.” Timber reasoned. “Don’t you think your boyfriend deserves to know this kind of stuff? It feels like you don’t tell me anything anymore.”

Well she has been kind of busy but that was hardly an excuse. Twilight lowered her equipment eyeing him guiltily. “Sorry Timber. It’s just that with all this magic stuff going on – I guess I’ve just been preoccupied.”

“I know that I don’t have any clue on your magic. But shouldn’t we talk a bit on stuff like this? I feel like we’re always missing out on each other. I really want this thing of ours to work and I can’t do that if you won’t open up to me.” He unconsciously kicked a pebble on the ground turning his head the other way. "I want to be part of your life too."

“I… didn’t know you felt that way.” She admitted. “But in my defense this is kind of my first ever serious relationship. I guess you can say I’m… kind of new with this whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing.”

“We’ve been dating for over a year now.”

Has it been that long? It certainly didn’t feel that way.

“Wow… I guess I’m even worse at this whole interpersonal relation than I thought.” She gave him a shy look before an idea pop. “Why don’t I make it up to you? I’m going to look into a few apartments on the eastside of the city. I could use someone with a different point of view to help.”

His mood brightened at the offer. “Really? You uh… wouldn’t want your friends to help out?”

“Let’s just say my friends have different perspective when it comes to their needs. And maybe after all this, we can spend the whole Winter Holiday in Camp Everfree, just like you wanted. So how about it?”

Timber smiled cheekily. “Well I might have to take a look at my busy schedule. But I think I can… wait…” He realized something. “Did you say eastside?”

“Yeah. Everton is on the outskirts of the city near the coast. Why?”

“Well it’s funny because my apartment is on the eastside too. I work as a coastguard at the beach, remember?”

“Really?” Twilight beamed. “Huh… I guess that means we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

He nodded. “Yeah… yeah. I think we will.” An idea popped in mind. “As a matter of fact. How about you move in…”

“Hey guys. I’m… back?” Of all the time for Sunset to return, she had to pick now.

“Hey Sunset.” Twilight responded hiding a blush under her hair. “I didn’t see you there. And…” But her embarrassment was quickly dispersed when she noted something strange. “Wait… how are you get ahead of us? Didn't you go back the way we came?”

The redhead blinked turning back to the path she came from. “I... think so. I’m pretty sure I went back to the entrance. Was there a loop we didn’t see?”

“We’ve been going a single path this whole time.” They shared an eerie pause with one another. “M… maybe there was a turn we didn’t notice?”

“Uh... yeah. Definitely. I was pretty absorbed with the can so I didn't really see where I was going." They tried to laugh it off as Sunset tossed the can back into the way she came.

But that laugh died off quickly and abruptly when they heard the can still rolling for a long while.

...

And it would later return to them from the opposite end of the tunnel hitting Timber by his foot.

Author's Note

Happy Tuesday again folks. Hope you're all having a good time wherever you are.
On the side note, I am working on getting a cover art for this little book of mine. This is perhaps my biggest fanfic yet so... yeah.

Have a good week everyone.😁

Yaztec Magic

Chapter 20: Yaztec Magic

(Park)

“Thanks again for helping out with the cider stall Pinkie. When Granny Smith told us that she had an immediate order to fill out. I didn’t know she meant… immediately.”

Pinkie waved it off, finishing her touch on the booth. “No problem silly. If I can help get these people to taste your absolutely delicious cider, then I’m more than happy to help. Especially when I get some free samples. I still can’t believe you still had a ton of these after your family reunion.”

“Yeah we had a ton of leftovers. And a few of the family chipped in too.” Applejack explained putting another six crates down. “There’s no way the whole family can drink them all, and they were just taking up space at the barn so we may as well give them out for cheap. We’ve also got another hundred orders of apple fritter flapjacks.”

“Speaking of barns… how’s Big Mac. Is he still… you know?”

“He’s fine.” The cowgirl reassured her pointing over to the booth where her brother stood with a cast around his left leg and holding onto a crutch. He looked happy enough though it would seem like he was demoted to manning the stand and doing checklists instead of the usual manual labor that he was so good at. “I told him that he didn’t’ need to come. The doc said that he should lay off the leg for another month or so. It’s a good thing that apple season is over. Otherwise we’d be behind on our harvest. Still… thanks to all this business, we might even make enough to expand the field.”

“That's great! That means more apples!"

"Yup. And from the looks of the size of this place, there's bound to be a whole lot of people who'll wanna eat our pies. Not to mention they got a band playing."

"And it's a good thing too." Pinkie agreed. "I mean we're already like 20 chapters into this story and we haven't had one musical number! I mean come on! Oh! An apple!"

“Easy Pinkie. There'll be plenty go around during the fair.” Applejack stopped her. “Oh that reminds me. I need to get the manager to sign the delivery forms. Mind handling the rest of these?”

“Okie dokey lokie!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Applejack nodded and headed off to the large stage that was being prepped at the far off corner of the side walk. The whole park itself seemed to have been converted into one giant fairground. There were game stands, food stalls and all manners of entertainment being thrown in. And to think, by tomorrow, everything here will all be free for everyone who came by. Whoever was holding this event really spared no expense to help those poor folks who lost their homes. With all the clothes, towels, toys that were being donated here, they’ll be able to restart their lives with little problems.

“Pardon me.” She called out to a crowd of important looking people who were busy prepping the stage. “I’m looking for the manager around here. I need a couple of forms signed.” If the crowd there had any attention span, they didn’t bother giving her any time of the day. “Um… hello? Does anyone know where I can find the… manager?” Irritated she turned to the nearest person she could find. “Excuse me. Who here can sign for this delivery?”

The man shrugged and went away dealing with some stage props.

“Well aren’t you a big bundle of help.”

“Don’t take it personally. They’ve been working all day. The whole thing was kind of a rush job so I’m not surprised that they’re cranky.”

“Flash?” The cowgirl jerked back. “Wh wh… what are you doing here?”

He shrugged giving the gal a smile. “Why, I’m going to be the entertainment for tomorrow evening. Me and the gang are going to perform right here at the Canterlot Park. My dad’s hosting this whole event.”

His dad?

“Your old man is funding this whole thing?”

“Yup. From the toys, food and everything right down to the big money he’ll be giving to the construction company to rebuild the entire block.” He gave a playful nod in return.

“Whoa… that… that’s really kind of him. Rebuilding a whole area of the city using his own money? Now that’s pretty generous.”

“Well to be fair, he is doing it to get some voters for his election next year. And besides… if I can hire a company to fix up a friend’s barn, my dad can probably do things even better.” Was it arrogant to toot your wealth while you’re doing charity? Applejack couldn’t tell.

“Yeah.” Her freckles turned a shade of red recalling her family reunion. “Thanks for that. If you hadn’t come along I’d probably worked myself to the bones fixing the place up. I’ll uh… try and make it up to you?”

“Don’t sweat it.” Again he waved it off. “I’m just glad I could help. Speaking of which, I’m guessing you’re looking for the manager?”

“Huh? Oh yeah. I need to get this form signed before we can set up our stall. But folks here ain’t exactly… warm with the welcome.”

“Oh? You guys putting up all that cider?”

“You bet!” Her face gleamed with pride. “Apple cider, apple pie, apple fritter flapjacks, caramel apples. Red and green and everything in between.”

“That sounds like a sale’s pitch.”

“That’s cuz it is.” She laughed. “I got that from Micro Chips. We’ll be up all night at the kitchen filling out the order. The house will smell like pie for weeks.”

“Sounds delicious.”

Applejack turned to him with a sly look. “Well compared to your corn soup it should be peachy. But that isn’t really saying much.” It was his turn to shy away and blush.

“Hey that was my first attempt at cooking. Granted it wasn’t the best. But it’s the thought that counts. Right?”

“It doesn’t really counts when your soup is literally to DIE for.”

Flash grumbled under his breath. “Ok fine. So my culinary skills aren’t exactly stellar. But in my defense, it came out pretty good for someone who cooked for the first time.”

“I wouldn’t call ‘Mistakin’salt and sugar’ to be good - and that's not even an exaggeration.”

He slumped. “Ugh. Fine! But if you’re so confident about your apples – you wouldn’t mind if I stopped by for a bite now, would you?”

“Ha! Is that a challenge? If it is then you’re more than welcome to try.” She gracefully accepted his request. “By the time you taste one of my famous apple pies, your mouth will be watering for the next one.”

“Now which one of us is exaggerating around here?"

Her smile widened. “Pfft. Why don't you stop by our stand tomorrow and have a taste? I'll bet anything that you'll be craving for a second serving after the first bite."

"Anything?"

Applejack's face turned a shade pink for her misuse of words. "Uh... y... yeah. A... anything."

Flash gave her a suspicious look, like a cop trying to break a crook in interrogation. He then smiled and clasped his hand on hers. "Alright Applejack. I will call and match your bet. Winner gets to order the loser, one wish. Law abiding, nothing humiliating and nothing too expensive of course."

“Hey Flash!” Micro Chips called out appearing from the stage. “I finally worked out the kinks on JVJ-24601! We’re ready to start the performance!”

“Be right there.” The boy answered back turning to the cowgirl who now stood stiffer than a scarecrow. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah… tomorrow.” She responded, one hand waving. All thoughts of getting that signature vanished from her mind.

(Everfree cave)

They were stuck in some kind of loop trap.

That was the only explanation Sunset could give in their current situation. For some reason beyond their control or understanding they managed to be caught in some kind mysterious loop.

“Ugh… nothing. I’m getting no signal on my phone. How about you, Twilight?”

The nerd gal shook her head in response holding her phone up near the ceiling. “No bars here either. We must be in too deep. There’s no way for us to contact the outside.”

Sunset cursed quietly under her breath. “I don’t get it. How did we get stuck in a loop spell? I don’t even feel a tick of magic here.”

“My magic tracker isn’t getting a reading either. Either it’s an illusion or something worse. But there’s no mistaking it now. There’s definitely magic here. We just need to figure out how it works.” They turned around noting Timber return panting heavily as if he just ran a marathon.

“Well it’s official.” The green haired camper said after a deep breath. “I’ve ran passed you girls five times in a row now and no exits. Either there are five identical people like you in this cave doing the exact same thing as you’re doing now, or we’re really trapped in some kind of loop.” He paused for a spell, smiling. “I guess we can say that we’re trapped in a… loop hole?”

“Not really the time, Timber.” Sunset patted the guy down and allowed him to rest for a bit. It was a worthy effort but Timber’s attempt to beat the magic with brute strength just wasn’t gonna cut it. Magic wasn’t just something you can hold in your hand. You needed to feel it to understand it.

“Ok let’s think for a minute.” Twilight suggested, putting her brain on overdrive. “This is definitely magic. No doubt about it. But this kind of magic requires energy to sustain it. And the energy here is feint… almost… non-existent.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that every time one of us goes around the corner, the trap requires more power to be drawn. If we can get it overload, we might just break it.”

“So we plough through?”

The nerd gal nodded. “It’s the only way I can think of. But we have to make it big. I’ll go this way and you take the other way around. Timber, you stay here and keep watch.”

“You got it.” And with that the two girls ran off on opposite ends of the loop. As expected, they met one another. It became a strange form of déjà vu and honestly they became quite dizzy after the first four encounters. By the end of it all, they stopped right back at Timber, panting heavily. “Anything?”

“Other than the fact that I’m slowly realizing that I am desperately out of shape?” Twilight said through pants. “No…”

“Well running around in a circle certainly wasn’t a solution.” Sunset whined. “Why don’t we just blast our way through with our magic?”

“And risk a cave-in? Not a chance! A single blast from our magic can bring this whole place down on us.”

“Well what else are we supposed to do? We can’t exactly stay here until - your bag is glowing.”

Timber raised a brow at her. “Uh… I don’t think that’s how that phrase works.”

“No, not me. Twilight. Your bag is glowing.” And to her truth, Twilight’s bag was indeed glowing with an ominous aura. She quickly ruffled through it producing the dark gem bracelet that they took from Cinch. “You brought that thing with you?”

“I certainly wasn’t going to leave something dangerous at home.” Twilight argued lifting the bracelet to her face, hearing the gem hum with an odd sound. They almost sound like voices. “But… it never reacted like this before. I wonder what it means.” She tapped the gem expecting some kind of reaction but instead found it cute and gaudy. Maybe Rarity had a point. Everything does look better in black. “Huh… maybe it’s brok…”

…

“Twilight?” Sunset’s eyes shot up when her friend suddenly vanished from view, her bag dropping right where she stood. “Twilight!?”

“Where’d she go!?” Timber reached out to where his girlfriend stood but found nothing but air. “What happened?! Twilight! Hey Twilight!”

“Twilight!” Sunset joined in the echo. But just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, she felt something stir within the walls of the cave. “Did you hear that?”

“You mean the creepy growling sound just now?” Timber shivered. “Yes. And I think I know what’s making it.” He pointed over to the wall where a big round eye suddenly appeared. It rolled around for a moment before finally turning over to them. The wall itself began to move forming into a giant golem Cyclops like it made out of clay. “That’s normal, right?”

“Run!” She grabbed him by the arm and sprinted off in the opposite direction thinking they could outrun the golem only to find themselves back to where they left it. “Oh right. That’s still happening.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“… ken. BWAHH!” Twilight fell on her back having suddenly been teleported to an unknown location. “Ow… what happened?” She rubbed her aching head as she rose back up to find herself alone in the dark. “H… hello? Anyone out there?” She extended her arms outward hoping to find someone. “Sunset? Timber? Are you guys there?” Panic and fear swelled up on her chest hearing no one respond other than her own echoes. “Guys?”

There was nothing. No reply. The only thing she could see was the bracelet in her hand, now glowing even stronger. It vibrated violently before suddenly pulling itself in a certain direction like a magnet dragging her along.

“Whoa! Hey! What gives!?” Twilight protested, tightening her grip around the magical artifact using her flimsy arms to hold it back, but just barely. “Get back here!” She quickly wrapped it around her wrist wrestling control over it. “Gotcha now you…” Her voice choked when the something in the room illuminated. A small object ahead glittered with the same glow. Humming with power. “What the…?”

When the nerd gal got close enough she slowly realized that the glowing object was some kind of statue. It was a statue of a woman… or maybe a goddess with wings. She wasn’t really sure. The thing stood atop a pedestal facing the other way. It stood out from the area like a sore thumb. The craftsmanship however was splendidly done with great attention to details. There were no blemishes or bumps. Every angle of that object was sanded leaving nothing but a smooth surface to the touch.

But just as Twilight laid one ghost of a finger on it, the statue suddenly shined illuminating the room in its bright blue glow. She shielded herself from the light until her eyes finally adjusted. But what she saw then… made her brain go ballistic.

Twilight found herself in an oddly shaped room that seemed to have been carved into the mountain in a circular form. The ceiling reached up high like it was making a cylinder. There were no exits. No paths or tunnels that led in or out of here.

But what caught her attention was the large rock formation at the center of the room itself.

She took a quick glance at the strange structure that seemed out of place. Two heavy slabs of monoliths made up the support which held up the third one with one side a tad bit shorter than the other. It stood on top of an elevated platform with the figurine facing it with its bland eyes. Hieroglyphs and runes decorated the slabs and the ground around it going all the way to the walls themselves.

“Whoa…” The girl couldn’t resist the temptation and quickly pulled out the phone she had kept in her pocket and snapped a few pics here and there. “The girls are never gonna believe this.” But then as she was snapping her pictures, the bracelet reacted again pulling her hand over to the statue. “Whoa! Hey! Stop it!” Twilight felt the magical energy within the gem slowly slip off into the figurine. Was it draining its magic or was the bracelet giving it away willingly?

Its eyes gleamed like two bright jewels before they fired beams onto the mouth of the doorway ripping space and time like plastic.

In seconds, Twilight saw the door open completely revealing a totally new scenery. It was as if she was looking out the window. And… was that a ziggurat? A temple maybe?

“What in the world?” Her curiosity reached its peaked as she stepped closer, trying to make sense of it all. It died out a second later when her feet stepped on something crunchy and fragile. She lifted her foot away, only to see a human skull glaring back at her. “YAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!” The girl panicked at the sight and fumbled on her feet. She immediately reached for the only thing to hold her balance which just so happens to be the goddess statue.

With one good pull the statue ripped itself from its pedestal. The beam that projected from its eyes died, as well did the portal. And just like that the girl vanished from the room.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Twilight!” Panic swept over Sunset when she saw her friend magically reappear, crashing onto the floor. She hugged her breathing a sigh of relief. “What happened? Where did you go?”

“I… I don’t know.” She admitted but later looked at her hand noting that the statue she tore off was still there. “One moment I was here and then there… and then… here? I’m not entirely…”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re kind of in the middle of NOT-DYING!” Timber reminded pulling the girls away as the Cyclops golem charged at them with its raised fist.

“What is that!?”

Sunset forced an awkward laugh. “Yeah, you were gone for about 5 minutes and this thing showed up while you were away. Mind helping out?”

The two of them quickly ponied-up and fired beams from their hands. Normally the impact would've been enough to send the guardian flying. But much to their surprise it barely even flinched. It continued to approach, its one eye focused on them like a camera.

Twilight quickly regained her bearing and quickly lifted a pile of rocks to block the path. But the golem brushed them away with hardly an effort.

"This... isn't good."

“Hey guys!” Timber called out pointed at the back tunnel. There was sunlight pouring in that direction. Though feint, it was still visible. “I think I see our exit. Come on!” They gladly complied sprinting towards the entrance with all the strength they could muster. Within seconds they arrived at the entrance of the cave with sunshine greeting them. "W... we're out? We're out!"

"Yeah but not out of trouble!" Sunset reminded gesturing to the giant terror lumbering behind them. "We gotta get out of here!"

“Hold on!” Twilight spoke up conjuring another of her spells lifting a large boulder from the area and plugging the mouth of the cave. The three of them could hear the Cyclops roaring on the other side, slamming its fist over the stone but to no avail. It went on for a few more seconds before it finally gave in to the futility and lumbered back. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief afterward, all slumping to the ground.
…

…

It took the three about ten minutes to finally reach the safety of the parking lot. It was exhausting. But knowing that they were out of that loop was good enough.

“Ok. Next time we go on an expedition, we’re adding magical defense traps on the list of preparations.” Twilight nodded in agreement panting heavily. “So mind telling us what happened? Where did you go?"

“I… don't know." Twilight admitted, clearly shaken from that adventure. "But I have a theory.” She showed them the figurine statue. “I believe this thing is the one causing all that magical mishap. Recognize it?”

She did. Though the object was vaguely smaller, the figurine shared the same design as the statue that was on display at the museum the other day. Part of Professor Sombra’s collection.

“That’s… Yaztec.” Sunset gasped. “But how? I thought those guys only originated in the southern forests.”

“Me too. But the room I was in had all of their designs. I have a suspicion that the rumors about them using magic isn’t just myths anymore. There’s definitely something here.”

“We should probably tell everyone what happened.” Sunset flipped her cellphone out immediately texting the club members of their exploits. “Don’t’ want them to get all worried over us.”

Twilight nodded but grumbled back too. “Ugh… if only I still had my lab. I could spend the whole night analyzing this.”

“Why don’t you let me handle those?” Sunset suggested, taking the bracelet and the figurine off her hands. Strangely enough she could feel some magic pulsing inside of them. “I think I’ll consult with an expert. I don’t want you disappearing all over again.”

“Same here.” Timber agreed. “I don’t know about you, but I think that was a good enough adventure for one day.”

(CHS)

Rainbow Dash tore her eyes off her test that afternoon, her senses tingling at the back of her head. She looked out the window squinting softly at the clouds above. Her feet began to itch, telling her to run.

“Something wrong, Rainbow Dash?” Professor Doodle inquired from his desk looking as annoyed as ever. In front of him stood a row of students, all who were taking a makeup test.

“Sorry sir. It’s just that… I just have this feeling that I just missed out on something big! Like... there's an adventure happening and I'm not a part of it.”

Cranky didn’t really seem to understand or care for that matter. “Well I don’t know about your adventures, but your test is on your desk. So unless you want to have another retake this weekend, I suggest you finish it.”

Rainbow complied. Yet she can’t shake this feeling like someone had completed an awesome adventure just now.

(Evening) (Sunset’s house)

Sunset fell on her bed that evening feeling somewhat exhausted. The expedition this morning wasn’t exactly a long one. In truth it actually took a span of four hours or so but it felt a heck of a lot longer if you included the magic trap they had to go through. That alone was scary. Not to mention that guardian they fought just now.

She trembled at the thought of facing that monster again. As if the shadow wolf wasn’t bad enough already. What was that anyway? Some kind of protector? A tomb raider stopper? It was clearly magical. There are no reference of that kind of thing in the internet other than some fantasy game: Ogres and Oubliettes. In all her years living here she never once encountered a monster of that kind. This world definitely had its way of surprising her.

Putting her pen down on the magic journal she closed the book and rested her head on her pillow. Sunset had just finished writing a message to Princess Twilight asking for some aid with this magical problem. As much as loved solving problems on her she had to admit that it was high time to call in the cavalry. While her own knowledge with magic were extensive thanks to her lessons with Princess Celestia, without her horn or access to Equestrian tools she had to rely on technology from this world. And sadly she wasn’t completely proficient with them. At least not in Twilight’s level.

Hopefully she’ll get an answer soon.

Her eyes drooped down, feeling the bed take her to dreamvile. Today was both frightening and exhausting. But right before she could get her first snooze her phone rang with that annoying ringtone that she thought she changed. Damn it Pinkie! I keep telling you to stop doing that!

“WHAT!?”

The caller on the other line most likely flinched at her answer. “Umm… hi?”

Her eyes went up when she recognized the voice. “F… Flash? Is that you?”

“Uh… yeah. Is this a bad time? I can call later.”

“No no no! I was just umm…” She looked around frantically for an excuse. “I was just having trouble with this uh... math problem Twilight gave me.”

“Oh… ok then.” He seemed to accept that reason. “Anyway, I was calling to see if you’re still coming for the charity event tomorrow. My concert’s in the evening.”

“Definitely. Wouldn’t want to miss it.”

“Great!” The boy’s mood was easy to discern. She could tell that he was smiling like a kid holding a gold coin in a candy store. “And you might wanna look at your mailbox. I sent you a little something as a gift.”

A gift?

She quickly head down to her door where a thin stack of mails were piled on one another. She mostly receives ads and newspaper. But on top of all of those was a thin brown envelope that smelled of motor oil.

“A VIP tag?”

“Yup. My dad said I can give one to my friends. I thought you could use it. It’ll get you anywhere in the park. Just flash it to any of the staff and they’ll give you the First-Class treatment. You could even use it to go backstage if you want.”

“Really? That is cool.” She gave a smug look despite knowing that he can’t see it.

“Anything for my favorite magic friend from the other world.”

She laughed. “Heh… how long did it take you to make that one up?”

“About… two hours.” The boy answered grinning. “Anyway, don’t forget to catch my performance. I don’t wanna spoil anything but I can guarantee that it’ll blow your minds.”

Her eyes rolled. “You say that on all your performances.”

“And I haven’t been proven wrong yet.” He coughed softly into his hand as he went on. “So… how’d your latest adventure go?”

“Not good.” Sunset replied exhaustingly. “At first it started out fine. We got to this cave that looked pretty amazing. But then we got trapped in this loop magic and Twilight vanished. Then we got attacked by this Cyclops thing…”

“Huh. That’s funny. And here I thought you and Twilight could’ve spent this Friday peacefully studying.”

“Well yeah but… we…” Her voice croaked when she realized that she was duped. “Oh… umm… I mean…”

Strangely enough Flash didn’t seem all that offended. He simply chuckled on the other line. “Yeah I figured that you weren’t being completely honest back at the toy store.”

She smacked her head roughly feeling somewhat cheated. “H… how’d you know?”

“Come on Sunset. Give me some credit. We used to date for an entire semester. That’s more than enough time for me to read your signs. I’d make a pretty bad boyfriend if I didn’t learn a thing or two about you.”

That was a good point. He certainly put more effort in that relationship than she did. Heck she didn’t even know that he was super rich until recently. “Look Flash. I’m sorry I lied. But if I told you about what we were really doing, you’d…”

“I’d probably go after you guys at the drop of a hat?”

She blinked. Surprisingly enough she didn’t have a better description. “Yeah… that.”

“Well… I can’t say that you’re wrong there. I have been known to be spontaneous.” Very spontaneous. “So…… what’s this about a loop trap?”

“It’s… a long story.”

“I’m not doing anything right now.” He replied cockily. “Unless you’re busy solving a difficult math problem.” Her cheeks colored. When did he get so good at teasing? But thankfully, before she could answer, her journal suddenly began to vibrate. Twilight must’ve replied.

“Sorry Flash. I umm got another call waiting. Let’s… talk again tomorrow.” She didn’t bother hearing an answer as she opened her journal expecting a positive reply.

Except that it wasn't.

Author's Note

Another week has come and gone. Not a lot happened on this chapter. :fluttershyouch:
A little heads up on the next update. It might be delayed. My hometown is having a Strawberry Festival so we're all preppin for it. We're gonna have strawberry jam for sale, strawberry cake, strawberry bun, strawberry tart and maybe some strawberry sunrise!
So expect some measure of delays if anything.

A Concert to Pie For

Chapter 21: A Concert to Pie For

(Saturday) (Morning) (CHS Courtyard)

School was pretty much deserted on the weekend. Even more so now with the finals and Winter Holiday coming up. Only a few of the faculty would drop by just to make sure everything was running properly. The whole place was covered in a thin sheet of snow as the morning sun rose up from east.

Sunset paced back and forth at the front of the portal, darting between the mirror and her phone. The last message that Princess Twilight sent stated that she was to be here, at this exact moment. She wasn’t sure why Twilight would asked her to meet her here when they could just as easily talk through their magic journal. It seemed far less convenient that way. Besides the future ruler of Equestria must have a ton of responsibilities meaning her time would be worth their weight in gold. If... time had any weight at all. But she wasn’t gonna decline the offer. Twilight was pretty much THE expert when it came to magic. Some folks might even say that she’s even better than Starswirl the Bearded in his prime. And that’s saying something. And having the Princess of Friendship and Magic here on her side would definitely make all their problems smoother than silk. Besides, it would also be nice to have someone to talk to from home.

It was also the perfect timing. With Principal Celestia having banned magic from school, she didn’t have to worry about getting in trouble.

Suddenly Sunset saw the mirror glimmer. She whipped her head around facing the portal as it opened up. A bright gleaming light shined as something came through.

“Princess Twilight?” She reached out to grab whoever it was that was coming. But the light show ended rather abruptly leaving her hanging like a leftover bread that no one wanted to finish. “Huh?”

Odd… she was sure that she saw somepony just now. Did the portal fail?

She moved closer but saw nothing but her own reflection staring back at her. The lock that she placed on the portal was still there and only she and Twilight had the keys to open it. The spell was a tad bit complex but it certainly did its job keeping people from stumbling into different worlds by accident. She tried calling out to the pony on the other side but heard no reply.

That was until her feet tapped on something metallic.

“What the?” She saw the object on the ground and quickly picked it up. “A music box?”

It was of Equestrian design. That much she could tell.

Did Twilight send this? Was it some kind of message? A secret code?

“Well aren’t you early.” A voice tore her attention away from the portal. “What are you doing here? Don’t you know that today’s a holiday?”

“Oh… Mr. Doodle. I’m uh…” She brushed up an excuse. “I’m just here to gather some of my notes for… studying.”

“Uh huh.” The man’s eyes squinted. “You’re not engaging in any kind of magical activities now, are you? I think Principal Celestia made it very clear that she doesn’t want any of your magic near this school until she says otherwise.”

“No sir. No magic here.”

“Good. The last thing we need before the finals is another one of your hijinks.” He gruffly added. “Now go home. Unless you want to take a mock exam.”

“No sir.” She quickly packed the music box in and bolted out of there.

(Applejack’s house)

“Put yer’backs into it people! We got orders to fill!” Granny Smith yelled out loud as she busied herself in the kitchen multitasking on cooking, baking and stirring a giant pot over by the stove like an old wrinkly machine that can do everything. “Apple Bloom, we need more flour at the kitchen!”

“On it!”

“And don’t forget the caramel syrup and praline. We’re gonna need both if we’re gonna feed the whole park tonight.”

“Sure thing granny!”

“And don’t forget to load the extra cider on the truck! Remember to stack them together. Don't want them g'tin cold.”

“I’m doing my best granny. But there’s only one of me to go around!” Apple Bloom complained

The whole house has been in chaos ever since this morning with the whole Apple Family rushing around like headless chickens. It was tradition that all their pastries arrive at the fair nice and warm for consumption. Nobody liked pies that were too cold or flabby apple fritter flapjacks.

“Applejack!” Granny turned to the middle child who was helping her with the baking. “What’s the holdup on that next batch?”

The cowgirl wiped the sweat off her brow as she added the final touches for her ‘special’ pie. “Sorry Granny. The next one is coming right up. Just need to add a little more on this darling.” That was a lie. The whole batch was already finished. She had been working on this particular one for some time now making sure every angle was perfect. It had the proper balance between crunchy and chewy, not too sweet but not too bland either. The absolutely perfect little pie for that special someone. She even had it put on a blue colored tin so that she would be able to distinguish it from the rest of the pile.

“Wow…” Apple Bloom gawked at the one, her drool threatening to spill out. “That looks mighty delicious. I don’t suppose I can have a bite?”

“There’ll be plenty of tasting later, Sugar Cube.” She put the rest of the pies in the oven turning the knob just right. “We still got a whole mess of orders to fill. If we keep this up we might actually get it all done early.”

“Well we can’t load all of them at once.” Granny opted. “Why don’t you and Big Mac go on ahead and set up the stall and Applejack and me can ride the family bus.” It certainly sounded a lot better than running around here.

“Alright. Be sure to save me one.”

Applejack waved off to her sister watching as Big Mac load the last box in. Despite everyone’s insistence that he took it easy, her brother couldn’t just sit idly by while the rest of the family busied themselves with the business. Well he only needed one leg to drive the truck so she reckon she could give him a pass.

But just as Applejack decided to take a quick work break, she didn't notice her grandmother passing her a sly grin.

“That Flashie boy of yours is really in for a treat, ain’t he?”

“Eeyup.” She agreed readily, only to be aware of her words a moment later. “I mean uh… I don’t know what you’re saying.” Her freckles grew a shade pinker than normal.

“Oh please. Don’t give me that hootenanny hogwash. I know a gal in love when I see one.” She gave a playful wink as she sat down by the living room tapping her lap gesturing to her granddaughter to join her. “I should know. Your ma made the same face when she was with your pa long ago. And just like you, she made this one very ‘Special’ dish that got him hooked-line-and-sinker.”

Applejack blinked, turning to her granny with a surprised expression. She almost never talked about their parents- or at least she never initiated them. They were almost like a taboo subject around the house.

“Really?”

“Yup, she made a one of a kind pear-jam pie so delicious even I was tempted to take a bite off it.” And that was saying something coming from the grandmaster of culinary arts. “They always say that a way to man’s heart is through his stomach and your pa had one of the biggest appetites here in the family. Second to Big Mac of course. That boy can chew through a buffet like a sinkhole."

“Wow… I… didn’t know that.” The cowgirl somberly replied, partially interested in the subject. “You never really talk much about ma and pa before. What gives?”

“Because you got that same silly dopey look on your face whenever you think of that Flash kid.” Again Applejack turned redder than her apples on a good harvest day. “I see so much of your ma in ya. She had that Pear-family charm that was absolutely irresistible. I uh… I guess seeing you being all love-struck jogged some old memories in this brain of mine.” She wiped away a single tear-drop from her cheeks, hiding it behind a smile. “This Flashie fellow must be real special to you if you’re going out of your way to make something like this.”

Applejack curled down awkwardly in response. There was little point in hiding it now. She wasn't exactly good at hiding her feelings. Not that she had any reason to do so. “W… well it ain’t a done deal just yet. I thought I’d do him a little favor for helping us out with the reunion. Not to mention he fixed the barn.”

“So it’s a one-sided love eh?” Granny Smith added, grinning knowingly as her granddaughter turned away to hide her burning face. “Well you always gotta start somewhere. But you won’t have any problem with the folks. Seems like that Flash fellow of yours wormed his way through the hearts of every apple in the branch. Even more so when everyone saw you all laughing about like some idiot.”

The cowgirl mentally slapped herself in realization. “Wait… is that the reason why the whole family was clamming all over us during the reunion?”

“Yup! You should’ve seen yourself that night. You had a smile so big that made everyone jealous. And the way you laugh was just so adorable that Goldie wanted to pinch your cheeks out.

Oh apple fudge. It’s no wonder why everyone was so clingy that night. That explained so much, especially when Uncle Cobbler wanted him to play that stupid drinking game of theirs. It was an old Apple Family tradition. Something about proving that they're Apple-worthy or some other nonsense. It was banned a while back but a few of them still do it as a joke every now and then. Everyone must’ve drawn their own twisted conclusion when they saw them together. How could she have been so stupid?

But… she guessed she could say that they weren’t wrong on that regard. In the end she did fall for the guy... somewhat.

Applejack couldn’t deny that she didn’t have some kind of infatuation with the boy. And honestly her love life was pretty high and dry at this point. You could even say that this was her first ever crush. Ugh that sounded really childish for some reason.

“Do… do you think I got a chance, gran-gran? You know? With Flash?” She took her hat off and held it by the seams nervously. “I… don’t really know much about all this romance stuff except for what I see in them movies. He is a really sweet guy and all. But there… are some problems.”

“Love’s all about the bumps and bruises kiddo. There ain't no such thing as a straight road.” The old lady added with a wise look. “We got some time before the fair and it’s not every day I get to hear my little girl talk about love. So lay it on me. What’s keeping ya from going all out?”

“Well… it’s complicated.”

“Oh hogwash. Don’t you remember your ma and pa’s love story? They had to go through a whole loop-de-loop before me or… pfft… Grand Pear got to them.” She held her spat in with that name. “What’s the matter? Is his folk not liking ya?”

“No. I haven’t met his folks.” Applejack sighed. “It’s just that… he used to go out with one of my friends. And I don’t know if it’s right for me to just swoop in out of nowhere and mess up the whole thing.”

Granny Smith bobbed her head. “Oooh… so it’s that kind of complicated. But they aren’t going out anymore?”

“No. At least… I don’t think so. They broke up some time ago.”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is. As far as I can see it, he’s open for business. Just like Goldie would say: If I don’t see a ring on his finger then he’s fair game!” Her granddaughter didn’t seem to agree and gave her a mean look. “What? It was a good quote in my time. Besides, if they broke up with one another then it’s their loss and your gain. If you really want this Flash fella then you can’t afford to sit back and do nothing. You gotta fight. And with your fists, there ain't no contest."

“It ain’t that easy gran-gran. And… I don’t think I got any of that… Pear-family charm like ma.”

“Oh don’t you give me that nonsense now. You got more charm in your freckles than ten of our families put together. I should know. I was a charming gal myself.” She patted her puffy gray hair in return.

“Granny…”

“I’m serious.” The older woman pulled her granddaughter to a headlock rustling her hair. “Out of all the apples that sprouted from this family tree, you are definitely the prettiest of the bunch. All you need to work some of that cooking skill I taught ya and he'll eating from the palm of your hands before you know it." That's gross grandma. "And I’ll admit. The kid sure is easy on the eyes.”

“But what if I get cold feet?”

“Then you dip yourself in hot water!” She laughed. “Or if it’s that bad maybe you can just say that you got new allergies.”

Applejack couldn’t help but snort. “Heh… you always know what to say, granny.”

“I didn’t slog through 60 winters without growing some wisdom, kiddo.” They let out a laugh which died shortly when their noses picked something up. “You smell something burning around here?”

“The pies!”

(Sunset’s house)

Ok… this is weird. Sunset knew Twilight and trusted her completely. When it comes to magic, she was the go-to-princess. But… if she was so good… why in the world would she send her a music box?

Was it some kind of magical device that could help her on her journey? Can it do magic like the artifacts of old? Did it play a tune would answer all of life’s problems?

That would certainly come in handy around here.

But sadly… it did none of those things. She checked. It was just an ornamental music box. The box itself was made of wood encrusted with cheap metal peppered in Equestrian fake-gold powder to give it that gaudy look. The crank handle was at the bottom, placed out of view which spun the gears within. Well cut amethyst gemstones were embedded on three flat sides and a single mare twirled around the top podium whenever the box was winded.

In the end, all this thing does was play music.

At least… that’s what she thought so. Perhaps Twilight gave it to her for comfort – or maybe she could pawn it off for some bits for financial assistance.

It does look nice to the keen eye. In fact that dancing ballerina mare looked very detailed. She even looked lifelike. She kind of reminds her of a friend…

“Starlight Glimmer?”

The model blinked. “Oh! Hey there Sunset.”

"GAHH!!!!" Sunset slipped back startled from the unexpected reply. She fell head first on the carpet before getting back up with an aching back. "Starlight Glimmer? Is that you?"

“The one and only.” The figurine spoke back in a realistic manner. It even smiled and bowed. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t sure this spell would work across separate worlds. But it actually did. Quite a surprise if I do say so myself.”

"That makes two of us." She groaned. “H… how are you here?”

“I’m not, silly.” Starlight laughed at her friend’s attempt to analyze her. “I’m still in Equestria. I enchanted this music box with an upgraded version of Twilight’s spell. There might be a few bugs here and there but what better way to test-run it than this? Sooo~~ anyway.” She grinned. “Twilight got her hoofs full in Canterlot right now and asked me to help you regarding all magical related incidents. I don’t want to toot my own horn here but I am pretty good at it.”

“Wow… that’s… pretty cool.” Sunset admitted. “Must be nice being the student of a great teacher like Twilight.”

“Oh! I’m not just the student anymore.” The mare coughed into her hoof as she presented herself in a regal manner. “As of a few months ago. Yours truly, in light of Princess Twilight’s ascension, has been promoted to caretaker of the Castle and Headmare of the School of Friendship!” She puffed her chest out proudly. “That’s right baby! The student has now become the master. THE Headmaster.”

“Wow! Double promotion. Congratulations!”

“Thanks. It was kind of a rush transfer and all. And all my new duties are really keeping me busy here so I can’t come and visit quite as often.”

No kidding. Being promoted out of the blue must’ve been a big change in her daily life. She can’t even begin to imagine how she could redo everything at the drop of a hat.

“Hey don’t sweat it. I completely understand.” Sunset waved it off. “Just seeing you here is almost as good as having a Skipe Chat.”

Starlight raised a brow. “A… what now?”

“A Skipe Chat. It’s this chat app we have on our computers that… uh…” How does one describe technology to those who use magic? “It’s kind of like… this. But with technology… on a screen… and no magic.”

“O… k. That's umm... neat?" The pony brushed it off rather quickly. "So anyway. Twilight told me that you’ve been having some magic related problems. And as the resident expert in the subject and your friend, I am more than willing to help. What do you have for me?”

“Well… that’s… kind of a long story.”

…

“So that’s the gist of it.”

Starlight nodded intently as she eyed the objects on the table. The bracelet with the black gem was something she was familiar with. After all, most magical artifacts in Equestria were crystal-based. The Elements of Harmony were one such examples. However the statue was definitely new. It didn’t fit with any kind of magical category she was used to.

“Hmm… very interesting.”

“So… can you help?”

Starlight nodded after a quick analysis. “Well I know what the bracelet does. But the figurine you got there is something else. I can only tell you what I can see at a glance. I’ll need more time to figure these out.” Her hoof hovered over the bracelet. “Let’s just go with what I know for now. For one thing, that bracelet with the black gemstone is a medium. It uses magical energy and converts it into a spell as long as you know the process and recipe. I… don’t want to alarm you but it seems to be far more powerful than the one you’re using right now.”

Yeah, she figured that out when they fought Cinch the other night. If she went against her alone, she’d be a goner.

“As for the statue… well that’s another thing. Where did you say you found it?”

“Twilight said she found it in some kind of shrine.” Sunset replied tapping her phone to get the photos that Twilight took in the short time she was there. “I’m not really sure how she got there. I was stuck in a looping trap while being chased by a monster. It was really something.”

“Sounds like basic tomb raiding defense for me.” Starlight added earning a confused brow from her friend. “Oh come on. I’ve read enough books and seen enough ancient temples and ruins to know that you can’t have treasures without some death trap or roadblock to impede your progress. It’s just doesn’t work that way. But a looping trap? Now that’s creative. And that monster you fought? Loot guardian 101. Most treasures in Ogres and Oubliettes are like that. I mean… really now… no one in their right mind would leave important relics undefended. I’d expect lava or acid pools, shark traps or even arrow spring plates as bare minimum for all dungeon raiding experience.”

“Well sorry if I don’t exactly have firsthand experience in dungeon raiding.” Sunset slumped over her table. “That Cyclops also seem seemed pretty scary though.”

“Ooooh sounds exciting.”

The redhead gave her a look. “It wasn’t exciting when you’re the one running for dear life.”

“Oh please. You’ve handled worse. Remember how you and your friends got trapped in a mirror and I had to save you all?” Starlight waved it off calmly. “Anyway I’ll take a closer look at this statue. Give me some time. I'll have my assistant do a little research on it. If we find anything I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey what are friends for if not help you solve strange magical artifa...?” The unicorn waved her hoof around before she paused unexpectedly like a screen freezing because of bad internet connection.

"Starlight?"

"Sorry. Could you wind up the music box just a tad bit? I think I found a glitch in my spell." Sunset did so, winding up the crank at the bottom of the box. "There we go. So anyway, how’s it going with you? Anything exciting happening since I last visited?” She paused on that sentence. “Other than the one that you just told me just now. Ahehehe…”

“Well… it hasn’t exactly been quiet here.” That was perhaps an understatement of the year.

(Park) (Evening)

“A Cyclops!?” Rainbow Dash bellowed as she listened Twilight’s story, intently gawking like a child who felt like she missed her own birthday. “A genuine Cyclops!?”

The nerd gal shrugged. “Well I wouldn’t say genuine. It was made of stone. But it was kind of scary and none of our magic worked on it. Luckily it was slow and I was able to seal it within the cave. I don’t think it’ll be coming out of there any time soon. But the ruin I found was far more interesting.”

Caves, ruins, magical artifacts, traps, mystery and a tomb guardian!? You might as well be writing the next installment of the Daring Do novel!

“Aww man! I can’t believe I missed all the excitement! That whole place has the hallmark of an awesome adventure! There were traps, and monsters! You guys had all the fun while I had to stay with Professor Doodle and his boring makeup exams.”

“You do know that education is important too, right?”

“Yeah yeah. But not as important as a super exciting adventure with your best friends! I’d give up any test for a chance to fight that monster!” Typical Rainbow Dash. “So when are you guys going on your next adventure? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? Next week? Are you guys going now? I am fit and ready to fend off monsters like Count Vladcula in Fangshire spin-off, Lord of the Bats!”

“Not any time soon.” Twilight answered much to RD’s dismay. “Sunset will be handling all magical research from here on with Princess Twilight. Without my lab or any of my equipment, I can only browse the internet and look for reference online. Right now however we’ve decided to hold things off until after the finals.”

“Aww… and here I was, thinking we could go back and fight that monster! I’m still pumped up from our last fight with Cinch. And before you muddle all my ego with your logic, we totally would’ve won if your Magic Trap didn’t go haywire.”

“Noted.” Twilight rolled her eyes, which fell upon a familiar figure by the toy stall. “Is that… Rarity?”

The fashionista in question turned to her at the call of her name. “Oh! Hello there darlings. Did you have a fun Friday?”

“Ha! I wished.” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “I was stuck taking a makeup test in school with Professor Snoozy Pants while Twilight and Sunset here went off to an action packed adventure in the Everfree Forest!”

“It’s not as exciting as she makes it.” Twilight brushed it off. “Speaking of which, how was your take with Hoity Toity? Did you get the gig?”

“Oh it went splendidly. But I’m afraid it’s a little more complicated than that.” She droned on and on explaining the details of their competition. “So now he wants us to provide him with three of our finest designs featuring magic themes. And I must say I’m at a stump. I came out here looking for inspiration but all I got are your run of the mill knights and dragons.”

The nerd gal shrugged. “Why don’t you try window shopping? Doesn’t that usually give you inspiration?”

“Oh believe me, I’ve tried.” Rarity waved her hand regally. “I went through the mall and the flea market. Normally perusing through sales and discount stores gets me in the mood of fabulous ideas. But right now I’m turning up nothing.”

“Oh that’s a bummer. If only we had magical adventures every day.” Rainbow droned on, sarcasm dripping from her mouth. “HELLO? Have you seen what we’ve gone through these last few years? We fought off brainwashing Sirens, two magic she-demons bent on total domination, a twisted version of Mother Nature in Camp Everfree, and a few hundred other stuff that I can't even go through! Can’t you use that for your inspiration?”

“It’s not that simple Dashy Darling. Hoity Toity is one of the biggest stars in the business. I simply can’t show him the usual trends. His expectations are atrociously high."

Twilight cringed. "That bad?"

"Oh you should’ve seen how he crushed through four designers with their remarkable designs. Why… his comments alone can make people like me cry rivers.” Rarity shivered at the thought. “The sting he used on them. He even went as far as calling one of them…… mundane. Oooooh. Gives me nightmares just thinking about it.”

“So… what do you plan to do?” Twilight asked.

“Well… for now I’m waiting for inspiration to hit me. I was hoping that this charity event would jolt an idea in me, but again… I’m hitting a stump.” She turned to the other two with a soft awkward smile. “Oh don’t you worry now. I’m not about to outsource this problem to any of you. My pride as a fashion designer is at stake here. I will find my muse by the end of next week or you’ll find me eating a bucket of ice cream at the Sweet Shoppe.” Somehow that last bit feels a lot more believable.

“Uh… huh. Until you flop until the very last minute and go Rare on us.” RD teased much to their confusion. “You know? Rare? Like Twilight has her panic attacks and you have your Rarity moment. Oh darlings! I’m absolutely doomed. Doomed… DOOMED!” She imitated her voice harshly and would’ve fallen on a couch too had there been one to lie on. “I’d give it another day or so before you start having one of those.”

“Oh haha. Laugh it up Rainbow Dash. But you are looking at a determined fashionista with a purpose. This is the greatest challenge I have ever faced. I will find my inspiration and I will make a design so out of this world that Hoity will have no choice but to make me his one of his protégés! This… I swear.”

Twilight chuckled back but paused when her phone vibrated with a text message. “Well you two have fun. I’m off to meet with Timber for the concert. I invited him so that we could hang out together.”

Rainbow cooed. “Ooooh. Planning something big after the music?”

Rarity laughed in agreement. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do sweetie~.”

She scoffed at their tease and dashed off into the crowd.

(Stalls)

Whoa… there are a lot more people here than Sunset expected. The park is usually sparse this time of day with the occasional older couples coming for a walk.

Now the whole place was practically brimming with people. Food stalls and stands were already erected, the stage was set and even the decorations were put on full display. Looks like Flash’s old man really was going all out just for a few signatures.

After leaving her house and letting Starlight analyze the statue for a bit, she decided to spend the rest of the day resting. She and Twilight agreed that they should lay low on the magic adventures for a while. That Cyclops they encountered in the cave along with that loop trap was more than enough for the week and she wasn't looking forward to the next adventure.

Hmm?

Wait… this aroma… it smells… familiar.

“Apple Bloom?” Sunset noted the little member of the apple family standing by the stall stacking all the trays of culinary goods that were steaming hot.

“Oh! Hey there Sunset. You here for the fair?”

“Nothing else to do at home other than study.” She smiled back sweetly. “And I knew I smelled your family’s special pie. That’s… a lot of them. Are… you handling the stall by yourself? Where’s Applejack?”

“She’s still at home finishing the last batch with granny. And I ain’t alone. Big Mac’s with me.” She pointed over to her brother who waved back at the mention of his name. “But he ain’t exactly speedy with that leg of his.”

“Can’t you ask some of the workers here to help?”

“I tried that. But there’s a long line of stalls that need handling too. We’re uh… kinda at the bottom of the list right now.”

“Same here.” Another voice added grabbing Sunset’s attention.

“Ms. Cheerilee?” The redhead blinked. “You’re running the stalls too?”

“Oh heavens no. I’m actually here to deliver some old books from the library. With the new ones arriving next semester I didn’t want to waste them. And when I saw poor old Apple Bloom handling all these by herself, I just had to help. But I have to admit that we could use a few extra pair of hands around here.”

Oh can they now?

Sunset eyed the workers at the far end, grinning as an idea came to mind. “Stay right here. Let me have a word with them.”

Cheerilee and Big Mac glanced at one another puzzled as Sunset casually strolled to the group of muscle bound workers. They didn’t seem all that interested that a kid spoke to them, but the moment she flashed out this card, she got a reaction out of them. After a little talk and a quick change of attitude, those men quickly got to their stall and helped unload everything from the truck. Within seconds, the Apple Family stall was furbished and ready.

Apple Bloom in particular was very impressed as Sunset returned with a smug grin. “Wow… how’d you get those fellas to work on us?”

She shrugged. “Let’s just say that it’s good to have friends in high places. If you guys need anything else, just give them a call and they’ll help you right up.”

(Concert grounds)

Twilight found Timber not long after she parted from Rainbow and Rarity. He was waiting for her at the center of the crowd near the stage coated for the near freezing temperature.

“Hey there sweet cheeks. How’s my favorite nerd doing?”

“Pleasantly well despite our life threatening experience yesterday.” She casually replied with a hint of amusement. “Thanks for waiting.”

“Hey, anything for you. I didn’t even know they were having a charity event. Today. I wanted to take you out to dinner yesterday but we were all kind of tuckered out after that little incident with the one-eyed monster.”

“Tell me about it.” She agreed on that notion wholeheartedly. “I think I’ve had my fill of magical adventures for now. I’m taking the weekend off.”

“I’m down with that. And… there’s also something I wanted to talk to you about too.”

“Really? About what?” Twilight gave a questioning look.

“Nothing major. I just thought we’d take the next step in our relationship.”

“Well, I’m fine with it. Besides, there are a few apartments I want to scope out tomorrow.”

He bobbed his head shyly. “Yeah… about that. Maybe… you don’t need to look far.”

“Really? Do you know of any apartments on the eastside?”

“Absolutely. It’s the perfect spot.” The green haired boy smiled warmly as he described it like paradise. “It’s got three bedrooms, a wide open kitchen, two bathrooms, and a killer view of the Everfree Woods, the rent is cheaper than what you’d find in the city, animals allowed and it’s only a 15 minute ride to Everton.”

Wow… that did sound perfect. Almost too perfect. She didn’t see anything remotely close to that in Shining Armor’s repertoire. Maybe it was a new apartment complex they built.

“That sounds… awesome! Where is it?”

“You should know it. You’ve been there a few times.”

“I have?” She asked dumbly. “Where?”

“It’s…” But he was rudely interjected when the stage lights lit up followed by flameless fireworks which erupted across the sky. The crowd erupted in a cheer as the surprise band moved into play. They were kind of showy and maybe even a little too flashy – and… is that a giant robot made out of a giant toaster with a smiley-faced bread sticking out on top?

“JVJ-24601?” Twilight recognized the unit and the creator who rode on top. For a moment she thought that the big guy was acting up again and was going on another one its software rampage. But she paused when she realized that the band was standing beside it with wide eyed smiles on their faces.

“WHAT’S UP CANTERLOT CITY!!!!!?” The lead singer shouted through the microphone, his hair flowing freely by the wind.

“Oh! Check it out! It’s Flash!”

Timber’s attention drew to the boy with the fancy getup and the blue hair. ‘Flash? Flash!? FLASH!!!? That guy again?’

His eye twitch in silent annoyance as his girlfriend cheered out the boy’s name along with the rest of the audience.

A few seconds later the instruments played… and the singer’s voice boomed in the speakers drowning all thoughts and arguments.

(Park) (Later that evening)

Flash stretched out his weary arms as he dropped from backstage feeling his throat sore. All the playing and singing really took a toll on him. That last solo-act of his also made the itch on his wounded hand even worse. Maybe he should take Applejack’s offer of getting her family recipe.

Regardless, the cheers he could hear from the audience was enough to tell him that he got them all fired up. He has to admit, Micro Chips’ robot really outdone itself with that lightshow and fog machine. He was just glad that it didn’t go haywire like last time.

Slipping into his casual clothes the boy snuck out of there pass his bandmates and headed into the fair.

The park was packed to the brim that evening. You couldn’t take two steps out of that place without stumbling onto someone. As much as he loved having fans swarm over him there are times that he just wants to stroll around without having to worry about someone taking a snapshot.

“Well well. Not a bad performance there, lover boy.” A cool yet seductive voice garnered his attention as a hand grabbed over his shoulder with a force. He turned to the owner finding a familiar grin shooting back at him. “Do you do that kind of stunt in all your performances or just the really special ones?”

“Adagio!” The boy wasn’t quite sure if he should be startled or happy to see her here. “You’re here…?”

Her smile turned wicked as he brushed his coat with a slap of her hand. “Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t come here for you. We didn’t even know that you were performing until we saw you on stage. Not bad by the way.” She threw in a wink while walking pass him tossing her hip around seductively. “That lightshow was pretty. I’m surprised you could pull off something like that without magic.”

Flash shrugged. “Oh you know. This is once in a lifetime performance. I needed a little something for a crowd this big. And the next time they see my face, they’ll be thinking of this. Besides, we all needed a little something to smile at after the fire.”

Adagio gave him a surprising look and a slow clap. “Snooty, arrogant and humble at the same time. Bravo. You’ve grown up quite a bit since we last met.”

“Really? I think I’m still the same height. I can’t really tell.”

“Don’t be a turd and take the compliment.” She threw him a punch which he dodged. “How’s the arm?”

“What? This thing?” He showed his bandaged hand proudly. “It’s just a scratch. Some folks dig a man with scars.”

“You should consider yourself lucky. Any other instance she would’ve blown your arm off. Your willpower must be extraordinary.”

“My… willpower?”

“It’s a natural defense for magic.” She answered, eyeing his bandages with a tilted eye. “Though you’re not wrong. Scars do make you look… attractive in a physical sense.” Did she just wink at him? It felt rather... flirty.

“Heh, this is nothing. You should’ve seen what I did to the other guy.”

“Yes. You assaulted an old lady with a bat. How very gallant of you. I’m sure someone here would give you a medal for your heroic action.”

Flash rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. “Hey you can ridicule me all you want. If I remember correctly, that old lady was about drain you dry. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be a goner. So I just literally saved your life.” He winked back much to her surprise. “I guess that means you owe me… three.”

“Hey! I was the one who told you about the ambush. If anything, I saved myself by bringing you along.”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that I was the one who jumped in.” He struck a heroic pose with his nose raised to the sky. “Admit it. My interference was perfect.”

Adagio scoffed. “Need I remind you that your ‘Interference’ caused the very fire that destroyed the homes of all these people around you?” Oh… crud. He forgot about that. His expression turned sour and his smile faded. “Nice try, Lover Boy. But you still need a lot more manning up before you can reach my level. Good effort though. And that smile of yours really gave you a look of a man in control. Very well done. I’ll give you a C- for effort.”

“Ugh… fine.” He groaned, his forced smile dropped. “What are you here for anyway? I thought you didn’t want to hang out in the city after dark.”

“We already beat the lady with the shadow monster.” She shrugged, gesturing him to escort her through the crowd. “And this place is lit up brighter than Manehattan on Hearts and Hooves Day. Besides, I’m not gonna cower in my apartment all day out of paranoia when there’s something interesting happening just next door. It’ll take more than a shadow monster to keep me down.”

Somehow he actually believes that. This Siren didn’t look like the type who’d go down without a fight. Heck she actually reminds him a little bit of the old Sunset. Mean, cruel yet possessing the ability to love.

“Wow… that actually sounds pretty bold of you.”

She smiled. “Are you flattering me, Lover Boy?”

“What? No! Not at all. It just sounds cool coming from you.”

“Coming from someone who just made a crowd of thousands cheer?” She cooed him quietly as she cupped his chin in her hand. “That might actually mean something.” Her face inched closer to his. It was so close, he could practically feel her breath on his skin. The boy’s cheeks flushed thinking of what was coming next. “Still… I’ll take that compliment.” She then casually brushed his nose and pushed him away roughly before slipping into the crowd. “I’ll see you around, Lover Boy.”

By the time Flash looked up… she was gone.

"That girl is a box of mystery."

xxxxxxxxxx

“Oh! Oh! Adagio! Over here!” Sonata waved at her leader as she reappeared from the crowd wearing a dominant smile on her face.

“Where have you been?” Aria questioned taking a bite off a steaming slice of pie. “You were gone for a while there. Did you find something interesting?”

“Did you go to see the concert?”

The leader of the Sirens shrugged. “A little bit of both. How’s your shopping spree?”

“Oh! Like you wouldn’t believe!” The youngest of the three answered giddily. “All the food here is dirt cheap! They’re practically giving most of it away! We got these pies, cakes, cookies, and pear-jam! We can eat like queens for weeks with these!”

“No more tuna or mystery jam for us.”

Adagio chuckled at their smiles. While it was good to have ordinary food around here, it still didn’t exactly sated their baser desire.

She gestured that it was time to leave. But not before looking back one more time at the blue haired boy who fumbled in the crowd.

(Stalls)

Dear mom…

Wow… feels weird thinking that to myself. Kinda makes me feel all giddy inside.

Umm… anyway. If you’re there, I could really use some advice right now. Some love advice actually.

But don’t tell dad. Granny said he might flip if he heard about this.

The truth is that…… there’s this… guy in school.

“What are you gawking at?”

“Gah! Granny!”

“Oh stop yer gawking and get back to working. We’ve already emptied half of our stock. The other half ain’t gonna walk and eat themselves now! Git!”

“Yes granny.” Applejack nodded and quickly headed off to the truck using her super strength to get the last batch of trays in the back.

She never thought her family business would actually boom like this. Ever since she and granny arrived and the stalls opened for everyone, their stocks of pies and flapjacks vanished almost instantly. There’s no doubt that the family reserves will definitely be swollen after tonight.

And with all the money they made today, they might have more than enough to take that vacation they keep talking about, or expand the farm. Maybe even hire a few hands from the extended family to help out too. Seeing that the night would be ending soon, Applejack decided that it was time to bring out her secret weapon.

Within the racks of trays was a single pie she had marked with a blue colored pan.

This wasn’t just some ordinary pie, mind you. This here was THE pie. The pie that will make all other apple pies feel insignificant in comparison. The very special pie that she took the extra time and effort to make. While an ordinary pie had two crusts, this one had three. The top one was crispy while the middle layer was crunchy, which then complimented the soft third bottom layer. There was also twice as much apple stuffed inside which she personally handpicked from the baskets. The pie itself was carefully cut into six even slices so no one bite would be bigger or smaller than the other. Whoever took a bite off this baby was gonna go on their knees and raise their hands to the sky praising to god for their worthless existence, which was kind of the point. To make a long story short: It was the pie she baked for a very special someone.

Seeing how the concert ended on a high note and the DJ keeping the crowd entertained she was sure that ‘He’ would be on his way to their stall ready to lose the bet. This was it. Once she wins she’ll……

...
......

Oh god. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t really know what to do after she wins. After he consumes the pie Applejack will practically have one wish on him. A special favor. A onetime ticket to his heart.

Can she do that? Can she just go straight for the favor and ask if he could be her boy…… boyfriend? God just thinking about that word made her all giddy inside.

She wasn’t ready for this. She was so focused on the pie that she didn’t know what to do after. The girl needed something to say… something to go around. Maybe she could ask granny? No! She’ll just say that she should take the Hail Mary approach and go for it. She was very direct with these kinds of situations.

Ugh… maybe she should think this through before she lets the pie go cold.

…

Eh? Wait a second. Where’s the pie?

“Where’s the pie!?” Applejack screamed as her hand reached into the box only to find it empty. She was certain that she put it here. She even put a few stacks on top just to make sure no one would get their crumby hands on it. “Oh no no no! Granny! Where’s my special pie?”

“Your what now?” The elderly apple tilted her head at her.

“My special pie! The one I made for… a certain special someone.” She whispered that last bit.

“You mean that one with the blue tray?” She nodded. “I think I saw Apple Bloom take it a few minutes ago.”

Dang it!

Applejack hastily cut through the crowd. Thankfully she didn't have to go far as her sister was manning the stall. “Apple Bloom!”

“Bwah! It wasn’t me!”

“Don’t give the ‘It wasn’t me’ excuse.” She gave out a stern big sister tone. “Where’s my special pie?”

“Special pie?” The little girl gave it a thought recalling all that she ate. After a while her eyes shot up. “Oh! You mean the one with the triple crust? Yup. It was delicious.”

“Sugar Cube! That wasn’t for you!” Applejack panicked. “I made that especially for someone!”

“Well you never told me that. Besides, I was hungry and that one looked mighty delicious.”

“Ah hot diggidy dang it. I can’t believe you actually ate the whole darn thing. How am I supposed to make a new one in a few minutes!?”

“I never said I ate the whole thing.” Apple Bloom added making her sister pause. “It was way too big for me to eat all by myself so I just took a slice and gave the rest to Big Mac.”

“Big Mac!?” Applejack croaked. “That guy has a bigger appetite than Cousin Braeburn!” Without even waiting, the big apple sister bolted back to the stalls hoping that her brother hadn’t gone through the pie. If anyone was a fast eater in the family, it’d be him.

And thankfully she didn’t need to go far to find him either. With that bum leg of his, her brother was practically slower than Rainbow Dash's pet turtle. She found him by the truck having a lively conversation with… Ms. Cheerilee?

“Oh hello there Applejack.” The purple haired teacher greeted along with her brother who gave a casual wave. “Did you need something?”

“Ms. Cheerilee? How? What are you doing here?”

“I was helping out with the stalls when Big Mac here invited me for a slice of this delicious pie.” That’s her pie!

“That’s my special pie!” Applejack choked startling them. “I was saving it for someone. D… did you eat all of it?”

“Nope.”

“It was far too big for us.” Cheerilee answered innocently enough much to her relief. “So Big Mac and I just took a slice each. We gave it away to Pinkie Pie.”

“PINKIE!?”

“That’s right. She’s right over there.” And true to her words, Pinkie was there, stabbing a fork in her pie, about to take a bite.

“Pinkie!” Applejack ran in slow motion as the pinkette licked her lips, eyeing the slice she had on her fork. “S-T-O-P…!” And right before she could take one lick, Applejack tackled her to the ground like a bull on a clown.

“Ow! Hey!”

“Sorry Pinkie. I wanted to stop you, not tackle you to the ground.” Applejack frantically looked around. “Where’s my pie?”

“Your pie? You mean the one I was just about to eat?” Their answer came in the form of that pie casually landing in her hands. “Found it!”

“Give it!” Applejack snatched it before she could do anymore damage. “Only two pieces left. Honestly. I take my eye off you for two minutes and you’re already half gone.”

“Ooooh! Perfect. One for you and one for me!”

Applejack jolted up and quickly snatch the said pie away before Pinkie could dip her crummy little fingers on it. “Now hold your apples, Pinkie. This pie ain’t for you.”

“Aww… but it looks delicious.” She sniffed. “Smells delicious too. Can I have just one bite?”

“No.” Applejack placed the pie away on the table behind her making sure that it was out of people's sight. “There are other pies over by the stall.”

“Yeah but none of them looks as tasty as that one.” She took another whiff making her mouth water. “Hmmm… triple crust, extra apple filling and baked to perfection.” What are you? Some kind of apple blood hound? No one can get that kind of accuracy with just one sniff. “How about just one teeny tiny bite?”

“Pinkie. No…”

“One lick?”

“No.”

“Are you telling me you’re gonna deny your best friend that culinary masterpiece which you obviously took time and effort to make?”

“Actually, Rarity is my best friend. And… yes.”

“Oh come on! Who could be so special that you’d make a pie with so much love and attention to…” Pinkie’s face froze as her brain clicked. Her eyes sharpened while a Cheshire grin showed itself on her face. “Oooooohhhhh~~ I get it now.”

Applejack twitched. “Wh… what?”

The bubblegum gal slithered her way to AJ’s side cooing softly. “Oh I get it. You made this very special pie for a very special someone, didn’t you? Who is it!? Tell me! Tell me now!”

“It ain’t your rootin-tootin business.” She shoved her back. “Now you gotta go. He’ll be here any second now.”

“Ooooh grouchy.” Pinkie teased. “It must be serious.”

“You bet your bacon it is.” Granny Smith added from the sideline chuckling like a lady hearing a juicy gossip. “This is probably Applejack’s first ever crush so she must be super nervous.”

“Granny!”

“Aha! I knew it!” Pinkie beamed. “Oh my goodness. Applejack! This is your first ever crush! Now you really have to tell me! Who is it!? I have to know!” Great now she was gonna be even more annoying.

“Ugh fine Pinkie.” Applejack sighed in defeat. There really was no winning against Pinkie when she was in a giddy mood like this. Trying to tame her was like trying to stop an elephant stampede. “But you have double Pinkie Promise that you won’t ever… EVER say anything to anyone, not even our friends…” She paused. “Especially our friends. Got it?” The bubbly girl nodded making a bunch of hand gestures which made absolutely no sense to anyone. “Uh… is that a yes or a no?”

“Why yes silly! Obviously.” She laughed while repeating the gesture. “That’s why I zip my mouth, then lock it with a key, then dug a hole, then bury the key, then built a house atop the hole where I buried the key, then move into the house on top of the hole!”

“Right… obviously.” The cowgirl didn’t seem all that keen but decided that it was good enough. “Anyway. You’ll find out when he gets here. I don’t want to make a scene especially now that my pie is already halfway gone. We need to keep it away from other folks by then. Can I count on you?”

“Yes sir, Applejack, sir!” She stood up at attention. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll defend this pie with my life! Me and Sunset once went through a snowball war last year protecting this soufflé from getting creamed. Heh. We breezed through it like a pair of snow cones. Protecting this pie will be easy as… pie.”

“Hilarious.” Applejack scoffed. “Just make sure you don’t eat it either.”

“Hey sis. What’cha doin with all the racket?” Another chewy voice interjected.

“Oh! Hey Limestone. Let me introduce you to my good friend Applejack. Applejack, meet my big sis, Limestone. Limestone – Applejack.” Oh she was big alright, in the height and muscle kind of way. She looked like the kind of girl who could crush wood to sawdust with her bare hands. “Don’t let her scary mug trick you. Deep down, Limestone is really a big ol’e softy.”

Limestone glared at her. “Who are you calling a softy?”

“See? She’s very insecure about herself.”

“Is that how you see it?” Applejack chuckled to herself.

“Absolutely. Just take everything she says with a bucket of salt. It works well with lime.”

Her sister didn’t seem to agree. “If I wasn’t eating this pie right now, I would’ve clobbered your ears.”

“Ha! Oh Limestone. You and your silly jokes. You and your… pie?”

Pie?

Their eyes darted to Limestone… then the pie… then Limestone again.

“What?”

“THE PIE!!!” Without warning the two girls tackled the elder pie sister to the ground.

“Ow! Hey! What’s the matter with you!? Goh!”

“Spit it out! Spit it out right now! Bad Limestone! That pie is not for you!” Pinkie hammered the back of her sister’s head but that only served to make her swallow the contents in her mouth. “NOOOO!! She’s consumed the confection! It’s over! It’s all over!”

“Hang on now.” Applejack tried to sound assuring as she held up the pan putting the small crumbs together praying that she could save something out of it. “I think I got this.” But alas it was not meant to be. Her pie crumbled down like a stack of jenga that barely even made it to the third round. It fell flat on the pan plopping like a hardboiled egg leaving little to nothing behind… just like her heart.

Applejack’s knees gave in as she fell in defeat, the pan slipping from her fingers as whatever was left faltered to the ground only to be lost forever.

Her pie. Her special pie which she poured all her heart in was gone, consumed and pilfered by others before it could even reach the hand of its recipient. All of her hard work and affection crushed.

“Applejack. I’m… I’m so sorry.” Pinkie inched closer but was hesitant to put her hand over the sobbing girl. “Maybe I can make this up to you?”

“Oh… don’t sweat it Pinkie.” The cowgirl tried to put on a brave face but tears threatened to overflow from her eyes. “It’s just a pie. I can make a hundred more another day.” She forced out a smile reassuring her bubbly friend. “I’ll just… give him one of the stuff we’re giving out at the stalls. Just… let me clean up here.”

“Let me help.”

“Pinkie! Water!” Limestone gasped as her face turned blue. “Water!”

“Uh… ok. I’ll come back right after I get Limestone something to drink. Don’t finish without me!” She quickly grabbed her sister and hurried off leaving the cowgirl behind to finally sulk alone in silence. She quietly looked down at what was left of her pie and allowed those horrible feelings to surface. She stifled a sob while she hid her eyes under her hat. While she might pardon the language but right now she felt like horse dung.

Granny always said that there were just some things in life that weren’t meant to be. She guessed that this here was one of them. Maybe this was the universe telling her that she and Flash weren’t meant for one another. And who was she to fight against the universe?

“Applejack?” Oh dear universe. You really do like to rub salt on wounds, don’t ya?

The cowgirl whipped her head around finding the boy in her heart appearing out of nowhere.

“F… Flash?”

“Your sister was looking for you at the stall. She needed help putting away the trays. Looks like your pastries really went away faster than I thought.”

Applejack’s scowl deepened. “We’re out?”

Great… just great. As if things couldn’t get worse. Now she didn’t even have a regular pie to bring into the mix. God, she wished a black hole would open right beneath her right now so she’d be sucked away into oblivion.

“Like the orchard in a drought… or at least that’s what your grandmother said.” The boy shrugged turning to her with a small smile. “So is that my pie?”

She looked down on her pan. “It used to be. There was uh… a bunch of stuff.” A whole lot of stuff to be exact. “Sorry.”

“For what?” He asked. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No. But…”

“Hey if it’s about the bet, don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of chances to try. You don’t have to take it that seriously.”

“I know.” She grumbled. “It’s just… it was kind of special. You sounded like you were looking forward to it.” That was a silly excuse.

Not surprising he laughed it off. “Applejack. I wasn’t looking forward to the pie. Sure I would’ve wanted to try some. But I was looking forward to you. Not the pie.”

“Me?”

“Of course!” He patted the dirt off her shoulder. “I’d rather spend time with you than eat a hundred of your delicious pies. I mean… who else can lift a car with one hand and wrangle a cow at the same time?” She stifled a laugh making the boy smile even wider. “See what I mean? You’re way more interesting than food.”

Applejack’s cheeks burned.

Damn it! Now she’s really wishing a black hole would open right under her feet. If only she could dive in there and scream.

“Thanks.” She whispered, a hand rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. And here she thought she was the honest one around here. “I needed that.”

“Any time.”

“I still wish we had something to eat. Giving out all this food worked me an appetite.”

He was about to agree on that when he spotted something. His eyes curled as he pointed at her hat. “Hey uh… you got a little something there.”

The cowgirl’s eyes widened when she removed her Stetson finding what looked like a whole slice of pie with a fork stuck to it.

“It… can’t be.”

But it is…

Her brain jolted in realization. That was the slice that Pinkie had. It must've somehow fell out of her hands and landed right on her hat when she tackled her to the ground. The fork pinned it to her hat and it sat there this whole time without her knowing.

“Is that…?”

There was no time to argue about luck or destiny. Applejack quickly put it on the pan and shoved it at Flash. “No time! Eat it now before something happens!”

Flash paused for only a moment before he agreed and slowly dug the fork in sideways, cutting it in half. He lifted one and chewed on it.

…

A moment passed as he tasted the delicious pastry. He paused, which made Applejack even more nervous.

Once he swallowed the piece, he gave it a thought before finally answering. “Hmm… I guess it is a teeny-tiny bit better than my corn soup.” The two of them turned on one another, chuckling softly before it turned into a full blown laughter. It was a joke. A lame one at that. But it still had the desired effect. “I guess this means you win.”

Her face froze up. “I did?”

“Yup.” He took another bite and reveled in the taste. “This pie was definitely worth the wait. I’m definitely gonna look forward to the next one.”

Applejack’s breathing became erratic. She did it. She got her one wish. While it felt more like a pity victory she was definitely gonna take it. Oh god, her stomach felt weird. The good kind of weird. The kind of weird you only get from a great bowel movement.

This was it. She had authority. She had the power. But the question is... what was she going to use it for?

So many scenarios ran through her head. All of them leading to a happy ending. But alas... only one seemed like the right choice.

She blushed slightly, tapping one foot on the ground as she faced him. “Then… I guess you don’t mind if I asked for my wish right now?”

He nodded with no hesitation. “Go right ahead. I’m a man of my word. Anything within the law of possibilities and… regular law.”

“Maybe after this… you and I could… hang out more often?” The words felt like fire coming out of her mouth. Her face was practically steaming at this point. “I mean the Winter Holidays are coming and my family ain’t doing much. We never really hung out until now so… maybe you’d wanna come on by for lunch at my place? I’d uh… really like to know you better.”

She wasn’t really sure what his expression meant at that moment. Either he was confused with her request or maybe he found it strange. But then he smiled, putting the pan down as he replied.

“I think I’d like that.” His words was about as soothing as silk on one’s skin. “I’d like to know more about you, Applejack.”

Her face beamed as her heart hammered on her chest. Whatever insecurities or uncertainty the cowgirl had were wiped clean as her body began to glow. Her pony ears and tails began to show themselves without her knowledge. But she didn’t care. She just couldn’t contain this stupid smile she had on her face.

Her laugh echoed throughout the park drawing some happy and envious gazes from the crowd.

(Park)

Timber’s expression was like that of a guy who just sucked a lemon. He walked out of that concert trying his best to look like he enjoyed it but he simply couldn’t hide his annoyance any longer. Even less so when his girlfriend was singing praises of the good looking lead guitarist who sang on stage.

Twilight had been going on and on about the music, especially the giant robot that performed those mighty feats like shooting fireworks, working the light show and even popped a giant disco ball out of its toaster-torso. Timber would’ve been equally entertained too if it weren’t for his girlfriend’s gleaming eyes.

There were these sparks glittering, like someone who was just star-struck. But there was more to that. Timber learned how to read people and Twilight was someone who expressed a lot of things on her face. He didn’t want to admit it but there was definitely a spark in there that he didn’t want to see. Twilight might not even notice it but she was definitely having some feeling for the guy. And the way she looks at him, talks about him and know things about him that most people don’t? There was just no way can he see them as… just friends.

No… this can’t go on.

“Twilight.” The boy spoke up interrupting her praises. “Can I… ask you something?”

“Of course. What is it?” She nodded nonchalantly.

“Do you… love me?”

…

She blinked at the question. “Love you? Well duh. We’re dating aren’t we? Why’d you ask?”

“It’s just that… I get the feeling that we’ve been growing apart. I know that you have your magic thing and we live far apart. But I want to be sure that we’re still together.”

“Timber.” Twilight reached out to him, soothing his worries. “We’re fine. I promise. And we’re together right now. Don’t you think that counts for something?”

“Yeah… I guess so. But… I also want… more.” He inched closer, putting both her hands in his, feeling the warmth of her palms. “I guess you could say that dating you has been the best time of my life. And some of the craziest times too. And I don’t want to be away from that. I… really want to be with you, Twilight.”

Her face blushed a bit in return. “Well to be fair, this is kind of my first romantic interpersonal relationship so I don’t have much to reference on. But… I also feel the same. Our time together has been pretty awesome compared to some of my adventures. And… I don’t really want to be away from it all.”

That was heartwarming to hear.

So much so that Timber couldn’t help but pull her into a deep hug. He held her close sharing his warmth with hers. A minute later he loosened up and turned to face her with a soft and caring smile. The emotion he held up inside burst open, which gave him the courage to speak.

“Move in with me…”

…

... eh?

Author's Note

I just didn't know where to stop in this chapter. I wanted to split it into a two parter but then I thought... meh. Let's put it together. :yay:
Anywho... strawberry festival at my place so happy Tuesday everybody.

Flaws in our Rainbow

Chapter 23: Flaws in our Rainbow

(CHS) (Hallway)

Flash always knew that a battle of the bands can get physical at times. The world of music had its streak of violence before but he never thought that he would actually be a part of it. After his shred-off with Rainbow, the Principal called them in. No doubt irritated by the use of magic when she strictly banned it from school. Now there was a crater at the courtyard the size of an asteroid.

He hoped they weren’t in trouble. That’s the last thing he wanted for them.

The boy’s attention lit up when the door to the office opened revealing both Sunset and Rainbow Dash all looking rather glum.

“Hey.” He called out to them quietly as to not alert the teachers in the office. “How’d it go? You guys aren’t in trouble, are you?”

“Not as much as Rainbow Dash is.” Sunset thumbed her friend who groaned back in reply. They slowly walked through the hall and away from stray eavesdroppers. “Principal Celestia was livid about the whole thing. But thankfully she decided to leave us with a warning provided Rainbow Dash here write an essay as punishment. She wanted to give her detention but there’s really not much point with the finals going on.”

“That’s totally unfair!”

“You’re lucky it wasn’t anything severe.” The redhead warned her. “It could’ve been a lot worse with the damage you did out there. If it wasn’t finals week, Principal Celestia could’ve suspended you. You know you’re not supposed to use magic.”

“I know I know. But I can't help it. You know me. When I get my groove going, there’s just no stopping it. And you gotta admit. That Rainboom Dive Bomb was totally radical. It just needs a little more umph!”

Flash laughed in agreement sharing a fist bump with her. “Totally.”

“Don’t encourage her.” Sunset grumbled. “Rainbow, you know that Principal Celestia doesn’t want a lick of magic anywhere near the school. I think her tolerance has already hit its peak and I’m not going down with you if you do something stupid again. Remember what happened at the cruise? You sunk in quicksand and ruined everyone's vacation."

"Hey, in my defense, my evil-magic hunt got us to find another portal to Equestria which evens things out if think about it." Sunset returned that excuse with a glare that would've made Fluttershy sweat. "Ugh... ok. You made your point."

"Can you promise me that you’ll keep all of this under wraps? No more magic. At least until the finals are over? The last thing we need is Principal Celestia breathing down our necks because you couldn’t control yourself.”

“Fine. I promise that I won’t use magic at school from here on.”

“You Pinkie promise?” Dang it. Why that?

“Ugh…” Rainbow Dash sighed but did so anyway. “Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye. There. Happy?”

“Just so. Ain’t that right Pinkie?”

“Yup! Got it all here.” She gave a thumbs up gestu…er… wait… when did Pinkie get here? And… she’s gone.

Satisfied with the situation, Sunset gave a confirming nod before exiting the door noting the school janitors already filling out the crater that Rainbow Dash made. Seriously, the money the school spend on property damages has to be enormous by now. “Well I’m heading home to catch up on some studying. I’ll see you guys tomorrow?”

“Yeah sure.”

“Definitely.”

“Great. And Rainbow Dash. No magic.” She made a threatening eye to eye gesture.

“Yeah yeah. I heard ya the first time.” The guitar gal rolled her eyes watching as Sunset headed off to catch the next bus. “Sheesh. No magic. Pffft. Stupid.” She grumbled lowly when her friend was out of earshot.

“Well then…” Flash gave a coy smirk as he turned to the defeated. “I guess this means I win the bet.”

“Yeah su…” Rainbow sputtered. “Wait what? Nah ah! No way. I totally blew you off with that last note!” Yeah, him and everyone else.

“I don’t think it counts when you get told off by Principal Celestia. Besides, I think everyone will agree that I was the better shredder out there.”

“Pfft. Whatever.” Oh my god. She looked so cute when she fold her arms and puff her cheeks like that. “I’m counting it as a draw at best.”

“I think the crowd begs to differ." He gestured over to several students who were waving at him. And Rainbow couldn't really deny his skills. Flash totally up his game in the match. She wasn't even able to level the playing field until she threw magic at the deal.

And she did tear the school yard a new pot hole which only added to her frustration.“Ugh… fine! I’ll play as your dumb backup. There! I said it.”

“YES! Chalk one more for the Flash Drive.” Flash pumped his fist in the air in triumph, much to the girl’s irritation. “That’s what I’m talking about. So wanna celebrate my victory over some ice cream? My treat.”

“You want me to celebrate your victory over me?" She asked over irritation. "Tempting but no. I got better things to do than to take pity ice-cream from the enemy. I’m heading off to the bookstore downtown to get my new Daring Do adventure book. I need something good right now to get my mind off the exams… and this.”

“Cool. You walking there?” He probably added her supers speed powers in that equation.

“Eheh. Yeah… no. I learned the hard way that high velocity and icy sidewalk… don’t mix well. I got my bike. It might not be as fast as me but she gets the job done.”

Flash blinked before suddenly noticing something which made him cringe a tad bit. “Ugh… you mean your motorcycle?”

“Pfft. Duh. What else would it be?”

“It wouldn’t happen to be a blue one with multi-colored seating now, would it?”

Rainbow tilted her head. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

She followed his finger to her back where her motorcycle was parked – or at least where it used to park. The hitch pole where students lock their bikes was blown away, no doubt from the Rainboom Dive Bomb earlier. Her motorcycle was on the ground a few meters away, with one of the handles ripped from the body like a mistreated creature.

“My bike!” She quickly dashed to it grabbing it by its remaining handle. A quick scan of the chasis didn't spring much hope for her. "Oh man. Dad is gonna kill me." Rainbow Dash panicked but quickly calmed down with her trained breathing. “Ok… a little scratch here and there. But nothing that I can’t fix. It should be doable. Right?” And strangely enough the universe decided to answer that challenge as the handle she held ripped from the torso causing the bike to fall to the ground once more in a thunderous crash shattering the headlights and taillights altogether. Pieces of her ride scattered all over the courtyard never to be seen or recovered ever again.

Flash could do little but watch not really sure if that just happened.

“I uh… know a place that can fix it up.”

(Sunset’s house)

Sunset yawned out loud as she dove into her books, brushing up on some of the lessons for tomorrow’s exams. While she wouldn’t technically call herself a genius, her grades in school was definitely above average around here. Even before her reformation she was considered brilliant in human standards. Granted, the language was difficult to grasp at first, but she managed to get through it eventually.

She couldn’t wait for the Winter Holidays to start. Two weeks of endless joy she can’t even begin to imagine what fun she and her friends will have. It would certainly give her time to catch up on her games too. She hasn’t posted a single video in her gaming channel either. At this rate her subscriber rank will plummet.

“Sunset!”

“Bwah!” Sunset yelped when the music box spoke nearly making her fall off her chair. “Dan it Starlight! Mind giving me a heads up next time? You scared me.”

“Sorry. The spell doesn't exactly do delays. But I think I can give it a whirl. Are you busy right now?”

She brushed it off, putting her textbook away. “Nah. Just brushing up on my Chemistry. But seriously though. We really need to add a ringtone to your calls if you’re gonna keep popping in like this.”

“A ring… tone?”

Sunset brushed it off, too lazy to explain the details of modern technology to a magic user. “Never mind. What’s up? Did something happen?”

“Oh no. Not at all.” The Headmare chuckled. “Well there was that dancing incident with Yona and Sandbar earlier but that’s irrelevant to the reason why I’m calling you." She tilted her head up. "The thing is… we got some results on those magical artifacts you showed me.”

Well that was a silver lining if she ever saw one. “Really? That’s awesome! What did you find out?”

“Well I did some readings on the statue and the gemstone. But I wanted a second opinion on the whole thing so I brought in an expert.”

Sunset looked back puzzlingly. “I thought you were the expert.”

“Oh I am a master when it comes to magic but it pays to have another pony do a repeat. It just makes me look better on paper. Hang on. Let me bring him out.” She mumbled to herself. “Now how did that spell go again? Similo duplexus and then combine it with telepus. Aha! Got it.” The figurine then shined before splitting into two, with the copy transforming into a different pony.

“Gahh! What? Where? Who!?” The stallion with an orange mane and goatee jerked back from his stance looking startled. “How am I…? Starlight? How?”

“Sorry to interrupt you on your evening teatime. But we’re running a little short on time.” The Headmare added in a bit of a hurry. “Remember that little project I had you do? Well this is the part where you explain it.” She turned over to her human friend. “Sunburst, meet Sunset. Sunset, this is Sunburst. The newly appointed Vice-Headmare of the school of friendship.”

“H-Hello there.” Sunburst greeted flicking his glasses politely only to open them wide when he saw Sunset’s full stature. “Oh wow. How fascinating.” He scanned the girl from head to toe liked he was trying to drink in all the details. It was a rather uncomfortable feeling. “I’ve never seen your kind of specimen before. Especially bipedal creatures. Starlight told me all about your world and your body structure but this is probably the first time I’ve ever laid eyes on an actual humanicus mammalia. Your physiology is incredible!”

“A humani… wha?”

“Please excuse him.” Starlight added quickly. “He becomes hard to reach when he comes across something interesting.”

“It’s true.” The orange unicorn nodded without a hint of shame. “I once read through Wynnum’s guide to Magical Arcana six times before I felt lightheaded from starvation and dehydration. Heh… good times. I should probably give that thing another read later. Funny story. Starlight and I even…”

“Ahem. Sunburst. Time limit, remember?” The Headmare reminded pointing over to what Sunset deduced, was a clock.

“Oh! Right. Of course. I’ll uh… bring you up to speed." He coughed into his hoof. "I’ve analyzed the artifacts that you discovered on the other world. The black gemstone is obviously a magic medium. It works similarly like your crystals providing the wielder with the ability to cast magic like any other unicorn.”

“Yeah. Starlight told me that already.”

The Headmare shushed her. “Hold on. Let him finish.”

“After fully analyzing the gem, we’ve discovered that it bears similar properties to an artifact we have here at the school.”

“Similar properties?” Sunset blinked. “You mean that gem came from Equestria?”

Sunburst shook his hooves. “Well… not exactly. The artifact was from one of Star Swirl’s private collection.”

“It’s an old relic from back when Star Swirl first invented the mirror portals.” Starlight continued. “He’d make a number of these to travel between worlds and collect things from each and study them back in Canterlot Castle. Some of them are actually pretty dangerous too.”

“So you’re saying that this gemstone…”

“Is definitely not from Equestria or the world you’re on right now.” She knew it. That kind of power was simply far too dangerous for this world that relied solely on technology.

“So where did it come from?” The two ponies looked at each other and shrugged.

“We… don’t exactly know.” Sunburst admitted. “Star Swirl had a lot of mirrors made during his time. A LOT. And his collection of relics and artifacts is staggering. It's no wonder he's such a famous sorcerer. It’ll take some time before we can comb through all of it. And with all our new jobs here…”

“I know I know.” Sunset nodded knowingly. “You got your own duties. I’m sorry for taking your time. But… that still doesn’t explain how this gemstone ended up here.”

“Actually, we can explain that.” Starlight beamed much to her friends’ delight. “And the answer to that lies within that statue.” The redhead quirked a brow before grabbing the said statue. “Tell her Sunburst.”

“Of course! Now this is the fun part.” He stated excitingly. "Hold on to your saddlebags. Because that thing you have there is a multi-formulative-transdimensional-portal key!”

“A multi what now?”

Starlight rolled her eyes at her partner. “We just call it a Portal Stone for a lack of a better term.” Oh yeah. That name seemed way easier to pronounce that the multi... something.

“That statue serves as key component to opening portals. Very complicated stuff! When combined with a set spell and runes, it can open a portal to an entirely different world!”

“So… it’s like one of the mirrors?”

Sunburst laughed. “Ha! Please. This thing is on a different league than those. Star Swirl’s mirrors are powerful, yes. But they simply act as a gateway to and from two worlds and nowhere else. With that statue and the portal structure , you can literally go anywhere with no limits. You can travel from Ponyvile to the Crystal Empire and back in a matter of seconds, or just to your local grocery store just in case you forget to buy the bread for breakfast. You can literally go anywhere just by stepping out of your room.”

“Can’t you just use a teleport spell?”

“Of course you can.” Sunburst nodded expecting such a reaction. “But that's because we're unicorns. Anyone with a bit of raw magic can use it without horns or magical artifacts. You can use it to go literally anywhere, at any place! All you need is a bit of magical energy and poof.”

Whoa… that did sound pretty cool. It would certainly save her on travel expenses. With that kind of ability she can go to the mall without metaphorically stepping out of her house. She can get to the beach without driving through traffic. Heck she’ll never be late for school ever again!

“Wow… that is impressive.”

“I know, right!?” The orange unicorn burst. “What I wouldn’t give to have that thing in my lab and study it. We could implement it in our school. Have a direct portal between here and Canterlot! Or build one in my house at the Crystal Empire, or one to Sire’s Hollow, maybe even Yakyakistan? Think of the applications! You can literally go around the world in a few minutes!”

“Easy there Sunburst. One thing at a time.” Starlight cooed to her best friend before returning her attention to Sunset. “Anyway, we’ll work on finding out where that black gem came from. If we know its origin then maybe we can find out more about it. Twilight’s sending some help too from the Crystal Empire. I’ll try to reach out for Star Swirl too. It’s a bit of a long shot seeing how that pony isn’t exactly easy to get in touch with. But it’ll certainly make things easier for all of us.”

“Thanks a lot you two.” Sunset gave an appreciative nod. “I don’t know what I’d do without your help right now. I’ll keep in touch. We got exams coming right now so I might not have a lot of time on my hands.”

“Hands?” Sunburst questioned.

Starlight laughed at him. “I’ll tell you about it later. Oh… speaking of which, we’re late for our meeting with EEA. Sorry Sunset but we’ll have to talk later. The ponies in Education Association can be really finicky. Gotta go!” Without even waiting for a reply she broke the spell returning the music box to its original form.

"Bye..."

(The Loose Screw Garage)

Rainbow Dash paced back and forth around the waiting room like a parent waiting for her child’s surgery. She was worried, anxious and downright infuriated. To herself mostly.

How could this have happened? Her Rainboom Dive Bomb was supposed to be a stunt that blew people’s mind away, not her baby. Her friends often chastised her for pulling that move and they were right. Now she was paying for her idiocy by damaging one of her most treasured objects.

The clock in the room ticked, with every second feeling like hours. She would never forgive herself if her ride was put out of commission because of her over the top stunt. This was not how her it was supposed to go down.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” She yelled out at the boy who was with her who flinched at her sudden outburst.

“I… didn’t say anything.”

“Oh… sorry.” She returned to pacing looking even more concerned. “I’m just really stressed out right now.”

“Hey don’t sweat. I totally get it. I was bummed out too when my car was wrecked that other time when I ran from the shadow monsters. The trick is to just breathe.”

Yeah… that made sense.

"It'll be fine." He continued reassuring her. "I bet the guys here can fix it, no problem."

“Yeah…... yeah...you’re right. I’m probably overreacting. It’s probably not even as bad as it looks.”

The mechanic entered not a second later grunting loudly, turning to face the pair like parents awaiting the result. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Oh thank god. “It’s a lot worse.” You know you didn’t have to put in that last bit, right?

Flash groaned. “Not exactly the answer I was hoping for, but ok.”

“How bad is it, doc?” Rainbow Dash asked, steeling herself for the worse. “Give it to me straight. Don't hold anything back. I deserve the truth. I can handle it.”

“I ain’t a doctor… but… yeah sure.” He shrugged uncaringly. “Well for starters, your baby there got more scratches and dents than the dirt road, you got a bad fuel leak, the breaks are busted, steering handles are are wreck, and don’t even get me started with the transmission.” The owner of the bike flinched as every news he gave felt like another stab into her heart. “What did you do to it? Throw it down a skyscraper or something?”

The answer to that question was ‘Or something’ indeed. But they didn’t want to say. It’s not like they could just say magic was involve.

“Can you fix it?” Flash asked, holding his friend up as she looked like she was gonna faint.

“Well… yes and no.” Which one was it? You can’t have both dude. “That over there is a Cloudsdale Angel Classic. It’s an extremely old model. They don’t make them anymore and the parts alone are practically vintage. You can only find them on private collectors preserved like fossils. At this point, you’re better off buying a new one.”

“But I can’t just throw away Rainbow Blaze!” Rainbow Blaze? Seriously? That’s what you name your ride? “This baby and I have been through so much together. My first ever road trip around the city, or that time I had to go a dentist because crashed on a tree on my way to the movie house. Dad gave it to me when I finally got my driving license. It’s just as important to me as Tank! There’s gotta be something you can do.”

The mechanic shrugged. He was really good at the shrugging part. “I can probably fix the dents and the handle. But that’s about it. Unless you know someone who owns a vintage working Cloudsdale Angel Classic, then I’m sorry to say: You’re out of luck. You can come and pick it up in a few days – or… what’s left of it anyway.” Dude. Uncool. With a bored nod the man went away leaving Rainbow Dash to sulk on her bike.

“Hey… it’s not the end of the world.” Flash comforted her. “I’m sure you can find another one.”

“No I won’t.” She sobbed. “Didn’t you hear? They don’t make them anymore. Rainbow Blaze is a one of a kind. Dad and I maintained it for years. He’s gonna be so mad when he sees it turned inside out like it was put in a blender!” But then an idea came to mind. She turned to Flash and smiled weakly. “I don’t suppose you’d have one in your big basement.”

Sadly the boy shook his head. “Sorry. My dad is into exotics, not classics.” Well it was worth a shot. “I can let you borrow one of my bikes if you want.”

“No… it’s fine. I’ll… just take the bus.” Oooh… being reduced to public transportation. For a speedster like RD, that was pretty much the same as clipping her wings and then dropping her out of the tallest building you can find. Watching her plummet to the cold dark void below and hearing the echoes of her scream as she flapped her feathers in futility.

“You know… if we leave now we can probably still make it to the bookstore and get your Daring Do novel.” He smiled warmly and gestured her to his car.

“No... I can't."

"It's fine. You said you needed something to get your mind off the test, right?" Flash reasoned back shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Besides, I can’t leave a friend hanging out in this weather.”

She blinked, somewhat surprised, while she rubbed her arm shyly. “Oh… uh thanks?”

“Plus I can’t leave my backup guitar freezing before she pays me back.”

“Oh why you little…!” She threw a swing and a miss.

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

The first day of the exams was over. Celestia took that as a sign and decided to sit back and relax for a while. While Rainbow Dash’s little magic stunt made a dent at her perfect day she can’t really blame her for that. It was kind of expected that one of them would crack eventually and naturally she wasn’t surprised that the hothead of the group would be the one to break first.

Ugh… she can’t wait for this week to end so she can finally take that paid vacation leave. Two weeks of no work and endless fun under the snow. It’ll be magnificent. Even more so when Sombra told her that he had a surprise for her for the New Year. She can hardly begin to imagine it.

Heck these last few days with him have already sparked so much of her old memories. He practically took her to all the hottest spots in the city. They visited cafes, restaurants, and even went to the zoo one time. Heck he even took her to the town hall party where all the political circles converged. That was a pretty hard bar to beat.

Thursday really can’t come fast enough.

“Uh… sister.”

The Principal blinked seeing her little sister clutching the phone. “Yes Luna? What’s the matter? You look paler than usual.”

“It’s the board of education. They’ve approved the budget for the repairs. Thankfully it wasn’t much and they didn’t ask any questions.”

“So? That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Except that they added something extra to the conditions.” Extra conditions? That was never good. It normally involved a cut in budget or a favor here or there. And sometimes it can be very… cumbersome if the board wanted.

“And that would be…?”

“The board have somehow noticed that our school didn’t have Student Counselor. They want to rectify that. They said that it would be good for the students to have someone to open up to.”

That sounded like something they’ve been planning for a while. The school didn’t really need a counselor since there wasn’t any reason. The students here were well behaved and had a bright future ahead of them.

“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Celestia admitted. To be honest it actually feels easier than the tasks they were given previously. “I suppose I can put out a notice in the school website. We can have them come in right after the Winter Holidays.”

“Actually… they already have someone in mind for that position. They’ll be sending ‘Him’ over as a… gift. So to speak.”

“Him?”

“Your old friend from Hooverton.” Luna flashed the man’s photo on her phone which drained her sister’s color. “Yeah. I thought that might be your reaction.”

“I thought he was working in the academy. Why would ‘He’ of all people want to work in a high school?”

“I’m not quite sure myself but I can’t really find a reason to decline their offer."

"Chairman Neighsay." Celestia dreaded that name like it was poison. He was the worst of the best. 'The vampire of Hooverton' they call him because of his haunting personality and exclusive use of black and red as his choice of wardrobe. The man was brilliant, incorruptible, and utterly inflexible when it came to rules and regulations. If there was a rule book out there, he'd probably have read it and memorized it to heart. Any infraction or misconduct acted in his presence is normally and unavoidably put to the full extent of the law. And students weren't the only ones to feel his wrath. Teachers fear him. Grown men and women tremble at his presence.

His reputation was solidified when he willingly expelled a close friend of his during his college years. Ever since then he rose through the ranks of the board of education, becoming a chairman of the council.

He was both the judge and executioner. And no one was exempted from his gavel.

"He’ll be arriving next week for a... surprise inspection."

Celestia groaned. “This is not how I wanted to begin the New Year.”

(Rainbow Dash’s house)

Flash parked his car over by the sidewalk just in front of Rainbow Dash’s house. It was a cute little home that strangely did not match with its resident. But then again it seems like everyone here had a side of themselves that they didn’t want to reveal.

“Are you gonna be ok?” He asked his passenger who sighed lowly to herself. Rainbow Dash had this depressing look on her face during the whole trip. No doubt thinking about her precious bike that was still in the shop. There was really no helping that thing with the damage done to it.

“Yeah… I’ll be fine.” She didn’t sound so convincing with that sigh. “I just need to be cool.”

“You think your dad will be mad for wrecking his ride?”

“Mad? No. Upset… maybe. That was his first ever bike. But he’s not here right now. He’s out on some business trip and won’t be back until the weekends so I still got time to think of a good excuse.” She forced a laugh. “You think he’ll buy it if I told him that I was attacked by some shadow monster in the parking lot?”

“If he knows you have magic, maybe. But I figure you should give it to him straight. No point leaving the band-aid on forever, right?”

“Ugh… man. Now you sound just like Applejack.”

“I will take that as a compliment.” He replied grinning. “But seriously. Just tell him the truth. I’m sure he’ll understand. He is your dad after all. I think he deserves to know.”

“Yeah… you’re probably right.” She opened the car door and got out. Her first instinct was to simply go in her house and leave it at that. But to both their surprise, she didn’t. Slowly she leaned on his door grunting. “Hey uh… thanks for driving me to the bookstore and… back home. You helped me out a lot today.”

The boy chuckled softly in reply. “Don’t sweat it. You know I’m always happy to help you girls out.”

“And… sorry for earlier. I know that I can be a bit…”

“Competitive? Snobby? Prideful? Arrogant? Selfish? Crazy? Mad? Loony?” He added raising a finger on each example. “You can tell when I get it right.”

“Emotional.” She retorted. “I was gonna say emotional.”

He shrugged. “Eh… I still prefer snobby.”

“Emotional!” Rainbow demanded. “You know how I get when I compete. I can get out of hand when it comes to competition. And… sorry about blasting you with my magic.”

“Oh please. That was nothing.” He waved it off nonchalantly. “I was turned into a zombie at one point, brainwashed by Sirens, a plant lady tried to imprison us in her camp for all eternity and I got struck my magic lightning.” He then raised his bandaged hand as proof. “Compared to what we’ve been through, your Rainbow Dive Bomb was just a cute breeze.”

“Jerk.” She threw him a punch, chuckling.

“And there we go.” Flash stated, smiling giddily as if he won something. “I finally got you to laugh. And here I thought you’d be Sulky-McGee for the whole night.”

“Me?” The girl scoffed. “I wasn’t sulking.”

“Rainbow Dash, you had a frowny face on you ever since we left the garage. I know your bike is important to you and your dad, but chin up. It’s not the end of the world.”

“I know I know. You don’t have to say it.”

“And try to smile a little more. You look a lot better with a smile on your face.”

“Oh… pssh.” She gave a snarky look. “You rip that line from a movie.”

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”

Her cheeks darkened. “Maybe. Just don’t get used to it. One of these days I’ll outdo you at your own show.”

“I’m already looking forward to it.” Ah crud. She got reeled in to that line. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah… later.”

And with his foot on the pedestal the boy drove off into the lonely road watching Rainbow in his rearview mirror. She lingered at the sidewalk for a minute or so, waving cutely at him before slowly slipping back to her house.

When he was finally alone, the boy reached for his phone and dialed his favorite number. “Edmund… it’s me.”

“Master Flash.” The man on the other line spoke up regally. “How may I be of service?”

“You mind putting out a call to some of dad’s collector friends? I’m looking for something.”

Rules of Engagement

Chapter 24: Rules of Engagement

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter Amphitheater) (Tueday) (Morning)

“Hmmm…” Rarity puckered her lips curiously as she added several touches to her lineup. She arrived at the crack of dawn to put her first production on display. It was grueling at first attempting to put all her imagination into one outfit but she had to admit that the results were well worth the stress.

She based much of her design on the runic statue photo that Twilight gave her yesterday. The goddess’ wings looked absolutely foreign. With all the decorative feathers radiant jewels, it was definitely one of her greatest masterpiece. One might even say that it had the mixture of Saddle Arabia’s elegance and the Yaztec people’s warmongering attitude. It was a blend of both truth and myths, fantasy and reality. A little something that she hope would garner a tad bit of attention from Hoity Toity.

“Rarity?” Vignette Velencia, her partner in fashion gasped as she entered the backstage of the amphitheater. She approached and gave her partner a cute hug. “Well what do you know. Here before the morning sun. It seems we great minds really do think alike.”

“Yes. I came by to finalize my designs. It took me all night but I’m sure it will leave an impact. I was hoping to have Hoity Toity judge it before my next exam.” She looked at the timer in her phone. “Which starts in two hours.”

“Well I hope so too. Did you hear that three more candidates dropped out of the contest yesterday?” Three more? That’s about 1/3 of the contestants. They really are dropping like flies. At this rate there won’t be enough people for the second round. “Apparently the three of them formed an alliance with one another – and it turned out that they each stole each other’s designs. You can tell where that led.”

Rarity knew it far too well. Their alliance broke apart and they couldn’t bear the peer pressure of stardom. This business can be tough but come on people, have some self-worth! At the very least try to act like professionals.

“Goodness. How many does that make it?”

“I stopped counting after the sixth.” Vignette sighed. “Honestly, these people have no sense of professionalism. If you can’t trust each other, who can you trust?”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Rarity nodded. Why make an alliance if you’re just gonna stab each other in the back? “But I must admit that this little competition Hoity Toity has us doing is a bit unorthodox. Making us compete like this.”

“You heard what he said Rarity. This business isn’t for the weak. Only the strongest and most tenacious among us will be able to reach the top.” The former star designer added with good reason. “Just think of the prize that comes after. The Grand Runway. Anyone who runs through that lot is bound to get a spot at the limelight. In just 15 minutes and everyone in the world will know your name.”

“You have the right mindset Vignette.” The two fashionistas flinched when a shady voice crept up behind them with a shadowy grin. “Always keep your eye on the prize. Only the result counts in this world. The end justifies the means.”

“Mr. Toity.” The two of them gave a respectful nod to the man.

“Please. Don’t be humble. In the end we are all cut from the same cloth, no?”

“Umm… yes of course.”

“Rarity. And Vignette. I see you two are here to submit your own designs.” Hoity added flicking his shades upward. How can he see anything with those? The sun was still barely up. “I do hope you’re better than those before you. When Sombra invited me to open my store in this city I was promised the greatest and most imaginative minds. Yet so far I am…… unimpressed. Honestly, regal dress and modern day knights? You may as well bring me jeans and T-shirts and no one would be able to tell the difference.” Ouch… that was harsh, but fair.

“Mr… Toity. I have here one of my…”

“Mr. Toity.” Vignette interrupted, taking the spotlight in the man’s eyes. “I have here five of my original designs. Please… judge them.”

And like a god judging the mortal’s worth, he did. “Very well. Let us see what you have brought me.” He took a long look at the lineup of mannequins and hummed every time he found something. Vignette held her breath all the while flinching at every waking moment.

Even Rarity could tell that she was nervous.

Finally… after a long silence, Hoity returned to give out his judgment. “Your designs are… adequate… I suppose.” The star designer breathed a sigh of relief. That kind of comment from him was pretty much a seal of approval. She was definitely through the first round. “They are certainly better than the rags the others brought me.”

“Oh! Thank you Mr. Toity.” Vignette practically deflated, holding her phone, waiting for him to look away so she can text to her heart’s desire. “I knew I would catch your attention if I gave it my all.”

“Yes yes. Congratulations and so and so.” He brushed her off with little care before turning to Rarity’s singular dress. “And what do you have for me, young Rarity? Do you bring me clothes fit for gods – or are you only good at making outfits for… animals?”

Rarity gulped. The man was clearly in a league of his own. Not even Ms. Hemline commanded such presence before. Heck, just having his shades reflect her imperfect face made her bones sweat.

“Um… actually… I was hoping to get your opinion to one of my dresses. I made it through one of my inspired moments.”

He cared little for her reasoning and immediately went to work. His pose made a boring gesture before he finally scanned the dress in question. Rarity wanted to hold her breath in but Hoity beat her to it.

She felt him react strangely like he was hit by a brick. There was friction in his clothes as his body froze in place. His eyes traced the dress from top to bottom, even going as far as almost touching the headpiece.

“Rarity.” He stated her name which made the said girl flinch. “Where did you come across this… inspiration?”

“Oh… oh! Well it was um… inspired by a statue – or a figurine.” She brought out her phone flashing the said photo. “It was something I came across with my friends. It’s of uh…”

“Yaztec design.” The man’s voice went cold and harsh like he swallowed a sour pill.

“Do you not like it?”

He exhaled and somehow remembered where he was. “On the contrary. It’s rather impressive.” Rarity’s eyes glittered. “Well designed, no blemishes, folds or wrinkles, original sleeves and the fabric. This is not one of mine.”

“N… no sir. Actually the fabric was something I cooked up in my workshop. I used different pieces to makeup the seams.”

“Very good.” Hoity grinned. “Very good indeed. I might even put this up on my display case. Excellent work Rarity. You are clearly on the right path.”

“Oh! Thank you Mr. Toity!”

“But…!” He raised his hand up ruining the moment. “One simple dress is not enough to sway me. You must keep up this trend. Show me more of your originality. I asked for five and you will bring me five. Understood?”

“Yes. Of course! Absolutely!”

(Flash’s house)

Nope… nope… nada. Nilch. None. Nothing.

Flash grumbled into his hand as the last of the document slid to the side of the dining table. He had been going through a list of his dad’s collector friends looking for a Cloudsdale model. With a roster of wealthy donors and snooty rich folk he expected that at least one of them would have one of those old classics hidden in a private museum somewhere. But sadly there was none. After some quick research he discovered the model wasn’t exactly popular to folks around here.

Apparently the model had some major flaws in it which struck its sales. Flaws that made even the most daring dare-devil think twice on purchasing it. Loose wheels, suspension that would break on the first bump, seats that would heat up and explode when you drive for too long. That sort of stuff. By the time the company fixed the problems and put the new ones on the shelves, they went bankrupt and the company was sold to the highest bidder a year later. Now only a handful of them even exists around here and the rest of their product fell into obscurity. He had hope to at least get the parts, but the factory that manufactured the ride closed down too. Word has it that the parts alone were liable to breakdown, leak or… worse for worse: spontaneously combust.

Yeesh. The more he read about this bike, the worse it looked. Perhaps that mechanic was right. Maybe it would be better if Rainbow Dash bought a new one instead. Her bike sounded like a deathtrap just waiting to happen.

“Looking through antiques?”

“Gah!” The boy flipped, spilling his documents on the table. “Oh… hey dad. Uh… yeah. Just looking over some stuff.”

Sombra smugly laughed. “Well if you’re going to be interested in something, I prefer if you had a safer hobby, son. Those old ‘Classics’ as they call them are far more reliable to explode.” Yeah, so he knows. “Edmund told me that you’re looking for a Cloudsdale Classic. Terrible model at the start until they fixed the problems. No one would dare keep something so… volatile... in their collection.”

“So no one has it?”

“Doubtful son.” His father joined him at the table snapping his finger at his butler who came by with a glass of juice. “Why are you so interested all of a sudden?”

Flash sighed. “Well… a friend of mine had an accident – a totally normal accident.” He added that last bit suspiciously fast. “…and her bike was damaged. I wanted to look for the parts but no dice. I checked four garages and no one has them in stock.”

“Hmmmm…” The professor put a hand over his chin in thought. “You might not be able to get the right model… but I think you can convert some from various other bikes. The company that made the bike have similar parts. If you use those, you might even make it a whole lot safer.”

“Really?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time someone Frankensteined their vehicles. I think we might have a few of them in our garage.”

“That’s great! I’ll take a look.”

“Slow down, son.” Sombra ushered him back to his seat. “Don’t go thinking you can just break apart MY collection for your friends. You’ll need to earn it. I’m still upset about the sudden loss of my account when you hired an entire construction company to rebuild a farm.” Oh… right… that. “However I am willing to let you go through our parts under one condition.”

“O…k?”

“This Friday, I’m inviting my business partner, Igneous Rock and his family, over for dinner. And I want you to attend. He and I along with his wife will be negotiating over some of his owned land to me. I want you to keep his daughter, Pinkie Pie, entertained.”

Oh god. Not this again.

“Pinkie? She’s coming too?”

“Yes. I believe you remember her.” You can never forget someone like Pinkie, but that wasn’t what he was so surprised at. “It would be a good opportunity for you two to bond.”

“Uh… yeah dad. About that.” Flash opted shyly. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

He gave a stunted look. “Oh? Why not? If I remember correctly, you said that you had a wonderful time together on your date.”

“We did. But I don’t think that Pinkie and I will work out.”

“Oh nonsense. She looks like a lovely girl to be with. A little awkward at times but she’s definitely the better of all her sisters.” He eyed his son. “Why so hesitant? It’s not like you’re dating anyone right now.”

“Not yet anyway.”

“That’s the spirit son.”

Flash groaned. “Not like that. Besides, she doesn’t see me that way. We’re just good friends.”

“Really? That’s odd. She didn’t seem to think like that when I last saw her.” She didn’t? “In fact she was kind of looking forward to it. Almost excitedly so.” That can’t be right. Pinkie looked pretty irked by the whole thing. But then again she wasn’t exactly clear on her stance. “But I suppose, if you don’t wish to join, then I can’t force you either.”

Oh that’s a relief. It would be really awkward. “Thanks dad.”

“But then… I suppose you won’t be getting those parts for your friend’s motorcycle either.” He finished with a dung eating grin.

…

...

Dang it.

“Do I need to wear a tie?”

(CHS) (Band room) (Afternoon)

“Wow… so you’re saying that this is a real live multi-formulative-transdimensional key?” Twilight’s face practically oozed nerdiness as she said that name out in perfect pronunciation at the first try. Sunset had explained the details that Starlight and Sunburst gave her which prompted the two of them to have a private meeting in the band room. Sadly the rest of the club were too busy with other things to meet up. Applejack and Fluttershy were studying for their exams, Rarity’s off saying something about her future as a fashion designer, Pinkie’s filing a complaint for the lack of sugar treats in the menu (Again) and Rainbow was at the cafeteria helping out as part of her punishment for breaking the magic ban yesterday.

“We simply call it a portal stone.”

“That would explain what I saw in the cave the other day!” Twilight huffed, her mouth practically frothing over the figurine. “The structure that I was teleported to, had to be the portal that connects to the stone. If we bring this back there, reattach the statue to the platform, we’ll be able to activate the portal itself! We’ll be able to travel the world in seconds!”

“Easy there Twilight. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Sunset cooed, bringing the girl back to reality. “Remember that we still got a giant Cyclops to deal with? The one that our magic had no effect on and almost crushed us?”

She rocked her head back and forth in a 50-50 agreement. “Ok maybe we have a few obstacles in our way but that’s nothing compared to the reward! Can you imagine, instant teleportation from one corner of the world to another? Oh the implications!” Red alert. We’re losing her. Someone bring in a mathematical problem stat before she conks! “Oh and this thing explains so much too!”

“It does?”

Twilight hastily brought out a book from her bag flipping it to a page she folded. “The Yaztec was a tribe of people who was bent on conquering the world through force. It was said that their armies brought ruin to hundreds of civilizations.” Yikes. Not exactly the kind of neighbors you’d want to have. “Speculations says that they could wipe out an entire nation within days. Their warriors would appear out of nowhere and vanish the next day. They would’ve ruled the whole world too if they hadn’t disappeared so mysterious.”

“O…k? And what does that have to do with anything?”

“Don’t you get it!?” She grinned like a mad scientist discovering a secret formula. “The rumor about them conquering the world wasn’t a rumor at all. It’s why their civilization springs out in different parts of the world. This was how they were planning to do it. They’d send small groups throughout key points throughout the world and build these giant portals. Once they were done, they’d send their armies through them and attack like they came out of thin air.”

Wow… that was kind of smart… and kind of scary too. It was a brilliant strategy. With that kind of ability, there’d be little to no problem in taking over the world. Just build a portal between your warriors and your target and there’ll be no walls that can stop you.

Sunset raised a brow. “But if they’re so powerful, why’d they disappear?”

“That’s the mystery! No one knows!” Her best friend grinned. “Some say that a cataclysmic event wiped them all out. A plague, a famine, a great flood, earthquake. Some speculate that a meteor struck, wiping them off the world.” That last one sounded a bit too much like the dinosaurs, but Sunset wasn’t going to point that out. Her guess was as good as anyone.

“So what’s our next move? Did our website catch anything?”

She took a glance at her phone as she answered. “A few hits. There’s one place in particular just outside of the city called Freefall Island. Cinch’s readings pinged at a castle there. There’s a ferry that runs from there to the docks. I can book us a trip.”

“Whoa whoa. Easy there Twilight.” The redhead cooled her jets. “You do remember we still have our exams, right?”

“Right right. Of course. Education is important.” There we go. Back to the sane clear thinking Twilight. “I know that we said that we wouldn’t go after any magical adventures but it won’t hurt to plan ahead. I’ll reserve tickets for the whole club. We’ll just make it an activity. I’m sure Principal Celestia won’t mind.”

“Oh right… our club.” Sunset cooed in realization. Their club was still a thing. Vice-Principal Luna even stated that they were still active and would be allowed a minimum budget from the school. The only difference is that they weren’t allowed to operate within the school itself. It goes against the… no magic thing. “Speaking of planning ahead… how’d your talk with Timber go? Did you give him an answer on his offer?”

Twilight blushed at the thought. “Actually. No. I mean… not yet. I’m still conflicted. I want to say that I do want to move in with him some day. Just… not right now. I feel like he’s going a little too fast on this whole relationship.”

“Huh… that sounds like the right call to make.”

“But what if he takes it the wrong way? He might think I don’t love him anymore. What if me declining his heartfelt offer tears us apart?”

“Is your relationship really that fragile?”

“Yes!” She paused. “Well no. I mean we’ve only been through like… a few hundred dates together. We practically visited every remarkable location in Canterlot. Including the hilltop.” She then noted Sunset giving her a half-hearted look. “Sorry. It’s just that I’m not really used to relationships. Timber is my first ever boyfriend and I really want things to work out. I just don’t really know how I’m supposed to act around him. Do you have any advice?”

Sunset turned away shyly. “Oh… I don’t think I’m the right girl to turn to when it comes to interpersonal relationships.”

“But you used to date Flash, right?” Why do people keep bringing that up?

“Yeah. But I was different back then. I didn’t put that much effort in that relationship. In the end I was just using him to increase my popularity.”

“I don’t think that’s the whole truth.” Twilight spoke up much to Sunset’s surprise. “You keep saying that you don’t like-like him, but I get the feeling there’s more to that.” She smiled sweetly leaning by the piano.

“What?”

“You go on and on about keeping him safe, you worry about him constantly, always trying to make it up to him saying that you were a terrible girlfriend. But in truth, I think deep down, you must’ve liked him. No. Correction: You still do like him.”

Sunset turned away hiding her colored cheeks. “You’re crazy. We’re not that close.”

“Am I?” Twilight took on that challenge. “Because it seems to me you got even closer. If I was a gambling girl, which I’m not. I bet he’s still secretly into you. Why else would he willingly risk his neck for us on so many occasions?”

“Because he’s a reckless meathead who wants to be part of our magical adventures?”

“Or… he secretly wants to get back with you!” Twilight insisted on that. “I mean think about it. It makes total sense in the end. He brought you to the museum, brought you priceless relics from his home, and even saved us from a power raging professor! That has to mean something.”

“Yeah. And he also fixed Applejack’s farm and helped Rarity out in a bind. I don’t see either of them fawning over him or the other way around.” Oh Sunset. If only you knew the truth.

“Just give it a shot. I’m sure he’s doing all of this so that he could get your attention.”

Yeah right. They were just friends now. There’s no way he could still be interested in her romantically now…… can he?

(Later that night) (Rarity’s house)

Rarity couldn’t sleep.

Despite being wrapped in her comfy blanket and tucked into her bed she can’t seem to get a single wink in. Her mind was racing. When she heard Hoity Toity sing praises for her dress her brain had been going through overdrive trying to come up with the best designs. She tried to imagine something related to the Yaztec and only found a few scarce information lying in books and the internet. A few portraits came around and a large variety of weapons and armors but nothing that could be used for her costumes. Not unless she wanted to present the next season of Canterlot Cannibals in her presentation.

“Ugh… this is useless.” She muttered to herself as she pulled her blankets off. “It normally isn’t this hard for me to design my own clothes. And the deadline is in a few days. I really need to get my game on or I’ll be missing the biggest chance of a lifetime.” The fashionista grumbled and groaned for a few minutes going through the designs she had on her table but found none of them eye-catching. “How am I supposed to present anything at all if I don’t have anything to go by? Maybe a little midnight snack will help jog my brain up.”

She quietly headed down to the kitchen pass Sweetie Belle’s room. There on the fridge she grabbed herself a diet soda and chugged it down easily.

It would’ve made for a calm night too had she not heard an echo. Rarity quickly whipped her head around scanning the room she was in.

“H… hello?” She called out. “Is someone there?” There was no reply. Only the snowy breeze outside her house and the old humming of the heaters. Could it have been her imagination? “Goodness. All this stress is simply getting to my head. Is this what it feels like to be deprived of sleep?”

“Pffft!”

Ok… forget that. Rarity definitely heard someone chuckling just now.

“Sweetie Belle? Darling? Is that you?” Another giggle and a snarky laugh. “Sweetie Belle. If that’s you sneaking around, I will have you know that this isn’t funny. Come out right now, young lady or you’re going to be in so much trouble.”

A loud noise of objects falling came from the adjacent room which caused her to sprint it that direction. It came from her workshop. Reaching for the door she yanked it open hoping to catch the perp in the act. But instead she found the place completely trashed like a tornado came through.

“My workspace!” Rarity screamed as she turned to her clothes. “My fabrics! My designs! My collection!” Everything was scattered everywhere. Not even Opal’s litter-box was spared. There was no way Sweetie Belle would’ve done this. Her sister knew far too well how important her dresses are. “Who’s there!? I know you’re in here.” She immediately ponied-up drawing power from her geode to cast a light spell.

From there she saw them. Three feminine shadowy figures lingered in her workshop staring back at her with bright yellow eyes and an amused grin.

“Y… you’re definitely not Sweetie Belle.” She heard them hiss as they slithered within the shadows like snakes. “I don’t know who you are or what you want but I’ll have you know that you messed with the wrong fashionista! As Rainbow Dash would say: Prepare to be schooled!”

The shadowy figures answered that challenge with a gleeful laugh and attacked.

The Fog Thickens

Chapter 25: The Fog Thickens

(Wednesday) (Early morning) (Rarity’s house)

“You were attacked!?” Sunset’s voice nearly deafened the room. Though no one could really blame her at this point. When she woke up this morning she expected the day to go on by just like any other. But instead she received a call from Applejack reporting another magical incident.

It was another home invasion. A shadow monster had snuck its way to the sanctuary of one of her friends and attacked her in the dead of night. And from the looks of the damage done in the house, she can tell that a rough battle took place here.

Thankfully the damage was limited to the inside of the house. Broken furniture, tossed up trinkets here and there. But the most damaging of all was Rarity’s private workshop. All the tools, fabric and schematics for her fashion design were all torn up. Even her prized sowing machine was broken right down the middle. It was as if someone had gone through the place searching for something.

“Shhhh… quiet.” Rainbow Dash was surprisingly the one to shush her. “You wanna wake up the whole neighborhood?” The whole gang had gathered at the scene of the crime finding Rarity alive and unharmed – mostly anyway. The only scraps she had was from a fall she took when she fought those monsters causing a bruise around her shoulder. Nothing a little makeup can’t hide.

“It’s quite alright darling. I’m not hurt.” Not physically at least. “Just a little shaken that’s all. Though I’m feeling a lot better now that you’re all here.”

“But you’re sure that the ones that attack you are shadow monsters?” Twilight inquired leaning by her injured friend.

“Absolutely. They had all the hallmarks of the devilish ones. They were deathly afraid when I shined a little light on them and they slithered inside the shadows like those beastly wolves. Though these ones looked more like snakes than dogs.” Her attention was grabbed by Pinkie when the bubbly gal offered her a cup of hot coco. “Thank you sweetie.”

“Chocolate makes everything better.”

“But how?” Applejack questioned. “I thought we saw the last of those things when we beat Cinch. She shouldn’t be able to use magic without her bracelet.”

“Looks like she got a new one.” Rainbow Dash hissed. “And it looks like she’s back to her old tricks. I say we visit that old lady and show her who she’s dealing with!”

“I agree with Rainbow Dash.” The cowgirl nodded pumping her fists together. “If Cinch wants a rematch, she’ll get one.”

“Let’s not be too hasty here.” Twilight objected though she could understand their thirst for vengeance. “According to what Cadance told me, Cinch doesn’t remember a thing. She has amnesia.”

“Pfft. Yeah right.” Rainbow scoffed. “That’s just something that happens on stories. Amnesia doesn’t really happen to people.” There was a lot to pick on that sentence but no one had the time and patience to correct her.

“Well we’re not going to find her standing here.” Sunset nodded in agreement. “As much as I hate to say it: We need to find Cinch and get some answers out of her. But we shouldn’t all go at once or it’ll look suspicious. Twilight and I don’t have any morning exams. We’ll go visit her while the rest of you stay.”

“Umm… question.” Fluttershy raised her hand up like a student in class. “Shouldn’t we call the authorities for this? Like the Police?”

“No! No police, no authorities! Absolutely none of that.” Rarity voiced her opinion loudly much to everyone’s shock. “I’m… I’m sorry darling but with my position at Hoity Toity’s pageant show, I just can’t afford to have any kind of bad publicity on my part. It would bring unwanted attention. A scandal at this time will jeopardize my position and I may lose this once in a lifetime opportunity. And word might reach school as well. And you heard Principal Celestia. She doesn’t want any magic related incidents near there.”

“But what will you do about all this damage?” Twilight pointed out to the wrecked workshop.

“I’ll have someone fix it easily. Though… I don’t think I’ll be staying here for the night. I’ll have to find a hotel for me and Sweetie Belle.”

“Don’t you be going anywhere fancy just yet.” Applejack spoke with a stern tone. “You can stay at my place until all of this gets sorted out. It’ll be like a sleepover. We can bunk together at my room while your sister can hang out with Apple Bloom. It might not be a 5 star hotel like you wanted but I reckon you’ll want a powerhouse like me just in case those shadows decide to show up again.”

Rarity smiled thankfully at her friend and nodded. She’ll take anywhere but here. At least until the shadow monsters are dealt with.

“Then it’s settled.” Sunset stated to which everyone nodded back. “Twilight and I will go find Cinch. We’ll keep you all posted. If you don’t hear from us by noon, that means we’re in trouble.”

“I’m going too.” Rainbow Dash volunteered. “No one hurts my friends and gets away with it.”

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

Hoity stood at the center of his shop that morning casting a glance over the rising sun. He puffed a sigh when he noted his dark gemstone shining with a sickening color. He quickly closed the blinds darkening the store and made sure no one was around to see or hear him. There was a strange impatience in his footsteps as he brought his bracelet out and let it glow.

A portal tore through space and time calling forth an ethereal being from the other side. The fashion star knelt to the floor as feminine figure approached him.

“Hoity...” The lady on the other side of the portal spoke in a dark threatening tone. “What is the meaning of this? My agent in Canterlot reported that you have used your magic out of line. Explain yourself!”

“Forgive me Master. But there… has been a... complication.” While her face was not visible he could tell that she displeased with the word. “I know you did not wish for me to intervene with the children from the CHS. But I had to take the initiative.”

“The children are not a threat to us. Their victory over Cinch should've returned them to dormancy. Your attack on them only jeopardizes our position.”

“I assure you that the risk was necessary. It has come to my attention that the girls has come into possession of a Travel Stone.”

The shrouded figure went deathly quiet as the anger she resonated suddenly vanished. Her figure stood still while her voice coarse. “A Travel Stone? How is that possible?”

“I do not know, Master. But there is no doubt about it. Somehow they were able to acquire one.” He spoke up quickly, showing the urgency of this matter.

“Impossible!” She hissed. “There was no mention of any portal around the area. I would’ve known.” Her eyes sharpened at her henchman. “Did you retrieve it?”

“No Master. I sent my minions to find it but they were unable to locate it. I believe the item in question is with one of the others. However… I do not think they know of its true function just yet.”

“Whether they know it or not is irrelevant. A relic of such power in their hands is just as dangerous as a lit torch near a powder keg. They’re children playing with powers beyond their comprehension. This cannot be allowed.”

“Shall I wait for the others to arrive?”

She thought for a moment before shaking her head in response. “That will take too long and they will most likely find the stone’s true purpose by then. You will have to make do with what you have. While I do not condone your barbaric methods, the situation demands it. The recovery of the Travel Stone takes precedence." Her eyes quietly narrowed. "Do what you must to recover it. Spare no effort. Report to me once you have it.”

A sadistic grin crept up to his lips as he hid it with a bow. “It shall be done, Master.” Satisfied with his answer, the portal mysteriously vanished leaving him alone with his shadow. “You can come out now, ladies.”

Three shadowy figures exited from the dark, smiling evilly.

“Are we free to act?”

“Can we swat and smack?”

“Or are we still held back?”

Hoity returned their grin with his own. “Now now ladies. Be a little more patient. While I want you all to go wild in this city, we must be tactful as well.” He held up a series of photos depicting each of Rarity’s closest friends. “Search the homes of each of these children. Find the stone, recover it. You may do as you like to any of them afterward.”

They giggled and laughed maniacally like children having their favorite treats being dangled in front of them. And like the snake that they were, they vanished into the darkness enacting their master’s will.

(Silver Stable Retirement Home)

“So this is the place.” Sunset heard Rainbow Dash growl with a menacing voice as Twilight drove into the parking lot. She was referring to the almost criminally innocent looking place called the Silver Stable Retirement Home. The place was so clean and nice looking that one might hardly think something sinister was happening within its walls. “The werewolf’s lair.”

“Werewolf?”

“Shhh! I’m trying to get in character here.”

Sunset rolled her eyes but took another glance and questioned. “You sure this is the right place Twilight?”

“A hundred percent.” She replied pulling the emergency handbrakes upward. “According to what Cadance said, Professor Cinch was transferred from Canterlot Hospital to the Silver Stable Retirement Home for her health. Apparently Crystal Prep has a very generous severance package to all its staff. It's pretty good if you ask me.”

“So how are we doing this?” Rainbow Dash asked from the backseat. “Do we Pony-Up now and go bust through the walls like action heroes or do we sneak in through the back entrance like spies?”

“Actually we’re just going through the front door.” Sunset stated like a matter of factly.

“What? No light show? No action? Come on!” She complained from the backseat. "This is totally not making up for that adventure you two had without me. I wanna fight a giant cyclops too!"

“We’re not here to start a fight Rainbow Dash. Besides, there’s too much sun going around. If Cinch even tries anything, she won’t be able to bring out her pets out in broad daylight. Now come on.”

“Pfft… so much for action adventure.”

xxxxxxxxxx

The three of them headed in finding the retirement home rather… what they expected of a retirement home. The lobby doubled as a lounge where some of the elderly residents hung around taking quick naps or reading the daily newspapers. Rainbow Dash expected something far sinister, like some of these geezers pretending to be senile and then BAM! They become deadly ninjas ambushing them like in one of those action movies.

But sadly for her, the biggest threat these geezers provided was bad breath.

“Umm… excuse me.” Twilight called out.

The receptionist looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. “Yes? How may I help you?”

“Do you have a resident named Professor Cinch?”

“Cinch?” She tilted her head in thought as she repeated that name out loud. “Cinch… hmm… oh!” If this was a cartoon, a light bulb would’ve popped above her head. “You mean Abacus Cinch. Yes. I believe so. Normally we don't allow visitors this early but I suppose I can let you three in. She’s probably at the activity lounge practicing for her play. It’s the big yellow building just beyond the courtyard. You can’t miss it.”

And she was right on that regard. It was practically the largest structure in the entire complex towering over the whole area with its lively color. The Retirement House seemed to focus entirely on it like it was the center of attention.

This place had everything. A gym, a yoga studio, cafeteria with a large variety of food, private apartments, and even a giant swimming pool. You could want for nothing around here.

“Whoa… cool crib.” Sunset waxed. “When I grow wrinkly and old like them, this is the place I’d retire to.”

Twilight chuckled. “Don’t get too far ahead. We still have our whole life ahead of us. I don’t plan to retire until I won at least four Nobel Prizes. That or a few science grants.”

“Aiming high?”

“Meh… I consider that to be above average. My high expectations would be reaching the moon as an astronaut.”

“Guys! Focus!” Rainbow Dash warned them. “We’re behind enemy lines here. Are you forgetting that we’re about to meet with the woman who nearly sucked all our magic?”

Surprisingly enough, Sunset agreed. Cinch nearly had them back in the parking lot the other night. If she was still up to no good, they’d have to be on their guard even with the sun above them.

A few minutes later they entered the lounge finding it designed like a theater. Rows of bleachers were placed on one side facing a giant stage on the opposite end. On it were a number of costumed folks reciting lines like they were practicing an old Shakespearean play. One of them was dressed like a king while the others were peasants and knights.

“Great.” Sunset whined. “How do we know which one is Cinch?”

“I guess we ask around?” Twilight shrugged as she approached the stage cautiously. “Excuse me.” The costumed folks turned to them in their masks. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we can find Ms. Cinch?”

“Cinch?” One of them tilted their heads. “Oh! You mean Abby. Our leading star player.”

Abby? Star player?

“Wasn’t she practicing her lines here a second ago?” Another peasant spoke up.

“I thought she was with Suzie.” A knight added. “Said something about prepping for the roller skating derby.” This went on for another minute before the trio glanced to one another and shrugged.

"Well that a big help." Sunset groaned.

“Should we try somewhere else?” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“This place is pretty huge. We’ll never be able to find Cinch like this.”

“Oh you don’t have to look far.” A voice snaked its way behind them freezing the blood in their veins. Slowly they turned their heads around to meet with the said woman, her face practically inches from them. “I have been expecting you, children. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”

“AHHHHHH!!!!”

(A few minutes later)

“I am terribly sorry about that.” Professor… no… Ms. Cinch apologized for what seemed to be the fifth or sixth time already. She was decked from head to toe like some kind of magician complete with a replica magic wand. “I was practicing my lines for the play. I didn't mean to frighten you.” She poured the girls each a cup of tea and slid it across the table with a gentle wave. “Earl Grey? It’s fresh.”

The three of them looked at the teacups like they were poison. And maybe they were. She would take them out with an innocent drink and would eliminate them later when they’re weakened.

Their hearts were beating faster and not in a good way either.

“Uh… no thank you.” Twilight managed to force the words out, her face still pale from the earlier fright. One hand clutching over her geode just in case the woman tried to make any sudden moves.

“It seems like I took my role as the Wicked Witch of the Western Woods a little too seriously.” The old lady chuckled, taking her witch hat off. “Maybe I should dial it down a bit.”

“N… no. Not at all. I think you really nailed the part.”

The woman’s smile was genuine as she nodded. An appreciative glance followed afterward as she took a sip off her own cup. “So how can I help you girls? I assume you were looking for me with all that racket?”

“Wait…” Twilight blinked, her expression twisting to confusion. “You… don’t recognize us?”

Abacus gently blew the steam off her cup as her expression remained unchanged. “Should I?”

Sunset’s face grew curious too. She’d like to say that she can read people but this time however, her opinion varied. When she first saw Cinch back in the museum, she could tell that she was annoyed, angry or even showing hints of hatred at her. And it wasn’t like she was hiding it. But now she was practically smiling like a Grandma coddling her grandchildren. There was no hint of malice or hatred at all. It was as if she was a totally different person. Either that lady really had amnesia or she was the greatest actress in all of Canterlot.

“Professor Cinch, you…”

“Please. Call me Abby.” She insisted waving to some elderlies that passed by. “It’s what all my friends call me here these days. Cinch sounds a bit crude for my liking.” There was a humored pause in her tone. “Professor…? Hmm… now that you mention it, that young lady in the hospital called me that too. Cadim?”

“Cadance.” Twilight corrected, which felt strangely odd doing so. “She’s a friend.”

“Right right. Cadance. Such a sweet lady, worrying about me like that. Oh!” Her eyes shot up as if she realized something. “I see now. You must be my students. Oh this explains it.”

“It does?” Rainbow whispered to no one in particular.

“You… really don’t remember us?” Sunset asked dipping her toe in that water.

But again Abacus shook her head disappointingly. “I’m afraid not. My memory isn’t what it used to be. Then again I hardly remember anything at all since I woke up in the hospital.” Wow… that really is a bad case of amnesia.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle.” The girl introduced herself expecting some kind of reaction. But to her amazement all she got in return was a blank stare. “I used to be one of your students.”

Again she shook her head in reply. “I’m sorry dear. I wish I could remember you but I’m afraid I’m coming up empty on my part.”

“You really don’t remember me?”

“No. And I feel terrible for not remembering such an adorable face.” Her hand reached in to pinch Twilight’s cheeks which sent chills down her spine. “Now… was there something you wanted? I take it you didn’t come all the way here just to visit little old me.”

There was a reason – or there used to be. They wanted to accuse her of attacking their friend as she was the only person they knew who could control shadow monsters. But looking at her now, that wicked witch they knew somehow turned into a sweet adorable granny.

“Uh… ok. I’m gonna go on a long shot here.” Rainbow Dash opted looking like she was going on a Hail Mary approach. “But you wouldn’t happen to know anything about shadow monsters or magical artifacts, would you?”

“Monsters and what now?” Abacus raised a brow in confusion for a brief moment until a spark came by. There was a reaction. “Oh! Are you talking about my costume?” Nope. No dice there. But it was a good effort. “It does look rather believable, doesn’t it? Every seams are hand stitched. They may look real but I assure you, they’re just make believe.” And it really was. Even the fabric looked old and wrinkly. Rarity would certainly approve in her own way.

“Hey Abby!” A fellow elderly actor, dressed in a jester’s costume, called out from the stage. “You’re needed on set. We’re rehearsing scene 5.”

‘Abby’ practically beamed on the spot. “Oh! That’s my cue. I’m sorry girls, but the stage awaits!”

“One last thing!” Sunset abruptly interjected raising her hand up. “It’s… really nice to meet you again Ms. Cinch.” The old lady returned the gesture grabbing the girl’s hands gently with a nod, unaware of the power that flowed through.

It took a few seconds but by then she had gone up to the stage joining her fellow actors leaving the girls to ponder on the strangest of conversations.

“Ok. I can’t be the only one creeped out by that, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, feeling the hair on her head standing on ends like pincushions.

Twilight nodded in turn. “I’m with you on that. It’s strange to see Principal Cinch so… nice.” She shuddered. “And I never imagined I’d get to say ‘Cinch’ and ‘Nice’ in the same sentence.” Oh she was totally beyond nice. She looked like the kind of woman who would be perfect for the witch in the gingerbread house. Luring children into her sweet little home before throwing them into the oven and brewing them into a tasty stew.

“I’m still not buying this whole amnesia thing. It feels… too convenient.”

“She could’ve easily took us out when she snuck up behind us. I don’t see the point in her lying now.”

“So what’s the verdict Sunset?” They turned to their resident mind reader. “Did you see anything? Is she for real or is she faking it?” The redhead sat back down and looked at her hand, her powers freshly burning at the fingers.

“Sunset? You ok?”

“I’m fine. But… Cinch. She’s… not.” Sunset stuttered, not really sure how to put the feeling. “She definitely doesn’t remember us – or anything for that matter. She doesn’t even remember the fight we had in the parking lot. The Relics in the museum, the black gemstone. Nothing. It’s like her mind was wiped clean. And that’s not even the strangest part.”

“It’s not?”

“No. Because… I felt this kind of magic before.” She dreaded. “It’s the same one from the Memory Stone.”

The artifact jogged some events in their heads. Twilight in particular remembered that relic. It was a magical item that manipulated people’s memories. Wallflower Blush used it once before and nearly caused untold damage to those around her.

“But the Memory Stone was destroyed. We all saw it.”

“I know. But that’s all I can think of.” Sunset mumbled still having difficulties believing it too. She didn’t exactly have very fond memories of that artifact. “It would also explain why Cinch doesn’t remember us. Someone must’ve used it to erase her memories.”

Rainbow Dash on the other hand seemed to accept this explanation. “Well it certainly sounds more plausible than this whole amnesia thing. I knew people just don’t lose their memories like that. It’s like saying that whacking your head hard enough will make you forget stuff. And that only happens in cartoons.”

“So what now?” Twilight inquired. “We can’t exactly question her if she literally doesn’t remember anything.”

She was right. But that doesn’t mean the threat is gone. If Cinch wasn’t the perp who attacked Rarity last night, then who was? Their list of enemies was pretty long around here and Sunset wasn’t keen on the idea to sit around and do nothing while someone was hunting them.

“First thing’s first. We need a safe place.” She suggested. “If someone is out there looking for us, we need to have a place where we can make our stand. A place where we can all gather without endangering people. A place where only the seven of us know of.”

“You mean like a club house?” Rainbow Dash asked excitingly. It wasn’t really what she was stating but it was close enough.

“I hate to say it, but I think you’re right.” Twilight sighed in distraught. “With all the magical incidents happening around us, it’ll be nice to have a place where we can all feel safe. But how are we going to do that? Real-estate business isn’t exactly cheap. We can’t just go out there and find some property like before.”

“It’ll have to be somewhere where we can get to, easily.” Sunset added. “Somewhere out of the city. I’ll do some research and see if we can get a place for cheap. Until then we should probably keep our guard up just in case. I’m not liking this situation one bit.”

“I’ll text the others and tell them we’re alright.” But just as she picked her phone up, she fumbled when Cinch came by. “Bwah! How do you keep doing that?”

“Oh terribly sorry dear. I actually remembered something.” Abacus said innocently. “Twilight Sparkle, yes?” The girl in question nodded clumsily. “I knew I saw your name somewhere before. I completely forgot about it.” She pulled out a small object from her pocket, handing it over to her former student, to which she instantly recognized. “I take it this is yours?”

“My data drive!” Twilight snatched it quickly. “How did you…?”

“It was the only thing I had on me when I woke up in the hospital.” The amnesiac witch explained. “Your name was signed on it so I thought of you. I tried opening it once or twice. But I cannot, for the life of me, remember the password." Yeah. Having your memories stolen can do that to you. "I do hope it helps.”

Surprisingly enough, it just might.

(CHS) (Cafeteria) (Afternoon)

Flash grumbled lowly as he made his way through the cafeteria rubbing the back of his hand. The injury he suffered from the lightning bolt has already healed but the itch still remained for some reason. No… if he was right, the itch only got worse as time passed. It even got so bad that playing his guitar causes the wound to react. The school nurse told him it that it was most likely allergies and not an infection and gave him ointment to alleviate the itch. Still… he hoped that it was the case. The last thing he wanted was to chop his hand off because of magic.

Arriving at the cafeteria the boy spotted the members of the CIC – or at the very least half of them. As he approached, he noted something wrong in their appearance. They huddled around the table, poking boringly at their food. Normally these girls would be the most active of the bunch, Pinkie Pie especially. But now they were quieter than a graveyard, whispering to one another like they didn’t want others to hear them.

“Hey guys.” He called out as he approached earning some mixed looks from the gang. “What’s the matter? You guys look worse for wear.”

“Oh… hey Flash.” Applejack greeted gesturing him to the empty chair next to her. “Yeah that’s one way to say it. Though it’s mostly just Rarity feeling it.” The fashionista nodded back keeping her exhausted face away.

“Did something happen?”

“Rarity was attacked by shadow monsters last night.” Fluttershy answered causing his eyes to bulge upward.

“What!?” He covered his mouth when they hushed him. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine darling. Nothing to be alarmed. The only thing that was damaged was my workshop. I’m unharmed… physically at least.”

“Really? You don’t look so good.”

“It’s just… exhaustion. I didn’t get a wink of sleep which can’t be good for my complexion. Not to mention I still have the deadline with Hoity. The stress just keeps building over. It’ll take me forever to get my lineup.”

“I don’t get it.” Flash added. “I thought the whole thing with Cinch was over.”

“We thought the same thing.” Applejack nodded. “But apparently this whole fiasco ain’t over just yet. Either she’s up to her old tricks or someone else is playing for the other team. Whichever it is, I’m not really comfortable having to fight another monster.”

“Same here.” Fluttershy shuddered at the thought. “Just knowing that there’s someone out to get us, gives me the fright. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at all without my nightlight.”

“I think sticking together is the right idea.” The cowgirl agreed. “Strength in numbers is what I say. If those creepy crawlies show their faces, you’ll at least have someone to watch your back. I just wish we knew what’s really going on and who’s attacking us. And if they’re really out to get us, I’d at least like to know why.”

It was clear that this recent attack against Rarity had shaken the girls to their core. They’ve always managed to handle whatever problem was thrown their way but this one seemed different. This wasn’t just some random magic going rampant or some twisted form of monsters. Something or someone was actively targeting them and it knew exactly where they were and where they live. Who’s to say that this enemy won’t simply attack them in their sleep?

“So what’s the plan?” Flash inquired, ready to provide whatever assistance he can.

“Not really sure.” Applejack groaned. “Right now we’re just waiting for Sunset and Twilight to give us the stakes. Though honestly, I’d feel a lot better if we had a place to hold up. Like… a safe space. I really don’t want my farm to be a repeat of last time.” Flash would’ve volunteered to help cover the damage but his dad wouldn’t approve that kind of spending a second time. He was pretty clear that charity wasn’t his thing. He wanted to help out too. But knowing Sunset, she’d probably find a way to bar his path saying that it was for his own protection or something along the line.

God, he was sick of that excuse.

…

Still… that didn’t mean he couldn’t help some other way.

(Twilight’s house) (Later that night)

Twilight’s computer hummed eerily that night as the girl looked to her small data drive. It was a small purple device that she used back during her time in Crystal Prep Academy. Her initials were written on top with permanent ink. It even still had that glow-in-the-dark sticker she put on a decorations that Shining Armor gave to her some time ago. This was definitely hers.

Various thoughts and scenarios ran through her head and none of them good. She was always keen on getting answers. After all, knowledge was something she coveted greatly. Whether it was good or bad, she always felt the need of acquiring the answer to everything.

But now for the first time in what felt like forever, she hesitated.

The data drive dangled between her fingers as decided on what to do with it. It contained much of her research back in when magic was new to her, but it has also been in the hands of the madwoman. And with everything that’s happened, who knows what sort of devilish information she would find in there.

Finally she drew the strength from her reserve and plugged the device in. The monitor came to life with a progress bar filling slowly. She groaned loudly, slumping at her chair.

“Uh Twilight. You ok?” Her pet dog asked, worries dripping from the tone of his voice. “You’ve been sighing and groaning for two days straight now. Is something wrong?”

“No…” She paused on that answer. “Well yes. A little bit. I’m just worried. Everything’s happening so fast nowadays, it’s hard to decide what to do. This whole magic fiasco is taking a lot of my time lately. And with graduation coming next year, Timber asking me to move with him, and the search for a new apartment, I feel a bit… overwhelmed.”

“Did you give him an answer? Timber I mean.”

“No. I said that I’d think about it – and that I would also give him an answer by the end of the week. This is… really confusing.” She slumped onto her computer groaning on her keyboard. “What do you think I should do, Spike?”

“You’re asking me?” The mutt pointed to itself. “You do know you’re asking a dog for love advice, right?”

“Well I’ve already asked my friends and they’ve got mixed answers. I asked my brother and he said that every relationship is unique. While I do love Timber and all, and living together would take care of the rent, not to mention the location of his apartment is ideal to my needs. I get the feeling like he’s moving a little too fast. I mean this is a big decision!”

“Again… you’re talking to a dog. Not really sure if animal relationships are similar.”

“What if it’s a mistake? What if things go south in our relationship right as we move in together? We’ll be spending our time in complete misery 24/7! Can you imagine the living arrangements!?”

“My answer to every problem comes in two things: Bones and belly rubs.” He paused. “And the occasional chasing of small furry creatures.”

“Spike! This is serious!”

“Well what else were you expecting out of a dog?” He pointed out to which Twilight groaned and slammed her head on her keyboard. “But if you really want my honest opinion: Follow your gut. That’s what I always do. And right now my gut is saying… feed me.” Twilight rolled her eyes but complied, grabbing a quick dog treat from the cupboard and pouring it into his bowl. “Always trust your gut.”

“Ugh…”

“There there. I’m sure you’ll find an answer soon enough. Why don’t you focus on that thing you brought from Cinch? A little research always cures your mood.”

True enough the girl looked up and discovered that her computer had finished downloading all the data inside the device. The password inside was cracked easily enough. She had an app made in which to crack basic security systems.

As she suspected, all of her files from the days she spent in Crystal Prep were still there, including that wonderful extended essay which earned her an A++ on her freshman year. It was one of her greatest work.

Scrolling down the browser, she came across a few folders with names that caught her interest. And at the middle of it all was a folder on Canterlot High School. A folder which contained the names of her and her friends.

End of School

Author's Note

Hello my fellow readers. I do hope you're having a wonderful week despite all the health issues we're having around the world. So why go out of the comforts of your home when you can sit back, relax and enjoy this little fanfic I got for ya?

BTW: This week will be a double chapter whammie so expect the next one tomorrow!

End of School

Chapter 26: End of School

(Thursday) (CHS)

At long last. Thursday.

Sunset let out a stretch as she got to her locker, feeling rested and ready for the final day of the exam. She still had about 20 minutes before the bell rings so she can take her time with this hot cup of coco she got from the Sweet Shoppe and not worry about anything going wrong.

…

Ok the attack on Rarity the other day still lingered at the back of her mind but she didn’t have to worry about it now. Last she heard, she and Sweetie Belle moved into Applejack’s place and were quite content with the arrangements. Rarity wanted to move her whole wardrobe in but Applejack had set her a limit. At least now she’ll be able to finish her line up for Hoity Toity without any interference.

“Hey Sunset.” Flash called out to her just as he stuffed his books in his locker. “You got a minute? There’s something I want to discuss with you.”

“Absolutely.” She looked at the time on her phone and cringed. “Actually… you mind if we walk and talk instead? My next exam is in 20 minutes and I want to grab the best seat before they’re taken.”

“Let me guess. The ones by the window?”

“Yup.” She blinked. “How’d you know?”

“You said the same thing to me during our freshmen year. Something about the perfect ambience? You like to combine the cold weather, a hint of the sun and that hot cup of chocolate, which gets you a cozy morning.” He grinned. “Something about having the perfect atmosphere for a big test.”

“Well it takes effort to be comfortable. And when your body is comfortable, then your mind is comfortable. And when your mind is comfortable, the test becomes easy.”

“Right~~.” The boy uncharacteristically rolled his eye. “Anyway, I heard about what happened to Rarity.” Her eyes shot up.

“Oh…” She wasn’t sure why she was surprised. If anyone was gonna muddle his way into their affairs, it would only be Flash. Of course he’d know about the attack. She’d be more surprised if he didn’t.

“Don’t worry. I’m not poking my head into any danger.” Flash added quickly knowing how she would react. “That was some pretty scary stuff. I’m glad she’s alright though.” Sunset can agree on that. If anything should’ve happened to any of her friends because of this magic, she’d flip. “Anyway, I talked with Applejack yesterday and she gave me an idea. You all need a place to lay low and feel safe, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Well I just so happen to…” But before he could finish, a loud screeching voice interrupted him.

“SUNSET!” Twilight bolted towards them in a speed that would’ve made Rainbow Dash proud. She got up face to face with her friend, dark rings surrounded her eyes while her face twitch every second.

“Twilight?” The redhead responded, startled by the girl’s sudden appearance. “What happened to you? You look… messy.”

“No time for that! Emergency club meeting, now!” The nerd girl didn’t bother waiting for a reply as she grabbed Sunset by the arm and pulled her away making her spill her hot coco on Flash.

“Ow! Hot hot hot hot!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight barged into the band room looking like someone haunted. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were crumpled in places. She checked the room thoroughly looking like some paranoid scientist.

“Twilight, what’s the matter? You look like you haven’t slept at…”

“Shhh!” She hushed her best friend for a moment before locking the door behind them. “Do you want people to hear you? I know that we’re not supposed to discuss about magic but this really REALLY can’t wait.”

“Ok ok. Take a breath.” Sunset eased her. “What’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait till after school – or lunch for that matter?”

“I went through my old data drive. The one we got from Cinch last night. And I’ve uncovered something really incredible.”

“More incredible than a portal that can take you anywhere you want?”

“Well… no. I mean yes. That is amazing. But this one is bigger.” She took a breath. “I think we’ve stumbled upon something big. Like really big!” Wow… that didn’t sound super ominous at all.

“What kind of something?”

“Remember how we concluded that Cinch wasn’t working alone?”

“Because of her magical bracelet?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah that. Well my research last night confirms it. Cinch was definitely working with some secret organization that studies and controls magic and not in a good way either. And from what Cinch wrote in her memoirs, the group has been around for a very long time. Their members have mastered many spells and techniques both known and lost. That’s how they were able to fix my Magic Trap so easily. And from what I’ve gathered, they’ve also been hoarding magical artifacts for their own purposes.”

“That… can’t be good.”

“No. It’s incredible! Can you believe it? Actual people who actually know about magic? This is a great find! And if they’ve been around this long, who knows what kind of discovery they’ve made or what kind of breakthrough they’ve achieved!”

“It can’t be that great if they hire people like Cinch. Do we know who they are?”

“No. But from what I know, each of them wears the signature black gemstone as proof of their membership. Think of it like a club membership ID.”

Terrific. She thought that having Shadow Monsters hunting them wasn’t bad enough, now they had to deal with a secret organization with advance knowledge of magic.

“I don’t suppose Cinch happened to leave any trace of them in your data drive.”

Sadly Twilight shook her head. “No. From what I’ve gathered, it seems like they’re a very secretive group and they didn’t exactly trust Cinch with the details. She was in charge of managing the museum. I’m more than certain that whatever they’re planning involves the Chalice of Wishes and the Winter Solstice.”

“And it has to take place in the new wing of the museum too.” Sunset deduced knowingly. “And our only lead has a bad case of amnesia.”

“Not entirely.” Twilight’s face brightened. “We might have one more lead that could get us closer to this organization. You remember those shadow monsters?”

“How can we forget?”

“Well I asked Rarity for the details and she told me that the ones that attacked her the other night weren’t wolves… but snakes!” She paused for affect, which she didn’t get. “And I dug into it. The snakes she could referring too are another of the great guardians of the Yaztec.” She pulled up a photo in her phone showing an ancient hieroglyph of a hydra being worshipped by a bunch of shamans. “It’s called Kaaz the Cruel. And out of all the guardians, this one is the most aggressive. It loves to torment its prey with its powers.”

Sunset couldn’t help but sigh. The troubles they had just keeps piling up. “Great. Secret society, shadow monsters, giant Cyclops, mystical portals to anywhere, and now a hydra that’s hunting us. This is not turning out to be the Winter Holiday I’ve dreamed of. So what do we do?”

“We have to find out who’s controlling Kaaz.” Twilight said with a determined look on her face. “If Cinch was controlling Uta, there has to be someone close by who’s also commanding the new batch of shadow monsters against us. I could probably trace them if they used their magic… but… my lab is out of commission.” She remembered that last bit a little too late. “Ugh… stupid electric bill! The economy of this country is a joke! How is a genius with a functioning lab supposed to work at a part-time income!?”

“Easy there Twilight. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Hmph. Try telling that to me when the shadow monsters attack you at your own home.” She paused. “I don’t suppose I can transfer my lab to your place now, can I?”

“My place? HA! Please.” The former unicorn waved it off jokingly. “With my paycheck? I’m barely making rent as it is with my job at the sushi store. And with the Winter Holidays coming, I have to tighten my belt just to get by. I had to stop paying for my storage-unit and cancel my subscription to the daily newspaper. I’m going as far as having microwave meals almost every day now.” She then noted Twilight having a bright idea. “And no… you are not asking Flash for help either.”

“But…”

“I said no!” She put her foot down on that matter. Sunset can be quite stubborn when it came to her ex-boyfriend.

“Ugh… fine.” Again the nerd gal paused in thought. “Hey... how would consider the probability of me winning the lottery?”

Oh for goodness sake.

(Cafeteria) (Afternoon)

Rarity let out a sigh as she arrived at the cafeteria that afternoon. In a matter of hours her final exam will take place and she can finally return to her primary duties: Finishing her lineup for tomorrow’s presentation for Hoity Toity’s show.

Her friend, Vignette, has been keeping her up to date with the recent happenings in the amphitheater. They were setting up the stage for the performance with lights and cameras and even bringing some passerby to act as the audience. They’ll be shown on live TV which meant spotlight! And with Hoity as its host, no doubt a lot of people will be tuning in. It was definitely going to be a once in a lifetime performance.

Sadly many of them had already quit leaving barely 20 of them to show.

Still… their lost and her gain. You can’t afford to be soft. Not when she’s close to coming to the Grand Runway!

Applejack coughed calling her attention. “Rarity. I know that you’re deep in thought and all, but can you scoot?”

“Oh! Right. Sorry darling. I was just having… a little inspirational thinking.” She scooted over, giving her best friend some room at the table. “I must thank you again for accommodating me and Sweetie Belle, Applejack. Your room is far more spacious than I thought. It’s no double deluxe mattress but it certainly gave me the goodnight sleep I so desperately needed.”

“I take it the nightlight I added did the trick?”

“Yes… that too. Though I will be planning an all-nighter tonight. I need to finish my lineup for Hoity Toity’s show. The wool you provided for me was absolutely perfect.”

“Heh, what better way to get wool than from the source?” She gave a pretty wink back. “And don’t mention it. I know how it’s like to get attacked by some monster. You can ask Big Mac. Besides, Apple Bloom seems to like it. It’s nice having a friend over. She mostly talks to the animals at home.”

“Speaking of animals, I’d also prefer if you didn’t leave my towels to dry next to the goats…” Rarity shuddered. “They took a few nibbles off mine.”

“Yeah… Max and Maxine tend to do that.” AJ admitted. “They like colorful things. I’ll be sure to put them back in their pens. With snow coming down, not really much reason to graze."

"And I don't suppose you can do something about the cows?"

"Hey, a cow's gotta moo. You can't stop it. But to be honest, I’m also glad that you’re around. With that monster out to get us, I’m glad I got someone else watching my back.”

“Well that is what friends and family are for, is it not? I’m sure Pinkie here would agree. Right Pinkie?” She paused for a moment expecting a natural answer. But Rarity soon found herself with no reply. “Pinkie?”

The two of them quickly turned to the only member of the gang who was present on the table who was too preoccupied with another matter. Twilight and Sunset were out plotting something, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were still taking their exams, Pinkie on the other hand however was so focused on that sheet of paper in front of her to even bother with them.

“Pinkie?” Applejack scooted over close enough to hear the bubblegum gal chanting some strange mantra in whisper. “Wow… she must be studying for her exams.”

No… that wasn’t it.

The words she was chanting didn’t sound like something she had in any of her classes. Yet strangely enough they were familiar somehow. She even had a number of utensils placed in specific areas around her plate. It almost looked like a ritual of some sort. Rarity leaned in trying to make sense of it all.

Hors d'oeuvre

Foie gras

Caviar

Three spoons and forks

Raise pinkie finger when drinking

“Fine dining!”

“Mgyah!” Pinkie shrieked when Rarity suddenly burst out the words like she had the answer to the million bit question. “What? What’s happening? Is lunch time over? Is the world coming to an end!? I haven't even had my last cupcake!”

“No dear. It’s fine-dining.” The fashionista repeated with a proud posture. “All those words you’re muttering there are mostly related to fine dining. I should know. I practice them all the time.”

Applejack raised a quizzical brow. “You… practice these words?”

“One must always be prepared when one might be invited to a fancy place, darling.” Rarity giggled like an amused child. “But forget about me for a moment. The bigger question is, why are you rehearsing these words?”

Pinkie puckered her lips shyly. “N… no reason. They’re part of my uh… test.”

“You have a test in fine-dining?” Applejack gave her a look. “Really?”

“Y… yeah! It’s umm… new?” Pinkie was a lot of things in this world. You could list down her traits in a roll of toilet paper in the smallest font you can find and still won’t have enough space. She was a party animal, a loose cannon, a clown, a joker, someone who would fall off a cliff chasing a butterfly, but a liar was certainly not one of them. Her signs were pretty much obvious. Perhaps even too obvious. The way her eyes darted around looking for an excuse, how her hair fizzled and rattled like some living creature was burrowing inside, how her cheeks turned a shade of red as she fumbled on her words.

Yup… something was definitely up. And Rarity, being the one who pays the most attention to all the little details, can see it clearer than the stars in the night sky.

“Oh flabberbiscuit, my dear.” She punctuated the word as she leaned in close to the pinkette with a sly look on her face. “You remember that this is me you’re talking to. And I never miss a thing.”

“What?”

“You’re practicing complicated words, you have your utensils assembled in a formal position around your plate, combine that with your recent history of dining in a fancy restaurant, I deduce that you… are going on a formal dinner with your mysterious secret wealthy clientele!”

“Oh yeah.” Applejack bobbed her head in realization. “We totally forgot about your secret date a few weeks back. With everything that’s been going on, it must’ve slipped our minds.”

Pinkie groaned. She should’ve known that Rarity would figure her out. Maybe she should’ve practiced her thing in a private table instead of here.

“Ugh… fine. You got me.” She dropped her hands in defeat. “My parents are having dinner with their business partner tomorrow at their place and they’re bringing me along to meet with his… son.”

Rarity’s face went all giddy, blowing the bad stench in the air with a clap of her hands. “Ooooh hooo~~! Meeting with the parents? Already? How very exciting. Normally you don’t get to meet the parents until after the fifth or sixth date. But the rich don’t exactly play by the rules. Oh just thinking about it got me all curious.”

“I’m more curious about this guy they’re pushing you to.” AJ added pointing out to the juiciest detail. “Other than the fact that he’s rich, we know next to nothing about him. What’s he like – or better yet – who is he? I thought you said you weren’t interested.”

“I’m not!” Pinkie insisted. “It’s just that my parents are really close friends with this guy and they want to bring me along because it’s proper manners. I keep telling them that they could bring my other sisters along, but nope. It has to be me for some reason.”

That really wasn’t much of an argument. After all, comparing Pinkie to her other three sisters was like comparing juicy apples to stale ones. Maud was stoic like her parents, you can hardly get a word out of Marble, and Limestone has…… a fairly… aggressive personality. You couldn’t picture any of them to be presented to another in a courting session. Not like the one Pinkie was going to. Trying to talk to them was like talking to a brick wall, though you could probably get a livelier conversation with the wall than the sisters. At least with Pinkie, she can chat, laugh and give a fair compliment every now and then.

“I’m sure your parents are just looking out for you.” Rarity bobbed her head. “He must be quite the charming fellow if he got their approval. But I would like to know a little bit more about him.”

“So when can we finally meet the guy?” The cowgirl asked, which only prompted to annoy Pinkie even further. “You can’t keep him a secret forever.”

But then Pinkie grinned mischievously as she thought of a good counterattack. “Alright Applejack. I’ll be willing to tell you who it is… if you tell me who your secret crush is!”

“What?” Rarity gasped as she turned her attention to her best friend. “A crush?”

“Pinkie!”

“What’s this about a crush now? This is the first I’ve heard of it!”

“Oh yeah. It’s Applejack’s first ever crush.” Pinkie continued earning a mean glare from the cowgirl. “She made a very special pie for him during the concert.”

“Really?” The fashionista’s attention drew to her countrygal pal. “Why Applejack, I’d never thought I’d see the day. Why in heaven’s name didn’t you say anything?”

“I…” The cowgirl tilted her hat down to hide her cheeks. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Oh poppydash! You don’t keep secrets from your best friend now, darling. That’s the kind of juicy tidbit I have been waiting for! Honestly now, I will admit that our group has been rather dry when it comes to interpersonal relationships. The closest thing we’ve ever had to a girl-talk is with Twilight and Timber. And we all know where that’s going.”

We do?

“We do?” Pinkie questioned.

“Of course! Naturally Twilight and Timber will move in together. And afterward that boy will propose on one knee, they’ll get married, go off into their honeymoon in Cloudsdale and then have two kids named Gemstone and Silky Smooth who will call me Auntie Rare!”

“Uh… Rarity. I think you’re going a little far too ahead.”

“Sh shhhh!” She hushed them. “You either let me have this moment or I pester the two of you about your secrets.” That was a good point. “Goodness. Two of my friends having love interests. And here I thought this holiday will just be the more of the same. Hoo hoo! I’m so glad I was wrong!”

Oh Rarity. If only you knew.

(Hallway) (Later)

The nightmare was at an end. The last school bell heralded the end of days and freedom from the confines of this wretched place.

Students poured out of the classroom, half of them fell on their knees and raised their hands up to the ceiling as if they had finally found religion, thanking whatever god that the nightmare was over. The other half fell to the floor, chanting words of misery as they knew that their final scores weren’t going to be as stellar as they hoped. Some were probably preparing to take makeup tests later on. A continuation of the nightmare that haunted the students here.

Fluttershy walked out first breathing a sigh of relief. She didn’t consider herself a bright student but she believed that she did well enough to get by. Her parents should be satisfied with the results at least. And to think that she did it without the help of her animal friends.

She let out a cheerful breath expecting her loud mouth friend to follow suit. But to her surprise she found the hallway quieter than usual. She quickly turned over to Rainbow Dash, who was the last to leave the classroom. The sports gal looked like she was down in the dumps dragging her feet and kicking the air. Her eyes were droopy and she lacked the usual spirit that she always had in abundance. Heck, she looked kind of… stale to be honest.

“Uh… Rainbow Dash? Are you ok?” Fluttershy asked worryingly. “That was the last exam. I thought you’d be more… excited.

“Huh? Oh… yeah. End of school… no more lessons, no more classes. Woohoo~.” Her woohoo didn’t exactly feel like a woohoo. It sounded more like a boohoo.

“Oh dear. Did you not do well in the test? Do you think you fail?”

“What? No… not that. I did fine. Physics isn’t exactly the hardest subject.” She waved it off. It was simple really. Things go up, things go down.

“Oh… then… why aren’t you more… you know…… cheerful?” Fluttershy probably expected the girl to be sliding on the floor, strumming an air-guitar on a reverse Pete Townshend by now while shouting something akin to 'Freedom' at the top of her lungs. “Is something wrong with Tank? Are you feeling sick? Did my brother try to ask you out again?”

“No. Nothing like that.” Rainbow Dash groaned. Though having Zephyr asking her out for the party next week would really dampen her mood too. “It’s… something else. Listen, I gotta get home and set up decorations with my folks. But we should definitely get together this weekend for an outing. Later.” Without even waiting for an answer she bolted off using her super speed.

“Ah! Rainbow Dash! You know we’re not supposed to use our powers to…”

She didn’t even have to finish her sentence when the speedster crashed onto someone a millisecond later, hitting the floor in a spectacular wipeout fashion.

“Ow… what hit me?”

“I think that’s my line.” Flash scoffed as he got back up, rubbing his shoulder, feeling the high velocity impact on him. “I thought you girls weren’t supposed to use magic in school. Do you want Principal Celestia to lecture you again?”

“Technically school’s out for Winter Break.” Rainbow Dash reasoned, which she made a valid point. “The last bell signaled it. So technically I’m not breaking the rules.”

“Sure.” The boy rolled his eyes. Of course she would have an excuse. “Anyway I’m glad I caught up to you. You ready to go?”

“Go?” She tilted her head sideway, puzzled. “Go where?”

“For our rehearsal?” The boy explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “For the Winter Holiday party next week? Remember? I sent you a text yesterday.”

Ah… yeah. Dang it. She really needs to start reading her text.

“Right~. Our… rehearsal.” She rubbed the back of her head embarrassingly. “Sure… I guess I can stay for a bit. But I can’t be out long. I got stuff to do at home.”

“Hey no biggie. We just need you to get acquainted with our songs. It shouldn’t be too hard for someone of your skillset.”

“Oooh! Are you two playing together?” Fluttershy asked with an intrigued tone. “I didn’t know you were going to play with them Rainbow. When did this happen?”

“A few days ago.” Flash answered smugly for her. “She lost a shredding match to me so she’ll be playing as my backup.”

“I didn’t lose squat!” Rainbow protested. “It was a draw! I submitted out of my own free will.”

“Sure you did.” He chuckled. “Come on. We only got the band room booked for a few hours.”

“Can I come?” Fluttershy raised her hand up like she was asking her teacher permission. “I’ve… never seen your band practiced before.”

He shrugged. “Sure. But I gotta warn you. Our practice sessions can get pretty intense.”

“Oh pa-lease.” Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out in disgust. “You should see our jam sessions. We bring down the roof every time we play.”

“And she means that literally.” Fluttershy added much to the boy’s surprise. “Last time we played at my family’s garage she really brought the roof down on us. It took us a while to clean up.” Flash wasn’t sure if that was crazy… or crazy scary. He would’ve loved to see it though – from a good distance, and probably behind a 10 feet magic proof wall.

“Ah huh…”

xxxxxxxxxx

“So here we are.” Flash declared as they walked in at the band room to find his team prepping their instruments. “Ladies. Allow me to introduce to you, the Flash Drive. You remember Drum Roll and Bass Keys.” The two respective gentlemen nodded back. “And of course we have our newest member, Sandalwood.”

“Sup…” The eco-keyboardist gave them a peace sign.

“Guys. You all know Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.” One of them waved and the other folded her arms together. “Like I promised, Rainbow Dash here will be playing as our backup. So I want her acquainted with all our songs.”

“Even Love in a Flash?”

He gave his drummer the smoking gun gesture. “Especially Love in a Flash. It’s a fan favorite.”

“You mean your favorite.”

“Anyway~~ the party’s on Wednesday so we gotta practice. Everyone in school will be there. Not to mention it’ll be our last semester in CHS next year. We gotta leave a good impression. Our big performance in the park also got us a lot of viewers. So let’s ride this popularity wave till we hit the shores. Bass, you got your strings fixed?”

“Way ahead of ya.” The bass player nodded.

“Drum Roll, you got those extra sticks?”

“Every self-respecting drummer always carry a few extra pairs.”

“And Sandalwood, you got your stomach medicine? You don’t want to be trapped in the bathroom for the next three hours.”

“Dude! Not cool man. It happened like… one time.” The gang chuckled at the hippie’s expense.

“Twice, actually. Remember that gig at Micro Chip’s place?” Flash leaned in to whisper to the girls. “Sandalwood’s stomach gets upset when he goes on stage. Apparently he gets nervous when he faces a big crowd.” Fluttershy giggled at the notion but understood the feeling of stage fright. “Anyway. Let’s take it from the top. Rainbow Dash, you’ll be playing next to me. Think you can keep up?”

“Pffft. Please. You were lucky the first time. With my talent, I might just outdo you.”

“We’ll see about that.” He took his place at the center of the group before pulling his guitar out. “Oh… and before we play. You gotta wear this.” He pulled out a leather jacket from the nearby locker. “Every member of my band has to wear matching jacket. Normally we just wear anything that suits us, but ever since our big performance at the park, Drum Roll here has been pestering that we have matching outfits.”

Bass Keys nodded in agreement. “It’s standard procedure. A band this big should have its own identity."

“Oh… terrific.” Rainbow Dash looked at the thing hiding her disgust. She wasn’t really much of a leather girl. But upon closer inspection, it didn’t exactly look that bad. The leather felt nice to the touch despite its darker color. It was slippery yet tough at the same time. The Flash Drive insignia was printed brightly on the back, and the sleeves were long enough to reach her wrist keeping her warm in this cool weather. “Whoa…”

“I know, right?”

She quickly hid her amazed her expression. “I mean… sure. Yeah. I guess it’s cool.” Aww… she looks so cute when she’s hiding her real self. “I still like my outfit better.”

“Meh. I’m sure it’ll grow on you.”

“Don’t keep your hopes up.” She scoffed back before suddenly finding the jacket to be perfectly fit for her body. “How’d you know my size?”

Flash grinned. “Oh… I have my ways.” The girl stepped back, appalled. “Kidding! I’m kidding. Rarity told me. She keeps all your measurements.” Ah. That made more sense. For a moment there she was thinking of the worst. “Ok. Why don’t you sit with Fluttershy first? Listen to some of our songs and see what you can do.”

Rainbow shrugged but didn’t complain. As egotistical as she was, she was too proud to back down on her word. A bet was a bet. And she’d pay it even if she hated it.

She looked at each of the band members noting their procedures. Judging by the way they handled their equipment they seemed to know what they’re doing. Unlike the Rainbooms, these guys looked… like pros. Not surprising seeing as they’ve been a band long before they came along. In fact, she would even say that they were more famous than they were. But never out loud of course

Drum Roll reached for the dimmer switch to set the mood for the room.

The whole place went quiet for a moment. With the rhythm of the music the Flash Drive played.

And like always, Flash took the lead. His voice echoed beautifully just like it did during his concert. His bandmates followed suit playing each of their instruments coolly performing with little trouble. All of them worked in perfect synch like they’ve been doing this for years. It was… pretty good actually.

Rainbow Dash never really paid much attention to Flash’s songs. Not even during the Battle of the Bands, they were too busy dealing with the Sirens to notice. She might’ve listened to one or two but this is the first time she actually heard the words loud and clear. The rhythm and the beats were nice. Not too fast and not too slow. The lyrics were definitely catchy. Each word holding a deeper meaning. Contradictory to hers, naturally, but it was pleasant to listen to. Heck even Fluttershy seemed to be caught up in the music that she didn’t even notice herself bobbing her head like a rocker to one of their upbeat songs.

It took about 20 minutes for them to finish through their list.

“So whadya think?” Their lead singer ask, brushing a sweat off his brow, to which Fluttershy responded with a genuine applause.

“That was amazing! Bravo! Bravo!” The Flash Drive took a complimentary bow while Drum Roll blushed shyly. “Your songs are very emotional. It has my seal of approval.”

“That makes one of you.” He eyed Rainbow Dash expecting a snippy reply.

“Pfft… it was ok, I guess.” Aww… she looks cute when she pouts.

“That last one was based off another band.” Drum Roll explained. “It's a little out there but we got our inspiration from..."

"Skull Cruncher!" Fluttershy stated much to their surprise. "Your drumming was very similar to their style."

Flash gawked. "You know Skull Cruncher?"

"Oh... a little bit." She lied.

"Enough talk." Rainbow Dash bellowed, casually grabbing her guitar and joining the boys on the platform. "I think I got the gist of your songs. Now let me show you how a real rocker does it."

(Applejack’s house) (Night)

“There. Done at last.” Rarity gave a proud declaration, wiping the sweat off her brow as she added the final touch to her lineup. With a little bit of elbow grease, imagination and determination, she was able to finish the last of her costumes. Just like the one that Hoity Toity praised for, all of her designs were based on Yaztec culture. Feathers, reeds and all the fabric you can get out of the forest. “I must say I’ve really outdone myself. The feathers were definitely a fine touch. It brings out the beauty of the linen.”

“If you say so.” Applejack commented from her bed, tilting her head sideway trying to make sense of the dresses. “You probably know more about the fashion world than I do. The best I can give is: That they either look good… or not. And these outfits… are definitely good.”

“Thank you darling. I’m just glad I was able to finish on time. I’m cutting it rather close to the deadline here. Hopefully I’ll be able to get them all to the amphitheater tomorrow.” She put her needles down and took a seat by her friend, admiring her handiwork from a good distance. “Thank you again for letting me do my work in your room. Without my usual workspace back home, I never would’ve thought that I could finish these at all.”

“Oh don’t sweat it. I wouldn’t leave my best friend high and dry on her big day.” And it helped when she had an ample supply of wool and feathers around here to work with.

Rarity nodded in gratitude. “I just really need to get my mind off that dreadful night. A good distraction would be welcoming at this point now that my work is complete. Not to mention that the night is still young. We could do something here before bed.”

“Well I do have a few board games that I used to play when I was a kid." AJ ruffled the bottom of her bed pulling out some dusty games. "Maybe we could go for a round of Catch the Fox or First to the Tower. They’re my favorites back when I was still a kid.”

“Thank you darling but games like these aren’t my cup of tea.”

“Don’t throw it till you try it.” AJ insisted. “Come on. I’ll even let you pick the game.”

But the fashionista’s smile grew wicked in nature. “Actually…… since you’re offering. I was hoping we could just… talk. More specifically we could talk about your first ever crush.” Applejack’s face froze.

“I uh…”

“Come now. You did say I get to pick. And I pick, girl talk.”

“Do we have to?”

“Of course!” Rarity exclaimed proudly as she laid on the bed, cupping her head in her hand while her legs swung back and forth. “Applejack dear. This is your first ever crush. Your heart must be going through a torrent of emotions right. You mustn’t hide such a beautiful feeling all to yourself, especially to your best friend. Why if I were in your shoes I’d be telling everyone about it!”

“You mean like that thing you had with that Ragamuffin fella?”

Oh snap.

Wow… Rarity completely forgot about that charming sailor.

“Oh that was just a fling, darling. Totally different.” Uh huh… sure. No one believed that. “Besides, he wasn’t exactly what I thought he was with that fake accent of his. But that’s beside the point. The point is, you need someone to talk to when it comes to relationships.”

“You’re just itching for a juicy gossip.”

“I cannot deny that.” The fashionista admitted. “But this is your first ever crush. As your best friend, it is my solemn duty to hear your heart out. I want to be a part of this special moment and wouldn’t dare miss it for the world.” Oh god… her eyes were glittering. She was doing the glitter puppy dog eyes! She must look away before it infects her.

The cowgirl sighed to herself. It was hard to argue with that reason. And to be completely honest: She did want to talk about it with her friends. If only there weren’t so confusing.

“Alright alright.” She surrendered to the puppy stare. “I’ll tell you. But under the condition you don’t tell anyone else.”

“And why not?”

“It’s… complicated.” Far more complicated than you know. “I want to keep this between you and me. For now at least. Until I can figure out how to tell the others. I don’t want this spreading. Not yet at least.”

“Hmm…” Rarity puckered her lips in thought. “While I do despise keeping this from our friends, I do enjoy holding exclusivity on this information. Very well. I promise. So spill, girl. Who is this mysterious gentleman who managed to grip your heart?”

Applejack breathed a sigh.

And her answer came.

Consultation Recreation

Chapter 27: Consultation Recreation

(Friday) (Afternoon) (Canterlot Mall)

Twilight stretched out her arms when she finally got out of the electronic store. Her morning shift was over and she got her paycheck. It wasn’t much but it was a start to pay her parents back for all the electric expenditure she accumulated. She wasn’t worried though. By the time she graduates from Everton Academy and win her first Nobel Prize, she’ll be paying it back with interest.

It stinks that her folks had to cut her lab off from the electrical grid, but she also understood why they did it. There was simply no way that they could sustain it. Not with their salary at least. So it’ll be up to her if she wants to reach the pinnacle of magic research.

But before she can even get there, she’ll need to resolve a couple of hurdles first. Like her love life.

She looked to her phone and noted the five miss calls on screen. No doubt Timber was on the other line eagerly awaiting her answer to his question. Twilight had been ducking his calls ever since her work at the store hoping to buy herself enough time to figure things out.

Twilight considered herself to be a smart lass. Smarter than your average Joe anyway. But when it comes to love or relationships, she was dumber than a donkey. She simply had no reference to go on with this problem.

“Twilight?” Her train of thoughts was interrupted when she heard a familiar voice coming from a nearby boutique.

“Rarity? Applejack?” She blinked at the pair. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Hoity Toity’s pageant right about now?”

“Oh I do darling. But the show is still in the evening. Applejack here will be driving me there and provide morale support. I just came to get my things from Ms. Hemline’s boutique as I have officially resigned myself from her service.”

“Resigned? Fully?” Twilight gasped. “You mean you aren’t working here anymore?”

“That’s what I said darling.”

She cocked a brow. “Isn’t that rushing it a bit?”

“That’s what I said.” AJ added in agreement. “But Rarity here thought that she needed to complete her transition or something.”

“Of course! An aspiring artist like myself cannot be static forever. I need to move on, evolve, like a living organism.” Rarity put up her dramatic hand gestures once more. “While I do enjoy my time with Ms. Hemline, clinging to her like this will only make me stale. I must move on to greener pastures, advance my imagination and knowledge of fashion. Until I stand alone at the top! Besides, with my publicity going around, I may have just enough to even start my own boutique. It will be… amazing! My victory alone at the pageant show tonight will solidify my position!”

“Well someone’s confident.” Twilight chuckled. “Sorry I can’t support you directly. My family’s celebrating the Winter Holiday with a big dinner tonight, and Shining Armor’s bringing Cadance along.”

“Oooh~ the former Principal?” Applejack whistled coolly earning a giggle from her friends. “Must be nice having friends at the top.”

“Speaking of friends.” Rarity’s mood darkened a bit. “I don’t suppose you’ve had any luck finding out about… our shadowy suspect.”

Sadly Twilight did not. “No. Without my lab or any of my equipment, progress is slow. All we know so far is that whoever is controlling the new batch of shadow monsters has the same black gemstone that Cinch used.”

“So just about anyone.” The cowgirl groaned lowly.

“Sorry. Can you stay with Applejack for a few more days? Just to play it safe?”

“Of course she can. No way I’m letting some monster get the drop on her. Rarity’s safe as long as I’m around. Besides… it’s nice to have someone to talk to at night. It’s like Pinkie said. It’s a never ending sleepover party. Who knew a little girl talk can be so much fun?” She added that last bit bashfully which did not escape Twilight’s notice.

“Oooh… girl talk? Sounds interesting. Anything I should know?”

Rarity zipped her lips in reply. “I’m sorry darling. But that is a piece of juicy tidbit between me and Applejack. You’ll have to subscribe to our sleepover party if you want the whole scoop.”

That was a tempting offer. Twilight did enjoy many of their sleepovers and late night study sessions, but they were few and far between. Even less so now with trouble brewing just around the corner. God. She wished that they didn’t have to deal with this secret organization.

“I might just take that offer once this whole magic escapade is over.”

“One can only hope.” Rarity nodded in agreement. “And what of you, darling?” She turned the question around. “Any plans after this or are you going straight home?”

“Straight home.” She shrugged. “But after I make one quick stop. I’ll catch you on TV?”

“I’ll be sure to have all cameras on me!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight quickly parted ways with her friends and made dashed to the comic store at the far end of the mall. She remembered it well seeing as she came here so many times with her brother when she was little. Shining Armor loved to browse the area, glancing at his favorite comics, thinking of saving just enough money to buy them. He also loved the smell of oil, ink and the mint freshener that kept the store in a below average temperature. It was practically his old haunting grounds. But ever since he graduated from Crystal Prep and had Cadance move in with him, he’s been visiting this place less and less. It was a loss of a regular customer.

And thus Twilight came up with the perfect gift for her brother for the Winter Holiday.

“Hello there good sir.” She gestured to the part-time worker by the cashiers who seemed to be engaged in a comic himself sipping on a drink.

He looked up, at her toothy smile before putting his piece of literature away. “Cavn I helzp yuz Misssh?” The boy slurred through his braces

“I would like a copy of the Space Cavalry Warriors issue #133, mint-condition. Please.” It was Shining’s favorite comic. He practically had every issue collecting dust somewhere. Heck, a few dozen of them were still lingering in his old room.

“Oh sawwry miss.” He apologized sarcastically. “Buts dat issuze’s sold outz. Wez gav zhe last coppee hourz avo.”

“WHAT?! But that issue should’ve just came in yesterday! How did it all disappear so fast?”

“Two wordz: Pre-Orderz fft.” He smiled cheerfully, while Twilight resisted the urge to correct his error. “Itz berry popular adround here.”

“I know. That’s why I want to buy one!” The girl grumbled lowly to herself. So much for completing Shining’s comic set. “Do you have one that’s not in near-mint condition?”

“Nope.”

“A plain condition?”

“Nope.”

“A semi-plain condition?

“E…nope.”

She snapped. “What are you, Big Mac 2.0!?” A chuckle from behind grabbed her attention away from the frightened worker.

“Don’t be angry at him. It’s not his fault that all the copies are gone. When a comic is that popular, you won’t find many of them on opening week.” The boy walked up next to her flashing his good old smile that would’ve melted the heart of her Equestrian counterpart.

“Flash? You’re… here?”

“As a dedicated fan to a number of comics myself, I do come here often.” He winked at her before handing the cashier some cash which prompted the worker to produce several volumes of the comics all neatly wrapped on the table. “Though I never took you as a fan.”

“I’m not. The only books I’m interested in are those with educational values, not colorful fantasy pictures.” If a book couldn’t advance her academic goals, why be printed at all? “I came to get a gift for Shining Armor. For the Winter Holiday. I was supposed to get his favorite comic but they’re out. It’s ridiculous. There's a limit to how popular a thing can get.”

Flash placed a hand on his chin as he thought. “Hmm… get him… Tunnel Cats.”

Twilight’s head tilted. “You mean that comic about mutated cats living in the sewers, fighting crime? Doesn’t sound that remarkable.”

“Any self-respecting fan of Space Cavalry Warriors would definitely love it. It’s got the same vibe even when it's not in space. Trust me. Take a leap of faith.” He gestured to the cashier who quickly went out of his way to search for the said comic. “Speaking of comics. I don’t suppose you girls are in for another adventure soon. The last one in the cave was a while ago.”

She looked back at the boy, surprised. “You know about that?”

“Sunset told me.” He smugly answered, which she eyed him, not believing that for a second. “Ok I tricked her into telling me. It wasn't really that hard. But seriously. A magic trap and a giant monster all inside one cave? That’s like a standard level 4 adventure for you girls. I’m kinda surprised no one’s made a movie out of your adventures yet. Daring Do would be put to shame compared to you guys.”

“Don’t let Rainbow Dash hear you say that or she’ll talk your ear off.”

“I’m just saying that the adventures you girls go through will make one heck of a TV series. You would all be the heroes facing off evil monsters and rogue magic while you have me as your trusty sidekick/love interest.”

Twilight curled an amused brow. “Love interest? Really?”

“Well yeah. There’d be plenty of people who’d have their own ships on it.”

“Ships?” That brow rose upward.

“You know? The thing where people put two or more p…”

“I know what shipping is.” She smugly interrupted. “I’ve watched enough shows to have my dreams dashed so many times. But I just can’t help but notice that you happen to be shipping yourself with a certain… redhead in our group.”

His face turned a shade redder than normal. “What~~? No~. I would… never… really…” Oh yeah. He definitely still had some lingering feelings for Sunset. “Ok you got me. What gave me away?”

“The fact that you throw yourself in harm’s way for us.” Twilight leaned on him, elbowing his side like a sibling who knew too much. “I mean who else do you know who would willingly go into a firefight between magical superpowers for complete strangers?” He blushed slightly at that. “So~~ you’re still holding a torch for Sunset, eh? Or should I say that it never went out.”

“Well it did help when she turned over a new leaf. In fact… this new her, reminds me of the old Sunset too.”

“The big meanie Sunset?”

“No. Way before that.” He corrected offering with an amused laugh. “When I first met Sunset, she was kind of like… Twilight. The other Twilight. Everything seemed new and mysterious to her. Kind of like a lost puppy but also very curious about… everything.” His eyes grew foggy as if reminiscing of a distant memory. “I think that’s what drew me to her in the first place.”

“So it wasn’t love at first sight?”

“Heh. No. But close. Did she ever tell you how we got together?”

She shrugged though deep down she felt intrigued. “Sunset doesn’t really talk much about her past.” Almost never actually. A lot of bad memories linger there. Something she doesn’t want to visit. “She’s more of a ‘Now’ kind of person.”

“That makes sense. But it wasn’t all bad. She was actually kind of nice before she got all power hungry. In fact… she and I found Bananas together.” The dog? They actually found that adorable little thing. “It was on our way back from the movies. She found it at an alley hiding in a cardboard box. We wanted to keep it together but she wasn’t really that into animals... or responsibilities yet. So she asked me to hold onto it. She was so kind and sweet that I couldn't stop myself for falling for her. That’s when I asked her to go out with me.”

“Aww… that actually sounds really sweet.” Twilight cooed, her mind already taking mental notes to tease her best friend about Bananas on a later date. But then a thought came to mind. “Hey Flash. You’re a guy, right?”

The question made him stare at her like she had gone mad. “Uh… yeah. Thanks for noticing.”

She face palmed herself. “No. Not like that. I mean… you used to date Sunset, right?”

“That’s kind of what I’ve been saying these last few minutes.” He shrugged. “Why?”

“Did you two… ever had a serious talk? Like a grownup kind of talk.”

“I don’t really understand the question. Sunset and I only dated for about a semester. The only serious talk we’ve ever had was when we broke up.” That sounds about right.

Twilight’s face shied away as she tried to form the question. It was hard talking to other people about these things. “If you and I were dating…” Both of them froze as several eavesdropping heads turned in their direction. “No wait. That came out wrong.”

“Easy there Twilight.” He reached out for her shoulder, giving her a reassuring pat. “What’s this really about?”

Again she sighed. She’s been doing that a lot lately, especially when it came to this topic. She was about to explain but closed her mouth when she noted everyone in the store staring at them, especially the cashier who had returned some time ago, sipping his drink, intrigued by their conversation.

xxxxxxxxxx

“So Timber asked you to move in with him?” Flash sounded surprised after he listened intently to Twilight’s story. They left the comic store not long afterward and claimed a bench by the fountain, the girl buying him a drink as compensation for listening to her woes. “That’s…awesome!”

“No… not awesome.” Twilight corrected him with an irritated tone. “It was totally unexpected. You can’t just drop that kind of pressure on someone without some kind of warning. How can I make a sound decision just like that?”

“Well, what did you tell him?”

“I told him I’d think about it.” Ugh… it feels like she’s been saying that about a dozen times over now.

“Why don’t you ask your friends?”

“Already did that. And the vote is split. Half of them says I should go for it and the other half says I should say no. At least… until I’m ready. So right now I have until the end of the week to give him an answer.” She traced her hands down her cheeks dragging her eyes downward. “I’ve been piling over all the pros and cons and I still can’t make a decision. I can solve a scientific problem within 2 minutes flat. But this? This is just too hard.”

Flash nodded back in understanding. “I think I understand what you’re going through. That kind of decision is a big deal. One wrong move and your whole future plans might derail.”

“Right!?” Yes. Finally, someone who gets it.

“But on a personal opinion, I think you should go for it.”

Twilight slammed a hand over her chest as she choked on her drink. “WHAT!? Are you crazy!?”

“Wait. Hear me out for a second here.” He raised his hand up like a shield. “I know that this might be a big decision and it can also be very scary. But try to see it from Timber’s point of view.” Oh… that was a new one. “You find this whole change to be scary, right? Well… how do you think he’s taking it? If I was in his shoes, I’d be freaking out just like you.”

“You have a 3 storied mansion.”

He bobbed his head giving point to her. “True. But I’d also be scared. I mean this is also going to be a big change in my life. Asking the girl I love to move in with me?” Flash gave her a smile. “It takes a lot of courage to ask that. And I wouldn’t do it unless I was absolutely sure she was the one. I’m sure Timber’s thinking of the same thing too.”

That… was actually a good point. Twilight considered herself a girl who can be calm in tough situations – with a few exceptions of course. And if she was getting this worked up with this, she can’t even begin to imagine what Timber was going through. The guy must’ve worked through hundreds of simulations to think that this would be a good idea. Heck, the nerves he gathered alone must’ve been immense. It takes guts to actually pop that question.

“Wow… I never thought of it that way. He must be facing a crisis too, having me invade his personal space like that.”

“Exactly. Besides, I think your reaction is pretty normal.” Flash nodded back taking another sip from his drink. “Consider you and me dating. Hypothetically.” He waved his hand again exaggerating that last word. “If I asked you to move in with me, would you say yes?”

“Yes.”

He blinked. “What?”

“What? I mean no.” Whoa, that was weird. Why’d she say that all of a sudden? “But then again, you do have a three storied house, a garage full of cars, and a large indoor swimming pool and as Fluttershy would say: An AVIARY!”

“Right~~. So… anyway. What I’m saying is: Timber got the courage to ask you to truly be a part of his life. And I think you should give it a shot. Take a leap of faith.”

“Easy for you to say when you’re not the one making a big decision that’ll change your life forever.”

“True. But like I said… give it a shot. I think you both deserve a chance of trying new things.” He laid on hand over her head looking like a big brother giving sagely advice. “And besides, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.”

Twilight blushed back, feeling the warmth of his hand on her hair. It felt… good somehow. But the moment passed when his phone rang up forcing him to retract his hand. He answered it, rolling his eyes and groaning.

“I gotta head home. My dad's calling me. You gonna be ok?”

“Yeah… definitely. You’ve… given me a lot to think about.” With a shy wave she watched as the boy disappear into the crowd leaving her alone to ponder on her thoughts. Though honestly there really wasn’t much to think about. Flash had shattered her reasoning and gave her no excuse. She had her answer. Delaying it now would only make things more awkward. Quietly she reached out for her phoned, sighing lowly at the number on screen. It rang a few times before the other line answered back with a chippy tone.

“Hello there, beautiful.”

“Hey… Timber. You got a minute?”

“For you? I got all the time in the world.”

(Midtown apartment)

It was a moment of rare serenity at Sirens’ apartment. Something Adagio was more than happy to have and savored every second of it like it was her favorite drink. She sat by the TV, munching some leftover treats from the fridge while enjoying a bit of entertainment in the dumb electronic picture box. Sonata was taking her afternoon nap after stuffing her stomach full of snacks. As for Aria, she was busy reading some of that teen magazine, chuckling at the tidbit and juicy gossips, sometimes filling out the questionnaires inside. Like any of that would actually mean anything in real life.

But she didn’t mind it. So long as they were quiet, they could be quietly killing each other for all she cared.

Her favorite show was on. She didn’t quite understand the name but it was something akin to barbaric torture in the most deliciously painful way. Three teams would compete in this show standing upon separate raised platforms above ice cold water, all answering a series of general knowledge questions asked by the host of the show. Every correct answer would net them money depending on the difficulty of the question, while an incorrect answer would take away a portion of their winnings. Three wrong answers would then take out a piece of their platform making the team huddle together cramped like an island getting smaller and smaller. The misery and disdain they expressed there was entertaining to say the least.

After one too many mistakes are made and money lost, the team’s cohesion would break down like a house of cards. They’d begin to ire one another, accuse one another for stupidity for the smallest margins of error. And the situation will reach a boiling point when the group of people who hate each other will have to share space at a platform that was getting smaller and smaller by the minute. Her favorite part is when the argument reaches its peak and the group would willingly push one of their own out just to get some ‘breathing’ room.

All in all, it was hilarious. Their disdain was enough to make the siren crack a smile… maybe even a chuckle if they were malicious enough.

But just as the mood was getting good, and the questions getting harder, her enjoyment came to an abrupt end when their sixth senses kicked in. Adagio's magical abilities tickled as she felt it moving just outside the window.

At first she thought it was another one of those shadow monsters. They felt similar in nature but this one slithered around, keeping itself hidden just enough to barely be felt. She readied herself for an assault but quickly dropped her battle stance when she realized that they weren’t coming for them.

“You felt it too?” Aria asked as she encroached on the window, eyeing the folks below. “You think it’s those shadow wolves again?”

“Maybe…” Her leader answered, taking a quick glance outside only to shut the blinds. “But this one feels a tad different. And it doesn’t look like they’re here for us.”

“I’ll keep the nightlight on, just in case.” They both agreed on that part. “Should we tell those CHS girls?”

“We don't owe those girls anything for all I care. Besides... I get the feeling they already know.” She groaned annoyingly. “We should consider forming a defensive spell around the building too as a first line countermeasure.”

“I’ll do it.” Aria volunteered stopping her leader from going at it. “Unlike you and Sonata, I still have most of my powers intact.”

“I’m fine.”

“And I still beg to differ.”

“I said I’m fine!”

Her raised tone was enough to raise Sonata from her sleep. “Wha? What’s going on? Whaz… *yawn* happening?”

“It’s just the wind.” Aria reassured her little friend. The last thing she needed to know was that another monster was lurking outside of their apartment. “Go back to sleep Sonata.”

“Way~ ahead of you. Zzzzzz…” She conked back down a second later, snoozing all the way to dreamville.

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

Applejack parked her old timey truck near the store breathing a sigh of relief that they were able to avoid the Friday traffic. The boutique itself was surrounded by a crowd of would-be audience and camera crew, all prepping for the big show later tonight. It shouldn’t be a surprise seeing as one of the leading legend was spearheading this show on his own. A big name like Hoity was bound to draw a massive crowd no matter where he went.

“Here we are.” She announced to her resident fashionista who peppered herself with makeup. “You ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Rarity replied holding as much confidence as she could in her tone. “Thank you again for coming to support me on this. I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t have you.”

“Aww shucks. Don’t mention it. It’s the least I can do for ya after you had me talk your ear off last night about my little problem.”

“Your Flash problem?” A grin showed itself on her seductive lips. “Don’t worry dear. I have no intentions of telling anyone. Though I admit it was quite a shocked. Of all the people to crush on, it had to be him. I know I joked about you two getting together before, but imagine my surprise when it actually came true.”

“It ain’t a done deal yet.” Applejack retorted. “We aren’t exactly an item.”

“Not with that attitude darling.” She let out a teasing chuckle. “Ah… this is just the kind of gossip my boring life needs. A little spice for this bland existence. Tell me darling. What are your plans to… ahem… woo him to your side?”

“Honestly? I’m not even sure. I was gonna invite him to lunch and see where we go from there.”

“And you expect him to ask you out just like that?”

“Isn’t that how things work?”

Rarity cupped her head in distraught. “Oh Applejack. Dear dear Applejack. You’re way more behind than I thought. You might actually need help with this.”

“Uh… what?”

“But not to worry. Your best friend Rarity is here for you and will guide you through the primal art of seduction!”

Seduction!? The cowgirl gulped fearing what those lessons might entail. She heard about such things and read through some topics on the internet. It was a woman’s weapon in ensnaring their prey. The swaying of hips, the licking of your lips, word play, eye gazing and so on. The mere thought of it made her sweat.

“I don’t think I need…”

Rarity pressed a finger on her friend’s lips, shushing her. “Ah ah darling. Leave it all to me. We can start your lessons tonight after the show. By the end of the week, you’ll be a master of manipulation. Flash Sentry won’t be able to take his eyes off you even for a second.”

“That’s a little excessive.”

“Do you not want to get Flash's attention?”

“I do, but not like…”

“Then it’s settled. You’ve successfully enrolled yourself in Rarity’s class of Seducing 101. First lesson is tonight. Don’t be late.” And without even waiting for a reply, the fashionista dropped out and gathered her things from the back of the truck but quickly returned to the window. “Oh and before I forget. Here’s your entry ticket. The security will let you through without hassle. Wish me luck. Toodles~.”

(Flash’s house) (Evening)

Dang it. How does anyone breathe with these?

Flash looked at his reflection on the mirror pulling the edges of his collar as he struggled to breathe in his attire. He never thought he’d don he Gallopers’ vintage wine suit again so quickly after his first playdate with Pinkie. He’d forgotten how uncomfortable it was especially around the neck. He could hardly gulp a chunk of air without having his tie literally choke him with each gasp.

His father had made all the arrangements at the house, bringing the full mass of his wealth in full view for every visitor. He put out the expensive wine cases, decked out the front entrance with all the priceless vases and paintings so that their guests would be showered and perhaps even overwhelmed by all the gaudiness they had on display. Even the hallway leading to the dining room and living room were freshly mopped and cleaned right down to the microscopic bacteria. Servants were also posted in each of the rooms and paid overtime for the night. If Flash didn't know better, this meeting might actually be important for his old man.

“How is your suit, sir?” His butler asked from the side already knowing the answer.

“It’s… a little tight around the neck.” He groaningly answered. “You sure I can’t undo one button?”

“Etiquette dictates for such a special event that it should be fully buttoned, sir. Anything else would be deemed as an insult.” It wouldn’t be much of an insult if he chokes on his own spit.

Ugh… stupid high class etiquette. Honestly – whoever made those rules must’ve been a master in terms of torture! Even the suit he wore was downright uncomfortable. He looked good in it yeah, but his usual outfit also gave the same sense. Not to mention the sleeves kept tickling the wound on his hand.

“Well those people back then must’ve learned to breathe some other way because this suit is strangling me to the bone.”

“May I suggest a clip-on tie, sir?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Speaking of which. Is that thing I asked you for ready yet?”

The butler nodded. “Almost, sir. The ballroom is still being prepped prior to your request. It should be done momentarily.”

“Great! At least tonight won’t be a complete awkward fest.”

“Edmund. Is my son ready?” The master of the house peeked through the door, finding the boy ready as he’ll ever be.

“Just about, dad.”

“Oh my.” Sombra whistled impressively as he walked in and scanned the boy from head to toe. “Very regal. I must say you look quite dashing. It was worth getting that new suit for you. You kind of remind me of me when I was your age.”

“Really?” Flash gave an I-don’t-believe-you tone as he fixed his tie once more loosening its grip on his Adam’s Apple. “Did your old self ever found a way to hold his breath for hours?”

“No. But I was quite the ladies’ man.” He chuckled softly, reaching for the boy’s collar and fixing it. “This was before I met your mother of course. Ah… the hearts I broke when I left for college. It was really dramatic.”

“Yeah right.”

“I’m serious.” The older gentleman insisted. “My jawline was the stuff of legends back in school. Half of them were fond of me, and the other half were jealous of me. I was so popular, those that loved me were called… Sombies.”

“Sombies?” Flash smirked with one brow raised.

“Yes. You know? Like… zomb…”

“I get it, dad.”

“Ah… of course.” Sombra coughed into his hand with flushed cheeks. “Anyway. Like I said: I was a ladies’ man. And it seems you inherited that trait from me.” Ha! Sure dad. Whatever makes your ego flow. “Speaking of which… Edmund.”

“Sir.” The butler stood at attention.

“Can you go and hold the front entrance? Inform me when our guests have arrived.”

The butler nodded back with a professional bow and departed quietly, leaving the two alone in the room. Though it wasn’t obvious, Flash could tell that he just wanted to be alone with him.

The boy found his father staring at him, putting one hand over his cheek to take a better look. Something sparked over his soul which prompted a caring smile to cross his face

“You really do have your mother’s eyes.”

Flash raised a brow, confused. “Uh… Dad?”

“Sorry.” He let go. “I was just… remembering Sophie. I…” He gave out a pause just to sigh. “I know you never really knew her but… she’d be so proud if she saw you right now.”

The blue boy chuckled. “Yes dad. You said that like a million times now.”

“Well I guess this makes it a million and one.” He snorted which in turn grew to a full blown laugh that he shared with his son. “You should’ve seen her son. Your mother was the most beautiful lady this world has ever seen. She was always the star that shined both day and night. A jewel in the desert. A Radiant…”

“I get it. She’s pretty.” Flash rolled his eyes much to his father’s embarrassment.

“Yes. Very much so.” He coughed into his fist. “It’s a wonder why we don’t talk about your mother more often.”

“Well… I didn’t know mom at all.” The boy pointed out. “Besides, you didn’t want to talk about her either.”

“I didn’t? That doesn’t sound like me.”

“Don’t you remember? Before you went to Saddle Arabia, I finally had the courage to ask you. I… asked about mom one time. But you didn’t want to say anything.” Flash looked away, recalling some bad memories. “You got upset and curled up in your shell. You hardly even looked at me after that.”

“Oh…” Sombra turned away, though he didn’t quite remember it. “I see. I’m… sorry son.”

“Meh. It was years ago. I’m over it.” The little boy shrugged hiding away the pain in his hand. “But yeah. After that, I never brought mom up again. I… didn’t want to see you upset like that.”

“Flash… I…” Sombra grumbled, rubbing the side of his neck. He felt like an idiot. “I didn’t mean to be like that. You must understand that… I was… heartbroken. Losing your mother was perhaps the most painful thing that ever happened to me. I never spoke about her to anyone after she passed away. It was simply… too much for me.”

“Yeah… I get it.”

“It took me some time to finally move on with my life. And… I hope I can make it up to you.”

“Does this mean I can skip dinner?”

“No.” He answered almost too quickly, like he anticipated it. “But nice try there, son.”

“Dang it. Can I at least take one button off this suit? It’s choking me.”

“Hmm. I suppose one button will do. But just one.” They shared a short laugh together which brought them closer – or at least they hoped so. “Anyway. There’s a reason why I brought your mother up. I wanted to give you this.” He pulled out a small finely decorated box from his pocket. Inside he revealed a beautifully crafted pin with four silver wings surrounding a blue gemstone.

“Whoa… nice.”

“I thought it was high time you had this. Your mother gave it to me during our honeymoon. We went scuba diving at the Great Ocean and came across a magnificent cave system. Inside we found a formation of corals surrounding a small crystal. She took it and made it into something beautiful.” He laughed. “I think that’s where my desire for archeology started. Anyway, Sophie said that she enchanted this gem with a magical spell that is said to keep me from all harm. Though I find it difficult to believe in such ridiculous things such as magic.”

Yeah… magic… ridiculous. Cough cough…

“Dad. I couldn’t possibly…”

“Oh don’t be absurd.” Sombra scoffed, pushing the pin closer. “At the very least keep it. Maybe it would protect you.”

“But you said you don’t believe in magic.”

“Oh I don’t.” He gave a coy smirk as he attached the pin on his collar. “But it might believe in you.”

Flash turned around and inspected the new accessory on his suit. It wasn’t exactly his type of bling but he had to admit, it looked pretty cool. Maybe just cool enough to be on his jacket. Besides, it also looked mighty expensive.

“Thanks dad.”

Sombra gave out a rare smile. “Any time, son.” But then a knock on the door interrupted them.

“Sirs.” Edmund’s head poked in. “The Pie Family is here.”

“Ah… yes. Perfect.” He smiled. “Come along son. We have guests to greet.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Pinkie felt like a doll. A dressed up doll all pimped and pampered to the point of ridiculousness. With the amount of makeup Maud put on her and the clothes her mother had her wear, she swore she would make Rarity look plain in comparison. If you think you would hardly recognize her back during her first playdate, you'd hardly know that this was same Pinkie Pie you see in school.

Her hair was combed down to the last strand losing it puffiness and its natural ability to hide sweets, her attire was changed to a pink long dress that exposed her shoulder and hid her party socks. She opted for a puffy clown gloves at the very least but her mother denied even that.

The long drive to Uptown was harrowing at best. She was hoping to get some respite but her mother constantly berated her with questions and reminded her on her manners. This wasn’t going to be like one of her parties. This was a formal meeting with their great business partner and she needed to be at her best behavior.

That meant no loud noises, no yelling, to mind her steps at all times, and of course acting with poise and grace. Thankfully when they arrived, Pinkie was able to take her mind off the rules and turn her attention to the giant mansion in front of her.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy did not exaggerate at all when they said that Flash’s place was huge. It was a whole dang town! The garden outside was pretty much bigger than their house. The mansion alone was three stories high with a balcony overlooking the entrance. Servants flanked the steps of the door all looking fresh, like they hadn’t worked a single hour all night.

Oh god. It was the Huffs and Hooves all over again! Except on a grander scale. A much much grander scale.

Her mother’s eyes reflected on the rearview mirror. “Pinkamena. Stand up straight darling. Your slouching posture will wrinkle your clothes.” She groaned but complied nonetheless. She was already here. May as well go all the way and bring out Eiknip. “Try to look proper dear. You want to impress your friend.”

“Yes mom.”

“And did you bring the thing I asked you to?”

“Got it right here.” She patted her sling bag pocket carefully.

Three servants later approached their vehicle and gracefully opened the door for them, another leading her mother by the hand in crisp and precise manner. Like they’ve been trained to do so all their lives. They didn’t speak, and everyone knew what they were all doing. They were then led up the marbled steps and through the gilded door which opened in a grand manner revealing the world of the wealthy.

Pinkie’s eyes sparkled reflecting the gleam from every furniture. Several lamp lights illuminated the whole room burning out all the shadows in the world. Everything here looked downright expensive. Even the carpet felt like it was worth its weight in gold.

“Igneous, old fellow!” The master of the house arrived not a moment later to greet them, shaking hands with her father like an old friend. “So good of you to make it. I hope the traffic wasn’t much trouble, old friend.”

“Neither roadblock nor tremor can hold me back. But may providence favor thee well and to thou comfort your homestead bring.”

“Back at you too, old chum.” Yeah… her family can be very old school. But thankfully Sombra didn’t seem to mind. “And Cloudy Quartz. You’re looking as gorgeous as always. It seems obvious now that your daughters have inherited all of your charms.” Her mother chuckled and blushed. A rare sight of emotions coming from her.

They colluded through small talk while the servants came by to take their jackets away. She didn’t bother listening as her eyes scanned around the room looking for something else entirely.

Or… someone else for that matter.

“Hey there.” A finger tapped her shoulder causing her to whip her head around to meet with the blue haired heir to the estate. “Looking for me?”

“Flash!” She smacked her mouth her shut when she nearly reverted back to her original tone. “I mean… hey. Nice to uh… meet you?” That came out like a question than a statement.

He laughed. “Right back at ya. I take it your folks convinced you to come here?”

She didn’t bother hiding it. It was pretty obvious seeing how she openly hates her attire. “Yeah. I told them I didn’t want to. But you know how they are. My parents can be pretty assertive. Trying to say no to them is like trying to stop a buffalo stampede without Fluttershy.”

“Yeah. My dad was also pretty sly when he got me to agree to this.” Flash smiled sweetly back at her. “You look great by the way.”

Her face grew one or two shades pinker than normal. “Oh uh… thanks. You too.” Come on Pinkie. Get it together! Why are you getting so flustered for? It’s not like you haven’t seen the guy in a suit. Just because he’s downright handsome and sweeter than sugar, doesn’t mean you should be fawning over him. What do you think would happen if people found out about this? What if your friends find out? Or worse yet… Sunset!?

Oh the cringe and awkwardness you have to suffer the rest of your life. The deadpan stares, the dodging of questions. It’ll be unbearable!

“Pinkamena.” Her father called out to her. She hated it when people use her lengthened name. “Don’t forget your manners.”

She rolled her eyes again with a sigh. Slowly she gave a simple gesture of a bow reciting a line that her parents drilled into her. “It is an honor and a privilege to be a guest of this household, Sir and Young Sir. We hope that this meeting shall take root and bear fruit in days to come.” Ugh… speaking like the olden colonials felt weird. She was glad that they finally changed to simple ‘Hi’s and ‘Helloes’.

Flash obviously stifled his laugh but that smile of his showed it all.

Ugh… someone give me a poison cupcake and just kill me now.

“Let’s move on to the dining room, shall we?” Sombra offered to which they all accepted.

…

And dinner played on like she expected. It was super fancy, super delicious and super restricted. The food was like nothing she had ever seen before. Unlike those that she saw in the Huffs and Hooves, these looked like food fit for kings! There were imported kobe beef, lobsters, a whole turkey and a salad so green, the grass outside may as well be gray. And don’t even get her started on the desert and Hors d'oeuvre. The flan literally melted in her mouth, and the churros!? It was a darn Ark of the culinary arts!

She would’ve gladly gobble it down and lick her plate clean of any leftover like the Pinkie Pie that she was, but her mother kept one eye on her the whole time. It gave out a message, threatening her with an unsavory punishment should she make one error. So she had to eat… like a ‘Proper’ lady befitting her station, taking small teeny tiny bites from her utensils and sipping from her glass with one pinkie sticking out.

It was technically torture at this point.

The only consolation she had was of course, Flash. Thankfully the two of them were seated far away from the adults on the overcompensatingly long table which gave them some measure of privacy, though still in full view of their parents. He was thankfully very open about the whole thing and treated her just like he did back in the Huffs and Hooves. They traded jokes, gossips amongst their friends and passed the time with a little chit chat. Though to be completely honest, it was mostly just her fumbling and trying to keep a straight face.

“So wait…” Flash paused their recent conversation as he jerked back. “You’re telling me that the night that we went out together really was your first actual date?”

“Yup.” She nodded proudly like it was a badge to hold. “My first actual date with another guy. Never really had a reason to do that until mom and dad decided to force it on me.”

“Wow… that is a surprise. Sorry.”

Pinkie waved it off quickly. “Oh. No. It’s no biggie, really. It’s not like I had people lining up to ask me out or anything.”

The boy nodded. “Fair enough. Still… I think your first date should’ve been special. You should’ve gone out with someone you actually liked. Instead you got me.”

Pinkie gave a non-caring shrug. “Meh. I don’t mind. It’ll be a good reference to go on. Not to sound braggy and all, but you kinda set the bar a little too high for all my future dates. I mean… you literally took me out to one of the fanciest place in Canterlot, with food I could hardly pronounce and a whole mess of fun shows to boot.”

“Are you talking about the music or the part where the waiters spilled spaghetti all over themselves?”

“Yes.” She smiled softly before they snorted out a laugh. “I mean it’s gonna take a lot of effort to top that. And besides, dating you wasn’t so bad. I mean… I had totes fun.” And that was the truth. She really did have a lot of fun. Surprisingly so. “So… yeah. I got zero regrets going on our first date. And… honestly, I wouldn’t mind going for another one.”

“What?”

“What?” Pinkie blinked hiding her blush. “Anyway! Umm… nice house.”

“Oh… uh… thanks?”

“Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy told us all about it. They said you had a giant aviary here. That… among other things. Like a movie house, giant pool, movie house, a ginormous kitchen, movie house, a wide maze garden, movie house.”

Oh yeah. He could take a hint. “I’m guessing you want to see our record room?”

“Can I?” She beamed giddily but quickly reverted back to her quiet tone when her mother’s razor sharp glare pierced the space between them. “I uh… I mean if it’s not too much trouble.”

He seemed more than happy to show her. “Not at all. As a matter of fact, you just gave me an idea.” Flash then rose from his seat coughing into his hand. “Hey dad. You mind if I show Pinkie around the house?”

Sombra’s smile brightened. “Why, that’s an excellent suggestion son. Igneous and I were just about to start our business discussion. I’m sure the two of you will find our meeting quite boring anyway. You don’t mind, do you, old friend?” Her parents quietly nodded back in reply. “Splendid. Enjoy yourself Pinkie. The house is free game.”

With that, Flash casually extended his arm over to Pinkie, a smug grin mustering on her face. “Shall we go, milady?”

“Lead the way, Flashie.” She giggled.

…

And just like that they were out of the dining room and away from her mother’s soul piercing eyes. She could finally breathe and stop watching her every move.

“Ugh… finally. I thought I was going to die in there.” She paused for a moment before correcting. “From my mom’s glare obviously. The food was great.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled, continuing to lead her through the many corridors of his home. “I’m guessing Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy told you all about my place.”

“Oh just the good stuff.” She answered, looking upward. “You know – the pool, the aviary, and the big movie theater you have hidden in your house. Fluttershy was really into the aviary part.” And with good reason too. If half of what she heard from that animal loving lass, his birdhouse may as well be a bird motel. Heck she already picture those weary feathery folk dropping by in their suits and dresses ringing the bell and checking into the room dropping a few bird seeds as a new type of currency.

“I’m sure she’s exaggerating.” He waved it off. “But now that we’re finally out and away from that droll, you wanna get a real party going?”

“Oh?” Pinkie looked at him with anticipation building up. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh just a few things.” The boy snapped his finger which promptly summoned his favorite butler who appeared from thin air. “Edmund. Is everything ready?”

“Just about, sir.” The older gentleman nodded as they stopped at a large double door which screamed fancy. With a soft heave, he opened it revealing a giant ballroom that was big enough to fit all the students in CHS and Crystal Prep for one gigantic party. And once inside… her jaw dropped. “Everything has been arranged prior to your specifications: Balloons formed into animals or bizarre objects, random dance number music from the 20th century and… a cake the shape of a ‘Toothless’ alligator.”

Gummy!?

Pinkie’s eyes literally zoomed in at the said cake. And to the butler’s words, that double layered chocolate cake was indeed shaped like her pet alligator riding atop a fudge mountain. It was absolutely breathtakingly glorious! She would’ve preferred if they added a strawberry ice cream version of her riding on his back wielding a chocolate fountain. But she’ll take it.

“I figured you wouldn’t go all out in that dinner so I had Edmund arrange this for you.”

She looked at him, then the butler, then everything around her. “All this… for me?”

It was a party for two. A grand party for two.

“I figured if you and I were ever going to party I’d prefer we partied, Pinkie style.” He gave out a sly wink as Edmund approached them with a tray revealing a berry blasted butter biscuit on a bun with… wait…… one two… five layers!?

“Five and a half, actually.” The butler corrected like he knew what she thinking.

“Gasp! Are you reading my mind right now!? Are you secretly a fairy that can literally do anything!?” He didn’t answer, instead slicing the bun for her and letting the smell explode on her face. It was gastronomy at its highest form. Her legs wobbled weakly as she accepted the tray, her mouth practically drooling in buckets. Hesitantly she reached for the fork, the pointy ends sinking into the bun like butter before nibbling it by the edges. “Mbrrwlll!”

“Pinkie?”

A grenade of flavor exploded in her mouth. The taste and texture combined with the aroma that blew out of the bun mixed together created a sense of euphoria. If she were to die right now, she would die with a blissful smile on her face.

“This… is gonna be… the best… party… EVERRRRRRR!!!”

With a gleeful yell, the girl gladly jumped into the room, dragging her date along with her, glancing at all the tasty treats with eyes gleaming like gold. The smile on her face widened and her hair reverted back to its puffy-self, defying all the laws of nature.

From there on the whole thing acted out like he planned. They’d gobble up whatever food they had on the table, waltz by the dance floor, and even redecorated the Gummy cake. Her smile widened even more as she did all those activities with the boy by her side. A mixture of emotions burst inside of her creating a zone of bliss in her heart. That feeling then reached a tipping point, which caused her body to glitter and glow, like magic was leaking out of her body. Her pony ears and tails formed, which made her even more stunning than before.

She dropped to the nearby sofa an hour later feeling like she just let out days’ worth of steam.

“Best grub… ever.” She admitted lowly, a wide grin plastered on her face as she stuffed another cake in her mouth. “It’s just too bad there’s only two of us. If we brought our friends here, we can have a true and proper party.”

“You think so?”

“Duh! Have you seen the size of this ballroom? The dance floor is literally bigger than our school gym.” It really was – and he knew that too. “You got food, you got props, and you got your own butler who can literally do anything!” She gestured to the man himself who smiled professionally when he was mentioned. “Trust me. If you bring everyone here, it’ll be the talk of the town. Guaranteed!”

The boy’s smile faded on that last bit. “Yeah… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“I’d prefer if folks didn’t know of my… real history. When people know that you’re richer than your average Joe, they tend to treat you differently. I’d rather be known as the cool kid next door or the rocker guy that plays in his parent’s garage.”

Pinkie nodded while shoving another slice of the bun in her mouth. “I dunno about you. But rich Flashie doesn’t seem too bad to me.”

“Heh. That’s because you know the real me. And I like to keep that group exclusively small. If you know what I mean.”

“Not really big on people knowing you?”

“Let’s just say that when folks know that you’re richer than your classmates, they tend to treat you differently.”

The fluffy haired gal shrugged. “I dunno. Sounds kinda like a wasted opportunity.” She eyed the venue, already picturing where she could put everything and everyone. The DJ could be on the balcony overlooking the dance floor micromanaging the light show. Add a few fog machines here and there and convert that giant chandelier to a disco ball and you’ll practically turn this place into a beacon so bright that it’ll outdo the moon. But her thoughts were quickly interrupted when her phone buzzed with a reminder popping on screen. “Oh! And speaking of opportunities, it’s almost time!”

“Time for?”

“Rarity’s pageant show! It’s supposed to be on, right now!” She glanced around for a television. “Quick! Which is the closest room with a TV?”

Flash shrugged. “Well… all of them actually.”

Pinkie immediately stopped prancing around, turning to him with another bewildered expression. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He nodded. “But don’t worry. I got you covered.” He then clapped his hand twice which echoed throughout the ballroom.

And then suddenly, like they were summoned on command, the butler opened the door allowing a number of servants enter who quickly setup a large screen TV in the middle of the room. All the gadgets and wiring were all neatly done with little to no hassle at all. They even added a nice comfortable couch right in front of it for their viewing pleasure.

Yeesh… what a demonstration of wealth. If this is what it’s like to be rich then Pinkie can somewhat understand what Filthy Rich goes through every day. Having money is awesome!

They quickly hopped down on the couch and flipped the remote on finding the channel quickly enough.

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter) (Amphitheater)

Ok. This is it Rarity. The moment of truth. No need to be afraid. You are in complete control. This is your big break. A victory here means another step closer to the grand prize! You’ve fought, you’ve screamed and clawed your way here. And it will take a world changing apocalypse to move her from this spot.

Quietly she glanced over to her lineup. The models that Hoity Toity provided were absolutely fabulous. Each and every one of them handpicked from the finest pedigree in Canterlot. They were gorgeous and had all the right looks for her dresses.

But yet despite all the preparations, she can’t help but feel a little intimidated by the competition. While the number of candidates here have dwindled since they first arrived, for one reason or another, those that remained only proved that they were just as tenacious as she was. Those that formed partners and alliances all huddled together like packs of hyenas waiting for someone to slip up. The tension in the backstage alone was suffocating.

“What are you looking at!?” She heard one of them scream at a fellow competitor like a guard dog barking at a stranger. “Stick to your own side!”

“I go where I want!”

“Then go somewhere else!” They bickered back and forth for a while. Thankfully the music outside masked their voices so there would be no risk of words or scandals getting out. Everyone knows that when there are no cameras or journalists around, everyone here was free game. You had a private face, and a face for the masses.

“Look at them.” Vignette scoffed, walking up to Rarity’s side, arms folding and holding a mean scowl. “Animals. Every last one of them. They all think they have a chance against us. They’re all in for a surprise when we swoop in to take the competition.”

“Indeed.” Rarity bobbed her head in agreement not taking her eyes off any of them. “But you have to admit. Some of these are actually quite impressive. Especially that crown-filled two-piece. Very inspiring.”

“Oh please. None of them hold a candle up to us.” The fellow fashionista didn’t even bother. “Don’t you remember what Hoity said about your first dress? He was absolutely infatuated with it. Surprisingly so.”

Yes… now that she mentioned it, it is strange. The dress she made inspired by Yaztec culture had Hoity’s attention. It was like he was drawn to it.

Sure it was one of her best work but such things normally came with more… constructive criticism.

“Yes, that is strange.”

“Trust me Rarity. We got this in the bag. You and I are already set to be in the Grand Runway at Las Pegasus. Everything that we’re doing now is simply just formality at this point.” She unconsciously added while sneering at another passerby. “I knew partnering up with you was a good idea. We’ll ride this popularity contest all the way to the top.”

Their attention was drawn out when they noted the lights dimming signaling the beginning of the show.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Young and old.” The narrator began with a booming voice over the speakers. “Give a warm welcome to our host. The one. The only: Hoity Toity!” An applause followed afterward with whistling and cheer in the background.

Quietly Rarity took a peek from the curtains seeing the man, the legend himself, walk up to the stage in one of his glorious original attire. For a man his age, he looked pretty spry. Those muscles on his arms weren’t easy to hone. He certainly looked the part of the famous fashion designer.

“Oh my.” Vignette gasped, amused by the man’s showmanship. He gave out a greeting, smiling professionally to the cameras like he had done a thousand times before. “He’s wearing that one of a kind Trendsetter original. Very dashing.”

“Indeed.” Rarity nodded back in agreement, inching curtains ever so slightly to get a better look. “I don’t I’ve seen that design since he and Fancy Pants split up.”

“And those accessories simply match them. The earrings, the shades and that black gem bracelet of his are to be adored.”

Black gem?

Rarity’s smile dropped as she squinted to get a better view.

No… it couldn’t be.

Her eyes zoomed at the man’s wrist. She never saw it before. Mostly because Hoity often wore long sleeves and baggy clothes. But… there was simply no mistaking it.

Adorned on his wrist was a thinly veiled bracelet. And attached to it was a dark gemstone akin to that of the one they took from Cinch.

Author's Note

And our double chapter whammie is complete! This week's scenario is done. Gonna have to wait for next Tuesday for the next one. This is definitely one of my fav chapters because it depicts Flash's house. I always picture it like the Wayne Manor but less gothic.

Well, stay tuned for next week for an even awesomer chapter! :derpytongue2:

The Man with the Mask

Chapter 28: The Man with the Mask

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter) (Amphitheater)

Applejack had to plug her ears as she tried to drown the sound of applause from the crowd with loud thoughts. She knew that many of the people here were fans of the man on stage but there had to be limits. If it wasn’t for the fact that she knew that it was some kind of show, she might’ve thought that she dropped in some kind of religious cult and Hoity Toity was the High Priest her giving out a celestial sermon.

Is this how people in show business do their thing? If so… then Rarity has her work cut out for her. The people here cheering for this guy seemed almost like they were in a frenzied state. If she didn’t know better she’d think they were frothing by their mouths, drinking in every word he says like they were coming from god itself.

Speaking of Rarity, her phone suddenly buzzed in with her friend on the other line. She waited for the crowd to simmer down before she answered.

“Hey Rarity. You hear the crowd outside? They are just cr-a-zy. They must really like this…”

“Applejack, listen to me.” Her friend’s voice sounded urgent which silenced her. “Listen to me carefully. This is important.”

“Whoa. Easy there Rarity. What’s wrong? Did you mess up one of your dresses?”

“What? No! Not that. Listen. I need you to contact Twilight right away.”

“Twilight?” She raised a suspicious look. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“I… I’m not quite certain. But you need to do it quickly. Don’t you see Hoity?”

“Kinda hard to miss.” The guy was practically giving the people a show waving his arms and blowing kisses to the audience making one or two faint out of sheer joy. “He’s really talky.”

“Look at his left arm. On his wrist!”

The cowgirl did so, squinting sharply. And even though the lights made it a little hard, she saw it as clear as day. The black gemstone dangled carelessly around his wrist for all to see.

“No way.” She gasped.

“I believe so.” Rarity confirmed it. “It just might be a coincidence and I may just be a tad paranoid but Twilight did say that this secret organization have these things with them.” There are no such things as coincidences in this world. Not with everything that’s happened.

Applejack nodded back noting Rairity peeking by the giant curtains just behind the man himself. “Don’t you worry, Rarity. I’m on it. You just focus on your pageant and keep your eyes open. I’ll call you back.”

(Twilight’s house)

“Thank you again for letting me be a part of your Winter Holiday Mister and Missis Sparkle.” Cadance nodded in gratitude as she and the rest of Twilight’s family finished their dinner.

“Oh please. Don’t mention it dearie.” Night Light waved it off with a tired smile. “This isn’t the first holiday you’ve had to spend with us. Why you’ve been coming over so many times, you’re practically family at this point.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.” The former Principal laughed it off casually. “And Velvet, your shaved carrot and radish salad is always to die for.”

The old lady chuckled back. “Well you always said it was your favorite. Besides it’s the least we can do after you lost your position at Crystal Prep. I don’t understand why you decided to step down when you were running the place splendidly.”

It was understandable that they would be annoyed after hearing Shining Armor announce it. “My position as Principal was never meant to be permanent. Besides, it was the unanimous decision of the Board of Education.”

“And those creeps had the audacity to replace you with a handsome gentleman? The galls I say.” Twilight Velvet huffed. “Just because he has so many achievements, connections, a sure win election next year, and that unbelievably attractive jawline. Oh~ that jawline.”

“Uh… mom?” Shining looked to her worryingly.

“That jawline so magnificent you can chip a rock with. And that hair? That beautiful raven hair of his is out of this world. How does he even keep it so… smooth? It's like a pillow that you can just coddle in bed. I just want to go up to that man and run my hand down his…”

“Ok! Enough about that.” Night Light interjected. “Who wants desert?” He collected the plates and hastily made his way to the kitchen with a flushed smile.

“Let me help.”

Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle. Her mother can be quite fascinated when a handsome man comes into view. She would often comment on their appearance especially during movie nights. And dad can get quite jealous when she goes on a tangent. Shining Armor practically had to plug his ears and blab when mom put on some suggestive comment on this dashing elf on screen.

She was about to help out when she heard her phone buzzed in her pocket.

“Hey Applejack. I just finished my dinner with my parents. I’m just about to…”

“No time for that now!” The girl on the other line spoke up, catching her by surprise. “We need your help pronto.”

“Uh… ok?” Twilight looked around and quickly made herself to the living room, away from the rest of her family. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Remember how you told us that this super-secret organization have their members wearing these doohickey gemstones on their wrists?” She told her. “Well… I think we might’ve found our perp.”

“You found them!? Who?”

“The guy leading this pageant.” The cowgirl grumbled back. “Look. I know this is a long shot but can you use your gadgets to find out any magic going on around here?”

Twilight bit her lip as she looked up at the attic entrance. Her lab had been mothballed ever since her family cut it off from the rest of the electrical grid. She swore never to use it again until she can pay for the bill. But if Applejack was right, then this might just be the big break they were looking for.

If just for a moment, then maybe she might have a little bit of juice for a quick scan.

“Hang on. I’m working on it right now.”

…

The egghead rushed up and activated the large batteries she placed at the far end of the attic. It vibrated lowly as lights flickered on, bringing her lab back to life.

“Just 10% left.” She muttered annoyingly as she judge the gauge. “It won’t last longer than a few minutes.” But thankfully Twilight had prepared something just for such an occasion. She reached out to the secret stash she built years ago and shook a box of her pet’s tastiest treat whistling loudly. “Spike! Here boy!”

As if summoned by the call of the box, the purple mutt rushed over, mouth salivating. “Did my ears deceive me? Are those, my sweet treats?”

“Yup. How would you like to earn the whole box?”

His eyes beamed. “What do you need me to do? Want me to chase another escaped lab rat? Bark really loud? Do daring stunts?” He got his answer when his owner placed him in a giant hamster wheel which was attached to the batteries. “Uh… what’s this?”

“Run Spike! Run! RUN! Run like you’re life depended on it! Go!” Upon her command, the mutt began sprinting, turning the wheel around, generating what little power his four legs could muster, not really sure why he was doing it. “Right. Now to activate my scanners.” She acted like a mad scientist pressing buttons here and there and pulling switches and turning knobs. After a few seconds the holographic table that she constructed turned on revealing Canterlot City in all its fine glory. “Applejack, you still there?”

“I’m here.” She answered. “I’m just hiding at the storefront right now.”

“Good. Stay right there. I’m pinpointing your location.” And it didn’t take long to find her as the scanner pinged at a location at Uptown. There, Twilight noted a big red dot covering the whole amphitheater. “Whoa… that… that can’t be good.”

“What? What is it?”

“My scanners are picking a huge surge of magical activity – and it’s coming from where you are. It’s enormous! It looks like someone’s charging up to cast a powerful spell right there. Do you see the user doing anything suspicious?”

“No. Not that I can see. He’s just talking on stage.” Applejack didn’t sound so sure of it either. “Nothing here looks out of place.”

That’s impossible. With the amount of magic being gathered there, Twilight was sure something would be visible. It was strong. Stronger than what Cinch ever used. Either there was an error in her computers, which was highly unlikely, or someone was very good at being discreet.

“Hang on. I’m activating my trackers. And… there! Applejack. The magic is coming from the stage itself.”

“I knew it! That Hoity Toity is the one who sicked his shadow monsters on Rarity the other day. What kind of magic is he trying to pull?”

“Not sure. But it’s definitely big. Try to act natural. Don’t do anything hasty.”

“Hasty? That guy’s about to do something with magic and you want me to just back and do nothing?”

“I don’t think he’s going to do anything drastic. This show is being broadcast on live television. If he does use his powers here, he’ll be revealing the existence of magic to the entire world. And that doesn’t sound like something a secret organization would do.”

“So what? I’m supposed to just sit back while he does his magic mumbo jumbo thing?”

“Well you can’t just jump at him either.” But then Twilight noted a second reading coming from nearby. “Wait… hold on a second. I’m… getting another source of magical energy near your location. It’s feint but it’s there. Where are you?”

“At the boutique store.” The cowgirl answered back. “And I think I know what that reading is. There’s a glow coming from Hoity Toity’s office. I’m going in.”

“Applejack! Don’t be too hasty. You’ll be breaking and entering. And that’s…” The tone in her phone died out. “Dang it. Why do people always rush into illegal activities first?” She groaned lowly before noticing the lights in her lab flickering. “Spike! No breaks! Mush boy! MUSH!”

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

Applejack tucked her phone in her pocket and immediately got to work. She wasn’t gonna wait around while someone was dabbling in powers beyond their control.

Much to her surprise the storefront itself wasn’t guarded or locked for that matter. Most of the staff were at the stage prepping for the main event. The man himself was still there giving out some kind of monologue. It was dreadfully long but surprisingly the audience didn’t seem to mind.

Quietly she snuck into the back where the man’s office was. His name was written on a plaque just outside of his door. And just like she said to Twilight, there was a nasty green glow coming from inside.

She fiddled with the knob feeling it fighting back against her twist.

“Lock. Figures.” But she wasn’t gonna let a simple door block her from her path. Her friends would probably disagree with her methods but AJ has always pride herself for being a direct person. And thankfully no one was around to argue with her. And so with a little bit of magic, she focused all her might into her hand and knocked on the knob. Its metal structure bent inward under the pressure of her might, chipping and popping nuts and bolts like pez. The lock snapped within propping the door open like a prize. “I gotta give credit to Granny. The old knock and pop really does work.”

Granny Smith did often lock herself out of her room so she developed this neat little trick as an emergency all-access key. She was banned from using it back home of course seeing as Big Mac and her ended up fixing it over and over again.

Turning it one more time, the cowgirl entered the room finding that strange glow coming from a giant safe that looked completely out of place. While the rest of the room had a style to go on, that safe looked as if it was made by an entirely different culture. A strange thing for a fashion designer like Hoity to have in his personal office.

The safe itself looked as if it was made out of obsidian with gold trim that snaked its way around the edges and corners. It had a dial in front along with a handle to open it when unlocked. But the stranger thing was that soft green glow and a humming noise coming from within.

If Applejack was a gambling gal, which she is not by the way, she’d say that something magical and sinister was hiding inside that thing.

Now Twilight would probably say that she shouldn’t be breaking into people’s offices or messing with their properties. But thankfully that egghead wasn’t here, which means everything here was free game.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome our competitors for tonight!”

An eruption of cheer and applause signaled the beginning of the competition. That could only mean that Rarity was going on stage, right next to that man. She wanted to call her but doubtful that she’ll answer. Rarity was a pro when it came to showbiz. Still… it didn’t sit right with Applejack knowing that she’d be near that guy. Who knows what he’s planning to do with all that magic?

The answer to that question may yet be found in here.

Slowly she reached for the safe and saw the glow getting brighter. It would’ve been an easy thing to pull off had the safe not reacted to her presence and sent an electrical surge through her fingers.

“Yeow!” She jerked her hand back, wagging her fingers like they just got burnt. “Ok… that’s not something you see every day. I ain’t an expert on magic but I know magic trap when I see one. And if you think a little static shock is gonna stop me, then you got another thing coming.” She quickly ponied up and yanked the safe a second time. It resisted of course but its defensive power did little against someone who had the full power of Equestrian Magic.

And inside the safe was an object she recognized very well…

“No way…”

Those were the last words she ushered before three shadowy figures snuck into her shadow, flashing toothless grins.

“Very…”

“…naughty…

“…little lady.”

(Twilight’s House)

Twilight was worried.

It’s been over ten minutes since Applejack cut off their call. She wanted to go over there but Uptown was at least half an hour ride depending on traffic. The only thing she could do was sit back and wait while the magic on her tracker grew in size. She was also keeping an eye on it through live television watching the show progress slowly.

Rarity was now presenting her lineup, flashing that smile she had been perfecting for years. Her models strutted down the catwalk showing off their dresses like they were pieces of art. Cameras flashed while the crowd gasped and whispered endlessly. This made the egghead even more worried when she noticed her friend on set was standing dangerously close to Hoity Toity who was the origin of that strange magic.

She hoped that nothing bad would happen. But considering that this man once worked alongside Cinch, she didn’t have that much confidence.

Twilight was close to calling everyone for an emergency gathering but she came to a stop when she found Applejack calling back.

“Applejack! What happened? Did you find anything?”

“Oh I found something alright.” The cowgirl replied, her voice shaken. “I broke into Hoity’s office.” Dang it. Breaking and entering? That was so not a good look for her permanent record. “And… it looks like our suspicions were right. He really was working with Cinch. I found a dangerous thing in his safe.”

“Let me guess. The Memory Stone?”

"Yup. But it looks kinda... broken. Like they glued it together with spit and grime." Ok that was not an image she needed but it was vivid.

“Well… it ain’t broken if it still works.” Twilight wasn’t really surprised at this point. They already knew that this organization had the ability to repair magical artifacts like her Magic Trap. If they can fix that, then fixing a broken rock enchanted with Equestrian Magic should be child’s play to them.

"What should I do with it?"

That was a good question. What should they do with it? The memory stone had a variety of uses, many of which were venomously bad. They could probably use it for their own purposes but that would reveal too much to the organization.

Ugh… what would Sunset do in this situation?

Twilight’s head ran on overdrive trying to get the solutions. So many scenarios came to mind and sadly only one provided the obvious choice. “Leave it where it is.”

“What!? You want me to leave this guy with one of the most dangerous rock in the world? Can’t I just break it or something?”

“He hasn’t done anything yet. At least nothing bad. If you take artifact away he'll know that we’re onto him. And remember that they were able to repair it before. Even if you break it now they’ll just fix it again. Our best advantage right now is our element of surprise. They know that we have magic but what they don’t know is that we know who these people are. Right now it’ll be best for all of us if you just leave the store. We’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

Applejack grumbled hesitantly, but saw logic in that reasoning. No point picking fights until you know your opponent. And the element of surprise might just tip the scale in their favor. “Alright fine. I’ll leave it be.”

“But don’t you worry. With the amount of magic he’s gathering, I can surmise what spell he’s trying to use. It should be happening just… about…” The power then suddenly went out putting her room in pitch black. “What the!? No! No no no no no! Spike!”

She turned over to her pet who laid down weakly in his hamster wheel, panting heavily in a pool of his own drool. “Can’t… run… no more.”

“Ugh… that’s it. We are gonna work on your cardio when this is over.”

(Flash’s house) (A few hours later)

Pinkie almost felt sad to be leaving the big giant mansion. With all the amenities this place provided, a girl could actually get used to living here. After the pageant show finished with Rarity’s selection along with a few others, Flash had taken her around the house visiting every room like they were on a tour. They even spent a whole hour at the record room, or ‘Movie House’ as the girls seem to call it, and watched a screening of their choosing. Never had she experienced a private theater until now – and it was totally awesome. The butler was also there, providing them with everything they needed. Cookies, popcorn, drinks and more cake? There was simply no limit.

This mansion literally has everything anyone could possibly need. A garden, a swimming pool, a library full of books that would make Twilight gurgle, and even a larder full of all the food you can eat. Heck, you can lock yourself in here from the outside world for ten years and you’d still be able to live comfortably.

The tour was concluded at the aviary gazebo which Fluttershy certainly did not exaggerate in her description. It really was indeed a hotel for birds.

Granted, it wasn’t an exact match to what she pictured it but it was certainly close. Every feathered creature in here were all tucking themselves in small adorable birdhouses, each hanging from a branch on this massive tree.

“Oh… this is incredible.” Pinkie gawked endlessly at the tree. “I can spend an eternity here.”

“Yeah. That’s what Fluttershy said too.” Flash chuckled from the benches watching his friend coon over everything like a new born babe.

“I wish I knew a spell that could transform me into a bird, just so that I can experience what it’s like to live in those cozy little birdhouses.”

“Don’t forget the flying.”

“Yeah sure. That too. But flying is so overrated.” She gleefully added as she took a seat beside him, her infectious smile practically glued to her face. “You know something? I really didn’t think I’d have as much fun here as I thought I would.” The boy eyed her weirdly. “I mean… when mom and dad told me I had to attend this super formal dinner party with you and your dad, I thought it’d be like our first date, but… you know? More...”

"Awkweird?"

She chuckled thinking on their private made up word. "Yeah. Awkweird." :pinkiesmile:

“Hey. You’re hanging out with Flash Sentry here.” He boasted. “I have a reputation to uphold. Anyone who goes out with Flash Sentry is guaranteed to have an awesome time or your money back.”

“Really?” She cooed. “Does Flash Sentry also have a signature move on his date?”

“Oh absolutely. Every self-respecting playboy always has a killer move to seal the deal.” He licked his hand and traced it over his hair then leaned in on her flashing his cool guy smile and throwing a wink for good measure. “I call it: The Deal Closer. It’s guaranteed to melt your heart out. The ladies find it irresistible.”

Pinkie chuckled. “Really? How long did it take you to make that up?”

He shrugged. “Meh… about ten minutes. But honestly, I always find that being yourself works best in these types of situations. I mean… why be anyone else?”

“Heh… if only.” Her chuckle twisted a bit which did not escape his notice. “Unless your real-self happens to be an out-of-this-world party animal with no restraint whatsoever. Sometimes I have to be Eiknip just to look normal.”

“Hey, don’t listen to them.” Flash scooted closer tracing one hand over her hair, removing the bangs from her eyes. “I think the real Pinkie Pie is one of the coolest girl I know. She knows how to set up the awesomest parties, bake the tastiest cakes and let’s not forget she can make sweets explode too.”

“Oh please. How many times have you used that line?”

“Just once.” And then quietly the boy reached out for a feather that fell nearby. “Here. Something for you to remember this night.” She froze like a deer in headlight when she casually placed it right above her ear letting its brownish color mix with her puffy hair. “And honestly? Anyone who gets to date a real party animal, is lucky to have you.” Oh god. Why does his voice feel like silk to her ears? Did he always look this good up close? Does he practice these lines in a mirror or something because they're way too good just to be cooked on the spot.

Is she red? Yup, she was definitely red. She could feel her face practically burning.

“Oh cut it out.” She pushed him away laughing giddily. But deep down inside, her other self was screaming at her. Her very subconscious right now was calling out to the girl. The High Cupcake Council of Pinkie Pies who were controlling her every thoughts were tearing each other apart, all slowly dying of shame while telling her that she should just grab the guy.

Come on now! Even Rarity would agree that the moment was perfect. Sitting in a gazebo surrounded by nature’s wonders, under a semi-clear night sky? You couldn’t possibly ask for a better setting. It would practically be a crime not to take the leap! Heck, even the birds in their vicinity were all staring at them. And you didn’t need Fluttershy to tell what they were all saying.

And honestly enough she wanted to. She really REALLY wanted to just reach out, take his lips and be done with it. He was downright sweet. And everything they’ve done up till now has been what she expected of a date. They had an awesome dinner together, he took her to the movies, they danced and even got her to see an exclusive view of a close approximation of an actual bird hotel – all of which was done within hours of their meeting. And this was only their second date. The only way he could top this was that he’d take her on a private jet to Manehattan just to buy her a jelly tart from Restaurant Row. And considering what she'd seen here, she wouldn't be surprised if he actually did that.

All in all, this whole thing should end with a kiss or at the very least a peck on the cheek.

But there was another voice whispering at the back of her mind. It was a sadistic, sickening voice that haunted her. A dreadful one that made her despise that feeling in her heart.

“Pinkie?” Flash noted her darkened expression. “You ok?”

“I’m fine! Totally fine! Nothing wrong here! Ahehehehe.” She fought off her heating cheeks which was burning to the point of her getting a suntan.

Thankfully their little outing was interrupted by a forced cough calling for their attention.

“Flash. Ms. Pie.” Sombra held back a grin that dripped with suggestions. “I do hope I’m not interrupting.”

The boy chuckled. “Actually…”

“Nope! Not at all!” Pinkie answered back with panicked haste. “We were just uh… bird watching!” He didn’t seem keen on believing that. And if her eyes wasn’t deceiving her, she could swear that she could see her mom and dad showing what looked like the beginning of a smirk.

“I see…” Sombra respected her privacy and let that be the end of it – for now. “Anyway, Igneous and I have just concluded our business. And after our tireless talk, I’m sure both he and Mrs. Pie are ready to head on home.” His eye fell on the two with a suggestive tone. “Unless you’d like to extend your stay for a few more hours.”

“No no. We’re good.” The party girl hastily fixed her hair and joined her parents’ side as nonchalant as possible. But her embarrassed strut totally gave her away.

“I take it my son has shown you a wonderful time?” Her blush was all the answer he needed. “Heh. I’ll take that as a yes.” God, these two really are father and son.

“Maybe next time you should come visit us.” Igneous suggested much his daughter’s horror. “It would be nice for the two of you to join us for the Winter Holidays. You can also meet my other daughters too.” Are you kidding me right now, dad!? You want Flash to come to our place while her sisters are there? They’ll grill her till her bones are bleached. She’ll die. She will literally die from embarrassment. Pinkie can already see their stoic stares, their mischievous grins, and not to mention their judgmental sneers. Maud will continuously tease her, Limestone will make kissy faces, and Marble – she’ll… uh…… give her the look! It’ll be so bad it might last throughout the holidays. Her mind, body and soul will give out before the New Year is done.

“Perhaps another time, old friend.” Oh thank god for small mercies. “I’d like to leave these next two weeks as open as possible. But I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

It took a while for Flash to approach, in which Cloudy Quartz took notice of his attire.

“Pinkie.” The girl in question stiffened when her mother called her name. “Aren’t you supposed to give Flash something?”

“Something?” The bubbly girl trailed off before her eyes shot up in realization. “Oh! The gift! I completely forgot.” She dug her hands through her sling bag comically and produced a small blue ornate box the size of her palm, handing it... or rather, shoved it over to her date.

The boy clumsily opened it revealing a masterfully crafted pocket watch made entirely of bronze with silver engravings.

“Whoa…” He gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

“Pinkie chose it.” Igneous pointed out much to his daughter’s annoyance. “It’s one of our old timer pocket watch. Back in the old days, foremen used these things to tell the time back in the mines. They used to glow in the dark but we stopped making those. Still... this is made of sterner stuff. Guaranteed never to break.”

Flash looked up to the older gentleman and nodded. “Thank you sir. I’ll treasure it.”

“Oh don’t be silly. This is the Winter Holidays. It’s a season of gifts.”

He smiled back, putting one hand over the blue pin on his suit. “It has been a day for gifts. I only wish I had something to give to you.”

Cloudy Quartz darted a glance over her daughter who tried to hide the gifted feather in her puffy hair. “I think you already gave Pinkie plenty.”

“Mom!” Dang it. As if her sisters weren’t enough of a hassle.

“Alright you two. Let’s lay off the teasing.” Sombra chuckled along with his old colleague. “We should get you all home before this night gets darker. I’ll have my valet bring your car over. Flash. Would you mind escorting the Pies to the front entrance? I need to make a quick call.” The boy didn’t mind and politely led them out of the aviary, his arm offered to Pinkie who hesitantly accepted it. Sombra couldn’t help but smile sweetly watching them walk away like that. And to think his son believed that they'd never have a chance together.

After after making sure that they were gone, he looked to his side and whispered. “Edmund.”

“Sir.” His butler suddenly appeared from the pond dressed in a scuba suit scaring some of the ducks away.

“Did you take pictures?”

“Plenty sir.” He produced a series of photos that he secretly took in the duration of the date.

Sombra grinned like a cat who caught the canary.

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

Luna smiled sweetly as she poured herself a glass of wine which she had been saving for a while now. It was a vintage bottle she got a few months back. She kept it safe in the cabinet saving it for a special occasion.

And what better occasion is there than the beginning of their two long weeks holiday?

No more brats to look after until the party, no more telling students not to park at the faculty parking lot, no more complaints from the teachers, and most importantly… no more paperwork. She was free to enjoy the next two weeks without any of those annoying brats filing into her office or having to deal with magic. Yup it was nothing but smooth sailing from here on out.

“Luna.” Her sister called, exiting her room with a troubled expression. “Are you busy? I need your opinion on something.” She pulled out two different suits with various color schemes. “Which do you think suits me better? The gray one or the white one?”

“Going on another date with Sombra?” She poked back knowingly.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Celestia answered plainly without hiding it. “We’re going somewhere quite special next week.”

“And where, pray tell, does he intend to take you this time?” Luna teased. “With all the dates you two have been going, I’m beginning to fear that Canterlot will soon run out of places to entertain you two.”

“It’s actually a very special place.” She chuckled softly like a girl in love. “Remember that old seafood restaurant by the beach? The Greedy Lobster?”

“How can I forget?” Her little sister’s face twisted in discomfort. “They had the best mussels though a bit pricey for my taste. I also seem to remember that it closed down after the chef’s special ‘Taste Enhancer’ put over two dozen people in the hospital.”

“Well the restaurant might not be there anymore but it is the place where Sombra and I had our first date. Back in school. Before…”

“Before you decided to break his heart into a million pieces with a NOTE.” She stressed out that last word earning a glare from the woman.

“Yes… that. So it has some sentimental value.”

“Ah… reliving our younger years.” Luna chuckled. “Goes to show how old we’ve become. What are you gonna get him afterward? I take it you have a gift ready.”

“Oh Luna. I think it’s a little too early to be dishing out presents.”

“I agree. But you do know that his birthday is also just around the corner, right?” She noted Celestia's frozen expression. “You totally forgot his birthday, didn’t you?”

“What? No~” She groaned. “Ugh… yes. Dang it. I completely forgot that his birthday was around this time of year. It’s been a while since we actually celebrated it. And Sombra’s not exactly the easiest to buy gifts for. What do you get someone who practically has everything?”

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out yourself, sister. But… if you want, I can help you pick something for him in the mall. God know that man could certainly use a wardrobe change.”

(Saturday) (Sunset’s house) (Morning)

“Hoity Toity?!” Sunset balked when she heard the story from Applejack. It came as a big surprise knowing that a superstar like Hoity would actually be a member of the secret organization. “As in THE Hoity Toity? The fashion star? He’s the one who sent those shadow monsters to attack Rarity the other day? Are you sure about this?”

Applejack nodded. “Oh a hundred percent, sure. That guy is beyond guilty. He’s got magic defense in his office, a black gem on his wrist and one of the old magical gizmos. Tell him Rarity.”

The fashionista agreed wholeheartedly. “I’m afraid I have to agree with Applejack. As much as I hate to say it: It’s highly likely that Hoity Toity is the one who is responsible for my recent eviction.”

“I can support that theory.” Twilight naturally agreed of course. “When that man was on stage, my scanners picked up a huge wave of magical energy. I would’ve discovered what spell he used too if my batteries didn’t die out.”

“But why would he go after Rarity?” Fluttershy asked from the sideline. “What does he hope to gain?”

“I bet he was after her magic.” Rainbow Dash deduced incorrectly. “Just like Cinch, he’s trying to gather all the magic he can get to power that Chalice of theirs. He probably thought Rarity would be an easy target because of her fro-fro stuff.”

Rarity gave her friend a glare which was left ignored. “As much as I adore your ‘Fro-fro’ comment, I think I have a more precise answer.” She gestured over to the statuette over by the strange music box. “I believe he was after that.”

Sunset raised a brow. “The Portal Stone? How’d you know?”

“Ever since I showed him that photo of that thing he became quite enamored over my designs. I noticed it when his eyes flickered over.”

“Doesn’t he wear those shades like… all the time?” Applejack reminded. “How can you tell?”

“Attention to details, darling. It’s one of my finer qualities. His brows rose up 20% above its usual stationary margin. You don’t make that kind of brow-raise unless something has caught you off guard.”

“I dunno.” Pinkie stated, her hands clamoring over the statue. “This doesn’t look like something I’d fight over. I could probably get something twice as pretty as this in the toy store.”

“That does make sense.” Sunset bobbed her head, pacing back and forth deep in thought. “Cinch was working with Yaztec artifacts and constructing the new wing of the museum. And this thing reeks of magic. And knowing that these guys hoard magic items, I wouldn’t put it pass them to be this aggressive.” She grabbed the statue from Pinkie and hid it in one of her many cabinets.

“So what are we waiting for?” Rainbow Dash pumped her fists together. “We know the guy’s super guilty. Why don’t we just bust down his door and splash our usual magic before he strikes again?” Applejack chimed in agreement to that plan.

“Uh… does it have to be now?” Rarity asked worryingly. “I don’t think we have to do it now. Perhaps later? Preferably right after he picks me to join him on his tour at the Grand Runway?”

“He attacked you, remember?”

“Yes but the damage is hardly worth a trip to Las Pegasus.”

“Rarity!”

“Oh fine!”

“Not so fast you two.” Twilight ebbed their aggressive behavior with a firm hand raised. “While I do like to put an end to this whole fiasco, you have to remember that it’s not going to be that easy. This isn’t going to be like Cinch. Our mark isn’t just some random passerby. This is Hoity Toity. He’s a celebrity. If anything should happen to him, it would cause worldwide backlash. And that’s not the kind of attention we, or the school, needs right now.”

“And let’s not forget what happened with Cinch too.” Sunset reminded them of that painful event that had them all on their knees. “She was powerful enough to take us all on and she only learned magic recently. Not to mention we have to be prepared for all eventualities. I don’t want another incident like the one with Twilight’s Magic Trap.”

“Oh please.” Rainbow Dash puckered her lips and waved it off carelessly. “That was one time. Besides, if you want assurances, then we can bring Flash along. He’ll be down to help us in a heartbeat.” The redhead returned that joke with a glare that would’ve burned through concrete walls. “Or… uh… aheh… we could be more prepared. Yeah.”

“Why are you so against bringing Flash along anywho?” Applejack inquired, shooting a question back at the ex. “The way I see it: If it wasn’t for him, we’d be dry of magic and Adagio would be dust back then. If he wants to help us, I’d say we let him. He’s earned that much after what he did for us.”

“Need I remind you that Flash’s little rescue stunt burned down half a city block?” She paused a bit noticing their shy glances. “Look. I know that you all think bringing him along is a good idea. But for the last time, no. And that is not up for debate. We need to solve this by ourselves. But we're gonna need some extra assurances.” She turned over to the music box and grinned. “And I think I know where to start.”

“So we’re just gonna let Hoity Toity go free?”

“Just for a while longer.” Sunset answered. “He doesn’t know that we’re on to him yet. After we get a little help from my friends on the other side, we’ll take him down. But for now I think it’ll be best if none of us stay alone. Rarity. You ok with staying at Applejack’s place for a few more days?”

“Naturally darling.”

“Fluttershy. Would it be alright if Pinkie stayed with you for the weekend?”

“Oh absolutely.” The animal lover nodded with no regret. “My little friends will be delighted.”

The bubbly gal agreed wholeheartedly. “Yeah! We’ll make it a makeover party!”

“Twilight and Rainbow Dash can stay with me. I don’t think anyone would mind us, seeing as it’s the holidays. We can strategize together before we hit Hoity.”

“Totally!” Rainbow Dash nodded before stopping when she remembered something. “Ah… but I might be a little late. I got band practice with Flash today and I promise to attend. But don’t you worry. I’ll be here.”

“And speaking of moving in.” Twilight cooed over to the gang gathering their attention one more time. “Before we dismiss this meeting, I’d like to make an announcement to you all.” She then took the metaphorical stage replacing Sunset. “I know that I’ve been a bit of a stickler this last week, but I have a good reason for it. However… after much deliberation, consideration and opinions from all of you and several other sources. I’ve decided to move in with Timber.”

A mixed reaction of surprise and congratulations were thrown from her friends, all equally shocked by the revelation.

“That’s marvelous darling!”

“Congratulation.”

They patted her back and cheered. Even Pinkie Pie brought her confetti cannon out for a shot. Sunset groaned about the time it’ll take to clean that up but she was too immersed with her best friend’s move.

“So you’re really doing it.” She casually added with a soft smile on her face.

Twilight sighed, thankful for their support. “Yeah. I figured we’d take it slow for now. I won’t be fully moving in with him until I graduate but I thought about doing a probationary trial period instead. I’d stay over with him on the weekends and holidays, and then stay at my place on schooldays. That way I can test the water and see how things pan out.”

“So you’ll be bunking together, eh?” Applejack tilted her head sideway, looking somewhat mixed but also supportive. “Well if you think it’s for the best then you got my vote. But I still think you should wait it out a bit longer.”

The fashionista pushed her away sighing dramatically. “Oh poppydash darling. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Look at you. Our little Twilight, taking the next step of her relationship. I feel so proud and also very excited! Did you tell Timber yet?”

“Yesterday. And he was quite ecstatic too. He’s even helping me move a few of my stuff. We’re meeting later this afternoon for a tour of his place and the local area on the eastside. He knows all the best restaurants and apparently there’s an antique store not far from the beach.”

Wow…

That was the only word Sunset could think of. From what she got from that sentence, it looks like Timber really is pulling all the stops to make Twilight’s transition all the more inviting. Tours of his place, showing the local hotspots and even flashing an antique store to boot? He really knows his audience. With all those lures and baits he put up, he’ll be reeling Twilight in faster than they could say Magic Waffles.

"Did someone say... Magic Waffles?" Pinkie grinned as she brought her said treats.

Author's Note

Not a lot happening in this chapter but I think I got the message across.
Another week, another chapter. And here's me wishing you all a safe and healthy week to come.
Remember to wash your hands, stay safe and if you're stuck to your computer like me, go ahead and press that thumbs up button and maybe put in a comment down below. :duck:
See you all again next Tuesday.

Pawns and Pieces

Author's Note

Hello folks. Happy Quarantine out there. Hope you're keeping yourselves clean and watching your health because it doesn't look like this plague is going anywhere soon.

So remember to wash your hands, be safe, be healthy and more importantly to drop a like and comment!
...
Ok maybe not 'more' important but I'd still like to have this story reach epic status here on the site. :rainbowwild:

Pawns and Pieces

Chapter 29: Pawns and Pieces

(Saturday) (Afternoon) (Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

Hoity Toity sat in his office that morning, sipping a cup of coffee while enjoying a brief respite from his work. Another deal has been done and another wealthy clientele has left his store with a satisfied smile on her face.

That woman had practically brought one of everything in his boutique leaving a hefty sum of money in his cash register. His employees will be spending the next few hours counting it down to the last coin. It left him feeling rather pleased to know that another influential family would be wearing his garments. And knowingly… they probably won’t be wearing anything else for that matter.

The snow was picking up as the winter season finally settled in. He believes another week or so, the streets will be frozen over. He wondered if now would be the perfect time to put out his Winter Collection and join in on the event. The more people wore his designs, then all the better.

His vision of a civilized society would come to fruition once more, all dressed in his designs. Unlike his former partner who had no such imagination in his bones. What purpose is limiting their sales when everyone can wear it? Pfft. He was glad to be rid of that Fancy Pants fellow. He was just holding him down.

The fashion star paused in his drink when he noted another figure entering his store. He recognize the face in the newspaper a few days back. A politician perhaps.

He was about to greet him but pulled a quick stop when he felt his own shadow moving.

The man pulled out his phone pretending to answer a call.

He listened as his minions whispered sweet words into his ears.

“Is that so?” A wicked smile crossed his lips as his shadow continued. “Oh my. Those girls are deliciously deceptive.” He turned his attention to his safe where he kept some of his more… magical items. “What the Master says is true: I really do lack subtlety. Perhaps using all that magic last night rang alarms in their heads.” He let out a soft chuckle, dismissing his shadowy assistant with a wave. “But no matter. If they do plan to strike at me, then it just goes to show that I have to strike first. Let’s see what these girls are made of.”

(Timber’s apartment building)

Twilight can’t remember the last time she saw her boyfriend this happy. Timber was practically going all out in this tour and he was beaming brighter than the city of lights. Ever since she gave him her answer he went out of his way to clear his schedule for the weekend just to spend time with her.

He took her to his neighborhood on the eastside of the city and drove through all the famous locations like one of those tour guides in the airport. He pointed out all the cafes, grocery stores, bus stops, restaurants, bakeries, and even went out of his way to get a look at Everton Academy. Classes had stopped for the holidays but the roads were still serviceable for them to have a quick peek at her future. It was absolutely everything she ever wanted and more. To think, that in just a few months she’ll be transferring here with all of her equipment from home.

The neighborhood bordered Uptown as well so you can see some of the wealthier part of the city close to the roads. Even the rich and snooty folks come by every now and then to take a walk in the park.

And finally, they arrived at their last destination which was the said apartment, which would soon become her new home.

“See? What’d I tell ya?” Timber declared proudly as he parked his car at his personal parking space. “15 minutes from here to Everton back and forth. And with 4 minutes to spare including traffic and road conditions. I might’ve even set a new record.”

Twilight rolled her eye at his cockiness. “Ok speed-racer. Don’t get your head so high in the clouds. I’ll admit that the place does look inviting and the atmosphere is pleasant, and that antique store was a good touch. I’ll give you that.”

“I know, right? You wanted to buy that giant parchment thing right on the spot.”

“It wasn’t a parchment. That was a genuine scroll made out of pure papyrus. It depicted the earliest writing of the first settlers in Saddle Arabia. The historical value alone is immeasurable!”

“Yet the owner was able to put a price on it either way.”

“Pfft. A few hundred is worth a priceless artifact.”

“You were going to barter my car for it.”

She grinned shyly. “I was gonna pay you back…… eventually.” They shared a laugh with one another, lightening the mood. “You really thought of this tour when you wanted me to move to your place.”

“Oh I thought of everything.” He smugly added with a wink before leading her up the stairs to his apartment. “Wait till you see what I’ve done with the place.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Twilight visited her boyfriend’s apartment. Timber had always been going on about how he wanted his family to sell their camp so they could finally move into a town or a city. When he finally got the chance to get his own apartment he took that chance the moment it was offered. Of course he had to get a second job as a lifeguard to pay for it.

The apartment was simple. It’s got three bedrooms, a wide open kitchen, a shared bathroom, and a killer view of the Everfree Woods and a little bit of the beach. It was perfect for Timber and Gloriosa, should his sister ever stop by to visit. She seldom comes by anymore, preferring to live at the camp over this ‘Concrete Jungle’, as she calls it. He naturally didn’t mind at all and enjoyed the privacy the place offered.

“Oh and just so you know. Those glow-in-the-dark stickers were already there when I bought the place.”

She gave him a look of disbelief. “Sure…”

“Tada!” The boy announced as he led her into the living room like a showman.

Twilight looked around and raised a curious glance at him. “It’s the same.”

The green haired camp counselor laughed it off. “I know. I just wanted to raise the hype.” He then led her to a separate room holding the knob. “Here’s what I actually wanted to show you. Twilight Sparkle. Allow me to show you, your new room!”

…

It was a simple rectangular bedroom yet at the same time it was so much more. There was a plain bed decked out with stars and planets, the walls were lined with inspiration posters, the worktable had a Starswirl the Bearded lamp and an assortment of books that went up her alley, and there was a smaller separate room that doubled as a closet. Two switches hung next to the door, activating the lights above. But the killing deal for Twilight was definitely the view by the window. Everton Academy’s enormous courtyard and main complex could be seen just outside. Even the old clock tower at the top was perfectly aligned between two larger structures.

It was enough to make her gasp and take her breath away.

“So~? What do you think?”

“It’s…… beautiful.” She let out the air she realized she had been holding. “It’s got everything. Those inspirational posters that I keep seeing on the internet!”

“Printed them out and had them framed.”

“And those books?” She eyed them and gasped once more. “Those are the Canterlot Public Library Original encyclopedias!”

“They were just giving those away at the bookstore. I mean who reads encyclopedias anymore?”

Twilight turned to sniff something in the air. "Is that the vegetarian burger from Hey Burger I smell?"

The boy produced said burger from his back, offering it up. "There's one branch just a minute walk from here."

“And you even got a mini-bed for Spike!”

He shrugged. “Meh. I figured you were gonna bring that little guy here. It’ll take some getting used to but it’d be nice having a talking dog to talk to around here.” He blinked. “Wow… there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.”

“I love it!” She threw her arms over him dangling over his neck like a pole. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

“I know that we’re dating and all but you might also want a little bit of privacy so I thought I’d give you the guest room as a way for you to settle in easier.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“Anything for my favorite girl.” The boy laughed out loud, holding his girlfriend in his arms. “Think of it as your quick transition to my humble abode. Oh and before I forget, I have to give you the ground rules. All the rooms are free except for Gloriosa. She doesn’t really visit the place often but she still doesn’t want people poking through her stuff.” He then leaned in to whisper. “Though honestly she doesn’t want others to see her giant autographed PostCrush poster. She’s a huge fan.”

“I know a few people who’d love to see that.” Twilight chuckled softly thinking of the two redheads in her group. “But you definitely sold me on the place. I’m already looking forward to moving here.”

“You and me both, girl.” He muttered to himself as the girl checked out the kitchen admiring the cleanliness of the place. “You… and me both…”

(Canterlot Mall)

Ok… let’s see… do we have enough supplies for the weekend?

40 pounds worth of chocolate, 25 pounds of cookie dough for emergencies, condiments, sauce, peanuts, and emergency ration of raisin bread.

Hmmm… maybe I should buy a few more cupcakes, just in case.

Pinkie Pie dragged her body through the food court of the Canterlot Mall that afternoon preparing for her sleepover with Fluttershy. While her animal loving friend was off securing the pad for her stay, she was preparing for the apocalypse. With the amount of goodies she had on hand, people might say that she was preparing to hold up in a bunker somewhere and isolate herself for a decade.

But little did they know that these supplies wouldn’t live through the end of the week. This is Pinkie after all. A black hole where all sweets go and never return.

However her attention was quickly grabbed by the large screen TV that advertised trailers for upcoming movies.

She recognized the cast playing and the title of this flick. It was a soapy romance movie about two people from different lots in life. One was a rich and wealthy and the other came from a lowborn family. They met under remarkable circumstances and continued to become good friends before falling madly in love with one another. A classic if somewhat rather unoriginal script line there but it did gather an impressive following.

“Raspberry, my love. If only fate didn’t deal us such a cruel hand in our lifetime, I would’ve asked your hand a long time ago.”

“And yet here we are, standing at very place where we first met… under the same starry night.”

Ugh… honestly, who talks like that anymore?

Her parents apparently. But they were more old school retro in her eyes.

“Then take this, my love. To commemorate this night – or at the very least… a little something to remember me by.” The hero plucked a flower from the garden, offering it to his love like a token of his affection.

And just like that the memories of last night came flooding in like a brick. Pinkie pulled out that feather that Flash gave to her in the aviary. It wasn’t really anything special and there were things far more beautiful there. But the gesture alone was enough to make her heart beat faster and put a creepy smile on her lips. If this feeling she had in her wasn’t love then she wouldn’t know what is.

Still… how is one supposed to confess to a guy like Flash? Would it be such a bad thing to go out with a guy as sweet as him?

“Pinkie?”

“Mgyaa I didn’t do it!” The girl snapped back to reality and hid the feather in the puffiness of her hair whipping her head around to find the fashionista staring at her. “Oh… hey Rarity. Are you here stocking up on essential supplies for the weekend?”

“If by… ‘supplies’ you mean those things you call… food? Then no. But I am getting myself a new sowing machine. The one I had back home was destroyed and I need a new lineup for the next phase of my competition.”

“Competition?” Pinkie questioned. “You mean that whole pageant thing with Hoity Toity? You’re still doing that?”

“Why of course darling. A little shocking revelation is by no means an excuse to forfeit from such an opportunity.” Wow... talk about dedication despite the danger.

“But aren’t you afraid he might… you know?”

“Oh don’t you worry dearie. With all the witnesses there? He wouldn’t dare try anything so barbaric. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on him. And what better way than to be close to him?” Sounds like she was dancing dangerously with danger. “Speaking of being close, can you imagine Twilight actually agreed to move in with Timber?”

“Can I? She told us. Duh.”

“I know. But this is a huge thing for us. To think Twilight would actually be moving head long into her relationship. I never would’ve imagined it.” She sighed out dreamily, thinking of that girl’s future. “And just think… in a few years she’ll be on her wedding day, walking down the aisle. Oh! I wonder if she’ll let me design her gown. It’ll be fabulous!”

Ugh… there she goes again. Figured she’d let it end in clothes.

Still… that didn’t change the fact that she had some experience in it.

“Uh… hey Rarity.” Pinkie shyly opened up, rubbing the back of her neck unsure whether to speak up or not. “You’re an expert when it comes to all this… love stuff, right?”

The fashionista shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I’m an expert sweetie, but… yes… expert would be the right word for it.”

“So… you’ve been with people before?”

It was Rarity’s turn to blush. “Uh… I may have had one or two flings but nothing like what Twilight and Timber have. Why?”

“Well… how would you actually know that you… like-like someone?”

“Oh that one is easy darling.” Rarity waved it off like it was no big deal. “Though it differentiates between people. The common thing is that the person makes you feel giddy on the inside.”

“Giddy?” She gulped.

“Yes. You know? Butterflies in your stomach? Your heart beating faster, your sweat glands working overtime, your face turning redder than a tomato. These are all common symptoms of love. They’re quite beautiful.”

“Well… how would you… you know… how to ask…”

“Is this about your dinner date with your mysterious wealthy clientele?” Rarity deduced precisely which made the pinkette turn red. “I’m right, aren’t I?” She turned away. “Oh my. You’re smitten!”

“What!? No~”

“Yes you are. Yes you ARE!” She insisted, poking at the party animal with a grin that practically wanted to burst. “Blushing cheeks, inability to form words, giddy stomach. You have all the hallmarks of a love in bloom!” Her eyes sparkled. “Well you have come to the right girl. Come Pinkie. This kind of talk requires sustenance and atmosphere!”

xxxxxxxxxx

The two of them arrived at the manicurist a few minutes later getting their nails done over a soothing chair and pleasant music in their ears.

“Ok I’ll admit. This thing is relaxing.”

Rarity knew that of course. “What better way to sooth one’s mind, body and soul?” She grinned childishly. “Now that we’re both relaxed and comfortable. Are you ready to finally reveal to me this mysterious date of yours?”

Pinkie sighed both in hesitation and relaxation. “I don’t know…”

“Darling please. You’re obviously confused. That’s why you came to me for advice. I helped Applejack with her troubles so yours will be child’s play.”

“Really? Applejack told you about hers? Who is it?”

“Ah ah…” She waggled her finger. “Sorry dear. But these lips are sealed on that matter. I gave my word to keep it a secret and that is what I intend to do. But enough about her. This must be an all new experience for you.” It is… it really is. “Come now sweetie. Sit back and unveil your deep little secret. I’ll even Pinkie Promise never to tell another soul about it.”

Oh that did sound like a good deal. It would also be nice to have someone to talk about this. She couldn’t be sure of her own feelings anymore. Not when it came to him.

“Alright you convinced me.” She submitted. “But just to be sure…”

Rarity rolled her eyes crossing her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.” She returned with a soft caring smile. “There? Satisfied?”

“Very much so.”

“Well then. Tell me quickly. Who’s the lucky lad that snatched your heart? I’ve been going through my list for days now and the anticipation is killing me.”

“Alright. But you gotta promise that you won’t freak out.”

“Darling please. This isn’t my first girl talk. I doubt there’s anything you can say that can possibly surprise me.”

But when her answer came, it did bode as well as she expected it.

xxxxxxxxxx

...
...
...

“WHAT!!!!!!???”

Rarity’s voice boomed across the mall echoing far and wide like a shockwave. The whole structure lifted a centimeter, animals in the vicinity scattered in fear while the clouds themselves parted in the heavens shining a bright ray of light in the area. Cars crashed, the sea level lowered, and somewhere in Ponyville, her unicorn counterpart mishandled her sowing machine sensing a great disturbance in the force.

xxxxxxxxxx

“FLASH!?” Rarity panted heavily like she had spent all her air in that scream. She didn’t even realize she was hyperventilating until one of the stewards handed her a barf bag and a glass of water to rehydrate. She gratefully accepted them breathing in. “AS IN THE FLASH SENTRY!?”

“I know I know!” Pinkie tried to calm her down but found herself panicking too. “It’s weird!” Oh it definitely was weird, but not in the way she was thinking. “I mean me and Sunset’s ex-boyfriend? How awkward is that?”

The fashionista blinked and quickly plugged her mouth with the glass of water not really trusting words at this point. Her brain was going through overdrive. A series of questions wrote themselves at the back of her mind while her eye twitched as Pinkie blabbled on about the seriousness of the situation and how Sunset would take it.

“R… right…” It took her a simple word to make her realize that she had finished the glass, and sadly not a single drop of it went in her mouth. “Refill!” She told the steward who answered with a panicked nod.

“So whatdaya think?”

What do I think? WHAT DO I THINK!!!? I think I need a couch to fall on, and a double shot espresso extra strong just to keep myself from fainting!

“Well… I see.” Were the only words she was able to squeeze out. “S… so Flash Sentry is your… playdate? So… does this mean you two are now an… item?”

“Oh no. Not at all.” Oh thank god. “He still thinks that we’re just hanging out as friends. But… after going on two dates with him I was thinking that… I wouldn’t really mind. You should totally meet him when he’s on his date mode. He’s really sweet, caring, loves my jokes and his mansion is amazing. It literally has everything you could possibly want. They have a whole room dedicated to shoes and suits. It’s like a closet but… way… WAY bigger.”

“Ahuh…” The sound of a large closet did intrigue her quite a bit but her brain was still fizzling out the works on the big question. “So… you really want to get together with Flash?”

“Well… kinda.” Pinkie brushed her hair shyly. “Besides, both our parents are friends already and… he’s really nice.”

“Really? B… but he doesn’t look like your type.”

“I know, right? I mean, a party animal like me and a cool guy like him?” She sighed dreamily. “But there’s just something about him that really gets me. Like… we have this… connection.” Oh god. That face she’s making. It’s exactly the same as Applejack when she told her about her crush on Flash. It was like having the same dream but with different actors playing the same role.

“What I’m saying is that Flash might be… a big catch for a girl like you. Why don’t you try something… closer to home? Someone you’re comfortable with.”

“Meh. Not really. It’s not like I got people lining up to ask me out or anything.” Pinkie turned up in thought. “Besides, I am comfortable with him. I mean we’ve been on two dates already.”

“Two…?” She gasped suddenly making sense of it all. “Flash was the one who took you to the Huffs and Hooves!?”

“Yeah…” She admitted uncomfortably. “But their food was hard to say. I couldn’t make sense out of a single thing on the menu. It was like reading a whole new language.”

“Why… that’s… wonderful.”

“Hmm… maybe I can try Applejack’s way. Cooking him something awesome! Like a triple crusted apple pie!”

“NO!” Rarity covered her mouth as she raised her voice a bar too high earning again, the attention of the other patrons and workers in the salon. Applejack mentioned about that confection she especially prepared for the boy. It was an absolute stunning story to behold. But if Pinkie copies it, it’ll complicate things. “I mean. You really shouldn’t bother. No two relationships are alike darling. What works for her may not work for you. Perhaps you should work with your strengths.”

“But what else am I supposed to do? Throw him a party?” She paused in thought as if the idea struck her like a brick. “Yes! That’s it! I should throw him a party!”

“No dear. No parties.”

“It’ll be awesome. I’ll tell him that we’re having a surprise party but in reality it’s just the two of us. I’ll have all his favorite things. And when the mood is getting good, I’ll drop down a banner asking him to really go on a date with me! It all make sense~~!”

“Pinkie!” Rarity popped her imaginary bubble and brought her back down to reality. They were starting to lose focus. Even she was having a hard time keeping track of the main point. But still… it was time to pull out the big guns. Time to scare those thoughts away. “As happy as I am to see you breaking out of your shell. Need I remind you that Flash is Sunset’s ex? Can you imagine what you have to go through for that?”

That seemed to have deflated her hopes a tad bit. “Yeah. I know. That’s the only reason why I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” Oh finally. She actually sees reason. “I mean… Sunset is my best friend and I like her a lot. But Flash is…… pretty cool too.” She sighed, thinking on the matter. “I know they’ve broken up like… ages ago, but it still feels weird to be going out with someone she used to date. I mean… there has to be a rule for that, right?” There probably is one out there but Rarity didn’t have the time or the capacity to search for it. “I mean… is it wrong for me to feel this way for him?”

“Pinkie…”

“That’s why I need your help!” She came up face to face. “What am I supposed to do with these feelings? Am I supposed to just run with it? Should I bury it in me and lock it up forever? Do I jump the hoop and say that I do want to have Flash Sentry as my official boyfriend? But if I do… what will Sunset say? What will everyone say!? Tell me Rarity! What. Am. I. Supposed. To. Do!?”

“Firstly… calm down.” The fashionista told her, though she needed to listen to her own advice too. “Secondly… I… think this might be a little over my head.”

“Oh come on!” Pinkie berated. “You helped Applejack with her problem. Why can’t you help with mine?” The reasons for that are beyond volatile. “Please? I’m desperate here.”

Oh dear gods Rarity. What did you get yourself into? If you knew this girl talk would turn into a three way one-sided love story you would’ve hauled yourself back to Applejack’s place and call it a night. This is not what she signed up to do.

But… she dug her own grave. May as well sleep in it.

“Alright dear.” She was definitely going to regret this. “Firstly… if I am to give you my most honest opinion. It would be to… hold it off.”

“Hold it off?” Pinkie blinked, not really expecting that answer.

“Yes. You’re obviously just confused right now as this is all a new experience for you. This blooming feeling in your stomach might just be… a crush. A love that comes and goes with time. Plus we also need to gather information.”

“We do?”

“Absolutely!” Rarity’s brain went through overdrive trying to sell her reasoning as best she could. “I mean this is Flash Sentry we’re talking about. He’s the coolest guy in CHS. I’m pretty sure he already has another girlfriend.”

“Really? I haven’t heard anything. He was pretty open about his relationship.”

“As open as you with your first two dates?”

Pinkie blinked again then nodded. “Fair point.”

“Exactly. So… why don’t we take this time to settle things in? You can sort through your feelings and then maybe we can do some digging to see if he has a secret crush of his own. Once we have all the facts together then……” Her eye twitched. “We can see where things go from there… aheh.”

“That… does sound reasonable.” The party animal thankfully accepted that returning to her seat sighing with relief. “Yeah. Let’s do that. Thanks Rarity. I knew I could count on you.” She wiped the sweat off her brow. “Phew. Man… all this girl talk really pulled the steam out of me. You were right. It’s nice having someone to talk to about this. We should do this more often.”

Yeah… sure.

Rarity leaned on her seat, her face already half way going mad.

What in the world should I do?

(Rainbow Dash’s house) (Later that evening)

“Rainbow Dash, honey. Did you remember to pack your extra socks?” Windy Whistles reminded as her daughter brushed past her grabbing a sandwich from the fridge along the way to the front door.

“Got it mom.”

“Don’t forget your extra shirt and pajamas.” She added with a giddy look in her eyes. “I packed your favorite one with Count Vladcula on it. And remember your toothbrush and extra toothpaste. Don’t want you getting cavities while you’re there.”

“Relax mom. I’m only gonna be staying with Sunset for the weekends. And it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve had a sleepover at someone else’s place.”

“I know Dashy dear. But I just wanna make sure you clean yourself up. Oh! Maybe you should also pack some of your old toys just in case?”

“Those are action figures. Totally different.” Rainbow pouted back. “Besides, my friends aren’t into those kind of play. We’re more of a video games people.”

“I’m making sure you have a nice and pleasant stay so you can make tons of wonderful memories. Next year will be your last semester at CHS so I want it perfect. You know, your father and I had the best time when we were your age.” Windy added longingly before a sly smile showed itself on her lips. “Speaking of friends. Why don’t you bring that dashing gentleman over there inside?” She gestured out the window where her ride was waiting for her.

“Who? You mean Flash?”

“Flash? Is that his name?” Her mother cooed suggestively. “He’s quite handsome. You really know how to pick’em.”

Rainbow’s face twisted in disgust. “What? Ewww! Mom! Come on. He’s just a friend. Don’t go twisting things into your imagination.”

“Sorry hon. But you have to admit that you’re in that age where you grow certain interest in other people.” She reasoned back while her face turned like that of a granny with an agenda. “And to be honest this is the first time I’ve ever seen you with such a good looking fellow. What else is a mother like me supposed to think when someone like him drives you up to our house with a super fancy sports car?”

“Yeah well, it’s not what you think. He’s just a friend.”

“Uh huh.” Windy rolled her eyes. “And the fact that you’re wearing matching jackets, doesn’t hold any meaning whatsoever.”

Oh snap! Rainbow Dash looked to herself and realized that she was still wearing the band’s jacket. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink which fueled her mother’s teasing engine.

“Th… this is because he asked me to wear it! We had band practice together! It’s part of his gig!”

“Sure honey. Whatever you say.” Windy coughed into her fist sarcastically. Not believing a single word of it. “Why don’t you invite him in and I’ll wow him with your favorite sandwich. Pasta and potato on sourdough. I’ll even regale him on some of your childhood stories. Oh! I’ll tell him of that time you put wheels on your canoe and called yourself the Pirate of the Roads!”

“Absolutely not! You are not telling anyone that. I forbid it!” Rainbow adamantly insisted. “And FYI, I was 8! I didn’t know better!”

“It was absolutely adorable.”

“Ugh… fine. I’ll introduce you. But that’s it. Just promise me that you won’t blabber anything embarrassing when you see him.”

Windy Whistles shrugged. “I’ll try my hardest.”

And with a sigh, Rainbow moved to the door and opened it but was surprised to see Flash already there with his hand up as if he was about to knock.

“Oh hey Rainbow. Are you really to go? The sky’s getting kind of dark. I think there’s a storm coming.”

The girl nodded back in return. “Yeah. Just about.” She opted to just up and go but her mother’s big starry stare and index finger poking at her sides were insisting on the matter. With a deep sigh, she spoke. “Mom, this is Flash. Flash, this is my mom, Windy Whistle.”

“Pleasure to meet you ma’am.”

“Rainbow Dash didn’t stop wetting her bed until she was 10!”

…

“Uh… what?”

“Mom!” RD panicked. “What the heck!?”

Windy covered her mouth on reflex. “I’m sorry. It just came out of me. I didn’t mean to…… do you want a sandwich? Pasta and potato~~. It’s Rainbow’s favorite.” She pulled out a sandwich from the back offering it to the boy raising her eyebrows like a creepy candy man trying to lure innocent victims to the back of her truck.

“Uh… sure?” Was that thing even edible?

The embarrassed girl trailed her hand over her cheeks in frustration. Her mother was kind of a blabbermouth when it came to humiliating her daughter. She loved doing that just like her dad.

“You know, Rainbow Dash had a habit of sucking her thumb when…”

“Ok that’s enough of that. It’s getting late. Gotta go. Later mom. BYE!” Not wanting to wait and let her mother embarrass her further, Rainbow Dash quickly pushed the boy out the door and back to his car shouting ‘Lalalalala’ loudly to keep them from hearing anymore stories she may blurt out unconsciously.

“She was nice.” Flash managed to say as looked back to her friend’s house noting her mother waving frantically and shouting something akin to ‘Come back soon’.

“Yeah. She’s amazing.” Rainbow Dash grumbled, an embarrassed blush creeping on her nose. “Sometimes too nice. And FYI, the bed wetting thing was because I always drink three glasses of warm milk before bed.”

He chuckled before starting up his car. “Heh… ok.”

“Thanks again for driving me to Sunset’s place. I’d go on my own but… you know. High velocity and slippery sidewalks don’t exactly mix.” Yeah she mentioned crashing a few times already. "And my bike isn't back from the shop yet."

“No problem. It’s the least I can do after your awesome performance.” The boy sang her praises reminding them of their band practice an hour ago. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were a natural. You practically got all the songs right on the first try.”

“Well duh. I’ve been shredding my guitar for as long as I can remember. I can’t help it if I’m just that good. I’m a lot of things and being talented is one of them.”

Sadly being humble is not one of them.

(Sunset’s house) (Later that night)

A small storm was brewing outside…

Sunset snapped closed her magic journal, putting down the pen after writing a lengthy message to Princess Twilight. It wasn’t anything important or magic related. She figured she’d want an update on what was going on here in the human world. Applejack’s farm, Rainbow Dash doing another stupid stunt, Fluttershy and her animals. The usual stuff. Of course she’d leave out all the problems. That alicorn probably had enough on her plate as it is. After all she was going to become the next ruler of Equestria. She can’t exactly just drop everything just because her friend asked.

Still… the events of today have really got her thinking. Hearing that her best friend moving in with Timber made her realize that she… had no future around here.

When she first came to this world, her first sole purpose was to gain enough power to conquer all of Equestria. But after that incident at the Fall Formal, that dream was erased and replaced with just…… well… living. She had been so focused on the present she never really stopped to worry much about her future.

Applejack had her farm, Fluttershy had plans to go on a trip to visit animal shelters across the world, Pinkie Pie had her party gig and her family business, Rarity dreams of becoming a superstar fashion designer, Twilight wants to move to Everton Academy and become the world leading scientist in magic, probably marrying Timber in the process, and Rainbow Dash had options to persue either music or a career in sports.

Granted Rainbow's future was vague but she definitely had a choice in that matter.

Regardless, it made her wonder.

What was she going to do after she graduates? Should she go to college like some of her friends?

Nope. Not happening. Way too expensive. She’ll have to take like… six extra part time jobs just to pay for a single semester. Maybe she can ask for a student loan? No. If what she heard was right, those businesses will probably drain her bank account dry.

Maybe she can apply for a real job around here. She could… work for a big manufacturing company… or… a desk job… or maybe even… ah forget it. Who was she kidding? It took her months just to get acquainted with the system in school and even a heck of a lot longer just to get her first apartment. Changing her life from a student to an employee will be a difficult transition.

Ugh… what was she gonna do?

“SUNSET SHIMMER!”

“Mgyaahh!” The girl fell from her bed and down the ladder, hitting the floorboard like a brick. “Ow…”

“Oooh. Sorry.” The formless voice hissed back painfully. “Are you ok?”

She turned over to the source finding her Equestrian phone line calling out to her. “Yeah. I’m fine. It wouldn’t be the first time I fell off my bed and onto the floor.” The redhead implied as she limped her way to the chair, groaning every painful step of the way. “Hey Starlight. Were you able to get the things I asked for?”

The pony on the magical music box nodded hesitantly. “It’s kind of a tall order to get those artifacts. A few of them are in the Crystal Empire. But I’m sure Sunburst won’t have too much trouble. He is the court wizard for Princess Cadance after all. It shouldn’t take too long to get them delivered. But… are you sure you need all of them? That was a lot of stuff you requested and some of them are particularly dangerous in the wrong hoof. Twilight had those locked up for a reason.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to handle them with care.” Sunset reassured her. “I got a plan. And I’ll be sure to return them once we’re done with them. Speaking of which what’s happening on your side? Anything going on in Equestria?”

“Well, I have some interesting news. Nothing major but we kind of had a little incident with Discord.”

“The Lord of Chaos?”

“That’s the one. Aheh.” The purple furred pony replied in a strange singsong manner. “Let’s just say he was cooking up a storm and it ended with a small village getting flooded with chocolate. Don't ask." She raised her hoof up in protest. "Speaking of which, looks like you got yourself a storm too.” She gestured over to the window where it began to rain heavily. “ Anyway. I got something for you.” She pulled out a miniature scroll from nowhere and coughed into her hooves. “Quote: On behalf of Princess Twilight Sparkle, future ruler of Equestria and holder of the element of magic. She hereby, fully authorized by the court of friendship, to cordially invite you, Sunset Shimmer, fellow student of Princess Celestia and liaison to the human world, to her coronation in Canterlot Castle as her honored friend-slash-guest at the time and date of the first summer of next year. End quote.”

“She wants me?” Sunset gasped, a mixture of amazement and shock filling her expression. “On her coronation day?”

“Yup. She wanted to invite you herself but then… Discord happened.” Starlight grumbled lowly. “But isn’t this great? You’ll be standing with us at her coronation along with everyone. It’s a very special and very limited position. And naturally you are allowed to bring one friend along. Twilight opted for more but the space in the castle is very limited and we really don’t want to crowd the place. Trust me, it’s practically hoof to hoof up there. But isn’t it just amazing!?”

“Yeah… that’s… awesome.” Sunset tried to sound positive but her tone and expression didn’t match her words, which did not escape Starlight’s notice.

“Hmm… your mouth is saying awesome but your face is saying… something else.” The small statue added. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just… really happy that Princess Twilight is finally getting crowned.”

“Sunset. If there’s anything I know, it’s that when ponies are hiding something. Trust me. I’ve hidden a lot of stuff from my friends and it almost always never ends well.” The Headmare smiled sweetly. “Come on. Lay it on me.”

“I… don’t really want to burden you with my problems.”

“Oh please. I used to be the school’s student counselor. I’ve got load of experience dealing with problems. I think I can handle whatever it is you’re struggling with.”

Sunset looked at her unicorn friend and hesitated for only but a moment. It would really be nice to have someone to talk to. Someone who had more experience in life. “You sure you won’t mind?”

“I’m just waiting for Sunburst to report in. I have Trixie taking inventory of all of Starswirl’s collection, and believe me, there’s a lot of it. And we have no class today or tomorrow because of a festival in Ponyville. Like we don’t have enough of that already.” She whispered that last part to herself. “So I have all night. Why don’t you grab yourself a nice cup of hot coco with marshmallows and take a seat? I’ll be here to list down all your problems.”

That… actually didn’t sound so bad.

“You know… I might just need that. And I think I have a half-eaten box of cookies here somewhere.”

…

“Wow… so Twilight’s really moving in with Timber. That’s a huge step for her.” Starlight nodded proudly as her statuette sipped from her mug while she listened to Sunset explained the situation.

“Yeah… it is.”

“And yet you don’t sound too happy about it.”

“What?” Sunset slipped off her hand. “No. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that… when I heard how Twilight decided to move in with her boyfriend, it… kinda got me thinking… about my life here in this world.”

Starlight’s eyes grew curious. “Really? How so?”

“Everyone is moving forward with their lives.” She threw her hands up in the air like the world was ending. “All my friends will all get their own stories. Applejack will be working on her farm, and… Twilight’s going off to Everton. But me? I… don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Yikes.” The former counselor froze. “Oh… I uh mean… I see.” She took another sip off her mug.

“I never really thought about my future before.” Sunset admitted lowly. “What do I do once I graduate? Where do I go from here? I took my time here for granted, thinking that this whole thing with my friends will… last forever.” She look outward into the snow covered city, sighing. “Sometimes I wish these days could… last forever.”

“Hmm… that is a conundrum.” Starlight nodded. “This might come as a surprise, but Princess Twilight was also in a similar predicament some time ago.”

“She was?” That was surprising, considering she was literally the Princess of Friendship. “How did she handle it?”

“Not… entirely well. But she found a way nonetheless. She understood that regardless of what happens, their friendship will always stand the test of time. Moving to Canterlot can really stress her out. But in the end, I think she found the place where she was meant to be.”

“Her place?”

“I can’t really describe it with words. But the closest I can think of is ‘Destiny’…” Destiny? That sounds like a cheap way to explain things. “A goal you set for yourself. Something to strive for. Something that you were meant to do. You want a place where you belong. Somewhere you feel at home, someplace you’re always welcomed. For Twilight, it was her old home in Canterlot. As for me… well… I suppose this school is mine.”

“That’s… pretty vague.”

“I know it’s difficult to understand but I’m certain your place in the world is out there somewhere. You'd be surprised what life has to offer you." Starlight gave a sarcastic chuckle. "A few years ago, I never would've even begun to imagine that I'd be a guidance councelor or a Headmare of a school. But here I am. And honestly I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world."

"It must be nice having the world figured out for yourself."

"You'll never know what life throws at you. But I'm sure that your destiny is out there... somewhere. And when you see it… you’ll know it. You just gotta look for it.”

Her place in the world.

Kind of hard to find it when there are a whole lotta worlds out there.

“I guess that makes sense.” Sunset accepted that excuse, easing her worries by a small margin. “Thanks Starlight. I needed that.”

“Anytime.” She nodded back before a thought suddenly popped in. “Oh! But if you’re worried about the future, then maybe you can come here and teach at the School of Friendship!”

The former unicorn spat out her drink in her cup. “Me? Teach at your school? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m definitely serious. You’re perfect. You have more in-depth knowledge about friendship than most ponies and you have a well-traveled practice on two seperate worlds. That kind of experience will be great learning materials for every-creature here.” She smirked as she leaned in to whisper. “I’ll even give you a good rate.”

Sunset wanted to laugh it off but she also saw an opportunity there. She never imagined herself being a teacher before. In fact, she never thought of anyone taking lessons from someone like her.

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s great! I’m certain you’ll make an excellent addition to our faculty. Why don’t you come and visit and I can give you a tour of the place. And who knows?” She grinned. “You might just find your place in the world right here.”

The redhead chuckled at the thought. “Heh. That might just be…” But she trailed off when lightning struck and her whole apartment went dark a second later. “Dang it…”

“Mwah!?” Starlight shrieked. “What’s going on? What happened to the lights!?”

“Relax. This happens all the time when a storm this big happens.” It had something to do with the electrical wirings around the neighborhood. Whenever the weather starts picking up like this the grid becomes wholly unstable. The landlord never managed to find the source of the problem. But thankfully it doesn’t last more than an hour before the electricity to kicks back in. “Hang on. I think I have some candles around here… or a flashlight.”

“It’s spooky.” The purple pony noted as Sunset lit a few of those candles decorating her table. “Hard to imagine you living here all by yourself.”

She chuckled back again in reply. “It’s not so bad once you get used to it. Especially when you have friends around.”

“Aheh… yeah. Friends.” Starlight tried to sound positive but again she flinched when they heard something fall close by. “What was that?”

“It’s probably just the wind.” She reassured her as she found her flashlight in the cabinets. “Hold on a sec.” It didn’t take long for her to find the object. Her half-eaten box of cookies. “Aha! Here it is. I knew I put you somewhere.” She then quietly took a whiff off the top of the box sticking her tongue out in disgust a moment later. “Ugh… smells like it’s passed its shelf-life.”

Starlight eased up hearing that but then immediately tensed again when she caught something slithering in the dark. For a moment she thought it was just something akin to the human world’s natural occurrence. That was until a pair of eyes opened up with tiny slit acting as a wicked smile.

“Sunset! Behind you!” Her warning came a second too late as the shadowy figure leaped in striking the redhead from behind. However, much to the creature’s surprise, its claws didn’t cut deep enough as it was restricted by the leather clothing the girl wore at all times.

Sunset fell, terror covering her face as the waggled favorite jacket with its claws. But she quickly recovered, eyeing the beast angrily. There was no doubt about it. Judging by its shape and size, this was definitely the monster that attacked Rarity. It didn’t take the shape of a wolf like the one Cinch summoned, but that of a woman with a lower snake-like body with claws as hands.

Annoyed by its failed surprise attack, the shadow snake lady ripped the jacket from her arms, letting out a threatening hiss.

“Hey! That was a gift!” Sunset berated but quickly dodged when it came at her again taking quick swipes at her. She crawled on the floor and reached for her flashlight. “Alright magic. Get ready to meet the power of technology!” She then shined the beam onto the monster which sizzled its skin like a vampire meeting the sun. “Didn’t like that, did ya? What’s the matter? Can’t handle a little light in your life?”

The shadow lamia hissed angrily like a ticked off cat. Sunset expected it to withdraw like others of its kind. But instead it just lung at her again, its claws ripping the flashlight in half.

Ok… so this thing wasn’t playing any games. It really was out to get her.

“Don’t think you’re so tough just because you got claws.” She grabbed her geode and immediately put her powers out. “I’ve been using magic since I was a filly.” Her body glowed and the pony ears and tails formed, granting her all the might of Equestria. “Bring it!”

And just like that, the battle was on.

Sunset clashed against that lone shadow lamia throwing magic missiles and lasers, scoring good hits along the way. It retaliated with its claws but Sunset was good at dodging. Her old pony reflexes were kicking in making her more agile than usual. The monster’s claw can’t even find her much less touch her.

In the eyes of the audience, it would certainly look like a one-sided match.

“That’s right Sunset! Give it to’em!” Starlight waved her hooves cheering on from the music box whistling and throwing words of encouragement like she was watching a professional wrestling match. “Give it a left… and a right! And a left… and a right again! Dodge it! And pow! Right in the kisser! YEAH! Show that shadow… thing… what you’re made of! Woohoo!”

And bring it she did. The two sides clashed in that small apartment room like they were hell bent on burning the other to a crisp. They traded blows, shaking the apartment to its very core, all the while a few of the lit candles fell from their stands spreading small areas of fire in the vicinity.

Sunset flew onto her bed and threw down her pillows and blanket which the lamia easily shredded to pieces. But the stuffing and cloth spilled forth blinding the snake from her prey. And in that split moment the former unicorn blasted that monster with all her might sending it back to the darkness with a pained roar. Its skin once again scorched and bubbled up like pimples popping all over its body. Yet still it did not withdraw.

It breathed out a few times before it let out a terrifying howl which went an upsetting screech throughout the room.

Glass windows shattered letting the rain through ruining the once beautiful apartment, the curtains fluttered while the winds howled sending a deathly chill in the air.

Dang it. The landlord was gonna kill her when he finds out about this.

“Haaaa!” Putting her magic onto her hands, Sunset decided to change tactics and go in for a melee attack. She imbued her body with light making it impossible for the monster to even touch her at this point. And then in a moment of error, Sunset saw an opening and sent a magic blast knocking the beast on the floor. “Ha… how’d you like that? Had enough?”

But her triumph was marred by Starlight’s voice who called out to her. “Sunset! The Portal Stone!” She snapped her head to her pony friend and noted another of those shadow snake girls tearing through her cabinet, reaching for the statue.

The ponified girl quickly dashed towards it firing another shot from her fingers making it retreat. It would’ve broken the portal stone had she not caught it.

“Phew… close one.” She snapped her body around noting three snake ladies forming up. “Uh oh…”

“I think you might be a little over your head on this one.” Yes Ms. Headmare. Any other useful advice you’d like to input in this situation!? “And I’m also thinking that this is the part where you run the other way.” That was actually a good suggestion which her friend gladly took. “Wait! Don’t leave me behind – or… at least not this music box! It took me a lot of bits to buy this!” Sunset snatched her and immediately bolted to the door.

The main entrance was just downstairs, in the hallway pass the kitchen. It should’ve been a quick sprint but that place turned into a death trap with the lamias giving chase, their claws slashing at her heels.

Sunset ducked and dodged, watching as all the furniture she accumulated get torn to shreds like cardboards. Her dining table, chairs, even the potted plants that was a gift from the landlord was not spared from their violence. She tried to fight back of course. But in a 3 to 1 fight, it was pretty much just a suicide assistance party.

“You can run you can hide…”

“You can go far and wide…”

“But you can never cast us aside.” The shadows spoke in a snake like hiss, their sentences ending in rhymes for some bizarre reason.

Another swipe cut a swath through her kitchen stove cutting Sunset by the cheek leaving a shallow gash, damaging her beautiful face. She quickly retaliated with another hand blaster but it was weaker this time. Sunset looked at her hand feeling her magic being drained by some unknown force.

“That’s… not good.” The shadow monsters took that chance and immediately surround her swiping their claws. But the girl wasn’t done yet. With one last push she pulled out what little magic she had left and cast a simple but effective light spell that acted as a shield for her. The girl fell on her knees a few seconds later feeling drained.

“Sunset! Get up!” Starlight panicked trying her best to get the girl on. “You can’t fall now!” She looked up seeing the snakes approach. “Stay back! Back you shadow thing! I’m a certified genuine unicorn! I got enough magic in me to send you all back to the Stone Age!”

If they felt threatened by her words, they certainly didn’t show it. Instead they loomed over closer, ready to strike the moment that little light of hers went out.

Sunset struggled to get back up but again she could feel her magic being syphoned. Something really was draining her magic and it was really…… wait…

… why does she smell gas around here?

She turned to the whistling noise in the room noticing her gas range leaking. The recent fight around the room must’ve punctured the tank. And with the fire from the candles extending further… that could only spell doom for all.

Mustering what little strength she had left, the girl grabbed both the Portal Stone and the music box and bolted towards the window jumping and smashing through. Thankfully the cold wet snow that accumulated outside cushioned her landing giving her a worm’s view of her little apartment before it spontaneously combust into a giant blazing ball of fire.

The sound of the explosion was loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood. Pieces of debris scattered across the streets, many of her personal items flying out, broken, bent or burnt from the flames arraying around the area like the worst kind of garage sale.

All that she strived for. All that she worked during her years in this realm… gone to the winds before she even had a chance to blink.

“Sunset!” A familiar voice tore her from the carnage making her turn her head to the road finding Rainbow Dash rushing towards her with her ex-boyfriend in tow. Both of them had a look that was equal part confused and terrified. “Are you alright? What happened!?”

“Sha… shadow.” She was able to squeeze the word out of her lungs which rang alarm bells in their heads. They scanned the area but saw no shadow monsters anywhere. Perhaps the raging fire scared them off.

“We need to get out of here.” Flash told them as he felt a sense of déjà vu on this whole fiasco. He quickly scooped Sunset while Rainbow grabbed the items she dropped.

The moment they were in the car, the boy stepped on the gas and drove off leaving the burning wreck behind as sirens of emergency services echoed in the distance.

Sanctuary (Part 1)

Author's Note

Another week has come and gone. I hope you're all having a wonderful day despite our health situation. Not really much to say except for: Stay safe, wash your hands and preserve your toilet papers!

Don't go coocoo :pinkiecrazy:

Sanctuary (Part 1)

Chapter 30: Sanctuary (Part 1)

(Canterlot Hill Picnic Grounds)

“Ow…” Sunset flinched back when Flash gently tapped the alcohol dipped cotton on the wound on her cheeks. It was painful but necessary.

“Sorry. Just… bear with it for the moment.” The boy instructed bringing out the first-aid kit from his car. “We need to disinfect it before we put on the band-aid. It’s not a deep cut so it should heal up nicely after a few days.”

“I know… thanks.” She gritted her teeth and decided to bear with the pain a little bit longer.

Being on this hilltop on the outskirts of the city gave them a sense of déjà vu. It served as a rally point for when things go bad. Rainbow kept a lookout while they stayed under the beam of a camp light. They can hear sirens in the distance wailing as the smoke from Sunset’s apartment plumed in the night sky.

“I texted everyone to meet up.” Rainbow spoke, already reaching the limit of her reasoning. “So I’m guessing that the shadow monster attacked?”

“Three shadow monsters actually.” Strangely enough it wasn’t Sunset who replied but the oddly talking pony dancing on top of the music box. “Hi there. Starlight Glimmer. We met some time ago. I was the one who saved you from the magic mirror dimension?”

“Right~” Flash wasn’t sure why he was so surprised. He’d already seen the Pony world and a lot weirder magic than this. “And you’re a… talking music box?”

“Nope. I’m a genuine pony from Equestria.” She grinned. “This is an experimental spell. I know this is a lot to take in but do you mind turning off the music in this thing? It’s not exactly fitting for the mood.” The boy gladly did so stopping the pony from spinning around. “Phew. That’s much better. It’s easier to talk to you guys without doing a twirl every ten seconds.”

“But why was Hoity targeting you?” Rainbow continued her questioning. “I mean… is he really out to get us?”

“What?” The name rang a bell in Flash’s head.

“No not me… or us.” Sunset groaned, gathering her strength to stand up. “He wasn’t after any of us particularly. I think he was after this.” She pointed at the Portal Stone which now strangely hummed with more energy than usual. “Rarity was right. He was after the statue. I’m not sure why but I’m definitely sure that was what he sent those snakes for.”

Rainbow eyed the relic and tilted her head questioningly. “All that for this piece of junk?”

“That’s more than just a pretty statue.” The pony on the box reminded. “That’s a Portal Stone. It’s capable of teleporting you to just about anywhere. The magical configuration alone is far more advance than whatever Equestria can offer.”

“Excuse me.”

“It’s a powerful relic.” Sunset confirmed it. “And they were willing to go far to get it.”

“Well if it’s that powerful, then why don’t we use this thing?” The jock gal lifted the statue up expecting it tear the fabric of time and space immediately. “I say we gather the gang together, pony-up and teleport ourselves right into that guy’s hideout and take him down hard and fast. He won’t even see us coming.”

“Hello?”

“It’s not that simple.” Sunset snatched the stone away putting it back on the table. “For that thing to work, we need a functioning gate. It’s… complicated. I’ll tell you the details later.”

“Why don’t you just tell me now?”

“Because that’ll take time!”

“HEY!” Having enough of being ignored, Flash snapped at them. “Can you please stop pretending that I don’t even exist over here? You two arguing over a lot of things, yet I feel like I’m missing a boatload of context!”

Sunset shook her head, holding it in her hand. “Flash. I think it’s best if you…”

“Oh no you don’t.” The boy swatted whatever stupid reason she had to say, frustration building up in his voice. “Not this time. I supported you guys because of what you do. But after what that’s happened, I think I’m entitled to a little bit of information here.”

“It’s dangerous for you to know.”

“Sunset! You almost got killed over there! Your apartment got blown to bits!” He raised his hands up, sadly not in exaggeration. “And it’s not just you either. Applejack and Rarity got hit too. I think that speaks volume of how dangerous this whole thing is! Who else needs to get hurt before you get it through your head!? I want to help. But I can’t do that if you won’t open up to me.”

“I’m trying to keep you out of harm.”

“I think you should worry about your own safety before mine.”

“Well you don’t have to deal with evil magic 24/7! You think I want this!?”

“I’m thinking you could use an extra hand!”

Rainbow quickly intervened stepping between the two. “Whoa there. I'm not much of a pacifist but I think we're going off track.”

“Oh~ you think you know how magic works around here!?” Sunset snapped back. “What? You think you're an expert now!? What happened to trusting me!?”

“I trust you to get yourself in trouble!”

“We can deal with magic!”

“What? Just like how you dealt with Cinch? Because that worked out well too, didn't it?”

“Oh~~ well sorry! I suppose that's worse than burning down a whole block because of your idiocy!”

“Hey! If it wasn't for me, you'd be a goner!” Flash snapped back. "What happened to you!? You're not just endangering yourself but also your friends! You're supposed to be smarter than this!"

“Guys! Chill! We’re going nowhere with this.” Rainbow paused, feeling weird inside. “Ugh… I can’t believe I have to be the voice of reason here. But...... I got to side with Flash on this one, Sunset.”

“Rainbow Dash!”

She flinched, raising her hand up in defense. “Now wait. Hear me out here. You gotta admit that we might be a little bit over our heads here. I talk a lot of smack but this Hoity guy doesn't sound like someone who'll pull any punches. So it wouldn’t be bad if we had some kind of backup, and Flash here is offering to help." She pointed to the boy in question who seemed to be fuming. "The least we can do is bring him into the loop. And remember: Your apartment just blew up to bits earlier.”

Sunset froze up at the mention of her apartment.

Now that she calmed down and thought about it, everything she had in this world just went up in flames. Her money, her clothes, her game consoles, her collection of PostCrush memorabilia. Everything. All the material wealth she earned in this world turned to ash in the blink of an eye. Other than the clothes she had on her back, the Portal Stone, the black gemstone and the music box… she had nothing else.

Perhaps that saying of ‘Don’t look a gift pony in the mouth’ had some merit around here. And right now having a super-rich ex-boyfriend could be her only quick ticket to a speedy recovery.

As much as she hated to admit it, she needed help. A lot of help.

“You’re… right.” She palmed her face, forcing that anger inside of her to take a hike. “This whole mess is… too much for me. And I…… really can’t do this on my own. If this is how far this secret society is willing to go… then I can’t risk put any of my friends in danger too.” Sucking down her pride she turned to Flash who seethed. “I know I’m gonna sound like a hypocrite but… Flash. I need your help.”

Those words alone were enough to cool the fire burning in him. The boy let out a frustrated sigh not really meeting her gaze. “You got it.”

“And I promise I’ll tell you everything. But after we find somewhere safe. This place isn't exactly sitting well for me.”

He nodded. “I got just the place.”

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter)

A frown decorated itself on Hoity’s face when he felt his minions slither back into his shadow. Disappointment marred his face. The Master will definitely not be pleased when she hears about the racket that they caused earlier tonight.

That damnable explosion could be heard all the way to Uptown. Though she did lift the discretion ban. That doesn’t excuse the destruction that they wrought. First that fire that burned down a whole city block, now this? If this continues then the people might become suspicious of their activities. Their organization might be exposed because of him.

And to think he lectured Cinch about being brazen.

Now he looks like a fool who can't even take his own advice.

Oh well… regardless. As long as they have the stone then he was sure the Master would forgive him. Results were all that mattered in the organization after all. The fashionista star turned to his shadow expectantly until he heard one of them whisper.

…

“WHAT!?”

The three snake shadows slunk back into the dark, eyes furrowed in fear. The man’s wrath seemed to inspire fear in them.

“What did I say about playing with your food!? I told you to recover the stone first! How could you fail!?”

“The girl was careful.”

“She was not powerful.”

“Perhaps we were a bit… playful.”

“Silence!” They recoiled, two of them wishing to sink back into the shadow. Hoity rubbed the temple on his nose, frustrated. “I sent you three to do one simple task and you botched it harder than Cinch ever could. You make me look like a fool!” He sighed. “And where is the stone now?”

“We… we do not know.”

“Then find it! The night is still young. They couldn’t have gone far!” The lamias hissed and quickly scattered out of the store like fire was hot on their trail. “The Master will not be pleased.”

(Hillside house)

It was about half an hour drive from the city before they saw it.

Just a little way pass the entrance of the Everfree Woods, through a dirt road and over a rickety bridge where the tree lines stop, was a lonely quaint little structure that seemed to have been abandoned.

Just beyond the meadow, on that hillside overlooking the beach and the great ocean below stood a house made of bricks and wood. Around that house stood a large open courtyard that must’ve looked beautiful at one point in time. And around that courtyard was a single line picket fence that had been worn down through time.

Flash drove the car up to the old cute looking mailbox and got out. His gaze fixed upon the structure that became larger the closer they got to it.

The house itself looked like it was built during the late colonial era before bricks and mortar became a staple use. It was surprisingly huge for a family of three. About twice the size of her old apartment by Sunset’s rough estimate. Maybe even more. The first floor was made out of wooden planks with foldable windows. There was a porch on the front and back with small steps leading into the house. There was even a rocking chair to boot to add for that old timey atmosphere. And behind the house was a long winding staircase that led to the beach below the cliff.

This place was must’ve been paradise during the summer.

Opening the door inside, the three of them found the place to be downright spacious. Everything here was covered under a surprisingly thin layer of dust and cobwebs. Three comfy looking chairs and a long couch surrounded a small rectangular table all facing the fireplace which was the only thing in the whole house that was made out of stone. A few household decoration dotted the place. A lamp here, a bookshelf there, and a few scenery paintings hanging on the wall. Next to it was the stairway leading to the second floor, and beyond that was the dining room and a few more doors connected by a hallway.

“Wow…” Was all Sunset could say as her foot creaked on the old floorboard. “This is your old house?”

The boy gave a confirming noise before turning on his flashlight on his phone. “Yup. According to what my dad said at least. This is where we used to live before we moved into the big city. Apparently I was just a baby so I can’t really remember much of the place. But I’m guessing it was pretty neat during its time.”

“You were still in diapers?” Rainbow teased though her joke didn’t leave them laughing. “Sorry. Not the time, I know. But I couldn’t resist.”

The redhead rolled her eyes and slowly walked in with Starlight literally in hand, both of them inspecting the place with curious eyes. “It’s gorgeous.” The pony commented. “Creepy beyond all reasons, yeah, but also… gorgeous.”

Sunset agreed on that notion and was about to comment until her attention focused on the tall water colored portrait hanging above the fireplace. It was a family picture of sorts of the young couple that once lived here.

She immediately recognize Sombra standing in his light brow teacher’s coat with elbow patches. He didn't look all that different from his current self. The slender well dressed woman sitting next to him, hands folded together, she could only guess was his wife.

“Is that… your mom?”

Flash pointed his light on the picture smiling softly. “Yeah. I think so. She’s a lot younger here than most of the photos back in my place. I think this was painted before I was born.”

Sunset couldn’t take her eyes off her. The woman looked downright captivating. Her oval face was shaped without blemishes. She was like a sculpture chiseled from a stone and then smoothed down to the closest approximation of perfection. Those sweet caring eyes grabbed her attention complimenting her gorgeous long brown hair that reached her hip. And that smile? That smile would’ve made even make the coldest of hearts thaw like snow in the first day of spring. She could stand here and stare at it for hours

“She’s beautiful.”

He agreed. Yet sadly that face failed to produce any kind of memory in his mind. To him, that woman was just as a stranger as this house was. He thought that by visiting this place he would get flashbacks or something like heroes in the stories with amnesia. But then again that would just be asking for too much.

While he recall some bits and pieces there, nothing here seemed to jog anything. Not the place, the view or the beach down by the cliff or any other objects for that matter. Even his father who stood alongside on that painting felt distant and unfamiliar, unlike his goofy self that he knows today.

“Hey… Sunset.” He spoke up just barely above a whisper. “Look. I’m uh… s--"

“No…” She replied casting an eye to the wall. “Don’t be.”

“It’s just that when I saw your place explode and seeing you getting hurt… I… kind of got upset.” He let out a sigh which did not escape her notice. “Things got bad before but it never got so close to home. And right now it scares me to see how dangerous your lives are because of magic.”

“You don’t know half of it.”

“And you’ll never be free of this danger as long as those shadow monsters are out there. And as long as you have magic… there’ll be others who’ll want them. Just like Cinch.” He reached out, clasping one of her hand in his palm, realizing how small it was. “I don’t know how things will turn out but always know that you have me to watch your back when things get hairy.” He returned a softened smile. “What I’m saying is… no matter what happens… I’m always here to help. Just remember to call.”

She returned the smile too, feeling some tension leaving her shoulder. “Thanks Flash. That means a lot. And… I’m sorry for snapping back at you too. I guess we're all just a little antsy. And… don’t worry. I’ll be sure to pay you back somehow.”

He waved it off smiling sweetly. “Hey don’t sweat it. And so… as my part in helping you. I want to offer this place to you and your friends.”

Sunset gawk as her head jerk back in shock. “Wait. What?”

“You guys have been saying that you need a place to feel safe, right? Well I happen to have this big house that no one’s using at the moment. It’s got plenty of room, it's close to the city with easy access but far enough to keep out of sight. Not to mention that it has a killer view of the sea.”

“Flash. You can’t just give your old house to strangers.”

“I can and I did.” He insisted. Though his reasoning was a bit bare bones. What kind of a person just gives away a house this big? “Think of this place as your non-official clubhouse for you and your friends. Besides, it was just gathering dust anyway. And you and I are hardly strangers.”

“And is your dad cool with this?”

“I’ll just tell him that I’m using the place for the holidays.” Flash gave her a casual shrug. “Besides, he hardly comes by anymore. If ever. So whenever you guys need a place to lay low, or someplace to feel safe. This house is free game.”

It was a gift. Too big of a gift but Sunset couldn’t find any reason to decline other than her pride. She had just lost everything and now her ex-boyfriend was offering a roof over her head almost free of charge. At the rate they were going, she’ll be indebted to him for life.

“I…… thanks… Flash.”

He lifted her head up to meet his loving gaze. “Hey. What are friends for?”

She brushed the side of her neck looking longingly into the boy’s eyes as old feelings crept from her heart. It got to them so quickly and they would’ve acted upon it had someone not interrupted.

“HACHOO!” The pony on the music box sneezed looking up. “Uh… sorry. Don’t mind me. Please continue. I'll uh... come back later.”

“Hey guys!” Rainbow Dash called out from the kitchen. “I found the circuit breaker.” With a touch of electricity and a little bit of rumbling, the house suddenly buzzed to life with lamps and light bulbs illuminating the place. “Woohoo! Score one for modern technology! Take that Dark Ages!”

Sunset blinked a few times adjusting her eyes to the sudden brightness of the place. Even the pony in her hand rubbed her eyes to the sudden appearance of light. It was surprisingly well-lit despite its old age technology. But it wasn’t long until she realized that the living room that they were staying in was a lot bigger than she imagined.

No… to be more precise it was more like a lounge than a living room. There were even a few more tables on the side and a drawer by the door.

“Whoa… how big is this place?”

“Very big.” The boy confirmed it with a nod. “I think dad said he wanted to convert it to a bed and breakfast. But he scrapped that idea. I think he didn't have the heart to break this place down."

“Ah…” Rainbow bobbed her head in realization. “That would explain the other bedrooms I saw on my way to the kitchen. For a moment there I thought your folks had way too much time on their hands.”

“And it’s pretty big just for me.” Sunset added with a bit of hesitation in her voice. “You sure your dad won’t mind having others use it?”

Again the boy waved it off. “Please. This is nothing. I’d offer to rebuild your apartment but dad doesn’t want me dipping into the family account again. He’s still livid about the time I rebuilt Applejack’s barn. Who knew that hiring a construction company would be so expensive?”

“Well at least we don’t have to worry about any shadow monsters sneaking up on us here.” Rainbow Dash nodded, admiring the light work this place had. “I like it. The question now is… what do we do? If we can’t strike back at Hoity Toity, we have to do something about those shadow monsters of his at least.”

“Light doesn’t seem to be effective as it was before with Cinch and her wolves.” Sunset noted to them. “He’s definitely a lot stronger than her. Not to mention he also possesses the Memory Stone.”

“Memory Stone?” Flash again questioned looking like someone who missed the prequel to a movie.

“It’s a magical artifact. I’ll tell you later. But Flash is right. We do need to do something. We need a safe place to stay for everyone and this place seems to fit the bill. We’ll bring all our friends here and discuss our next course of action. Right now I’m just glad that I have a roof over my head. And I’m… tired.”

“Me too. Who knew being scared can be exhausting?" Rainbow agreed. "Listen. I need to run by my place. I'm worried about my folks. If whatever attacked you is still out there, it might be out to get the others."

"I understand." Sunset nodded back knowing well how worried one can be about family. "Just be careful on the slippery floor."

"I will. Just need to watch my speed."

“And don't worry.” Flash reassured them. “I'll keep an eye out just in case.”

“You sure you want to stay with us after everything that’s happened?” Sunset reminded him of her apartment which recently blew up.

“Relax. I’ll be fine.” He waved it off carelessly. “I got a flashlight.”

That… didn’t exactly make her feel better.

(Equestria) (School of Friendship)

Starlight let out a tiresome yawn as she walked through the halls of her school that night. She rubbed the side of her horn feeling her magic drained from her body. Casting a spell was easy. Maintaining a spell on the other hand was another matter. It required continuous focus and discipline but it was also quite taxing on the body. Having to hold a call between two worlds was brilliant on its own and there was no doubt Twilight would praise her for creating such a spell.

When the Princess gave her the task to assist Sunset in all manner of magic in the other world, she expected it to be a simple mission just like one of those friendship quests the Cutie Map often sends them to. But this was nothing like those assignments.

As the Headmare of the School of Friendship and the apprentice of Princess Twilight herself, she upholds all the value of every creature in every world. However... the word friendship doesn't seem to react much to the monsters that they faced. Whatever those shadow creatures were, they definitely did not have a shred of light in them.

Seeing those monsters up close really got her mane standing on ends. She was glad that they were stuck on that side of the mirror and not here.

Still... if her friend is being chased by something so dangerous, she'll need all the help she can get. That's why she's spending the better part of the night in the library trying to find whatever she can about these things. Perhaps even develop a spell to counter their devilish nature. But sadly, the school's library didn't have extensive information on anything regarding shadowy creatures. Heck even information regarding the Pony of Shadows itself, the literal creature of darkness, was limited to nothing but old half-baked prophecies and poems passed along generations of Equestrians.

"Behold best friend." A booming voice came crashing into the library which strangely enough didn't startle the Headmare. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived to assist you."

"Hey Trixie." She croned. "How'd you know I was here?"

"There is nothing that can hide from my powers." She boasted with a grin. "Plus I noticed the candle light. You do know the school is closed because of the preparations for the coronation, right?"

"I know. That's why I wanted to use this time to do a little research."

"More on those shadow monsters from the other world?"

"Yeah. But... it's not going so well. There's hardly anything regarding them at all. Not even the Pony of Shadows has any memorable tomes." The purple pony let out a tiresome sigh. "How's it going with the inventory check with Starswirl's stuff?"

Trixie rolled her eyes on the matter hinting that it did not go so well. "The short version would be to say that it's going very slowly. All the horsepower we have is going directly to the preparation of the coronation and the repairs on the damage Discord has done on that... 'Incident'. There isn't enough hooves around to handle all the delicate artifacts. And some of those ponies don't even want to handle these dangerous things. Not that I blame them. Did you know that Starswirl went to a world called the Empire of Mushrooms and collected over 200 different species of mushrooms all for his stew? Well I do... know it... now."

"Sounds fun."

"No... it was anything but fun. And the same can be said for your research as well." Trixie then magically snap the book Starlight was reading and piled it on the stack. "I think it's time for a certain Headmare to get her sleepy time. Come. The Student/Friendship Counselor Trixie will provide you with a nice cup of hot coco and a nice comfort blanket. And then you can tell me all of your troubles."

Starlight chuckled at her sales pitch. It was something she taught her when she became the new student counselor. "I suppose I could use a break. You wouldn't happen to have a little snack in your stash now, would you?"

"I clearly have no idea what you mean."

(Hillside house)

Flash kept a vigilant watch in the living room that night, lying on the couch eyeing the empty fireplace pretending to hear it crackle. Nothing but the howling wind and the rustling trees in the distance to keep him company. The storm outside was still raging on but it was tamer, calmer than before. He would guess that it wouldn't last more than another hour or so before disappearing.

Sunset had already gone to bed in the closest bedroom on the ground floor. The poor girl must've been frightened out of her mind after an attack like that. She's strong to be able to keep a brave image even after facing against such a dangerous opponent. Heck, all these girls are.

That one time where wolves tore his car on the streets were scary enough as it is. But these girls go through that kind of thing almost on a daily basis. To be able to stand even when beaten by such horrible foes is nothing short of incredible. If he had half the courage they had, he may as well be a hero of the ages.

Perhaps... perhaps he should've been like his dad.

Adventurous, brave and daring. His expeditions into the wild lands can be written into books that would make Daring Do look like a kid's lullaby.

He glanced upward and saw the younger version of his parents staring down on him. The image of his mother left little impact in his heart. She was definitely beautiful, there was no doubt about that. And he can see why dad would fall head over heels for her. But... there was nothing. No connections. It was like looking at the face of a stranger on the streets. they were a dime a dozen and he wouldn't give her more than a casual glance and then return to his original focus. It was just that kind of feeling.

"Hey..." The boy jumped when a voice snuck behind him making him reach for his flashlight and turned it on only to blind himself in the process. "Heh... you can turn it off."

"Ah... hi?" He spoke back looking like an awkward kid who got caught. "I thought you were asleep."

"I tired." Sunset shrugged jokingly, a blanket over her shoulder. "I couldn't."

"Oh...... uh... want me to turn the lights on?"

"No. I just..." She casually joined him on the couch. "I just need company. Mind if I join you?"

He blinked then answered. "Of course! Sure!" It was cute how urgent he looked as he pushed all the pillows on her side like he wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. "You need anything? More pillows? Music? Food? I think I have some snacks in my car or some juice."

Sunset chuckled softly. "Actually... you mind if we talk?"

"Talk?"

"Yeah... talk. I just need something to get my mind off... what just happened."

"Talking..." He sat down thinking while twiddling his thumbs together. "Yeah... I can do talking. Totally. So how are you?" Open mouth, insert foot.

She gave it a thought, chuckling at his fumbling words. "Well... how about you... tell me a little more about yourself?"

"Me?" It was a strange question for him to answer. "Why me? You probably know me better than most people."

"In that one semester when we dated, I thought I knew everything there was to know about you." The girl reasoned. "But then recently I discovered not only that my ex-boyfriend was super rich but also owns a mansion in Uptown, has a dad who will soon become the new mayor of Canterlot, has connections with a lot of people, and did I mention that he's also super-rich?"

He laughed. "Well there's not much else to know. Other than the money and mansion. You already know everything about me. Like... what's my favorite color?"

"That's easy. Blue."

Flash made a comical buzzer noise. "Eeehhrrrr. Wrong. It's actually red."

"Red? Why red?"

He glanced at her hair for a moment to give her a hint. "Why indeed." It was enough to make Sunset's face turn red under her blanket. "Aheh... ok. Let's try another. What's my favorite snack?"

"Your snack? Umm..." She paused in thought. "Jelly beans?"

"That's your favorite snack." He let out another laugh. "It's french fries."

"Huh... that would explain why you keep ordering them." Her cheerful tone was only hampered by her mood. "Guess you didn't score well in the girlfriend department."

"Hey don't fret. You got a lot of good traits left in you."

"Before the Fall Formal?"

"You were definitely a different person before you became the school meanie. Why else would I ask to date me?"

"I try not to think of the past."

"Well I do. All the time." He casually put down the flashlight, turning towards the unlit fireplace. "As a matter of fact. This kind of reminds me of our first date together."

Sunset's face poked out of her blanket yawning. "Flash. We've been through a lot of places together, but I don't think we've ever been to a cabin. Especially not being chased by a bunch of Shadow monsters."

"No. But we did go to the beach." The boy gave her a longing look. "Remember? It was the day after you and I found Bananas together."

"Bananas?" She exclaimed recalling that little rascal. "He's still with you?"

"Ever since we found him. I think he misses you a lot."

"I still can't believe you took him in."

"Well I wasn't going to let him soak in the middle of the streets. Besides... you looked like you wanted to take him in yourself."

"Heh... I do miss that little guy... and his stubby little nose. And his waggly... little tail..." She let out another yawn.

"Yeah." He let out a soft nostalgic sigh in return. "Anyway... we went to the beach together. We lost track of time somehow and nearly got back to the city late. We were so hungry that we swore that we'd stop at the first store that came to view. And luckily there was a bun place by the parking lot called..."

"The Bunbun."

He blinked. "So you do remember."

"I remember you and I ate so much of it that we kept hurling." Her eyelids slowly began to drop as she spoke. "Not exactly something I'd like to remember."

"Ok so it wasn't perfect. But I really loved that day."

"Flash. We were hungry and then we got lost driving back because you took a wrong turn."

"And I wouldn't change a single thing." He beamed. "Because that was our first official date. Sure it wasn't as romantic as either of us wanted it to be. But it was memorable. And when I look back at it, I remember that sweet girl I was with who had the widest smile in the world and the cutest little laugh."

"Are we talking about the same girl here?"

He turned to her and smiled. "Definitely."

Her face turned redder if that was even physically possible at this point. She shied away, covering herself with her blanket hoping to just disappear into its warm fabric. "You're delusional."

"Am I? Because I'm looking at that girl right now." Flash grinned. "And you know what? I think she got even cuter since then."

"Oh for the love of Celestia."

(Sunday) (Morning) (Canterlot Mall)

Luna let out a soft and pleasant sound as she strolled through the mall that morning feeling righter than rain. She drove her sister here a few minutes ago letting her go through several stores to pick out the perfect gift for her new boyfriend. Or... was it an old boyfriend? She did breakup with him and now they're back together so... yeah... old boyfriend.

Still, she didn't envy her sister one bit in this regard.

What were you supposed to get a man who metaphorically and physically had everything? Sombra was beyond rich if his lifestyle had anything to say about it. He had enough cars that can sponsor its own tour circuit, a mansion with all his needs provided and anything that can be bought or bartered. Heck, she wouldn’t be surprised if he had the kind of connections that can net him some pretty illegal stuff too.

Luna suggested some rather provocative clothing or at the very least some saucy items on the discount rack but she didn’t think that Celestia would go for something that raunchy. Her sister had an image to uphold.

So while Celestia was out getting her gift, Luna decided to once again enjoy her vacation. The preparations for the Winter Holiday party was being handled already so there was no need to hurry. She can’t even remember the last time she went window shopping in the mall.

Oh… speaking of window shopping, her eyes suddenly snapped to a nearby bookstore where an old book was put on display.

Legend of the Storm Prince.

She recognized the title from the back-when times. It was some cheesy fantasy story with an obvious plot. But the characters inside were truly fleshed out.

“Oh now there's something you don't see every day.” She gasped excitedly. “And on sale too.” If that book was on the display window with a sales tag. That could only mean that it was the last one left. Quickly she darted into the store brushing pass a few patrons along the way. “Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry. So sorry. Sorry. Hey! Stay out of my way you little brats! I’m a Vice-Principal! Don't make me call your parents!” That was enough to get the folks to part way for her giving her a clear line to the window display.

But when her hand reached over to the book, another one had its fingers on it.

“Excuse me.” Luna gestured politely to the mysterious gentleman who jerked his hand back.

“Oh no. It was my fault.” He nodded back before they both reached for the same book again, this time eyeing each other suspiciously. “Aheh… I’m sorry. But I believe you have my book.”

“No. I believe you have MY book.” She retorted, putting more strength in her hand. “I had my eye on it first.”

“But I had my hand on it first.”

“We both had our hands on it at the same time.”

“Then I invoke the power of dibs.”

Luna gasped. “Dibs? What are you? Ten?”

“It’s called being young at heart. Something an old crone like you would never understand.”

“OLD CRONE!?” Oh now you’ve done it buster. “I’m hardly above my prime!”

“Still past it dear.” He pulled a little harder which she responded in kind.

“Don’t you know that people like you should respect your elders!?” She paused to think on that sentence when the man flashed her a sarcastic grin. “Which I am not!”

“Ha! Too late. Already said it, grandma.”

“Hand it over!”

“Not in this lifetime!”

“Hey! I’m a Vice-Principal so you will do what I say!”

“I got you beat on that too. I am the Principal of Crystal Prep!”

Crystal Prep?

The name made her pause loosening her grip on the book just as the man heaved once more making him stumble back and lose his balance. He fell headfirst on the bookcases creating a literal domino effect that made a whole mess of the place. Books spilled from their places piling onto the unlucky fellow below. One hardback book in particular slid down from its stand slamming against his head with a loud defining thud.

“Ow…”

“Sombra?”

The man looked up suddenly noting a familiarity in her face. “Wait… Luna?”

xxxxxxxxxx

“I am so sorry about that.” Luna apologized for what must’ve been the ninth time. It was fine, probably, since it showed how much she meant it. “I didn’t meant to drop a pile of books on you. I’m really sorry.” Make that ten times.

“Don’t be.” The raven haired gentleman laughed. He sat on his seat, a pack of ice held against his head numbing the bump that he suffered from that literary assault. Thankfully some of his wavy hair cushioned the blow sparing him any permanent damage. “I should be the one apologizing for not recognizing you sooner. The hair alone should’ve given you away.”

“I can say the same for you.” She folded her arms returning a cocky smirk, the bookstore now a distant memory while they sat in a random café. “I thought you hated it keeping that thing long.”

“I did.” He groaned, tracing his finger through his hair. “But Sophie insisted I keep it long. She said that it adds a sense of regal and respect to me. She often tries to write me off like some kind of king. Plus she liked to play with it when we were together.”

“Oh yeah.” Luna bobbed her head recalling an old memory. “Now that you mentioned it she used to do my sister’s hair too. That would explain a lot.” She paused. “I suppose everyone has their kinks.”

“Hers just happens to be stranger than most.” They shared a laugh together, reminiscing of the good old days. “And what about you?”

“Me?” The lady blinked questioningly. “What about me?”

“What have you been up to these days? Lesty told me that you worked alongside her as the Vice Principal of CHS. I can’t imagine you settling for a teaching job.”

“Oh really now?” She challenged him. “And what were you expecting me to be, hmm?”

“Well for one thing: I remember you kept bragging that you’ll be running your own business by the time you graduate.” Sombra shrugged back comically. “That or traveling the world.”

“I travel.”

“School fieldtrips don’t count.”

“Hmph!” Oh god. Her pout was absolutely adorable. And it’s not like she could compare achievements with the guy. Tossing that question back was like stepping on a landmine she set herself. The guy was a gosh-darn millionaire who owns multiple properties around Canterlot, is the Principal of a famed academy and was bound to win the next mayoral election next year and become the ruling head of the city.

“Fine. So I may not be as successful as you but I find my life to be very fulfilling. Being a teacher is its own reward.” That didn’t sound as convincing as she made it up to be.

“Really?” Sombra took interest.

"Yes. But enough about me." She directed the attention back at him. "What's the future mayor of Canterlot doing at the mall at this time? Planning to buy the place?" And considering his wealth, that wouldn't be an exaggeration either.

"No. Nothing so drastic." He laughed it off like it was some kind of joke. But his words stated otherwise. "I'm actually gift shopping."

Luna's brow rose. "Oh? Getting my sister something?"

"What? No no. I don't think gifts are appropriate at the moment. I'm actually looking for something for my son."

"Flash?"

"He's the only one I have." Duh. Of course it's Flash. Who else could it be? "The problem now is: I don't exactly know what to get him."

"Having relationship problem with your son?"

He brushed it off. "No. Our relationship is actually quite healthy if I must describe it. It's just that we haven't exactly had time to talk to one another so I'm... a little in the dark on what to get him." Sombra then eyed her. "You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

Luna cupped her chin in thought. "Well, he's into music and movies - and a little bit of sports. Does that help?"

"No. He already has his own guitar, a large collection of posters and movies for our record room, and a car of his own. I doubt I can add anything to that. Perhaps... you can help me find it? We can discuss it over lunch."

“Fine.” She agreed strangely quickly. “But you’re paying.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because there’s this expensive pasta place that I’ve been dying to try and a poor old lady like myself can’t really afford it.”

Sombra groaned back annoyingly. “I’m paying for that ‘Old crone’ comment aren’t I?”

“Yup.”

What a petty woman.

(Hillside House)

That little house overlooking the sea hadn’t heard a commotion like this for god knows how long.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, visitors freely entered its humble abode filling its empty halls with the bustling sound of life.

“Darling. I am so sorry about your apartment.” Rarity cooed over to her friend who had lost much of her material belongings giving her a loving hug. “But I am so so sooo happy that you’re alright. Honestly darling. When Rainbow Dash told us what happened we were practically livid. Thankfully I was as calm as a cat the whole time.”

“Oh that’s a hogy baloney.” Applejack scoffed, rolling her eyes at her. “You were so worried you were practically running around the house like a cow with its tail on fire. I had to hose you down with the cider spray to calm you down.”

“And mess up my favorite pajamas. Thank you very much.”

Sunset opened her mouth to speak but was stopped when Pinkie Pie shoved her a tray of treats. “Can I offer you a complimentary Cheer-you-up-Cupcake?” She offered with a soft smile to which her friend gladly accepted.

“We’re all just glad that you’re safe.” Fluttershy cooed, holding onto Sunset’s shoulder in assurance. “Even Ray was worried about you too so I brought him over to keep you company.” She brought out the pet lizard which gleefully nuzzled on the redhead’s cheeks. The little yellow fella had been staying in the animal shelter for quite some time now. Sunset wanted to bring him home but she didn’t have the ability or capacity to care for another life. At least not yet. “He says that he misses you a lot.”

“Aw… I miss you too buddy.”

“I still can’t believe that Hoity would go so far… and all for this thing.” Twilight still couldn’t wrap her head around it while her hand shivered over the Portal Stone. “We need to keep this out of their hands. At least until we know what to do with it. When I saw your apartment on fire, I was really scared. I tried to call you but your phone kept going to voicemail.”

“Yeah. Kinda left my phone in the apartment. Along with everything else. I’m just glad those shadow monsters didn’t go after any of you guys.”

“Me too.” Fluttershy shivered at the thought of having creepy monsters attack her in the dead of night. It got so bad that she had to sleep with a flashlight under her pillow. “I don’t know what I’d do if that would happen to me.”

“We’re with you on that Sugar Cube. Though I gotta say that you got a sweet deal over it.” Applejack gestured to the fancy gig she was given. “You got to stay at one of the nicest looking place I’ve seen in years. And believe me, Uncle Cobbler’s place is pretty fancy.”

“Flash was offering so I thought I’d take it. Besides, it’s only temporary. Until I find another place I can rent for cheap.”

“I’ll loan you my brother’s binder.” Twilight offered. “But the bigger question is… what do we do now? We’re not just gonna strike back at Hoity, are we?”

“No… we stick to the plan.” Sunset stood up, turning to her friends. “We’ve been talking about finding a place for all of us to feel safe. Well Flash was generous enough to offer this big house for us to use.”

“This whole place?” Fluttershy gasped. The house alone didn’t look all that impressive on the inside but you can imagine it would cost a small fortune to a buyer.

“Yup. I thought maybe we can convert it to our non-official club house.”

“Does that mean we get to check in one of those private rooms?” Rarity asked eyes gleaming. “If so then I’m definitely in. Though this place will need a bit of sprucing up before we can consider it livable.”

“Everything but the big bedroom upstairs is free game. So if anything happens we’ll use this place as somewhere to lay low.”

“Finally decided to take his hand rather than swat it away like you always do, eh Sunset?” Applejack added earning chuckle from the gang and an embarrassed look from the redhead. “But I’m in. It’ll be nice hanging out together like this. And if this shadow monsters are tougher than the last batch then I’d rather fight them here than at home. The last thing my folks want is another burnt out barn. And I don’t think Big Mac can take another hit like that. So yeah. I can see myself moving in. Speaking of Flash… where is he?”

“I sent him and Rainbow Dash to take care of a few errands for me. But like I said, we have free reign of the house.”

“Oh OH!” Fluttershy raised her hand up like a student in class. “Can I have the room at the back? I like the view of the ocean.”

"Dibs on that one too!" Pinkie followed suit pulling Fluttershy in a bear hug. "Roomies for life!"

“Deal. Anyone else?”

“Me.” Twilight raised her hand next. “As much as I like to stay with you all here. You guys do know I’m still moving in with Timber, right? I can’t just bail on him on the last minute.”

“Twilight. This is to keep all of us safe.” Sunset reasoned. “Do you really want Timber to experience a shadow monster attack?”

“No… but I kinda made a promise with him already. And I really want to try it out. You know? Like a trial run.”

She had a point there but that wasn’t a good enough reason to put someone else in danger.

But then Sunset grew a smirk. “Well… I guess we won’t be using the library wing around here.”

Twilight froze. “Library wing?”

…

The girl was led to deeper end of the house through a door that led to what looked like the study room. An array of bookshelves revealed themselves before her with all of its tomes of knowledge decked out for her viewing pleasure.

Sunset eyed her best friend giving her a knowing look. “Well? What do you think?”

“I call dibs on the middle room.” She answered not taking her eyes off the room for even a second.

Pinkie let out a cheer blowing a party whistle. “Awww yeah! You all know what this means?” She grinned at them expectantly. “Cleaning montage! Hit it!”

Sanctuary (Part 2)

Chapter 31: Sanctuary (Part 2)

(Hillside house) (One house cleaning montage later)

Sunset nodded proudly as she looked at the state of her new temporary home. Compared to what she had to sleep through last night this place was looking a heck of a lot better than before.

Thanks to the help of her friends and a little bit of help from magic they were able to turn the old hillside house to a place where it was actually livable. All the dust and cobwebs were taken away (With Fluttershy’s permission of course), Twilight took out the bed sheets that have been left unattended for years to wash and dry outside, and even the white picket fence around the house was mended thanks to Applejack’s basic knowledge of repair. Pinkie was of course, naturally selected to deal with the kitchen.

The house would probably never return to its former glory. But after giving it a thorough cleanup, Sunset would say that this place must’ve looked pretty beautiful during its time. She can imagine how the old pair would’ve had so much fun here especially when summer rolled in. They’d take strolls on the beach below the cliff or simply watch the sunrise on the porch.

“Wow…” A familiar voice echoed from the entrance alerting her to the new arrivals. “Did Spring Cleaning come early?”

She chuckled. “We thought we’d give this place a little facelift if we’re gonna be staying here for a while. Seems like the least we could do.”

The boy laughed back in approval. “Well it certainly looks a lot better the last time I was here.” Which wasn’t really that long.

“It helps when you have magic to do all the heavy lifting.” Sunset reminded gesturing to Twilight who was levitating all the dusty objects out to air in the backyard and Applejack who easily lifted planks of wood with one hand while snacking on an apple with the otehr. “Speaking of which, what took you so long?”

“Yeah. Sorry. We had to stop by a few places before we got to it.” Flash rubbed the back of his head in apology.

Rainbow Dash came by a second later handing her friend a surprisingly heavy suitcase. “Here ya go. All set and done. You can thank me later.”

“Gah!” Sunset struggled with it barely lifting the darn thing. “What in this? Bricks?”

“No silly. Those are my old clothes. I figured with your old place getting torched, you could use a totally awesome new wardrobe.” She gave a finger gun salute. “Trust me. You’ll be 20% cooler wearing these gigs.”

“Speaking of your old apartment…” Flash cringed. “We stopped by the place as well to see the damage.”

Sunset’s face froze up. “And? H… how bad is it?”

It took a few seconds to come up with the word. “To be honest it’s… not as bad as you think.”

“Oh yeah. It’s totally way worse.” Rainbow threw it over much to their displeasure. “The whole thing was burnt down to the last scrap. The storm last night only saved pieces of the support. But on the flipside, you have exclusive rights to a whole heap of charcoal.”

Ah… Apple Fudge.

“Nothing?”

“Sorry Sunset.” Flash shook his head, sympathizing with the girl. “The firefighters looked it over and they said that there was nothing they could do. By the time the emergency services got there it was too late to save anything.”

The girl was distraught. But at the same thing she didn’t really expected much out of it. That kind of explosion wouldn’t have spared much anyway. But deep down, she still hoped that she could return to that place. It wasn’t exactly the best apartment in the world but it was a place she called home for the last few years.

“They did find something in the wreckage though.” Flash continued earning a glimmer of hope from the girl as he produced a familiar journal from his back. “It was the only thing that survived.” She clutched the book on her chest, feeling a tad bit relieved that something survived. Sunset could only guess that the magic within its pages protected it from the fire otherwise it would’ve been the first thing to go.

“Thanks you two.” She appreciated their effort.

“We also talked to your landlord.” The boy added once more much to her dismay. “He was not happy. Thankfully the authorities are blaming the whole thing on faulty electrical wiring, poor maintenance and the storm last night, so there shouldn’t be any questions regarding the incident.”

“Ugh… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I should probably call the landlord too. Maybe I can make the rest of the payment later.”

“Oh you don’t have to worry about that.” Sunset looked at him questioningly not noticing the startled look Rainbow had on her face. “The landlord was pretty livid. But he said that you don’t have to worry about making your pay. He was actually more worried about you.”

“He was?” Strange. That doesn’t sound like the money grubbing owner she lived with.

“Hmm…” Rainbow Dash looked like she wanted to say something but strangely enough decided to keep her mouth closed.

“Yeah. He said that that he had it all covered.” Flash tilted his head in thought. “Something about having insurance on the place.” Ah… there we go. That made more sense. “Anyway… we also brought you that thing you asked for.” He pulled out a cardboard box and placed it on the table by the fireplace. “It was right on time too. When we reached the portal in front of the school, it… just magically appeared.”

“Yes! That’s what I’ve been waiting for.” Sunset exciting opened the large box revealing an assortment of items inside and… rocks?

“Uh… Sunset. Did you ask your friend on the other side to deliver stones?” Rainbow Dash didn’t look all that impressed or happy about using transdimentional delivery service just for common rocks.

“Not stones. Magic rocks.” She corrected. “I’ve been thinking about how to defend ourselves from the shadow monsters and keeping them from sneaking up on us like before. I talked it over with Starlight. We both agreed that the best way to defend against creatures of magic is by taking away their magical abilities.” She held up one of the fancy looking rocks, seeing it glow with a strange power. “These shards she brought are made from Queen Chrysalis’s Throne, a Changling tyrant who wanted to conquer my world with her slave army.”

“Sounds like someone I know.” Rainbow coughed, jabbing the former unicorn.

“It has anti-magic properties, which I can attune to prevent uninvited guests from slithering in. With a little adjustment and time, I can surround this place with a literal invisible barrier. No one will be able to enter without our permission.”

“Whoa…” Rainbow Dash threw away her first impression and gawked in awe at the stones. “Ok… that does sound pretty cool. But what about these things?” She gestured to the trinkets that came with the stones.

“These are just a few artifacts that I asked for. With our magic geodes limited to our own capabilities and our opponent stronger than ever, we’re going to need all the help we can get. And these things are going to give us the extra edge.” Sunset pulled them out as the gang clamored in with attentive gazes.

“Oooh I like this one.” Rarity pointed out to the cape made of fine wool.

“Clover the Clever’s Cloak.” She declared. “He used it during his 7 Trials to avoid and subvert his enemies. He enchanted it with the power of invisibility.” And just as Rarity put the hoodie part over herself she magically vanished into thin air.

“Ooooh! Yes! I’m definitely keeping this one.” The fashionista stated giddily as she reappeared in the corner of the room a few seconds later.

“Why in tarnation would you want that?” The cowgirl questioned with a curious brow raised at her. “I thought you like people looking at you. Isn’t that thing the opposite of what you want?”

“As much as I do crave attention darling, we celebrities aren’t perfect 24/7. With this little cloak I can hide myself from the world just in case I have a… bad hair day.”

That sounds about right for her.

“This one looks pretty.” Fluttershy came next pulling out a silver bracelet with a sapphire embedded as the centerpiece.

“The Windigos’ Hooflet.” The former unicorn named it. “It was made by the old smiths of the Pegasus Kingdom after the Windigos were defeated. All that remained from their ghostly visage became one of the purest crystals. Anyone who wears it can control the very air itself. It’s a difficult thing to master. I tried it once before when I was Princess Celestia’s student. It was not pretty. I ended up creating a mini-tornado in the public library. It took the faculty months to put everything back in order.”

“And this thing?” Twilight asked next pulling the third object in the box which looked like a thinly strewn together tiara.

“That’s the Crown of the Four Fools. It was a gift from the Dragons to Princess Celestia. It creates a perfect duplicate of the wearer which follows your every command. So you can literally be in two or three places at the same time.”

“Cool~” Pinkie yoinked it. “So I can literally have 50 of me around? I wanna try it!”

“NO!” The girls protested in unison, confiscating the crown from her immediately. The thought of having two or three Pinkie Pies walking around was a nightmare fuel they didn’t want to feed.

“Let’s not do that.” Applejack exclaimed. “These gizmos sounds pretty powerful. It might just give us some advantage against those shadow monsters. But I’ll feel a heck of a lot safer if we can take down Hoity. I don’t like it knowing he’s still out there plotting his next move.”

“True. That’s why we need to be prepared for every eventuality. And having this place as our temporary hideout is the first step.”

“And it’s not like we can just confront him.” Twilight reminded them. “A celebrity like that will definitely have an entourage everywhere. We need to find a moment where we can catch him alone.”

“Good luck with that darling. Hoity Toity runs a very strict business. He hardly ever leaves the store if at all. And his secretary stays next to him all during the day. The only way you’re getting a one on one talk with him is by hosting a TV show and have him cast as the guest of honor.”

Pinkie gasped.

“We’re not doing that.”

“Aww… but I wanted to make a TV show. And we can call it ‘Hello~ Pinkie Pie’!”

“No.”

“We can even have guests from…”

“No…”

“Aww… boo.”

“How about this one? This one looks pretty cool.” Rainbow reached out but Sunset snatched it first.

“Don’t touch that one!” She snapped, clinging onto the amulet tightly which earned her the confused look of her friends. “Sorry. It’s just that this one is a little more fragile than the others. I’ll give you the full detail on it after I make some adjustments. In the mean time we should probably get settled in while we still have daylight. I’ll work on setting up our new barrier. Can you guys handle your own rooms?”

“Oh oh!” Pinkie spoke up. “I call dibs on the one next to the kitchen!”

“I will have the second one upstairs. The lighting there is just perfect for my new workshop.”

“I call the room next to that!”

And just like that the gang dispersed quickly with Flash in tow leaving Sunset alone for a moment. Once she was certain that they were gone, she let out a sigh as she took a quick glance at the red and black amulet in hand. Out of all the artifacts she asked from Starlight, this little decorative jewelry is perhaps the most powerful of them all. The magic inside of it can probably turn anyone into a mage rivaling the most talented unicorns throughout Equestria, though at the price of their sanity.

While it was indeed pretty to look at. The alicorn figure left a rather sinister taste in its aesthetics.

(Canterlot Mall)

Luna left the restaurant with a satisfied smile on her face and a full on stomach. The pasta in that place was definitely worth the wait. The salad was a little dry but she still loved all of it. Even more so seeing as she didn’t have to pay a single coin on the meal.

“You know, for a woman of your size, you eat a lot.” Sombra commented, throwing a generous tip to the cashier who seemed very grateful for his generosity.

“I need a full stomach to work my brains.” She reasoned while she stretched her arms out. “Besides, you were the one who said I could order anything.”

“I didn’t think you’d order the most expensive thing on the menu!” He barked. “Honestly. I was beginning to think you were going to order 1 of everything after you inhaled the garlic bread. I don’t think I’ve spent so much on a meal.”

“Oh please. Like you have problems with money. And admit it, you had fun too.”

“Oh yes. I enjoy it when other people stuff their faces with sauce.” The wealthy archeologist added pulling out a napkin to wipe a leftover stain on her cheeks. “At least the conversation wasn’t a complete lost.” He took a quick glance at his watch and nodded. “I still don’t know what to get Flash.”

“I still think having his own private yacht is the right way to go.” The Vice-Principal admitted. “Think about it. Cruising the sea in the spring and summer, not having to worry whatever happens on land. Sipping on a cool drink while having a suntan.

“This is for my son, not your grandiose illusion.” Though Sombra did consider it if he could see Flash having a fine time with Pinkie on a yacht. “Besides, I don’t think Flash has a pungent interest in the sea.”

She chuckled softly in return. “Alright jokes aside. Just don’t think too much about it. I’m sure he’ll love whatever it is you get him. Remember, it’s the thought that counts. Why are you so hung up on a gift anyway?”

“I’m trying to make up for all the years I haven’t been with him.” Ah… right. That actually made sense. “I’ve been gone for a long time Luna. And coming back to his life so suddenly has been kind of… overwhelming sometimes. I want… I want to make it right. And the perfect gift is the right way to rekindle our relationship. What are kids into these days?”

“Why not get him clothes?” He gave her a disapproving look. “No. You’re right. A kid like Flash would never enjoy something like that. How about something he can use? Like… a new phone or a game console.”

“That could work. Flash has been meaning to get a new phone. I could stop by the store and get him one.” Sombra looked over to the electronic store eyeing some of the latest models. “It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Whoa, easy there. Do you even know how to pick a phone?”

“How hard can it be? I just buy the most expensive one.”

Luna face palmed herself. Only the rich can say such a thing without so much as a hint of humility. Damn upper-class and their wealth. If Celestia and him ever get together, she’s gonna ask so much.

“Why don’t I help you? It’s what I’m here for.”

(Hillside House)

“I know this is a bit sudden Timber. But this is for your safety too. Not just mine.” Twilight stated as she paced around the library of the clubhouse taking mental note of the amazing collection of books while simultaneously talking with her boyfriend on the phone.

“It’s just that you kinda got the drop on me here.”

“I know. But I don’t want to risk you or your apartment either.” She reasoned back, eyes clicking over to a particularly fancy book at the end of the rack. She gave it a tap and eagerly awaited for the moment she gets to read it. “Besides, it’s just temporary. The moment we sort this all out, I’ll be staying with you on the weekends just as we planned.”

“Yeah… I guess so. But I’m also kind of worried. Maybe I should hang out with you instead?”

“Not while those shadow monsters are after us.” Definitely not when the whole gang was here either. “Listen. I know that you put a lot of work on preparing that room for me and I really love it. But right now this magical phenomena has to take priority.”

“Of course. I… understand.” His voice seemed hollow and sad.

“Don’t worry. This is just a temporary setup. It shouldn’t take more than a week.” Her eyes lit up when a thought came to mind. “How about this? We’re still up for that getaway you planned for us at Camp Everfree, right? Maybe after this whole debacle is done, we can take a trip down there a little early and watch the Winter Solstice together. It’ll just be the two of us until the end of the year. No magic, no other friends.” She paused. “Ok maybe Spike. But that’s it. I promise.”

The boy on the other line let out a chuckle. That certainly cheered him up. “Alright. I’m a patient guy. I guess I can wait a little longer. I’m gonna hold you on your promise though. How about we meet up later for dinner?”

“You got it.” She snapped her head back when she heard a knock coming through the door. “Oh! Hey Flash. Come on in. Just put those right there.”

“Wait… Fl—” He was cut off a second later.

xxxxxxxxxx

In his apartment, Timber’s nose suddenly flared as jealous anxiety built up in his body. With a frustrated mumbling he tossed his phone to the table clattering the nearby plates.

Angry grunts and groan spilled from his lips as he tried to bury that anger. That blue haired boy was really starting to get on his nerves.

xxxxxxxxxx

The blue haired boy gently put down a medium sized cardboard box filled with personal items on the table nearby before wiping the sweat off his brow. “No offense Twilight. But I actually expected Rarity’s luggage to be the heaviest, not yours.” He eyed the boy. “What is all this?”

“Oh just some of my lab equipment from home.” She answered as a matter of factly. “And don’t worry. These are the less energy consuming ones. What would say the wattage limit is for this house?”

“Uh…”

“Never mind. I’ll figure it out myself.” She quickly opened the box and began unloading a few of her personal belongings in the room which seemed to have been remodeled quite a bit.

“Wow… you certainly made yourself at home.”

“If I’m going to be hold up in this place until we can deal with this secret society, I may at least be comfortable.” She snidely added with a cute smile. “But don’t worry. I’ll be sure to put them all back exactly as they were the moment we’re done.”

“Hey knowing you guys, I’m sure you’ll treat this place right.”

“Oh absolutely.” Twilight gestured to the library wing. “I mean look at this place. The collection here is absolutely amazing. I’ve taken inventory of some of the books and many of them are first-edition copies! There’s no way you can find these in ordinary bookstores anymore. A few of these might even be worth a small fortune to the right collector. Your dad must’ve been one heck of a reader.”

“Actually, I think these were my moms’.”

“Your mom?” She blinked, surprised.

“Yeah. My dad collects a lot of things but books were more of my mom’s alley. I’m not really sure why.” He took a brief look at the selection brushing a finger down the covers. “Maybe they had different taste in things.”

“I saw her portrait with your dad. She was really pretty. I can see why your dad fell head over heels for her.” He agreed on that twice now. “Oh! Speaking of your mom. I did find something cool in here.” She then hastily reached into study table and pulled out what looked like an old photo album. “I know I shouldn’t intrude but I just couldn’t help myself.”

With a simple flick of the page Flash found himself staring at the face of his parents in the happiest days of their lives. You could feel the memories in each of these pictures like each of them a little story of their own. Perhaps the saying that a picture can paint a thousand words rings true here.

He can’t remember seeing his old man with such a silly face. There was even a photo of their wedding day. Sombra held his wife up high in his arms while she tossed the bouquet into the air. A lot of guests were there. Some he didn’t recognize and some he did. A younger Mr. Doodles was easy to pick out amongst the crowd. And… was that his butler in background?

The next batch of photos appear to be honeymoon collections with the newly wedded couple doing all sorts of extreme activities. Mountain climbing in Yakyakistan, paragliding in Griffonstone, scuba diving in Stalliotopolis? Wow that’s pretty far away.

“Looks like your parents were really well traveled.” They absolutely were. Otherwise his dad never would’ve been the famous archeologist that he is now. “And that pin he’s wearing. Is that the same one you have?”

The boy nodded, brushing his fingers on the pin. “Yeah. He gave it to me as a hand me down. Mom made it for him during their honeymoon.”

“Aww… that’s so sweet of him.” But her face went even sweeter when she flipped the page finding an adorable baby staring back at her. “AWWW~~ Is that… you!?”

“Yup. That’s me alright.” He groaned. “In diapers and holding a giant dog pillow.”

“Oh you’re so cute.” She said that in the best baby voice possible. “How could an adorable little thing like that turn into something like this?” The blue boy gave her a questioning look. “I mean… not that you’re bad or anything. It’s just that the difference is uncanny.”

“Nice save.”

“Hey Twilight.” Rainbow Dash suddenly called from the door. “Mind giving us a hand with your levitating magic? Rarity brought her luggage in and… let’s just say she’ll be needing an extra room to keep her stuff.”

“On it.” She casually left leaving the boy to look over the album.

The baby pictures of him was kind of a bummer but he guessed that it was natural for parents to put something like that in their memory book. However… as Flash skimmed through the photos, noticed something missing from all these pictures. While he and his dad shared many frames, there wasn’t a single picture of him and his mother together.

And that felt just a tad bit odd…

Monsters in Men's Clothing

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A Moment of Peace

Chapter 33: A Moment of Peace

(School gym) (Later that night)

Twilight never thought she’d be a party gal before. Back in Crystal Prep, parties were pretty much banned from all activities. Unless it was a study party of course. Heck the closest thing she had to a party was probably during Shining Armor’s graduation.

Now, upbeat parties like these became a common theme in her life. With loud music and neon lights that would make the aurora look pale in comparison.

“Hey Twilight.” Lyra and Bonbon passed her by giving a friendly wave in which she responded in kind.

The party was now in full swing with most of the students boogieing on the dance floor. As expected, Flash’s band was able to breathe life into this place enrapturing everyone with his music. With his singing, his band, their matching jackets and Rainbow Dash as his backup guitar they turned up the party level up to a thousand. You can say what you want about Rainbooms and their publicity status but the Flash Drive really knows how to rock the house. They might actually even be a better band than they were.

Besides, it was also a nice change of pace. It’s been a while since Twilight actually attended a party rather than performed for one. Even Sunset seemed to be enjoying herself, grooving on the dance floor with Rarity and Fluttershy who came in their Fall Formal attire.

“Twilight Twilight Twilight!” She was alerted to Pinkie’s presence when she abruptly appeared out of the blue, surprisingly without a snack in hand. “Did you see what Bulk is wearing? It’s awesome!” Not really. The tuxedo was a good effort but every time he flexes his muscles the whole thing would tear at the seams. “Hey, why aren’t you dancing?”

“I’m just enjoying the moment.” She reasoned, though honestly she was pretty content just hanging about with her friends sipping juice from her glass on the table she reserved. Besides, the sight of Flash singing passionately on stage made her feel somewhat… calm on the inside. “What about you? I figured you’d be at the buffet table gorging on the food.”

Pinkie shrugged back boringly. “Meh. The food’s ok. I guess. I mean it’s no Luxury Cruise liner buffet level but then again I have taken berry blasted butter biscuit on a bun with five and a half layers.”

“Really? I thought you can only do that with three layers?”

“Me too! But then that night… I saw the truth!” Pinkie salivated on the memory, recalling its sweet tender texture on her lips. “You can berry blast butter biscuit on a bun with five and a half layers of chocolate! It was… sublime.”

“Wow… that must’ve been something.”

“It was more than something. It was EVERYTHING! Just thinking about it makes my tummy crave for more! But alas… it now only lives… in my memory.”

“Why don’t you tell me where to get it? If I drop by maybe I can get one for you”

“Oh!” Pinkie stuttered. “Oh… no. That’s ok. I’m fine. It’s just sweets.”

“Come on. I know you like your sweets. You’re practically the queen of culinary confection.”

“Gasp! Twilight! I’m appalled!” Appalled? Was that a word she actually knew? “Are you saying that you see me as nothing more than a party animal who enjoys sweet and cake on a daily basis!?” Her face went serious for a moment before she pulled out a plate from her hair. “Because you’re absolutely right~~. I got me a whole tray! Want a cake? It’s fresh.”

Twilight waved it off politely. “No thanks. I’m good.” Pinkie tried to offer again but she declined it. She then took a seat and began gorging on her food in peace. The nerd gal then returned her attention to the stage as the blue boy switched to a softer, slower song.

“Mind if I join ya?” Applejack came in a few seconds later with two bottles of her family’s cider. “I need to rest my legs. All that prancing around worked me quite a thirst.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I’ll say. The music really packed the heat. And it looks like Sunset is having a good time.”

“That girl deserves to cut loose after everything that’s happened to her. With all this shadow monster attacks and secret society stuff and her apartment blowing up, she could definitely use the break. I was worried she might’ve burned herself out from all the stress.”

“Hmm… just like a certain someone we know?” Pinkie wiggled her brows at the cowgirl earning a shy reaction from her.

“Ok ok. I’ll admit. I may have been a bit stressed out when my barn burned down. But I was preparing for my family reunion. Can you blame me for being a little panicky?” No. But that didn’t excuse her from forcing herself through the night. Honestly, Applejack looked like she was going to pass out from exhaustion.

“Luckily for you, a certain rich boy decided to help you out.” Twilight gave her a jab which again made the cowgirl react cutely. They all then turned to the boy in question who continued to sing on stage with a passion that only musicians could understand.

“Yeah. I guess I am lucky that he came when he did.” Applejack added, cradling her head in one hand while watching Flash dreamily. “Speaking of Flash. I think this might be the first time I ever heard him sing some of his older songs.”

“What about his concert at the park?”

“Meh. We were too busy selling out stock to listen. But not that I mind, really.” She added. “It’s actually kinda nice not having to worry about playing on stage.”

“Heh… I know the feeling. Just don’t let Rainbow Dash hear you say that. Otherwise she’ll flip.”

“No doubt about it. Besides…” AJ glanced over to the boy one more time, dreamily. “… his songs aren’t so bad either.”

Of that… the three of them agreed.

And whether it was coincidence or that he felt their gaze upon him, Flash turned over to their table and gave a quick wink. The silent gesture alone was caught by all three and they each reacted differently towards it believing that it was some kind of signal to them.

“Speaking of which.” Twilight spoke up. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. What’s the deal between Big Mac and Ms. Cheerilee lately?”

Applejack’s face twisted in confusion. “What about’em?”

“Don’t give me that. Haven’t you heard the rumors? They say that those two are actually in a secret relationship.”

Pinkie’s face beamed. “Oh oh oh! I heard it too! Lyra told me all about it. It’s so spicy.”

“Now that’s hootenanny hogwash. My brother is a lot of things but he ain’t exactly tight on the relationship department. You all know how hard it is to get a word out of him.” That’s true. Twilight doesn’t think she heard more than two words come out of that guy. “I don’t see how he can possibly start that kind of romance with someone like Ms. Cheerilee. Besides, it’d be downright weird if I have my own teacher be my… brother’s girlfriend.” She shivered at the thought.

“True. But they have been hanging out a lot.”

“So does everybody else in her class.” AJ reasoned back. “That doesn’t mean squat.”

“And I have been seeing them a lot in the Sweet Shoppe.” Pinkie tossed her two bits.

“She’s his tutor. Big Mac couldn’t take his final exams because of his bum leg so she’s helping him prepare for the supplementary ones. Just because they meet up almost every day to study in a sweet store, away from prying eyes, in a romantic setup, doesn’t mean they’re sharin an ice-cream.” She groaned. “Honestly, I expected better from you girls to be going on sniffing out rumors like this. Pfft… my brother and Ms. Cheerilee. Next thing you know, you’ll tell me that Principal Celestia is having a secret affair with some rich and powerful billionaire.” That was oddly specific but understandable.

Still the rumors that circulated around the student body has been quite ‘Spicy’ in a lack for a better term. But imagine what would happen if it was actually true. The scandal of the whole thing would be totally out of this world. The backlash would be bad too with the age gap and ethics of society and all that. But at the same time it would be such a romantic story to hear.

Twilight wasn’t one to dig on rumors herself but her other friends say that the two of them have been hanging out far more often than they legally should. One eye witness even claims that he saw Big Mac hide a rose in a book before returning it to the library, believing it to be a secret message for Ms. Cheerilee. If it was true, then that soft-spoken boy certainly had a way of speaking his heart out.

“You’re right Applejack. We shouldn’t be listening to nonsense. Right Pinkie?” The bubbly gal nodded back in response just in time for an intermission for the band. “I’ll go get something to drink.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Ok… the coast is clear. Everyone’s down on the dance floor, the music is bustling and the lights are focused on the students. The DJ is putting down the beats so that means she has a good 20 minutes before the band resumes their play. With a little sleight of hand and coordination, she can be in and out of that place in 10. Another 6 minutes to stash the whole thing in her car and 2 minutes to get back to create the perfect alibi.

All that was left was to get Granny Smith away from the buffet table.

Luna cast a glance over to the fire suppression alarm.

No. Too much. The water would ruin the food and drinks on the table. Not to mention ruin her perfectly good dress. And… ruin the whole night for everyone here too of course.

Hmmm… maybe she can ask the Canterlot Movie Club to create a distraction for her.

No. She couldn’t possibly let students act immorally on her behalf. Besides, they’re too young. They’d probably rat her out in seconds when push came to shove.

The photo crew? No. Having the risk of Photo Finish catching her in the act? Celestia would never let her live it down.

“You eyeing on the buffet table too?” Doodle whispered beside her with a confirming nod.

“Maybe.” She replied, one hand on her hip. “Why?”

“Cuz if you need a distraction, I’m your man.”

Her face cracked slightly. “And how do you intend to do that?”

The old Cranky smirked. “I’ve been practicing some of my moves in private. I can slip onto the dance floor and make a little scene. If there’s one thing these students like, it’s to see their own teachers do something weird and bizarre. And with my dance number, I can get everyone’s attention for at least a few minutes.”

“That’s… good.” She whispered. “But what’s in it for you?” He immediately pointed at the racks where some cases of apple cider bottles were stacked up.

“My wife cut me off after I spent a little too much on the cider. Get me four cases and we’ll call it even.” Four cases might be an extra luggage for her haul… but if he can get the cafeteria lady out of her hair for a little while… then maybe…

“Two cases.” She haggled.

Doodle grumbled back. “Add a platter of taco.”

“Half a platter.”

“Deal!” Once they shook hands, the professor immediately went to work and got on the dance floor. And to his credit, his moves did attract the attention of everyone in the room. Some were even cheering him on.

The little stunt paid off too. Granny Smith, despite her advance age, was immediately intrigued and left her station just for a moment to see what the fuss was all about.

And so with the cunning of a hyena and the speed of a cheetah, Luna snuck to the buffet table and began scrounging through the plates. She even pulled out a trash bag to stash them all. A regular bag would never be able to fit everything. So whenever people ask, she’ll just say that she was taking out the trash. Not a complete lie. But not the whole truth either.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Alright team. Great show out there. 20 minute break. Grab a drink and some grub and meet back stage.” The band leader announced like he had rehearsed that line a dozen times over.

Rainbow Dash left that stage wiping her brow with a single motion. Though she didn’t exactly feel bad about it. In fact you could say that she was even gleaming from all that sweat. Heck you could say that she was in a state of euphoria. She leaned back behind the curtains, a smile plastered on her face while DJ Pon-3 took reign on stage. While Rainbow Dash wouldn’t openly admit it, she had to say that playing with the Flash Drive really pumped her up.

These guys were pros down to the core. True professionals in almost every aspect. Every member of the band knew what they were doing and what to do. They were in perfect synch with one another. None of that last minute alteration, or going solo for a little bit, changing the tempo or any of Rarity’s fashion mix-up. They all knew what they wanted and they knew how to get it.

Bass Keys had his way with his guitar. Applejack can really turn on the music but this guy looked like he could work his fingers through that thing and make it sing in a way no one could imagine.

Drum Roll too could hit the beats faster than your heart ever could. While Pinkie Pie can go wild with the drums, this guy had attuned his arms to his sticks so well, she even thought that he might just bring the whole roof down all by himself.

And don’t even get her started with Sandalwood. His keyboarding skills really meld well with all their songs. You wouldn’t think that the guy only joined the band just recently. His bad stomach was a little off-putting but who here doesn’t have a chink in their armor? If only Rarity had his sense of urgency.

And of course there was the star man himself.

Flash Sentry.

While he didn’t play his guitar like she expected, he did have the voice of a rock star. Who knew a guy like him could hold a note that high? He practically had the whole place enraptured by his singing. Folks were dancing to the beat, swinging their hips to the rhythm and lip-synching along with every word. It was like he put the whole party under a spell.

The guys were good. Like… really good. Heck… if they went toe to toe in a battle of the bands, they might just come out on top. Might…

“Great show, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight’s voice chimed as she offered the rocker a bottle of cider. “You really ‘Raised the roof’ out there.” She said that phrase like it was a foreign word to her mouth.

“Thanks. But I can’t take all the credit. I was just the backup. The band’s the one who you should be cheering.” She took a sip from the bottle, her smile still holding. “Did you see them on stage? They were totally awesome! It was like playing in a rock concert. Bass and Drum Roll were in the zone.” The two band mates in question paused and turned over to them when they heard their names echoed out loud. They waved and smiled politely which Twilight and Rainbow Dash gladly returned the gesture. “And don’t even get me started on Flash. Say what you want about the guy. He knows how to sing.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. I was listening the whole time.” They chuckled amongst themselves eyeing the blue boy in the distance as he tried to reach the buffet table, only to be barred by his newly formed fans. All of which seemed to be vying for his attention. “I also heard that he fixed your bike. Pretty snazzy if I do say so myself.”

“I know. Don’t remind me.” Rainbow groaned at the though. While she was glad that her baby was fixed, she wasn’t quite sure how to feel knowing that her friend did it for her without something in return. “I told him that I’d pay him back but he said that I didn’t need to.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“More like a show off. Only a rich guy like him can pull these kinds of stunts and call it a ‘favor’. Now every time I look at my bike, I get this small guilt inside of me saying ‘You owe him’. Over and over again.” That didn’t stop her from taking that bad boy for a spin of course, or giving it an updated paintjob.

“Wow… getting a classic like that must’ve cost him a small fortune.”

But Rainbow waved it off like it was nothing. “Oh please. If he can fix Applejack’s farm and buy off Sunset’s apartment, fixing my ride is chump change.” That of course made Twilight pause, turning towards her with a puzzled expression.

“Sunset’s apartment?” The rocker gal froze, smacking her forehead, cursing herself for her loose lips.

“Ahh nuts. Me and my big mouth.”

“What are you talking about?”

Rainbow glanced around making sure no one was within earshot. “Promise you won’t tell? I kind of promised Flash I wouldn’t say anything.”

“Depends on what’s going on.” She opted. “What’s this about Sunset’s apartment?”

“Ok ok. Keep it down.” She pressed one finger against her lip. “Remember how Sunset’s apartment blew up to smithereens?” How can they forget? It was pretty much the big news in their lives. “And remember how we said that her landlord didn’t need payment for it?”

“Yeah. Because he had insurance on the place.”

“Well… not exactly.” Somehow Twilight didn’t like where this was going. “Turns out Sunset was way behind on her rent and the guy was threatening to sue.”

“That’s terrible!” But not exactly unjustified. If Sunset really was behind on her payments the landlord had it within right to evict her. And destroying a whole building like that could be worth tens of thousands in property damage. That’s not something a teenage girl with a waitress salary could pay off.

“Yeah. The guy was a real piece of work. Believe me.” Rainbow Dash continued. “Anyway… we met the guy when we went to check out the apartment. And when he told us that he was gonna sue Sunset, Flash flipped out.” Not surprising for the guy. “I wanted to smack that guy silly. But before I could get one word in, Flash whipped out a checkbook and wrote a bunch of numbers in it. Next thing I know, the landlord handed the deed over to us.”

“He bought the whole apartment!?” She screamed out loud, which was thankfully muffled by the music in the background. Rainbow Dash smacked her hand over her mouth hushing her sternly. “He actually bought out her entire apartment!?”

“Hey! Keep it down, will ya? Yes. He bought out her apartment.”

“That’s…”

“Incredible? Insane? Incredibly insane?”

“Not the words I’d use but… yeah.” Twilight breathed out, keeping herself calm while waving over to some passerby. “But if that’s the case, then why didn’t he tell Sunset?”

“He said something about not letting her worry about owing him.” That… sorta made sense. “And honestly I can’t blame him. I mean he already gave her his old house. How do you think Sunset would take it when she finds out that he saved her from a huge loan?”

Twilight can see the logic in that. It was logic based on love – or at least the kind of love that came from his own pockets. If Flash was any less of a chivalrous man in another universe he would’ve held such a debt over Sunset and chained her to his side. But not him. He was too much of a pushover to do any kind of evil deed, especially when it came to them. Applejack probably felt the same way at some point. First, the barn, then the Yaztec bowl, the house, the bike and now the apartment? Gosh… if you put all these favors together, the whole club probably owed the guy more than her family’s electric bill.

Ugh… now that she thought about it, the damage they leave behind during their magical adventures have been rather substantial. It’s rather amazing Principal Celestia tolerated their presence for this long. If she were running the school, she’d expel the problem without a second thought.

“You’re right. She definitely won’t feel good about it.” Feeling indebted to someone always felt like a leash. A chain you’re stuck with until the one you owed frees you from it. “Still… buying off someone trouble is kind of…”

“Overdoing it?” Not the word she’d use but close enough. “I feel the same way too. But how else are we supposed to do to raise that kind of cash in the short amount of time? And none of us complained when he fixed Applejack’s farm. And I think he might’ve spent way more on that than this apartment.” That’s… also true. But that was before they realized he was a rich boy. And… they didn’t exactly have a way to solve that problem. Heck it took them months to finally raise half the money needed to repair and renovate Camp Everfree. The other half was gained through a competition and some sheer luck.

“Ok… I guess you have a point. I suppose even with all our magic there are just some problems we can’t just fix with a quick wave of our fingers.”

“I know, right?”

xxxxxxxxxx

Who in the world would do such a thing!?

Flash scanned the buffet table greedily as he desperately searched for something to munch on. He had finally managed to pry himself away from his friends hoping to get something for his stomach. But upon his arrival at the buffet table he found the place to be completely void of all treats. It was as if someone had come and pilfered everything from the giant cake right down to the last bite sized sandwich. Even the giant bucket of ice cream was taken. Nothing was left but crumbs and… perhaps the last piece of olive.

So much for grabbing something to eat before the next round but… beggars can’t be choosers at this point.

He was tempted to pull out his phone and order a pizza but considering the time it would take for it to get here, he’d be on stage already. Maybe if he was fast enough he could raid the cafeteria pantry before anyone notices. At least then he might have a chance to eat something real.

“Looking a little hungry there, rock star.” A playful voice called out as it offered him a platter of leftovers. “Care for a little snack before you get back up there?”

“Applejack! And… yes I do. Thank you.” He quickly dug into what was on the plate enjoying what he could get his hands on. The empty void in his stomach slowly filled up with sustenance. “Oh… I needed that.”

“Phew… you look like you got yourself a mighty appetite there.”

“Well what can I say? I’m a growing boy.” He swallowed.

“I’ll say. You look mighty fine on stage. Guess you got practice?”

“If you’re talking about stage presence, then yeah. I guess I do. And…” He scanned her from head to toe. “I can say you’re looking mighty fine yourself.”

Applejack chuckled softly, admiring her dress. “Aww shucks. It’s just a little leftover from Rarity’s collection. And before you asked, yes she did force me to wear this. Still. Not a bad look for a country bumpkin, eh?” Nope. Not bad at all. If she had come to the Fall Formal in that attire, she would’ve won in a landslide. “Quit staring. Now you’ll just make me feel conscious.”

“Hey you’re the one who gloated.” He countered flashing a sweet smile. “I’m just enjoying the view.” She placed her palm on his face pushing him away. “So how’s the house? I take it its big enough for the seven of you?”

“Just big enough. Rarity converted the backyard into a yoga area, Fluttershy befriended the squirrels nearby.” Because of course she did. “Twilight and Sunset pretty much took over your mom’s library, Pinkie Pie’s officially taking over all kitchen duties and Rainbow Dash is already planning her Spring Break at the beach below the cliffs. We might even make a barbeque party out of it.”

“Seems like you girls are having fun.”

She nodded. “Absolutely! Now that Sunset got the barrier set up we haven’t had to worry about any shadow monsters attacking us in the middle of the night. It’s so nice to finally relax without having to keep one eye open. And not to mention that we’re having a long term sleepover party. With next year being our last in CHS, I think this whole bunking together is gonna give us a lot of fine memories.” With the amount of adventures you guys are having this season, you might just make a whole lot more.

“Well I’m glad you’re all enjoying it. After what happened with you, Rarity and Sunset, you guys deserve to feel safe somewhere.”

“Yup.” Applejack gleefully added before suddenly brushing her legs together doing what her friends would say: A Fluttershy pose. “And speaking of memories. There’s actually something I wanted to ask you.”

“Oh?” The blue boy blinked.

“You know how my folks and I have this tradition? That every year after every apple harvest festival, we send a theme photo to all our friends and families.”

His eyes lit up recalling a certain photo he got. “Oh yeah. I remember that. Last year you guys were dressed up as fruits and vegetables in that… giant… goat horn canicap…”

“Cornucopia.”

“Yeah. That thing you just said. Carnacus…”

She chuckled. “Anyway, this year Granny Smith wants us to dress up as snowmen. She also asked that each of us bring in one new friend along for the photo. I was thinking you might wanna be my Plus-1.”

“Me? Really?”

“Is it… not a good time?”

“No no. Not at all. I just didn’t think I’d be part of your family tradition.” He coughed shyly into his hand. “As a matter of fact. I’d be… honored to be part of your family photo.”

“Really!?” Her face practically beamed.

“Really. And… I could really use some new photos of me. Haven’t had much of those since the annual yearbook.” Flash rubbed the side of his neck looking rather embarrassed before noticing his band mates waving at him from the side of the stage. “Oh. Looks like our break time’s over. Tell me all about your photo shoot later.”

“You got it! Break a leg out there.”

“Only way I know how.” He winked back. “Oh and maybe after our show, mind saving a dance for me?”

Applejack grinned and placed one hand on her hip. “I’ll be waiting.” She waved him off calmly as his band began prepping for their second half of their performance. When the boy was no longer in sight, the cowgirl casually made her way to the restroom finding herself a stall. When the door closed on her she let out the most adorable squeak that imitated that of a sheep call.

xxxxxxxxxx

The mission was a success! Luna felt like one of those thieves in those movies committing dangerous heists. Breaking into fortresses and stealing treasures right from under their noses. Though admittedly that would be pretty much an exaggeration as her fortress was just her school gym and her treasure was just a bunch of foodstuff she pilfered from the buffet table. But hey… treasure is treasure no matter what form it takes.

Looking at her watch she noticed that she still had about six minutes to spare before anyone notices her missing from the party. Flash and his band should be going back on stage any minute now to finish off their performance. If she’s lucky, hardly anyone would miss her presence there.

“So~ got my stuff?” Cranky Doodle asked appearing from the corner of her eyes with a grin that suggested otherwise. He looked weary, one hand holding the back of his hip as he tried to stand tall. All that extra maneuvers must’ve taken its toll on his old body.

“Two cases of cider and half a platter of tacos.” She handed him his share before popping two bottles from her own stash to share. He graciously accepted, clinking their drinks together. “That was some fine dancing you did there. I never would’ve guessed that a man like you could pull off those kinds of moves.”

“And Matilda keeps saying that all those extra dance lessons were a waste of time.” Cranky laughed taking a bite off his treat. “Just don’t expect me to do anything like that in a while.”

“Noted.” She smirked. “But I could use your help in the canned food drive next year. I hear that there’ll be a number of donors who’ll be contributing peaches for the event.”

Cranky paused, taking one quick sip. “I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.” They laughed, clinking their bottles once more. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership.”

“More like accomplices.” She added which earned another chuckle from him.

“Speaking of accomplices, where’s Celestia? I thought she’d be around for the last school party.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “She’s on a big date.”

“Oh?” The old donkey muttered before his eyes shot up in realization. “OH! You mean with Sombra? Wow… it must be serious then. I never thought of her to be someone who’d go on dates with her workaholic attitude.” On that regard Luna agreed with him wholeheartedly. Her sister has always been a shy one, especially when it came to interpersonal relationships. But ever since she officially began dating her old flame from school, she’s been going out far more often than she’d like. Heck she even decided to bend the rules. “Heh… what about you?”

She blinked. “What about me?”

“Don’t you have anyone special in your life? Like another rich billionaire?”

Her eyes rolled once more as she let out a laugh. “If you’re looking for a scandal, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere Cranky.”

“Hey, don’t take it the wrong way. I’m just saying that a lady like you shouldn’t be moping around while your sister is having all the fun.” Oh god. He sounded like an uncle who was trying to set her up with someone. “And if you want, I know some good fellas out there who’d go out with you.”

“Thanks Cranky. But I’m fine. Seriously.” She said that last word out sternly shutting the whole conversation down before he could add anymore.

He quickly raised his hand up in defense as he finished his drink. “Alright alright. No need to go Vice-Principal on me. I’m just saying. Matilda kept pestering me to hook you up with someone. But if you change your mind, you can always ask.” Yeah… never. “I should probably head back. It won’t look good if both chaperones aren’t present at the party.”

Once he was gone, Luna let off a sigh. She honestly couldn’t really see herself settling with anyone. Relationships weren’t exactly her strong suit either.

A loud rustling from the nearby bushes suddenly interrupted her thoughts. And while she didn’t expect anything dangerous, she took a stance readying herself for combat. Quietly she reached for her purse grabbing the closest thing she could use for a weapon.

“Hello? Is someone there?” There was another rustle, followed by a long pause of awkward silence, before a young lady in a dress walked out with one hand smothering her face. “Ms. Cheerilee?” Luna’s muscle unbuckled recognizing the figure. She was supposedly one of the chaperones assigned to this party.

“Oh! V… Vice-Principal Luna! H… hello there.” The teacher greeted awkwardly, her hand brushing against the back of her hair while her cheeks turned redder than a tomato looking like a child who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Nice weather we’re having?” Was that a question or a statement?

Luna opened her mouth to speak but was again interrupted when a second figure appeared from the bushes, limping on one leg. The boy smiled giddily before it fell off his face shattering to a thousand pieces when their eyes locked. It was a student she was familiar with as well. And what the two of them were doing in the bushes away from the lively party in the middle of the quiet night didn’t need to be explained either. The two buttons of his shirt were messily undone, his cute bowtie yanked crudely to one side. His suit was covered in dirt and his blonde hair ruffled. There was also a mark inches from his mouth where lipstick was smudged.

“I was… helping him get some fresh air.” The young teacher said, with what Luna considered was a remarkable lie.

Fresh air huh? Oh I think we both know what kind of air you’ve been breathing.

The bottle of cider slipped from her fingers landing on the soft snow below.

“We were just… getting some fresh air.” Cheerilee maintained, her voice falling flat while her partner fixed himself trying his darn best to look like nothing happened.

…

Oh for the love of…

Luna stared at her co-worker, then at the blonde boy before sighing heavily into her hand.

“Carry on then.”

“Thank you, ma’am!” The two immediately walked away hand in hand, the Vice-Principal wondering if anyone would notice their hurried pace or what others would think of it if they were seen. If word of this got out, CHS’ reputation will burn to the ground. But who cares? That was Celestia's problem. Not hers. And she was probably out enjoying her date with that rich billionaire.

With a low groan she opened her car and searched through her loot bag. She was sure that there was a bucket of ice cream in here somewhere.

The Isle of Magic

Author's Note

Another week, another chapter. My town is now on full lockdown mode. Wishing you all a happy quarantine day wherever you are. Stay safe and stay healthy my fellow readers. Because if you don't, who's gonna read my fanfiction? :fluttercry:

The Isle of Magic

Chapter 34: The Island of Magic

(Thursday) (Freefall Island)

Freefall Island was a little plot of land slab right in the middle of the ocean. It was about an hour ferry ride from the city’s port situated close enough for people to visit but far enough to get the smog out of your face. It was about as big as an island could probably get so close to the mainland.

The island’s natural beauty was preserved thanks to the little interference to humans since its colonial days. The tree lines here were sparse which gave a perfect view of the island’s wide open meadows. A beautiful waterfall in which the island was named after stretched from the far off hill culminating into a gorgeous river snaking across the plains. The only two manmade structures around here were the fishing wharf where the ferry landed, and the enormous decrepit castle situated on the hill on the other side of the island. Everything here was covered with a thick layer of snow, hiding its true beauty within.

Sunset was the first to set foot on the pier, leaving the ferry with her friends in tow. The smell of salt water was in the air and the sound of waves crashing by the rocks.

“Looks like this is the place.” She motioned to her friends who walked out of the ferry in order. Strangely enough the ferryman stated that they were perhaps his only customers he had these last few weeks. “You guys ready?”

“Born ready!” Rainbow Dash was unsurprisingly thrilled about this. You could always count on her when the chips were down. The others followed suit in their own way.

Well… all except Applejack of course who raised a finger up as she leaned next to the pier, her face turning greener than her apple trees. “I might… need a minute… or two. I think I forgot to pack my sea legs again. Hurghhkk!!” She threw up a minute later much to their disgust. “Mind telling me who thought it was a good idea riding a boat so early in the morning?”

“I thought you like waking up early.” Sunset spoke.

“Don’t take it the wrong way. I like waking at the crack of dawn but only to harvest the apples and doin my chores. Not… ugh… cruising through the ocean. Hurgkk!” Another hurl came through turning her greener than a melon. “Ugh… next time we go on an adventure, we’re flying.” Fluttershy came up to her offering a mint which she gladly accepted.

“Relax AJ.” Rainbow Dash patted her friend on the back earning a glare from the cowgirl. “We’re finally on land. Just walk it off and you’ll be fine. Besides, we needed to get here early because we want to catch that Hoity guy by surprise. We don’t want to experience what happened when we fought Cinch. And… just for a peace of mind. We’re sure that he doesn’t have anything like that Magic Trap, right?”

“Absolutely sure.” Twilight confirmed it. “The one that Cinch used was the only one I made and it doesn’t look like she shared that knowledge with any members of the secret society. And the one she fixed was destroyed. Completely. But we have to remember: These people have known about magic far longer than we have and they’ve hoarded a number of magical artifacts. So there’s no telling what tricks they have up their sleeves.”

“I know someone who always has a trick up her sleeves.” Pinkie chirpily stated which didn’t really add much to the conversation. “Trixie…”

“Not to mention that Hoity has his hands on the Memory Stone.” Sunset reminded them, bitterly recalling that accursed relic. “We can’t let our guard down.”

“Speaking of Hoity.” Fluttershy interjected casting a glance to their surroundings. “Isn’t he supposed to be scouting a venue here? I don’t see anything close to a resort.”

“It’s probably just hidden inside.” Rarity shrugged. “You don’t find the perfect hotel with just a quick look darling.”

“There’s a jeep rental.” Twilight pointed at the said store, which seemed to be only building here. In fact… it was the only thing that was standing here other than the empty pier.

xxxxxxxxxx

The door opened with a cute casual clink of the bell. The store looked old and lacked in maintenance. Everything looked like it was falling apart. Even the ceiling fan creaked and choked like it was ready to give up the ghost.

“Wow…” Applejack gawked feeling much better now that the ocean wasn’t in sight. “This place looks older than Granny Smith and Goldie combined.”

“More like ancient.” Rainbow Dash corrected shifting her fingers through a rack of magazines. “Look at all this junk. I think everything here is way passed their expiration date.”

“It can’t be that bad.” Sunset shrugged.

“Wanna bet? Their latest Hot Gossip magazine isn’t even updated. It’s from summer… of last year!”

Ouch. That makes you wonder what else here was past their shelf life.

Even Twilight didn’t feel like touching anything. “Why don’t we just rent a ride?” She turned to the clerk by the counter who was snoozing on the job, leaning on his chair, his trucker hat tilted over his face. “Excuse me? Hello? A little customer service here.”

“Zzzzzz… zzzzzz…” Well he’s certainly an employee of the month material.

“Hey buddy!” Sunset slammed her hand over the counter startling the guy off his chair.

“Gah! I’m awake! I wasn’t sleeping!” The man looked up and noted the two girls looking down on him. “Oh… uh… aheh. Customers! H… hi! Hello.” He added awkwardly which reminded them of Fluttershy’s brother. The man then followed it up by casting a glance at his desk clearly reading a sales pitch from a note he wrote down. “Welcome, sir or madam, to the Freefall Gift Shop and touring service. We offer you the best deals and pieces… er… I mean prices for all your shopping needs.” Even his smile looked forced and awkward. “So what can I get you girls? We got some of the latest island fashion design and limited edition souvenirs. Better get them quick while supplies last. You’ll never know what you missed.”

“You mean these things?” Rarity pointed at the empty clothing section which had two hats and a coat that seemed to have been stitched together by a flimsy seamstress. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in those things even if it kills me.”

“Aheh… yeah… sorry.” The clerk rubbed his neck shyly. “We haven’t really had any new stock in a while. Not exactly easy access aheh…”

But then Rainbow Dash noted something familiar about the guy. The awkward speech, the accent and the hair. “Hold up.” She brushed Twilight aside getting a better look. “Quibble Pants!? Is that you?”

The man’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Rainbow Dash! Wow! Fancy meeting you here. I almost didn’t recognize you. What are you doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“I should be asking you that question. What are you doing working at this dum-p… er… place? Weren’t you working at the newspapers before?”

“Eh… they laid me off.” He shrugged sadly. “After my article regarding Countess Coloratura got debunked, they had to let me go to save the company’s ‘reputation’ or something. So I decided to go for a change of pace and found an opening here.” He tapped the corner of the building which prompted a piece of the ceiling to come crashing down. “Ok it’s not the busiest place in the city but we get by… somehow. The island isn’t exactly getting a lot in the way of tourism but that’s going to change very soon. I hope.”

“Yeesh. And how is it?”

“Meh. The pay is ok. Nothing to fret about. I work here four days a week and get the weekend off. Not a bad gig considering this place being so far off. I also double as a park ranger.” He flashed his fake badge like it was his pride and joy. “Though I’m pretty much just a glorified tour guide to be honest.”

“I’m sure you’ll get somewhere someday.” Rainbow Dash assured him. “Speaking of which. How are you and Clear Sky doing?”

“Oh it’s wonderful. She’s been the most amazing and supportive lady in my life. And it’s never been better. I even got Wind Sprint to join us on a baseball game this weekend.”

“Uh… Rainbow.” Sunset called out feeling like they were being left out. “A little introduction here?”

“Oh! Right. Guys. I’d like you to meet my good friend, Quibble Pants. We met at a Daring Do convention a while back. He’s a writer back when I first met him. We’ve been pen-pals ever since your his fanfiction went public.” Quibble let out a shy puff of his cheeks. “Quibble. These are my friends. Twilight, Sunset, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and the crazy one eating your expired ice cream is Pinkie.”

The pinkette’s ears twitched at the mention of her name, one hand already opening a wrapper of a Popsicle. “What? You do know these things are still edible, right? Ice cream doesn’t expire!” But apparently they do.

They decided to leave her be. If a girl like her can go through the Brain-Freeze challenge unscathed, a few bad icing won’t do too much damage.

“Anyway Quibble. As much as I want to catch up, we’re kind of a bit in a hurry. You wouldn’t happen to know about a new resort around here, would you?”

The employee tilted his head in thought before answering. “Oh! You mean that new place on the island that’s about to open this weekend? Yeah. Sure I do. It’s at the top of the island by the woods. It shouldn’t take you more than a 30 minute drive to get there. Just follow the path and up the hill. You seriously cannot miss it. Hope you brought a good ride. The roads here aren’t exactly comfortable.”

“We were hoping we could rent one of your jeeps actually.” Sunset added.

He cringed. That was never a good sign. “Oooh… sorry. But all our rentals were already handed out.”

“WHAT!?” His fellow Daring Do fan snapped. “How’s that possible? I thought you said you barely had anyone coming through here?”

“Ehhh… tourism might be bad but business is actually kinda booming.” Was it though? Judging by this place and the lack of customers or sales for that matter, people might say that they were going out of business. “The guys at the resort rented my whole stock for some big gig happening next week. Those jeeps were pretty much the only thing here that were actually maintained around here.”

“All of them?” Twilight asked.

“Yup. The whole shebang. They even took out insurances for it. As a matter of fact… they came down here this morning twice to pick up some VIPs.”

That could only be for Hoity’s pageant show for sure. Sunset couldn’t think of any other reason why anyone would rent a fleet of cars just for fun.

“Would one of them happen to be Hoity Toity?”

Quibble blinked. “Is he a tall fellow with puffy hair, wearing super fancy clothes, smells like a million bucks, and wears shades that I could never afford with a year’s worth of this salary?” They nodded hesitantly. “Yeah he was here.” Damn it! Sunset hoped to catch the guy before he got to the island. But it looks like that fashionista was an even more early-bird than Applejack. “If you’re looking for him, he came by about an hour ago and rented the last ride we had here. I heard him talking with the resort manager about seeing the sights after their business. I bet my hat that he’s probably at the castle at the top of the hill.”

Rarity groaned. “It’ll take us forever to get there on foot. And I didn’t exactly pack my walking boots for this trip.”

“Maybe for you slowpokes.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “But I can get there before any of you can say pie.”

“Pie!” Pinky cheered much to her chagrin. “Oh… you’re still here.”

“Well why don’t I drive you?” Quibble offered holding up the keys to his car. “I got my own ride at the back. I can get you guys there in a spiffy.”

“Really? That’s great!”

“Uh… are you sure it’s alright for you to leave the counter?” Twilight got her answer when Quibble put on a sign that said ‘Out for lunch’. “But it’s not even noon!”

“Give it a rest Twilly. The guy’s offering. May as well take it.”

“Besides, it’s not like this place gets any customers.” Quibble added gesturing to the emptiness of the place. “It’ll be good to stretch my legs. And I still owe you for that fiasco with the Tunnel Maze replica in the Daring Do Convention.”

Rainbow waved it off. “Oh please. If you had read the fourth volume of Daring Do’s Adventures, you’d know that the exit to the Maze of Pachu-Pichu was through the Snail Path, not the Eagle Path.”

“And boy was that fun. Besides it’s not that long of a drive. Come on.”

(Rich Resort)

Flash had seen a number of resorts before. Some specialized in one feature or another but he had to admit that this one had to take the cake. Whoever designed this place really had an eye for architecture.

Certainly the rich and wealthy will be coming here to make use of this place and all of its facilities. Spa, outdoor sauna, massage and a variety of other services, this place will be rolling in cash in no time. Especially now with the holidays coming.

“Like what you see, kido?” An older gentleman asked in an overly friendly manner.

“It’s really impressive.” Flash nodded back, eyeing the place from his VIP booth where a very important meeting took place not long ago.

“Good to hear that from another man’s perspective. I spent a small fortune bringing this place up, and that place in Everfree Woods. It’d be a poor investment if it didn’t appeal to the younger generation. Be sure to tell all your friends about this place. I can guarantee that you’ll find no

“I will Mr. Rich.”

“Please. Just call me Rich.” Filthy added with a casual smile. “With your help we’re practically business partners at this point.”

“I didn’t really do all that much. I just signed a few papers.”

“Signed a few papers? Egads boy.” The billionaire entrepreneur gasped feigning shock. “Don’t sell yourself short. It might look like a small thing to you just moving your hands and smiling for the camera. But those papers helped this place out more than any money could do. And make no mistake, sonny boy. Once we get this place up and running with the first batch of customers, we’ll be rolling in so much dough, your father’s election campaign will be in the bag.” Oh right. Now it’s all starting to make sense. “At this point, it’s all about waiting for people to cast their vote. You must be pretty excited for him. Becoming the son of the future mayor of Canterlot.”

“Yeah… ecstatic.” Yeah, he was definitely looking forward to having a protection detail around him once his dad gets into office. It took him a whole lot of effort to hide his pedigree from his friends. Now it’ll be practically impossible to hide his when his dad’s face is projected on TV whenever something big happens.

“Speaking of our grand opening. You wanna try out some of our facilities here? We also double as a hotel. I’ll give you the deluxe penthouse free of charge~.”

“Thanks. But I think I’ll just head back to the pier. I got some friends back in the city. And no offense Mr. Rich. But I kinda want to spend the rest of my Winter Holiday at home.”

“Hmm… a shame, but I can respect that. Don’t let that stop you from buying something from our gift shop though. They have some limited items for sale. Get them while they’re in still stock.”

“Mr. Rich, sir.” A shy employee interjected much to the man’s annoyance.

“What is it now Teddie Safari? Can’t you see I’m with a very VERY important guest right now?”

The little lady flinched, her bones fearing unemployment. “Y… yes sir. S… sorry to interrupt. But we have a problem with the catering service. They said that they won’t be able to get the imported peach drink that you ordered.”

“WHAT!?” Filthy roared poking one finger over the woman like he was trying to drill holes into her skin. “This is unacceptable! I paid full price for that delivery. How can they not bring it?”

“It’s… it’s the weather sir. The flights are being delayed due to the light snow storm coming through and the ferry isn’t exactly moving 24/7.”

“Then find another way to bring them here. Hoity Toity’s pageant show has to go perfectly. That man paid upfront on the whole resort. For the whole week and I expect everything to be like he wanted. If anything goes wrong and he wants a refund, it’ll be coming out of your pocket!”

“Hoity Toity?” Flash’s ears perked up to the name. “He’s… here?”

Filthy dismissed the attendant and returned his attention to the boy. “Sorry about that. Some big shot in town made some orders for next week for some pageant show. You know him?”

He shrugged casually, hiding his excitement. “I might’ve heard about him. My friend is actually part of his show. He… wouldn’t happen to be here, would he?”

“No. I think he just wanted to rent the place and bolted off after he gave all his instructions. Cash in hand. Some of his contestants already rented rooms here too. I think he said something about visiting the castle on the hill.”

The castle on the hill. Flash remembered seeing that place when he arrived at the pier. It looked mysterious and ominous from afar. A perfect place for some kind of magical activity.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a ride I can rent for the day, would you?”

(Camp Everfree)

Gloriosa Daisy held a gleeful smile that morning as she made her way through her office looking at the camp’s financial statement. It wasn’t this often that she would be this chippy but she couldn’t contain her joy.

With the number of people wanting to make reservations on the camp, her numbers have skyrocketed through the roof. Ever since the renovations were done and the advertisement sent out, her family’s camp would be making enough money to keep the place running for a long while. She was worried that Filthy Rich’s new spa resort next door would hamper her operations here but instead it just brought more people to her doorstep. At this rate she might even say that she was stealing customers from him. Not that she was complaining. Heck with the money they made from the fundraising events she was even able to hire a few hands to help out with the camp.

No more ‘I got this’ slogan when you got someone else to handle them.

And thankfully there really wasn’t much to do. With the snow coming in hard, the campers pretty much just wanted to enjoy the cabins for themselves. Even happy couples paid extra in advance to rent a few of them for the whole week. Normally she wouldn’t allow such a thing, but if they were paying top buck, who was she to say no?

“Hey.”

“GWAHHHH!” Her papers flew in a fit of panic when a voice startled her. “Timber!? How…? You’re… here?”

“Oh… sorry. Is this a bad time?”

“What? No! Pfft. Of course not.” She huddled down and gathered her papers. “I was just… surprised. You don’t come as often as before. Wait… you’re not here for the cabin you rented out earlier, are you?”

“No… that’s still next week.”

“Oh great. Because I rented it off to a couple for the weekend. You can’t begin to imagine how many people are asking to rent our newly built cabins! My phone has been ringing non-stop. We even got clients from out of the city. People from out of town actually know of our camp! Do you know what this means!?”

“That we have a more diverse customer base?”

“It means that Camp Everfree is now on the map, baby! That’s right. This place will be going international in just a few months. I knew those posters we put out in the city was going to work out.” That and the updated website that he made for the camp. But he wasn’t gonna mention that. “Oh and by the way. That wifi deal we signed on was a great idea. I can get so much work done with the internet. So why are you here? Finally decided to drop that big city dream of yours and return to your roots because you realized that it was your destiny to run this place with me?”

He rolled his eyes. “No and never will. And will you please stop asking?”

“Meh. It’s worth a shot.” Gloriosa took her seat by her desk. “So why are you here?”

He rubbed his head shyly as he replied. “I was… actually looking for some… help.”

Gloriosa blinked. “Help? What kind of help? You’re not in trouble, are you? Did you run into debt? Did you take a loan off a shady character who’s now threatening to break every bone in your body because you won’t pay!?”

“What? No! And you really need to stop watching those old gangster movies.” Timber grumbled lowly, tracing one hand over his face. “I need help. The relationship kind. You know that I’m dating Twilight, right?”

“That girl from CHS. Yeah. I remember.” She nodded. “Has a cute hairstyle, wears glasses and has that strangely talking… dog. Wasn’t she moving in with you? You pretty much bragged about it the other day.”

“She’s supposed to. But then she got all this magical adventure so we’re holding it off.”

“You didn’t let her see my room, did you?”

“That’s not important right now. What’s important is that… I got a feeling that… she’s distancing herself from me.”

“Oh…” His sister closed her mouth. “Oh… I see. You mean THAT kind of relationship problem. Well… I’m not exactly the best when it comes to these kinds of problem. But as your sister… I can hear you out?” She offered him a cup of coffee from her pot. “Now. Tell me what’s bugging you. Twilight seems like a nice girl last time I checked. She doesn’t look like the type who’d break up with someone without a good reason.”

“She’s the best. Really.” Timber nodded back taking a quick sip from his cup. “It’s just that this is her first ever serious relationship and I think she doesn’t exactly know what she’s doing… or feeling for that matter.”

“Oh? And what makes you say that?” She switched to her camp counselor mode tapping her index fingers together as she listened. If she were a psychiatrist she’d be sitting on a comfortable chair while timber laid on a couch mentioning all his woes to her.

“It’s a feeling. You know? Like the kind of feeling I get whenever you’re up to another one of your antics.” Yeesh. And we all know how well that went. “But honestly… I… I think there might be another guy involved.”

Gloriosa’s eyes shot up through the roof. “Really?” She brushed her paperwork aside, her attention fully on her brother. Gloriosa wouldn’t call herself a girly kind of girl. But when a scandal of this proportion comes to your table, you’d drop everything just to listen. “Another guy? You think someone’s trying to steal Twilight from you? That’s bold. Who is it?”

“Some weird-crazy rocker, Flash Sentry. He was in the same group as Twilight and her friends.”

She tilted her head up in thought. The name sounded familiar. “Flash Sentry. Oh! Isn’t he the singer for that super-famous rock band that’s been on the internet lately? I think they played for the fundraising event in the city.”

“Yeah… him.” Ooooh~ someone’s grouchy. Jealously grouchy.

“I remember him. He was that blue haired guy with the guitar. He’s not that good looking.”

“Thank you!” He waved his hands up frantically. “Finally someone notices.” He was so easy to please.

“And you think this guy is trying to take your Twilight?”

“Well… no. Yes. I mean… I think so.” Make up your mind kid. It was one or the other. “It’s just that whenever we’re together, she keeps talking about him like he’s the next big thing. It’s like she got this crush on him but she doesn’t even know it.”

“Wow… that’s bad.”

“It is! And just because they have magical adventures together the two of them have something in common. He has the unfair advantage!”

“Come on now Timber. I’m sure you’re just overreacting. Twilight is sweet. A little nosy at times but very sweet. They’re probably just good friends.”

“She goes to him whenever there’s a crisis, she thinks he’s the best ever.” He added, hands gripping on his cup noting that it had somehow been emptied. “And because of that, she talks about him every chance she gets. She doesn’t understand it that every time she does that it makes me feel like…”

“You’re the third wheel in the relationship?”

“EXACTLY!” He shouted refilling his cup and consuming it at the same time. After finally drinking the last drop he smashed the cup on the table clattering everything. But thankfully that did the trick and calmed him down. “It’s just… frustrating.”

“Aww… sweet sweet Timber.” She cooed, ruffling his hair cutely. “While I’m the last person you should be talking about with this. As your sister, I might have some advice.” Well mostly stuff she heard on TV but she wasn’t gonna mention that. “I think you should really be discussing this with Twilight. I mean… the first step to a good and healthy relationship is communication. I’m sure that if you two talk it over, she’ll understand completely that she’s been making you feel… well… miserable.”

“Ok?” The boy understood that. “But what if she decides to break up with me and go with this Flash guy instead?”

“Stop thinking about the worst case scenario and start thinking of a solution. Twilight loves you and you love her. I know it’s hard but nothing worth doing is ever easy. If you try hard enough I’m sure you’ll reignite that feeling you two have for one another.”

“We’re already moving in together.”

“Ah pfft. Easy maneuver.” Gloriosa puffed her lips mockingly. “When was the last time you two had a proper date? When was the last time you gave her flowers or chocolates? Big moves are fine in long intervals but it’s the small gestures that really stacks up.”

“Well we did go on this one date to the movies.”

“Ugh… bleh.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Movies? Please sweetie. You gotta go for something more… grand. Take her somewhere nice.”

“We’ve been dating for over a year now. I think I’ve taken her to all the coolest places in Canterlot.”

“Then spice it up!” She chastised him. “Like… remember that time when she took you to the planetarium?”

“Yeah?”

“And remember how you told me how magical and memorable it was?”

“Yeah…”

“That’s how you get her back. Mix it up a little. Give her both a sense of nostalgia of the happiest moments of your relationship and put something new on the table. You can’t just wait and wander thinking that it’ll just work out. Relationship takes hard work.” Gloriosa pumped her fist up. “You need to show Twilight that you’re twice the man this Flash Sentry ever could be. Show her that you can step up your game. Show her that she’s already dating the best guy in town!”

“Yeah… YEAH!” Timber wasn’t really sure why he seemed so pump. Either he was just desperate for some advice or his sister’s words actually moved him. “I am the best. I’ll show Twilight that she’s already dating the best. You’re right. I can’t mope around doing nothing. I need to step up my game.” He drank what remained off the pot and bolted off. “Sorry, but I got some arrangements to make. Thanks for the pep talk sis.”

“Any time. Just remember: My room is off limits.”

“You never come visit anyway!”

“Still my room!”

(Castle Hoofbeard)

Twilight gasped at the historical site of Castle Hoofbeard. She read about the place on the internet a few times though most of them came from folk tales and legends.

The castle was built during the early years of the colonial period when settlers first came ashore on the mainland. It was used by the militia first as a lighthouse to guide ships, and later as a stronghold to keep pirates away. But when the city grew over time and roads built, the place came into disuse and disrepair. The locals came to abandon it entirely which brought pirates to use it as their hideout.

Therein came the legend of the castle itself.

A certain (in)famous pirate called Hoofbeard became a legend on these waters. He robbed many vessels and plundered hundreds of villages across the shorelines becoming a villain in the history books. It was said that his ship would appear one moment and then vanish the next. A rather pointless exaggeration. But the interesting part came next. Some say that many of the things he store included magical relics from a bygone era. It was along his prime that a myth came to be.

Somehow he angered the sea and brought upon its wrath upon his domain. A mighty tidal wave strode in, slamming its outer walls and weighed it down until the cliff collapsed. It was as if the very ocean itself was trying to pull the castle to the depths of the ocean.

A bit of a romanticizing but not unwelcome.

“Here we are, ladies.” Quibble declared as he drove up to the flimsy drawbridge which looked ready to collapse at any moment. “Castle Hoofbeard. The legendary pirate fortress.”

“It’s… kind of scary.” Fluttershy shuddered as the rest got out of the jeep. And she wasn’t wrong on that regard either. The castle looked ominous up close. Even more so now with the snow piling on its walls.

Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, though for a totally different reason. “Decrepit look, creepy atmosphere, ominous shadows, and possible mystery and secrets hidden below? This has all the hallmarks of…”

“Daring Do and the Castle of Fate!” She and Quibble declared in unison.

“I know, right? I totally had the same idea when I came here first! It even has the deep moat of doom, deadly traps. And pit falls.”

The sports gal grinned. “All that’s missing now is the poisoned tip ballista at the top of the watchtower!” They giddied like a bunch of fans in their own world.

Twilight rolled her eyes at them but quickly came to a stop when she realized something. “Wait… did you say traps?”

“Yesiree. This place is riddled with tons of traps from back in the day to ward off trespassers. Rotating walls, spikes that poke out of the floors and ceilings, even giant rolling boulders at one point.”

“That’s awesome!”

“It’s too bad that they’re all broken after this whole place got torn up.”

“Aww…” Rainbow sulked.

Still, that didn’t exactly sit well with Twilight knowing that they were walking into some kind of death trap. But before she could complain, one of her gizmos started acting up. “Whoa. Looks like we hit the jackpot guys. My tracker is picking up a strong magical signature coming inside. And from the looks of it. It’s the same kind of magic from the other Yaztec artifacts.”

“And lookie what I found.” Applejack called out pointing to another two jeeps that hid just outside of the bushes. “Looks like someone’s here before us.”

“Hmm… Chartrise and Sons. That is definitely Hoity Toity.” Rarity confirmed it after a quick sniff which earned her a look from her friends. “Attention to detail is my talent dearies. I’ve hung around that man for a long while now. The stench of his cologne leaves a very distinctive and expensive smell. Chartrise and Sons is a brand you don’t just buy for kicks. And… there is another one, but I don’t quite remember where I smelled this.”

“That’s good to know.” Sunset nodded back, thanking her confirmation. “But why would a Yaztec relic be here? These ruins look nothing like them.”

“It’s possible that the relic was stolen.” Twilight added her hypothesis. “The pirate Hoofbeard, who this castle was named after its capture, was notorious for robbing all sorts of treasures and trinkets from all over the world. It’s possible that he might’ve taken it from someone or someplace else. They say that all of his ill-gotten loot was dragged to the ocean when the cliff collapsed and was never recovered or found.”

“Pirates, treasures, and now magical artifacts!?” Rainbow glee, barely containing her excitement. “This totally makes up for missing out on that adventure in the caves! I may as well be writing the next Daring Do film. What are we waiting for? Let’s go in there and find us some Evil Magic!”

Her enthusiasm was refreshing but some feared that it might just lead her to danger.

“Well I’m heading back.” Quibble announced returning to his vehicle. “As much as I like a good adventure, I prefer to read them from the safety of my books.”

Sunset nodded back in understanding. The last thing she wanted was for another friend to be caught in the crossfire. “Thanks again for the drive Quibble.”

“Anything for Rainbow Dash and her friends. Just remember to get back to the pier before sundown. That’s when the last ferry leaves for the city. Otherwise you’ll be stuck here all night. And trust me. This isn’t a place you’d wanna get stranded on. I should know. I learned that the hard way.”

And with that last warning the young gentleman drove off leaving the girls behind to turn and stare at the castle. If this were some kind of movie, they’d be the heroes about to storm the lair of an evil villain.

xxxxxxxxxx

The whole castle looked even more ominous on the inside.

With the amount of critters and insects scurrying around, one could tell that no one had been here for a very long time. In fact, when they finally got a good look of the place, it was a miracle that the castle was still standing at all. It looked like the whole place could come down at any moment and the only thing holding it together were the cobwebs and dust. One wrong move could probably spell disaster for anyone inside.

Relics from the colonial age could still be seen around here. Ancient cannons from the sailing days stood where always have, remaining vigilant, even though the ones that manned them no longer existed. There were even a few cannonballs piled besides them, never to be fired. The smell of salt, brine and gunpowder lingered in the air while seagulls hugged the coastline. Back in the day this place would’ve looked very intimidating to the ordinary sailor. But now… looking at all the wear and tear and the giant gaping hole where half of the castle used to be, it had a more sense of mystery than fear.

“Alright everyone. Group meeting.” Rainbow declared calling everyone to attention. “We don’t want to follow the same trope as all the other mystery hunters fall for. So rule number 1: No matter what happens, we stick together. I don’t know why the adventurers split up in movies but that’s always how the bad guys pick them off. I don’t care if we can’t cover more ground. So from here on out, no one goes anywhere alone.”

“Sounds like you’re the expert on dungeon crawling.” Applejack chuckled under her breath. “I guess all them video games did pay off in the long run. But it makes sense. That’s how these shadow monsters have been picking us after all. I’m all for this buddy system.”

“Me too.” Fluttershy agreed wholeheartedly, already grabbing Pinkie’s arm. “There’s no way I’m going in there alone.”

“Then it’s settled. We work as a team! So… where to first?” Rainbow picked out some options. “How about that creepy room in the corner with the equally creepy creaking door? Oh! How about the deathly gorge below with all those dangerous looking rocks sticking out of the cliffs? Or maybe we could go through the deathly scary hallway that’s bound to be full of traps and haunting ghosts!?” Each mention seemed to make Fluttershy shiver harder.

“We can start… right… here.” Rarity pointed over to a fireplace at the far end corner of what looked like the remainder of the castle barracks. The walls were torn down and most of the beds were shattered to splinters but you can tell that a lot of folks slept there. The fashionista took a whiff of the place sensing a certain smell. “Oh my. Yes. He’s definitely been through here.”

“How do you know?”

“The smell of his perfume is feint but recognizable darling. I never forget a stench.” She added before turning her phone-flashlight on the ground where a shoe mark was present. “That and… these fresh footprints. You can hide the mud under all that snow, but you can’t hide the mud from the floors. Hmm… an Alexis McQueen… size 10. Now I’m absolutely certain he was here.”

Twilight couldn’t contain her amazement. “Wow Rarity. That’s… impressive. We’d never have noticed that. You’d make an awesome detective.”

“Oh I know darling.” She struck a pose before suddenly changing her attire to that of a private eye before pulling out a magnifying glass out of her pockets. “Now if you’ll all follow me, we can follow this trail to our perp!”

“And don’t forget these.” Sunset pulled out her backpack producing the artifacts from Equestria. “Remember how we practiced with these artifacts?” They nodded back, a few of them gathering the tools they were familiar with.

With one last nod the gang followed suit, keeping a watchful eye over their steps. But unaware to our fair girls, a shadowy figure slithered out of the corner of the room, grinning menacingly like a predator watching its prey walk right into its trap. It chuckled softly before slinking into the walls, traversing the castle like a snake.

xxxxxxxxxx

Deep within the bowels of the castle, Hoity Toity sat comfortably in what looked like the captain’s quarters, sipping a cup of coffee he brought from the resort some time ago. While the rest of the place looked old and decrepit, it still had some places that was livable.

…

When his minion returned, his ears perked up to listen. “They’re here? Already?” He looked shocked, sounded shocked, yet his face contorted this twisted smile. “Did they bring the portal stone with them?”

…

“No? But they have other magical artifacts? Are you sure?”

…

“Other magical sources? Here?”

…

“Well now. This certainly turned out to be quite interesting.” He put down his coffee and brought out his bracelet. “It looks like Cinch was hiding more from us than we originally thought. I was hoping for a simple trap. But these girls brought me a bigger prey to snack on.” He chuckled softly before turning to his shadow. “I do so love a good scavenger hunt. That and… a good game of hide and seek.”

A Pirate's Secret

Chapter 35: A Pirate’s Secret

(Castle Hoofbeard)

Twilight’s feet felt sore as they trodden down the long hallway feeling the darkness encroach. It’s been over 20 minutes since they first entered the castle and after walking endlessly through its crumbling corridors and ancient architecture some of them began to wonder if this castle actually looked smaller from the outside.

Despite most of it being torn down by the elements ages ago, the castle itself seemed to have been built within the cliffs. The pioneers dug deep within the earth, building rooms upon rooms that acted as both storage and accommodation for those that actually lived here. And sadly the deeper they went, the darker it became. It got so bad that they had to light up their geodes and their phones just to make sure that they didn’t step onto anything vital or fragile.

“Ugh… seriously how deep do these tunnels go.” Rainbow Dash complained rubbing her aching foot. “We’ve been going on for hours now and there hasn’t been a single exciting thing.”

“It’s only been twenty minutes.” Sunset corrected. “And didn’t we just pass one of the traps?”

“Which was broken.” She whined and complained. The spike trap they came across was triggered a long time ago… or maybe it was broken during the fall of the castle. Its jagged wooden tips were already weakened and weathered and the mechanism that worked it broke under the lack of maintenance. “Come on. I was expecting something exciting! Something scary! Like the time you and Twilight fought off that Cyclops in the Everfree Woods.”

“Oh I don’t know about you. But that suit of armor we came across was pretty scary.”

“Fluttershy. You’re scared of everything.”

“Well you might want to curb your expectations.” Sunset chuckled, placing a hand over Fluttershy. “The ruins we explored were those of Yaztec origins. I doubt we’ll find anything similar to that around here.” That… and Twilight didn’t seem keen on meeting that monster again. Not until they knew how to defeat it.

“Ahh… poop.” Rainbow Dash groaned kicking a stone over to the wall. She expected danger, mystery. The kind of stuff Daring Do would find on a daily basis.

But just as they continued, a scream at the head of the column made them jolt upward.

“Rarity!?” They rushed to the fashionista’s side readying themselves for battle. “What happened? What did you find!?”

“It’s a disaster!” She screamed picking something from the floor. “Someone dropped this perfectly good engraved scarf! And now it’s torn and muddied all over! The resale value is ruined!”

“Ugh… figures.” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Can you save your panicked screams when there’s a real emergency?”

“A fashion emergency is a real emergency darling. Besides…” She took a quick sniff at the scarf. “This little thing certainly belongs to our dastardly man. His cologne trace seems to end here… along with his footprints.”

“Where is here exactly?” Sunset questioned when they looked around finding themselves out of the corridor and into some of open hall. Something that you wouldn’t find in a castle. “What is this place?”

Twilight immediately deduced its function. “Judging by the large open space, the stage, podium and decorations. I would say that this is some kind of mustering hall – or an auditorium. And it looks like the path splits here.” Two separate paths opened to them going even deeper into the fort. “It doesn’t look like we’ll make much progress like this. Should we split up?”

“It’ll certainly be a lot faster.” Sunset hesitated to agree but was countered by Rainbow’s reasoning.

“No way! Remember what I said earlier? No matter what happens, we stick together! It’s Dungeon Diving 101. The party of adventurers always have each other’s back. The moment we start splitting up, we’ll be picked off one by one. It’s just basic math.” Technically that’s not math. “Look. I’ve seen enough movies to know how this goes. The moment the main party splits, the bad guy hits and if we’re going on monster horror tropes, you should all know that the funny one always goes first.”

The gang turned over to Pinkie who immediately deflated at the thought. “What? Me? Funny? Pfahh! That’s rich. I’m not funny. If anyone’s the funny one it’s Fluttershy. Right?” She laughed awkwardly. “Right!?”

“But it’ll take us hours to search this castle.” Applejack complained. “I know I said that I was all about safety in numbers, but maybe we can set a limit to how far we can go.”

“No way. No splitting. There’s no way I’m falling for that trope. That’s even worse than… than…” Rainbow paused when she suddenly noted something glowing close by. “Uh… Sunset. Is your bag meant to be glowing?” And to her truth, Sunset’s backpack was indeed glowing. Strangely enough Twilight felt a strange sense of déjà vu growing in her chest. Somehow this feels very familiar.

Sunset reached to her bag, looking like she already knew what was making that light. She then pulled out the bracelet with the ominous black gem.

“The bracelet.” The redhead muttered. “It’s glowing again.”

And then as if they were coordinated, the tracker in Twilight’s hand began to let out a beeping noise. “Let me borrow that for a sec.” She grabbed the bracelet, putting the two objects together as they reacted almost identically. “There’s no mistaking it. There’s definitely Yaztec magic somewhere in here. And it looks like it’s coming from… here?” She pointed the two at the podium raising a confused brow. “Why here?”

“Careful Twilight.” Rainbow Dash warned. “When something like this happens it usually means someone’s about to activate a trap – or get eaten by giant swamp monsters. I can feel it in my gut.”

“Oh give it a rest Rainbow Dash. This isn’t like one of your comics or your movies. Real life doesn’t follow everything that hap---peennnnnnnnsss!!!!!” The floor beneath her suddenly vanished, her voice trailing off as she fell in.

“TWILIGHT!” The gang immediately rushed over a little too late as the trapdoor sealed itself back in. They tried to pry it open but to little avail.

“It’s not budging!”

“Stand back! I’m gonna break it open!” Applejack announced pulling up her sleeves. But before she could put her strength into it Sunset blocked her.

“No!”

“Why in tarnation not!? I can rip that thing in ten seconds flat!”

“Yeah and this whole castle with it! This whole area is built under a decrepit structure that’s already on the verge of falling into the ocean! The only thing holding it together are dirt and rotting wood. One big collision and you’ll bring this whole place down on top of us!” Yeesh. The thought of getting buried under a ton of rubble was more than enough to get Applejack and drop her arms.

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

“That pitfall trap must lead somewhere. Everyone split up! Search for a path going down! Pinkie, Fluttershy. You two with me. Rainbow Dash, take the others and go down the other path. We’ll meet back here in 15 minutes.” She didn’t bother waiting for an answer as she bolted right off picking one of the two paths.

“Didn’t you hear me earlier? Splitting up is a bad idea!” The rainbow haired gal groaned loudly. “Ugh. If anything bad happens, just remember I told you so! Come on girls.”

They quickly funneled into the second path but not before Pinkie yelled out to the trapdoor.

“Hey Twilight! If you can hear me, we’re coming for you! And if you can’t… well… just the same.”

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Twilight fell and fell for god knows how long. She thought she came upon some sort of death trap but instead she found herself sliding upon smooth surfaces that took her from side to side and loop de loops. It felt like one of those really tall slides in waterparks except without the water to lubricate her fall. She was going so fast that she wondered if she broke the sound barrier.

“Oh no. I think I’m going to be sick!”

Her face turned an unhealthy green as the slide continued for over 30 seconds before it finally stopped upon some kind of shutter. Her body crashed upon it breaking the door and its mechanism like a bowling ball. Twilight braced herself for impact. But fortunately she landed on a pile of pillows that was conveniently placed there to cushion the blow. The only downfall was the stench they generated.

“Ughhh! Ewww… gross!” She belched her tongue out plugging her nose. It was like falling onto a pile of brother’s dirty laundry all over again. Slowly she got back up, her legs wobbling weakly before she found her bearing. Once she got a sense of where was up and down, she turned over to the chute she came through groaning. “Ugh. You’ve got to be kidding me. I fell for a trap door? First that loop spell, now this? I seem to have a habit of falling for these traps. I can’t believe I’m saying this: But maybe Rainbow Dash is onto something with her movie tropes. If I did I’d probably would’ve ended up avoiding these mechanical hazards.”

After making a quick scan to make sure that she didn’t fall into any deathtraps like spikes poking out of the ground or the walls closing in on you, she quickly pulled out her phone which thankfully survived the fall with the exception of a small crack on the screen.

“Ugh… just great. Now I have to spend my holiday allowance to fix up my phone.” She dialed a number in and frowned deeper when call cut. “No signal? Guest I’m too deep underground for anything to reach this place.”

And… where was this place anyway?

Judging from the speed, distance and time it took to travel down the slide, divided by the seconds on the loop de loops she would say that she was at least a hundred feet below where she dropped. Maybe two or three stories tops.

Who knew that a castle like this would have such an elaborate tunnel system? But the question is… why?

Basements for storage were always a good necessity for castles and fortresses but this was a bit of an overkill. What good was having such a complex area if so few people could access it to begin with?

And… now that she had a look, there was something else odd about this place. The hallway she was in looked different from the rest of the fortress. From the surface level down to the basement floor her friends came across, the walls were made of a mixture of bricks and quarry stones. Here, the place was made from carved marble which made it looked more regal and opulent.

In fact… this place looked far more ancient than the castle.

Following the only path given to her, Twilight tiptoed her way through, flashing her cellphone light ahead just to make sure she wasn’t walking into another trap. She had enough of those, thank you very much.

But what came next caught her once more by complete surprise.

After just half a minute of walking, the nerd gal came upon a large open cavern that seemed to go beyond the cliff. Corals of all shapes and colors decorated the walls along with stalactites that formed a natural path around the area. Down below was a pier and docked next to it was what she could only describe to be a pirate ship.

A genuine, straight out of a movie set, pirate ship.

“I don’t believe it. That’s… actually Captain Hoofbeard’s ship! This is incredible!”

The ship was enormous. It was a schooner. No. A galleon maybe. There were rows of cannons sticking out of its body, stacks of goodies of god knows what strewn around. Heck, it even had a Jolly Roger flag hoisted above the crow’s nest.

Looking around, Twilight could see now why no one has found this place. When the castle collapsed, it caused a massive cave-in sealing the ocean entrance, trapping this ship inside.

Now Twilight might not be a fan of all that pirate adventure in movies and comics, but even she could appreciate something as magnificent as an ancient warship of the colonial era. Heck, if Rainbow Dash was here she’d have a smile so wide that it’d split her face in two. And she wouldn’t blame her. How often do you find something so cool just sitting there? Untouched for god knows how long. No amount of magic or evil sorcery could ever compare to the genuine dashing debonair of the high seas.

This totally makes up for falling in the trapdoor.

But her excitement came to a crawl when her eyes noted something moving from the corner of her eye. A humanoid figured brushing pass the sands below. It definitely wasn’t her friends and it definitely wasn’t her imagination. Someone was here with her. And knowing the list of people who would be here, she would guess that it was Hoity Toity.

Her magic tracker began blinking once again. The signal was stronger and it was definitely coming from inside the ship. Whatever was emanating that strong magical presence was there.

Ok let’s look at this logically. There’s no way her friends can get to her in time, and there doesn’t seem to be any way out of here other than the staircase on the other side of the cavern. She could go around the place and avoid conflict entirely. But that would mean Hoity would get his hands on whatever magical artifact is in there. Thus making him stronger and making their clash even more difficult than it needs to be.

Weighing these options, it seems like the only choice was clear.

She needed to beat him to the relic, get out of there and find her friends.

Shouldn’t be too hard.

If she can escape a giant Cyclops golem by a hair’s breadth, this should be a walk in the park.

Courage Twilight. Courage for your friends and mostly for yourself. You can do this.

Going into sneak mode, the girl huddled down and made her way to the ship. Again that monstrous thing looked enormous up close. And the mermaid ornament at the figurehead of the ship looked like it was made out of solid gold. A piece like that would net anyone a fortune. Heck she might even be able to pay her mom and dad a decade’s worth of electricity bills if she can carry it out of here.

No. Stop it Twilight. You’re geeking off again. Focus on the problem at hand not the problem ahead. Yes the ship is cool, yes the finder’s fee would be great to have but none of that will matter if Hoity gets the artifact. Get your head out of the clouds.

She boarded the ship by the lowered planks following the figure. She caught a glimpse of him walking up to the captain’s cabin. Typical. Where else would a treasure of great power be held on board a ship? He left the door open too. Either he was lax or overconfident.

No sign of any shadow monsters either. Not that she’d be able to see any.

Still, the signal on her tracker was getting stronger. The magical artifact was definitely in there. No time to lose. If this was a trap, it was going to be the last one she springs.

Crouching down, she snuck through the opened door and peaked in. The light from the outside did not reach in here making it hard to see. But she was more than certain that the man was in here.

It was a game of who was playing who at this point. A battle of wits and cunning. Only the one who attacks first would have the advantage. As they say: The first one to move in a game of chess normally wins. It will be…

“BWAH!” She fell head first on the floor with a loud yelp when her shoe caught a loose plank tripping her posture. “Ow… dang it.” When she regained her focus, the first thing she saw was a shadowy figure holding a rusty sabre threateningly. “AHHHH!”

“GAHHH!” The figure screamed back and jerked back when Twilight activated her geode casting the full strength of her powers. She flailed her hands back and forth tossing everything she could latch on at the aggressor. Tables, chairs, old antique globes and everything that wasn’t nailed to the ground were sent at him in a desperate defense. “Ow! Hey! Wait a second! Twilight! STOP!”

When the last object was thrown the girl finally took a breath only to gasp when she suddenly realized who it was she trapped. “Flash!?”

The boy waved his free hand awkwardly as he was trapped behind a small mound of furniture. “Hey there. I’d say it’s nice to see ya but do you mind getting this off me?”

“How did you…” She raised her hand up only to pull a stop when she realized that it might just be a trick. “No that’s not possible. How do I know you’re the real Flash Sentry and not some illusion?”

“Uh… I’m not?” He shrugged. “Come on Twilight. You know me.”

“Exactly. And I find it highly suspicious that you’re here on a pirate ship no less. Sneaking around like thief.”

“It’s a pirate ship!” He reasoned. “What other reason would I need? It’s every kids’ dream to be on a pirate ship!” Ok she’ll give him that. This place did look pretty cool and she couldn’t resist coming aboard.

“Alright fine. But I’m more suspicious that I find you here when no one told you where we were going.”

“Hey I didn’t even know you were coming here. I swear. This is all just a strange coincidence. I was doing a favor for my dad when I heard that Hoity Toity was here.”

“A likely story.” She sharpened her eyes at him not taking the boy out of her sight for even a second. “Or more like you’re an illusion trying to trick me!”

“I’m not an illusion!” He insisted. And honestly he did sound like Flash. “Look I’ll prove it. I have a dog named Bananas!”

“Everyone knows that!”

“Oh right. Umm… I secretly come from a very rich family.”

“Hoity Toity knows that too.” She countered earning a grunt from his mouth.

“I know that there’s a portal to another world in our school.”

“Again. Everyone knows that too.” It was actually kind of a well-kept secret actually. It was amazing no one ratted it out yet.

“Ok fine then. You ask me. Ask me anything. Something only the real me would know.”

The thing only the real Flash Sentry would know. There were so many things she could ask. His mom, his past which she didn’t know either. Or…

“I got it!” Her brain lit up like a light bulb. Slowly she turned to face him, flashing her cellphone at his face. “What did you do to Sunset’s apartment?” He blinked a few times as if the question flew in and out.

“How did you know about…?”

“Answer the question!” She demanded, raising another chair threatening him with it. “What did you do to Sunset’s apartment?”

The boy sighed in defeat, his free arm going limp. “I… bought it.” His answer deflated her anxiety like a balloon. “I bought Sunset’s apartment after it burned down.” Satisfied with his reply, Twilight carefully removed the furniture off him, stacking them in another corner. “Thanks. But how’d you find out?”

“Rainbow Dash might’ve let it slip.” Somehow he didn’t seem all that surprise either. That girl never really could hold a secret. “But the bigger question right now is: What are you doing here? How’d you know where we were?”

“I didn’t.” He patted the dirt off him. “I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t know you girls were even coming over here. I just heard that Hoity Toity was around so I thought that the most logical thing to do was to follow him. Find out what he was doing all the way here.”

“The most logical thing to do in that scenario would be to CALL us.” Twilight scolded him.

“Yeah. I wanted to do that. But cell reception isn’t exactly the best around here.” That’s true. Even her phone didn’t seem to be receiving any signal. If she did her friends would’ve been calling it a long time ago. “I’m guessing you’re here for the same reason?”

“Pretty much.” She confirmed it with a nod. “We discovered that Hoity was coming here to scout out a venue for his pageant show so we decided to track him here. It’s one of the few times he’s not surrounded by his followers or fans.”

“That makes sense. Wouldn’t want to make the headlines where you girls ambush a well-known celebrity. Speaking of which, where are the others?”

“We got separated.” An event that she regretted. “I stumbled upon a trap door leading all the way here.” She quickly raised a hand as he opened his mouth. “Don’t ask.” But her attention fell once more to her tracker. “It’s here…”

“What’s here?”

“A magic artifact. I’ve been tracking since we got here. We believe Hoity might be after it too. And it’s really close. Mind holding the light for me?” The boy complied putting out his phone and flashing it in the direction her tracker was pointing. Thankfully they didn’t have to look far and found that whatever was generating magic was coming from a solid sweet looking treasure chest. “There. It’s coming from in there.” She fibbed with the rusty lock with little luck. “Ugh… it’s locked. Figures.”

“Why don’t you let me handle this?” Flash offered taking the lead on this. Quickly pulling out the sabre he held earlier and began jimmying the lock. It took some effort and a little bit of savagery. But with some brute strength, the lock snapped through its rusted parts, exposing its marvelous contents for all to see. “Wala. And now… to the victor goes the spoils!”

“I seriously doubt there’s any treasure in there.”

“Oh come on Twilight. Where’s your sense of adventure? This is THE ship of the Legendary Pirate, Hoofbeard! I’d expect a trove full of gold coins, a stash of precious gems, the royal jewels from a long forgotten monarchy.” He opened the chest only to have his expectations shot down. “… or a bunch of useless rocks.”

“Oh those aren’t just rocks.” Twilight could pick out the object from within the pile like a magnet pulling a needle out of a haystack. “These are ancient Yaztec stone carvings. Your father’s collection had a few of them just like these. How do you not know this?”

He shrugged. “Hey, once you’ve seen a few of these things lying around in your house, you won’t be able to tell one from the other.” But then his eyes glanced upward noting a painting smiling down on him. “Whoa… check it out. Is that who I think it is?”

Twilight looked up and was also enthralled by the painting of a man. He had every hallmarks of a stereotypical pirate. A gold tooth, a wooden leg, eye patch, a long well groomed beard that have been woven in two knots and more than enough accessories to signify all his achievements. “That’s Captain Hoofbeard. The last of the most notorious pirates ever to grace the ocean before he disappeared hundreds of years ago. This must be one of the last depictions of him.”

Flash rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Yeah. I also think it’ll look great in my game room. But that’s not what I was talking about. I’m actually more interested in that thing he’s wearing.” He shined his light closer to the portrait gesturing the obvious. “See anything familiar?”

She squinted at the mark and gasped when the object became obvious. Right on the pirate’s wrist was the same unmistakable bracelet that they’ve come to recognize. The black gem in particular alarmed her the most.

“That’s… the same gemstone as Cinch and Hoity used!”

“Bingo.” Flash clicked his tongue in agreement.

“But that would mean that the secret society is over hundreds of years old. No. Even before that. Hoofbeard was born during the pre-colonial era. It could be even older.” Her eyes snapped open. “We need to tell Sunset and the others. This is a major breakthrough!” But she stopped halfway when her tracker activated again pointing into the pile of rocks. “The artifact. I think I found it.” She reached in and grab the most intact looking statuette gasping when she pulled it out.

“Hey… isn’t that the same one that Sunset had. The thing Hoity was after?”

“The Portal Stone.” Twilight confirmed it tracing her finger at the goddess figurine. It resembled the one they found in the caves near Everfree Woods but with a few noteworthy difference. Either way, it had the same function and it radiated with enough magic to power all their geodes. “This confirms it. The black gem and this artifact? Captain Hoofbeard was definitely a member of the secret society. He must’ve been stealing magical relics from various locations throughout his pirating days.”

Flash whistled in admiration. “Wow. Talk about going after your above-average pirate. I was satisfied with gold and jewels. But this guy really takes treasure hunting to a whole new level.”

“Flash! This is serious!” She scolded. “Think about it. If Hoofbeard was on a mission to steal and hoard artifacts in his pirating days, imagine what other treasures lay within? Any of them could contain magic. Dangerous magic. The kind of magic we don’t understand yet!” Her voice traced off dangerously as she stuffed the statue in her bag. “Who knows what other relics Hoofbeard stored here.”

“Well if I was a pirate, I’d probably keep my most important stuff somewhere only I’d know – or a place only I can get to, like my locker in school or Banana’s secret crib.”

“Or a treasure vault.”

“That too.” He nodded. “But I’ve already searched this ship from top to bottom and I didn’t see anything that looked like treasure.”

“Hoofbeard would’ve kept it somewhere in the castle.” Twilight sounded so certain. “I’m sure of it. Come on. If we leave now we’ll probably find more along the way.”

“What about your friends?”

“They’ll be fine.” She reassured him. “They’re way smarter than you give them credit.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“I knew this was a stupid idea!” Rainbow Dash cursed out loud as she and her group high-tailed it through the corridor being chased by a swarm of snakes.

“Of course it is! You came up with it!” Applejack retorted not slowing her pace. “I knew we shouldn’t have opened all those rooms all at once!”

“Hey! You’re the one who wanted to be quick and efficient.”

“But also playing smart! Figured you’d lead us in trouble on the first leg of the search. This is the last time I’m letting you take the lead.”

“Well if you think you can do a better job, then try it!”

“Girls!” Rarity shouted, keeping up with the two as pythons literally began snapping at their heels. And… did those snakes look a little off? “I don’t wish to be the pushy one here, but can you please stop arguing and get to more running!?! Eeeeeekk!” With the power of fear controlling her, the fashionista boosted pass them, holding onto her hat like it was a part of her life.

“Where’s Fluttershy when you need her!?”

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“Eeeeeep!!” Pinkie Pie screamed to the top of her lungs and she ran down the hall, her face paler than concrete. A rolling boulder chased after them, flattening everything within its path. Apparently they stepped on a raised platform earlier which triggered one of the few remaining traps that were left. “I knew it! I knew this is how it was going to end for me! To be flattened like a pancake and gobbled up by a monster! Oh the irony!”

“Pinkie!” Sunset pushed her to go faster. “Quit yabbering!”

“Tell my story of my fare friends. For we are to be… the flattest of ca--”

“We’re not gonna get flattened! Now move it!” She snapped her head to the back shouting. “Fluttershy! Keep running!”

“WHAT DO YOU THINK I’M DOING!!??”

“Ugh… where’s Applejack when you need her?”

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“So… you girls were really planning to ambush Hoity Toity, right here?” Flash questioned as the silence filled the void in their travels. They exited the docks and went back through the path Flash had come through finding another winding corridor that seemed to stretch further than anyone could imagine. “How was that supposed to work?”

Twilight shrugged back not really bothered by the question. “Well our original plan was to catch him at the resort, not the castle. We figured that we’d catch him alone somewhere and question him and this place seemed perfect.”

“Just like what you guys did with Cinch.”

“Yeah… and you know how that ended.” How can he forget? He still has the scar to remember it by. “Speaking of Cinch. That reminds me. Sunset is not gonna be happy to know you’re here.”

Yeah he knew that. “I figured as much seeing as she didn’t tell me you guys were coming here. And let me guess.” He let out a tiresome sigh. “She said that she was trying to protect me from all of the danger?”

“Pretty much.” Twilight shrugged. “Though I think she’s trying to be polite by not telling you.”

“More like she doesn’t want me in her adventures.”

“Don’t think of it like that Flash. You know she’s doing this because she doesn’t want you to get hurt. You have to look at it through her perspective.”

“Well that kind of thing works both ways.” He countered. “She doesn’t want to see me get hurt and I don’t want to see her get hurt either. You think it’s fun for me to just sit back and do nothing? Last year you girls saved an entire cruise ship from ending up on a deserted island. And the year before that you saved everyone in Camp Everfree from Gloriosa’s magic. Not to mention what happened at the friendship games.”

“Sunset just wants to protect this world.”

“But this is my world too. Don’t I get to protect it?”

“Flash…”

“Look. I’m not saying that I should start throwing lightning out of my fingers. I know my limits. But would it kill her to simply rely on others?”

“Is that why you didn’t tell her about the apartment?”

He sighed for what felt like the fifth or sixth time in the last hour. “Pretty much. I figured if she knew, she’ll feel indebted to me. I just want to help. Is that so wrong?”

No. No it was not. But Twilight couldn’t bring herself to say that. She understood his side of the story but also Sunset. The only reason why they were out there bumping heads with evil magic in the first place was because of their own powers. If things had gone differently, they might actually live ordinary lives instead of all this mayhem. They’d have ordinary teenager problems like school, prom, tests, and boys…

“What about you?” Flash continued, directing another question her way.

“Wh-what about me?”

“What do you think about me? Do you think I shouldn’t be helping out too?”

“I…” Her answer froze up in her mouth when a familiar sensation came over her skin. “Wait… did you feel that?”

“Feel what?” He directed his light ahead feeling a chilly breeze pass over. He squinted trying to get a better look but his phone suddenly began to flicker. “Oh come on. What’s with this thing?”

“There’s Yaztec magic coming from in here. And it’s really strong.” She pointed in the general direction of her tracker only to come face to face with a wall.

“Uh… sorry to burst your bubble, but this is kind of a dead end.”

“But that can’t be.” She tapped the side of her tracking device implementing the oldest trick in the book in mechanics: Smack it till it works. “A power that immense must be close by.” Her eyes snapped open in realization. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Flash asked as she pulled out the bracelet with the black gem from her pocket. “Is that…?”

“Hold my hand.” The girl ordered to which he reluctantly complied, her tender fingers wrapped in his as the gem in her other hand hummed. “Ok. Oh! And just a heads up. You might feel a little… weird or nauseous.”

“Why would I feel nauoo—ooohh~!” And before he could even get a reply, the corridor around them twisted in swish and swirls. The closest word for a description would be that of a quick tour around Pinkie Pie’s brain.

Flash held his stomach, feeling like he had just gone through a 50 foot drop and then taken to the blender for a 2 hour spin before finally being given the sweet relief of death.

“Oh… so that’s what you mean.” His face turn a shade of green before curling to the ground.

But Twilight on the other hand had a look of euphoria. “I knew it! This is it!” The room around her had changed from that of a single hallway to that of a gigantic hall with no doors or windows. Murals of ancient times decorated the wall, statues of animals and forgotten gods and paragons protrude from out of the grounds acting as both decorative models and support pillars, while gorgeous tapestries dangled from the ceiling. A few torches came to life as if answering the call of the visitors. And there standing at the center of the room was a large squared window reminiscent of the one she saw in the caves. “My hypothesis was correct! Take a look Flash.”

He held one finger up. “Yeah. One moment. Ugh. Just gonna… breathe some good old fashion air. Hurkk!”

Hmph. Transdimentional traveling amateur.

“This is amazing.” Twilight continued her awe as she scanned the room. “The whole castle seems to have been built on top of an ancient Yaztec ruin! The colonials couldn’t possibly have known that this thing was under them this whole time!”

“If they didn’t, then you think Hoofbeard knew?”

“Absolutely. That’s because he had this.” She dangled the bracelet with a wide-eyed nerd grin. “I didn’t understand it at first when I stumbled upon the portal room in the caves. But this second attempt here proves it. This black gem isn’t just some kind of medium for magic. It’s a key. Just like our geode and the barrier Sunset put up back at the house. There’s some kind of defense system here that keeps people from finding this room. An illusion maybe. The mechanism and techno-sorcery skill needed to make this place function must be astoundingly complex!”

“O… k? So how does it work?”

She was thankful that he asked. “Well… I had some theories. The last time I activated one of these things, there were a few key factors. Firstly…” She pulled out the Portal stone from her bag and placed it on the podium letting it face the gateway. Unsurprisingly it fits on it like a glove. “First we need the primary multi-formulative-transdimentional-portal key set on the exact angle. Then we throw in this black gemstone.” Putting the bracelet on her hand, she gently reached out to the object raising her hand just right above its head. “And then……”

…

Nothing.

Flash blinked. “Uh… and step three would be?”

Twilight tilted her head confused. “There is no step three. The portal was supposed to open. I don’t understand.” She flicked the gemstone. “Is it broken?”

“Don’t these things usually have a magical incantation or something? Like a code phrase or reverse words. The movies usually depict these things.”

Oh great, another movie enthusiast. As if Rainbow Dash wasn’t enough already. But sadly Twilight couldn’t come up with a counter. “Eh. It can’t hurt to try. Umm… err… hocus pocus?”

…

Twilight could feel the boy’s judgmental stare burning at the back of her head. “Really? That’s your magic word?”

“Hey I’m a scientist, not a movie geek. You help me think of one.”

Flash rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand suddenly feeling a strange pull from his wound. He looked but thought of it as nothing more but a trick of the wind. “Well… how about open sesame?” Nope. “Abracadabra!” Still nothing. “I command you to open! Open says me! Opera is secretly a rock music!”

“That’s not even a thing!”

“1-2-3-4-5-6! Arrrrrg! Open this here portal or ye shall be walkin the plank!”

Her expression twisted in confusion. “Are you… trying a pirate expression?”

“Hey if Hoofbeard managed to get this thing open with a pirate accent, it can’t hurt to try.” He turned to the portal. “Arrrrg! Give me my booty or you’ll be swimming with the sharks argggg!”

“Ok stop. Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

Ridiculously funny is what he thought. “Oh come on. I still got plenty left in me.”

“Not while we’re in a crucial moment. Try to take this seriously.”

He shrugged. “Well the only one we haven’t tried is ‘Please’”

“Please? Really? That’s the best you got? You’re lucky you don’t have magic.” And as if to answer than challenge, the gemstone suddenly activated along with the statue. A torrent of wind blew from the gateway itself blowing a gale that smells reminiscent of the ocean. “WHOOOAAA!”

“Twilight!” The boy grabbed her, his shoes being dragged through the smooth marbled floor as they were pulled closer to the gate. “Take that thing off!”

“No don’t!” She countered. “This is the same thing that happened in the other portal. This is supposed to happen.”

The vibration grew longer and louder and the pull became even stronger. But by the end of it all, the result was worth the trouble. The gateway blew open and the statue’s eyes lit up like a beacon sending a powerful beam that tore a fabric through time and space. For a moment they thought that the whole thing was going to bring this whole place down but thankfully the support pillars held.

Twilight got back up and turned to the portal expecting to see another scenery. But instead she found the thing looking like a TV with a terrible reception.

The swirling gateway flickered constantly like someone rapidly changing channels on a television. First it was just a couple of sceneries, but then it went from caves, to an underwater location, then a jungle.

“Is this thing broken?” Flash looked to her for answers which her facial expression said all.

“I don’t know. It wasn’t like this back in the cave.” She tapped the bracelet once more trying to fix the problem. “Maybe we did something wrong. Quick. Try using more magic words.”

“Uh…”

“Come on! If this keeps up we might end up with a magical meltdown!”

“Oh! Umm… Yabadaba doo? Fabbergash! Uh… wingardium levenza! Jack and Jill!”

“That’s not a magic word!”

“Well I’m sorry! I’m not exactly good under pressure!” Sparks began to fly as the portal suddenly vibrated, its tear slowly building up something dangerous. “Should we be running?”

“No! We need to stop this thing. We need to stabilize it.”

“And how do we do that?”

She looked around unsure. “I… don’t know. Maybe we can adjust the magical mechanism in the bracelet.”

The boy darted to his surroundings for a moment before turning to the statue. “What if we remove th—?” But his fingers barely even touched it when the statue sent out a shockwave so powerful that it sent him flying backward smashing towards the wall and then falling to a pile of jars that thankfully broke his fall. “Ow…”

“Flash! Hang on. I’m coming!” Twilight tried to reach him but the pull on the bracelet only got stronger dragging her dangerously closer to the portal. Sparks of magic danced around the room. It reminded her somewhat of what happened during the Friendship Games. Raw magic that goes uncontrolled can be devastating. And portal magic in particular were even more dangerous. “Ugh… come on you stupid thing! Stop glitching out RIGHT NOW!” She grabbed onto her geode and sent her magic through. It was a crude method but it was the only thing she had on hand.

It was pretty much a roll of the dice at this point and for once she actually won. The merging of two magic somehow right two wrongs. The portal now stabilized, its image now returning to a calm swirling vortex.

“Wow. I can’t believe that actually worked.” She said in amazement of her own luck. “I guess Rainbow Dash was right. Sometimes you really gotta go with your gut.”

“Yes. Quite remarkable.”

Twilight froze when a familiar voice crept behind her. She spun around noticing that the bracelet has released her from its grip only to come a full stop when a droplets of black goo fell from the ceiling creating a puddle of darkness on the surface. And soon that puddle rose up forming into the shape of a man, the dark jelly becoming solid before it flashed a sadistic grin.

“Very remarkable indeed.”

“You!?”

"Hoity?" Flash gasped, watching him flick his fingers calling forth a creature from his shadow. The boy barely had a chance to yell when it smothered him with its body dragging him downward into the marbled surface. "H... hey! Let go of me!"

"Flash!"

"Twilight!" She tried to reach him but he was soon dragged to the floor sinking along with the monster. It vanished a second later leaving no trace of its existence.

"No... no no no no... NO!" Twilight traced the ground trying to find some trace of him, but to no avail. Anger rose to her face as she turned over to the man responsible. "Give him back!" She ponied up, raising her hand threateningly.

But oddly enough Hoity responded with a simple gesture of peace. "Now now. Let's not be too hasty. We both know it was better for him to be out of the picture."

"If you hurt a hair on him..."

"Please, Ms. Sparkle. I assure you. Harming that boy will be the last thing I do on this world. I detest violence." There wasn't any lie in that sentence - at least not that she could tell. He flicked his shades upward and cast a polite smile on her. "Now that we have some alone time. Let's talk."

Author's Note

Come on Hoity. Everyone knows that Husbando materials are off limits. Now you've gone and ticked her off. And we all know that a confronting a lady in rage is like running head first into a rhino stampede. Hope you got insurance. Cuz mad Twilly is a dangerous Twilly :twilightangry2:

Magic VS Magic

Chapter 36: Magic VS Magic

Twilight wasn’t really sure how anger worked. In fact, she can’t really remember the last time she was ever angry. But the burning rage coming from the pit of her stomach was probably the closest thing she can imagine. Her nostrils flared and her breathing became sharp and huffy. Her muscles tensed up, itching to throw a haymaker. Every fiber of her body wanted to burst out and throw the heaviest thing she could get her magic hands on.

“Give my friend back, right now!” She ponied up, her fingers glowing with magic threatening to lash out the moment he made one wrong move.

“Now now, my dear. Let’s not resolve this with violence. We are far better than that. Surely someone of your pedigree can afford to be civil.”

Oh I’ll show you civil.

“I’m not saying another word to you until you return Flash to me!”

“Please Ms. Sparkle. Calm down. I assure you, that boy is safe where he is. Far safer than here.” He raised his hand up dangling his bracelet. “But that might change if you continue with your aggression.” That threat was enough to curb her anger, or at least lowered it to manageable levels. “Very good…” He smiled. “I take it that I need no introductions?”

Her teeth seethed. “What do you want from me? And… how do you know my name?”

“I know all of your associates, Ms. Sparkle. You and your friends and your plans to ambush me in this castle. I’ve known all of your movements since my pageant show the other night. But I did not know of this place until you uncovered it for me.” There was a hint of admiration hidden in his voice. Almost like he was congratulating her. “Marvelous, isn’t it? An ancient Yaztec portal, hidden under our very noses. It took us almost 2 years to find one and figure out its mechanism. Yet here you are, doing all that in the span of 2 minutes. That has to be a record. How did you do it?”

“What makes you think I’d tell you?” She seethed venomously.

“Come now. As a fellow enthusiast of all things occult, surely you can understand my curiosity. Besides, I detest violence.”

“Not exactly convincing.”

“I do engage in such things unless it’s absolutely necessary. If I did, I wouldn’t have appeared before you now.”

“Try telling that to Sunset.”

He opened his mouth to counter but found himself cornered in that argument. “Hmm… yes. I must admit that things did get a bit… out of hand in that skirmish.”

“You burned down her apartment!”

“I offer no excuses for that. We were not there to harm her. We were only interested in the Travel Stone she possessed.” Travel Stone? Was that what they call the Portal Stone? “Please extend my apologies to your friend. And let her know that I am willing to pay for all the damages done by my… accomplices.” His eyes cast upon his minion who shuddered back, eyes drooping downward. “It’s hard to find good help these days.”

“So you really are after the stone. Why?”

His brow cocked upward. “Why… to study it of course. Just like you, I assume. It takes a great amount of magical energy to power these things. Creating a ripple through time and space can be quite demanding.”

It does? Strange. She hardly needed any effort to activate them. “Wait. If you already have one of these, then why do you need another one? Can’t you just study yours?”

A chuckle escaped him. “If only it were that easy, my dear Twilight. These relics are not only powerful but they’re also containers for a great amount of magic. And seeing this one activate a portal, means it possess large quantities of raw energy. And we need a lot of them.”

“To use the Chalice of Wishes.” She deduced, which sparked a reaction from him.

“You know about the Chalice as well?”

“I know that you’re organization are hoarding a lot of magical artifacts and built that extra wing in the Museum of Natural History. Something to do with the Winter Solstice.”

For a brief moment his mask dropped, or more literally his shades. They tilted down revealing a corner of his strangely swirling pupils as if caught unaware. “That is… surprisingly accurate. I’m starting to see how you were able to defeat Cinch. Clearly she underestimated you.”

“What are your plans? Who are you? What’s your organization up to? What do you need the Chalice for?”

Hoity quickly raised one hand to stop her. “Too many questions, and I am not in liberty to speak of any of them. My Master would be furious with my loose lips.” He then casually looked over his watch nodding. “Such a shame we have little time. I wanted to spend these hours trapping you and your friends here but with this new discovery, my schedule has changed drastically. I’ll just be taking this thing and be on my merry wa-” He reached for the portal stone, only to have it suddenly ripped from its pedestal and pulled away towards Twilight. The portal that it held open soon closed not long after leaving only a few torches to light the area.

“Not happening.”

His eyes sharpened like daggers. Hoity didn’t like being played the fool. “I will have that stone, if you please.”

The nerd gal tucked the object into her satchel and readied herself for battle. “You want it? Come and take it.”

The fashion star laughed at her attempt of bravery. “You obviously have no clue what position you are in, girl. You know my strength and the strength of my minions.” Two lamias rose to his side, their claws extended.

“What happened to not liking violence?”

“Oh I detest it. But I will still use it to get what I want. Especially from children who don’t know better.”

“Then it looks like you’re gonna have to try.”

“Your friends cannot reach you here. You’re outgunned and outnumbered.”

“I don’t think so.” With one swift motion she reached back into her satchel producing a thin crown before placing it on her head. Putting her magic into the object, the jewel on the accessory shined and out came four replicas of her, standing in formation.

To say the least, Hoity was definitely surprised. His foot unconsciously made him step back, out of fear. “How in the…?”

“Now. I’m gonna ask you one last time.” She and her copies stepped forward, hands brimming with power. “Give Flash back!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Well… this was something you don’t experience every day. Flash certainly thought so.

First you discover a long lost pirate ship hidden inside a cave, find out that said pirate might be a wizard from the colonial days, get teleported to a room, somehow activated said portal and then get smothered by a shadow monster which then teleported him to another room entirely.

Despite its setbacks, this day was going surprisingly well.

The shadow creature dropped him over to what looked like a store room like a sack of meat tossing him aside before vanishing back into the darkness. It was a strange sensation to move like that. Like his body was being ripped and assembled all at once. Totally different from the first time but the result was the same. His stomach churned and his head felt wobbly. Was this the same as being air-sick? Either way, it was official. Teleporting sucked.

Brushing away his sickness and swallowing his vomit, the boy got up trying to make sense of his surroundings. Wherever that creature dropped him, it was certainly in another place under the castle. A closet maybe. The walls were close enough that he could reach one side from the other. There was door too but it was heavy and wouldn’t budge an inch.

“Hey!” He banged it a few times shouting. “Anybody out there!?” The silence was all that answered back. That and maybe a few insects that lingered in the area. The shadow monster that brought him here didn’t seem to be around either.

Ok Flash. Stay calm. You’ve been in tough situations before. If you can survive a sinking cruise ship, you can get out of a small cabinet. No need to panic. Panic saves no one. You need to think hard and fast. Twilight is facing that man and his minions alone so she’s counting on you.

What do we have to work with? A cell phone with 76% battery, his wallet with some loose change and driving license, his jacket, shoes? Great! Maybe he can play a game of Cake Crush while waiting for help.

Dang it! How was he supposed to help out if he’s trapped in this closet? Its times like these he wished he had magic or some kind of power that could blast his way through this obstacle. He was supposed to be a support, not a burden.

And right now he refused to be some kind of hostage for Hoity to use against his friends. So like many others, he decided to go with his gut and brute force his way out. Bracing himself on the wall he lifted his feet and let out a mighty kick. The impact had a positive effect as he heard some of the pieces come loose. He mustered his strength again and struck ignoring the pain emanating from his hand. Three more times followed and it repeated over and over, until finally the door hinges gave in.

He dropped on the ground with a heavy thud.

“If you wanna put Flash Sentry inside a box. You’d better make sure he doesn’t come back out!” He shouted strongly at the closet, trying to act like one of those heroes on the big screen. “Now… where do I go from here?”

“HELP!!!” He got his answer in the form of a cry for help coming from the corridor. The voice sounded familiar. “Help~~~~!” He quietly took a peek and saw three figures running for their dear lives from a pack of snakes that were hot on their trail.

xxxxxxxxxx

Hoity grunted loudly when he felt a rock brush against his beautiful one-of-a-kind designer T-shirt. The sharp edges grazed him but it was enough to tear through his precious fabric ruining his perfect image.

He wasn’t expecting this kind of resistance from this girl. From what he gathered, she looked more like a sheltered nerd than a magician. But he was soon proven wrong when she began to dish out magic like she had plenty to spare.

Her copies ran amok, going on all sides confusing him while dishing out the same power she did. They used some form of telekinesis to throw objects at him, and a few basic light spells that kept his minions at bay. It was enough to turn this supposed one-sided-slaughter into an all-out magical brawl.

Perhaps he judge them wrong. He thought that Sunset was the most powerful out of all of them but he was certainly dead wrong about that. Her powers combined with the rage she was feeling inside numbed her pain and fueled her energy three-folds. If his lamias weren’t so translucent, they probably would’ve been flattened by her powers long ago. Each time her copies gets shredded, ripped or torn apart she would simply summon another one from that crown and replenish her numbers back to full strength. And here he thought he had the advantage in numbers.

And the fact that she was able to land even a grazing hit on him was an achievement on its own.

Still… the matter was clear. She had the Travel Stone. And he was getting it. One way or another.

“Kaaz! Enough playing around! Be done with her already!” His lamias obeyed and quickly began wiping another two of Twilight’s copies, closing in on the original. But the girl blasted them back with another light spell along with the two other copies which sent them reeling back. Normally such a flimsy attack wouldn’t even make his monster flinch but this girl…

She was powerful. Far more powerful than Sunset could ever be. It was like she had a pool of unlimited magic hidden inside of her. And she had little to no disregard on how to use it.

“Give my friend back!” She dislodged a marble stone from the wall and threw it at him, which missed, crashing the ground by a few feet. That girl might be powerful but she had little control over her powers. And that… seemed to make her even more dangerous.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken her boyfriend from right under her nose.

“RAHH!” His minion lunged forward with her claws swiping another clone to dust. But that proved futile as another replaced her almost immediately and blasted her with a beam of light. Its skin boiled and bubbled forcing it to retreat.

That same scenario repeated itself in different order again and again. It was like having déjà vu put on repeat but worse. It was enough to drive a man mad.

“If you want something done…” He groaned before finally joining the fight. With a swift motion he raised his hand up dangling the black gem and called for unnatural powers to his aid. A beam of energy blasted from his hand blowing a segment of the room to pieces taking down Twilight’s clones in an instant. “I will have that stone!”

“You want it?” She taunted. “Come and get it.”

He answered that challenge.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunset panted heavily as she tried to catch her breath in the corridor. She wasn’t sure how much more they could take. This place was supposed to be clear of traps a long time ago but it seems like whoever made that statement must’ve missed a few of them. First it was that giant rolling boulder of death, which Pinkie triggered because of another of her shenanigans. Then they stepped on a raised plate which activated a bunch of dart blowers on the wall. Luckily whatever toxin was in them had already expired. Otherwise they’d be seeing spots. The next trap they sprung was the water pit which dropped them in a pit of… well… water. There was probably supposed to be a secondary function to that trap but it must’ve been busted.

But the worst of them all was definitely the locked room with the walls closing in on them. It was scary enough to see those on the big screen, they didn’t need to experience it in real life. Thankfully Pinkie had a few explosive pastries hidden in her hair which they used to blast themselves out of there.

Now they were here, out of breath and having absolutely no idea where they were.

She didn’t like saying that Rainbow Dash had a point with her movies, but whoever designed this castle certainly took a page out of her adventure books. The only thing missing now was a shark pit.

“Ok… let’s set some… new ground rules. Ow.” She said through pants of breath while removing some darts from her arm, the needles felt like wasp stings but less dangerous. “No more running ahead, no more pressing random buttons, no more hopping for fun, no more ‘Oooh what does this button do?’ gimmick, and certainly no more random guessing which way to go next. We are doing this properly and carefully. Got it?”

“Wooyay~~~” Pinkie agreed – or at least she think she agrees. It was hard to tell. The poor girl had arrows sticking out of her puffy hair which were thankfully blunted by the pastries she had hidden inside.

“Got it…” Fluttershy said weakly. The girl must’ve been pretty tuckered out from all that running… and screaming… and shouting. But mostly the screaming bit. She had a few burnt marks on the edges of her clothes, which would undoubtedly bring Rarity to tears.

“Right.” Wiping the sweat off her brow, Sunset decided to move first. “Let’s take this step by step. I’ll go first. Follow exactly where I walk. The last thing we need is stepping on another…” Her hand pressed against the wall tile which slipped in sounding an audible click. “… trap.” A shutter opened right above her dumping a bucket load of sludge on her. She cringed heavily, noting the strange particular smell. “Please. Please tell me this is just mud.”

Pinkie took a quick whiff and immediately backed away from her, pinching her nose and resisting the urge to hurl. “Ewww… gross.” Even Fluttershy agreed, backing away from the strong odor.

“Arghhh! Whyyyyyyy!? Of all the traps, it had to be a stink trap! I’ll take a shark tank or a hundred other traps than this!” Wish it and you shall receive it. As her tantrum unavoidably sprung another raised tile activating another shutter door blowing even more darts at them. “I WASN’T SERIOUS!”

“Run!” And run they did, dodging another array of anti-intruder defenses. “When we get out of this, I am never gonna make fun of Rainbow Dash’s movies ever again!”

“Me too!” Fluttershy agreed only to pause when she noted her friend falling behind. “Sunset! Hurry!”

“I’m trying! But this sludge is sticky and… ugh… smelly too.” The girl struggled with her steps trying to pull her leg out of the slimy thing. “Help! Ow!” A dart struck her back. “Oh come on! I just removed those!” A few dozen more flung her way. “Oh this is gonna hurt.” She quickly shielded herself expecting to be stung repeatedly. But oddly enough it never came. Sunset took a slow peek wondering if she was dead only to find a familiar diamond barrier shielding her from harm.

“Sorry for being tardy. But you know how I love being fashionably late.”

“Rarity!” Sunset has never been so glad to see her. But before she could grab her in a full blown hug, the fashionista blocked her with another shield. “Ow…”

“Oh no no. No touching! These clothes are vintage darling. A stain on this would be an epic disaster.” Strangely enough Sunset understood that and accepted it.

“Good thing we came along when we did.” Applejack appeared behind her grabbing the muddy girl and pulling her off the sludge. “You guys look like you were running to all sorts of trouble.”

“You don’t know the half of it!” Pinkie whined from behind the rubble. “We went through all sorts of traps. Arrow traps, pit fall traps, sludge traps, boulder traps, and walls crushing you trap!”

Rainbow Dash gawked. “You went through all that!? Aw… no fair! The only trap we sprung was a snake nest.” She folded her arms together grumbling. “Some folks have all the fun.”

Sunset groaned into her hand urking away when she remembered the smell. “I wouldn’t call what we experienced to be ‘fun’. This place has more traps than your average dungeon. Maybe splitting up wasn’t a good idea after all.

“Oh now you admit it.”

“How’d you find us anyway?”

“Hard not to with all that screaming.” The cowgirl chuckled, thumbing Fluttershy.

“I don’t suppose you found Twilight.”

“Nope. But someone else found us instead.” She pointed to the back of the group where a blue haired boy appeared waving awkwardly like a kid who was caught in a restricted zone.

“Flash!? Wh… what are you… how did you…?” Her brain sizzled. He was the last person she wanted to see here. “How are you here?”

“Long story. I’ll tell you later.” He brushed passed her list of questions. “Right now you need to know that Twilight is in trouble. She’s facing Hoity Toity alone with his shadow monsters.”

Alarm bells rang over her head. “Twilight and Hoity!? Where!?”

“That’s… kind of the problem. It’s kinda complicated.”

“Then simplify it!”

“Well to be honest I have absolutely no idea. Apparently the room she was in can only be accessed with magic of some kind with the black gemstone. It was supposed to be the key or something. She was pretty technical about the whole process. And honestly I didn’t exactly understand half of what she was saying.”

Sunset remembered Twilight saying something about that. Ever since she was teleported to that portal room in the Everfree caves, she had been pulling out hypotheses and theories out of her head like crazy. Though of course there was no way to prove any of them without testing it. However it wasn’t a tried and tested method. Even in Equestria, there have been ways for powerful unicorns and magical creatures to hide something away by tossing it into a place only they can access. Kind of like having a pocket dimension in your… pocket or a private storage that follows you around wherever you go. Pretty handy.

“So how are we going to find her?” Fluttershy questioned which prompted everyone to turn their resident magic expert.

Sunset groaned. It was hard being one of two magic pros around here. “Alright alright. Give me a second.” She stated loudly going into deep thought but not before pointing a finger at her ex. “I’m still angry at you for being here. And we are going to talk about this later. But first…” She didn’t want to say it but it was the truth. If Twilight was trapped in a separate area that can only be accessed with the black gem and the only one they had was with the girl in question. She can also imagine that Hoity has one with him too.

“But that place has to be somewhere around here, right?” Applejack gave a good point. It was a room with a powerful portal. You can’t just store something like that in your pocket dimension. It had to be somewhere physically here. “Why don’t we just pound the area until we find her?”

“Because that kind of damage will bring this whole place down.”

“What about our geode?” Pinkie threw her two bits in. “Twilight says that all our geodes are connected and all. So maybe we can look for her that way?”

Plausible but studying these geodes have been hitting them with questions than answers. There was no time to research.

“Well whatever we’re gonna do, we have to do it fast. Twilight isn’t gonna last long against without us.” Flash spoke, urging them to come up with a solution.

But there was none. Without a proper key, entering a room in another area would require a tremendous amount of magic. And luckily for her, she had just the thing to give her that edge.

“I got an idea.” Sunset said finally earning the gang’s attention as she pulled out that strange black and red amulet from her pocket. “It’s a bit of a long shot but it might just work.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“You know you can’t keep this up forever.” Hoity spoke as he advanced slowly, blasting another of Twilight’s clones to smithereens. “The five of you could barely face Cinch in an open battle. You alone against me is a death sentence. Make it easy on yourself and give me the stone.”

Oh she wasn’t fighting him.

As a matter of fact she stopped fighting him for about ten minutes now and allowed her clones to handle all the dirty work. Twilight had been hiding in a pile of rubble conserving her energy. However, she could feel her magic slipping from her fingers. This man was clearly nothing like Cinch and she thought of her to be a powerful magician. He on the other hand was on a whole new level and she wasn’t just talking about his shadow monsters either. Even with the power of the Crown of the Four Fools and her geode, the fashionista/mage seemed to be adept in a multitude of spells and sorcery. He can cast shields stronger than Rarity, teleport from one place to another with his shadows and blast one of her copies with a single shot. Who knows what else this creep was capable of?

The only reason why she was able to last this long was because he couldn’t tell which of them was the real one. For a moment there she actually thought she could match him. Heck at one point she even thought she could win. But he adrenaline from earlier combined with her sudden anger were beginning to wane. Her movements were becoming sloppy and her spells didn’t show that much radiance. Now she could barely maintain her own copies. So it was only a matter of time before he finds her.

If she had the option right now she’d probably bolt out of there. But sadly the black gem bracelet wasn’t exactly being helpful. The darn thing looked like it had a mind of its own and often teased her back and forth between working and not working.

“That’s quite a lovely toy you have there too.” He continued his gloating while his minions fought. “A crown that makes copies of yourself. How did you come across such a thing? Do you have some secret store where you can buy these trinkets at a discount price?” Her clones braced themselves, throwing a murderous intent to throw him off. “No matter. I’ll take it off you just as I’ll take the Travel Stone.”

No. She can’t run. If she ran now, something bad could happen to Flash. And she wasn’t leaving without him.

Sending her plan to her clones they nodded at one another and immediately began their preparations.

“Hey Hoity!” She shouted at him nabbing his attention for a few seconds. “You want the stone? Well here it is.” The original Twilight charged head in pulling out sections of the walls and throwing them at him. It would’ve been an impressive feat if he didn’t blast it away so easily with his laser magic. They traded blows against one another wrecking the whole room and destroying dozens of priceless historical artifacts. Normally Twilight would be appalled for such unwanted destruction but considering her opponent she was sure archeologists everywhere would forgive her.

“You are trying my patience, little girl.”

“Sounds more like you don’t have what it takes to win, old timer.” Did she say that right? Twilight wasn’t sure. She had been taking smack-talk lessons from Rainbow Dash and she says that talking trash to your enemies was a good way to annoy them, make them sloppy. “What’s the matter? Losing your touch?”

“Grrrr!” He shot her a laser blast which she dodged.

“Ha! That the best you got? My mom’s a better shot than you!” Ouch. Even Twilight could feel the sting on that. “Maybe you should lose the shades! Who wears shades indoors anyway?”

“It is a fashion choice!”

“More like a fashion disaster!” She countered. “Oh and by the way. I think I find Fancy Pant’s design to be way better than yours!”

Hoity’s shades cracked under the sheer pressure of his anger. That was the last straw. “ENOUGH!”

Uh oh… maybe that last one was bit too much.

Hoity extended his shadow and used it like a whip cleaning the room of her clones before wrapping it around his prey. It then slithered around her back grabbing the stone from her bag.

“Hey! Let me go!”

He dragged her closer, snarling devilishly at her face restraining himself from ending her entirely. “Do not test me further, girl. Struggling will only make it tighter.” He pried his attention to the stone for a moment tracing his fingers on the surface. A smile crossed his face afterward when he found it to be undamaged. “This little trinket makes the whole ordeal quite worthwhile.”

“Geh!” Twilight wiggled but found the shadow tentacle to be quite tight. “Alright. You have the stone. Now give me Flash back.”

“Not until I know where you get your relics.” He demanded, gesturing to her geode. “How did you come into possession of these things so quickly when it takes us ages to find just one!? Where do these items come from? These geodes of yours, the Memory Stone we assembled, and that crown! How did you come to find so many artifacts that possess such powerful magic?”

“I bought them off the internet. Arghh!” She bit her lip as the shadow wrapped itself tighter nearly squeezing her bones.

“Do you not understand the situation you’re in!? How are you still so stubborn?”

“Because I don’t sell out my friends.”

His patience has run its course. “Then perhaps their painful screams will change your mind.” But just as he was about to summon his minions to do his bidding a strange ominous red light began glowing at his side. Curiously he stared at it thinking that it was some kind of magical reaction. “What in the…?” He reached out to it only to suffer a massive blowback that sent him crashing towards one of the pillars breaking it in pieces.

His shadow vanished as well dropping Twilight to the floor.

“Ow…”

“Did it work?” She heard a voice clearly belonging to Pinkie Pie.

“Oh… my stomach.” Another accented one came along. “First being seasick wasn’t enough. Now I’m teleport sick too? Hurgggll!”

“Guys?”

“Twilight!” She barely made a whimper when two strong arms wrapped themselves around her. “You’re alright!”

“F… Flash?” She stammered, feeling her cheeks suddenly heat up. “H… how did you…? I thought you were taken by…”

“It’s gonna take a lot more than a shadow monster to keep me away. And I found your friends along the way.” He gestured to the gang who all huddled around the nerd, some tapping some relief to see her unharmed… in a way.

“What did I tell ya?” Rainbow Dash gloated. “Maybe the next time we go on another adventure, you’ll look to me for advice?”

Twilight shook her head though she couldn’t really deny it. “Maybe there is something to your movies after all.”

“GRAAAAHHHH!!!!” But their happy reunion was cut short when Hoity Toity burst out of the rubble looking even more ticked off than usual. His suit was ruined, his shoes was shriveled and his hair were just all over the place. “How can a bunch of teenagers be so annoying?!”

Twilight stepped forward. “Everyone be careful. He’s way tougher than Cinch.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re here.” Sunset added as she and the rest of the gang ponied up, striking a heroic pose. Flash instantly regretted not taking a picture. He would’ve saved it as his wallpaper. “Give it up Hoity. We got your number. We know your plans and it’s over.”

“We do?” Pinkie whispered back though no one really bothered to answer her.

“Oh you think you’ve seen all that I can do?” He giggled maniacally, brushing his hand through his hair. “I assure you, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Black ink coiled around his body as his shadows swallowed him whole, cocooning him in a giant black blob. Their shape slowly began to change and expand into a large round mammal body towering them three times over. It paused for just a moment looking like an egg that wanted to hatch.

And sadly… it did.

One long head protruded from the body snaking upward, flashing its bright yellow eyes and sharpened fangs. Then another head popped. Then a third… then a fourth and finally… a fifth.

“Oh please.” Pinkie chastised the man. “Turning yourself into a five-headed monster? That’s the best you’ve got? We’ve fought off a literal spawn of Mother Nature herself and she was way scarier than you.”

“GRAHHHH!!!!”

“Everyone scatter!” They did so just in time before one of the hydra’s jaw snapped at them crushing the ground like cardboard.

“That is one angry looking monster.” Applejack snorted. “What’s the plan here Sunset?”

“He might be stronger than Cinch but I’m willing to bet he has the same weaknesses as her. He can’t keep this fight forever. It’s a battle of attrition. We tire him out and make sure he can’t escape. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rairity you three are on diversion duties.”

“Yes! Finally!” The sports gal pumped her fist into the air. “A proper challenge! This is what I’ve been waiting for!”

“Applejack, you’re our heavy hitter. I want you to go down and dirty and hit that thing where it hurts.”

The cowgirl tipped her hat in response. “I’m always into getting down and dirty. Leave it to me.”

“Everyone else will cover her. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“And Flash.”

“I know I know. I’m staying out of this fight.” He raised his hand up, not even protesting at this point. “You girls go kick his butt.”

“That’s the plan.”

And with that last farewell, the girls charged in with all their magic.

The fight was on.

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

Celestia strolled out of her room humming a tune dressed in her usual working attire. Normally she’d be sitting on the couch enjoying a warm cup of tea. But alas the life of a Principal was never simple.

“Hello sister.”

“Gah!” Celestia shot back startled. “Luna? What are you doing sleeping on the couch at this time?”

“Taking my afternoon nap.” She explained. Though her weary eyes, messy hair and the huge haul she had with her said otherwise. A rough guess would say she had a hard time getting her ill-gotten loot back home. “Where are you going so late? Another date with Sombra?” There was a hint of bile in her tone when mentioning that name.

“No. Not today at least. I’m meeting with the Board of Education.”

Her little sister shot up from her lying position. “Are we in trouble?”

“Surprisingly no. Neighsay gave a glowing review to the council regarding our school. Despite our… initial problems I might be able to persuade them to increase our budget and improve some of our more outdated facilities.”

“I still think he’s a vampire in disguise.”

“Luna!” Celestia snipped at her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Come on. With that look and that cape? He’ll suck out your blood the moment you drop your guard. If this world has wolf monsters terrorizing the locals, and evil magic running rampant, why can’t we have vampires as well?”

“I’ve known Neighsay since Hooverton. He might dress in red and black but other than that, he’s an ordinary person. Honestly, your experience with these magical events has warped your senses.”

“Say what you want. But the moment he raises his undead army to conquer the world and bring about eternal darkness, I’m blaming you.”

“I’ll be sure to take note.” Celestia’s eyes rolled to her purse. “Speaking of which, you mind checking in on Sunset and her friends? I haven’t heard from them these last few days – and word is they’ve gotten themselves into even bigger trouble.”

Considering their track record? That wouldn’t be far from the point.

“Have you told them that they’ll also be babysitting three of our most problematic students?”

She sighed. “No. I was hoping to spare them that trouble until the new semester. Just keep tabs on them for me.”

“Fine.” Luna waved it off reaching into her loot bag to grab a bottle of cider. “I’ll check in on them. It’s not like those girls are in some death-defying battle.”

(Castle Hoofbeard) (Portal Room)

“Take this! And that! And this! And that with a hint of this!” Pinkie barked as she pulled one cupcake after another from her hair tossing it over to the Hydra-Hoity. The explosive confection exploding into puffs of powders blocking his vision while the stickier ones latched onto his body making it difficult to move around. “That’s right you five-headed plagiarizer! You get a muffin! You get a muffin! And you get a muffin! You all get muffins!”

“Grahh! You insolent welp!”

“Not so tough without your shadows to back you up, ain’t ya?” Rainbow Dash taunted putting on the magical Windigos’ Hooflet. “Alright. Let’s see what these bad boys can do. Rarity, mind giving me a lift?” The fashionista gladly complied giving her a platform to stand on. And with a raise of her hand she unleashed a gust of wind which sent the large creature reeling back.

“A little gale won’t stop me, little girl!”

“I thought not. But what about a cupcake launcher? Hit it Pinkie!” Hoity raised a brow confused until Pinkie joined her side tossing her confection into the torrent which launched against him in a mini-tornado like a cannon.

Hoity retaliated sending another of its head against them but was blocked by another diamond shield.

“Not so fast!” Rarity declared. “You won’t be getting to my friends so easily.”

The hydra roared out angrily as it shoved its faces over and over trying to ram through her shielding while constantly being peppered by Rainbow Dash’s wind barrage. But just as it shattered through, Rarity pulled up her cloak and vanished into thin air.

“Another one!?” Hoity gasped, confused. “Just how many relics do you children hav-gahh!” He reeled back when he felt someone punch him right in the gut. “WHAT!?

“Guess you don’t have that soft underbelly, eh?” The cowgirl winked throwing another jab hoping to get a lucky strike. But all it did was made the giant hydra flinch.

xxxxxxxxxx

Flash had seen a lot of things before in his life. He had seen magic run rampant, a cruise ship sink to the bottom of the ocean, Sirens mind-controlling all of his friends to fight one another, a giant shadow wolf that chased him down the street, two power-hungry she demons hell bent of world domination. Heck he even saw a genuine pirate ship.

But this? This takes the cake!

Seeing the girls in action once more against a giant multi-headed hydra was just too cool to describe. No amount of stunts or computer editing in movies could ever compare to this. He felt like he was witnessing history in the making. A battle of legends where mighty warriors from the world battle against evil tyrants. This was the kind of fight where folktales are made from. He only wished he could cheer them harder from his hiding spot. Those girls were really just out of this world.

Twilight had somehow split herself into five separate copies attacking Hoity by his back. Pinkie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were flying around launching volleys of explosive cakes, Applejack and Fluttershy were taking turns attacking and defending. And Sunset was at the center of the fight bringing down righteous fury upon the monster. And was it just me or did she seem a lot more powerful than before? She was definitely sporting a dark and sinister red glow.

With their teamwork, coordination and a whole lot of timing, they were able to beat that fashion-disaster back without taking a hit. He was sure that they’d win.

Hoity on the other hand seemed to have made a miscalculation on his part. By growing in size, the man had restricted himself greatly in this room. His heads couldn’t extend far without hitting the ceiling, and his massive body was too cumbersome for the enclosed space. He wouldn’t be able to fully utilize his abilities here.

This fight was pretty much in the bag. And if anyone asks, he’d say that it was totally worth risking his life for.

Heck, if he had a blow horn, pompoms and a boombox, he’d be whistling, waving his arms around and shouting rhymes like a cheerleader.

Wham! Pow! Kapow! Right in the kisser. Sunset was really giving it to the guy and Applejack was going to town on his stomach. With her brute strength she could’ve dented a whole truck engine with a single blow. Sadly Hoity’s hydra form was made of sterner stuff. Still… their attacks were having some effect.

Every now and then he could see Hoity’s human form poke out of the sludge. His face practically fuming smoke through his ears at this point. It wouldn’t be long now before he gives up the ghost. This fight was easy.

Perhaps almost too easy.

But just as Flash flipped on the recorder on his phone, he noticed something amiss. The whole room itself seemed to be trembling. Pieces of the ceiling dropped on the floor, some chunks larger than most. The architect of this place certainly didn’t put into account of a major fight between two magical forces and now the whole room seemed to be breaking at the seams. One of the many pillars which held the ceiling up cracked under the pressure and fell to the ground shattering into a billion pieces. His dad would’ve been livid if he saw such a prized historical piece destroyed. But worse still was that the fact that the support system for the ceiling had become weaker.

“That’s… not good.”

Larger pieces of the roof slowly began to fall, burying a section of the place under a ton of sand and earth. With all the bricks Twilight was pulling out from the wall, Applejack’s haymakers, Pinkie’s explosive pastries, and Sunset’s magical barrage, it was no wonder that this place was tearing itself. If this continued, the whole castle above will come down on top of them.

…

Oh snap! That was it!

That must be Hoity’s plan. The whole reason why he came here in the first place. Why he decided to bring out the big guns when a creature that size would be useless in such an enclosed space. He was gonna bury them in these ruins while he slithers away.

“Sunset!” He shouted across the room trying to get his ex’s attention. “You have to stop! This whole place is coming down!” But the gang was too into the fight to hear him. In fact, seeing Hoity slowly retreat made the girls a little overconfident. They began throwing more reckless maneuvers, thinking that they had the upper hand.

Another pillar crumbled to dust, and with it the structural integrity of the room began to wane even more. None of them could see that they were about to be buried under a literal mountain.

“Guys!” He tried to call out again but sadly his voice could hardly reach them. “Oh I am so gonna regret this.” Against all his instincts, against all desire to live, the boy bolted off hoping to warn the girls in time.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunset never felt so much power before. She can practically feel the magic coursing through her veins. The Alicorn Amulet truly did exactly what it intended. It gave the wearer to powers equal or greater power of that of a true Alicorn. Her old spells, which she could never use as a human, suddenly became easy to cast with a flick of a finger. Was this how Twilight felt when she earned her wings? It’s awesome!

She may be even more powerful than her alter-ego, Daydream.

Though the warning of corruption might be a little bit deterring. Thankfully she thought of a counter for such influence.

Surging the magic through her hands, Sunset blasted a powerful beam at Hoity melting one of his many heads into a bubbly paste. Sadly he simply sprung another one just like Twilight’s copies.

One of those heads decided to wrap itself around her but she burned through it letting out an array of energy.

“You are indeed powerful.” The hydra spoke in a raspy voice. “I’m beginning to understand how Cinch was defeated by you children.”

“Oh you ain’t seen nothing yet.” She grinned menacingly before she clasped her hands together pulling out flames from thin air. Stunned, the girl launched her attack thrusting her fiery fists through its thick hide melting the shadow away like pudding. “Give it up Hoity. Just surrender now and we can all just talk things over.”

“A little premature to be gloating your victory, little girl. I have not been bested in magic before and I don’t intend to be defeated now.” Several tendrils shot up from his body but again they simply melted away from the sheer heat of her hands.

“Cinch might’ve had the upper hand with us before. But we’ve learned a few things after fighting her. And unlike her, you don’t have a plan. And believe me: Brute strength isn’t gonna win this fight either.”

“Oh on the contrary.” His five heads grinned prompting the gang to jerk back. “You fell for my ruse the moment you set foot in this castle. I was only hoping to trap you here for a while. The Master didn’t see fit to harm you. But seeing how powerful and dangerous you all are… I’ve decided to change things.”

“Sunset!” The girl looked back noting Flash calling out to her.

“Flash? What are you doing? I told you to stay away!”

“It’s a trap! He’s stalling you down here! He wants you to think you’re winning!” A trap? “This whole room is a death trap!”

And right when he finished, Hoity let out a villainous laugh before extending his heads in different directions, each of them wrapping around the last remaining pillars that held the place together. With a little squeeze they all crumbled to dust and fell upon the ground in pieces.

A loud and ominous tremor could be felt afterward.

Uh oh…

That didn’t sound good.

The battle went completely silent when the rumbling echoed from all around them. It was as if the very mountain itself was groaning in pain, no longer able to take the pressure.

The gang looked around and Hoity stepped back, smiling what was coming.

As they waited in silence, the rumbling grew louder and more obvious, followed by a quake that shook them down to their feet.

It was Sunset who broke the silence. “This place is coming down!” And on her word, the ceiling began to fall on them as the very castle began to collapse inward.

“This place will be your tomb!” He let out one last howl before reverting back into his human form. “Goodbye ladies.” His shadow wrapped around him once again, slithering him back into the darkness. But before he vanished completely, Twilight saw used a little bit of a sleight of her magic to whisk the relic from his grasp. “What? No! The st-” His laugh died out later.

With nothing left to hold the roof together, it all began to fall entombing the place in a ton of rubble.

“Look out!” Flash cried out when he saw the ceiling above Twilight crumble. He dove in head first tackling the girl away as the rubble separated them from the others.

Sunset cried out as she saw her two companions buried by the mountain. “Flash! Twilight! Can you hear me?”

“We’re ok!” She heard her friend shout back. “My powers’ holding the roof. But I don’t think I can last much longer!”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get you out of there.”

“No! There’s no time. The whole castle will be coming down any second now and I can’t hold the ceiling forever. You need to get out of here, now.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Sugar Cube. Just hold your bacon and we’ll be there in a jiffy.”

“That’s right!” Rainbow Dash agreed already digging her hand through the rubble. “No one gets left behind.

“I don’t think that’s an option…!” Her weary words were magnified by the sound of the ceiling slowly falling down on them. “It’s getting heavier to hold this… together.”

“Sunset, go.” Flash added. “Don’t worry about me and Twilight. I have a plan to get us both out of here.”

“But how?”

“It’ll take too long for me to explain. Just trust me. I got this.”

But she didn’t want to. There was no way she was just gonna leave her friends here.

“Uh. Sunset.” Pinkie whimpered pointing at the roof that was just about to touch their heads. “I think this is the part where we make like a tree and zap out of here.”

With a sigh, she reached for her amulet, gathering her friends around her. But not before parting one last glance at the boy on the other side. “You promise you’ll come back safe?”

He winked. “Pinkie promise.” And no one breaks a Pinkie Promise. “Now go!” With a breath of air and a little magic, they were gone. Twilight allowed that section of the room to fall leaving them alone in the small area.

“Please tell me you actually have a plan to get us out of here.”

“It’s a bit of a long shot but…” He gestured to the Portal Stone and pointed at the gateway awkwardly.

“The portal!?” Twilight choked. “Are you insane!? We’ve barely understood the scope of this thing. If we go through there, who knows where we might end up?”

“I’m willing to bet that anywhere is better than here right now.” That was the statement of the day.

And sadly Twilight agreed on that spectacular reasoning. He quickly placed it over the podium. And like earlier, it activated, tearing another rift through time and space. The portal looked safe to cross but at the same time they had no idea where it was heading. For all they know they might end up at the bottom of the sea or a place filled with carnivorous monsters, or maybe even the moon. But regardless of her worries, absolutely anything was better than being crushed by tons of rocks.

“This is a bad idea.” She muttered to herself, second guessing her decision.

But Flash grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. No panic showing on his face. “Do you trust me?”

Did she really have a choice?

Frightfully she nodded back, swallowing her fears. “Promise you won’t let go?”

The boy let out a smile and tightened his grip on her hand. “Promise.”

And with that last gulp of air they leaped in, right before the whole place came down.

To say the least, the sensation of going through that portal was out of this world. Flash felt his body twist and turn in ways he didn’t even thought possible. If he had to describe it, he would say that it felt like he was being flushed down the toilet… quite literally. His whole body swirled around while the magic drained them through the wormhole heading off to god knows where.

The feeling lasted for about a minute before it finally decided to spat them out.

…

The first thing they felt was the sand brushing crudely against their skin and then the floor – or to be more precise: The lack of it. They expected to hit some solid ground but instead they fell upon another cliff, their limbs catching nothing but air. Their bodies slam against the wall of the cliff creating a natural yet deadly slide. With no control or steering, their bodies struck against bumps and boulders standing in their way.

By the time they stopped, the three teens were battered and beaten.

Dizziness and exhaustion took over as they laid there, grunting in pain. Their whole bodies ached from head to toe as their visions began to blur.

Flash tried to stay awake but was failing badly. Pain crunched his head. But from the corner of his eye, a strange figure poked its head out, two big round eyes looking at him with wondrous curiosity.

“Oh~~~ wow. Ouch. That looked like it hurt. Need some help?”

His conscious faded after.

Author's Note

Alright you Flashlight lovers! You up for some shippy moment between those two? I'm looking at you Sonic! Well then get ready for a catatonic dose of..... that thing i just said.

Anyway lockdown at my place has been lifted so I'm officially getting back to work. Back log is a bit of a mess but I'll keep trying to update as soon as i can. :applecry:

Trial and Error

Author's Note

Gonna upload this first just in case the 500 internal error comes back again. I was afraid this whole thing was gonna dissappear.

It has been a scary week for everyone, especially those in U.S.
I hope you keep yourself healthy and safe. Grab a drink and some food and enjoy a little bit of writing from yours truly. :ajsleepy:

Trial and Error

Chapter 38: Trial and Errors

(Perilous Peaks) (Autumn’s Ranch)

Flash can’t remember the last time he was yelled at. Perhaps he simply can’t remember.

Perhaps he locked those memories away in the back of his mind.

After Twilight stormed off to the gateway he’s been sitting here watching the goats making noise. He tried to follow her but then he wounds began to act up forcing him to take a seat by the pens and wait for her eventual return.

He can’t remember seeing Twilight ever being that angry or snippy for that matter. The rage and venom she spat out was downright hurtful. It was almost as if she was another person entirely. She was normally the calm and collected one. Always having a level head above her shoulder. The gal who had the solution to everything. But now she looked like the girl who had a shorter fuse than Rainbow Dash on a bad day.

“Hey~~” Autumn poked her head into his field of view holding that same smile she had all day long. “How’s it sanding?”

“It’s… wait what?”

“Sorry. That was my first attempt at doing puns. The magazine I’m reading says doing comedic skits or jokes is one of the best ice-breakers in all conversations. Though I’m having a hard time finding the right words.”

“Heh… well for a first attempt, I think you were doing pretty well.”

“Really?”

“But you might wanna take a class on ‘Reading the mood’ before you pull out any jokes. You have to pick your moments otherwise you might just end up hurting other people.”

“Hmm… note taken.” She joined him by the seat still smiling.

“Speaking of which. That reminds me. I never got the chance to thank you for saving me and Twilight.”

“Oh please. That was nothing. I mean… the moment I saw you come out of that portal I mistook you guys as some dimensional explorers or time traveling space cops.” She paused. “Not that you’re bad or anything. Still… it would’ve been nice to have a unique encounter for once.” Autumn tried to hide her embarrassment through a laugh. “So… you’re waiting for your friend?”

“Yeah. She left to clear her head. I… think she might be a little mad at me.”

“Ooooh, sounds serious. Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really much of a talking mood right now.”

“Oh I have a thing just for that.” Autumn giddily brought him a cup of liquid from out of nowhere and offered it. There was an oddly mixture of blue in the coloring which looked completely out of place in this desert. “I call it Foal’s-breath tea. The herbs for it only grows at the top of this mountain. It’s been a specialty of mine. One sip of this and it’s guaranteed to make you all chatty. I should know, I drink it all the time.” Strangely enough that would certainly explain her behavior.

He sipped. “Hey… not bad.”

“I know, right!? The people in the village find it kinda minty but I certainly prefer it over all their pickled-everything.” Her smile remained unmarred. “So~ wanna talk about it now? I mean… if you want. It’s not like I’m pestering you because I’m absolutely bored or anything. It’s just that there really isn’t anything to do out here other than listening to sheep talk. And judging from what I heard from that one-sided screaming match, it must be super serious.”

It doesn’t look like she’ll stop either.

“Well… you’re not wrong about that.” He admitted. “Sorry about Twilight. She’s not normally this…”

“Prickly? Mean? Hyperactive?”

“Angry.” Flash answered chuckling softly. “She’s normally very sweet. But it looks like this fiasco we’re in kinda got to her.”

“Well that’s no surprise. I’d be panicking out of my brains if I suddenly woke up and found myself on the other side of the world with no way of going back.” That was true. And that’s what Flash had been telling himself too. “If anything, I think she’s taking it better than most people. But you on the other hand… you’re acting way too calm for this.”

“You think so too?”

“I expected something along the line of mood swings, panicking, and all that other stuff. But here you are, sitting on this bench, still as a rock. I find that pretty weird itself. What’s your secret?”

The boy pondered. Why was he so calm? He should be rattled, scared out of his mind, or even hyperventilating. Heck, he remembered his first trip to Equestria after their shipwreck. He was confused at first, being a pony and all, but in the end he felt… calm.

“Honestly, I’m not even sure. I guess after everything I’ve went through these last few years I just have this feeling that everything will be alright. I mean I’ve been turned into a zombie at one point, hypnotized by evil sirens, almost sank into the bottom of the ocean. And all those times things could’ve turned out badly. Yet… it all worked out in the end. Maybe I just somehow know that my stories always have a happy ending.” He took another sip.

“Sounds like you’ve been living quite the adventure.”

“You can say that again.”

“Sounds like you’ve been living quite the adventure.”

He blinked but decided not to comment on that.

“Yeah… I sure am. But nothing like what Twilight and her friends go through on a daily basis.” Flash looked up, his eyes becoming distant. “You should see them, battling evil creatures and magic with powers you’d only see in movies. They go through danger and come out on top almost every time. When they face a crisis, they stand stall and never flinch. They’re real live heroes.”

“Sounds like you admire them.”

“I do!” He really did. “They’re amazing. Like real live superheroes.”

“Aren’t you one of them?”

Flash paused chuckling softly, brushing the back of his hair. “Me? No I’m not like them. I’m just the backup who cheers on the sideline. I don’t have any of their superpowers but I get to help out every now and then.”

“Oooh! Like a sidekick?” Not a title he’d wear but yeah. That was pretty much the best description you can use.

“Something like that.” He nodded.

“Well a good sidekick always stick by the hero’s side. It’s in the rules.”

“Rules?”

“Sergeant Royal Foot from Space Cavalry Warriors issue #99. A space cadet will always stick by his partner’s side through thick and thin! Through Solar winds and Nebula storms, we stand as one and fall as one.” She placed one hand above her breast quoting perfectly. “It’s one of my favorite comics. But the point is… that you always stuck by their side even though they never asked for it. Twilight might not seem like it now, but I’m sure deep down she’s glad you’re with her.”

“She has a strange way of showing it.”

“So why are you stopping now?”

The boy gave her a confused brow. “What do you mean?”

“Well from what you told me, you kept helping your friends even though they don’t want it. And sometimes they even push you away. But yet despite all of that, you still help them. So why stop now? If you want to help them then do so.”

“In the world of magic, you can’t afford to be soft. What if your friends over there get attack right now? What if one of them gets injured because you refuse to lift a finger? Is that what you want?”

Adagio’s words rang heavily in his head.

“Don’t let a little pain stop you from doing what you want.”

“You’re right.” The boy stood back up clutching his cane. “Twilight might not know it but she needs me. She needs a friend…”

“Or a sidekick.” She added which made the guy laugh a little.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight wasn’t really sure what she expected to find around here. She found the portal that they came through just an hour walk from the ranch but it was badly damaged. Much of what belonged to the old Yaztec Empire had crumbled and withered from time and most of the structure seemed to have been buried under a ton of sand. If it wasn’t for the few obelisks sticking out of the ground no one would think that an ancient civilization was even here.

It was a wonder why no one actually claimed this place yet. A discovery of such an ancient location would spark an excavation at the very least. But seeing how isolated this place was, she can understand why no one would want to come here at all. Heck, even the people in the village down in the valley don’t seem remotely interested in such a historical sight. They have no idea of the significance of this place or the power it possess. Had they known, they would be worshipping this area with reverence.

The portal area looked remarkably similar to that of the one she had found in the mountains and the cave under the castle. From what she can gather, there must’ve been a structure here once upon a time that protected the portal itself but it has since decay and eroded for god knows how long.

There was a podium in front of the gateway where a Portal Stone was supposed to be. As expected, the catalyst for creating a portal was no longer there. Probably crumbled to dust or destroyed some way or another. If not then maybe it was buried amongst the sand along with what was left of the building.

“Nothing…” She reached out to the gateway expecting some kind of reaction. But it stayed silent just like everything else here. There was barely even a hint of magic lingering in the area.

And without a Portal Stone to activate the thing, the blasted gateway will remain close.

And the one they got from Castle Hoofbeard is buried under a ton of rubble. She grunted to herself, eyeing the runes curiously. Her fingers traced around the symbols trying to make sense of them all. But thanks to her cracked lens she could barely make out the shapes or designs. “Ugh! Stupid glasses! Of all the days to not bring my spare! How am I supposed to work if I can barely see anything!? I knew I should’ve ordered a custom job. Grrr! Why was I born with shortsightedness? Why did Shining Armor get all the jock genes while I’m stuck with this!? Stupid.”

“Blame genetics. It’s a thing.”

“And why can’t anything be simple? Why is it that all of my magical adventures have to come with complex puzzles, deadly monsters or both? Would it kill the universe to let me have it easy for just one moment!?”

The ruins remained silent as the shifting sand blew in her direction.

“And why can’t my adventures take me somewhere nice for once!? Somewhere with no windy sands, no tree monsters out to get me, no Cyclops golem, no magical portals or anything that wants to ruin my day. Just somewhere I can sit back and relax with my friends! ARGHH!!” Out of frustration and anger she threw a kick at the portal which echoed with a loud and definite clang. Her expression soured as she pulled away cursing inaudibly while clutching her foot. “Ow! Owowowowowowow!”

“Easy now. Your temper is getting the better of you.”

“Oh yeah. Like you’re any help.” Twilight froze when she finally heard the voice clear as day in her head. “Wait… who said that?” She heard a chuckle, echoing from somewhere nearby. For a moment she thought that her conscience was simply getting the better of her. But now that she was alone and having a somewhat clear head, she can unmistakably hear someone speaking. “H… hello? Is someone there?”

“……”

Was she just talking to herself just now? Was the sand and heat finally getting to her? No that can’t be right. It’s barely been a day and thankfully she managed to keep herself cool and hydrated. She shouldn’t be hearing things until after her mentality broke down. She wasn’t even remotely hallucinating yet. At least… she didn’t think so.

“I must be hearing things.” Twilight said finally before returning to her investigation. “Come on Twilight. Keep it together. Otherwise Flash might start think you’re crazy.”

“He’s not the only one.”

“Ok ok focus.” She grumbled, ignoring the whispers in her head. “Magic is just a fuel. It’s the spell that converts that fuel into anything we want. If I can just replicate that spell to my geode. I could… no that won’t work. The amount of magic to do that would be enormous. I’ll need at least tw…” She paused as if recalling a thought. With a swift motion she dug into her pocket and pulled out the black gem bracelet. “Yes! The black gem!”

“Oh that’s just a terrible idea.”

The device hummed with magic stating that there was still some energy left in that device.

“There’s still magic.” She smiled giddily seeing some measure of light at the end of the tunnel. “And it’s still strong. If I combine this with the power of my geode, I might be able to replicate the portal spell.” Her eyes cast to the podium giving it a thought. This whole scenario was nothing more than a theory that she conjured up. She experimented with magic before but that was only when she had her lab. Now she was here doing tests that implemented a whole slew of dangers.

Normally this would be the time where her friends comes to warn her and maybe even stop her from carrying out such a dangerous test. Heck she could practically hear Sunset whining about all the little details. But none of them were here right now so it didn’t matter. Throwing caution to the wind, went ahead.

“This can’t end well.”

She put on the bracelet and allowed its magic to merge with her own geode. Mixing the two different magic from two separate worlds was like putting two types of fuel in one jerry can and shaking it violently thinking that it would produce something greater. That was the idea. A bad one… but an idea no less.

With a heave she let the magic out, sending a beam of light through her palm focusing it on the gateway. It reacted in such a way that it shook the whole mountain with much of the structure glowing ominously. Twilight could feel the power, the magic. It coursed through her veins like fire and she can honestly say that she enjoyed every second of it.

But what came after made her smile. As her power merged, she saw something tear up in front of her. Like the fabric of time and space was bending to her will. It was a small one, a tiny cut just visible enough to prove her theory right.

Skyscrapers came into view. Big neon lights and roads made of concrete and asphalt, familiar landmarks that she visited once before. Even the observatory on the hill, which she remembered fondly, can be seen in the distance.

There was no doubt about it. That was Canterlot City.

“It worked! It actually worked!” Not that she had any doubt of course. But it was still cool to see it happen before her own eyes.

But just as she cheered, the universe decided to throw a curve ball in her direction. The portal suddenly began to throw sparks and its structure rattled dangerously. She tried to apply more of her powers but that only seemed to make it worse. Kind of like putting gasoline in a fire thinking it’ll burn it out. More sparks began to fly and even the sand began to shiver and shake.

“That’s not good.”

With a deafening noise the tear closed and the backlash that came afterward sent a shockwave so strong that Twilight went flying back. She groaned painfully as the old aches from this morning surfaced. Her vision went blurry for a second before she collapsed on the sand, a purple figure appearing from the corner of her eye.

“Well…” It muttered disappointingly, arms folded. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

(Canterlot docks) (Warehouse Area) (Sunday)

“Thanks again for coming with me on this Sunset. I never would’ve made it through all that traffic in my car.”

The redhead shrugged back casually as they drove up at the docks. The smell of the ocean becoming clearer the deeper they went. “Don’t mention it. Always happy to help. Besides, I could use the distraction too. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have been telling me to take a break. Looking over my phone every ten minutes has me losing sleep. And Rainbow Dash isn’t helping either.”

“I take it she’s not taking it very well.”

“She’s upset. We all are. Even Pinkie Pie’s looking a lot less cheerful.” Not even their resident bundle of energy could escape the depression. She was still trying to smile, make everyone feel like everything would be fine. But you could tell that her smile was becoming strained and her bouncing movement becoming less… bouncy.

“I suppose even she can show her worries one way or another.” Rarity let out a soft sigh. She too had been doing the same, trying to reassure everyone that everything will be right as rain. But it wasn’t working. Not while Twilight hasn’t called. “Not that I’m any different. I keep telling myself that it will all be fine but… I really do hope that Twilight and Flash are alright.”

“Same here.” Sunset nodded finally turning a corner and pulling a stop to a rather creepy looking underground parking lot. “Uh… speaking of which. Are you sure this is the right place? This doesn’t look like the kind of place snazzy people would meet up.”

“This is the right address.” Rarity checked her phone again matching it with the address before exiting the car. “Warehouse 18 car park. And just so you know, I take it as an insult to be called ‘Snazzy’. We prefer to be called aspiring artiste.”

“Sure you do.”

“It’s a big difference darling. You must separate the true pioneers from the rest. But I must admit that this wasn’t what I expected for a meeting with Vignette.” She was expecting glamorous lighting, decorated walls or at the very least a red carpet. Something that displayed style, art, imagination and wealth! This warehouse seemed to have been buried deep within alleys upon alleys. There was a stench of fish in the area, probably because of the cannery nearby. The parking lot was so deep down that you can hardly make out the sunlight at all. If she had to describe it, this looked more like a place where rich people come to get robbed or… worse.

It would certainly make an awesome origin story for a caped crusader though. But good luck getting something like that to happen in a Rated TV-Y series.

“Rarity! There you are!” Vignette’s loud bombastic voice chimed, startling the two from the doorway, a smile on her lips. “You’re rather early. I wasn’t expecting you until noon. Welcome!” She turned over to the redhead beside her. “And you brought a friend too.”

“Yes.” Rarity welcomed the gesture. “I thought that being punctual would help. And naturally you remember Sunset.”

“Of course I do. You’re one of the girls I zapped into my phone in Equestria Land.” The two girls froze at the comment while Vignette passed that comment around like it was a used up toilet paper. “Fun times.” They wouldn’t necessarily call it fun either.

“Uh… yeah.” Sunset rubbed her head sideway eyeing Rarity who shrugged. “That happened…”

“Anyway welcome! The more the merrier I always say. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

“You have?” The purple haired fashionista asked.

“Why of course! Everyone wants your opinion on their designs. After Hoity gave you such high praise, your input will be key.” Aww shucks. Rarity lifted her head proudly at such a comment. She always did adore people who clung to her every word. It was something of a dream of hers to have folks beg for her opinion.

“Why thank you. And the place you picked is just umm…”

“Admirable, isn’t it?” Not the word she’d use but sure… whatever. “Come along now. We’re all just dying to see you.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunset breathed a short sigh of relief when they entered the warehouse which looked surprisingly better than the outside. It still look like a place where dreams go to die, but at the very least it didn’t have that back alley smell or that haunting disgusting look of trash everywhere. Those brought back some old memories when she first came to this world.

Vignette led them through the place, throwing gestures to the folks in the warehouse who busied themselves in their work. She recognized a few faces from the pageant show. A few of them were winners of the last round. And while Sunset couldn’t really understand a single word Vignette was throwing around, her friend seemed to be giggling and blushing, taking them like they were compliments.

However… as they delve further into the warehouse, Sunset couldn’t help but feel a chill crawling at the back of her neck. She won’t say that she had a sixth sense or anything but something in her gut was telling her that something bad was going on and she should grab her friend and bolt to the door right now and don’t look back.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Vignette stated. “You’re wondering why I rented this damp decrepit place away from the city and not some studio in Midtown.”

She wasn’t thinking that, but it was certainly close enough. “Uh… well…”

“For the ambience!” The fashionista declared raising her hands to the roof. “For the sights, the sound, the smell! All of it. Honestly the same appearance of the city has begun to stale. It’s always the same old styles. Fringes, collars, sleeves and colorful skirts that goes with your blouse. Same old same old. That’s why my colleagues and I decided to have a little change of pace. A news perspective on life. And what better than the complete opposite of what we’ve always had?”

“That uh… sounds… great?” Sunset managed to say. “But actually we’re just here for the guest list for Hoity’s pageant show.”

“Oh right.” The lady nodded dumbly before handing them a list. “I had it printed out. You’d be amazed just how many celebrities are coming. Honestly, his connections alone is respectable.” They reached for it just to have whiffed away from their grasp, her finger waggling at them. “Ah ah… a deal’s a deal. You’ll have to model for me first if you want this.”

Rarity shrugged. “Well I suppose I did promise to help.”

“Exactly! Magnifique. Oh and before we continue. I’d like you both to see my lineup for Hoity’s show.” She clapped her hands signaling some of the workers to move the curtains up. “Tada! What do you think?”

…

What does she think? What did any of them think?

Is this really what pass as clothes in the human world? No offense to Rarity or the other designers here but she wouldn’t wear those things even if they were the last shred of fabric in the whole wide universe.

I mean… where would she even begin? It was nice to look at, sure. But would anyone really wear this in public? She could probably picture Fluttershy in one of those dark getups during one of her Skull Cruncher moods but that was an extremely rare occasions. These things looked more like ritual outfits. With the amount of leather she was using and black coloring, you’d think she was starting a cult of some kind. There were so many buttons and belts that once you put it on, there was no getting it off.

“It’s gorgeous!” Rarity cheered though her expression held a mixture of confusion at the same time. “You really outdid yourself this time Vignette. You really got the uh… leather… right.”

“I was going for deep, dark, depression.” I dunno about deep but she certainly had the dark and depressing thing down. “And of course I saved the best for last.” Does it have more belts than the other designs? “Whola! My Pièce de résistance. The Queen of the Shadows.” Yup, she got it right.

That dress had the darkness feeling to it. With the amount of belts and dark toned wings anyone wearing it would be worthy of the title.

“And I want you Rarity, to try it out?”

“Me?” Her purple haired friend choked.

“Absolutely. I was designing this with you in mind. You have that domineering personality, the drive and the desire. When you wear this, I can see you stomping upon the rest of humanity like they were bugs.”

“Oh w… well I wouldn’t say that they were bugs.”

“Oh don’t be so humble. A queen is never humble.” Vignette spoke like she was trying to elevate her to godhood. “When you stand at the top, all will bow before you. You will become a person everyone aspires to be.”

Rarity blinked, her voice shallow. “R… really?”

“The crowd before you will chant your name, you will be the envy of everyone.”

“I do love people envying me.” Of course you do.

“When you walk down that aisle, your competitors will turn green with envy, your fans will adore you.” Oh she’s good. She was playing on Rarity’s weakness. Her hubris and desire for fame. Sunset couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “You Rarity will be lady of the hour. All eyes will be on you.”

“I’ll do it! EEEEEeeep!” The girl couldn’t grab that dress fast enough and enter the nearest dressing room.

Satisfied, Vignette turned over to her with snake-like eyes. “And as for you, sweetie.”

“Me?” Sunset pointed dumbly to herself. “What about me?”

“Would you care to sample one of our work? It would certainly provide some good data if you modeled for us.”

She brushed her hands quickly in decline. “N… no thanks. I’m not really into modeling. Besides, I don’t have that grace.”

“Nonsense sweetie.” Vignette paced around her, scanning the little redhead like a prey. “You have an excellent figure.” I do? “Those curves, those eyes and that fiery hair. Why if I didn’t know better, I think the boys would be falling for you just by looking at you. I bet you’re popular in school.”

Sunset twiddled her hair shyly. “I wouldn’t say popular.”

“But you are beautiful.” She snapped her fingers calling her muscles to bring forth a mirror. With a quick and forceful hands she brought Sunset towards it. “Look at you. I can already picture your face on the big screen. Give showbiz a chance and you might be staring on your very own movie.” Her own movie? That seemed a bit farfetched. Sunset was having trouble just putting together an act for the school play.

“You… think so?”

“I know so.” The fashion star nodded cooing softly into her ears. “You have such a fine figure, it’s such a waste not to put it to good use. But perhaps the reason why you’re not so confident is because of your… fashion.”

Sunset looked down. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Well for one thing, it screams old school. Whoever taught you your designs was clearly out of his mind.” Well to be completely honest, these clothes weren’t hers. They were Rainbows’. She merely picked those that resembled her old style. As a matter of fact… if she was to be honest, her whole fashion sense was merely copied to the first boy she met around here – a long time ago. “Why don’t we change that?”

“Change?”

“Yes. Try on one of our designs here. Anyone of them.” She offered, gesturing to a large array of clothes in the warehouse and their creators who were more than happy to help. “Trust me. Put them on and you’ll feel like a whole different person. Have a new you.”

It was tempting. And honestly she did enjoy a few of Rarity’s designs on a few occasions. Perhaps a new look for her might do her some good.

“Always first place, never second best.”

“Only high stakes, we aim to impress.”

Her phone rang, interrupting the moment.

“Uh… maybe next time. I uh… need to answer this.” Sunset quickly pulled herself away from the woman and made a quick dash off to a corner, not noticing the woman’s annoyed snarl.

…

Phew… that was close. What was that about? Vignette was acting pretty weird and… rather touchy too.

Fashion designers really are weird in their own special ways.

Gathering her mind, she turned over to her phone not recognizing the number on screen. Great. If this was another one of those infomercials she’d look silly.

“Hello?”

“Sunset Shimmer?”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Vice-Principal Luna? How’d you get my number?”

“School records.” She answered boringly. “But never mind that. I’m glad that you answered. I was hoping to get in touch with you on another matter. Can you speak right now?”

“Uh… sure. I guess. Is something wrong?”

“It involves a friend of yours, Flash Sentry.” The girl’s feet rooted to the floor as the color drained from her face. “I’m calling under the request of his father. He claims that Flash hasn’t returned home for two days now and has left no message. Seeing as you two have history, I thought you might know his whereabouts.” They had history. Just… not the right kind of history.

“Flash? Well… no actually.” And surprisingly enough that wasn’t a lie. She really had no idea where he was at all. Only that he was with Twilight.

“O… k?” Luna didn’t seem to buy that excuse. “Where did you see him last?”

“At the umm… somewhere.” What was she to say? That Flash had been buried under a castle or that he was involved with another one of their magical hijinks.

“Sunset…” The Vice-Principal gave a tone close to that of a warning. “What’s going on? Did you do something again?”

“Wha? No. Pfft. What makes you think that?”

“Because I’ve learned your tell since the Fall Formal.” Even though Sunset couldn’t see her, she can tell that the woman was holding her nose grunting lowly. “This wouldn’t happen to involve the castle that sunk into the ocean the other day, would it?” Holy cow, she really is sharp. “Sunset. I am going to ask this once. Where… is Flash?”

There was no escaping it. That woman had her number… quite literally in fact.

“It’s a long story.” One that many wouldn’t believe. But just as she spoke, she brushed pass one of the fashion designers grazing his arm. “Oh sorry.”

What the…?

“Well you’d better tell me now, otherwise things might get complicated. Flash’s father is worried about him and I’m afraid he might do something drastic if he’s not found soon.”

Wait a second. That can’t be right.

Sunset blinked as the voice on her phone died down on her. She turned to the man she brushed against earlier noting his attire. It was very similar to that of Vignette but with less belts. But that wasn’t what had her alarms going off. It was only for a moment but she was sure that she read his mind just now. Her power activated subconsciously, sending a torrent of emotions through her mind. There was a strange sense of anger and resentment building inside of him along with a whole mess of emotions. And strangely enough it was all directed at her and Rarity.

For a second there she thought that it was just a misunderstanding. But she suddenly bumped on another worker – and this time it was even stronger.

So many emotions. All of them negative. Anger and resentment… but also… fear?

It was too much for her head to handle.

“Sunset? Hello? Are you there?”

“Sorry Vice-Principal Luna. I’ll have to call you back.” She could practically hear her curse even when the line was already cut. The girl quickly made her way back to the changing room thankfully finding her friend behind closed curtains. “Hey Rarity. You in there?”

“Just a minute darling. This dress Vignette gave me really has some intricate workings. She really put a lot of effort in this thing and I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Never mind that. Have you noticed something strange about this place?”

“If by strange, you mean the amount of buckles I have to go through to put this on, then yes.”

“Not that.” She scolded through the curtains. “I just tapped some of the other designers and read their minds just now, and something is seriously wrong. It’s like… they’re all anxious, angry and frustrated and afraid at the same time.”

“Honestly now Sunset. You can’t possibly think these good people are in cahoots with Hoity. You’re starting to sound quite loony even for me.”

“It’s not just that.” Sunset exclaimed quietly, taking a quick glance to the others nearby who busied themselves with their work. “I just have a feeling. Everyone here seems to be on edge. It’s like something could happen at any second.”

“They’re probably just stressed, darling.” Rarity reasoned. “This fashion show is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The promise of fame and fortune has them riled up. I, myself, was once in their shoes. The pressure of it all was daunting. They’re putting everything they have in this event so I can understand if they’re feeling a bit… prickly.”

“That’s not how Vignette shows it. And have you noticed that everyone here is wearing the same outfit as her? Everything leather, with more belts and buttons than I could count. I’m not really into fashion but even I find this a little… creepy.”

“It’s called a ‘trend’. I’m sure Hoity’s show calls for such in another one of his challenging displays. Vignette and the others here are merely following it up. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical reason for all of this.” The fashionista poked her head out of the curtains eyeing her friend. “So will you please calm down? We’re safe Sunset. Evil magic doesn’t just run rampant in this world and I doubt Hoity would try anything here. He wouldn’t dare try to jeopardize his own pageant show.”

She… had a point there. The world of fashion was alien to her and it could just be her paranoia whispering in the back of her mind. Perhaps the stress of battle against Hoity lingered. After all, there were too many witnesses here. Even if a shadow monster would appear, it was the middle of the day. It’d be crazy for that man to make such a move.

“You’re… probably right.” Sunset admitted. “I’m probably just stressing out over nothing. I shouldn’t let it get over my head.”

“I completely agree. And~ speaking of which.” Rarity then pulled the curtains revealing herself for all to bask in her splendor. “Tada! How do I look? Be honest dear. I need all comments to be as referral as possible.”

Sunset scanned her and was… somewhat impressed. It was definitely different to what Rarity wore every day. Instead of the usual glamor, grace and all things gem, she now sported a seductive dress that was a blend between a vampire queen and a dominatrix. Give her a crop and a puffy pillowed throne and her image would be complete. She can practically see her putting those stilettos to good use stepping on some (un)lucky soul digging those hills deeper than it had any right to be.

“Wow Rarity. You look umm… good?”

“I know!” She replied with a wide smile. “I was against it at first seeing how tight it was. But after putting it on I’m starting to see Vignette’s point of view. She might actually be onto something. I don’t only look good, but it feels good to be in. I don’t think I ever want to take it off.” That doesn’t sound sanitary. “I’m seeing everything in a whole new light.”

“Are you sure that’s not just your suit suffocating you?” Honestly, nothing there looked pleasurable at all. You can practically see the leather cutting into her skin. “That doesn’t look… comfortable.”

“It’s not meant to be comfortable darling. It’s meant to be fashionable. Though I do admit that it does eat away at me, but something about it makes me feel… good on the inside. Perhaps you should try one and see for yourself.”

Sunset raised her hand up in decline. “No thanks. I’m not really into fashion like you.”

“Oh come now. Have a little change in your wardrobe. Remember the dress I made for you for the Winter Holiday Party?” Does she remember? She remember looking hot in it. The number of looks and praises she got from the gang and her friends was proof of her ratings. “Remember how everyone kept eyeing you?”

“Yeah…” She rolled her eyes admittedly.

“Then you should try out something new. Look around you Sunset. Every fabric you see here has been tailored made by professionals from all over Canterlot. These are the clothes that will be put on display for the whole world to see. Everyone will be vying for them. And now we have the honor of wearing them first.”

“Well… when you put it that way. I suppose that does make them somewhat appealing. But I think I’ll stick to my old style for now.”

“Suit yourself. As for me. I am going to… to… to… oh…”

Sunset raised a curious brow seeing her friend looking rather weak all of a sudden. “You ok?”

“Oh my. I’m terribly sorry. I suddenly feel rather… lightheaded for some reason.” She reached for her hair, brushing that strange sense tingling in her body.

“Are you sure the dress isn’t cutting the circulation into your head or anything?”

“No no. It’s probably just exhaustion. I’m better now.” Rarity let out a weird smile. “Come. Vignette says that the moment I strut through that runway, the guest list is all ours.”

(Autumn’s ranch)

Twilight stirred from her makeshift bed feeling rather sore. Her body ached everywhere and the straw pillow she laid on only seemed to make it worse.

“How long do you intend to sleep?”

Bwah? The voice jolted her brain bringing her up from her covers. Her sudden movement and gasping startled the nearby sheep prompting them to move out of the way.

She looked around and recalled this unfamiliar surroundings. “Where am I?”

“Back in that crazy lady’s barn. I think the sheep gave it away.”

Yeah that made sense. “What happened?”

“Let’s just say the stunt you pulled didn’t exactly go as planned. You got magical backlash and you got knocked out.” That would certainly explain the pain on her body and the aches on her arm. “I mean honestly. What in the world were you thinking? Mixing two different types of magic together? You’ve studied magic long enough to know that making that kind of mixture is dangerous. You’re lucky you got away with all your fingers.”

“It sounded like a good idea at the time.” Twilight grunted though she didn’t disagree. She knew that mixing Equestrian magic with magic from this world would have a volatile reaction. But it worked in the end. “How long was I out?”

“Long enough. That boy was panicking ever since he brought you back.” Of course Flash would be.

“Guess I should thank him.” But then Twilight realized something when she finally opened her eyes. She cast a glance to her surroundings noticing that there were only sheep sleeping beside her. “Wait… who am I talking to?”

“You still haven’t figured that out yet?” The voice mocked her. “And here I thought you were the smart one.”

Twilight looked around but still saw no one. Was it just a voice inside her head? Was she going mad?

“You’re not going crazy.” Gah! Now that voice was reading her mind too!

“Who are you? What are you?”

“You really don’t remember me?” She whispered dejectedly. “Then maybe this will jolt your memories.”

And in that moment a figure suddenly manifested itself. It was her… but also not her at the same time. Dark wings manifested itself as a seductive version of Twilight flew down, eyes brimming with power and a suggestive smile that seemed to tease its victim.

“Hello Twilight.” It spoke tauntingly. “Did you miss me?”

The Two Sides of Evil

Chapter 39: The Two Sides of Evil

“Midnight Sparkle?” The said woman enjoyed the expression on the face of her host, reveling every second of her fear. It wasn’t every day you get to scare someone out of bed like the boogeyman, and this was her shot at it. “No… it can’t be. You’re supposed to be gone. Defeated! You’re…”

“Still here and still alive.” The dark angel laughed manically, her body hovering a few feet off the ground. “I told you I’d be back one day. You might’ve banished me to the deepest corners of your mind. But I am a part of…” Her speech was rudely interrupted by a stick flying pass her. “H… hey! Stop that! I’m in the middle of my monologue!”

“Get… back! Get back!” Twilight threatened as she grabbed a few objects around her and began tossing them at her. “I’m warning you! I have a bucket and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“Hey!” Midnight cursed as the said bucket came, going through her body like a ghost. “Do you know how hard I’ve worked on this!? I’ve spent all this time crafting my perfect return dialogue! The least you could do is listen.” Another stick followed making her groan. “Quit it!”

“Go back to the darkness from whence you came!”

“Darkness? What is this? A fantasy action movie?”

“I’ve banished you before and I can do it again!”

“Oh for the love of…” A wooly creature came next and again it simply flew through her. “What the? Did you just throw a sheep at me?”

“Begone foul villain! Your days are numbered!”

“Will you just stop and listen for one second!?”

“NEVER!!!! Begone spirit! I banish thee back from whence thee came!”

“It’s ‘Thy’ came. And I’m not a ghost.”

“Your work is done! Pass on freely!”

Midnight sighed and made a show of crossing her arms and just hovering there, her chin resting on one hand. The fallen angel looked relatively bored.

This whole thing went on for a full minute with Twilight continuously throwing everything and anything she could get her hands on, shouting mantras and holy verses from various religious texts which probably existed at one point or another. She finally stopped when she ran out of stuff to throw. Either that or she was just too exhausted to do anything else. Her lack of breath suggested the latter.

“Are you done? Did you finally get all that out of your system?”

Twilight raised one finger asking for a moment of reprieve which she granted. “Just… give me… a second… to catch… my breath.”

The floating lady rolled her eyes boringly. “You want something to drink?”

“No, I’m good. Thank you.” She blinked back before returning to her usual demeanor. “No wait a minute! How are you here!? Why are you here!? You’re supposed to be gone!”

“I am never truly gone!” She swung her hand forward getting back into character. “I am always here at the deepest darkest corners of your mind! And…… and… wait. Didn’t I say that already?” The angel pulled out some flash cards from her back. “Hang on. I think I have it here somewhere. No… wait. These are out of order.” There was some mumbling, grumbling and fumbling before finally throwing her arms in frustration. “Arghh! Forget it. The moment’s gone. It’s gone!” Her body slumped. “I had a whole script written in my head. The perfect dramatic effect! Now it’s all ruined. Thanks to you. Stupid Twilight.”

The girl stood accused. “Umm… I’m… sorry?”

“Well you should be!” She scolded. “I’ve spent the last few years rehearsing those lines and perfecting my voice to match the whole event. I pictured it to be magnificent, gaudy and glamorous! My glorious return to the world! It was supposed to be awesome. Brimstone and fire, eternal night, phenomenal cosmic power at my finger tips and mortals trembling at my feet!”

*Beeh~~!* If the sheep in the pen could speak, they’d all tell the both of them to pipe down.

“And instead I get… this?” She gestured to the barn. “Not exactly what I had in mind.”

“Well in my defense: You were the one who decided to come out. And… wait… did you say you’ve been planning this for years? Why?”

The floating girl shrugged. “Well, I played chess with myself 1981 times and won 1981 times, played old maid and counted the number of times you blinked every single day. After that it was pretty much just plotting my return. I mean… what else was I supposed to do trapped inside the mind of a teenage girl? Not exactly a lot of interesting things going on with your dull life. Other than watching you make a fool of yourself in school. Those are entertaining.”

“That’s just sad.”

“Oooh~~~ And this is coming from a girl who rehearses her Nobel Prize acceptance speech in front of the mirror 120 times?”

“Hey! That’s private.” Twilight’s face froze. “Wait… does that mean you’ve been with me the whole time? Watching?”

“Every literal step of the way.”

“Even when… at home?” Her face turned pale.

“Yup.” Midnight grinned. “Even when you sing solo to Dirk Thistleweed when no one’s looking. Which, by the way, you can’t do. Low tones are just not for you, girl.”

“NOOOO!”

“Oh relax. You actually look cute when you sing.”

“Enough!” Twilight snapped back silencing the room. Though the sheep hardly bothered anymore. She pointed her finger at the dark angel, summoning the power from her geode readying to pony-up if she had to. “It’s time to send you back where you belong! You are not taking over my body. I’m a lot more powerful than I was before. So if you wanna to take my magic, then you’ll have to fight for it.”

The smile on the sorceress hardly move if at all. She looked amused. “Oh please. Don’t be so dramatic. You’re starting to make those stupid cartoons actually sound smart. If I had the power to take over your body, don’t you think I would’ve done so already?”

She was right of course. If she could’ve taken over her body all along, they wouldn’t be having this conversation at all. Heck she could’ve done so when she slept.

And as a person of logic and reason, Twilight allowed her guard to drop for a bit. “So… you’re not here to take over my body?”

“Oh no. That’s still the end game.” She admitted oh so plainly which made her host flinch. “I’m just not doing it right now.”

“So why are you here? More importantly… why did you show up now?”

Midnight took a glance at her fingernails before she replied. “Not a clue. The moment you stepped out of that portal, I felt a surge of magic. It flowed into me and it gave me enough power to manifest myself in your head. And now I’m free… sort of. I’m still tethered to your mind though. Regretfully.” She grumbled that last part. “And as for your first question: I came to tell you that you… are an idiot.”

“Excuse me!?”

“You nearly blasted yourself with that stunt you pulled by the gateway. Mixing two magic together? That’s like smashing atoms at the speed of light expecting it NOT to go ballistic upon impact! You’re lucky all you got out of that was a few bumps and bruises. Even I’m not that stupid.”

“Well what do you think I should’ve done?” Twilight countered. “Opening a portal of that magnitude requires a lot of magic. The bracelet was pretty much drained from using it the first time. And the only way I can get that amount of power is by drawing from two different sources. By expanding the whole pool, I could triple the amount of power I could generate. It was a good idea at the time.”

“A good way to lose an arm or a leg.”

“And you’d know better?”

Midnight laughed. “Honey, I once tore a rift to Equestria with barely any effort. Opening a portal to a place half way across the world is child’s play.” That was also true. “Come on now. If an old shaman from the past can open a portal with just the bracelet, you should be able to do it too. I expect my host to do better.”

Twilight raised the black gem still attached to her wrist. “It’s not like this thing ever came with an instruction manual.”

“That’s no excuse for blowing yourself up. Come on Twilight. You’re smarter than this. Instead of doing trial and error methods, why don’t you use that head of yours?”

“I am!”

“Really? Because it looks more like you’re just going with your gut. And we all know how that ended.” She flew in closer, tapping one invisible finger on her nose. “You of all people should know that the best answers are the ones you can’t see…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The dark angel laughed. “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Before Twilight could ask more, another voice interrupted smashing the door open. “Twilight?”

“Fla-” A strong pair of arms wrapped around her cutting her mid-word and raising her up.

“Oh thank goodness. You had me worried for a minute there!” The boy breathed what sounded like the longest and heaviest sigh of relief he ever made as his hands squeezed tightly around her not willing to let go. But thankfully he did so bringing her face close to his. “Are you ok? Do you feel lightheaded? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine!” She pulled herself out of his grip, gasping. “Mostly, anyway. But Flash, you can’t be here.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s here!” She pointed to Midnight who smiled sweetly at her. Flash turned in her direction but shrugged.

“Who is?”

“Midnight Sparkle. She’s…”

The dark angel stuck out her tongue, muttering something akin to an insult. “Part of your mind, remember?” Flicking dirt off her shoulder, she decided to vanish.

Flash looked around but saw no one. Other than the sheep who were giving him the stink eye for making a racket. “That hit must’ve knocked a few screws loose. Come on. Lie down and get some rest.” He gently pulled her down with little resistance. “The next time you try experimenting on your magic, don’t do it alone.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But I had to try.” She replied weakly, rubbing the side of her head which she found to be aching.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that whatever it is you tried up there might’ve actually worked.”

Her eyes cast over him, confused. “It did?”

“Yeah. Right before that explosion, I got this.” Flash pulled out his phone which the point seemed to be lost on her.

“You… got a text message?”

“I got over 50 text messages.” He exclaimed with a sigh rubbing one hand down his face. “Look. All of them were sent yesterday or the day before that, but they came to my phone today. I don’t know what you did. But for a few seconds there… I got a cell reception.”

Her eyes widened in realization which she responded by pulling out her own phone. And as luck would have it there were more than 30 text messages left unread, all of them came from her friends on the other side. And a few dozen more from Timber.

“We got cell reception.” She turned to the boy, a smile slowly crossing her face. “Flash. Do you know what this means? We can send a message to our friends!”

“I know, right!?” His face was equally ecstatic as hers. “I knew you could do it.”

“Was there any doubt?” Twilight smugly replied. “Come on. We need to redo the process. We can… ugh…” But her body went limp the moment she rose, falling right onto the boy.

“Whoa. Easy now.” Flash winced as the ache on his leg resurfaced. “You shouldn’t be moving after what you went through.”

“But… the portal.”

“It’ll still be there tomorrow.” Gently he placed her back on the hay bale, tucking her in with one hand behind her head. “We can work on the details then. For now, just get some rest.”

“But… the others.”

“I’m sure they’re safe wherever they are.”

(Canterlot) (Warehouse docks)

Sunset watched as the so-called rehearsal party played through. It was a rather clever little thing. The workers here put a bunch of crates, unused cardboard boxes and leftover planks, put on a few light-bulbs as spotters and draped the whole thing with a pretty looking carpet, creating a perfect imitation of a pageant show runway. They even had music playing in the background performed by an actual DJ. It wasn’t DJ Pon-3 but the guy had some skills on the board. To think they’d have all of this put on in such short notice and in a warehouse in the docks no less. You wouldn’t possibly believe that such an event was taking place in the back alleys of the city. She saw Rarity heading to the ‘backstage’ preparing to strut over at the beginning of the music.

But sadly, that strange ominous feeling she had a while ago didn’t subside. In fact, it might’ve gotten even stronger. Every cell in her body was warning her of danger but nothing ever happened. People here went on about their business and barely even gave her a passing glance. A few of the designers opted to let her try out one of their outfits but she declined them.

Sunset quickly brushed it off thinking that it was just some leftover adrenaline from the fight with Hoity. That battle under the castle really shook her to the core. It must be messing with her systems somehow. She decided to just leave it be and hopefully things will get back to normal.

Well… as normal as things can get around here.

Vice Principal Luna hasn’t called back either. And not that she’d want to answer it. She wouldn’t even know how to explain the whole thing to her.

‘Oh hey Mr. Sombra. Your son may or may not be trapped under a ton of rubble along with our friend after fighting a giant multi-headed shadow monster. But don’t worry. They’re totally safe…… maybe…… probably………… hopefully.’

Yeah. No thanks. She’d rather face a horde of Timberwolves in Equestria.

“Very impressive.” Someone spoke up to her. “You wouldn’t think something as classy as this would be held in such a decrepit place.”

“You can say that again.” She answered, noting his familiar face. “You’re… Trenderhoof, aren’t you?”

The blonde boy nodded, flashing a practiced smile. “The one and only. But please, call me Trend. Everybody does.”

“Right…” Sunset blinked. “Wait… weren’t you eliminated from the pageant show? You were kicked out on the first round. I saw you.”

His face turned sour. “Yes. That was quite a blow to my brand and my ego. But thankfully I can still play a role and have my face on the show at the very least.”

“Really? How?”

“I signed up as a model for Vignette. With the lack of people modeling, they need all the hands they can get. She said that I have just the right build for this suit she designed.” Was it worthy to be called a suit though? It looked more like a bunch of belts tied together just to make the shape of a shirt. You can still see parts of his skin suffocating out of the smaller areas. “In fact, almost everyone modeling here are those who resigned and eliminated from the show.”

“Really? All of you?”

“Yup. Every last one.” He nodded plainly. “I’ll admit that I wasn’t into the whole leather thing at first. I’m more of a soft-cotton man myself. But I’m actually feeling quite comfortable in these. Why… just moving in them makes me feel lightheaded.”

Him too? Strange. Rarity said the same thing earlier.

“Will all the models please ready themselves backstage?” Vignette called out. “There’s only so much time in the day and we don’t want to waste a single minute of it. Je veux que tout soit parfait.”

“That’s my cue.” Trenderhoof nodded and gladly skipped his way on the so-called backstage along with Rarity.

“Break a leg.” She gave the boy a cute tap on the shoulder and again her powers activated. It was strange. Almost like her magic was going haywire. But what she felt that moment was strange in its own way. There was a mysterious emotion coming from Trenderhoof. Like a mixture of anger and violence. She couldn’t see what was going in his mind but the torrent of emotions was enough to get her worried. “Ok… something is seriously off here.” And no she was not referring to the odd fashion sense around here, even though that warranted attention on its own.

Slowly and quietly the former unicorn snuck away from the crowd just as the music picked up.

She made her way to the dressing area where many of the designers’ best attire were put on mannequins. It would appear that everyone had gathered at the runway for the main event and left everything unattended. She turned over to the dresses, looking at them with part confusion and part disgust. Like everything else around here, they were all made out of leather, painted black, and with more buttons and belt buckles than actual fabric. It was as if everyone was trying to copy one another. Sure they might have different appearances in the slightest margin but even that didn’t change the fact that they were still all the same.

“Something about these clothes seems a bit off.” Sunset couldn’t really tell why other than their mysterious appearance naturally. There was no way in Tartarus she was gonna wear something like that, fashion or no fashion.

But just as she approached, she began to feel something faint hidden deep within the leather.

It wasn’t apparent until she got really close but it was definitely familiar.

“There’s magic in these…” Her finger tapped on the leather… and then everything faded black.

…

Sunset looked around finding herself in darkness. It was as if a black hole swallowed her up leaving her in perpetual night. Yet strangely enough she wasn’t afraid. That strange feeling just now was definitely Yaztec Magic. The same kind of magic that has been going around the city lately. There was no doubt about it.

But why would Yaztec Magic be infused with the clothes here? She recalls that the royal guard back in Equestria imbue their armors with magical enchantment to improve their protection and enhance their strengths. Even a few unicorns wear clothes adorned with some semblance of magical powers, but those are mostly for appearances. Even Starswirl wears such clothes to improve on his powers.

“Intruder? In our domain?” Suddenly a familiar sickening voice echoed behind her. Sunset turned back and noted a pair of eyes watching her from the ground. It rose up, forming a head from the shadows, before another came forward.

“It is the one who brought our master such pain.” A second voice chimed.

“A blot, a blight, a mess, a stain!”

It was Kaaz the Cruel. All three of her heads staring down at her, snake like heads rising and fangs pointing at her.

“Help!” A cry came out bringing Sunset out of her shock. She looked down at where the long heads were poking and found its massive body. But what made her cringe in horror were the faces protruding from it. Terrified expressions of different people gasped as they very slowly sunk into the massive blob. They were all crying out, pleading for help as their arms struggled to pull them free.

Sunset took a step back returning her gaze to the monster’s heads before they lounge at her.

…

Her hand shoot away along with the rest of her body. She let out a wide gasp, holding her fingers for a moment before bolting off back to the catwalk.

xxxxxxxxxx

Rarity felt giddy. It wouldn’t be the first time she had to prance through a runway but these brief moments before the main show always manages to excite her. She enjoyed it. The strutting, the applause, the amazement of the crowd. They were all intoxicating for her.

“Alright. Places people.” The manager backstage announced. “First group, enter after the lightshow starts. Second group will follow after. Third and fourth when the red light turns on. Remember: Strut, strut, strut, pose, turn, strut and hold. No mistakes now. Remember, there’s enough room for the catwalk for everyone. So no pushing. Once you reached your placements, you have to hold that position for about 20 seconds.”

Oh honey, please. This isn’t my first rodeo. Do you know how many catwalks I’ve done? Those planes in the airport couldn’t even match me.

“Ok. We’re starting in three… two…”

Right. Posture Rarity. This is your moment. Time to show the amateurs what a real designer can do on stage.

She was last in the fourth group so there was still some time before she had to move.

But just as the light dimmed in the area, a pair of hands grabbed her, one covering her mouth. It pulled her into the changing closet as she muffled a scream.

“Shhh!” Sunset’s face finally came into view calming the girl down as one finger pressed against her lips.

“Sunset!” She raised her voice just barely above a whisper. “What in the world are you doing?”

“No time to explain. You need to take those clothes off. Now.”

What?

“What!?”

“Do it!”

“I will most certainly not. These are designed by Vignette. Removing them now would be a direct insult. And I will definitely not be streaking like some lunatic.”

Sunset sighed but understood her situation. She quickly reached out grabbing one of the clothes that the models left behind. “Fine. Put these on.”

“What? These things?” Her expression contorted with disgust. “The shirt is too large, and those pants are a social disaster waiting to happen. These colors don’t even match.”

“Will you just change!?”

“Sunset! You are starting to unnerve me. What in the world is going on with you?”

“I’ll explain later. Right now you have to trust me and change out of those, right now!”

“Alright alright. I’ll change. But be warned, I am making a sacrifice here.”

“I’ll be sure to take note. Now hurry!”

“Hang on. There are a lot of belts and buckles on this…” It took her a full 2 minutes to finally get it off and done her new attire. “Ugh… I really hope no one sees me in this.”

“Come on! We don’t have time!”

“Sunset! Will you please explain to me what in the world is going on? And why are we sneaking?”

“I’ll explain everything once we’re safely away from here.”

But just as the two of them were making their way to the back door, Vignette’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Excellent work everyone. Bravo. Bravo indeed. You all look splendid. Keep this up and a few of you might actually work as a professional model instead.” The crowd giggled softly. “We’ll do one more rehearsal without the music. But on the side note, there’s one last gig that we all want you to do.”

Sunset paused and quickly hid behind a pile of clothes, watching the whole thing go down.

“Now. Once you’ve all assembled, you must all raise one hand to the sky and shout out this phrase.” Vignette said with a knowing grin. “Won em ekat zaak.” The confused look on their faces were seen. “It’s a new catchphrase that Hoity’s working on. Think of it as a new brand slogan. Go on, raise your hands and say it loud!”

No one seemed to understand it but they complied nonetheless.

“I should be on that stage.”

“Rarity, shush!”

One by one, those on the catwalk slowly raise their hands up. And in one jubilant voice they shouted.

“Won em ekat zaak!”

“Again!” Vignette repeated.

“Won em ekat zaak!”

“Again!!!”

“Won em ekat zaak!”

“One more for good measure.”

“Won em ekat zaak arghhh!!!” And then like clockwork, the models on stage fell in agony. Their pained expression illuminated for all to see. Their clothes stretched out as if the leather itself came to life, black tendrils sprung forth before digging into their bodies, poisoning their very bodies. They shouted and screamed but it was all deafened by the music that boomed in the background.

“My… word…” Rarity gasped, one hand over mouth. “What’s… happening to them?”

“Remember that bad feeling I had earlier?” Sunset said with dread. “Well… let’s just say I was right.” They paused and listen as Vignette stepped forward, admiring the agony of her victims. It seemed like a strange sight as the other designers and workers didn’t seem to care one bit on what was happening.

“Good work everyone. That was eXcELlenT. noW rIsE.” Through her strangely exaggerated words the models who were screaming earlier rose back up, their eyes blank, snot and drool coming out of their faces. “Very good. hOiTy will be moST plEaSed. NexT week’s show wiLL reAlly be something. NoW all WE hAVe to do is…” Her good mood suddenly faded when she realized one spot remained empty on the catwalk. “WHeRe iS nUmBEr 14?” She turned to her minions. “wHErE Is RARITY!? AnD whERE is thaT REdheAd SUNsEt!?”

“She… disappeared before we could grab her.” One of the burly men whimpered.

Vignette’s eyes turned dark. “WELL FIND HER! Find them NOW!”

“We need to go. Now.”

Rarity couldn’t agree more. But in her haste, her shoe heel snapped. She cursed a little too loudly which prompted all eyes to turn to them. “Ah… ahehe…… oops?”

“GeT tHEM!!”

“RUN!” They bolted towards the door they came through only to found themselves barred by a burly security guard. There was something wrong with him. Tendrils suddenly became visible under his clothes and his eyes were pitched black.

“You’re mine, la—” He didn’t get a chance to finish when Rarity brought out her diamond shield and sent him flying to a stack of crates.

“Sorry!” She apologized and hastened her steps. Thankfully they were fast enough to get to the other side. “What in the world is going on!? Vignette! Those people. They’re…”

“I have a rough idea of what’s going on.” Sunset panted as she looked for anything to barricade the door with. “Rarity. Give me your shoes. We can use it lock it.”

She paled. “Absolutely not! These are one of a kind Nekes vin—” The shouting and evil moans on the other side changed her tone. “Take it. Take it take it take it!” With a little nudge on the ground, the heels snapped and locked the frame into place. It’ll be a while before they can get through that.

With their backs secured Sunset made a quick dash to her car started the engine and stepped on the pedal as hard as she could, only to hit the brakes a second later when a figure stood between them and the exit.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Vignette grinned before her arm formed a massive tendril. She threw it, and with quick thinking and driving on Sunset’s part, they dodged it.

“That’s something you don’t see every day.”

“Where in the world did you learn how to drive like that!?” Rarity balked.

She shrugged. “Video games?”

“Rarity~” The crazy fashionista whined. “I’m disappointed in you. I was really hoping to see you in that glamorous dress I made.”

Was she crazy right now or was that simply the magic talking?

“S… sorry darling. I just remembered that ‘Evil’ isn’t my style.”

Vignette simply clicked her tongue. “And here I thought we were friends!” She threw her tendril again, and again Sunset maneuvered her car, dodging it. The wheels screeched with every turn.

“Hang on Rarity. I’m gonna do something crazy.” Shifting her gears, the copper head reversed her car slamming against the wall before pushing it to the limit. With a few maneuvers that spun her around Vignette, she was able to daze the possessed woman for a brief moment before finally reaching the exit. The fashionista tried to stop them throwing another tendril shot but it melted away when it came in contact with the light.

Vignette grumbled under her breath for a moment, irritated, before reaching for her phone and dialing a number. The tone rang for a few seconds before it was answered.

“They escaped.” Was all she said.

(House by the Hill)

Ok Rainbow Dash. The coast is clear.

The sports gal busied herself performing a strange method of reconnaissance as she exited her private room in the house. She glanced side to side, checking the hallway for anyone that might spot her. And thankfully the area was clear.

Applejack was at the backyard shoveling the snow out of the grounds, Pinkie was in the kitchen making another one of her delicious deserts which she could smell all the way from here, and Fluttershy was tending to Spike and Winona. No one was around to keep her from her mission.

Doing the impression of a ninja she quietly snuck her way through the living room, grabbing her set of keys before gently pushing the door, lessening the creaking noise it gave. Her goal then came in sight in the form of her motorcycle which was parked just inside the walls. The snow was heavy this time of year but nothing a little push wouldn’t help.

Slowly she walked forward, her legs digging into the snow every step of the way. She was almost there. She can make it. Once she was on her baby she’ll be free!

Yes! She grabbed onto the handle and began to push thinking that she was in the clear. She reached for the gate and looked up only to find a friend’s wide toothy smile staring at her.

“Where are you going Dashie?”

“GAHH!” Rainbow Dash slipped, fumbled and fell before slowly sinking into the snow. “Oh come on! I was so close!”

“Really close too.” Pinkie agreed, chomping one of her cupcakes down. “A few more steps and you would’ve made it.”

“How’d you even know I was here? I didn’t even make a sound.”

“That’s because we know you’d try to sneak out.” Applejack answered, a disappointing look crossing her face. “Like the last fifteen times?”

“And also because I had Smokey Jr. hiding in your coat.” Fluttershy added pulling a little raccoon from her hoodie which chittered cutely at her. “Good work there little fella. Now go back to your parents. We’ll take it from here.”

Applejack stepped forward, pulling the girl out of the snow. “We know you wanna help out Rainbow Dash. But storming Hoity’s place isn’t gonna do much here.”

“Well I can’t help it!” The girl with the colorful hair snapped. “You can’t expect me to sit back and do nothing while that guy goes free after what he did to Twilight and Flash!”

“We know. But charging in head-first into a fight ain’t gonna do you much good. You know what he’s capable of. And if you go in alone, you’ll just get yourself in a heap of trouble.”

“So what? Are we just gonna do nothing?”

“No. We’re waiting for an opportunity.” The cowgirl corrected, patting one hand over her hat. “Look. You ain’t the only one worried about those two. We’re all worried. Even Fluttershy here wants to call on her animal friends and storm the place. But she ain’t acting on impulse. We gotta be smart about this. And if you go now, all of us here will be worrying about three of our friends instead of two. Is that what you want?”

Dang it. That’s so like Applejack to know how to guilt people with words. Probably learned that from Granny Smith. “I know that! But sitting around here and just waiting isn’t for me. Right now I just want to go over there and give that guy a piece of my mind.”

“That goes for all of us RD. I’m sure Twilight is fine. You just need to be patient.”

She grumbled. “Fine…”

“Good.” Applejack smiled sweetly before snatching something from her pocket. “Oh and just in case… I’ll be confiscating your keys.” Dang it! “Now let’s go back inside and warm up before we freeze out here. Pinkie’s got a new batch of cupcakes ready.”

“They’re my favorite~~. Everything topping!”

But just as they were returning, a yelp from the gate caused them to stop.

“Ow…” A figure whined, holding a hand over his aching nose. “What in the world?”

“Timber Spruce?” Fluttershy recognized the boy who waved at them awkwardly.

“Oh… hey girls. I’m… doh!” He approached the gate only to have his face plastered over an invisible force field. Fluttershy quickly approached raising her geode opening a hole in their shield. “Thanks. I am never gonna get used to magic around here.”

“How did you get here?”

“I followed the address Twilight gave me.” He answered with a tired breath. “Kind of a hard spot to find. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure this was the place until I saw you girls. Sorry to bother you so late, but is Twilight here?” They flinched at the name. “I’ve been trying to reach her but her phone keeps going to voice mail. I was kind of hoping to invite her for a date tonight. Her favorite restaurant is having a special.” He then noted their multiple expressions. “Is something wrong?”

“Uh… well…” The girls turned to one another uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

“She’s busy!” It was Applejack who broke the silence. “Actually we’ve been uh… quite busy lately with some magic stuff a few nights ago so… we’re kind of working. She’s uh… probably doing…”

“Research!” Pinkie exclaimed. “She’s doing research on some magical doohickey we found. And you know how she is when it comes to magic. She’s in her own little world. Nerds, am I right?” Fluttershy gave her a cute glare. “Anyway, she’s not here right now. And we’re kinda busy with our own thing.”

Timber looked at them suspiciously but didn’t see reason to press it. Rubbing his head softly, he nodded. “Well… alright. But when you see her, can you please tell her to call me? I’m… worried.”

They watched him turn and exit through the hole in the barrier disappearing into the woods.

Once they were sure he was out of earshot, Rainbow Dash blurted. “What’d you tell Timber that!?”

“I dunno. I panicked.” The cowgirl choked. “What was I supposed to tell’em? That Twilight might’ve been crushed under a castle?” There was a point there. “Besides. You all saw how worked up he was. Getting him all in on this is just gonna make him even more mopey.”

“We could’ve thought of a better lie.” Fluttershy muttered.

Applejack wanted to counter but was interrupted when her phone rang. It was Sunset’s name on screen.

(Autumn’s Ranch)

The sun rose pretty early in the desert lands of Saddle Arabia. The ranch awoke with the sound of sheep cooing in their pens, the windmill spinning, sands shifting in the ground and…

Boom…

The sound of explosives, apparently.

“Aww come on!”

Flash sat back with Autumn, nibbling on a slice of bread as they watch Twilight continue with her experimentation on the magic portal. It wasn’t going as well as the girl wanted. She cursed loudly as a rock blew up into tiny pieces leaving shrapnel lying around. Angrily she picked up a stick and began writing on the sand creating a new formula.

“How long has she been at it?”

The boy sighed chewing. “Since the crack of dawn. She’s been out here experimenting on the portal the moment she woke up.”

Another explosion came, followed by even more curses.

“Should we… stop her?”

“As long as she’s not doing anything too dangerous.” He muttered though you could tell there was a hint of worry in his voice. “Besides, I’ll be here when she needs help. This pickled sandwich is great by the way.”

“Don’t sweat it. Think of it as payment for helping me with my chores this morning. Normally it takes me a whole day just to get the sheep out to the pens.”

“Well… I figured you could use some help.” He chuckled. “I gotta friend who has a ranch back home. She’s pretty much a workaholic. Always busy with her farm and always working with one thing or another.”

“Does she use magic too?” He nodded in reply. “Wow… your place sounds like a place where adventure happens on a daily basis.”

“Ehhhh… maybe once in a while. But you should definitely meet Applejack. I have this feeling that you two will make fast friends.”

Autumn turned away, hiding her fading smile. “I hope so.”

A third explosion followed and this time Twilight threw a fit tossing her hands in the air in frustration.

“So… what is she trying to do again?”

“Twilight’s trying to open a portal using that gateway to take us home. But because magic is so complicated, it’s not going so well.”

“Ooh…”

The purple haired gal shouted and cursed. Thankfully they were out of earshot to hear anything.

“We should probably stop her before she blows herself up again.” They rose and walked up to the magical lady who sagged on the sand below her. “Any luck?”

“No!” She snapped back though she didn’t have the strength to flail around anymore. “None of my methods work! ARGHH!”

“That bad?”

“That’s it! It’s official. I hate it! I hate magic!” Twilight whined. “They make no logical sense! First they work in your favor on one thing, then they stop working altogether on another! There’s absolutely no consistency with these things!” Sunset would probably agree with her on that regard. “How am I supposed to work with something that constantly change!? Stop changing!”

“I take it your experiments didn’t go well?”

“What gave it away? The explosions or my constant whining?” Both actually, but he kept that to himself. She got back up, groaning angrily at the rocks. “It’s no use. Without a proper medium, I can’t stabilize the portal. I thought that a simple rock could hold it together for a minute or so but the concentration of magic creates too much stress on the user. It won’t even last a few seconds.”

“But aren’t those Portal Stones made out of rocks?”

“They are. But they also have something else. Something that can implement magic on a whole other level. If only I had something strong enough to hold the spell together. Just for a few minutes. We can get a message back to our friends. Maybe I should try it again.”

“Oh no you don’t.” He objected roughly. “You’re not going to use that magic on yourself again. You know what happened last time.”

“Well, what else are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you try making a copy of yourself like you did last time?”

“I would if I still had that crown.”

“Crown?” Autumn questioned.

“It’s a magical artifact.” Twilight sighed. “A small silver ornery thing. I must’ve lost it when we jumped through the portal last time.”

“You mean… this thing?” She held up the said crown which left the two dumbstruck.

My Twisted Guardian Angel

Chapter 40: My Twisted Guardian Angel

(House by the hill)

Sunset slumped down to the couch feeling herself rather deflated. After escaping by the skin of her teeth from Vignette’s clutches she felt like she could use a break.

“Hold up.” Applejack raised a finger calling their attention. “Let me get this straight. Vignette is in cahoots with Hoity? And she tried to kidnap you two?”

“She’s not working with him.” Sunset corrected with a sigh. “She was being controlled. I think everyone who participated in the pageant is affected.”

Rainbow Dash scratched her head confusingly. “So wait. Are you saying that he’s mind controlling people… with clothes? Are you sure about this? That sounds… pretty skeptic, and I’ve seen a lot of things.”

“I’m definitely sure. It has all the same properties as the spell I used in school when… I tried to turn everyone into mindless zombies.” It was still a hard pill to swallow no matter how many times she says it. “Those clothes they wear had some weird magic stitched to them. When I laid my hand on it, I felt that Shadow Monster creeping into my head. It was not a pleasant experience. Any later, Rarity here would’ve been part of that group.”

“It is absolutely atrocious!” The said fashionista exclaimed. “I can understand taking over the world with dark magic, mind controlling students to become your own personal army, even trapping us all in a camp forever! But to use fashion to implement your plan for world domination!? Ooooh, Hoity Toity has taken things too far this time! To take advantage of our designs and our imaginations to further his own goals!? How selfish can he be!? I say we march right up to his doorstep and take him down this instant!”

“Now we’re talking.” Rainbow Dash gave a high-five which she returned. The others simply rolled their eyes.

“But why would he want to take mind control a bunch of fashion designers?” Fluttershy inquired.

“Most likely to take their creative imagination and pass it on as his own.” Rarity huffed. “What cheek.”

Sunset disagreed. “I think his plans go further than just cornering the fashion industry. I think he has something bigger in mind. I’m just missing a few pieces of the puzzle.” She turned over to Rarity. “Hey Rare… you wouldn’t happen to get that list we asked for, did you?”

“No. But I did catch a glimpse of it. Many big names are included in the guest list. Celebrities, politicians, CEOs, producers and such. It’s bound to be a gathering of stars.” The list of positions alone was enough to snap everyone into realization. “You don’t think he’d…”

“Mind control everyone who comes to his pageant show?” Applejack droned. “Wouldn’t put it pass the guy.”

“He’d have control over everyone there.” Rainbow Dash put the pieces together, gasping in awe. “Every celebrity, politician. Everyone who goes to Filthy Rich’s resort will be turned into puppets. And that Hoity guy will be pulling the strings. It’ll be like the spinoff of Daring Do! Dr. Caballeron and the Puppet Master. We can’t let that happen! I say we strike at him now before he pulls his plan.”

“Here here!” Rarity chimed in. “That two faced snake gives us fashion designer a bad name. We’ll sweep the rug from under him and he wouldn’t even know what hit him.”

“Yeah!” Even Pinkie seemed motivated. “I’m dying to try out my banana boat bonanza ice cream. It’ll be a taste for them to remember!”

“Now cool your jets people.” Applejack protested. “We talked about this. Charging head in to the fight ain’t gonna cut it. We all saw how that worked out last time. And Rainbow Dash. You just agreed to lay low earlier. Don’t you be backing out on the deal now.”

“That was before we discovered that he’s trying to secretly mind control everyone with clothes.”

“Applejack’s right.” Sunset took the cowgirl’s side. “Like it or not. Hoity is simply too powerful for us to take on in a direct fight. The pageant is still a few days away. That should give us enough time to come up with a plan to stop him. And firstly we need a way to reverse the spell that Hoity cast on those he already controls. Rarity. You still have those designs you made during your first round at the pageant?”

“Of course. I keep all of my masterpieces. But what does that have to do…?” Her eyes snapped open. “You don’t think my designs are infected too!?”

“If my hunch is right, Hoity must’ve cast some kind of control spell with all the designs. If I can get a good look at it, I can probably create a counter-spell to free those already in control.”

“Ugh… and while you’re doing that, Hoity’s probably selling off a dozen more of his clothes to unsuspecting customers! We need to strike now!”

“And I say you’re just gonna get yourself nabbed!”

“Rainbow Dash has a point! Sitting around here is useless.”

“Now just calm down!”

Fluttershy backed away at the argument heated up. She’d prefer to stay out of it entirely if she could have it her way. But her attention was quickly captured by Spike who held up Sunset’s phone in his mouth which buzzed on the couch. She picked it up and saw the caller’s face.

“Uh… everyone.” Her voice barely pierced the heated debate. “G… guys? H… hello?” Applejack threw in a lama comment but it was roughly brushed off by RD’s insult. “Guys? GUYS?”

Oh for the love of…

“WILL YOU ALL JUST BE QUIET FOR A MINUTE!!!!!!!????”

…

That certainly got their attention.

Fluttershy coughed then answered the call, putting it on speaker.

“Sunset? You there?”

“Flash!?” Their attention lit up as they crammed over to the phone, all thoughts of the earlier argument vanishing entirely.

“Flash? Is that you?” Sunset grabbed the device.

“Holy cow. It worked! Twilight it really worked!”

“Really?” Another voice chimed in making the gang restless. “Sunset? Can you hear me?”

“Twilight?” Sunset gasped. “You’re ok?”

“We are. Sorta. Kind of hard to tell right now.”

“Where are you!?” Applejack shouted. “We’ve been worried sick for you, girl! We’ve been trying to call you for days!”

There was static coming from the other line. “It’s a long story. But we’re fine. Mostly. Lis*Bzzzt*. Flash and I jumped through the po*Bzzt*al when the castle collapsed. We *Bzt* on’t have a lot of time befor*Bzzt*this signal fades. I’m sending you a text wi*Bzzzzt*all the details. I’m…” The signal was cut off mid-sentence.

“Twilight? Hello? Twilight!” Sunset looked to her phone again and noted a single text came through. It was a rather long message, probably typed down beforehand when they called. “Hey girls. Hope you get this message. Right now, Flash and I are trapped on the other side of the world in a small town called Perilous Peak. No phone signal here. Using unorthodox methods to communicate. But we’re safe. Trying to get back as soon as we can. Found another magic portal here but no Portal Stone. Hope you’re all doing well. Twilight. P.S. Check and make sure my binders are still in order. I think I left a few unattended. And look after Spike for me.”

“She put her binders before me?” The purple mutt complained.

While the message might’ve been short and the call lasting no longer than a few seconds, it was certainly more than enough to deflate the whole tension around the room.

Rarity’s body went limp at the message. “This is a miracle!” She cheered. “Oh thank the heavens they’re alright. I was beginning to fear the worst. Really now. That girl is a handful. All that stress was getting my hair all frazzled.”

“I’ll say.” Applejack readily agreed. “That’s a weight off my shoulder. But where in the heck is this… Perilous Peak? Never heard of it before.”

“Ooooh~~~ sounds… perilous.”

“Pinkie.” Sunset scolded. “The important part is that they’re both safe. That’s enough for me. From what she says in her text, they’re trying to find a way back. But it might take a while. In the meantime, can we all just hold off striking Hoity? Until we can get a workaround on his magic.” And reluctantly, after a few more debates, the gang agreed.

(Autumn’s Ranch)

Twilight let out a yelp as Flash grabbed her and Autumn and ducked away as the portal collapsed on itself sending out a powerful blast of energy causing a minor tremor in the area. They were safe. Though he can’t really say the same for her clone. The poor thing shattered like glass and vanished into thin air when the magic went out of control.

“Whoa…” Autumn was first to break the silence, turning to the portal with wide eyes. “That. Was. Amazing! That was magic! That was REAL magic! Genuine hocus pocus magic!”

“More like loud magic.” Flash muttered painfully as his ear rang from the explosion. He turned over to Twilight who looked equally dazed. “You think they got our message?”

The bespectacled girl groaned. “I hope so. The portal lasted for about half a minute. And we were able to call them with our cellphones. The odds of them receiving my text is extremely high. But as long as they know that we’re ok, they should be alright. So~ I’ll count that as a win. However our main problem still remains.”

“Problem?” He choked. “Didn’t you see what you did earlier? You were able to create a portal between two places! That’s amazing!”

Twilight shrugged plainly. “Meh. Once you’ve seen one portal, you’ve seen it all. The problem is stabilizing it. If we go through that while it’s all hazy, we might be sent somewhere else entirely.”

“That was INCREDIBLE!!!!” Autumn shouted across the mountain shaking the very sands themselves. “I couldn’t believe it. Seeing stuff like that for the first time is like… wow. You really CAN do magic!”

“Yes. I think that was obvious the first time.” The nerd gal droned.

“What else can you do!?” The hyperactive girl approached looking like a kid in a candy store holding a golden coin. “Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat? Do you have laser eyes? Can you see the future or predict the lottery? Can you rearrange the stars and make a constellation that looks like me? I have so many questions!”

Twilight pushed her away. “Ugh… personal space here.” She sighed. “Like it or not. There’s just no way I can maintain a portal without a medium to hold it together. The only way we can open this portal is to find a Portal Stone.”

“A what now?”

“It’s a magical item.” Flash explained though he didn’t go into details. “But where are we going to find something like that around here? This place looks like it’s been abandoned for hundreds of years. For all we know, it could’ve been destroyed.”

“You’re not exactly being helpful around here.”

“Hey, I’m just giving my input.” He groaned. “I just wish the portal didn’t send us to some random location.”

“Hey, hi, hello.” Autumn waved her hands at them. “What’s this Portal Stone you guys keep talking about?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, deciding to humor her. “It’s a statue around this high.” She quickly drew a figure on the sand with her finger. “It’s the thing we need to open a stable portal. We used one to get here. They’re extremely powerful and extremely rare. They’re practically one of a kind in every portal. Closely guarded and well-kept behi—”

“Oh I’ve seen one of those.”

…

Twilight’s eye twitched as her head cranked slowly in Autumn’s direction. “Eh?”

xxxxxxxxxx

It stood right there in front of her, in the store back in town. The object of their desire stared back at them behind rows of figurines. One of the most powerful magical artifacts in the whole world, whose value exceeded that of the most precious gemstones, which was most likely guarded by golems and other mechanical contraptions, put on display like some item to be sold by some passerby.

“Huh…” Flash mumbled, looking equally dumbfounded. “Well that was surprisingly easy.”

Twilight banged her head on the counter.

(Luna/Celestia’s Apartment)

Luna paced around her room looking at her phone. She wanted to dial the number back but knew deep down that she won’t get an answer. She wanted to believe that her students were all trust-worthy citizens and that they could do no wrong. But ever since magic decided to rear its ugly head around their school, trust has become quite the issue. Even more so with those girls.

Sunset was definitely hiding something. Her tone was way off, and the way she dodged her questioning seemed highly suspicious. There was no doubt in her mind that she and the other six girls in her group had something to do with the incident in Freefall Island. The whole castle collapsing was all over the news with reporters saying that it was… strange. Dang it. If those girls were onto something dangerous, then it was her responsibility to get them out of it.

“Ugh…” Grabbing her bag, Luna decided that it was time to take matters into her own hands. She might not proficient in magic but perhaps she could help those girls in another way.

She opened the door, readying herself for a stern lecture with the ringleader only to stumble head first onto someone else.

“Luna?” The older gentleman gasped, catching her.

“Sombra?” She sounded equally surprised. “Wh… what are you doing here? No. How are you here? I thought you were still in Manehattan?”

“I took my private jet.” He said that line like it was just an afterthought. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t sleep. Flash hasn’t been returning any of my calls and he hasn’t returned home since I left. I came straight here from the airport, worried out of my mind. Have you had any luck?”

“Ok first… calm down.” She pressed one finger on his lip to silence him. “Secondly, remind me to ask you more about your private jet. And third… I thought I told you that I would handle it.”

“I’m sorry. But I panicked. Flash has never done this before. Even before I came back to Canterlot he always tells me or Edmund where he is or where he’s going. This is so unlike him.” Gee, you don’t say. “Is Lesty here?”

Her eyes rolled. “My sister is out on a meeting with the Board of Education. I haven’t told her anything yet because I think this is all just a misunderstanding.”

“But Flash…”

“Is fine.” That was a lie. Knowing what she did now, there was a good chance he might be in some magical conundrum.

“Did you call his friends?”

“I did…”

…

“And?”

“They… haven’t seen him since the Winter Holiday party.”

“Oh goodness.” The man’s face turned pale. “I knew it. He’s fallen with the wrong crowd and got himself in trouble. It’s like one of those movies where a neglected child becomes bored with his life and decides to join a nefarious criminal organization to find purpose! I’m a terrible father.”

Wow… that went on a much darker path than she thought.

“It’s nothing like that.” Luna reassured him. Though honestly she was pretty much blowing hot air at this point. “I know your son. He’s a loving and helpful boy who cares deeply about his friends. He’d never do anything that would get him or anyone else in trouble.”

He looked up to her with hopeful eyes. “You… really think so?”

“Well he never got detention and he’s never been called to the Principal’s office. He’s probably out gallivanting just like an ordinary boy on his holiday mode. You know how kids are.”

Sombra blinked, placing one hand on his chin in thought. “That… does make sense. I heard that children of his age tend to interact less with their parents.”

“See? I’m sure th…”

“But that can’t be!” He blurted panicking, much to her surprise. “Flash and I were just starting to get back together! We’re bonding! We had a moment the other night at a dinner!”

“Calm down!” She whacked him on the head. “For crying out loud. This isn’t the time to be panicking.” She let out a sigh. “Look. I’m going over to his friend’s house. She probably knows where he is.”

“Really?” Sombra jerked up. “Let’s go then!”

“Oh no. It’s probably better if I do this on my own.”

“Luna, please. This is my son we’re talking about. I need to know.” Damn it. She knew he was gonna play the dad card eventually. That was low even from a totally reasonable stand point.

“Alright fine. But I assure you, he’s probably just having fun with his friends. I’m sure he’s alright.”

xxxxxxxxxx

They stood in front of Sunset’s apartment not twenty minutes later seeing it in a smoldering ruin with little more than a few bricks and burnt out scaffolds. A hazard sign was put outside behind a police line. The snow had piled on top what remained crashing it down hard.

Luna’s lips curled. “Or… I could be wrong.”

Her point was exaggerated by the sound of timber cracking and falling to the ground below.

Sombra’s face hardened as he pulled out his phone, dialing a number. “Edmund. It’s me. Get the Police Commissioner on the line, now.”

Dang it Sunset! What kind of mess did you get yourselves into?

(Perilous Peaks)

Twilight resisted the urge to slam her face on the counter a third time.

… or was it her fifth time? She wasn’t quite sure. The concussion from all that smacking was making her dizzy. She felt like an idiot not noticing something as obvious as this.

How did such a thing escape her notice during their last visit? A powerful relic from a bygone era was just sitting there, waiting for someone to purchase. It hummed with a feint trace of magic but there was no doubt about. That thing was the real deal. A genuine one-of-a-kind Portal Stone. The artifact that the old Yaztec Shamans used to traverse the world. Their literal ticket home. And to think that it was just sitting right there gathering dust and sand for god knows how long. She couldn’t believe that such a powerful relic was standing here this whole time.

“I can’t believe that such a powerful relic was standing here this whole time!” See? Told ya so.

“I told ya things would work in the end.” Flash coyly smiled at her. “It’s a little anti-climactic but I’ll take the easy route this time.”

“With this, we can use the magic to stabilize the portal! Don’t you get it? This is our ticket home! We’re finally going back!” Her smile widened so much that they practically split her face in two. “And to think that it was right in this store. Who would’ve thought?”

“Yeah. Apparently the people here have been stripping that place for everything they can sell.” The boy shivered. “Talk about an archeological nightmare. If my dad hears about this, he’d flip.”

Twilight opted to argue but stopped when Autumn returned. “Well? What’d she say?”

The girl bobbed her head sideways, seething her teeth ever so slightly. “Well there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the shopkeeper is willing to sell that thingamajig. The bad news is that he’s trading it for a pretty steep price.” The said shopkeeper gave them a toothy smile from behind the counter.

That didn’t sound good. “How much is she asking for?”

“50 bags of wool!” She exclaimed. “Can you believe that? 50 bags of wool for a statue!? I don’t normally say this, but she’s a total money grubbing enabler. That’s like… two months’ worth of my stock. There’s no way I’m making that kind of trade with what I have.”

Twilight groaned. She had to know that things would never be that easy as reciting all the elements in the periodic table. “Well is she willing to trade it for something else?”

Autumn took a glance at the clerk and shrugged. “Well… she said she’s willing to trade it for your necklace.”

Twilight’s face went white as she clutched her geode tucking it in her shirt. “Would she be willing to trade it for a chemical formula?”

“Sorry. But unless that formula can turn sand into gold, you’re out of luck.” Damn it! Another roadblock. As if things weren’t bad enough already. If they had that thing for a moment they could probably go home. But it looks like they have to jump a few more hoops before that can happen.

“Grrr!”

“Ok. Let’s not blow things out of proportion.” Flash quickly grabbed Twilight and brought her out before she blew a gasket. “Let’s think this through. Maybe we can come up with a way to buy that statue. I don’t suppose the good lady would be willing to trade it for something else.”

“Not that I know of. But at least we know that your magical thingie is here. That’s a win, right?” It’ll only be a win if they can get their hands on it.

Twilight groaned as she watched the Portal Stone remain on the display case, mocking her with its beautiful carving. Her dream of a quick return home was dashed by greed. She could even swear that it was winking at her.

“So close… and yet so far.”

“Gah!” She flinched when her reflection spoke up first, morphing into her alter-ego. “What are you doing here?” She whispered. “People will see you!”

“Oh please.” She brushed it off. “I’ve been moving around here for hours now, you just haven’t noticed. People would’ve been screaming when they see a person floating in mid-air.” The dark angel scoffed. “But enough about me. Why don’t you go ahead and steal that Portal Stone already?”

“What? No! I’m not going to steal it.”

“Come on. I know you were thinking it. I am part of your mind after all. You were thinking about using your magic and taking it from the store in the middle of the night.”

“Pfft… no.”

Midnight chuckled softly suddenly turning to a leaning posture as if she was lying on air. “Yeah. You’re right. You’re too much of a goodie-two-shoes to do something that drastic.”

“What!? I am not…” Her alter-ego gave her a cheesy grin. “Ok maybe a little. But I am still capable of doing all those things!”

“Oh please. When you found a quarter on the street you dropped it off the nearest police station saying that it would stimulate the local economy.” She laughed. “Face it Twilight. Evil just isn’t in your blood. You were raised to be timid and law-obeying citizen. Nothing more.”

“That’s not true!”

“Then prove it.” Midnight challenged glancing over to the statue. “Use your magic. Take the Portal Stone right here and now.” Her tone was tempting and seductive. “The window’s open. And the shopkeeper is busy. She doesn’t even need to know.”

Yes… it was such a simple plan. The Portal Stone was right there. With a simple wave of her hand she could probably snatch the artifact and replace it with another one of the store’s many replicas and the store owner wouldn’t even know the difference. It would be so easy. Hardly anyone would even bat an eyelash at such a theft. Heck if anything, she’d be doing her a favor.

And for a brief moment, she actually thought about it.

With all the power she possessed, all that magic in the palm of her hands, why shouldn’t she? All she had been doing with that power was waste it on petty things like lifting band instruments or simple objects. Why waste such power on the mundane stuff when she can use it to benefit herself? She could do whatever she wants with it. That shopkeeper couldn’t possibly know what she had in her possession. I would open literally open doors for her, to anywhere she wanted.

It would get her home.

Slowly the girl raise her hand, staring deeply at the object. But then in a moment of weakness, she immediately pulled it away out of fright.

“See? A Goodie-two-shoes.”

“Twilight?” She later vanished when Flash returned, putting his hand over her shoulder. “You ok?”

She blinked. “Y… yeah. I’m fine. Just… a little tired.”

“It’ll be fine.” He reassured her once more. “Don’t sweat on it. At least we know it’s here. We’ll find a way to get it.”

“You seem pretty confident.”

“I prefer to look at things from a positive light. Makes things easier for me.” He smiled. “And look on the bright side. We got a message to our friends. And at least here the portal is somewhere we can see and not hidden under some cave.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wait… what did you say?”

“Uh… the portal? It’s out in the open?”

Her eyes turned upward, towards the mountain.

(Equestria) (Castle of Friendship)

Starlight paced around the library that afternoon, shuffling through books and artifacts, doing some tedious research on shadow magic. She kept a close eye over her music box. It’s been a while since she contacted Sunset. Sadly, calling her now would just be a waste of time.

She was hoping that Princess Twilight’s personal library would have some greater reference than that of the school. But it would seems that the knowledge of shadow magic was just as rare as finding water in the desert.

Sunburst has been keeping her updated on his findings in Canterlot as well, shifting through Starswirl’s collection but unfortunately he was turning up empty as well. That pony might be an amazing spell user but he was definitely not the tidiest of them all. His whole darn alchemy lab looked like it has suffered explosions and accidents on a regular basis.

“Headmare Starlight?” A light green Earth-Pony spoke up from the door as he pushed a literal box full of books into the room. “The books you ordered from Canterlot just arrived. Do you want me to arrange them or…?”

“Just put them over by the table. Thank you Sandbar.” She sighed. “I don’t suppose there are any books there labeled ‘Shadow Magic’ by any chance?”

Sandbar shrugged uncaringly. “Uh… not that I’d know. Counselor Trixie just told me to bring these here along with the rest.” He gestured over to the door where Yona was handling the other boxes that were stacked up, notably all from Canterlot Castle.

“Looks like I’ll be going on another all-nighter.”

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

She shook her head comically. “No. Well… yes. But for a totally different reason. Anyway, just bring those in. I’ll arrange them myself.”

“You got it.”

But before Starlight could get back to her research, the door smashed open, followed by a bombastic voice coming from the other side.

“Behold, dear friend and… Sandbar. The Great and Powerful and most Wonderful Trixie, has returned!”

The Headmare rolled her eyes at the new arrival. “Hello Trixie. You know you don’t always have to do that when you come in.”

“Oh I know. But how else would people know that I’m here?” The egotistical pony winked. “But enough about me for a moment. For I, Trixie, have come bearing wonderful news that will bring progress to your research!”

“You found a book that explains Shadow Magic?”

“Uh…… no. But Trixie has found the next best thing! Drumroll please!”

…

“Ahem! I said: Drumroll please!” She glared at Sandbar who immediately tapped his hoof on the floor. “I have found… Starswirl the Bearded!”

Starlight’s eyes gleamed. “You did!? How? No. Never mind that. Where is he?”

“He’s at the Crystal Empire visiting Mistmane’s Crystal Garden. He’s taking a little break from his travels.”

“That’s wonderful! His help will make things easier around here. I should write him a letter.”

“Already did.” Trixie declared oh so proudly. “I wrote a formal letter via Princess Cadance requesting his immediate presence here in Ponyvile. It was sent out earlier this morning.”

“Wow Trixie. That’s… umm… amazing?”

“I am amazing, aren’t I? Hopefully he’ll get here by next week. Now…” The blue unicorn used her magic to pull the book away from her friend. “I believe it is now time for our usual lunchtime meeting.”

“Oh…?” Starlight darted to the clock on the wall noting the time. “Wow. It’s that late already? Sorry Trixie. But I need to organize all these books and find out…”

“Ah tut tut. Even the greatest of magicians require rest and recuperation. These books will still be here when you return.” She gave a pleading face. “Come on. Just a quick bite? We hardly hang out anymore.”

The Headmare couldn’t help but sigh in submission. Her research was really taking all her time even from her work in the school. She didn’t want it to affect her friendship as well.

“Alright. If you insist. I could go for something to eat.”

“Yes!” She puffed her hoof. “I know just the place. There’s this restaurant that just opened in town and they’re giving out special prices for today only! I’ll be saving bits for every purchase!”

(Perilous Peaks) (Portal Ruins)

“Can you please explain to me why you decided to come back to this place without the Portal Stone?” Midnight whined boringly as she hovered above her host. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna try that duplication trick again.”

“Of course not. We all know how that ended.” Twilight tilted her head. “Something Flash said got me thinking though.”

“You mean that idiot friend of yours made sense?”

“He’s not an idiot. He’s just… carefree.” She traced her hand over the gateway as if seeing that it’ll react. “But he made a good point. Out of all the portals we found, they’ve always been hidden inside isolated rooms with no direct access. The one in the caves of Everfree Woods and the one underneath Hoofbeard’s Castle.”

“Yeah? So?”

“So why is this one here, out in the open?”

“Maybe the guys who built it decided to have an outdoor version.”

“No. The ruins here indicates that there used to be a building around the gateway. But it decayed.” She looked over to the portal and then the mountain behind her. “And look here. This whole place shows degradation.”

“Ugh… is this whole monologue going somewhere?”

“It means that there used to be something here that covered the portal room.” She quickly pulled out the black gem and saw it spark. “It must’ve been destroyed some time ago. Then that means…” Putting a bit of magic in, she tried out her hypothesis one more time. And like clockwork, the gem shined, pointing in the direction of the mountain walls. “Aha! I think we got a bite!”

She quickly followed it, only to pull an immediate stop when she found a rockslide blocking her way.

“You sure that thing ain’t broken?”

“It’s pointing me in this direction.” Twilight inched closer to the rocks noticing a cave behind it. “There’s definitely something here.” With a wave of her hand a little help from her magic, the rocks that blocked her path moved aside, revealing a hidden stairwell that led deep into the mountains. “Yes! I was right! There is more to this place than the portal. Score one for theoretical deduction.” She was about to head in when her floating angel blocked her path.

“Whoa. And where do you think you’re going?”

“Uh… investigate the cave we just found? Duh.”

“And you think it’s a good idea for you to just go there on your own?”

“I’ll be fine. I can handle myself.”

“Oh sure. Like everything that happened so far has been pretty fine. Need I remind you that you don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to dark, damp locations? The parking lot back in Canterlot, the cave in Everfree Woods, the trap in Castle Hoofbeard?”

“Those were just accidents. And they worked out fine in the end. I’m sure there aren’t any traps here. And even if there are, why do you care?”

“Technically, I don’t.” She countered. “I’d be more than happy to see you get crushed by a rolling boulder trap. But despite my feelings on this relationship, I’m still a part of you. We’re linked together whether we like it or not. And if something were to happen to you, it won’t just be your end, but mine as well.”

That was… logical. But Twilight didn’t seem to mind the risk.

“I’ll take note of your concerns. But seeing as you can’t stop me, I’m going in anyway.”

“What do you even hope to find anyway? For all we know it could just be an empty room or a death trap!”

“It’s not.” She said with such confidence.

“And what makes you so sure?”

“Because of what Flash said before.” Twilight took a glance at the portal, processing her thoughts. “He said that the portal sent us somewhere random. Like it just spit us out to another place across the world.” Her alter ego raised a brow. “But what if it wasn’t random? What if the portal sent us to the last place it was used?”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“Think about it. The only person who could’ve used the portal was Captain Hoofbeard. He had the black gem bracelet and the Portal Stone. We can surmise that he knew how to use them at the very least.” She paused for a moment building that dramatic effect. “He was also notorious for stealing treasures from various places. And where do you think a pirate like him would hide his loot?”

Midnight’s eyes snapped open in realization. “Some place where others can’t get to.”

“Somewhere like… half-way across the world, in a cave, far in a remote location where folks have never even heard of.”

They both turned to the cave entrance, now equally enticed by the prospect of what lay hidden inside.

“Hmm… untold riches from across the world, all ours for the taking?” She grinned. “I’m in.”

“Not bad for a goodie-two-shoes, eh?”

“Don’t push it.

Legacy of the Old Ones

Chapter 41: Legacy of the Old Ones

(Yaztec Temple)

Twilight felt like she was going down to the world’s crust at this point. The stairwell she took was long. Far longer than what she expected. With the amount of debris she had to move out of the way it was no wonder the locals didn’t find the place. And even if they did they’d have needed heavy machineries and equipment just to get the stuff out of the way, which would most likely take them years just to get through the first layer. Thankfully having magic circumvented that problem.

The air inside was stuffy. If she had to guess she’d say that she was probably the first person to set foot inside these ruins in centuries. The excitement of discovering such a place was exhilarating since these weren’t just your average ruins.

This was the place built by the ancient Yaztec people. The people who actually possessed knowledge of magic. Who knows what secrets lay undisturbed within these walls? What kind of spells did they create? What potions did they brew? What sparked their interest in conquering the world? And what made them all vanish?

So many questions and she might be the first person to actually find the true answer.

After a few more minutes of walking, she finally made her way to a floored section of the ruins which opened to a large open area that seemed to have been hollowed out from within. The wall formations alone were smooth to the touch, like they were scrubbed by sandpaper from top to bottom.

“Ooooh… very impressive.” Midnight Sparkle spoke out openly, floating a few feet away from her host, eyeing the giant statue at the center with an envious gaze. “Say what you want about these old timers, they sure know how to decorate. When I conquer the world, I want a statue of me built just like this. Of course I’d have it move to the city. I’d like to say I try to remain connected with the people.”

“This is amazing…” Twilight gawked in awe as she hovered her light spell to her surroundings. “This place looks like to be some kind of temple. Look at all of this. This place seems untouched.”

“Yeah yeah. It’s all amazing. Blah blah. Wonderful. You said that there’d be treasure here. And yet all I’m seeing so far is rocks, rocks and… more rocks.” She paused for a moment. “And don’t give me that nonsense about the REAL treasure being inside of us this whole time. That whole concept of an invisible treasure is just horse dung.”

“I was just theorizing that there might be treasure here.” Twilight defended. “I never said that there might actually be treasure.”

“WHAT!? So you’re risking your hide over something that might not even exist?”

“That’s the whole point of theory. Besides, what I’m actually after is a Portal Stone.” Her alter-ego passed on a look. “Think of that portal as a door and the stone as the key. Would you only make one key for that door? I’m willing to bet the Yaztec shamans would’ve kept a spare or two around here.”

“Is that a fact, or just another one of your theories?” Her awkward smile answered her question. “Ugh… I can’t believe I actually trusted you.”

They traveled deeper into the temple passing through a number of relics and tapestries before finally pulling a stop to a large opening that looked like a ritual ground. A number of familiar statues surrounded the place encircling a figure at the very center.

“Is it just me or does this place look kinda familiar?”

“It’s just you.” Midnight whined. “What are these statues anyway?”

“This must be their spirits.” Twilight spoke up pulling the light closer to each of those statues. While many of them had decayed overtime, you can still make out the shape. “Uta, the wolf. Kaaz, the hydra. Eri, the falcon. Onsu, the bear. And Zar, the jackal. Each of these are guardians of the Yaztec people.”

“And what about this big guy?” Midnight pointed at the large statue that seemed to be elevated above all others around here. “He doesn’t look intimidating.”

“That would be The Night Master. The Yaztec didn’t have a specific name for him other than his title. But he was pivotal to their faith and religion.”

“And what was he supposed to be? Some kind of insect?”

“According to historical records, the Night Master didn’t have a form. No one was even sure what he was but he was definitely the center of the Yaztec’s deities. He could take the shape of any creature or person he wanted. Mingle with the mortals without them even knowing it. They say that he disguises himself to guide his people to great prosperity or ruin, whichever he decides.”

“Oooh… devious, cunning and pragmatic. How schemie.” She added with a grin. “Now that’s a god who knows what he’s doing. What’s the point of having all that power if you can’t have fun every now and then? You can certainly learn a thing or two from him. Still… there doesn’t seem to be any treasure here. I figured something like a temple like this would have, oh… I don’t know, offerings of jewels and such.”

“This is a historical site!” Twilight scolded. “These artifacts alone are practically priceless. How can you not find interest in these?”

“The only kind of artifacts I’m interested are those with magic.” Midnight chuckled cheekily. “And those made out of gold and gems that gleams beautifully in the sun. None of these fill those categories.”

“Are you sure you’re part of my conscience?”

“Most definitely.” She floated closer, poking the nerd by the nose. “Say what you want, but I find ancient history to be… mediocre. I prefer to look at the future rather than the past.”

“These kinds of ruins hold untold secrets! If folks knew that magic was real they’d kill each other just to find this place!”

Midnight’s eye wandered to the side of the large statue before grinning. “Well… I’m sure that guy over there would agree.”

Guy?

Twilight followed the angel’s finger finding a skeletal remains sitting there with its bones all exposed.

“Gyahhhh!” She jumped back, startled and bumped onto a decorative vase. It stumbled and fell, shattering into a million pieces. “GAH!”

“Oooh… that looks important.” Midnight teased earning another mean glare from her host. “Seriously Twilight. You are not good at handling fragile objects. First that bowl Flash gave you, now this? If this was a museum, you’d be neck deep in debt.”

The nerd gal resisted the urge to counter and returned her gaze back to the skeleton. And for a second there she noted something odd.

“Hold on.” She gasped. “Is that…?”

The girl approached and saw something out of place. The skeleton’s attire was… different from what she expected. While the Yaztec people wore robes and linen cloth, this dead fellow looked far more flamboyant.

The tricorne hat was a dead giveaway to his identity. That along with his eye patch. Whoever this guy was, definitely wasn’t from this timeline. He wore a scarf, an open shirt, and several belts over his waistcoat which color has faded over the centuries. His arms clutched over a book covered by strings of his decayed beard.

Twilight could put the pieces together like the easiest jigsaw puzzle ever made. Knowing that the portal could only be used by people who had some semblance of knowledge with magic, and the information she gathered from the castle… the answer was plainly obvious.

“It’s Captain Hoofbeard!”

“You sure? How can you tell?”

“He’s wearing the same clothes as the one we saw on his portrait back on his ship. The cutlass, the coat, the hat? They’re all the same. And check this.” She pulled up his bony hands. “He has the same black gem bracelet like the ones Hoity and Cinch used.” She later realized she was literally holding a corpse and pushed it away. “And… hello. What’s this?” The girl reached for the book that it was clutching, noting the tight grip before finally prying it off. The thick layer of dust signified its age.

Twilight scanned through the pages noting many of the words faded from time.

“This is written in old colonial.” The nerd announced with vigor in her voice. “Ole… yee… aqua. Forgo thy eye. Ugh. I am so glad we traded this old language for a more modern one.”

“And yet still no treasure.” Midnight whined, finally deciding to just pull up a bed and lie on it. “That’s the last time I get my hopes up to seeing mountains of gold or a pile of gemstones.”

“This book is a treasure trove by itself.” Twilight countered. “You could learn to appreciate history. It proves that Hoofbeard was a member of this organization. He knew about magic and knew how to use it. Let’s see here. Umm… Twas humored by… thus… to? This sounds like a journal… or at least I think it is. The penmanship is just horrible and the grammar errors is unbearable. Maybe if he took a class in spelling rather than piracy, he wouldn’t have so many mistakes.”

“Ugh… you are seriously THE most boring person ever. Can you say anything remotely interesting that doesn’t involve technicality?”

“I can recite a poem about the periodic table.”

“Pass.” She groaned. “Let’s get out of here. There’s clearly no pirate treasure. Just… dead pirates.”

“Hang on now. Let me grab this bracelet. At the very least we’ll have a backup plan just in case something happens.” However… just as she reached for that bracelet, the gemstone suddenly glowed with magic, illuminating the whole room in a blinding light. “What? What was that? Did I do that?”

“Uh… Twilight.” Midnight called out to her host pointing behind her.

And standing there, tall and handsome in a ghostly visage wearing those same colorful clothes and a thick black beard was the very pirate himself. His eyes focused ahead like a man with a mission, one hand on his cutlass while the other held on the book.

“Hoofbeard!?”

(Autumn’s Ranch)

Flash felt his hand itch once more. He was beginning to wonder if the sand in this place was making his old wound act up. But he didn’t mind and quickly returned to his task, grabbing his cane, and began pushing the sheep back to their pens.

“Wow… that was quick.” Autumn applauded verbally from the sideline. “Normally it takes me hours just to get them to listen to me. You sure you haven’t done this before?”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say I’ve learned from example.” Hiring the ranchers near Applejack’s place during her family reunion gave him a good reference to go by. “They kind of act like my dog. Give them a little treat and they’ll do anything you ask them to.”

“Huh… sweet. If you told me you were a rancher, I would’ve actually believed you.” She gave out a quick stretch, letting out a satisfied moan. “Ha… anyway, I’m heading back to town to run some errands and talk with the shopkeeper again. You sure you can look after the place for a few hours?”

Flash nodded confidently. “I’m sure. It wouldn’t be the first time I looked over someone’s place.”

“Really? Because I can just help out and…”

“Trust me. It’ll be fine.”

“Well… alright then. I won’t be back till tonight so help yourself to the leftovers in the pantry. I left some cactus juice just for you guys.”

“Will do.” He waved her goodbye until she was finally out of sight.

Flash wiped the sweat on his brow, letting out a tired groan. The afternoon sun in this desert was downright torturous. How Autumn and those people in the village live their daily lives here in this heat was a mystery.

Still… there was something strangely calming about this whole setup. Flash can’t put his finger on it but living in this little homestead away from the bustling city felt right for him. It was completely different from his home back in Canterlot where everything was served up to him on a silver platter.

Maybe a small part of him longed for the simpler life – or maybe he was just bored with his own rich-boy persona and thought that anything new would be hip. It was one or the other.

Heck, he could already imagine himself with something akin to Applejack’s orchard with a simple house, a barn and maybe a few animals to tend. Though he can’t really see Sunset willing to join him on such a venture.

That was kind of a bummer.

*Bahh!* His attention was dragged over when he realized that there was still one more sheep outside its pen. The poor fluffy fella must’ve decided to go for a stroll away from the flock.

The boy chuckled and reached for his cane, limping his way over to the pillow-like creature. “Now how’d I miss you?” He humored himself with a small childish banter. The sheep simply responded with another cute bah. “Alright little guy. Time for you to join the others. Come here.” He reached out to the fluffy fellow. But before he could lay one finger on it, a sudden surge of pain coursed through his hand.

Flash grunted loudly, frightening the poor sheep and dropping his cane. He looked to his hand thinking that he might’ve opened the wound. But no. This wasn’t like those usual itch but something else. For one thing his scar was glowing. It was faint but it was there. A light blue hue. It pulsed lowly like his heartbeat extending up his arm highlighting his veins like some twisted version of Vinyl’s light show. It flowed all the way, reaching right into his chest.

“That’s… new.”

And those words would prove an understatement when pieces of Yaztec ruins, which had fallen nearby, began to glow as well. The hieroglyphs that decorated the exterior shined brightly, like they were responding to the new power flowing through him.

“What’s… happening?”

It hurt. It really REALLY hurt. It felt like acid was running through his body, burning him from the inside. What the heck was wrong with him?

It was just supposed to be a scar. The doctor back in school said so. But then again he wasn’t exactly proficient in magic so he wouldn’t be able to tell.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of suffering, the pain subsided. The scar however grew in size now covering half of his hand.

A hundred questions popped into his head and no answers to be found. He would’ve looked into this further had he not felt a tremor coming from below.

And if he was right, only one person here can cause such a commotion.

(Yaztec Temple)

Twilight took a few step back as the ghost of Hoofbeard stood there, looking far more intimidating than any man she ever encountered. The man was tall, like ridiculously tall. He must be… what? 8 perhaps even 10 feet. His beard and eye patch decorated his face giving him that dashing debonair look, and his body frame made him bulky.

“How is that possible?” She gasped. “Is he a ghost?”

“There are no such things as ghosts.” Her guardian angel snorted as she floated closer to the apparition looking closer to his face. “I don’t think this guy is really here. It feels more like… residual magic. He is quite a looker though. Gotta say, that picture of him did not do him justice.”

“Residual magic? Is that a thing?”

“Think of it like a fingerprint.” Midnight explained. “When a spell is cast it leaves behind its leftover magic that slowly disappears to the area where it is cast. A particularly powerful spell can leave a lasting impression on an area. This one here… is a perfect example.”

A few seconds later the apparition stepped forward passing through Twilight like a spirit. He approached the statue, placing his journal on the side while pulling a small object from his coat. It gleamed beautifully with the gems embedded on its side.

“That’s the Chalice of Wishes.” Twilight recognized the artifact. “He had it.”

“Hoofbeard Stop!” A voice desperately called out from behind him followed by panicked footsteps. It was a woman with light pink skin and green straight hair. She wore a robe over her body with its hoodie taken down. Judging by the tiara she had on her head and the necklace and earrings, you would think that she came from royalty. “Please! Don’t do this! You can’t!”

“Who is that?”

Twilight shrugged. “I have no idea.” She flinched however when she heard the pirate laughing.

“Child. You come at your own peril. You should’ve stayed at home where you would’ve been safe.”

“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I allowed you to do this! Surrender the Chalice!” The woman demanded. “Or you will face the wrath of The Order of the Black Stone.”

Hoofbeard however simply brushed off her threat. “Foolish human. With all that power, you and your followers could’ve ruled this world by my side. Yet you squandered those gifts on petty things!”

“Our Order stands by its belief: We do not use magic to benefit ourselves but to benefit all of mankind. Your action here is an affront to all that we stand for. Now… release my husband at once!”

Release her husband? What did she mean by that?

Her answer came soon enough when Hoofbeard began to laugh maniacally. Something was wrong. This man wasn’t acting like the pirate Twilight had envisioned. She expected him to be like those olden sailors who arrr or curse in a sailor lingo, but instead he was acting like… something else entirely. Smoke emanated from his body while his eyes were blotted black.

“Silly child. You truly believe your beloved sailor still lingers here? Hehehehe…” He floated upward, now looking like some kind of evil demi-god. “He was gone a long time ago.”

“No…” The woman gasped.

“He and I made a bargain. He gave up his body and soul, in exchange for you.” Hoofbeard… or whoever the man was, gave a toothy smile. “Love really can make you do the strangest things. It’s a shame. I actually liked him. But now his soul belongs to me. And with the power we’ve acquired in this Chalice, all my desires will be fulfilled!”

“Never!” The lady sent out a powerful magic beam from her hands which Hoofbeard casually brush aside.

“Fool. Did you forget that all your magic came from me? I granted you that power. You cannot touch me, much less hurt me.” He looked up. “And with the Solstice closing in, the power on this Chalice will increase 10 fold. Nothing can stop me now.

“If that is true…” The regal lady muttered back, her teary eyes showing defiance. “Then we don’t have to hold back anymore.”

We?

“Now!” With a wave of her hand, more than a dozen hidden figures jumped out from the temple ground, surrounding the pirate, catching him by surprise.

“It doesn’t matter how many there are of you. So long as you use my magic, no spell you cast can harm me.”

The woman stepped forward, each of them brandishing their bracelets like weapons. “You may be the one who granted us magic. But we’ve been developing our own magic as well.” Their gemstones hummed with power, faint yet powerful. “We may not be able to win. But that doesn’t mean we lose either.”

A shield formed around Hoofbeard, surrounding him in an orange hue.

“You naïve child. You can’t really believe that this barrier can hold me forever.”

“No. But just enough for us to take this.” Quickly enough, one of the woman’s acolytes rushed to the statue and grabbed the cup.

“The chalice!” Hoofbeard roared as he realized their plan. He slammed his fists on his prison, cracking it. “No!”

“Quickly! Get to the portal and get that thing as far away from here!” The acolyte nodded and made a beeline to the exit not even daring to look back.

“Jewel! You traitor!” The shadow howled as he broke through the barrier and immediately gave chase. Only to be blasted back by the woman now known as Jewel.

“You will not leave this place.” She and her fellow members began conjuring a spell. Chains made of light fastened on the pirate restraining him. “These ruins shall be your prison. With this new magical energy we’ve developed and this spell our mages devised, you’ll be trapped here.”

The monster’s anger was obvious. He snarled and cursed, trying to force his way out but soon calmed when he knew that the restraints placed against him weren’t going away any time soon. He let out a sigh, giving his adversary a slow but honest applause. “Well played, Jewel. I can see why Hoofbeard was so enamored by you. You always were the smartest one in the group. Perhaps I should’ve come to you instead of him.” He returned to the ground and sat where the bones laid, offering a complimentary smile. “This victory is yours. But know this: Your actions mean little in the long run. The best you can do is delay the inevitable. One day I will have my powers and this world will be mine.”

“That day will never come.”

“Oh but it will.” Hoofbeard laughed. “I have waited eons for my time. I have seen civilizations rise and fall countless times like leaves on a tree…” He paused. “… I can wait a few millennia more.”

And with those final words, the apparitions vanished in a trail of fairy dust, leaving Twilight and her not-so-guardian-angel pondering.

“Well…… that happened.”

(Canterlot) (Sweet Shoppe)

Luna wasn’t sure how to feel right now.

While she knew that she should both be concerned and worried about the disappearance of Flash Sentry, a part of her can’t help but feel rather… exhilarated by this whole ordeal. Heck, she was hanging out in her old haunt, sipping pumpkin spice latte surrounded by police officers. That wasn’t something you get to see on a daily basis.

Ever since she and Sombra saw the state of Sunset’s apartment, the future mayor of Canterlot had gone out of his way to pull every favor he can muster to get the city’s finest to help him. The next thing she knew they were being escorted by police cruisers, led to the meeting point and then… before anyone knew it, the whole store was taken over by uniformed officers. It was quite the spectacle. Though Luna was particularly worried about Mr. Cake, who pretty much fainted at the sight of so many law enforcers. He was worried something bad was about to happen and quickly prompted to close up shop early.

While Luna somewhat enjoyed this strange distraction from her mundane duties. She can’t help but feel like this whole thing was getting out of hand.

She had been trying to get Sunset on the phone but unsurprisingly enough that girl doesn’t seem to be taking her calls. And honestly their last conversation practically dripped with suspicion. And after seeing the state of her apartment, there was no doubt in her mind that those girls had something to do with the boy’s disappearance.

Luna didn’t want to jump to conclusions just yet and she didn’t want to spill magic into this whole fiasco unless she was absolutely sure. But if that boy doesn’t turn up soon, she might have no other choice but to get those girls to fess up.

The Vice Principal then noted Sombra joining her table as he finished his conversation with the police. The uniformed officers departed the café in droves afterwards, much to the relief of the Cakes.

“How’d it go?”

He sighed depressingly, which was understandable in this position. “There’s been no sign of him. The police will keep an eye out but that’s all they can do. I asked them to keep it quiet for now. But if Flash doesn’t turn up soon…”

“Don’t say that. You’re just thinking of the worst case scenario. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks.”

“And what about that apartment?”

Ah… right… that.

“W… well…” She couldn’t come up with an explanation which only made the man whimper. “Alright. I don’t have a logical explanation. But I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think. Sunset wouldn’t do anything to hurt your son.”

“Sunset?”

“That’s the girl’s name. She’s Flash’s girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” The man raised his head, a mixture of intrigue and confusion marring his face. “He never told me he had a girlfriend.”

“Well ex-girlfriend actually. It’s… a long story.” A very long and confusing story that you won’t even believe. “Let’s just say that they were dating for a while and then they broke up and… stuff happened.”

“He never told me anything about this.” Sombra grumbled. “Why hasn’t he told me? We talk once every week even when I was out on my expeditions and he never mentioned her.”

“Well it’s… natural for children not to talk about private relationships with their parents.”

“Or maybe he just doesn’t trust me.” The man’s face darkened as if some twisted realization dawned on him. “Maybe he still doesn’t trust me.”

“Don’t think like that. I’m sure Flash trusts you.”

“Does he?” He asked as if he already knew the answer. “I want to think that he and I can be a family again but… I think I might just be a hindrance to his life. I’ve… I’ve been gone for years, only talking to him once a week through a box and no more than an hour. Now I just come back suddenly asking to be a part of his life. If you look at it from his perspective, I’m no better than a stranger.” His eyes lazily glanced over the counter where Mr. Cake cradled over his twins in his loving arms.

Well… he’s not wrong. As a matter of fact, Luna hardly recognized Sombra until they met a few days back. The last time they saw one another was roughly after graduation, before her sister dumped him with a note. Even after his marriage with Sophie, they hardly saw each other at all. The fact that they were able to hook back up so quickly should be considered a miracle in itself. Especially after what happened. If she were Flash, she’d probably agree with what Sombra says. ‘They’d be nothing but complete strangers.’

But Luna didn’t have the heart to say such a cruel thing.

Quietly she reached out to him, holding his hands in hers. “I… don’t have a proper answer to your dilemma. But as someone who deals with your son on a weekly basis, I can say with certainty that he doesn’t despise you. Yes… granted: You leaving him alone all those years has made him rather cold. And honestly I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t really feel anything about you. But… you’re here now. And you can start making it up to him by being there when he needs you.”

At the corner of her eye, she noted Mrs. Cake giving a quiet nod as she pushed her husband to the back room along with her twins.

“Being apart for so long will obviously strain your relationship. But at least it’s good to know that you’re trying to mend things.” She continued. “Look at it from Flash’s perspective. When you left him, he probably thought you abandoned him. I understand that you have your own emotional baggage, however that doesn’t absolve you either. You don’t know how to act around him and he doesn’t know how to act around you because you’ve never really connected.” She let out a sigh as she tightened her grip. “You couldn’t be there for him back then. But you can be there for him now.”

The man looked up, as if seeing light for the first time.

“Now. You can either wallow here in your own self-pity, or… you can put your money where your mouth is and show him what his old man can do.”

Sombra looked visibly taken and quickly withdrew his hands and wiped the tear that was conjuring around his eyes.

The older gentleman looked up, some life returning to his texture. “You’re right. That was stupid of me. I shouldn’t be thinking this way. It’s just that… I’m worried about him.”

“You’re doing what any father would do.” She thought on that for a second. “Though granted, not many would be able to call upon the Police Commissioner, but I’d like to say that you’re on the right track.”

“You think I should do more?”

She wanted to say yes… but only because she’s curious to what he might do next. Seeing a whole load of police officers here was already considered big in this sleepy little city. But what next? Will he call in the fire department? The army? The Illuminati? The Space Program? The President? Would he introduce them?

“No. I think this is plenty.” She said quickly, hiding her deeper thoughts. “Besides, I haven’t contacted all of his friends yet. I sent a message to Celestia. She’ll make the rounds on all of his associates to see if anyone’s seen him.”

“Thank you Luna.” Sombra nodded in gratitude. “For… this. I’m sorry for being such a child.”

“Don’t be.” She waved it off, tossing him a sweet smile as Mrs. Cake approached their table to take their order. “You can do me a favor when we find him.”

“Anything.”

Now that’s a golden ticket if she ever heard one.

(Perilous Peeks) (Autumn’s Ranch)

Twilight was in deep thought when she finally got out of the old temple. After watching that historical ghost-show, a billion questions popped into her head. Questions that she can only speculate from what little information she had.

“So… that was something.” Midnight stated hovering lazily next to her. “Wasn’t expecting a climactic battle like that. Normally when you dive into a deep dark cave you normally get chased by a rampaging monster or avoiding traps… or a combination of the two. What do you think?”

“Honestly? I’m not even sure what to think. Seeing Captain Hoofbeard in the flesh was kind of a surprise. I don’t even know what to make of it.” It was like watching the sequel of a movie that you’ve never even heard of with characters whose background she should’ve known long ago. “But it wasn’t a complete waste of time either. We were able to get this journal and a second black gem. I’ll count that as a win. Besides, we also got loads of new information. At least now we know who we’re up against. The Order of the Black Stone.”

“Sounds like a generic name. Kind of like the Canterlot Magical Investigation Club.” Twilight rolled her eyes at her jab. “What I’m curious about is what that lady said. From what I can tell, this organization of hers has been around for a long time. And that her Order is dedicated to helping mankind as a whole.”

“The same sales pitch Hoity tried to sell me before I fought him.” Her host remembers. “But yeah… that got me too. I’m starting to think that maybe Hoity wasn’t lying. But we can’t rule anything out yet. This organization might’ve been dedicated to helping people but that was over 300 years ago. Who knows what could’ve happened between then and now? A lot of things can change over time.”

“Speaking from experience?”

Twilight huffed. “Oh be quiet. But in the meantime, I can busy myself with this.” She brought up the captain’s journal. “Some of the pages are faded. But with some time, effort and some help from my friends, I should be able to restore and translate it. If there’s an answer to be found, it’s sure to be in here.”

“Why don’t you ask that Flash kid to help?”

“Flash?” Twilight grumbled to herself. “I don’t think he’ll be much help here. His knowledge of magic isn’t exactly stellar.”

“The boy may be useless but his resources are abundant.” Midnight stated, showing herself in all her regal glory. “You’ve know how deep his pockets go. He rebuilt your friend’s barn and bought that apartment like they were chump change, his old man is going to be the most powerful and influential person in Canterlot. Having someone like that under your thumb will open doors for you.”

“True… but Sunset isn’t going to like that.”

“Oh please. Are you just going to follow everything that girl says? That redhead knows nothing of magic, or power! Who knows what you could’ve achieved if you had the right tools for the job? Who discovered the use of the Portal Stone? You. Who was the first to find this new magical energy source? You! Who developed technology that can trap magic itself? YOU! Without you, your friends would be useless.”

“That’s not exactly how friends work.”

“Oh come on Goodie-Two-Shoes!” Midnight groaned into her hand. “Aren’t you tired of being limited because of your own limited resources? You have to close down your lab because the bills were too high, you have to move in with your stupid boyfriend because it’ll help cut cost! You’re limiting yourself to working in these… prehistoric conditions when the solution to all your problems is waiting hand and foot right over there!” She floated closer, whispering to Twilight like a twisted cartoony version of her conscience. Except this time she was both the devil and the angel. “Can you imagine it? A full functioning lab all to yourself, dedicated to the study of magic. The bill you rack up will be nothing but a footnote in his finance. You won’t have to be limited anymore. You can finally be free of that burden and do whatever you want.”

It was tempting. And Twilight can scarcely imagine how wealthy Flash truly was. With all the money he spent this month alone, he could probably match her parents in terms of income. Tax included. Twilight could picture her own lab. Her own place. Everything she could ever want and need to study magic undisturbed. It would be a paradise.

“And you know Flash. You know he’ll do anything for you or your friends. He’s enamored by you. Just say the word… and he’ll set everything up with a snap of his fingers. If he’s willing to give his old home to Sunset, think what he can give to you if you asked nicely.” Midnight Sparkle grinned evilly before again, vanishing. “Think about it…”

And for a moment there, Twilight did think about it. While there was no way she could agree with alter-ego completely, she had to admit that she brought up some good points. Ever since the Friendship Games, her knowledge of this otherworldly energy expanded infinitely. The amount of applications using Equestrian magic alone was staggering. And combined with the magic from this world? The possibilities could be limitless.

It would lead to a new, clean and renewable source of energy.

Crop rotations with magical properties will yield harvests unlike anything the world has seen. Hunger would seriously be a thing of the past.

This field would also develop new medical discoveries leading to better medicine, healing techniques and other practices.

Forget the Nobel Prize. The amount of trophies she get will fill her whole house.

But to even think of reaching that kind of result would also require a proper laboratory, tools, research, and a lot of funding. A whole lot more money than what her family could provide in a decade. Heck, even she was feeling the loss of her precious lab.

Ever since that day, her research came to a near grinding halt.

Flash could probably provide such resource to her. Midnight wasn’t wrong on that regard. His family was stupidly rich. Just hearing about the details of his house from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was enough to gauge their wealth. She wouldn’t be surprised if the boy had a bin with a pool made of gold coins.

But despite knowing what he was capable of, Sunset refused to asked for his assistance and barred everyone from even trying. Her pride and lingering feeling of guilt from the time they were together kept her from taking more. Heck, he practically bought her apartment and gave her his old house without even a second thought. You won’t find people who can just give you a house out of the corner of the road.

If she simply asked, he’d probably do it in a heartbeat. He’d set up a place just for her and decked it out with the best scientific gear money and influence could buy. She’ll have free reign to do whatever she wanted and even hire a few assistants to help out. That boy will give them just about anything. Absolutely… anything.

“No!” Twilight snapped herself out of her power fantasy pinching her own cheeks for good measure. “What the heck are you thinking? Sure, Flash could probably skyrocket my career and research on magic but taking advantage of people is just wrong. Ugh… I need to get her out of my head.”

“Get who out?”

“Gwah!!” She nearly jumped when the boy appeared from the barn. “Flash! How do you keep doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Appearing out of nowhere! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Uh… sorry? But in my defense, I was calling out to you for over a minute now. But you were just mumbling to yourself.”

Was he? Twilight can’t seem to remember. Perhaps Midnight’s dark whispers drowned out his voice. Ugh… she must’ve looked like a weirdo.

“H-how much did you hear?”

“Not much. You were pretty much just muttering nonsense.” He gave her the weird eye. “Were you… talking to someone just now?”

“N… no.” She lied. “Of course not. I was just um… talking to myself. Sometimes I get a lot of information in my head and I need to sort them out from time to time.” That made sense, right? Flash didn’t look that convinced though. Quick, change the subject. “Anyway, I found a cave system that goes inside the mountain. And you won’t believe what I found.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight spent the next hour going into every detail of her journey. From the discovery of the temple, the journal and the vision she saw. It sounded surreal. And if she told this story to anyone else, they’d probably right her off as a complete mental coocoo. Heck she once tried to explain the whole thing to Timber and Shining Armor at one point but neither of them seemed to have a grasp in magic. To them it probably just sounded like a little girl’s imagination gone wild.

Flash on the other hand… had some difficulties too but at least he was trying. He put more effort into understanding them more than Timber.

“So wait. You’re saying that these guys with these black gems. They’re the good guys?”

Of course he’d question it. “I’m not really sure. But the lingering magic left behind showed what happened. Captain Hoofbeard seemed to have been possessed by some entity and this Order of the Black Stone…”

“That’s a rather generic name.”

Twilight could feel her inner angel/demon agreeing with him. “… the Order of the Black Stone seemed bent on stopping him.”

“From doing what?”

“I’m not sure. But I do know that it involves the Chalice of Wishes and the Winter Solstice. I might be able to get more from this journal. My old colonial is a bit rusty.” She took a quick glance and nearly fainted at the contents. “Ugh… the penmanship is atrocious. And there isn’t even a table of contents. How am I supposed to tell the difference between the important bits and the non-important bits? It’ll take me weeks of restoration work just to figure out his old pirate speech.”

“Well I’m not buying it.” Flash stated grabbing a seat by the ranch. “No offense to them but when one of them burns down my friend’s house and another burns down a barn, I’m putting them on my ‘Bad guy’ list.”

He made a compelling argument. “Speaking of friends. Where’s the other girl? I thought you’d be hanging around passing on bad jokes.” Twilight asked noting the absence of a third party.

“Her name’s Autumn. And she’s running some errands in town. She said it’ll take a while before we can afford that Portal Stone so she’ll be calling in some favors with some of her associates.”

“Huh. That’s surprisingly helpful.”

“You know Twilight. You might wanna try being nicer to her. I mean… she did take us in after all.”

She made a face. “Ugh… now you’re starting to sound like Sunset.”

“Come on now. This whole thing could’ve been a whole lot worse for the both of us. If it wasn’t for her, we’d probably be stuck out in the desert, or worse.” Again he made a compelling argument. “I’m sure if you made a little effort, you’ll find that you have a lot in common.”

“Really? I think she’d make a better friend with Applejack than me. Besides I want to get started with a little research.”

“Come on Twilight. One day of rest won’t hurt. And you owe me for going somewhere dangerous on your own.”

Twilight puffed her cheeks. “It wasn’t that dangerous. And I can handle myself. Besides, I wasn’t going to take an injured boy to a hazardous ruin. I should be the one telling you to take it easy.”

He nodded in admittance. “Ok. So I might not be in the best shape, but that doesn’t excuse you for going down there all on your own. You could’ve gotten hurt.” Now he really was starting to sound like Sunset. Honestly, these two were perfect for each other. “So instead of just diving into caves and looking for lost pirate treasure or mystical cults or secret organizations, can we just have one day without either of us looking for danger?”

“Ugh… well… I won’t really be able to make any good progress without proper tools or equipment.”

Flash’s eyes beamed. “So that’s a yes?”

“Fine. I suppose I can give the simple life a day in court. But just to clarify: Getting back home is still my priority.”

“Deal.”

Reprieve

Chapter 42: A Lovely Reprieve

(House by the hill)

Sunset let out a tiresome yawn as she got to the living room of her new home. The greeting of the hazy dawn and the smell of freshly cooked eggs in the kitchen was a welcoming feeling especially in these cold days. A rough guess would say Rainbow Dash had kitchen duties. No offense to Pinkie Pie but her she could learn to expand her culinary skills to things other than pastries. If they simply had her cooking, their sugar levels would rise higher than your average human.

“Morning sugar cube. Had a good sleep?” Sunset found Applejack by the fireplace feeding Winona and Spike.

“Not really. Had to deal with Rarity all night when we tore through her designer clothes.” The poor fashionista cried rivers for every piece of fabric they ripped to discover the magic behind them. “I… kind of feel bad for her.”

“It’s all for the best.” The cowgirl defended. “Hope it was worth it.”

“Definitely. Hoity Toity really did put a spell on those clothes. It’s really complex and designed to put the wearer in a deep trance while something else took over. Thankfully, after last night’s research, I think I can reverse it.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yes and… no.” Sunset grumbled. “The counter-spell requires a lot of work. And there just happens to be hundreds of people under its influence. I’ll need more time to develop a better one. I got Starlight working on it in Equestria.”

“Well… anything me and the girls can do to help?”

“Thanks but I think I can handle the magic part. I just wish we had something more to go on. And… speaking of which, where are Pinkie and Fluttershy?”

“They volunteered to keep an eye on Hoity while we figure things out.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Fluttershy sat on a bench just outside Hoity Toity Trendsetter wearing the most elaborate disguise she ever had in her wardrobe. It was something that Rarity had prepared for her in case for a stakeout mission. The hat, trench coat and boots were both functional and stylish in all the right manner, complete with a fake wig and a mustache for extra detail. She even had a newspaper spread out in front of her to sell the act. In another world she’d probably make a decent detective.

Pinkie on the other hand was camouflaged in a less concealing outfit.

“Churros! Come get your churros! Get them while they’re hot and yummy! 20% off today only at the one and only, Sweet Shoppe! Get a discount coupon right here!” The bubbly gal was dressed as a churro holding up pamphlets and balloons like some mascot animal. And the surprising thing was that she was actually being successful. Even the kids came over to her asking for coupons. Though she wonder if they were real.

xxxxxxxxxx

“That’s good initiative.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Yup. Their mood got a lot better after we got that message from Twilight. Don’t wanna get caught unprepared again.”

“I’m all for it. I just hope Twilight is staying safe. I’m still worried about her.”

“Don’t you worry about little old Twi. She’s a big girl and she can handle herself. And she’s the smartest out of all of us. She wouldn’t do anything dangerous. Besides, Flash is with her. I’m sure they’re… having a ball wherever they are.”

She chuckled at her friend’s attempt to cheer her. “Thanks Applejack.”

But then an explosion from the kitchen alerted them to smoke. Rainbow Dash poked her head from the doorway with a guilty looking smile. “Uh… Applejack. When you said I should keep the microwave on for 30. Did you mean that in minutes or temperature?”

“Oh for the love of.” The cowgirl face palmed. “Hang on. I’m coming.”

Sunset watched the two of them control the damage. Hopefully they won’t burn this place down as well. Having one home set on fire was enough as it is. She was about to assist when she noted her magic journal buzzing by the table.

It was a message from Starlight. She wanted to talk.

And like clockwork, the music box she left over the fireplace came to life with the dancing pony on top changing form.

“Oh! Sunset hi. Sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting. I didn’t want to scare you a third time so I wrote on ahead.”

Sunset laughed. “Yeah. I got your message. What’s up? Did you get those notes I sent you?”

“Yup. I got a REAL professional working on it. Anyway, that’s not why I called. I got somepony here who can help you with your magical problem.”

Her eyes beamed. “Is Princess Twilight back?”

“Uh… no.” Starlight replied much to her disappointment. “But you’ll be thrilled either way. Sunset. Get ready to meet a special guest.” A second dancing statue manifested revealing an older pony wearing a blue cape, wizard had and sporting a long curly beard.

Whoa…

“Oh my…” The mythical pony stated as his visions cleared up. “This is a rather interesting spell you’ve developed. You have to show me how you did it Starlight.”

“Oh it’s easy. Twilight showed it to me a while back. I just gave it a few of my own personal touches. Anyway, let’s save that for later. Sunset. Allow me to introduce you to S…”

“Starswirl the Bearded!” The redhead let out a gasp she soon realize she was holding. “Wow. It really is you! Oh my goodness. This is such a tremendous honor. I’ve heard so much about you when I was just a filly back in Celestia’s magic school. You were like… the biggest inspiration of all time. You practically wrote THE book on magic.”

The bearded pony laughed at her hysteria. “I appreciate the praise. But I’m afraid that all the great things you’ve heard about me were rather exaggerated and a tad bit biased. After all I was the one who taught Celestia and Luna magic.”

“I heard that Twilight brought you and the Pillars back but I’ve never had the chance to see any of you. This is… incredible. I read so much about you. Especially the adventures of Rockhoof the Mighty. It was one of my favorite books. I checked it out of the library more times than I could count. Aheh. Oh and Mistmane’s guide for magical arts was also…”

“Ahem…” Starlight coughed. “Magical problem?”

“What? Oh! Right. Sorry. It’s just that… I never thought I’d ever get to meet a mythical figure like yourself in my lifetime.”

Starswirl chuckled back. “You’d be surprised how many people say that when they meet me for the first time. But this is also quite an interesting subject itself. I never thought I’d get to another human ever again.”

Sunset blinked. “You’ve… seen other humans?” She face palmed. “Doh right of course. You’re the one who invented the magical mirror portals.”

“One of my greatest works if I do say so myself. Starlight has given me the quick version of your predicament. Though I am rather surprised by this.” He brushed his beard gently like a wise-sage. “I visited the human world back in my… well… younger days. It was a strange and wondrous place. Though I don’t seem to recall that place ever having any magic. If I remember correctly, that place was more in-tuned with technology and science.”

The redhead cringed. “Yeah… that’s kind of my fault actually. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Anyway, you’ve seen the Portal Stone and black gem from earlier, right?”

“Yes. I’ve read the notes. Quite admirable if I do say so myself.” Starswirl nodded impressively. “The ‘Portal Stone’ in particular was quite a new discovery. However I can state with absolute confidence that these artifacts clearly do not belong in the world you’re in. In fact… there’s something familiar about the magic lingering in these objects.”

“I knew it! So there really isn’t magic in this world after all.”

“Not that I remember. I will go to Canterlot tomorrow and look through my collection. I’m sure I can find out where these objects came from. What I’m more concerned about right now are these Shadow Monsters you’ve been encountering. They are quite alarming to say the least.”

“You know about shadow magic?”

“I do. I spent a great amount of time researching ways to…… deal with such dark magic. Before… Stygian.” His face pained as if recalling a terrible memory. Starlight tapped him on the back reassuring the old pony, urging him to go on. “Anyway, I do have a spell that might help. It’s something I cooked up in one my all-night studies. I’ll have Starlight here send it over. During the next alignment of stars. Sadly these portals can only activate when certain conditions are met.”

“Oh you don’t have to worry about that.” Starlight chuckled. “Twilight already made some changes on the portal. We can travel back and forth whenever we want.”

“She did?” Starswirl’s face beamed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised anymore considering that she’ll be the next ruler of Equestria. Thoughd I would rather have this matter settled quickly. Such interference between two worlds can be catastrophic.”

“Heh… yeah. Catastrophic.” She chuckled awkwardly.

But Starlight brushed it off. “Oh don’t you worry your tiny little hoof… or… hands. You’ve handled worse things. And when you’re done, maybe you can come back to Equestria for a quick visit. We’d love to have your firsthand experience over there.”

“Another time Starlight. But I’ll keep the offer in mind.”

“What?” Starswirl’s eyes shot up, his bearded jaw going slack for a moment. “Visit? Hold on a moment. Sunset. You said that you studied in Celestia’s school of magic?”

The girl in question nodded dumbly. “Yeah. Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was a student there… before uh… stuff happened.”

“So what you’re saying is that… you’re from Equestria, originally, yes?” She nodded again not really understanding the question. “H… how long have you’ve been in that world?”

“Uh… the dates and time in this world and Equestria aren’t all that different. So… about 3 years. Maybe 4, give or take.”

The old pony’s face paled. “Oh no. That’s… not good.”

Starlight raised a concerned look. “Is something wrong Starswirl?”

“Sunset. Listen to me very carefully.” Starswirl’s voice turned dead serious. “You need to come back immediately.”

“What? Why?”

“Nopony should ever visit another world for too long. The universal backlash is far too dangerous.”

Sunset’s brow curled. “What do you meant?”

“It’s difficult to explain but Celestia and I have experienced the danger of world traveling first hand. I must highly insist that you return.”

“Starswirl. I… I can’t.” Sunset darted at the kitchen noting Rarity coming from her room looking more exhausted than before. Rainbow on the other hand was burning the eggs along with Applejack. “There’s too much at stake here. Especially now when all my friends could be in danger.”

“Just by being there puts both our worlds in danger, child. Believe me. It’s not worth it. I implore you to come back at once.”

“Hey Sunset!” Rainbow Dash called out. “Do you prefer scrambled or sunny side up for your eggs?”

“Either is fine.” She replied before whispering back to the two dancing figurines. “Sorry Starswirl, but until this matter is wrapped up, I’m not going back.”

“Suns-.”

“We understand.” Starlight interjected. “Your friends are important to you. I’m sure we can deal with this problem quickly before whatever catastrophe comes along. Right Starswirl?”

The old wizard didn’t seem keen on letting the matter go but decided to go against his better judgment for now. “Very well. I shall defer to your decision. But please consider coming back the moment this problem is resolved Sunset. For all our sakes.” The transmission ended a moment later leaving the former unicorn a rather ominous feeling inside.

“What was that about?” Rainbow Dash asked as she got out of the kitchen with a plate of burnt toast.

She didn’t bother answering.

(Autumn’s Ranch)

Ugh… waking up on a straw bed was never going to feel comfortable no matter what position she tried. Twilight stretched her body, feeling her neck creaking from the lack of pillows. God she missed her bed so much. And showers. Nice warm water running down her hair. Some shampoo or cool soap to improve her hygiene. Heck, she’d do anything for a proper change of clothes.

Autumn offered some of hers but they didn’t exactly match her style… or fit her for that matter. That brunette was a few size too big for her.

At least the temperature was bearable in the morning. It wasn’t too hot or too cold, it was just right.

That sounded a lot like a fairytale line but who cares? At least the sheep were keeping silent and not eating her…

“AHHH! My hair!” She screamed loudly as one of the stupid animals nibbled at the loose strand prompting her awake. “Hey! Let go of me you little…!” The wooly animal did so and fled joining its flock by the entrance. Twilight hastily began fixing her bedhead but failed to save chunks that were chewed off. “Oh come on! Do you guys have any idea how long it took me to have this hair done perfectly? It took me three visits to Rarity’s place to get it just right.”

*Bahhh~~*

“Don’t ‘bahh’ me. It takes effort to keep my hair this straight. The next time you take a bite off me, I’m sending you Rarity’s bill.” If the animals were concerned of her threat, they certainly didn’t show it. Instead they just returned to their corner, ignoring the girl. “Don’t ignore me!”

*Bahh…*

“Well bahh back at you too!” She gave that last sentence a thought before she face palmed herself. “Ugh… I need to get out of here. I think I might be going crazy. I’m starting to argue with animals like Fluttershy. Next thing you know I’ll be hearing voices in my head and talking to myself.” Another pause. “Oh wait…”

Not wanting to go for a long mathematical debate with the sheep, Twilight decided to get out of there before she loses what little sanity she had left.

“Morning sleepyhead.” Flash greeted her from the pens still holding the cane like a walking stick. “Whoa… someone looked like they woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Haha. Laugh it up.” She grumbled lowly as she reached for her hair trying her best to straighten them out but her constant ruffling only made the torn edges more apparent. Not to mention a few hairball stuck out as well. “Ugh… stupid sheep.”

“Having trouble with your new roommates?” He eyed the said sheep who gave him a strange look in return.

“More like they’re having trouble with me. If it’s not their late night choir serenading, it’s their wool getting all over me.”

“Hey, come on now. I figured you’d be used to having animals shed all over you.”

“Spike only sheds twice a year. Three at most. And he doesn’t take chunks out of my hair!” Her whining went on. “Honestly, how can you stand this place?”

“It’s all about adapting.” He explained in a sagely manner. “When the world changes around you, don’t fight it, instead change with it. You’d be surprised how relaxing this place can be.”

“I’ll be relaxed if I can finally get home and get a proper bathroom. We’ve been stuck in this place for three days. THREE! I’ve been wearing the same clothes and haven’t had a shower since we got here! I smell like the backside of a donkey and not in a good way either.”

There’s actually a good way in that quote?

“Ok~. I see that you’re in a bad mood.” The boy raised his hands up acting like a shield. “But I think I got just the thing to brighten your day.”

“Is it the Portal Stone so we can finally get out of here?” She droned on, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“No. Autumn’s still working on that. Getting 50 bags of wool isn’t gonna be easy. But I’m guessing it’s the next best thing. The town’s apparently throwing a New Year festival today. Autumn says it’s going to be amazing.”

New Year.

Wow she totally forgot about that. The whole lack of snow has really thrown her internal clock into disarray. With this heat, you’d think it was practically summer.

“New Year…” She muttered before her mind jogged up. “That’s right… New Year is just two weeks away.”

“Yup. There’ll be music and dancing and maybe even some free food. It’ll be a once in a lifetime experience.”

“Giant parties?” Twilight chuckled. “Don’t we have that like… almost every day?”

“Yeah but never in the desert.” His reasoning was rather poor on that one. “Come on. What do we got to lose?” He offered his hand so casually with his trademark smile. There were so many ways she could answer that question, but she restrained those thoughts.

Instead she accepted his hand and allowed him to drag her off.

Perhaps one day of relaxation is what she needed to get her out of her rut.

xxxxxxxxxx

The celebration wasn’t as big as Flash thought it’d be. But for a sleepy town like Perilous Peaks, a name he still finds weird, in the middle of nowhere it was practically a festival in its own right. Everything here was hastily erected to accommodate for the party. The town was small. Probably no more than a few dozen families living like next door neighbors. Heck he’d safely say that the Applejack’s family reunion was slightly bigger than this. And brighter too.

You’d expect a festival to have brightly colored banners, and giant flowers decorated upon every window. But considering that they were in the desert. That would be asking a tad bit much.

But at the very least there was music and a lot of dancing. A stage was erected at the middle of town where a band was playing some local music.

Autumn led the two outsiders through the streets, finding a place by the plaza, where they enjoyed what little sights the town had in its festive swing.

“This is so exciting!” Autumn exclaimed with more enthusiasm than the situation entailed. “I’ve never been to a town festival with friends before. Normally I’d try to chat up with one of the locals, but they’d just ignore me or just try to listen. So this is all new territory for me. Oh! You should try out the house-special here. The food is to die for.”

“Is it more pickled sandwiches?” Twilight groaned. Other than the occasional fruits, that was pretty much the only thing they’ve been eating for the last few days around here.

“Nope. It’s this amazing thing called ‘Ice Cream’.” The two outsiders looked at her strangely. “It’s this creamy thing with different flavors that are so cold that…”

“We know what ice cream are.” Twilight stopped her. “And yes. Actually, we’d love to have some.” The girl gleefully went on her to way to the stall to purchase their order. “Thank goodness. For a moment there I thought she was gonna get us more of those pickled sandwiches.”

Flash shrugged. “Eh… they aren’t so bad.”

“We’ve been eating those things for three days straight.” She countered.

“Ok maybe it is that bad. But they’re good for you… I think.”

“And it’s not just that either. If it’s not pickled sandwiches, it’s pickled eggs… or pickled beans, or pickled peaches. I know that they can good preservatives but there has to be a limit. If I have to eat another thing dumped in pickle broth, I’ll go bananas!” A sigh escaped her. “What I wouldn’t give for one of Pinkie’s cupcakes right about now… or any of Sunset’s failed fruitcakes… or Applejack’s delicious pies.”

Flash’s stomach suddenly groaned, recalling the taste. “Ugh… please stop. Now you’re making me hungry.” He laid his head on his hand before a thought came to mind. “Alright. How about this? Seeing as I am partially responsible for our current situation, why don’t I take you out?”

“Take me out?”

“Anything you want to eat.” He added. “After this is over and we get home. Name the food or the restaurant and I’ll take you there myself. Everything on the house.”

For the first time today, the girl managed to show a smile… and perhaps even a short chuckle. “Now you’re just trying to be nice.”

“I’m serious.” The boy insisted. “I can make a reservation to any bistro in the city. Nothing’s too exclusive for me.”

Twilight’s smile began to form again, though she looked somewhat skeptical. “Are you… flaunting your money at me right now?”

“Only for you girls. Besides, I do feel somewhat responsible for our situation.” He admitted softly, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “So whadaya say?”

What did she say?

Twilight’s lips puckered a bit as she rolled the idea in her head. There was a place in Midtown she always wanted to visit. A bistro called the Tasty Treats. It served exotic food from different regions and often had a long lineup waiting outside their doors. Not to mention their reservation list are backlogged for months. It was a little on the pricy side but it never fails to attract customers. She can still recall that alluring smell she caught when she pass by the window.

“Well… there is this one place.” She confessed, hands waving around to exaggerate the situation. “A small diner in Restaurant Row. Timber and I have been planning to go there but we never got to doing it.”

“Say no more. It’s done.” Flash made a note on his phone. “Just give me the name and I’ll have us served first-class. And~~…” He grinned. “… I’ll be sure to tell them to hold the pickles.” The terrible joke was the kicker that finally got the girl bursting out in full laughter. She held it back with her hand but it was far too late as a few eyes wandered their way. “There we go. I finally did it.”

“D… did what?” She asked through laughs.

“I finally got you to smile.” He answered. “I was afraid you were just gonna sulk like you did back in the ranch.”

Her head recoiled. “I wasn’t sulking.”

“Twilight, you’ve been sulking ever since you woke up here. I haven’t seen you smile or laugh until now. You’ve been stressed out and obsessed about getting home. You needed a break. And I thought this little outing could do you some good.”

The girl paused, a little surprised to hear that. “You… were worried about me?”

“Of course. You and your friends are important to me. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you girls.”

Her cheeks turned red as her fingers wiggled over a strand of her hair. “I… guess I have been a little overbearing these last few days. And… maybe a little anxious after what happened with Hoity. I guess all those things really got to me and I’ve been taking it out on you… unconsciously.” Eh… maybe a tad bit. “Sorry…”

“Hey, no sweat. I’m used to having people vent their steam at me. Besides, what are friends for if not an outlet for their pent up frustration?”

Twilight’s shoulder unbuckled a bit. A sweet smile returning to her face. “So… how about we look at what this festival has to offer?”

Flash was interrupted when two ice cream cones were shoved to their face with Autumn smiling down at them. “Here you go! Two special orders for my new two best friends.” They graciously accepted them though the best friend thing was kind of a stretch. “Pickled flavor ice cream!”

Twilight spat it out a second later.

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle basement)

Starswirl couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as he trotted down the once familiar hall of the castle. While the stuffy smell could easily be removed with a simple spell, he preferred to keep it this way. He wondered if this place has always been this small. He certainly remembered it to be a lot bigger when he was young and spruce.

His collection of magical tomes, which he spent painstakingly assemble, was probably worth a small mountain of bits. Some of these books are hardly even in found anymore, their authors having been lost to time. Oh how he remembered reading many of these back in the day over the castle library, with a nice hot cup of tea.

“Is everything alright, Mr. Starswirl… sir?” The young wizard stallion he recalled as Sunburst asked.

“I’m just feeling a bit… lightheaded from all the nostalgia.” He answered longingly while his eyes cast over his old home. Each piece of furniture, each book and tapestry stirring a part of his mind with a sense of déjà vu. “It’s been quite a while since I last visited this place. Every bit and pieces here holds such precious memories of my uh… younger years.”

Sunburst smiled in understanding as he led the old wizard through. “Well you’ll be happy to know that everything here is exactly as you left it. Princess Celestia had this whole area cordoned off when you disappeared into Limbo. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve taken the liberty of reorganizing some of your collection. I couldn’t make sense of the order you put them on.”

Starswirl hid a smile under his beard. Celestia and Luna always did pester him about organizing his things. Despite what other creatures may think of him, he was an absolutely disorganized pony. From his room, right down to his penmanship. All of them were about as organized as a museum holding a yak dance. The reason why Sunburst couldn’t make heads or tails of his belongings was probably because he never bothered to sort them out. They were all simply thrown in together and forgotten. It’s hard to keep tabs with relics from another world entirely.

“I’m sure you’ll treat my collection with respect, Sunburst. But for now let’s focus on the matter at hand. You said that you found a relic that has similar magical elements as those found by Sunset?”

“Yes! That’s right.” Sunburst hastily led the old wizard through his room, down to the mirror hall where the old man’s ingenious masterpiece stood, arrayed for all to see. An entire room dedicated to the study of mirror portals. A single hallway stretched on for ages while rows upon rows of portals stood on both sides. One can only wonder what was on the other side of each creation. “No matter how many times I come here, I always find myself enthralled. To think that each of these mirrors connects to different worlds.”

“Indeed. They can be quite alluring. Each of them had their own unique charm that also mirrors our own.”

“I can only fathom how many adventures you undertook in these places. You must’ve experienced so many new and wonderful things.”

“Concentrate Sunburst. Your mind is wandering again.”

“Huh? Oh! Right.” The young stallion nodded shyly before bringing the great wizard to the table with a single object standing atop of it. “This artifact is the one I was telling you about. It’s the only object in your entire collection that has the same magical readings as the Portal Stone.”

It was a cup… or perhaps a bowl? Not that it really matters. Though the design of the thing look rather exotic. There were figures painted around it symbolizing creatures that he had never seen before…… or perhaps simply creatures he had forgotten. His memory wasn’t as it used to be. What he was sure about was that it definitely wasn’t from Equestria or this world at all.

“We’ve tried comparing its magic to the residual magic of several portals but there are a lot of them and sadly we’ve had little luck.” Sunburst explained stroking his short goatee. “I don’t suppose you know which world you brought this from.”

He wished he knew. It would certainly accelerate this whole ordeal. But then again he visited hundreds of worlds before the whole incident with the Pony of Shadows and never really had any real reason to organize all this stuff. Perhaps he should’ve hired someone to keep this place clean.

“I’m afraid not.” He answered, trying to sound as sagely as possible. “It’s been a long time since I actually visited any of the worlds I came across. And I didn’t exactly go there to collect souvenirs or useless trinkets. My passion has always been magic and that it what my time is spent on.”

“I completely understand, sir. I too am a practitioner of all things magical. I read Wynnum’s Guide to Magical Arcana over a hundred times now. It never gets boring no matter how many times I go through it. It’s like the whole thing was written to be…” He stopped when he noticed the look he was getting from the old wizard. “Oh… right. Sorry. Focusing.”

“Well if you can keep your mind focused on the task at hand, we may be able to settle this quickly.” Starswirl marched towards his mirrors, each of them humming to life as if acknowledging their creator’s presence. “We must hurry though. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can bring Sunset back from the human world.”

Sunburst raised a questioning brow. “Bring her back? Why? Did something happen?”

“When I made these mirror portals, I may have underestimate the consequences of tearing through the fabric of space and time. Ponies and people were not meant to traverse through other worlds. At least… not in this manner.” Starswirl let out a sigh. “If I had known of the repercussions beforehand, I never would’ve made these portals to begin with.”

“Wh… what kind of repercussions?”

The old leader of the Pillars cast a deathly look. “The worst kind.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay folks. This chapter has been written and rewritten so many times. It was hard to get the Flash-SciTwi scenes together and nothing clicked. I wanted it to feel natural and not forced.

But hey it's finally here. And more of it coming in the next chapter!

Back and Forth

Chapter 43: Back and Forth

(Autumn’s Ranch)

Twilight let out a tiresome yawn as she and Flash (+Autumn) returned to the ranch after a long day of rest and relaxation. Though she would put a quote on the ‘rest’ part.

She thought that the festival in town would be on a small scale, like the size of the town itself. But she was so wrong. Dead wrong. The festival was way bigger than she imagined. Apparently most of it was constructed outside of town to make use of the open field. There were stalls, games and other strange bizarre activities that she never even heard of. There was even this pyromancer who juggled torches and spew fire from his mouth. It was all quite enlightening.

From what she can gather, people from all over the desert have come to this quaint little settlement to join in on the celebration. It’s not every day you get to experience another culture’s celebration of the New Year so she may as well roll with it while she can. And thankfully this little vacation worked wonders for her mentality. She hardly even thought about getting home at all, much less about the Portal Stone. She could just sit back and relax and enjoy the festivities. If anything she might even stay until nightfall.

Flash and Autumn had stayed with her for the better portion of the afternoon enjoying all manner of festivities around the festival. There was a little bit of dancing, some sightseeing and even some game stalls.

By the end of it all, the day was mostly productive.

“That was… amazing!” Autumn went into a singsong tone as she giddily hopped on the sand, holding a smile so wide it threatened to split her face in two. “I can’t believe I actually went to a festival… with friends! It was everything I could’ve hoped for. We hung out, we danced, we ate and we partied hard! Ha!”

“Ok ok.” Twilight calmed the girl down. “It was… ok… I suppose. I mean it wasn’t exactly that thrilling.”

“Really?” Flash challenged. “Because I think you were having a little too much fun on that ring toss game.” And indeed she was. Though mostly it was because she was trying to get over a trauma that happened back in Equestria World some time ago.

Her cheeks flushed. “Ok. So I might’ve gone a little overboard with the game. But in my defense, it was way easier than the one I played back home. And at least I got a cool prize out of the deal.” She brought out a stuffed unicorn that looked pretty worn. “I’m calling him… Smarty Pants. For obvious reasons.”

“Oh~~~! You name your stuff too?” Autumn cooed so adorably. “This is so much fun. I wished this day would never end. We should totally do this again.”

“Maybe another time.” The boy opted. “This festival was pretty cool on its own.”

“Oh if you think the festival was festive, wait till you see the fireworks they shoot out later tonight. It’ll be… magical.” She exaggerated with a wave of her arms. “We’ll have the best view in town.”

“Sounds great.”

“It is! Oh! I’ll grab some midnight snacks!” She can guess what it is. “Pickled mushrooms!” Twilight rolled her eyes in defeat as the girl literally hopped to her house, humming like she was the happiest girl in town. She kinda reminds her of Pinkie, if just a little bit. With their boundless energy and positive attitude they could make a graveyard shine with every color of the rainbow. Twilight took a mental note to never let those two meet. It would be like putting billions of atoms together in a jar and shake it wildly just to watch them split in an atomic level. The result would be… unimaginable. The world just isn’t ready for that kind of reaction.

“I’m gonna freshen up too.” Twilight added, combing her hair with her fingers. “I got sand all over me with all that walking.”

She then made her way to the outhouse sink where a bucket of water was placed to clean her up and a semi-cracked mirror to give her reflection. God, she missed showers. The feeling of being clean, water just running down your hair, the smell of soap and shampoo. Basic hygiene! The saying really is true. You never know what you had until it’s taken from you. Heck, she missed it so much, she’s practically seeing herself having a bubble bath in the mirror.

“Do you mind? I’m trying to relax here.”

“Gahh!” She startled back when her own reflection spoke up, Bloody Mary style. “Midnight Sparkle!?”

“The one and only.” The dark angel answered, her wings manifesting in her flames while she sunk into her tub. “You really could use a shower yourself, Twilight. You’re looking mighty filthy. And I don’t like being inside a filthy host.”

“I would if this place offered it. But it’s not like we have sub-par indoor plumbing out here.”

“Too bad.” Midnight cooed as the bubbles popped. “You really should try these bubble baths more often. They really do just melt the stress off your back.” She moaned seductively.

Twilight rolled her eyes. She knew that none of it was real. In the end, that woman was just bubbling in an imaginary tub. “Why are you even here? If you’re trying to convince me to let you out, then you know my answer.”

“Oh come now Twilight. Not all of our meetings have to be so dramatic. Can’t your conscience just pop in out of the blue and say hi?”

“From what I can garner from interacting with you. We both know that you don’t just show up without a reason. And if I had my way, I’d lock you back in my head and throw away the keys.”

“Oooh aren’t we grouchy today. And here I thought you were enjoying your little vacation.” She was. Until her alter ego decided to make a surprise visit and taking an imaginary bath. “What’s the matter? Didn’t you enjoy hanging out with the most popular boy in school?” Oh she did, until someone decided to pay a surprise visit. But she didn’t need to tell her that. “You know I’m part of your mind, right? I can your every thought.”

Damn it. She forgot about that. “Fine. So I had fun for one day. What about it? Are you going to tell me to do something immoral again?”

“Hmmm… maybe.”

Twilight rolled her eyes again. “Look. Flash was right. I have been going at this whole magic thing too hard lately. It’s the reason why I have you out and about talking to me like a vision.”

“I prefer to define myself as your conscience. Like those cartoonish angel and demon that appear on your shoulder whenever you’re in a dilemma.”

“And which are you?”

“Why both, of course.” She chuckled evilly. “Do you require guidance from yours truly?”

“I’d rather take ballroom dancing advice from a Yak.” She added lowly while her alter ego splashed. “Will you please get out of there!?”

“I don’t wanna.” What is she? A child? “What’s the matter? Jealous just because I can take a bath and you can’t?”

“No.” She paused. “Well… yes. Maybe. It’s just that seeing myself in a tub like this is making me… uncomfortable.”

“Aww… sweet little Twilly. Not confident in yourself?” Midnight teased but submitted in the end. With a snap of her fingers the tub was gone and she was back to the goth style fashion with fiery eyes. “Fine. Is this better?”

“Immensely.” Twilight gave a sigh of relief. “Now tell me why you’re here so I can shoo you back to whatever dark void you came from.”

“Twilight.” Midnight gasped feigning shock. “How rude of you. And here I thought you and I could be friends.”

“I don’t make friends with someone who tries to destroy the fabric of reality.”

“Oh. Of course not. My mistake. You just make friends with people who turn people into mindless zombies to conquer the world.”

Ah… right.

“That’s… that’s different.” She stammered. “Sunset was another person back then. She’s changed. Besides, I wasn’t even there so it doesn’t count.”

“I’m just saying.” The angel shrugged non-apologetically. “You have strange taste in friends.”

“Twilight?” She snapped her head around when Flash’s voice rung in. “Are you ok?”

“Y… yeah! Totally!” She mentally slapped herself when she realized that her answer came in a tone a little too high. “I’m just umm… a little tired.” The girl stretched out her arms faking a yawn. “All that partying really tuckered me out.”

“Were you… talking with someone?”

“Nope! That’s just me uh… thinking out loud ahehehe.”

“Nice save.”

Quiet you.

“Are you sure?” He didn’t seem convinced. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Of course! Absolutely! No problem.”

“Well… come on then. The firework display is starting. Wouldn’t want to miss that.”

“Be right there.” She waved him off before snapping back to her alter ego. “Look, if you’re going to be with me then can you at least be quiet? At least when there are other people around? It’s bad enough I have to talk with a voice in my head, if Flash saw me like this he’ll start thinking that I’m crazy.”

Midnight opened her mouth to make a snarky comeback but decided to save it for later.

xxxxxxxxxx

She found Flash at the cliffs of the ranch overlooking the town. The night was calm, which was a welcome change from all the racket in the festival.

“Wow. Autumn wasn’t kidding. This place really does have the best view in town.”

“I know, right?” The boy agreed letting out a soft chuckle. “Reminds you of the cliff outside Canterlot. Though less grassy.”

They paused for a moment, admiring the scenery, with only each other to keep them company. The music from the plaza could be heard playing, though neither of them could really understand the lyrics. Twilight scanned her surroundings for a moment just to make sure that her ‘Guardian Angel’ wasn’t around to surprise her. Hopefully she’ll stick to her head and stay there if god’s willing.

“What’s the matter?” Flash noted her expression and called her out.

“Oh I’m uh… fine. Just… umm…” She eyed the town below. “Just taking in the view. Nothing weird about that.”

“Well… at long as you’re having fun.”

What was with this guy?

Twilight began to wonder curiously. It’s been a while now since they’ve been teleported to this place yet this boy next to her has been calm. Despite everything they’ve gone through, all the death-defying missions and chaos they found themselves in, Flash didn’t seem all that panicked. Any other person worth their salt would be hyperventilating or going half-mad already. Even some of her classmates back in CHS would be tearing their heads out trying to find a way back like…… well… like her. But Flash was like some kind of guru who found inner peace. In fact, he was probably the only one here who’s keeping both of them sane. Perhaps all that experience with dangerous magic made him immune to the bizarre nature of their adventures.

“Thanks Flash.” She stated openly which unsurprisingly earned his full attention.

“For what?”

“For today. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be shuffling around ancient temples and tinkering with that portal till my bones dry.” Her eyes wandered over to him, while one hand hovered over her head. “That… or blowing myself up. I really needed this day off from all that mess. What I’m trying to say is… thanks for putting up with me. I know I’ve been a little over the top when it comes to these types of situations.”

“Don’t sweat it.” He returned the gesture, chuckling softly. “When it comes to getting down time, I’m your guy. But you sure can’t beat the view from here.”

“Tell me about it.” Twilight agreed, glancing up to the sky. “I’m supposed to be spending this time with Timber. I promised that I’d be staying at his place. Instead I’m on the other side of the world hanging out with you.” She paused on that thought before realizing how insulting it was. “Not that you’re bad company or anything. You’re a great guy. It’s just that…”

“It’s fine. I totally understand.” He laughed loudly. “I take it you two finally got things together?”

“Yup. I decided to move in with him. But only after graduation. Best to keep things slow for now. I mean… it’s no 3 storied mansion but it got its own charm. Not to mention how close it is to Everton Academy. It’s prime-real-estate.”

“Oh right. You’re going to Everton after CHS.” The blue boy bobbed his head. “Must be nice having the future planned out ahead of time.”

“Well… for the next six or seven years at least, depending on my research and possible funding. But yeah. My future is quite set at the moment. How about you? What are your plans after graduation?”

“Me? Well… I’m not so sure.” He shrugged. “Never really thought about it.”

“What? Don’t tell me that the popular Flash Sentry doesn’t have a goal. Don’t you have some kind of plan or career path you’ve always wanted to do?”

“I’m more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Other than music, I can’t really picture myself doing anything. I mean… can you imagine me working in an office or a workshop?”

Twilight wanted to counter but found that the boy had a good point. Flash’s family was practically living the 1% life. His old man was practically swimming in money, and soon enough he’ll become the next mayor of Canterlot City. With all that wealth and power, Flash could literally live the rest of his life in luxurious comfort. And there’s no way he was going to be a politician or a civil worker. The guy doesn’t have the attitude for it.

“Huh… that is true.” She admitted. “I guess being rich doesn’t open a lot of doors for you.”

“It does.” He corrected. “Just not the ones I want.”

“Well… I’m sure you’ll find something. I mean nothing is set in stone. Firstly we need to find a way to get home.”

“Oh I got that part covered.” With a quick motion, Flash reached into his jacket and pulled out the figurine, handing it over like it was a gift. Twilight recognized it instantly, her eyes bulging from their sockets.

“The Portal Stone!” She snatched it, staring at the object in disbelief. “But how…? When?”

“I went over to the shop while you were out playing in the game stalls.”

“But I thought you said that Autumn didn’t have enough to pay for it.”

“Oh she didn’t. But luckily for you, I did.” He gave out a smug grin. “I traded my pin for it.”

Twilight’s jaw went slacked. “Wait… you… you traded away your mother’s pin?”

“I figured that lady was interested in shiny things when she wanted your geode. So I figured she’d trade it for another shiny thing.”

“But Flash…! That pin is…”

“It means nothing to me.” He cut her off. “Like I said… I never knew my mom. She passed away long before I could remember. As far as I’m concerned, that pin was just a pretty stone.”

“Won’t your dad be mad?”

“You let me worry about that.”

Twilight held the Portal Stone up, eyeing it wither some hint of reverence. For the last three days this little figurine had been the object of her greatest desire. She was ready to do almost anything to get it. Even that evil voice in her head tempted her to great lengths. But now that she had it in her hand and knowing the cost that came with it, she didn’t really know how to feel.

She should be happy. She should be ecstatic. Jumping around with joy like Pinkie Pie in one of her sugar-dosed phases. The key to getting home was literally within her grasp.

“Flash… I…” And thus, out of all the logical thinking she could muster, she couldn’t bear with it. “I can’t accept this.”

“You can.” Flash nodded, pushing the figurine back to her. “And I’d do it again for you. Like I said before: You’re important to me Twilight. And compared to that pin, you’re a million times more precious.”

Twilight couldn’t fight back a blush anymore. She wanted to say something. Something that would show her appreciation and gratitude. But before her lungs could conjure the words, a brilliant array of lights snatched their attention.

Sizzling sounds from the village whistled towards the stars exploding in the night sky, decorating it with a multitude of shapes and colors. Twilight was grateful. Because the noise covered the sudden beating in her heart.

“Thanks… Flash.” She said finally earning his trademark smile.

“Anytime…” He held up his hand and she accepted the gesture, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. “Uh… Twilight?”

Huh?

She looked at her hands finding her body gleaming with a familiar glow. Her pony ears and tails sprung up followed by the wings sprouting from her back. Magic coursed through her body, leaking out from her fingernails threatening to explode.

“Ok that never happened before.”

“No… that can’t be…”

“Twilight? What’s…” Flash never got a chance to finish when Twilight pulled her hand away only to find the Portal Stone vibrating in her grasp. Its eyes gleamed with power before it tore a portal right in front of them. “Twilight!?”

“It’s not me! I’m…” And like a vacuum, the portal pulled them in with nary a care whether they desired it or not. They tried to call for help but the sound of fireworks masked their pleas. Before long, they couldn’t hold and they were quickly sucked through the whirling pool just as it closed.

“Tada!” Autumn announced her arrival with a platter of snacks. “Two orders of pickled sandwiches straight from the kitchen!” Her smile faded however when she found no reply. “Guys?” She looked around at the empty landscape. “Guys?”

xxxxxxxxxx

The two teens let out a childish scream as their bodies flung through the portal dropping them in what appears to be another realm entirely.

Flash dropped in first smacking his head on something hard before Twilight followed in, her hands reaching out to grab onto something only to fumble on the grip bringing down curtains and metal bars down on top of them. The two of them wondered if this was going to be a recurring habit. Them being tossed into portals and thrown around like sacks of grain.

Thankfully the drop was short so the damage was minimal. Still… it was not a pleasant drop.

“Ow…” The boy groaned loudly, feeling a sense of déjà vu as his previous injuries began to resurface. “Why~~~~?”

“Oh… my head.” Twilight agreed on that pained notion. “Flash! Are you ok?”

“No.” His answer was pained and gruff, like sandpaper. “You know you could’ve given me a heads up before you tried something.”

“It wasn’t me. I swear! My body just ponied up by itself. The next thing I know this Portal Stone activated.”

“Well at least I can say with certainty now: I hate portals.” He groaned painfully as he placed one hand over his sides feeling the soreness return. “Next time we do a cross-country trip, I’m taking my dad’s private jet. That seems like a much safer way to travel.”

“I’m so sorry. Ow… where can I go around here?”

“You can start by taking your hand off my ribs.” He pointed out which the girl quickly complied. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know. I can’t see anything.” Her fingers fumbled around but quickly realized that the place they were thrown into was pitched black. “Wait. I found something.”

“What is it?”

“I think it’s a set of knobs of some kind.” With nothing left to lose, she turned it, only to have cold water sprinkle all over them. “Gwahh! Cold cold cold cold cold!”

“Yeow! Turn it off!”

“I’m trying!” She reached out, but the water pouring over them made it difficult to find the right knob. “This isn’t working!”

“Spin it the other way!”

“There are a bunch of knobs here. I don’t know which one!” She turned another which made the water boiling. “Gahh! Now it’s hot! Hot hot hot hot!”

“Twilight, you’re making it worse!”

“I’m trying my best here! Stop squiggling for a minute!”

“That’s easy for you to say when you’re not the one drowning down here!”

“Wait wait! I think I got it!” She turned a third knob but that only made a second source of water pour over the poor boy. “Or… not.”

But thankfully, before Flash could throw in a sarcastic comment, a pair of footsteps rushed in, storming through a door they didn’t know existed. “Alright. Who’s there!?” It demanded, raising what looked like a baseball bat in its hand. “I know you’re in here so you might as well show yourself!”

Wait a minute…

Twilight recognized that voice. And that silhouette…

“Cadance?”

The figure by the door reacted to the name, pausing for a brief moment before reaching for the light switch, turning it on and illuminating the room.

“Twilight?” Her soon to be sister-in-law gasped, lowering her weapon. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes fell upon the figure at the bottom. “And who… is…… that?”

It didn’t take long for Twilight to figure out where she was. The walls alone were a dead giveaway.

She was home…

… or to be more precise - she was in her bathroom, sitting atop a boy soaked from head to toe while her old babysitter watched on the sideline.

This was definitely going to make for an awkward conversation later.

xxxxxxxxxx

“So… let me get this straight.” Cadence sat down with a hot cup of coco as Twilight finished up her journey in a long winded explanation. “You were out fighting a giant shadow monster in Freefall Island which caused Castle Hoofbeard to collapse.”

“Yup…” The little nerd gal bobbed her head in agreement as she held a cup of coco in her hand, taking a quick sip in. The simple sweet taste of chocolate immediately wiped away all the pickle in her tongue leaving it in the lovely embrace of sugar.

“And in the ensuing battle, you were teleported to some desert land in Saddle Arabia and have been stranded there for the last three days.”

“Correct.” Twilight nodded. It was pretty much the simplified version of the story leaving a few key details out.

Naturally of course, Cadance didn’t take it all quite well. She quietly took her seat by the table, taking a quick sip from her mug as she tried to process everything that she heard. “It’s not that I don’t believe you Twilight. I mean… I have seen magic firsthand during the Friendship Games and a few more times afterward. But this is all just so…”

Weird? Bizarre? Weirdly bizarre and out of this world? She’d agree on all of those in a heartbeat.

“I know it’s a lot to take in. But that’s what really happened.”

“And honestly, I believe you. And it’d certainly explain why you haven’t called these last few days. We all still thought that you were hanging out with your friends. If your parents find out about this, they’d be furious.”

“Yeah… about that.” Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “I was kind of hoping we could keep this between us instead of telling this to everyone.”

Cadance gave her a look. The stern look of a Principal. “Twilight. You know I can’t lie to your parents or your brother. It’s not right.” She was lucky that both her parents and Shining Armor were out doing some last minute shopping. Otherwise they would’ve been here to witness this whole magical phenomenon firsthand. And that’ll be a parent-teacher meeting she didn’t want to attend.

“Please? If they find out about this whole mess, they’ll totally freak. You know how overprotective Shining Armor can be.” Far more than she’d like to remember. The guy can be a real big bad bear when he wants to. When Twilight was in grade school, he’d be the one stalking her in the playgrounds making sure that she wasn’t getting bullied. He almost got a restraining-order at one point. “Please Cadance? For old time’s sake? Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake?”

The former Principal’s face softened at the mention of those words. “Clap your hands and do a little shake.” They shared a short laugh. “Alright. I’ll keep it to myself. But if do something dangerous again, all bets are off. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Deal.”

“Now, on another matter.” Cadance’s eyes wandered over to the bathroom where Flash was, fixing himself with some new threads. “What’s the deal with him?”

Twilight raised a brow. “What? Flash? I told you: He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Does he also have magic?”

“No. He’s just… a really helpful guy.” She paused. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably still be stuck on the other side of the world going crazy out of my mind.”

“Well if that’s the case then I’m glad that he was there with you.” Cadance grinned. “For a moment there I thought you were trading him for Timber.”

“Cadance?”

“I’m just kidding Twilly. You know how I am when it comes to these things.” She giggled cutely. “He is pretty cute though.”

“Cadance!” The boy in question thankfully came out a few seconds later, limping on his leg. “Flash! How’re you feeling?”

“Well my leg still hurts and my back aches.” He replied, gesturing to his injuries. “But other than that, I feel perfectly fine. And hey… we got back safely and… we didn’t die either. So that’s a plus. Thanks for the change of clothes by the way.”

Cadance waved it off coolly. “Don’t mention it. Those were some of Shining’s old clothes anyway. I was planning to throw them out after the holidays. But I’m glad we found some use for it.” And surprisingly enough the shirt fits. “What are your plans now?”

Flash shrugged. “Well… I figure I should probably get home before my dad starts to panic.”

“You sure you don’t want to stay a while?” Twilight asked. “You’re still hurt. Mom and dad will be back soon and we can take you to a hospital.”

“It’s not that bad.” He waved it off, giving her a reassuring smile. “Nothing a little rest can’t fix. Besides, now that I’m back, I’m going to spoil myself a bit and eat everything that I’ve been missing for the last three days.”

“I’ll drive him.” Cadance offered to which he accepted. “My car’s out front. I’ll get the keys.” She quietly went off, leaving the two behind in momentary silence.

…

“So…” They said in unison which in turn made them blush. “Oh sorry…” And again. “You go ahead…” And a third time.

“Well I guess this is it.” Flash managed to get through first.

“Yeah…” She nodded. “It’s been one heck of a ride. Sorry for… the whole… teleporting mishap. And your leg.”

“What? This thing?” He patted his wound. “It’s a trophy. Who else in the world can claim that they saw some magic wielding sorceresses fight off a giant shadow monster and lived to tell the tale? I am going to remember this adventure for a long time. I only wish I could brag about it to all my friends. Besides, that just means I got another scar to impress the ladies.”

Twilight snickered. He wouldn’t be wrong about that. “Well if you’re interested in getting more battle scars, I’ll be sure to give you a call.”

“Really?” His expression beamed.

“Really.” She nodded. “Despite what Sunset might think or say, you’ve been a great help. Not just to me but everyone on the team. It’d be nice to have someone else help us out whenever some evil magic stirs. And on a personal note: If I were to be stranded on a desert wasteland in the middle of nowhere, on the other side of the world. I know who I’d like to spend it with.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” He gave her a pat on the shoulder before they heard a loud screeching noise coming from outside.

“That must be Shining Armor. I should probably say hi.” She quickly slip to the doorway opening it, expecting to see her brother on the other side, equally surprised to see her arrive.

But instead they were greeted by blinding lights of red and blue and a horde of uniformed officers surrounding the premises.

“Flash Sentry! This is the Police! Stay right where you are!”

Home

Author's Note

I'm back baby! :rainbowwild:

Well... back to my old apartment in the city anyway. Got all my stuff back to where they were, did some light renovations and now I'm back to my old boring job. Still writing, still reading and still loving these adorable ponies.

Stay safe wherever you are, and stay healthy. Chow for now!

Home

Chapter 44: Home

(Flash’s house)

“I can’t believe your dad actually called in the whole police force!” Twilight’s voice boomed over the phone in a cacophony of laughs and disbelief. And honestly, Flash couldn’t blame her for that kind of reaction.

For a moment there he thought that he was being placed under arrest or something. But later they discovered that his old man had called up a favor from the police commissioner putting out a city-wide search for him. Apparently his disappearance was taken far more serious than it deemed necessary.

“Tell me about it.” He trailed his hand down his face rubbing the embarrassment off his cheeks. “I don’t think I’ve been that scared before.”

“You were with us when we fought the giant snake monster.”

“Yeah… but he was mostly fighting you girls. These guys were looking for me. Literally just me. I thought I was in trouble. It was terrifying.”

“You think that was terrifying? You should’ve seen my parents when they saw our whole neighborhood surrounded by police. Shining Armor was practically having a fit.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t the one who got put in a police cruiser.”

“It wasn’t THAT bad.”

“Really? You try having police take you in for questioning. I thought I was being arrested. It was horrible!” It really was. At first he thought that having heavily armed men and women watching your every move was really cool, but after the glamor was done he just found them frightening to be with. He heard Twilight chuckling on the other line, clearly amused after the whole fiasco was done. “I still can’t believe my dad is actually friends with Commissioner Wind Rider. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore considering he’s going to be the new Mayor.”

“How did they find you in the first place?”

“Apparently the police tried tracing my phone.” The boy explained with a soft sigh. “It must’ve activated again when we came through the portal.”

“So what did you do?” She paused. A hint of dread filling in her tone. “You didn’t tell them about…”

“About the whole magic thing? No way.” He answered like it was the most obvious thing to do. “Like anyone would believe that. I just left it out. I told them that I was in Castle Hoofbeard when it collapsed and I was unconscious. You were there spending your vacation and you just happened to find me on the beach.”

It was a far more believable story without magic thrown into the mix. Not to mention it explained how he got his injuries too. And seeing that the castle collapse was on the news, it made some sense. The police didn’t really seem to mind it. They were content knowing that he was alive and so was his dad.

“Wait… does that make me your savior? That’s pretty cool.”

He laughed. “Yup. That would mean I… owe you my life.” A snicker could be heard on the other line. “Anyway. My dad placed me under house arrest until my leg gets better. He wanted to get me a wheelchair and planned to turn the whole house upside down to accommodate me, but I was able to talk him down to a walking stick.”

“Really? Didn’t he take you to a hospital?”

“Nope. He actually brought in a private doctor just for me. I didn’t even know we had one of those until today.” He paused. “As a matter of fact… I don’t remember ever going to the hospital before.”

“Another perk for being rich?”

“Eh… if you could call it that. But I did get a cool cast around my feet. Oh and you might wanna brace yourself. My dad is thinking of rewarding you for ‘Saving’ my life.”

“I’ll be sure to act all modest.” The girl let out an adorable laugh as a doorbell sound could be heard. “That must be Sunset and the others. I should go. But I’ll… call you again tomorrow?”

“Looking forward to it.” And with that last goodbye, the line went dead.

Flash later returned to his bed, feeling the soft and smooth beddings on his skin. It was a welcome change to the haystack back in the ranch. Even that quick shower earlier cleansed his body of three days’ worth of sand and filth. And the food… the FOOD! A feast was prepared for him upon his return and it was divine. He made a mental note to tell his old man to give the chefs a good raise.

*Woof!*

Bananas hopped on his chest giving his master a good lick on the cheek.

“Aww… I missed you too buddy. Sorry for disappearing on you like that. But it was the spur of the moment.” He gave the little mutt a belly rub which it laid on its back, letting out a pleasing whine. “You won’t believe what I went through. First ponies, then portals and pirates?” It gave out a whimper. “I know that following those girls can be dangerous. It’s been a crazy school life, but it certainly isn’t boring, I’ll tell you that.”

*Woof!*

“Alright fine. I guess you deserve three days’ worth of belly rub you little spoiled mutt.” A knock on his door interrupted his petting. “Come in.”

It was his butler who appeared. “Master Flash. Your father requests your presence in his studies.”

Ah… it’s probably time for him to face the music. With a begrudging nod he left his bed and brought out his walking stick.

xxxxxxxxxx

Thankfully his dad’s study room wasn’t far from his own. It was right next to the vault where all the Yaztec stuff were kept.

“Huh… that reminds me. I need to ask Twilight about that cup.”

Flash gave the door a gentle knock, a part of him hoping that his old man wouldn’t answer.

“It’s open.” No such luck there. Slowly he turned the knob and enter, finding his old man walking around with his phone, busily talking with someone on the other line. “Yes. I’ve handled everything. Thank you Luna. Please send my regards to Lesty.”

Lesty? Was that some kind of nickname?

“Flash!” The boy tensed up to the call of his name. His father approached him with heavy panicked steps. He expected a scolding like that time he used up his account to hire a construction company to fix Applejack’s barn. But instead his old man moved in and pulled him to a tight and awkward hug.

“Uh… dad?”

“Oh thank the heavens you’re alright.” He quickly pulled away and began his inspection. The man poked the boy’s head, flashed a light on his eye and even got him to say ah. “Are you ok son? How are you feeling? Do you feel nauseous? Any aches? Pains or discomfort?”

“I’m fine dad. Really.”

“Are you sure?” The man pulled out a stethoscope and placed it over the boy’s chest. Why does he have one of those in the first place? “Hmm… regular heartbeats. A little fast. Could be because of your diet. I’ll have Edmund make some adjustment to your meal.”

“The doctor gave me a clean bill of health dad. You can stop panicking. And… personal space, please.”

He retracted his arms and coughed lowly in his hand. “Sorry son. It’s just that… I was extremely worried when Edmund told me that you didn’t show up at home. You shouldn’t go exploring on your own like that. Especially in dark damp castles. What were you even doing in that place anyway?”

“I uh… wanted to see the castle myself.” That made sense, right? “I figured it’ll be nice to see our property. Besides, I kinda wanted to see how it feels to be an archeologist. I mean… you’ve been doing it for a while. And if you can do it, how hard can it be?”

“That’s nice of you to say, son. And I admire that you’re taking after me. But in all my expeditions, I normally have a small army of personnel by my side. You can’t just go delving into unstable ruins without some manner of preparations. This isn’t like your movies or videogames. You’re lucky you suffered just a minor injury. A collapse like that would’ve been dangerous.”

“Yeah… lucky.”

“Which is why I’m implementing a new security detail on you.”

Flash gawked. “Wait… what?”

“Seeing as I will be officially running for mayor next week, and you being as you are right now. I think it’s the perfect time for you to have someone help you. I thought maybe you’d feel safer having someone watch over you just in case you run into another situation like the one in Freefall Island.”

“You mean like… a helper?”

“A bodyguard.” The long haired man corrected. “Several of them in fact.”

Several!? Flash shivered at the thought of having just one. He dreaded the day when his old man would consider such a thing. Heck, he could already imagine himself walking around with hulking musclemen following his every step like his own shadow. That was going to make school and every other social event from then on… very awkward from there on.

“I have a number of trusted friends in both Private Security firms and other specialist company.” Sombra produced a folder from his jacket, placing it on the table with the photo of several scary looking faces looking back at him.

“How about… no?”

“No?”

“I don’t think I really need a private security around me.”

“Your recent accident begs me to disagree, son. Besides, this is for your safety. And your safety is my greatest concern. And you can’t count on your friends to be there all the time to save you from unexpected collapse.”

He had a point but Flash wasn’t keen on the idea of having a hulking tank shadowing his every move. “Look. I know I messed up back there. I shouldn’t have gone in on my own. And I promise it won’t happen again. Besides… my days exploring is behind me until I get this off.” He gestured to his cast. “Can you reconsider this, for me? At least until it’s absolutely necessary.”

Sombra gave him a neutral look. He cast a glance over to the folder on the table once more before looking back at his son. A number of scenarios played in his head before he finally made his decision.

“Very well.”

Flash blinked. “Really?”

“I understand that such a change can be… difficult and unwelcoming to you. And seeing as you won’t be going around doing anything remotely dangerous with that leg… I’m inclined to rescind this order.” He slowly returned to his desk, putting the folder in the cupboard. “But if you decide to go against my wishes and put yourself in a peculiar perilous position again, I will assign a bodyguard to hawk over you whether you like it or not. Agreed?”

Not much of a choice there. “Absolutely.”

“Good.” Sombra’s expression softened. “Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on to more pleasant discussions.” He pulled out a small box from his jacket next, placing it on the table. “I got you a little something while you were away.” The boy sat down and opened it revealing a slick looking phone inside.

“It’s… a phone.”

“Yes. I’ve been assured that this was the latest model in the market. And considering your old one close to its um… last leg, I thought the timing was rather convenient.” Flash looked to his old phone which was full of cracks and sand and compared it to the one in front of him. “Happy Winter Holiday, son.”

“Wow dad… thanks.” He scratched his head shyly in reply. “I wish I got you something to. It’s kind of hard to get you a gift.”

“Just having you around is gift enough, son. Don’t worry about it.” Sombra let out a chuckle before noting something. “Speaking of which… where’s your mother’s pin? The one I gave to you.”

Flash buckled at the thought. “Oh! Th… that little thing? It’s umm…” He looked around. “I don’t know. It… must’ve fallen off when I was in the castle. Sorry dad.”

“Oh… that’s… a shame.” There was a jarring expression on his father’s face. He looked… pained. But it only lasted for a moment before he lightened back. “Well it’s a trivial matter compared to you. Run along now and get some rest. We can speak more tomorrow.”

(Celestia/Luna’s Apartment)

Luna felt a good weigh of relief fall off her shoulders when she laid her phone to rest. While it came to a rather mediocre conclusion, she had to admit that she was glad that nothing major occurred from Flash’s disappearance. She expected some kind of magical mumbo jumbo or some other demon to be mixed up in all of this but thankfully it didn’t.

From what she gathered on Sombra’s incoherent blabbering and Police reports, Flash was inside Castle Hoofbeard when it collapsed. He was trapped there for a day or two until Twilight Sparkle found him on the beach.

A likely story, which she would’ve believed too had she not know what these girls were up to. She knew them well enough to see some of the lies they spout up. She’ll have to interrogate Sunset Shimmer about the whole thing later but right now she was just relieved to know that the boy was safe and sound.

Luna dreaded and wondered what would’ve happened if he was gone a little longer. Sombra was practically about to call in the army. And that kind of news would undoubtedly affect the school’s reputation. Something her sister wouldn’t want in a million years now that she had built it to what it is now.

And speaking of whom.

“Luna!” Celestia barged through the door panting heavily like she had been running through a marathon. It was a rare sight to see her shriveled like that. She prided herself for being perfect in any situation. But this was probably the exception. Noticing her sister by the table, she rushed to her side, panicked. “I’m so sorry. The meeting with the Board of Education took longer than I expected. I just received the news. Tell me everything. No… wait. I should probably call Sombra and asked him for the details. Or maybe… no. It’s late. He’s probably asleep by now. Never mind. Just give it to me straight. Why aren’t you talking Luna?”

The younger sibling took a casual sip off her coco, savoring the aroma and the sight of her sister’s crazed moment. It’s not every day you get to see her like this.

“Hello to you too, sister.” She said as coolly as she could. “I’m fine by the way. How are you?”

“Luna! This isn’t the time for one of your childish drivel. One of our students is missing!”

“Yes I know.” Luna grabbed the sugar shaker from the table and made a few drops on her cup. “I was the one who sent you the message after all.”

“Right, of course.” Celestia bobbed her head in realization. “But still… how bad is it?”

“I’m afraid it’s not good, sister.” She gave a low deathly tone earning a dreaded look from her elder. “The police found Flash’s car crashed at the edge of Everfree Woods.”

“Crashed!?”

“Yes. It looks like he was on another one of his ‘Lonesome drives’. They think he was meeting with someone but something went awry.”

“Oh no.”

“They found trace that he got out of the crash.”

“Oh thank goodness.”

“But he was badly hurt.”

“Oh no!”

“And they suspect that he was preyed upon by large Timberwolves!”

“Timberwolves!?” Celestia’s face went pale. A single scenario went through her mind and it horrified her. She was about to go on full panic mod if she hadn’t noticed that grin on her sister’s face. “L… Luna!”

“Gotcha.” The moon lady let out a chuckle, setting her cup aside. “Ha! You should’ve seen your face sister. It was hilarious.”

“I… I don’t… what?”

“You can relax. Flash is safe.” Luna added as she watched her sister fall face first on the table. “They found him a few hours ago. He’s back home. Safe and sound.” She gave that last sentence a thought. “Well… as safe as he can be given the circumstances.”

“For goodness sakes Luna. You know I don’t like your pranks.”

“Oh lighten up sister. The situation is resolved and no one got hurt.” Again she pause. “Well… except for Flash. He got a bum leg. But just that.”

Celestia lightened up, before grabbing a bottle of cider from the fridge. “That’s a relief. I’ll have to give Sombra a call later. I’m just so tuckered about my meeting with the Board of Education.”

“What did those bloodsuckers want this time?”

Celestia chuckled at the name. She had to agree that they were indeed vampires in a sense. “Well for starters… we might need to cut back on our school spending.”

“AGAIN!?” Luna groaned. “Why!? I thought we did so well? We even gave that vampire, Neighsay, a whole office all for himself. Did he sell us out?”

“No.” She interrupted. “In fact, Neighsay’s response was quite… neutral, if I’m being completely honest. There’s actually been a development here in Canterlot. The Board have decided to allocate funds for the construction of a new wing to another school here. And with the fire from a few weeks ago, they want to make sure that it’s full-proof.”

“Let me guess… Everton Academy.” The Principal nodded. “Ugh… dang it! That’s the third time this year alone! How much more can they take? At the rate they’re going, they’ll be slashing our budget to an inch of its life.”

“True… but it is an impressive setup.” Celestia shrugged. “They say it’ll be an indoor swimming pool this time.”

Oh great! So those snotty professors and their college kids will literally be swimming in their money. Damn Everton. Getting everything they want just because they’re the finest school in the country, boasting the highest rate of graduates who end up becoming successful individuals. Hmph… she’d like to see those guys deal with crazy magic on a monthly basis.

How much would it cost to have someone burn the place down?

“So much for a glorious New Year.”

“It’s not that bad Luna.”

“Sister… we’re at home. You don’t have to defend them. I know you hate this just as much as I do.”

“Of course I hate it!” Oh wow, that’s a 180 change in attitude. Celestia practically threw her hands up in the air spilling some of her cider. “Do you think I enjoy watching money slip away from my school!? I hate those high riding teachers in Everton. Every time we make a tour there for our students they always sneer at us, thinking like we’re lesser beings. Ooooh… what I wouldn’t give for one moment when I can embarrass that Superintendent of theirs in front of the whole school.”

Luna blinked, somewhat impressed and afraid of what Celestia planned.

“Ooo…kay? As much as I want to see what you have in store for our competitor. Why don’t we discuss our options to compensate for our lack of funds?”

Celestia gave her a pointed look before answering. “Bake sale?”

Yup… we’re doomed.

(Twilight’s house)

Twilight loves her friends very dearly. They were practically her extended family. But like family, they had a habit of being a little… overly protective. And this right now was a perfect example.

“Oh Twilight Twilight. I missed you so so so so much! I thought we’d never see you again.” Pinkie Pie was practically all over the little nerd hugging and rubbing cheeks like she was attached to the hip. “I’m so glad that you weren’t crushed by a million ton of earth, rock and dirt!”

“I wasn’t worried one bit.” Spike tried to act tough but his waggling tail and sniffling nose betrayed his words.

“Yesh Pwinkwee… meeeh too.” Twilight tried to pry herself off, but the girl would simply not budge. “Gwuys? A liffle heflp?”

Applejack laughed before finally deciding to pull the bubblegum gal off. “I gotcha Sugar Cube. But I understand Pinkie’s feeling right now. I’m glad you’re back.”

“We all are, darling.” Rarity added in agreement stealing a hug from their friend. “You must’ve been scared beyond belief. Trapped on the other side of the world?”

“Alone…” Fluttershy shivered.

“In an unknown environment…”

“Without anyway of communicating…”

“And without an extra pair of clothes!? Goodness. That must’ve been quite an ordeal.”

Twilight shrugged. “It wasn’t that bad. That whole incident was actually kind of… productive. I made a whole new stride on our mysterious order and learned a whole new culture to boot. And I wasn’t entirely alone.” A smile crossed her face when a certain blue haired rocker came to mind. “Luckily Flash was there to keep me centered. He was most helpful even without his money. But anyway. Mind giving me the details on what happened while I wasn’t around?”

“Where do we even begin?” It was Sunset who answered with a sigh. “Well… after that whole incident in Castle Hoofbeard, things have been pretty crazy. We found out what Hoity Toity is planning and how he plans to do it.”

…

“A mass mind control!?” Twilight gasped after hearing the whole incident. “That’s… insane.”

The fashionista agreed on that notion. “Believe me darling. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if Vignette didn’t just tried to attack me and forced me to wear one of her ridiculous leather outfits. There was certainly very little style in her fashion. And it was all very action-packed.”

“Pretty much anyone wearing anything from his store is probably under his spell.” Sunset stated. “And now he’s planning to do it on a city-wide scale.”

Rainbow Dash quickly pulled out a roll of newspaper showing the headline. “After his pageant show, his store will be holding a special sale. 1% off everything.”

“Just one percent? That doesn’t sound like much of a sale.”

Rarity scoffed. “Trust me on this Twilight. It might not sound like much to you. But to the rich and famous, that’s pretty much a grandiose deal of a lifetime. No rich folk in Uptown will be able to resist!”

“Which is fine for Hoity seeing as he’s only aiming to brainwash the rich and powerful.” Sunset finished. “And with all those people under his thumb, he’ll be unstoppable.”

It was a good plan. A clever plan. Even Twilight had to admit that it was also quite sneaky. If Hoity can turn a bunch of fashion designers into his personal servants to expand his operations, she dread what he could do with all that wealth.

“Ok… so what do we do?” The gang looked at one another, enduringly. “Please tell me you guys have a plan on stopping it.”

“We’re… kinda in the planning stage.” Sunset admitted. “But we do know he’s planning something big on his pageant show on that resort in Freefall Island. If anything was going to happen, it’ll be there.”

“I say we’d take the direct approach. We Pony-up and storm his shop. Take him on from there. I don’t give a hoot how important he is. No one drops a castle on me and gets away with it.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I agree with Rainbow Dash.” Applejack took Rainbow’s side much to the surprise of her friends. “I know that he’s famous and all. But knowing what this guy is gonna do makes it all worth it. Storming that place head on like a bull in a china shop is bound to get his attention.”

“But he won’t be alone.” Rarity reminded them. “Remember he has Vignette and the other contestant under his thumb. Along with hundred others who are all under his spell.”

“That’ll be the biggest problem.” Sunset pointed out. “We have no idea how to tell who are hypnotized… or how many there are.”

“All the more reason we should charge in.” Rainbow Dash thrust her fist forward. “Get him where he’d least expect it. Right at his home. We’d take him down and force him to let go of the folks he brainwashed.”

Twilight couldn’t believe it but it would seem like a direct assault was the best plan they had at the moment. And the sad part was that she agreed. If they stormed his shop right now they could probably catch him unaware.

“Let’s not be too hasty.” Again Sunset protested upon the plan. “Remember what happened last time we fought in the city? A whole city block burned down.” Technically that was Flash’s fault but no one was blaming him for it… yet. “We need to strategize. Come up with a plan that’ll not just help us but those who are caught by Hoity.” She turned to Pinkie and Fluttershy who remained strangely quiet till now. “What about you two? You guys were watching him all day. Did you see anything or notice anything in particular?”

The bubbly gal answered first after a brief thought. “Well… now that you mentioned it. Hoity did look a tad bit… strange. Well… stranger than usual.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “He was kind of… nervous? He didn’t exactly look happy. Like… the opposite of happy. Umm… I guess that’s… unhappy.”

“Yeah! Totally! He was fidgeting, looking over his shoulder and even close his office! He was like… super scared of something.”

“He probably knows that we’re out to get him.” Rainbow pumped her fists together, showing a small grin.

“If he did then he certainly did something about it.” The gang turned to their resident party animal. “He beefed up his security like… a lot. We saw big burly guards everywhere. Inside, outside, in-between the inside and out! He even got those fancy security cameras.”

So much for the frontal assault. No doubt the new guards he hired were part of his hypnotized goons. If they’re there, they’ll fight for Hoity with little choice in the matter. And the last thing they need is getting other people hurt.

“If only there was a way to get rid of all those mind controlled minions.”

Rainbow Dash snapped her finger. “Hey, what about that spell you learned earlier, Sunset? The one that can push away dark magic.”

The former unicorn sighed dishearteningly. “It’s a counter for shadow magic. A banishment spell of sorts. I can probably use it to get rid of whatever it is that’s controlling those people in a wide area.”

“Then that’s our ticket!”

“But…” Of course there’s a but. There’s always a but. “It takes up a lot of magic. And I’m not proficient enough to use it continuously.”

“What about that doohickey thing you used earlier?” Applejack reminded. “That necklace thing. When you put that thing on, you practically had enough power to teleport all of us out that castle.”

“That item has a… few flaws to work over. Let’s just say we’ll only use it for emergencies. We need another way to remove that shadow monster’s influence.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Rainbow Dash stomped her feet impatiently. “We can’t just sit around and do nothing. The pageant is in a few days. And if leave that guy be he’ll have the whole city eating from the palm of his hand.”

“We’re gonna do something about it. That’s why we’re all here.”

“Guys. GUYS!” Twilight shouted, silencing the gang before they resort to bickering. “Before we start arguing. We can all agree that Hoity needs to be stopped. But if we’re really going to fight him again, we need to be prepared. And it’s going to take more than the seven of us to take him down.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry Spike.” She chuckled. “Eight of us.”

Sunset gave her best friend a curious but intriguing look. “I take it you have a plan?”

Twilight smirked, turning to her phone. “I need to make a few calls.”

(Midtown Apartment)

It was a quiet night in the Sirens’ apartment.

Well… about as quiet as Adagio would like considering that she was living with the two biggest idiots in the world. Sonata was watching cartoons, for god knows why. It was just a bunch of colorful characters being caught in absolutely ridiculous scenarios. Nonetheless, if it was keeping her busy, she wasn’t going to complain. So long as the volume was down.

Aria on the other hand was filling out another one of those quizzes on those silly teen magazines. Apparently it’s a bunch of questions to find out whether you’re compatible with a certain celebrity or not. And she wasn’t even taking it seriously. She just changes the answers when she doesn’t get the result she wanted.

All in all, it was just another boring day.

Until… her phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen not recognizing the number. The only number she had were those of her sisters, the apartment manager, and rarely… work related acquaintances.

Ugh… if it was another one of those ad-calls with those monotone voice recorders, she was gonna blow something up.

With some reluctance, she answered. “Yes?”

“Adagio? It’s me.”

The mood in the apartment changed almost abruptly as Adagio’s expression. Her sisters felt the change and immediately turned her way, curious. Very few things in this world could get a reaction out of her.

“Lover Boy~~.” She cooed seductively to the phone, leaning back on her chair and putting one leg up on the table. “This is a welcome surprise. I haven’t heard from you for a while. You never write, you never call. I’m beginning to think you might’ve forgotten about me.” She could hear the boy on the other line chuckle softly, imagining his flustered expression.

“There’s no way anyone would forget you, Adagio.”

“Good answer. But I take it this isn’t a social ca…”

“I’m actually calling in one of that ‘favors’ you owe me.” He interjected which made the Siren blink.

With an authoritative motion she snapped her fingers signaling her sisters to quiet down. Sonata turned off the TV and Aria put her pencil down.

An evil grin showed itself on her face as she leaned closer to her phone.

“What can I… do for you?”

Pageant Show Down

Chapter 45: Pageant Show Down

(Freefall Island Resort) (A few days later)

It was a gathering of the year.

That was probably the headline many journalists thought of when they gathered outside of the resort. Cameras flashed endlessly as celebrities and important dignitaries from afar walked through the red carpet.

Hoity watched each and every one of them wave coolly at the cameras giving out sharp and dignified looks, pretending to be someone they’re not. And while all of these hapless sheep slowly entered his domain, he couldn’t help but let out a nervous chuckle.

Everything he had planned was coming into motion. All those weeks of planning and months of pre-planning were finally about to pay off. By the time anyone knew what was going on it’ll be too late. All the rich and powerful will be under his command. He’ll carve an empire all on his own with the power he accumulated.

Just a few hours more before the show starts.

“Mr. Toity.” The man was brought out of his world dominating mindset when his secretary arrived. “More than half of the guests have arrived. The seating arrangements have been made. However a few of them have decided to explore the resort’s offerings before the main event.”

“Good. Very good.” He could barely contain his grin. “They’ll return to the show when the time comes. These wealthy clientele can be very demanding. Have Filthy Rich deal with them. I’m sure he’ll enjoy having his pockets lined up with even more money.”

The secretary nodded. “As you wish, sir. Oh and before I go on. We do have a bit of a problem. There’s a bit of damage done to the women’s restroom on the first floor, the electrical wiring have caused some of our computers to malfunction, and it would seem that some of the animals in the petting zoo have somehow managed to escape the resort causing some mischief.”

“That has nothing to do with me. Relay all of that to Filthy. This resort is his problem, not mine.”

“Of course. And as you instructed, I came to inform you that Sir Fancy Pants has arrived.”

Ah… Fancy Pants. His old friend and now contended rival. His appearance here was simply a bonus. Watching that old coot see him win big on a global scale will just be the extra spice for this dish.

“Excellent! I should greet the old horse. Wouldn’t want to miss this moment to gloat.” With a skip in his steps, the man headed down to the lounge where many of his guests had gathered. Thankfully his mark wasn’t so difficult to find as the old badger always stuck out of the crowd like a sore thumb.

Fancy Pants noted his ‘friend’s’ approach and folded his arms, clearly displeased for attending such a show. Hoity made a mental note to laugh on that later.

“Hoity…”

“Fancy Pants, old chum. Fancy meeting you here. I didn’t think you’d come after that mediocre show at the mall.”

Fancy Pants scoffed at his whimsically triumphant tone. “Oh please. Dispense with the pleasantries. There are no cameras in here.”

“Oh come now. Surely you can spare a smile for your old buddy. I thought you came for me.”

“Perhaps if you hadn’t changed your ways, I might’ve. But sadly I’m not here because of you.”

Hoity chuckled. “Of course not. You’re just here expecting something to go wrong. And when it does, you’ll be there to laugh it in front of my face. You sure are petty, old friend.”

“I’m more concerned about how many people you have here.” The wiser gentleman pointed out. “Look at this place. It’s packed full to the brim.”

“I only sent a few hundred invites. I thought you like it small.”

Fancy’s eyes sharpened. “Listen here you… glory hog.” Glory hog? How original. “Just because you’re ahead in the fashion business doesn’t mean you can be so arrogant.”

“But Fancy… what’s the point of being rich and famous if you can’t rub it in other people’s faces?” The soon to be overlord casually placed his arm over his old co-worker, grinning like a cat. “Come on. Live a little. Enjoy the resort. I’ll even cover whatever you take. For old time’s sake.”

The gentleman brushed his arm away, rudely. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. If it weren’t for our mutual friend, I’d be on the next flight back to Manehattan.”

Mutual friend?

“Fancy! Hoity!” A voice called out to them making the two turn their heads to the source. “Sorry for the delay. Those reporters outside are ruthless.”

“Sombra?” Hoity blinked. Partly confused but also partly joyous. “I wasn’t aware you were coming. I sent you the invite but you never replied.”

The future mayor of the city shrugged boringly. “Oh it was a last minute thing. Honestly, I don’t really come to these kinds of event unless I’m hosting them. But my son insisted on coming.”

His…… son?

“Y… your son?”

Sombra nodded back. “Flash. He’s right here.” Hoity was glad that he wore shades indoors. Otherwise everyone would’ve seen how they almost bulge out of their sockets.

He turned around and saw the boy in his Galloper’s vintage wine suit, which attracted the eyes of many patrons, standing tall with a walking stick in hand. There was a small bulge on his leg indicating his cast, masterfully hidden.

Standing beside the boy, was a strangely alluring girl who didn’t look any much older than he was. She had her arm locked around his, wearing a dress adorned with gems and crystals that practically lured attention.

“Hello again, Mr. Hoity.” Flash greeted in a cool and calmly manner. Perhaps too calmly considering what the man did to him in their first meeting.

Sombra laughed. “When Flash here heard that you were hosting this pageant show, he insisted on coming.”

“D… did he now?”

“And also…” Sombra leaned in. “He told me all about your first meeting.”

Hoity’s throat dried up. “He… he did?”

The boy in question chuckled, looking rather pleased with the response. “Yeah. It was absolutely unforgettable. Not one of my best moments but no one’s perfect. After all, I’m not exactly the best when it comes to fashion. Good to see you again, sir.” He offered his hand casually, draining the color from his face.

Remembering where he was, he returned the gesture but held it no longer than he needed. “Yes… g… good to see you too young man. I hope… we can um…”

“Oh and before that.” He interjected, pointing to the lady beside him who grinned. “Let me introduce you to my good friend, Ad…”

“Adagio Songblade.” The girl’s voice was surprisingly seductive and alluring. “I’ve heard so much about you from Flash. Charmed.” She offered her hand and he shook it, though visibly shaken at this point.

“Likewise.” Hoity adjusted his shades carefully, taking in a deep breath. “Now. As much as I want to catch up with all of you. I must be going. This event requires is very important to me and requires my complete attention. We can’t afford any errors now aheh…” He forced out a comical laugh. “Gentlemen… Madam.” With a quick nod, the man made a hasty retreat ignoring all the calls from the reporters who tried to grab his attention.

Sombra on the other hand looked at him puzzlingly. “Well… that was rather abrupt. I wonder what got him so riled up.”

Fancy scoffed. “I’m guessing he’s having a meltdown. He always was a nervous wreck on big moments.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Hoity stormed into the backstage resisting the urge to yell bloody murder. Not that anyone would mind seeing that only his minions were around.

His mind began to race with scenarios pulling on his strings.

How in the world did that boy get here? No… better question is why is he here? Unlike the girls he fought before, that boy had no lick of magic in him. He couldn’t have survived that incident at the castle. And even if he did, he should scared witless out of his mind. He wouldn’t willingly come here, approaching him so casually and so smug! It was like a chicken playing a game of chicken with a starving hyena.

That boy was definitely up to something. And if he’s here… then those girls are probably here too.

Could they have discovered his plans?

Considering that two of them escaped Vignette’s trap, they must’ve deduced what he was doing.

Damn it! He was so close now. So close to achieving total domination. He can’t afford setbacks. Not now!

Taking a deep breath, the man looked at his watch. He had two more hours until the main event. Another hour until the last guest arrive. He could probably speed things up but that’ll be too suspicious. Too much activity could undo everything he worked so hard to accomplish.

No. The only way to deal with this threat is to root it out from the source.

“Kaaz.” His shadow moved forward, splitting into three. “Keep an eye on the boy and find out what he’s planning.”

“Too much light.”

“It withers our strength and might.”

“No way to stay out of sight.”

“Then call your thralls!” He raised his voice, now clearly agitated. “Call all of them! I will not be stopped here. Those girls are close by. I can feel it.” They bowed and quickly slithered back into the shadow.

(Girl’s restroom)

“Those girls are close by. I can feel it.”

“Way closer than you think.” Twilight let out a mischievous grin when she heard those words come through her earpiece. It would’ve sound like a villain with a plan had her lair not been one of the stalls in the ladies restroom. Hoity’s words filtered through her earphones like honey, completely unaware that he was being listened in on. Quickly she brought out her phone whispering to the guy on the line. “Signal is coming in clear. Good work Flash.”

“That was awesome! I feel like a real live secret agent!” The boy’s joy was clear in his tone. If it wasn’t a pirate, then being a spy was the next best thing.

Planting that bug on Hoity’s clothes was a masterful stroke that only the most cunning of folks can perform. Luckily Adagio just happens to be one of them. With a little sleight of hand, a tiny distraction and a teeny bit of magic, that girl was able to slide the object on the man’s coat without him noticing. And seeing that it’s not magical, he won’t be able to sense it.

“Hey, one question.” The boy asked. “Why’d I have to show myself to him? Wouldn’t it be better if we all kept a low profile? You know… surprise him at the last minute?”

“Normally, I’d say yes. But we can’t be sure who are possessed and who are not. Hoity won’t be able to use his powers or his shadow monsters openly seeing that this whole pageant show of his is a global event. Once he summons all his minions, we can deal with them all at once. Without those guys, he’ll be powerless.”

“That’s… so cool.”

“Let’s not get too excited now. Remember Flash. I only called you to help out. But if things get hairy.”

“I know. I know.” He droned, though he said it with some thrill. “When the fighting starts, I should make like a tree. Don’t worry. I won’t get in your way. Promise.”

That was good to know. It was hard enough to get Sunset to agree on this. But sadly Flash was the only one they knew who could score a proper invites to the event. Besides… if things get dicey, he’ll have the Siren sisters to protect him.

But enough about that. The plan was in motion. Now that they have Hoity under surveillance, they can move in without worry.

She quickly typed on her phone sending a text message to the rest of the gang.

‘Phase 1 complete. Moving on to Phase 2. Everyone, get into position.’

xxxxxxxxxx

Outside the resort, a certain bubblegum haired gal strolled through the red carpet, dressed to the nines like never before. She strutted pass the many dashing celebrities acting like the snootiest of them all. Following closely behind her was a red haired beauty who’s covered in thick Yakyakistan fur.

They approached the guard at the main entrance who raised a brow at their stature. Thankfully he remained professional and didn’t make a big deal out of it.

“Invitations?” The gal produced the said invitations from her pocket and handed it over. He looked it over with a curious eye before asking. “Name?”

“Name?” She inquired with such regality. “I am the one and only Eiknip Eip! The youngest, famed fashion designer from Yakyakistan. Winner of… not one… not two… but three Golden Furs award in Europa regionals. And this here is Sunrise Glint, the famed supermodel.”

“Uh… huh?” The guy blinked, confused. “I’ve never heard of you.”

“What!? What rock have been hiding under? Do you not know the most important people of your time? I have been the bedrock of this industry for years now. YEARS! And you claim not to know me at all!? The sham, the insult! The ingrate! All must know the great and magnificent Eiknip!”

“Uh… ok.” He brushed his head before turning to his guest-list. “I don’t see your name on…”

“Ohmigosh! Eiknip!” A voice in the crowd called out. It sounded ridiculously like a fan. “It’s Eiknip!”

“Eiknip, over here!” Another cried. “Can we a have a picture?”

“Eiknip, sign my book!”

“Sign my shirt!”

“Sign my CHEST! YEAHHHH!!!” A ridiculously overly muscular guy demanded, ripping his shirt off like it was made of paper.

A few seconds later the crowd began to push in, threatening to break the barrier that was set up. Security personnel hastily moved in to push the mad fans back but barely. And surprisingly, all of them were calling out Eiknip’s name.

The fashion designer grinned. “I could stay out here all night if you want.”

The guard shivered before quickly moving himself out of the way bowing nervously. “N… no ma’am. Please come right on in. Sorry for the confusion.”

The two strutted in, making their way to the lounge blending in with the rest of the crowd. Once Eiknip was sure that no one could notice them, she texted back.

‘Team Cupcake, in position.’

xxxxxxxxxx

“I cannot believe Pinkie Pie gets to walk down the red carpet.” Applejack rolled her eyes for the third time that night as she listened to Rarity whine about the most mundane things. “She gets to be enamored by paparazzi, fans, high-definition cameras and celebrities while I have to trudge through the mud.”

“Yes Rarity. Like you’ve said for the last hour.” The cowgirl sighed but decided to muscle it through as they made their way through the denser part of the forest avoiding all the security checkpoints. “We’ve already gone through this. Hoity knows about you. You know we can’t all go through the front door. It’s not like you can score an invite for something so fancy.”

“Maybe so. But the celebrity in me desires the exposure. I still wish I could walk through the front door dressed to the nine. It was bad enough I had to lend those sneaky Sirens my masterfully crafted clothes, but to let Pinkie of all people strut through that? It should be me walking down the red carpet. The cameras flashing at my every move, everyone admiring my glamorous style in fashion.”

Oh brother.

“Fluttershy. Are we there yet?”

“Yup.” The animal lover replied pointing over to a bunch of squirrels chattering above them. “He says that the fence is just beyond this bush.” And true to the furry guy’s words, the three of them arrived at what appeared to be the garden of the resort, where the pageant show was to be held.

“Whoa…”

Whoa indeed. The whole thing was huge. Bigger than what Hoity had in his shop and triple the size of the pageant show back in the mall. Hoity Toity spared no expense for this one. Heck, he even had a catering service lined up at the back.

“It’s… beautiful.” Rarity was naturally impressed. “Such a prestigious runway. Look at all those lights and bedazzling architect. Whoever designed this place is an absolute genius. Oh… what I wouldn’t give to walk down that aisle and have people gasp and fawn over me like the biggest fish in the sea.” She sighed. “I MUST BE THERE!”

“Oh no you don’t missy.” Applejack grabbed her by the collar and raising her an inch above the ground. “Have some self-control will ya? We’re taking down a big bad snake who’s planning to brainwash every last decent…” She gave a pause on that word. “Well… half-decent folk around here. So we have to play it cool. That means no distractions.”

The fashionista sulked. But of course… reluctantly agreed. “Very well. It’s not a proper runway anyway if it’s being used for such a nefarious purpose.”

AJ released her before turning her hand over to the fence. It was an easy thing to tear considering her inhuman strength.

“Alright. I’m heading off to the pool. Can you guys take it from here?”

Fluttershy gave a playful salute. “Absolutely. I just sent Twilight a text. I’m calling us Team Squirrel for funsies.”

“Uh… sure. And you guys know your part of the plan?”

“Yup. Rarity and I will head off to the petting zoo. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“And make sure no one sees you.”

“Oh please darling.” Rarity waved her concerns off. “With my disguises. We may as well be part of the scenery. I don’t normally do such mundane things but the situation calls for it. And~~ here’s yours. Oh… and don’t forget. You’ll have to take that hat off if you want to sell the part.”

Applejack glanced at her costume for a second and groaned.

Ah… Apple Fudge

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight’s eyes beamed when she received text messages from her friends. The plan was going smoothly. In a matter of minutes they’ll have Hoity right where they want him. And so long as he doesn’t discover them, he’ll be trapped.

“Psst. Twilight. You in there?” She opened up the stall door revealing Rainbow Dash drabbed in a janitor’s outfit. “What’s going on?”

“Everything’s going smoothly. All teams are in.” Twilight reported. “I got backup waiting outside and all we’re waiting on now is Fluttershy and Applejack.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. That’s cool and all. But when is it going to be my turn?”

“Your turn?” Her head tilted. “What do you mean? We’re already inside.” Thanks to the cover of Clover the Clever’s invisibility cloak. With some adjustment, they were able to extend it far enough to cover two people. “In fact, we’re practically in the best position in the whole operation.”

“Yeah. But everyone else got cool parts to play. Pinkie and Sunset are hiding in plain sight, Flash is practically the new Double-0-something, and even Fluttershy has a supercool role. Everyone got something to do while I’m mopping the bathroom floor and keeping people out of this place like some glorified guard.”

Typical Rainbow Dash. Always wanting to be at the forefront of everything.

“I know that it’s not exactly a glamorous job Rainbow. But it’s still important. There’s plenty of light around here so there’s no way Hoity can use his shadow monsters to attack us. And with so many witnesses, he won’t be able to do anything to us without causing a scandal. You just need to be patient. The pageant show isn’t in another hour or so. Right now we just have to wait till the other teams get into position.”

“Ugh… come on. There’s gotta be something I can do.” She pleaded. “I’ll do anything. Eavesdrop on someone? Spy on the enemy? Anything’s better than standing here and doing nothing.”

Twilight gave it a thought. “Well… I wouldn’t mind having an extra pair of eyes around the pool. If Hoity was gonna plan something, it’ll be there. Just be sure not to be seen.”

“Yes! Finally! Got it. You won’t be disappointed.” And with a laugh, she bolted off leaving a trail of her rainbow behind.

Twilight didn’t seem to mind. The job wasn’t really anything important. The pool was on the other side of the pageant show so there was a small chance that Hoity would’ve prepared anything there. A few guests may have taken a dip but other than that, it was just another attraction. She just needed to get Rainbow Dash off her hair and keep her busy long enough for the plan to go down. A bored Rainbow Dash was a volatile Rainbow Dash. And one way or another she was gonna find a way to entertain herself.

As long as she doesn’t do anything stupid like back in the cruise, they’ll be fine.

“Well aren’t you confident.”

“Gahh!” She nearly shrieked but quickly calmed down when she saw her own shadow morph into her shape. “Oh… it’s just you.” A bored sigh escaped her. “Can’t you just give me a heads up whenever you’re going to appear? Or do you take pleasure out of scaring me?”

The dark angel gave a smug reply. “A little bit of the latter. But if you want, I can always send you a little shock as my… ringtone.”

An electric shock every time she shows up? Twilight was tempted to take the deal. Better to suffer a little pain than to have a heart attack every time her inner voice shows up.

“What do you want?” She skipped the reply entirely, placing her head on her fist. “You haven’t shown up for the last few days. I was beginning to think that you were gone for good.”

“Oh you’d like that, don’t you?” Yes. Yes she would. “Hey! You know I can read every trail of thought you have, right?” Of course she knows. That’s pretty much why she was thinking it rather than saying it. “Well aren’t you the little ungrateful runt? And here I thought I’d strike up a sophisticated conversation. But instead I meet with a petty host. No appreciation whatsoever.”

“If you think I’m gonna start asking help from the one person who’s actively trying to possess my body, then guess again.”

The alter-ego rolled her eyes in response. “Alright. Fine. You have a point. But think for a second here.” She flew out, taking her seat by the sinks. Not a trace of her reflection marking the mirror. “True, I am trying to steal your body so I can be rid of this infernal prison. But right now we both want to defeat this Hoity and his Shadow Minions. He is a threat to the both of us. And if he wins this fight, he’ll have absolute power and control over the city and its inhabitants. That means bad things for you and me. And I… will not allow that.”

“And you expect me to trust you?”

“Trust?” Midnight’s laugh would’ve echoed throughout the entire resort if she had a body. “Please. Trust is like sand. It erodes and shifts everywhere. A weak foundation for any partnership. But mutual self-interest? Now that is a bedrock in which you and I agree on.”

Twilight’s eye sharpened at her inner voice but made no reply.

“You want to stop Hoity from brainwashing everyone here. I don’t want him taking over our minds either.” She added. “You want to understand how his powers work, and so do I. Right now our interest align. So why don’t we work together this once? For both our benefits?”

It was an interesting offer. One that stroke her intrigue. “What are you proposing?”

“A truce.” It sounded so plain and simple yet it held such weight. “I offer a little magical advice in defeating him, free of charge. Together, we have better odds at defeating this creep before he turns this place into a fashion disaster.” Her chuckle was ominous and the hand she extended looked like a deal that’ll turn sour any second. But still… Twilight couldn’t really resist the offer.

If the battle at Castle Hoofbeard taught her anything, it’s that no plan ever goes the way you want it to. It can go well one second and turn sour in a blink of an eye. Having an all-powerful angel with knowledge of magic at her side will definitely increase their odds of winning. It was a gift horse. And she wasn’t going to look at it in the mouth.

“Alright Midnight.” She took her hand. “Just this once.”

“Good girl. But I do have one condition though.” Barely a minute into the deal and she was changing it already. What did she expect? “Don’t give me that look. It’s just a minor detail.”

“Depends on how minor it is.”

“We’re going to need some help from a certain someone.”

(Lounge)

Flash let out a soft sigh as he made his way to the center of the lounge where most of the guests have gathered. The mingling of so many important people had him on edge. He wasn’t used to being around so many famous names. Some of which he couldn’t even recall.

When Twilight called him for help, he never imagined it would actually involve him doing something so… daring. He felt like a mouse having a staring contest with a cat and won. The risk was dangerous but the reward was totally worth it.

The look on Hoity’s face was absolutely priceless. With the way he turned paler than the moon one might say that he saw a ghost. A part of him wished he took a picture. After what that guy did to him back at the castle, this revenge was long due.

“You seem rather pleased with yourself.” Adagio stated, standing beside him, cocking one brow and admiring his satisfied grin. “I take it you enjoyed rattling that guy down to his core?”

“I wouldn’t say that I was enjoying it. But I’d be lying.” He shrugged back admittedly. “Did you see the look on his face? Even with those shades on, I could tell he was sweating underneath it.”

“Yes, little man. I know. I was there.” The Siren cheekily responded but was humored either way. “You really had him by the throat. All that smugness and smile worked on his nerves. And the tone you used on him?” She moaned. “Absolutely dominating. A little more and he might’ve wet his pants. I gotta say, I’m almost mildly impressed.”

“Wow… uh… thanks.” The boy brushed the side of his hair shyly.

“And I’ll admit. When you called me in for a favor the other day. I wasn’t expecting you to ask me out on a date.” Was this a date? Flash didn’t think so. Well… not in a way she was thinking. “And I have to admit. For a first-date. This is pretty high class.” Adagio gestured to the people around her. “High class food, mingling with the rich and famous in a fancy resort? It’s going to take a lot of effort to top this one.”

“Well… it’s not really a date. I mean we are on a mission to stop…” She quickly hushed him with a finger to his lips.

“True. But just because we’re here to stop some psycho from conquering the world, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it. Not to mention…” She stepped back and took a good look at him from top to bottom. “… you’re not bad looking either.”

“Well I have been doing a lot of manning up since we last met. Fighting evil mages and shadow monsters, getting trapped on the other side of the world.”

“So you’ve said.” Her fingers traced along his collar before she grabbed a glass from the table serving herself whatever beverage was available. “And I have to hand it to you. Facing on a foe like that takes guts. It might’ve been one heck of a fight.”

“Yeah… well… no.” Flash grumbled. “I didn’t really do much. Mostly just run around and be a distraction. It was the girls who did most of the fighting. I’m just a guy who barks a lot. All I got out of that whole thing was just a twisted ankle and a few scars.”

“Did you now?” She cooed softly, inching closer to him, one hand pressing against his suit which caught him unaware. A smile crossed her lips as she brought herself closer to the boy, wrapping her arms around his. “Then you’re in luck. I happen to like men with scars.”

His face turned red as he felt her skin. “Y… you do?”

“Very…” She nodded before offering him a glass of punch and leading him away from the tables. “Speaking of which.” Her eyes lit up like candles. “Now that your character has grown. I think it’s high time we started your next lesson.”

“My next lesson? What do you…” Flash stumbled when he noticed his ‘date’ dragging him along to another area of the resort. “Wait. Adagio. Wh… where are we going? Twilight said we shouldn’t move from…”

“Relax Lover Boy. It’ll just be a few minutes. I won’t bite.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Aria raised a bewildered brow as she watched her leader disappear into the crowd with her ‘date’ in tow. It was a new experience to see Adagio act so… extra dominant or controlling. It almost looked like she was actually having fun being around him. If this keeps up, there’s no telling what her sister would do to him in the near future.

Normally Aria wouldn’t concern herself with such a trivial matter. Adagio had her own way of amusing herself whenever she was bored. Heck, this wouldn’t be the first guy she tried to seduce.

But something was off.

Something about this new guy gave her that unusual feeling… and that alone was cause for concern. Perhaps it was because he was close to those Equestria Girls. Or perhaps it was his rich background and a father who would initially be the supposed ruler of the city they lived in.

“Aria! Aria!” Sonata teleported beside her with a tray of treats in her hand and a sandwich sticking out of her mouth. “This place is amazing. You won’t believe what they have here. It’s like a whole other culinary world. They even have a private chef in the corner who’ll make anything you ask for. No matter how expensive.”

That got her attention. “Anything?”

“Yeah. I just ordered the lobster frittata with extra thermidor.”

“What’s that?”

“I have absolutely no idea. I just said the fanciest words I could think of! And he’s making it right now! It’s insane. And the food they have on the table alone is to die for. I actually had to fight this old lady for the last bite size sandwiches. They’re delectable.” She chomped down on a few of those said treats before noticing her sister’s eyes wandering. “Whatcha looking at?” It didn’t take her long to see her big sister with that boy just barely rushing up the stairs. “Oooh. Looks like she’s out having fun with her new friend.”

“Too much fun if you ask me.” Aria grumbled, not taking her eye off them.

“Aww… relax. This isn’t the first time she becomes so attentive to someone. Remember that singer we met during the music festival?”

Did she ever? It was a story to be told over a good cup of coco. During their trip to the Starswirl Music Festival, there was this particularly annoying guitarist who was infatuated with their leader. Said something about love-at-first-site. Like anything that stupid could happen. Adagio practically seduced that dude for every penny he was worth and dumped his butt the moment she lost interest. He couldn’t last longer than a day.

“It’s just that something is different with this one.” Aria mentioned, rubbing one hand over her chin.

“Different how?”

“I’m not sure.” Her eyes squinted. “Didn’t he smell funny to you?”

“I think that was his cologne.” Sonata gave a sniff under her own armpit. “Or maybe that was me. I haven’t had a good shower in days. Water bills.”

The middle sister rolled her eyes in defeat. “Forget it. Come on. We still got a job to do.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Flash panted heavily as Adagio released him from her grasp, finally reaching their destination. The balcony overlooking the lounge.

“Adagio, wait.” He said through pants. “Injured leg. Remember?”

“A little pain won’t stop you.” She replied, holding that evil grin in place. “Come along now. The view is perfect.”

“The view of what?” The boy questioned, leaning against the rails. “The lounge? We were just there a few minutes ago. How is this any dif…”

“Shhh… being part of the crowd and observing a crowd are very different experiences.” The Siren explained hushing his complaints. “There are simply things you can only grasp when you stand atop others. Now come closer and listen well.”

What was she? Some kind of demented teacher?

Flash wanted to whine but decided against his better judgment. If anything, she’ll probably just rebuke and humiliate him. “Alright. What ‘lesson’ are you teaching this time? Another of your manning up course?”

“In a manner of speaking.” She cast her eyes forward. “With the crowd gathered here, I think it’s the perfect time for you to learn about… deception.”

“Deception? You mean tricking people?”

“Tricking, lying, sleight of hand, manipulation and all manner of subterfuge.” Adagio said those words with such glee like she practically followed it like a code of her own. “Seeing as your old man will be part of the political circle here in the big city, you’ll have to learn to walk and talk like them. And therefore you’ll need to see signs.”

“That doesn’t seem necessary. I’m not gonna be a politician like him. He’s just… ow! Hey!” He groaned when he felt her pinch on his cheek.

“Oh Flash. So innocent. So naïve.” The lady sighed though she didn’t seem surprised to his reaction. “What you think no longer matters here. Whether you like it or not, you will be a part of it. Do you think being the son of the city’s head will give you a pass? Of course not. In fact, it simply made you the juiciest fruit in the pile.”

“Can you stop it with the metaphors? They’re not making any sense.”

Her eyes rolled. “It means other people will try to worm their way to your old man through you. They’ll try to weasel in, throw in compliments, bribe. Each of them thinking that you’ll be a quick ticket to success. Everyone here wears a mask.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works.”

“Don’t believe me? Then why don’t you see it for yourself?” She immediately pointed to a corner of the lounge where a larger crowd gathered around a single man. Flash instantly recognized the central figure as his dad, who was holding twelve separate conversations with absolutely no interruptions. “See how the people clamor around him, vying for his time and attention. Like animals, they’re all trying to curry favor with the future ruler hoping to get a bite off his table. Observe their posture, their fake smiles. How they pretend to be his friend while they all secretly ruin others.”

And in some strange way, Flash could it. While they cleverly hid it, he could see a few stares holding malicious intent, smiles that wavered from weariness, especially from those further back. They were like predators biding their time, waiting their turn to strike.

“And observe how those folk at the back are denied their audience.” Adagio continued, clearly enjoying staring down at those jokers. “See how they scurry away. What do you think they’ll do when they can’t go through the normal route? Who do you think they’ll turn to when they want to speak with your old man?”

The mere thought of having to deal with such folk terrified him. It was an obvious approach. If you can’t get something the direct way, then you go around it. It was something he had done himself many times.

Sooner or later… and whether he liked it or not, those predators will come to him… and he’ll have to defend himself or be eaten.

“O… okay. You made your point.” He shuddered. “Show me.”

“Good boy.” Her grin widened as she offered him a glass. “Now the first step is… to watch… and learn.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Ok. Is it just me or is Adagio getting way too close to Flash?

Sunset couldn’t help but eye the two suspiciously from her corner of the lounge. Normally she wouldn’t dare to even think about bringing Flash anywhere close to this event. In fact, she fought fiercely against it. But unfortunately Twilight made a compelling argument and she had to give in. After all… who else can score an invite to a party this big and get close to Hoity without causing a ruckus?

Still… she didn’t like it. And it was making her itch.

Or… maybe that was the Yakyakistan fur she was wearing.

Honestly, how do those guys do it? Wearing these super-heavy-super-thick coats around their bodies. I mean she knows that it can get really cold up there but these things felt like overkill. Anyone caught wearing this in the middle of spring or summer was liable to get a heatstroke – or suffocate from the lack of air. It took a whole lot of effort just stand in this thing much less walk around.

She maintained communication with Twilight. And judging from her reply it seems like the plan was going smoothly. Everyone was inside and Hoity was under surveillance. They’ll know every move he makes and every action he takes which would give them the time needed to make a counterattack. So the chance of any of them meeting was pretty slim.

The same can’t be said with his possessed minions. They could be hidden within the audience, and there was no telling how many of them there are. They just needed to stay hidden until the pageant show starts.

“Excuse me.” Her train of thoughts was interrupted when a fancy looking guest approached. “You wouldn’t happen to be part of last year’s show in Las Pegasus, would you? I’m sure I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh… uh…” Crap, what to do? The plan only covered the entry and execution. They never really had any scenario building or banter.

“Oh pa-lease!” Pinkie… or Eiknip retorted appearing out of nowhere. “You’re obviously thinking of another supermodel. Sunrise Glint only works on the finest stage. Las Pegasus is so yesterday’s news. She expands to other fields, other runways.”

The stranger seemed taken aback but maintained his posture. “Uh… I see. That does sound ambitious.”

“Of course she’s ambitious! She’s Sunrise Glint! She’s daring, brave, and bold! She wouldn’t tie herself down to simply one runway. Look at those curves, those exotic features, that blazing hair and those absolutely gorgeous legs.”

Wait. Her legs were gorgeous?

“She certainly does have an appeal.” The man nodded. “I imagine you’re her manager… Miss?”

“Eiknip Eip!” Pinkie sold on her name. “The soon to be famous fashion designer from Yakyakistan.”

“Ah… I see. Forgive me if I don’t recognize the name.”

“Not yet.” Eiknip added grabbing Sunset by the neck. “Sure I may be an unknown soul in the vast sea of sharks. But in the near future, you will see her face on every corner of the city. And through her, my designs will take to the streets!”

“I take it you’re aiming for a position in Las Pegasus.”

“NO! Such small and feeble accomplishments are not worthy of my attention.” Don’t let Rarity hear you say that. “We’re not just some unknown group fighting for leftover cookie crumbs. Neither are we donuts that circle around following every other footsteps. We’re the cupcake that will take the world by storm! Blazing a new path to a whole new world!” She held her breath for a dramatic pause. “We are… the fashion revolution!”

…

Ok Pinkie. I think you might’ve oversold it a tad bit there. The guy looked rather… confused.

“That’s… fantastic!”

“It is?” Sunset questioned.

“That’s exactly the kind of ambition I’ve been looking for. What a refreshing breath of fresh air Ms. Eiknip. Your brazen attitude and determination is quite awe inspiring. You kind of remind me of myself when I was your age.”

Pinkie waved it off coolly. “Aww… it was nothing… Mister?”

“Oh! Where are my manners? Apologies. Your outburst caught me off guard. Please. I am Fancy Pants. Owner and head of Fancy Fleece.” Wait… Fancy Pants? Isn’t he that guy that Rarity kept blabbing on about before? Other than Hoity Toity. “You’re just the kind of spirit this industry needs to reignite its passion. I’d very much like to discuss more of this… fashion revolution of yours. And might I say ‘THAT’ is an excellent slogan.” He reached for his breast pocket producing a card. “Please. Call this number if you’d like to make a schedule.”

“Absolutely!” Pinkie took it without hesitation. And with a final wave and a polite bow, the man departed leaving Sunset stunned for a brief moment. “What a nice guy.”

Yeah… nice.

She unfroze when her phone buzzed.

“Sunset? It’s Twilight. How’re you holding up?”

“Other than Pinkie being really into her character… everything’s fine. How’s everything going on your end?”

“Smoother than Spike’s fur after a shower.” She chuckled. “Fluttershy and Rarity are at the petting zoo, and Applejack just arrived at the pool. Hoity seems to be panicking but so far he doesn’t know what’s really going on. And judging from the extra people coming in, he’s calling all of his brainwashed masses to the resort. That only leaves you.”

“Alright. Pinkie and I are heading to the backyard.”

“Actually. There’s a slight change of plans.” A change? That can’t be good. “Bring Flash and Adagio with you just in case.”

Sunset blinked. “Why them?”

“Just for the extra firepower.” She answered. “Trust me. It’ll all work out.”

Face Off

Chapter 46: Face Off

(Freefall Island Resort) (Backstage)

Hoity was getting impatient. He paced around the backstage, one hand on his chin and another at his back. His mind raced as he predicted several scenarios over, wondering which of them would come true. Normally he’d be out there, greeting his guests and making small chat. But those girls really threw a wrench in his security.

So far none of his minions have reported anything suspicious. Not that they could. There were over a hundred guests in this resort alone and all of them dressed to the nines. The only suspect he had on his list were Flash and his supposed ‘date’. That woman had magic glowing all around her which prompted her to be the red herring of the operation. But it’s not like he could just throw them out. What would his father say?

Sombra was another suspect. And who knows? Perhaps Fancy Pants himself was in on the whole thing. Or maybe everyone!

Gah! How was he supposed to separate the sheep from the wolves prowling amongst them? He can’t just go there himself. What if that’s what they want him to do? Strut around the lounge, all vulnerable, without anyway of defending himself. If he tried to do anything bold, it’ll be broadcast throughout the whole world. He’ll be ruined in more ways than one!

He could go in with a bunch of his minions… but folks would question why he needed the extra security. Damn it! This was a disaster. If there was a quote here, he’d say that they caught him with his pants down.

He looked at his watch. Only thirty more minutes before the pageant show begins. That means all the cameras will be moving to the backyard. Reporters and journalists alike will be vying for the best spots while his guests clamored around the runway. Once that starts it’ll be too late for him to do anything. He’ll be latched to the stage, coordinating the other models and fashion designers who are presenting ‘their’ clothes.

And it’s there where his plans will be most vulnerable. If the spell he prepared isn’t done properly then all of this… everything he worked these last few months will be for nothing. And worse still…

Ugh… damn it.

That’s it. If Flash Sentry wants a fight, he’ll get it.

Quickly he reached out for his phone and dialed a number.

(Pool)

This is god darn ridiculous.

Applejack felt her teeth chatter as she scouted around the pool area dressed as one of the many waiters around here complete with long pants and blazer. She traded her hat for a few pins that held her hair in place and a bowtie to boot. With a little poise, acting and a little bit of luck she was able to get through security without too much hassle. Either those muscle heads were bad at their job or they were too busy keeping the paparazzi out to bother a small fry like her.

Either way her part of the plan worked and she had the pool all to herself. No surprise seeing that there wasn’t idiot out here dumb enough to take a quick dip at this weather, less they were really into getting frostbites. Hiding behind the mini-bar counter proved to be effective but unnecessary.

All she needed to do now was wait for Twilight to give the signal and…

“So what are we doing?”

“Gah!” AJ yelped nearly blowing her cover. She quickly returned to her hidey spot grabbing the intruder by the collar, yelling at her quietly. “Rainbow! You scared the living daylights out of me!”

“Sorry. My bad. Couldn’t resist.”

“What in tarnation are you even doing here!? I thought you were supposed to be with Twilight and keeping a lookout! Somebody could’da saw you!”

“Oh please. I’m too fast for that.” The sports gal replied like it was the answer to everything. “Besides, Twilight sent me here. She thought that you could use a hand with uh…… that thing you’re doing.”

“Do you even know what the plan is?”

“Course I do. We beat Hoity in his own game. The moment he steps onto that stage and use his magical mumbo jumbo, we Pony-Up, swoop in and thrash him with style.” The look that her friend gave said otherwise. “That… is what we’re doing… right?”

That was the rough draft of the latter part. But there were so many steps that needed processing. Figures Rainbow wouldn’t pay attention to those little details. If anything, Twilight probably sent her here to keep her out of trouble.

“Ok fine. So I didn’t really paid much attention to everything we were talking about. But can you help me?” Not really. “Why did I have to be saddled with the boring guard duty while you guys get to do cool spy stuff?”

“Because you’re as subtle as a bull in a china shop?” AJ countered, rolling her eyes. “Look. This is a very delicate assignment. And it’s too late to send you back without getting attention. So can I trust you to be quieter than Big Mac?”

“You got it chief.” Rainbow Dash gave a playful salute as her friend pulled out a number of fancy looking plastic balls. “Whoa… are those Trixie’s smoke bombs?”

“Yup. Stuff a few of these in the right places and it’ll look like a fire’s starting.” Applejack grinned mischievously. She wasn’t really one for being sneaky but it felt somewhat cool to be acting like real time spies. “We just need to put them on…” Her eyes turned over to the doorway of the pool, widening before she quickly pulled Rainbow Dash into the counter. “Get down!”

“Ow! What are you…?” The cowgirl hushed her loud friend pointing at the small open slit revealing a number of hulky figures walking in all menacing. “Whoa… someone rolled in the big guns.”

“Not just that. Look.” Applejack pointed to the back where a familiar figure stood by, scanning the area with a darkened expression. “It’s Vignette. They must be looking for us.” She gave Rainbow a look. “You sure no one saw you here?”

“Come on AJ. You know me.” She scoffed back lowly. “I’d never jeopardize a mission.”

“Search the area!” They heard Vignette bark out to the other hypnotized minions. Their leathery outfit was apparent. “The waiters said they saw a rainbow haired girl run through here.”

…

Applejack’s stare sharpened.

“Ah… aheh. That could’ve been anyone.”

Damn it Rainbow Dash!

(Ladies’ restroom)

“Go for Twilight.” The brain of the Equestria Girls answered instantly as her phone rang. She sounded rather chirpy. Almost too pleased with herself.

“Twi. We got a problem.” Her chirpy mood was instantly ruined at that moment. “We think Hoity’s onto us. He’s got his goons searching the pool.”

“But… that’s not possible.” She stuttered. “The pool should be the last place they search. How’d they…” Her pause only reminded her of a decision she made. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Rainbow Dash.” There was an audible ‘Hey!’ in the background. “What do we do?”

Twilight rubbed the temple above her nose and groaned. Honestly, that girl. “Alright. There’s no need to panic. We expected this to happen. This is what we were hoping for. Hoity is bringing all of his possessed to the resort. We just need to keep ourselves hidden until the last minute. Can you still pull off the plan?”

“We’ll try. But it’ll be a tight fit.”

“Good. I’ll tell the others to go on radio silence until the pageant show starts. Stay safe. And…” Her phone buzzed again. “I got another call. Talk to you later.”

Rarity’s voice whispered in after a click. “Twilight dear. Sorry to bother you on such a busy time. But we may have a bit of an eensy weensy problem on our hands.”

“Yeah. Applejack already told me. Hoity’s sending out his goons.”

“Yes that too. But it looks like the petting zoo is locked for the duration. Apparently some of the animals got loose, now it’s locked up tight until the pageant is done.”

“What!?” Twilight stifled her mouth as her voice echoed loudly. “That’s bad. We need those animals to complete our plan. Can you do something about it?”

“We’ll try. But no promises.” Rarity gulped. “Call you back soon.”

Ugh… this was going south real fast. The resort was big. Big enough that it’ll take hours just to search the place from top to bottom. She didn’t think that Hoity would have so much extra manpower to speed up the process. So much for a smooth ride. And the plan was going so well earlier.

“Trouble?”

“Just an inconvenience.” She said to her evil counterpart. “Looks like Hoity brought in more people than I anticipated. It… shouldn’t be a problem on Sunset’s side. But as long as they’re not discovered, the plan is still a go. I just hope nothing else goes wrong.” But the universe decided to play a reverse card on her instead. A loud banging noise startled her from the toilet seat. “Wh… what was that?”

No one in their right mind would dare use this restroom. Rainbow Dash put that maintenance sign outside to keep folks out. She even had the water running madly, which flooded the place up to the ankles. Any rich patron worth his salt wouldn’t dare approach this place to sully their expensive shoes.

Unless… it wasn’t a guest but someone else entirely.

Midnight Sparkle decided to find out, phasing her head out of the stall for a brief second before returning, eyes shot in dread. “You got a big guy coming! Hide!”

Oh crud. This was the very reason why Twilight had Rainbow Dash here in the first place. To keep people out. What a blunder.

And where was she to hide!? This was a restroom stall. A 4x6 area with 2 inches thick walls and a lockable door. An office cubicle was bigger than this! There was no place to hide!

Wham!

She heard the door to the other stalls open. Whoever it was, has decided to check out all the stalls. Luckily she made her lair at the far end which gave her only a few more seconds to think of a way out.

Wham! The second stall smashed open.

Could she go out the vents? No. This isn’t like the museum. They were far too small for her to fit and they had grills on them. She’d need specialized tools just to get them open.

WHAM! A third stall.

“Any day now, Twilight!”

She could try to outrun the attacker. Bah! Who was she kidding? She can’t do cardio to save her own skin.

WHAM! The stall next to hers buckled. Wet footsteps pounded the floor followed by a grunting noise.

Maybe she can fight it out. No! That’ll ruin the whole operation. And it’ll put everyone here in grave danger.

He was there. She could see his shadow on the other side of the door.

No time. She had to wing it.

WHAM!!!

The door swung open and a large man appeared. Black ink marks trailed all over his exposed skin while pulse of magic vibrated from his clothes. The leather garments that he wore underneath his clothes were also apparent, gripping tightly on his body.

Twilight stifled a gasp as their eyes met.

But it lasted only for a few seconds before he let out a snort and turned to his radio. “Bathroom’s all clear. Moving up to the second floor.”

With a gruff and a heave, the large man stomped off, his feet slopping over the water, probably searching another location.

“Is… is he gone?”

Midnight took another peek and came back with a nod. They let out a sigh of relief. “I think we’re overstaying our welcome.”

Twilight chuckled, removing a magic cloak sighing. “Agreed.”

(Suite room)

Sunset glanced down the balcony staring at the many famous figures mingling below. She watched as they chatted, laughed and joked around, completely unaware of the battle raging around them or the danger they were in.

In just a few more minutes the show would start and Hoity would unveil his plan of total domination over every audience member taking over their minds and bending them to his will. It sounded like a genuine evil villain plan and the guy had power and evil henchmen to back it up. If this wasn’t real life, he’d say that this whole thing had the makings of a great action hero movie.

“You worried?” Flash asked, appearing beside her, looking as dashing as he did before in that suit of his.

“About the plan? Not a bit.” She smiled. “About my part in it? Maybe a little. I’m just worried something might go wrong and the whole plan goes sideway.”

“Well if it does, I’m sure you girls can handle it. I’ve seen you work. You can do it. No need to feel any pressure. Just don’t think about the fact that if you fail, everyone down there, including my dad and me, will become enslaved mindless obeying zombies who will follow the fashion sense of a tyrannical psychopath.”

Her eyes pointed sharply at him. “Yeah. No pressure.”

He laughed. “I’m just saying that this fight should be cakewalk for you. I mean out of all the bad guys I’ve seen you girls fight, this one has to be the least interesting one. I mean… come on. Turning the whole city into zombies that obey your every whim? Please. You’re the one who invented that scheme. Who better to stop him than the true original mastermind?”

Sunset gave him a pointed look. She knew that he was only trying to lighten the mood but the whole scenario playing around her did little to ease her tensed muscle.

“Gee… thanks.”

“What I’m trying to say is… you guys will do fine. I have complete faith in you and your friends. So lighten up and relax while you can.”

“I totally agree!” Pinkie chimed in appearing from the door with a literal basket of treats. “Chill out a bit Sunshim. We got the royal suite room all to ourselves. This place has everything. Two jumbo size beds, a fully stocked fridge, free cable, and have you seen the tub in the bathroom? It’s huge!”

“I agree with the bumbling idiot.” Adagio followed suit holding a wine glass, professionally. Though the contents of the glass was less likely anything intoxicating. “You don’t often get to enjoy the luxury of the rich so you may as well get comfortable. First class food, unlimited room service and a view to kill for. Compared to where I’ve been staying, this is a palace.”

Sunset didn’t seem to agree. “Aren’t you guys being a little too comfortable? What if something goes wrong?”

“If something does go wrong it’ll be because of your friends, not you. Why worry over things that are out of your control? I’d say that’s the kind of things you get wrinkles over. Even your pink fellow here knows how to relax.” She pointed over to Pinkie Pie who somehow teleported from the balcony to the bed, squealing and bouncing off the mattress like the fluffiest trampoline.

“Adagio has a point.” Flash agreed rather readily which surprised her. “If something goes wrong, then it’ll go wrong. Besides, Twilight will call if things need fixing. So we should enjoy this little peace and quiet while we can.”

“See? Even the human gets it.”

“I’m just saying that we can’t let our guard down.” She said. “I’m still wondering why Twilight asked me to bring you two along. I could’ve done this part on my own.”

“Is that a complaint I hear?” Adagio feigned a gasp nearly spilling her glass. “Flash here went out of his way to give you the best room in the entire resort where you’re guaranteed to have absolute privacy and all you do is whine and wallow. The least you could do is be grateful and learn to enjoy the finer things in life.” She then took a sip, moaning softly from the taste. Her eyes then shifted to the boy expectantly. “Hmmm… a girl can get use to this.”

“Yeah Sunset.” Pinkie came again, teleporting across the room like magic. “You gotta live life if you want to experience life. Sure, we’re about to go and fight the most powerful enemy we’ve ever seen before, and we might fail and doom the whole city into a dark future. But why let a little doom and gloom get in the way of having a good time?”

Et tu Pinkie?

Gosh it feels like she was the only one here who was taking things seriously.

“Fine.” She said finally, hanging her head lowly in defeat. “But only because you insisted.”

The siren leader smirked. “I’ll order room service.”

(Petting Zoo)

Ok Rarity. No time to panic. Sure you might not be the better-dressed gal in the party tonight, and you might be endanger of getting caught by Hoity’s possessed minions. But that’s all part of the plan. This whole debacle was just a little pressure. And we know that one does not become a diamond without pressure.

Hopefully not too much pressure.

“Alright. The coast seems clear for now.” She whispered to no one in particular. “There’s no need to panic. We just need to find a way into the petting zoo. Here’s the plan Fluttershy. We’ll change into our backup disguises, sneak into the maintenance closet and take the master key from there. We’ll then double back through the lounge meeting and greeting some of the guests. They’ll marvel at our style and make it back to the petting zoo just in time for…”

“Done.” Fluttershy announced plainly as the padlock to the petting zoo dropped from its socket.

Rarity blinked dumbly. “But… how… when?”

“Mr. Mousekewitz offered to help out.” The little mice chittered happily in her hands before scampering off to the nearest crack on the wall. “Bye bye Mr. Mousekewitz. Good luck finding your son.”

Well… that was… convenient.

“Then I suppose we’ll have to get to the next part of the plan.” Rarity coughed, forcing a change of subject. “Here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll change into my backup disguise, mingle with the crowd and…”

“Actually… I can do this next part on my own. I just need to give instructions to the animals here.”

“O… oh.” She paused. “Well… then I’ll just change into my backup disguise and…”

“Rarity.” Fluttershy gave her a raised brow look. “Are you just looking for an excuse to change?”

“Whaaaat? No~~” She tried to brush it off for like half a second before she bawled. “Ok yes! YES! I do! I really do!” She grabbed her friend by the shoulder, crying a river. “Just look around you! This place is like a gala of my dreams. Fashion, style, celebrities everywhere you look! I have to present myself. Social interaction with the rich and famous is like air to me. Without it, I’ll suffocate and die.”

Fluttershy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Now now Rarity. You know what Twilight said. We shouldn’t do anything to draw attention.”

“But I would do no such thing! I’ll just dress up and take a quick stroll around the lounge. I’ll hardly even standout.” Now that was a lie if she ever told one. “Ok fine. I’m lying. I’ll totally stand out.”

“Just stay here and don’t let anyone see you.” The animal lover demanded, threatening to use her mighty stare if she had to.

Rarity could do nothing but sulk.

(Backstage)

Hoity bit the tip of his nails as he paced back and forth behind the curtains. A rough guess would say that he was worried out of his mind. His enemies were here doing god knows what. Scenarios played over his head, unable to deduce the girls’ plans.

He thought that their fight at the castle would deter them or perhaps even scare them into hiding. But somehow they became bold and even decided to face him at his own game.

“Fifteen minutes Mr. Toity.” The stage manager shouted from the blinds to which he nodded back. The show was starting soon.

At this rate he’ll have no other choice but to proceed.

Damn it! Curse those insufferable oafs. They’re far smarter than he imagined. He thought that these girls were nothing more than teens blessed with magic. But it was obvious that they thought this plan through.

Challenging him here was no doubt pre-meditated. His hands were tied to the event, and there were too many witnesses for him to free use his powers. Not to mention that his shadow creature was allergic to bright lights. This whole thing limited his actions greatly, making him vulnerable to whatever attack they had plan.

If he wasn’t the target of their grand scheme, he would’ve been impressed.

There was no other choice. He had to make a move.

“Kaaz.” His shadow formed up against the wall, with red slits acting as eyes. “Prepare to take control of the audience.”

The snake gasped. “The spell is not yet ready.”

“Cast too soon and it will be unsteady.”

“Perhaps even… deadly.”

“It doesn’t matter. We can’t wait any longer. More than half of the guests are already at the garden. I don’t know what those girls are planning but they will not disrupt our plans. I’d rather have a few of those influencers under my control than none at all. Go!” The shadow obeyed and vanished leaving the man to his anger. But thankfully he breathed it out before heading off to the stage. “You there.”

“Y… yes sir?”

“Tell the stage manager that we’re moving ahead with the show.”

“Bw… what?” The lady fumbled with her words. “B… but it’s too early sir. Not everyone is in their seats and the camera crew are still adjusting to…”

“We’ll only begin the opening. Everything else will come later!” He turned to his possessed minions. “That goes for the rest of you! Move!”

The whole stage quickly mobilized at his command, hastening their preparations, all of them completely unaware of the intruder that had somehow snuck its way unnoticed in the darkness.

(Pool)

Applejack groaned in her hiding spot. It’s been over fifteen minutes now and Vignette and her goons continued to search the area despite having found nothing so far. You’d think they’d have searched elsewhere. But oddly enough she was tenacious.

There was no time to delay. They were already behind schedule and the plan relied on everything going smoothly. One little hiccup and it’ll all fall apart.

So with little choice on the matter, she decided to rely on her friend to get the job done.

“Alright Rainbow Dash. You remember the plan?”

The sports gal puffed her cheeks. “Yeah yeah. Plant the smoke bombs in the vents, set the timer, and then meet up at the lounge for the grand finale. I heard you the first time.”

“Good. I’ll distract Vignette. You have to go fast.”

“AJ, please. This girl only has one gear, and it’s always fast.”

Applejack rolled her eyes at her “And try not to hurt anyone. These folks might be doing bad things but they’re not in control.”

“Says the girl with super-strength.” With an overconfident smirk, Rainbow Dash crawled off, avoiding the patrolling muscles.

Applejack took a breath. She trusted Rainbow Dash on this assignment like flipping a coin. She can be quick with her task but was prone to many distractions. Either way, she didn’t have much of a choice.

With a heave, she revealed herself and called out. “Hey! You fellas looking for something?”

Vignette’s eyes visibly flared with black ink tracing all over her body. An expression of recognition formed on her face as she turned to face the cowgirl on the opposite side of the pool.

“Well well well… look who decided to show up. Applejack.” The evil fashionista retorted cockily with one hand on her hip as her two brutes taking her flanks. “I should’ve known you’d be the one skulking around here. You’ve seem to have a habit of sticking your nose where it’s not wanted.”

“What can I say? Meddling in other the business of evil wizards is kind of our thing.”

“Yes. So it would seem.”

“Are you still upset that we ruined your show in Equestria World?”

“Upset? Of course not. Annoyed? Possibly.” She shrugged. “Furious…?” Her eyes flared. “Ab-so-lute-ly.”

Well… someone certainly has a grudge.

Fashion Disaster

Author's Note

Hey guys. Sorry for the super late update. I was hospitalized for the last 4 weeks because of some major headache that's been keeping me up at night. Only got out a week ago so there was no way for me to write. :pinkiesick:

Saw the inside of the MRI for the first time and it looked cool. Had to stay still for 30-40 min. But I'm all better now (Sorta). And I'm back.

Fashion Disaster

Chapter 47: Fashion Terror

(Suite)

“Alright… thanks Twilight.” Sunset let out a long winded sigh as she hung up the phone. She knew that there was no such thing as a straight forward plan, but deep down she wished that today would be an exception. Twilight called in and notified her of Hoity’s counterattack. He was speeding up the pageant show, skipping a few of the lesser known designers to get to the main event. And seeing how no one else seems to be responding to their calls she can assume that something had happened on their end.

“Let me guess. Something’s wrong.” Adagio motioned with her hand, reaching out for a treat on the table, having one leg over the other. Her expression borderline teasing and annoyance.

“Or… it could be something went… right?” Pinkie tried to cheer them but even she can read the mood.

“What happened?” Flash followed suit, looking equally worried.

Another sigh escaped her before she finally answered. “Hoity’s moving up the timetable. He’s skipping some of the designers so he can get to the part of the show where he cast his spell.”

Flash gawked. “Wait… he can do that? I thought this whole event followed a strict schedule. Aren’t these guys supposed to be punctual?”

“He’s probably desperate.” The ticked off Siren explained from the couch. “A move like that is pretty much a publicity explosion. The audience will notice this too and it’ll show. His ratings will take a hit, not to mention his reputation. But considering what’s at stake… he might just do it.”

“So what does that mean for us? Are we going to change the plan?”

“Looks like we’ll have to get creative.” Sunset answered. “I can’t reach Rarity, Fluttershy or Applejack. They must’ve been found one way or another. That means we need to create another kind of diversion to get the people out of here.” She looked at them expectantly. “Anyone got any ideas?”

“Oh oh oh!” Pinkie raised her hand up before asking. “Why can’t you just use the spell here?”

“The spell takes about three minutes to cast. Hoity will see me a mile away and might do something drastic. We can’t risk a fight here while there are people around. No. We need to get them out.”

“I could try to convince them.” Adagio shrugged. “Me and my girls can use our powers to get them out without realizing what’s going on. If I can charm your whole school into doing my bidding, I think we can handle a few snooty rich folks.”

“How long will that take?”

“A while.” She admitted. “And Hoity’s goons might not be affected at all.”

That won’t do. Hoity will be taking the stage soon. And if they can’t these people out fast, they’ll be dealing with a whole mess of mind-controlled henchmen and a shadowy demon. She’d rather deal with one of them rather than all of them.

“How about we pull the fire alarm?” Flash put his two bits in earning a look from the three. “Works all the time from my experience.”

The old prank method? Tempting but it lacked subtlety.

“No. That was part of the old plan. But without the smoke bombs people will just think it’s a hoax and get back to the event.”

“What if we can convince them that there is a fire?” He added shrugging panicking. “There are fog machines in the yard added for special effects. If we crank those things up to a hundred, it’ll look like something’s burning around here. Combine that with the fire alarm, they’ll have to believe it’s an emergency.”

Sunset blinked. “That’s… actually not a bad idea. But it’ll be dangerous. And I need to stay here to cast the counter spell.”

“Oh! Me me! ME!” Pinkie gleefully volunteered hopping like a bunny. “Pick me! I can do it!”

“You sure Pinkie? This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Sure I’m sure. I still got my Eiknip persona on me. Besides, the model they’re using is a Shroud Maker 2000. A little pricey but the special effects are quality stuff. I have one just like it at home for my spooky surprise parties. It’ll be as easy as baking cake at the cake store. Which reminds me.” She grabbed the nearby tray of treats that casually stuffed them in her hair. “Ammunitions for the job.”

“Adagio and I can run a good distraction for her.” Flash volunteered surprising her.

“Flash. No. We tal—”

“Hoity thinks that Adagio and I are part of your grand plan and will be keeping watch for me. We’ll be the perfect diversion to keep any suspicions off Pinkie. Besides, we don’t have a choice. If we don’t stop Hoity now, everyone in this resort will become mind-controlled monsters. And I’d rather not have my dad being one of them.”

Sunset opened her mouth to argue but found herself lacking reasons. There was no telling what happened to the other teams and no way to contact them. Even Twilight was going radio silence. And if they lose here, Hoity will have complete control of the city and its people.

And so with a heavy heart, she agreed. “Alright. But nothing too dangerous.”

“Eh… no promises.”

(Pool)

“Whoa!” Applejack dodge rolled away just in time to avoid a mighty claw that cleaved through the pool ground like cardboard. “Hey! Easy on the clothes, will ya? If Rarity finds a single scratch on this, she’ll be having me model her fashion till next year!”

“Grahh!” Whether she cared or not, didn’t seem to be apparent on the attacker. Vignette looked like a woman possessed – probably because she was. Black streaks coursed around her face distorting whatever remained of her humanity. Her taunts and insults turned into hisses and growls, and anything that resembled words sounded alien and vengeful. “I should’ve gotten rid of you girls back in the fairground when I had the chance!”

“Alright missy. I ain’t playing games with you.” AJ reached for her hat pulling out her lasso and spinning it around like a pro. “I’ve tangled with a few rough ponies back in the farm. I think I can take you on.”

And with that next punch, the fight was on.

Applejack retaliated with a punch to the face which Vignette blocked easily. The snake-like creature completely shrouded her, taking command of its host with a gleeful grin.

The monster raised its hand calling forth a number of its shadow creating a wall of spikes to impede her opponent. But she underestimated AJ’s strength and easily crushed them like a sledgehammer on bricks.

xxxxxxxxxx

Rainbow Dash on the other hand was busy stowing the last of the smoke bombs into the vents. Well… she tried at least.

Before she was even able to get close to the first vent, another one of the shadow snakes decided to pay her a visit and impede her progress. But instead of cowering in fear or groaning in annoyance, the little multi-hair-colored gal relished the thought of fighting one of these beasties on her own. Heck you could say that it was practically on her bucket list.

“Aww yeah. Finally! This whole thing is way better than being a glorified guard. Bring it on buddy! I’ve been looking forward to this since I was born.”

xxxxxxxxxx

In another corner of the resort, Fluttershy had just finished relaying instructions for her animal companions. The dogs, cats, goats and all manner of birds have come to an agreement. A series of purring, barking chirping and… whatever sound goats made.

A loud thwack made her jerk upward, turning behind her to find one of Rarity’s barriers trapping a shadow monster within.

“I really do hate these things…” The fashionista stated with reliefs wiping the sweat off her brow.

(Lounge)

Flash knew that keeping a cool head was an absolute must in an emergency. His father taught him that many times before – and that lesson served him well in many situations. But tonight he’ll have to admit that he was a little… troubled.

His mind wandered to Twilight and her friends who they’ve lost contact with a few minutes ago. A lot of things could’ve happened to them and none of those scenarios played well with his imagination. Even though he knew that each and every one of them could probably take on a monster by themselves, it still left some anxiety in his heart.

But right now he had to focus on the here and now. The plan was in jeopardy, and if they don’t do anything soon, Hoity will win.

“I got to admit. I’m impressed.” Said Adagio, trailing beside him, arm locked together to sell the act of their supposed ‘date’.

“Of what?”

“Of you.” She answered coyly, poking his nose. “You stood up for yourself back there. For a moment I thought you’d revert back to that loyal puppy attitude when your ex told you to stay.”

“Well… someone has been telling me to grow a backbone. I can’t sit on the backseat forever.”

“I’m touched.” Her grin slightly widened but it grew in meaning. “Should I consider myself a positive influence?”

“Influence? Yes. Positive? I doubt it.” He added in a mocking tone which only seemed to welled the Siren will even more pride. “Besides, I can’t let you girls do all the heavy lifting. It’s time I showed you ladies what a magic-less-guy like me can do.”

“Hmm… a man after my own heart.” The seductive siren crooned, fanning herself. “Now you’ve colored me interested. Don’t disappoint. So what’s the plan?”

“Well Pinkie said that she needs to get into the control room to activate the fog machines. But there are too many guards.” He gestured to the said door where two large hulky men stood by. Though they were quite subtle, you could tell that they were under Hoity’s control. The dark streaks across their necks were a dead giveaway. And the magical energy they gave out of course. “But first we need to get people to believe that there really is a fire when it starts.”

She nodded back, taking in the strategy. “A good idea. But the big boss man will notice something’s up. He’ll be having us watched like a hawk.”

“Yeah but not them.” He pointed forward where the two younger sirens appeared.

“Oh oh! Adagao! Hwey!” Sonata called out with a mouthful carrying what looked like a figurine made out of food. “You have got to try this. Did you know that this world has a bird made entirely out of fruits? I mean… how does something like that even exist?”

Aria groaned into her hand looking like she was used to this. “For the last time: it’s not a real animal. It’s a table decoration.”

“You don’t put decorations next to food.”

“Humans put them there just to make it look nice. It’s a weird tradition thing they have in this world, ok? It doesn’t have to make sense!”

“Really?” Sonata poked the ‘fruit bird’. “But… I can still it, right? I mean it is still food… I think. Can I take it home with me?”

“Focus girls.” Adagio snapped her fingers to garner their attention. “Time is of the essence here and it’s about time we inject a little life into this show.”

“Pfft. It’s about time. This whole pageant thing is duller than those puppet shows on the street.” Aria muttered back folding her arms. “I’d rather be spending my time watching TV back in our apartment. So… what are we doing?”

Flash relayed the plan to them, which felt more like a short skit rather than a briefing.

“So can you do it?”

“You mean putting these buffoons to do our every whim?” Aria let out a soft chuckle, looking at her nails casually. “I think we can manage.”

Sonata chimed in happily in agreement. “Uh hello. That’s kind of like… our thing here. Getting people to do what we want is like our whole existence.” Aria smacked her face again making a mental note to educate the idiot on the principals of sarcasm. “What?”

Well at least one of them was eager – or ignorantly eager. Flash didn’t mind either way.

“Great. Then get started. The more people the better.”

Adagio gave a dismissive wave and watched them blend with the crowd, hearing their favorite melody hum from their lips. If their powers were just as effective as it were during their time at their school, they’ll have the crowd under their spell before Hoity even has a chance to put them under his control.

“Alright. That takes care of the crowd. How are we going to deal with those muscle brains over there?”

Flash turned to the said guards and gave it a thought. There’s no way they can take them out, or bribe them. They also didn’t have the time to search for a backdoor or a vent to sneak into.

But what can they do against such muscle without raising a ruckus?

His eyes wandered outward for a solution.

…

And oddly enough, his sights landed on Adagio’s neck. An idea crossed his mind, and then a smile crossed his lips. “How’s your acting skill?”

xxxxxxxxxx

Hoity felt every fiber of his muscle tighten as his turn to the catwalk inched closer with each passing second. His show was a complete disaster. A humiliating pageant that would undoubtedly be seen by everyone watching, here and on live TV.

He had to cut back on time, skip many traditions and even went out of his way to rush the whole procedure. Critics here and back home must already be writing harsh reviews, undoubtedly putting a damper to his career. His stock will plummet greatly for sure. But his reputation will survive. He didn’t build a castle made out of cards after all.

But damn that boy for wrecking this plan. Damn him to whatever hell he deserved.

Hoity could see him from where he stood, pass the crowd and the catwalk. He was standing there, smiling smugly at him like he had every possible route covered. He looked like someone who had already won.

But has he?

Arghh! Confound it all! If only he was given the power to read minds, this would’ve been a whole lot easier. What was he thinking? What was he planning? He had done everything to counter all of his moves, but none of that seemed to be working.

“Mr. Toity. You’re on in four minutes.” The stage manager announced and his gave a complimentary nod in return.

Should he just cut and run now? Tell the press that he had a family emergency or something? No. The scandal backlash would be too much. His reputation wouldn’t survive such an outrage. His sales, and credibility would be ruined.

Damn it! Just what are you thinking you dumb…

Hmm?

Hoity’s eyes sharpened when he noted the target of his scorn move. The boy shifted as his date approached him from behind, handing him something small that fit in the palm of his hand. He couldn’t tell what it was but he could feel an immense magical energy resonating from it. Could be another one of those magical artifacts?

It wouldn’t surprise him seeing as the girls he was with also possessed a number of strange and wondrous tools. That crown that split Twilight into separate beings would be of great interest to the Order.

The woman turned her gaze over to him. Despite her fair appearance, Hoity can feel a natural predator hiding behind that beauty. She flashed him a grin while a glint flashed before her pupils. It was a hint. Some kind of signal.

Yes. That must be it. His grand plan. His whole strategy. The boy must be making his move. He’ll try to interrupt the mind control spell with something to counter it.

Oh god. The moment he gets to that catwalk, it’ll be over. He has to be stopped before it’s too late.

And so with a whisper, he passed his command to his shadow.

“Kaaz. Deal with the boy, now.”

…

Oddly enough, this time, his shadow did not respond.

“Kaaz?” He raised his tone a bit just enough to be heard by some of his minions. But still there was no response. “Kaaz. I command you to deal with the boy, now!” If anyone else saw him whispering angrily to his own shadow, one might think he was going mental. But still… no one replied.

Did… did that boy someone how defeat his shadow monster? No. It must be those girls. They must be here with him. They must’ve done something to it. Could they have been more powerful than he realized?

“Mr. Toity. You’re on in 2.”

No no no! Gods cursed them! If he walks out now, it’ll be over. He’ll be a sitting duck out there. Cameras all around will be trained on him while the boy escapes unnoticed.

He had to do something, anything!

“Last model is exiting. Please make your way to the curtains.”

Damn it. No time. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.

xxxxxxxxxx

The sound of phones buzzing to life became rather apparent. Flash noticed it too as he saw many staff members pick up their cells, took a quick glance at the content before turning their attention to him. They looked like they wanted to make a beeline in their direction, but the sight of a dozen guards converging to one area would look far too suspicious. So instead they paced themselves.

“Well… color me impressed.” Adagio stated with some bewilderment in her voice. When she heard his idea, she didn’t think it would work. Flash just told her to loan her amulet, look cocky and smile like she always did and directed it at the curtains. It sounded rather stupid but strangely enough it garnered a massive reaction. She just never would’ve thought that it would garner this much of an attention. “I didn’t think that’d work.”

“Yup. And right now, we have their undivided attention.”

“A little too much attention. You were only supposed to get those three to follow us, not the whole resort.”

“Hey, the more eyes on us, the less eyes on Sunset and her friends.”

“Touching. But that also means we have to deal with this mess.”

He chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid.”

The Siren scoffed at his words. “Of them? Never. But I can’t say the same for you.”

“Aww… Adagio. I didn’t know you cared.”

A faint blush formed around her cheeks, but she hid it well. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I hope this grand scheme of yours has a step-2.”

“Just follow my lead.” Again he locked arms with his date and casually led her to the snack table. “Have I ever told you about my childhood?”

Adagio gave him a look. “That… came out of nowhere.”

“Just pretend to be interested.” He added quickly which she shrugged.

“Fine. No. You haven’t.”

“I never really had much of it other than my time in school. As far as I can remember, I never really had a mom… or a dad. Whenever he’s around he just goes away the next minute on some grand expedition in a desert somewhere or a jungle.” The boy followed it up grabbing several soda bottles from the counter, shaking them violently before setting them on the table. “So most of the time I was pretty much on my own.”

“Alone and with all that money to keep you company.”

The boy nodded. “Alright so I had a pretty comfortable life too. There’s that. But… that also meant I had a lot of time to experiment on a few things. Like say… playing guitar, driving a few rides here and there… making a soda rocket to annoy my butler.”

Adagio’s eyes wandered to the soda bottles, which aligned perfectly to the oncoming goons. She immediately threw a knowing glance at Flash and in turn gave a smile.

“Sounds rather… lonely.”

Flash shrugged nonchalantly before returning the girl her magical amulet. “Meh. It wasn’t that bad. Besides, if things turned out differently, I wouldn’t be having such a grand adventure with all of you.”

“The feeling’s… mutual.” She traced a finger down his suit, her evil grin growing even wider. “Maybe next time the two of us can go out on a little adventure of our own. Somewhere quiet… and expensive.”

The boy returned a laugh. “I think I can show a girl like you a good time somewhere.”

A sweet seductive moan escaped her lips. “I’ll hold you on that.”

Somehow… that actually didn’t sound as bad as she made it to be.

And with a touch of magic, the two of them ducked behind the counter and watched as the soda bottles flew like rockets. A few hit their targets, slamming against bodies and heads like an unguided artillery barrage.

xxxxxxxxxx

Did it work? Did they get him?

Hoity tried to take a peak but he can’t seem to see what was going on. He saw his minions pour over to the lounge where Flash was standing a minute ago but he lost sight of them afterward. He can’t seem to get a hold of any of them either.

Regardless, even if they failed to catch him, they bought him enough time to get the spell done. It wasn’t a complete spell but at least those closest to him will be charmed. He just needed to finish this.

“Mr. Toity. You’re up.”

With a deep breath, the man struck a poise and saw the curtains come up. An applause followed his entrance, though sadly it was more of a courteous applause rather than a genuine one.

With how his pageant show concluded so abruptly and skipping over so many of the details, no doubt people would notice. It was a rushed event, so it was no doubt that the quality of the work would deteriorate. Gah… he could already hear the questions piling on the lips of those reporters.

But it won’t matter. So long as the right people are brought under his control, he can lose a little reputation. Soon all the money and power he could ever want would only be a phone call away.

Not even a little fire would stop him.

…

Hmm? Wait… fire?

“FIRE!!!!” A random stranger screamed in the audience seat as smoke began to clog the area.

“Fire! There’s fire!” Another shouted out and ran off. And that second one was enough to start a mass panic.

Folks began to stand and tried to make a break for it to the door, covering their mouths as the others followed.

No… no no no no no no! This can’t be happening! Not now! His power, his fame and power! They were all scampering away from him on two legs! The VIPs that he cordially invited to this event were making a break for it.

The fire alarm sounded not long afterward which blared throughout the resort like an annoying bell.

Was this it? Was this part of that boy’s foolish plan to stop him? He had no way of knowing.

But there was still time. A few of those VIPs were still around helping others up.

Gathering himself, Hoity reached for his bracelet and raised it up to the sky, summoning the magic within. The smoke masked his presence giving him free reign. Pulse of energy echoed from deep within the gemstone, carrying off the spell that he had been conjuring. The effects of the magic would be limited, but at the very least he’ll have gained something.

A few politicians or rich folks are all that he needed to get the ball rolling. Nothing less.

Yes. He can feel it now. The magic, that unique feeling of numbness and loss… and… what?

No. This isn’t right. Something’s wrong. The magic in his hand. It’s diminishing. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was supposed to explode and mark those around him with a curse. But now it’s… going away like it’s being drained of all its potency.

“Sorry Hoity.” A voice called out to him from the smoke. “But that won’t work here.”

“YOU!!??” He recognized the figure from before. “You’re that girl back in the castle!”

“And the owner of the apartment you blew up.” She added angrily as she approached him, holding what looked like an energy ball in her hand which pulsated with enough magic to fill a building. Hoity could practically feel it even from afar. It extended down to her clothes, like a radiant sun beaming with power. “Give it up. We know what you’re up to. Your days of controlling people are over.”

Hoity raised his hand up to blast the girl down but again he found his magic drained from his fingertips. “Wh… what have you done? My power.”

“Your shadow magic won’t work here.” The young lady proclaimed, one hand holding onto her precious geode. She must’ve used some kind of trick to hamper his power. Perhaps another artifact? That was the only explanation. There was no magic in his knowledge that could weaken him so… defiantly. Every step she took seemed to drain him further.

“Why you little…” He moved in to attack but was impeded when he stepped on a strawberry cupcake, which then exploded in a colorful confectionary smoke. The shockwave knocked him back on his butt, knocking his shades out of frame. He would’ve cursed out loud if the perpetrator hadn’t shown herself, grinning cheesily from the sideline.

“Booya! Cupcake trap for the win!” Pinkie declared, taking a bite off said treat. “Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Cuz I sure didn’t.”

“Great job Pinkie.”

Hoity looked to his attackers and bit his lip. For the first time in god knows how long, he felt like a cornered rat in a sinking ship. His pageant show, his grandmaster-plan, all the work he put in for the last few months has been thwarted by a couple of 3rd rate upstarts who knew nothing of the power they wield.

Perhaps he should’ve made sure that they were crushed under the castle ruins.

Now the table has turned and he didn’t like these odds.

The redhead took another step closer, a threatening look on her face. He was powerless against such a force.

“Wait!” Out of desperation, the fashion legend raised his hands up, pleading for mercy. “Let’s not be too hasty here. You got me, alright? I surrender. There’s no need for more violence here. Perhaps we can call this a night and… go our separate ways?”

“After you tried to bury us under a castle and brainwash everyone here? I don’t think so.”

“Yeah you tell’em Sunshim!”

“Right right. Of course. You have two very-good reasons why you should be angry at me.” He nodded in agreement, panting. “But let’s think of this logically. Now that I’ve surrendered. What do you intend to do with me?” The shock on Sunset’s face was brief but it was enough to show that they didn’t think that far ahead. Yes – they were powerful, but they weren’t villains. Heck he was stupid to think that Flash fellow would be the mastermind of this whole scheme. “You can’t seriously want to take me to the authorities.”

Sunset bit her lip to keep herself from answering.

Of course they couldn’t. Who would they even take him to? The police? What would they even say? They instigated all this chaos to stop him from mind-controlling citizens for his personal gains? They’d have to reveal the existence of magic. And clearly that wasn’t something they’d do. And it’s not like they’d believe her either. Whose words would the authorities take anyway? A bunch of teens with an overactive imagination or a famously wealthy celebrity with a spotless record?

Could they keep him prisoner? No. That wouldn’t match their style. These were do-gooders. The kind of heroes that came straight out of a child’s comic. Sadly the real world didn’t support their bland notion of justice.

Besides, if a high profile man like him goes missing it’ll cause an uproar in the media.

Their silence only seemed to confirm his suspicion. They probably came here thinking it would come to a fight like the good old days. An epic showdown, a duel of strength to test one’s honor and other nonsense. Just like in their stupid imagination.

Yes… he can use this.

“Perhaps we can come to a compromise?” He offered sweetly, hiding the panic in his voice. “You let me go and I’ll leave Canterlot. You can keep the city and its secrets and you’ll never see me ever again.” He paused on that one last bit. “Except whenever I appear on television. I’ll even release those that I’ve put under my spell for the last few months.”

“As if.” Sunset scoffed. “And the moment we let you go, you’ll just start all over again in another city.” True. He already did this once in Las Pegasus. The loss of Canterlot would be a huge blow to his ego but it wasn’t worth losing everything else. “We might not be able to imprison you. But we can make sure that you won’t hurt anyone else.”

“Then… I suppose negotiations has failed.” He muttered. “You leave me with only one option.” And with the only logical move to make, he bolted towards the backstage hoping to lose the girls in the chaos. But the man barely made it ten steps before something slammed against his face. The impact alone shattered his shades leaving the lens broken on the floor. “Ow…”

“That’s for trying to bury me under the castle and trapping me in the desert for three days!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight removed the Cloak of Clover the Clever, huffing loudly as the man went out like a light after that heavy blow to the head. The metal bat prop she got from backstage really did the trick. Though honestly she didn’t expect to use it in such a manner.

“Twilight!” Sunset and Pinkie followed suit, both equally surprised to see her. “You got him.”

She shrugged. “I figured he’d try and make a run for it the moment things didn’t go his way. Great job trapping him you two. Just like we planned it.”

“More like we all just improvised.” Sunset chuckled. “I didn’t even think this would work.”

“Ehh… it all worked out in the end.” And worked out it did. Far better than any of them could ever hope. “You can’t expect everything to go perfectly.”

“That’s true. But… what do we do with him now?” The redhead pointed to the unconscious celebrity. “We can’t just leave him like this. If we let him go now, he’ll just do what he did all over again.”

“Probably. But not without this.” Twilight reached out and tore the bracelet off his wrist. The black gemstone dangled beautifully before them. “Without this medium, he won’t be able to use any of his magic or put anyone under his spell.”

“Yeah… but what about after?”

“Umm…” Oh wow. She hadn’t really thought about that. There was no guarantee that the man would simply give up on his effort here. They thwarted his plans today but what about tomorrow? Or the day after that?

“You could throw him down a cliff.” Her dark twin put a thought on which she immediately brushed away. “Just saying.”

Sadly, before any of them could conjure a plan to deal with the problem, a surge of magic made their skin crawl.

A black pool suddenly formed around Hoity’s body covering him in an ink-like substance. The sudden appearance caught the girls off guard making them jolt back. For a second they thought he was coming back for another fight. But instead he sank into the swirling pool like it swallowed him whole.

“Hey!” Sunset bolted forward to grab him but she was far too late. The pool vanished a few seconds afterward leaving nothing but the man’s broken shades.

End of a Reign

Chapter 48: End of Plight

(Flash’s house)

“Welcome back. I’m Headliner, reporting to you live at CNC headquarters here in Canterlot City. Our top story today: The Freefall Island Catastrophe.” The anchorwoman announced, her hair looking far too pitched perfect than it had any right to be. “Last night at the Filthy Rich Retreat Resort, a terrible natural disaster occurred during a live broadcast pageant show. A massive earthquake rocked the entire island causing massive damage. Many have reported injuries including the host of the show, Hoity Toity. According to the report, the earthquake cracked open a hidden gas fissure deep within the island causing many to fall unconscious. While the cause of the earthquake remains unknown, many are stating the sudden construction of the resort itself to be the cause. The owner of the resort: Filthy Rich, denies all accusation.”

“It is absolute slander, I say.” The said millionaire spoke up just as the screen shifted to his face. “It’s nothing more than deformation and baseless accusations. My company prides itself on fulfilling safe work conducts for both my employees and my customers.”

“A full investigation has been launched by the police. But due to the recent activities on the island itself the process will be delayed until proven safe. Until then the local authorities have declared Freefall Island to be off limits to the public for their own safety. As for our next story, the local economy of Canterlot is seeing a surge thanks to its booming business around…”

“That’s depressing.” Flash blinked when he heard his father shake his head disapprovingly at the TV. “To think that we were all just there a few hours ago. It just goes to show that the world is just as deadly and unpredictable as it always been.”

“Yeah… totally.” The boy gave a polite response chewing his bacon. He didn’t want to say that he was partially responsible for what happened back there. “Sorry you had to lose your property dad.”

He waved it off naturally. “Oh don’t be silly son. These type of transactions always came with some risks. Thankfully I have plenty of other businesses to make up that loss. I’d make a poor businessman if I were to put all my eggs in one basket.”

“So does that mean that you won’t be cutting my allowance?”

The older gentleman fixed him a sarcastic brow. “So long as you don’t do any more radical transactions, like that Construction Company, I think we’ll be fine.”

“Great. Then… I don’t suppose I can ask for a favor.”

“Oh?” Sombra gave a quizzical look while signaling his butler to take his plate away. “What kind of favor?”

“You remember Twilight Sparkle right?”

“The girl who rescued you from your reckless adventure back in that castle?” He inquired before nodding. “Quite so.”

“Well I promised I’d pay her back for helping me and she asked that I take her to this fancy restaurant in Restaurant Row. It’s a little fancy but it’s dirt-cheap compared to the Huffs and Hooves.”

His father rubbed his chin in thought probably calculating the cost in his head. He did say that he would reward the girl for her timely rescue and compared to what he had in mind this was probably the cheaper option. “That doesn’t sound too bad.” He said smiling. “Very well. Talk to Edmund and he’ll make the necessary arrangements.” The butler in turn gave a respected bow in acknowledgement. “It’s good to pay back your debts son. Our family prides itself for paying back what we owe. You might also want to get her a gift. How much money would be appropriate as a thank you for a girl like her?”

“I don’t think Twilight’s the material type.” Flash chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

“Very well son.” Sombra accepted it. “Speaking of favors: Do you have any plans later this week?”

“Plans?” He gave it a quick thought. “Not really. Other than watching TV, my Winter Holiday schedule’s pretty clear now. Can’t exactly do much with this leg of mine.”

“Excellent. Then you can join me to a goodwill visit to the Pie family later.”

Flash choked on his bacon. “Phwha?”

“Igneous invited us to a family dinner at their place.” He explained nonchalantly like it was the obvious thing to do. “We’re finalizing our deal on the old quarry mine. I figured I’d bring you along as well.”

“Dad…” The boy whined. “You guys still aren’t trying to set me up with Pinkie, are you?”

“Of course not.” His cheery tone and teasing grin said otherwise. “I’m merely conducting a business transaction with an old friend. These things take time. But now that you mentioned it, that does seem like a grand idea.”

“Dad. I keep telling you: Pinkie and I are just friends. We don’t think of each other like that.”

“That’s not what I got from the mood you two were having in the aviary during our dinner meeting.” Sombra quickly pulled out a folder and flipped to a page where a stack of pictures laid bare. Many of them… or to be more precise, all of them were him and Pinkie during their last party. Flash’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he saw them.

“You took pictures?”

“I asked Edmund to sneak a few clips.” His grin turned to a teasing one. “Honestly Flash. Hosting a separate party just for her? That was sweet, even for you. Kind of reminds me of my old self.”

“That’s because I know that your parties aren’t her type.” Flash paused before correcting himself. “I mean ‘Our’ type.”

“Say what you will, son. But I think you two have more in common than you rightly believe.” Sombra let out a chuckle which only seemed to irritate the boy. “Besides, it’s not like you have any plans. Not with that leg of yours. So you may as well accompany me.”

The boy gave his father a pointed look. “And if I say no?”

“I might have to cut your allowance after all seeing as you won’t be using it.”

He groaned loudly, tracing his fingers up his hair. “You’re devious, you know that?”

(Hillside House)

Sunset and her friends gathered around the fireplace that morning to conduct a meeting of the CIC. They waited patiently as Rarity joined them having just recently answered the phone, looking rather concerned.

“Well?” Rainbow asked. “What’s the verdict?”

“The doctor just called in. Vignette and the others are expected to make a full recovery.” The fashionista declared earning a relieved sigh from her friends. “She’s a little light on the head, but nothing dangerous. They say she can leave as early as tomorrow.”

“Does she remember about last night?” Twilight asked from her corner.

“No. As far as the doctors know, every one of them seemed to have suffered some sort of amnesiac effect. Vignette hardly remembers what she did all week, much less yesterday. Though I am glad that she wasn’t too badly hurt.”

“That makes one of us.” Applejack groaned out loud, rubbing the back of her neck painfully. “She might’ve been possessed by some creep, but that lady certainly knows how to fight. She hits like a truck.”

“But what does that mean?” Fluttershy chipped in, one hand rubbing over Spike’s green mane. “Is it finally over? Did we win?”

“Well duh. Of course we won.” Rainbow Dash leaned back on the couch wearing a smug grin of a winner. “Didn’t you see how we wrecked his show? Sunset and Pinkie had him cornered. Sure he got away, but that still counts. And… I got to face off a shadow monster and won. No matter what people say, I’m calling that fight a win in my book. But what’s all this talk about a gas leak?”

“Probably just an excuse.” Twilight answered. “When we broke Hoity’s spell over the people, it must’ve caused some kind of side-effect rendering them unconscious. People will probably just assume that it was the either the smoke or some random gas. It’s a better explanation than magic. Either way, Hoity won’t be a problem ever again. Not without this anyway.” She raised the black gemstone bracelet that she whiffed from the fallen fashion star. “Without a medium to cast his spells, he’ll be just another ordinary human being.”

“An ordinary human being backed up by an evil organization hell bent on capturing all magic.” Sunset pointed out to which the genius simply shrugged. “Look. I’m glad we all made it through that night. But don’t forget that there might be more than just Hoity around. We all thought Cinch was working alone but she’s part of a bigger group.”

“Aww man.” Rainbow whined. “Does this mean we still have to stay here? We only have two weeks of holiday before school starts again and all we’ve been doing is staying cooped up in this place. I mean… it’s a nice house and all, but I’m starting to miss home. Besides, I made a promise to dad that I’d watch the replay of the soccer match tonight. I totally missed it thanks to all this.”

“Sorry Rainbow. But it’s still a little dangerous. We don’t know who they are, how many members they have or what they’re really up to.”

So in other words… they were back to square one.

All their efforts, all their planning and progress, reverted back to the very beginning. But the same can also be said of their enemies who have now lost two of their esteemed members.

“Actually… I might have a lead on that.” They all turned over to Twilight who had her hand raised sounding chipper than usual. “Ever since I got back from that desert, I’ve been going through the journal that I found.”

“The journal of that pirate?”

“Captain Hoofbeard.” Twilight corrected with a giddy smile bringing out the said journal. “My old colonial language is a bit rusty. But I’m willing to bet that the information we’re looking for is within these pages. After all, he was a member of the Order.”

“You really think a thousand year old journal can tell us what we’re up against?”

“Well… no. But it’ll point us to the right direction at least. What’s the harm in a little research? Anyone wanna pitch in?”

“Ugh… research?” Rainbow Dash whined. “That is not how I want to spend the last two weeks of my holiday. I’m more of an… action kind of gal. But if there’s”

“I agree.” Rarity chimed. “Besides, Fluttershy and I have a playdate at the mall later. There’s a seasonal sale going on and I have no intention of missing it. These last few days of hiding and fighting has gotten me far behind on fashion. With Hoity’s trend no longer in style, who knows what new development occurred?”

“Same here.” Applejack followed up. “I’ve been away from home for almost a week now. I’d like to visit the family and see how the others are handling. Big Mac especially. Apple season is still far off but that don’t mean I can be lazy.”

“Same.” Rainbow echoed. “It’ll just be for tonight anyway.”

Twilight pouted but understood their reasoning. After a victory like last night they’d definitely want to spend some time celebrating rather than to spend it buried in some dusty old tome.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and me, Sunset.”

“Actually… I’m going to be making a report to Starlight.” The redhead declined politely. “She asked me to keep her updated with everything that’s happening around these shadow creatures so I’ll be occupied for most of the day.”

“But you’re our resident expert on Equestrian Magic!”

“Sorry Twilight. But this is just as important. I promise I’ll help you out the moment I’m done.”

And with that, the meeting was adjourned with the gang splitting up. It was going to be a quiet week… hopefully.

“Well Spike. I guess it’ll just be like old…”

“Aheh… actually.” The purple mutt let out a weak and awkward laugh. “I already made plans with the fellas.” He gave a quick glance over to the corner where the pets of the team were gathered. Tank, Winona, Angel, Opalescence, Ray and even Gummy were there, looking back at him expectantly – or at least somewhat expectantly. It’s to tell with Gummy’s blank stare. “Tank’s going into hibernation soon, so we thought to make the best out of this week. We’re gonna explore the beach and chase some seagulls.”

Seriously? Even the pets are too busy for her? So much for camaraderie.

“Fine.” She groaned loudly giving an unspoken permission to her dog who immediately bolted off to his friends and heading out the door. “I guess I’m flying solo.”

“Aww… is little Twilly feeling lonely?”

“GAH! Midnight!” Dang it. She knew she was missing something. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?”

The apparition laughed off her anger. “Relax. I told you: Only you can see me. I can scream at the top of my lungs and none of these idiots would hear a thing.”

“That still doesn’t give you the right to invade my privacy.” Twilight hastily made her way to the study room, which she converted into her own bedroom. Hopefully her friends won’t catch her talking to herself.

Midnight rolled her eyes boringly and casually hopped over the table, one leg over the other. “Oh please. You say it like your life is actually interesting. Not everything is about you, Twilly.”

“Why are showing up now? We’re not in any danger.”

“You’re about to delve into the journal of a once powerful mage.” She answered, sounding rather giddy for some reason. “A pirate, sure, but a mage nonetheless. And from what we saw in the old temple, he must’ve been quite talented. And… I also came to offer my heartfelt congratulations on your victory last night.”

“Oh…” The sudden compliment caught Twilight off guard. “Uh… thanks?”

“Though it was a shame we didn’t get to capture your mark. If we brought over in and interrogated him, we would’ve gotten all the answers already.” That was true. But they weren’t going to torture Hoity for that. “You’re far too soft.”

“Hey, we stopped him from taking over Canterlot. I think you can cut me some slack.”

“You only held back the symptom, not cure the disease. He’ll be back. Eventually.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. There was no doubt in her mind that Hoity will come back, and with a vengeance too. But until that time comes, they’ll be ready. Heck they’ll be more than ready. They’ll be armed to the teeth with more knowledge than…

“You see? This is what I’m talking about. Even your internal monologue is killing me.”

“Hey!” Twilight wanted to argue but thankfully her phone buzzed breaking her rant. “Oh. It’s Flash.” Midnight could practically see her host gleaming at the mere mention of the boy. She would too… but for another reason entirely. “Hey Flash.”

“Twilight hey.” The boy chimed in shyly. “Sorry to call so early. Are you busy?”

“Pfft. Me? Busy? Course not.” She casually put the pirate’s journal away, ignoring her evil twin completely at this point. “I’m never too busy for my friends. Well… not all the time. But for you, I got time. Not all the time but this time is good. Good time. Great timing.”

“Smooth…”

“Uh… ok?” The boy brushed that awkward moment off deciding not to linger on it. “Anyway. This might sound sudden. But are you free tomorrow?”

Tomorrow? She rattled her brain and looked through her invisible schedule, drawing a blank. She hasn’t made any plans since their victory over Hoity. “No… I don’t think so. Why?”

“Remember that promise I made to you back when we were stuck at that…… other place?” She made a confirming noise not wanting to trust her words seeing how he was being secretive too. “Well, I thought I’d make good on that promise. I got us reservations at the Tasty Treats. I was thinking you and me can go for lunch and try out the place.”

“Really!?” She exclaimed and coughed to control her voice. “Ahem. I mean…… really?”

“Yup. I had my butler make the call. It wasn’t easy. But he was able to squeeze us in. So whadayasay? You in?”

Was she in? She wasn’t quite sure. On one hand she did say that she always wanted to try that place out, but the invitation was quite sudden. On the other hand, everyone else seemed to be doing something fun – so… why shouldn’t she follow their example?

Yet there were so many things she needed done.

For one thing, what would she even wear to such a semi-fancy looking place? Was it a formal event or simply an outgoing one? What about her research into the journal? She still needed to move a few more things into her new room.

So many things to do yet so little time.

“Is this a bad time?”

“No! Of course not.” She hummed awkwardly, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment. “I was just thinking what to order. I’ll uh… see you tomorrow?”

“It’s a date.”

The call ended a few seconds later which left Twilight breathless. She hardly even noticed her cheeks turning red or how wide her smile widened just by thinking about the boy.

“Ooooh. A date huh?” But sadly her joyful mood was fouled by her evil twin who now laid on her bed cooing teasingly like a sister she never wanted. “How scandalous. And here I thought you were focused on studying that journal.”

“I am.”

“Saying something and doing something are two separate things.”

“I can do two things.” She defended, fixing that apparition a glare that hardly affected her. “Everyone else seems to be taking their leisurely time. Why can’t I? Besides, it’s not like I have anything planned for the holidays.”

“Wanna bet?” Midnight challenged, which was immediately followed up with the phone ringing again. Twilight wondered if this was some kind of trick until she recognized the caller.

“Timber?”

“Hey there. How’s my favorite nerd doing?” The boy’s singsong voice mellowed her suspicion. It’s been a while since they last spoke.

“No better than before. And how’s my favorite lifeguard doing?” She chimed in chuckling sweetly at their private joke.

“Swell and excited. And I hope you’re packed and ready. Because it’s going to be a sweet-sweet new year.”

“Packed?” Did she miss something? “Packed for…?”

“Duh… our romantic getaway at Camp Everfree. Remember?”

Twilight’s memories clicked and then she smacked her face in realization ignoring her twin’s giggle. It was that long anticipated vacation trip she promised months ago. The private cabin that the boy rented out for just the two of them. They were to watch the Winter Solstice and cement that moment to memory.

“You totally forgot, didn’t you?”

“Wha~~? No~…” She couldn’t sound any least convincing than that. “Ok I might’ve. I’m sorry. It’s just that with everything that’s happening, it must’ve slipped through my mind.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Thankfully the boy didn’t seem too disappointed about that. “I figured something like this would happen. That’s why I called to check up on you. Tell ya what. You pack up today, and then tomorrow I’ll pick you up and then we’ll head on over to the most romantic week of our lives. And you know what the best part is?”

“We’ll get to witness a twice in a year event?”

He sputtered a laugh. “That too. But no. In truth, Camp Everfree doesn’t officially open until next week. Which means we’ll have the place all to ourselves.” That does sound pretty romantic. A whole camp all to themselves. With nothing but the snow, and the winter creature to keep them company. It’s a recipe for love to blossom.

“That does sound good. I’ll be sure to pack my figure skates.” But then she quickly recalled another event she promised. “Oh…”

“Something wrong?”

Yes. “N… no. Tomorrow’s great. I’ll uh… pack up for the evening?”

“Awesome. See ya then.”

“See ya.” She regretted hanging up so quickly.

“Ooooooh~~~. Two dates in one day. Well aren’t you ambitious. And here I thought I was the daring one.”

“Quiet.” She warned. “I just didn’t want to cancel the plans I already made. Besides, I can make it work. I just need to maximize my time.”

“Or maybe you just want to hang out with blue boy more than your current boyfriend?”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Midnight rolled her eyes, not wanting to waste her breath in explaining such a useless thing. Still… she seemed to look forward to their eventual meeting.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Wow… sounds like you and your friends had one heck of a night.” Starlight bobbed her miniature head as she listened intently to Sunset who regaled her of last night’s event. It sounded more like an action packed adventure rather than a story. “That all sounds pretty amazing.”

“Thanks. But I still wished we caught Hoity too.” Sunset groaned, tossing herself onto her bed and letting out a sigh. “Days of planning and preparations and we got nothing to show for it.”

“Oh don’t beat yourself. You did great considering what you were up against.” It sounded like a pity compliment, but it still made her feel slightly better. “You prevented people from becoming mindless zombies, and saved a whole bunch of others from Hoity’s control. I call that a win in my book. Heck, I don’t think even Princess Twilight could’ve done it any better than you.”

“Thanks Starlight. Though I have to admit… I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you or Starswirl’s help. His anti-shadow magic spell worked out better than I thought.”

“Well he is one of the best when it comes to magic.” The purple unicorn chimed happily, rubbing two hooves together. “Speaking of which. I don’t suppose you’ll be returning those artifacts I loaned you. Not that I’m in a hurry or anything.” She added that last part quite hastily. “I didn’t exactly ask for Twilight’s permission to hand them out.”

Of course she’d want them back. Those relics were practically forged in forgotten arts. Some of them predates Equestria itself. Not only were these things powerful beyond measure, they were also absolutely irreplaceable.

But at the same time they provided her friends an advantage over their opponents. Especially the Alicorn Amulet. It was thanks to that little trinket she was able to increase her powers tenfold. The anti-shadow spell pretty much won the whole fight.

“Not just yet.” She answered hesitantly. “At least not until we figure out who it is we’re dealing with. Just tell Twilight that I’m borrowing them for the moment. She’ll understand. And don’t worry. This isn’t the first magical artifact I’ve dealt with.”

“It’s just that I’m not really comfortable having those things outside the vault. The Alicorn Amulet especially.” She pointed at the said artifact hanging just out of reach. “According to Twilight, that thing corrupts the user the more they use it. It made quite a mess in Ponyvile.”

“Relax.” Sunset waved her worries off. “I’ve worked through the chinks of this thing. It’s completely harmless. I promise.”

“If you say so.” That didn’t make her feel any better. “Oh! That reminds me. You’re still on for Twilight’s coronation, right?”

“Twilight’s… coronation?”

“You do remember you were invited, right?”

“Y… yeah. Of course.” She totally forgot about it. “Just haven’t thought of it for a while.”

“Well it is a week from now. You should definitely see the venue in Canterlot and take your mind off things for a while. It’s going to be the biggest celebration ever. Every creature from all over the world will be attending. And don’t forget, you get to bring a +1 to the invite.”

Yeah. That does sound like a nice distraction. Something to take her off this whole secret society nonsense that’s been going around the city. And it’d be nice to see her homeland too. Perhaps she could even score a conversation with Princess Twilight herself.

But sadly, before she could reply, her phone buzzed.

It was a text message from Vice-Principal Luna.

(Rainbow Dash’s house) (Later that night)

Rainbow Dash loved parents a lot. There was really no replacing them in this world. But there are times where they can become a bit difficult to handle.

While Rainbow Dash wouldn’t normally say this out loud, she truly does enjoy her family’s company. She only wished they wouldn’t express their love for her in such a public and vocal way. One time they came to watch one of her games in school dressed in her color with their faces painted all over, carrying foam fingers and banners with her name on it. There are supportive parents… and there’s ‘them’.

But thankfully in their private moments they actually behaved like ordinary parents. Right now she and her dad were on the couch, watching a soccer game play on screen while eating a whole bowl of popcorn. A family tradition that was perhaps older than time itself.

“This is amazing.” Rainbow added excitingly. “Can you believe that the Canterlot Cavaliers are tied with the Hooverton Hoofers?”

“Honey please. We’re watching the same show here.” Bow Hothoof, her dad, chuckled on his side of the couch taking a handful of pop from the bowl.

“Come on dad. Be a little more excited. I know this is a replay of last week’s game, but I kept myself from knowing the results. Besides, if the Cavaliers win this game they’ll be qualified for this season’s playoffs! It’s the first time a sports team from our city would be participating in the big leagues! That’s a major score!”

“I’d be more excited if you were on the team hon.”

“Indeed.” Her mother nodded in agreement on the other side of the couch sandwiching her daughter in between. “Why I bet you can do a hundred times better than their goalie.”

A whistle blew up during the match signaling the end of the first half of the game. The scoreboard remained unchanged but that only made Rainbow Dash even more pumped. Not even the commercials could deter her excitement.

But just as she was popping another can of cola, her father suddenly turned serious. “Speaking of which, honey. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

RD didn’t seem to mind though his sudden tone did seem unusual. “Sure dad. What’s up?”

“Well…” He turned timid for a moment which was highly unusual. “It’s just that… don’t you think it’s time you came clean with me already?”

Her cola sputtered out. “Wh… what? I… don’t know what you’re talking about.” Oh crud. Did he find out about the wreck she did to his old bike? But how? The damages were covered up. She even gave it a new coat of paint to cover the leftover bumps.

Bow’s face turned solemn as he reached out to her shoulder. “It’s ok honey. I know all about it. Your mother told me.”

“Wha? Mom!?”

Windy tried to feign innocence. “Sorry sweetie. But you know how I tell your father everything. It’s how our marriage stays strong over the years.” Great. Mom’s a tattletale. So much for trusting your parents. That’s the last time she’ll confide anything with her ever again.

Sighing, Rainbow Dash turned her dad. “I’m sorry dad. I didn’t want to tell you because I thought you’d be upset.”

“Oh come now. It’s not that bad honey bun.” He patted her head gently, giving out a soft smile. “Sure I might’ve been a little upset when I heard about it. But all is forgiven. I mean you are in that age where you… uh… start growing interest in some people.”

“It’s just that… wait.” She paused, eyebrows raised in confusion. “Interest? What are you talking about?”

“Your new boyfriend, Flash.”

Invisible Third Wheel

Chapter 49: Invisible Third Wheel

(Canterlot High)

“I am very disappointed in you Sunset Shimmer.” Luna said sternly in a very authorizing manner, shaking her head and sighing. “Your presence here in my office is starting to become a habit. What do you have to say for yourself?”

The silence in the air was telling. Luna allowed it to linger, just long enough for her to turn to the window in stoic.

“I always knew that you had your share of troubles, but your actions this time gives you no excuses.”

“Hmm… not bad.” It was Cranky Doodle who spoke. “A little soft on the edges but workable. Don’t shake your head. It makes you look silly with that hair. Put in a mean glare – or better yet, do a scowl.”

She made an attempt of a scowl. “Like this?”

“No… now you’re just trying too hard. Maybe just do a neutral look. Safer bet that way.”

Luna returned to her seat, turning to regard her rather empty office, aside from Cranky who stood there, guiding her on the lessons of sadistic mental torture. The Vice-Principal groaned and pulled her chair forward reaching the warm cup of coffee that was placed on the table.

“Don’t you think that’s being a little too hard? I mean… disappointed? That’s a rather strong word. I want to scold her, not lecture her.”

“You can’t afford to be soft.” Cranky reasoned slamming his fist on his palm. “That’s how students lose respect of their teachers. Besides, this little lady is a tougher nut to crack than most. She needs a stern talk, not some pat on the back or a slap on the wrist. You have to look mean, commanding, and fierce. Stare her dead in the eye without a single blink. She’ll be squealing like a pig in no time.”

“Cranky… is that really necessary?”

“Absolutely! You can open with a long silent stare. You know? Give that bad student feel and have her stew on that chair, letting her reflect on her actions.”

“Cranky…”

“I was thinking maybe two minutes minimum at the very least – or maybe even three if you want to milk that method.” He laughed joyfully, which was pretty rare for a man like him. “I can picture it now. The whole room in complete silence with nothing but the clock ticking the seconds away. If we’re lucky, she’ll even be traumatized by the whole thing.”

“Cranky! This is not an interrogation.”

“It could be.” He shrugged. “Can I at least fold my arms and scowl at her like some comic book villain? I’ve always wanted to do that in these types of scenarios.”

“No.”

“Come on. What’s the harm? Just give it a shot.”

“No!”

“Can I take at least take pictures when she starts to cry?”

Luna took a sip from her mug and groaned. She felt a headache coming. “Maybe I should’ve asked Granny Smith for help instead.”

Actually scratch that. Granny Smith would probably have just as much methods of torment to children as Cranky did. She didn’t suffer through the ages without learning a few techniques. That old lady can weaponize guilt like it was just wordplay. Anyone that goes against her will be scarred for life.

“Vice-Principal Luna?” The buzzer on her table awoke with the voice of the school janitor who doubled as the school’s security guard. “There’s a student here to see you.”

“Send her in.” Her eyes glanced up to the clock. At least she was on schedule. “Alright Cranky. I’ll take it from here.”

“Aww. Can’t I stay for the opening segment at least? I wanted to try out my new ‘disappointed’ pose.”

“No.”

Cranky mumbled his way to the door. “Fine. But remember. Stern look, unflappable poise. You need to look intimidating.”

“Will you just go already?” The man did so with a big smirk over his face. He seemed to genuinely take pleasure in the misery of his own students. She can’t really tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing just yet.

Honestly now. These girls may be trouble but it wasn’t like they could understand the concept of magic either. Their troubles were almost literally out of this world. The best they can do right now is just try to understand them. Get to know what it’s like to be in their shoes.

Still… Sunset was a very secretive student. Getting her to open up to anything was harder than cracking a nut with your own fingers. Perhaps Cranky does have a point.

A knock on her door signaled the arrival, which triggered her response.

“Vice Princip…”

Luna rose from her seat, eyes stern. “I am very disappointed in you.”

Councilor Neighsay gave her a crooked brow look.

“Uh…” Luna balked. “You’re… not… who I was expecting.”

“Clearly.” The man responded, his tone dead panned like always.

“Wh… what are you doing here, Councilor?”

“I’m here to deliver my contact details and official transfer papers.” He smacked down a folder on her table which looked surprisingly well detailed and organized. “You’ll find everything is in order.” Really? Does it also say that you’re a bloodsucking monster whose true purpose was to drain the life out of children?

“I see…” She took a quick glance over the front page and noted that everything was indeed properly written down to the last margin. She had no doubt that there would be any flaws is misspelling in any of them. “These are… extremely detailed.”

His lips curled up to what looked like the beginning of a smile. “I pride myself in punctuality. Which is more than I can say for some of your staff. Which reminds me…” Neighsay pulled out a notepad from coat flicking his hair up. “I took the liberty of looking through your present student record and noted the flippant lack of disregard in punishment.”

“Punishment?” She jolted back. “Surely that can’t be right.”

“I beg differ.” He responded adamantly. “For example: Photo Finish, Violet Blurr and Pixel Pazzaz. Faculty members and students have reported these three to have repeatedly violated personal boundaries, taking incriminating pictures without the consent of others, disrupt classes and club activities, and… grave misuse school equipment.”

Ah… yeah that.

“She was doing that for the school’s yearbook.” Luna defended. “We just needed a little more… pazzaz.”

“And so far all they got in return was a two-day detention.” Neighsay raised an accusing look. “The punishment hardly fits the crime.”

“Ok… she might be a little over the top. But her intentions aren’t bad.” She paused. “At least I think so.”

“Here’s another one. Trixie Lulamoon. 15 illegal and unsupervised conducts of pyrotechnics, 23 unauthorized uses of smoke bombs, destruction of school property in school grounds, and 116 cases of cafeteria disturbances.”

A hundred!? Are you kidding me? Didn’t that wannabe pretend-magician learn her lesson the first three times!? Potatoes are not substitute for smoke bombs! It just doesn’t work!

“Uh… yeah. Ms. Lulamoon can be… troubling. But she’s passionate about her work.”

“The worst punishment she received was 72 hours of community service.” Ah crud. “If it were my decision, I would’ve expelled her on the spot and recommend her to disciplinary school.” Thankfully it wasn’t your decision. Though granted, it does sound appropriate.

“Celestia believes that we shouldn’t hamper our student’s creativity.”

“Creativity can be a blessing if it is controlled. Looking through these records, I’m finally able to grasp why this school requires constant repairs. These unregulated students need to be brought into line less they get out of hand.”

“I don’t think that’s…” She barely finished when he reached into his coat and produced a thick paperback book.

“Which is why I wish to propose a new set of rules and strict regulations to better ensure the safety of this place and its students. I was hoping to run it by you before I present it to Principal Celestia.”

“Me?” She balked again. “Why me?”

“Because out of all the staff members here, you appear to be the only one who has actually put effort into their work.” She did? “The suspension and community service of several students after misconduct during a field trip. The punishment was fair and the sentencing justified.” Oh she remembered that. That was the trip to the city’s natural history museum. A bunch of students thought about making the trip interesting and decided to tamper with some dinosaur bones. The curator of the museum was livid. Celestia offered an apology but Luna was the one who delivered their sentence. It was not a happy moment for the school.

“Th… thanks? I suppose.”

“Delivering punishment is thankless work but needed to put these students in their place. Actually that kind of reminds me of one of my regulations here.”

That sounds like work. A lot of work. The kind of work that she didn’t really have time for or motivation to do, especially in the holidays. But thankfully her savior came in the form of a knock on the door.

“Uh… you wanted to see me Vice-Principal Luna?” Sunset asked sheepishly, cracking her head through the door.

“Yes!” She beamed. “Yes Sunset. I did. Sorry Neighsay. But I’m afraid you’ll have to discuss this with Celestia another time. As you can see, my next meeting is here.” She immediately got up and began pushing the man away from her office with his book in tow. “I’m on a tight schedule right now and can’t lose a single minute of it.”

If the man felt offended in any way, he didn’t show it. Instead he looked the same as always. Deadpanned and unemotional. “Very well. I shall make an appointment next time.”

Please don’t.

“But may I request that some of these tardy students be sent to my office later on?”

“Yes! Sure. Anything you want. Later!”

With a heave, Luna pulled Sunset in and closed the door, locking it for good measure. She let out a sigh, wiping an imaginary sweat off her brow.

“So… what’s this about?” The redhead asked.

Ugh… so much for getting the initiative.

(Canterlot Mall)

“Made it!” Midnight rolled her eyes as her host literally limped her way to the door of the mall, panting heavily like she had just gone through a marathon only to win last place. A few tourists gave the girl a worried glance but mostly steered clear away from her. “I made it… ha!”

The apparition couldn’t resist giving her a slow sarcastic clap in return. “Congratulation. You made it – with… a whole minute to spare. I’m sure someone here will be giving you a prize.”

“Hey! Considering the traffic, this should be considered an accomplishment.”

“You would’ve been early if you hadn’t spent half an hour in the bathroom.”

“I needed to freshen up. And that mess was totally Shining Armor’s fault.”

“And you spent a whole two hours picking out your clothes.”

“I needed to look good!” So she claims which Midnight rolled her eyes again in response. The girl spent an absorbent amount of time in front of the mirror trying out everything from the frilliest dresses, to the punkest of rock. Thankfully she decided upon a blend of puffy and elegance. It was amazing how people like her can spend much of their limited life appeasing their own twisted sense of beauty. “This is a special occasion. I’m going to the very restaurant I’ve always wanted to visit. Besides, Flash didn’t say if the place had a black-tie or casual dress code. Better to be prepared for all eventualities.”

“Or maybe you’re merely doing this to attract someone’s attention?”

“Timber? I’m not meeting him until later.” Oh for the love of…… whatever-deity-this-world-worships. How stupid can you possibly be? Midnight let out a tormented groan, never thinking she could wish for an alien invasion to come soon enough. Twilight was supposed to be the smart one, the nerd of the group, the one that had the highest odds of discovering cold-fusion technology! There was no way in hell she would be this oblivious to her own desires!

“I’d strangle you right now if I knew it wouldn’t work.”

“Oh pipe down.” Twilight waved her off and trotted through the mall, fixing her hair unconsciously. A moment later she spotted her mark waiting by the fountain. “There’s Flash.” She paused and turned to her alter-ego. “How do I look?”

“Do I really need to answer that?”

“Come on. If we’re gonna be roped together, you might as well help me out.”

She had a point. It’s not like she could just go back to the dark corners of her mind. Not that she really want to. “Fine. You look d-… oh! You got something hideous on your cheeks.”

Her host panicked. “What? What is it? Is it leftover from breakfast?”

“Oh wait. No. It’s just your dumb face.”

Twilight pouted. “Ugh. Real mature.” Girl, you don’t even want to try me. I have ways of making your life hell in this ethereal realm. “Ugh. Whatever. You’re just making this day worse. Just don’t bother me for the rest of the day and we’ll be fine. So… be gone. Or however I can get rid of you.” You couldn’t, even if you tried. But Midnight humored her and made herself completely invisible.

With one last touch of her hair, Twilight giddily made her way to the boy who immediately noticed her.

“Hey.” The girl opened first, unconsciously patting the wrinkles off her clothes. “Sorry I’m late. It took a while for me to find the right look.”

“I can see that.” He responded with a chuckle. “You look different.”

“Really? You think so?” She turned to look at herself. “You think I put on too much? I wasn’t sure if it was casual or black tie.”

“No. I meant you look great.” He corrected quickly enough, reaching out for her hand. “You don’t have to overthink things like that.”

“R… right.” Oh god. Her adorable blush was faint but it was there. Girl. You really need to get yourself a therapist. Someone who can sort your feelings at least. “Sorry. The only kind of experience I have with this are with my friends, family and… Timber. And those go about as well you’d expect in this day and age.”

“Well… I’m no Timber but I think I can still give you a good time.” Ooooh. Nice comeback. It’s clear he had experience with this kind of meeting. His confidence was impressive. “Anyone who goes out with Flash Sentry is guaranteed to have a great time or their money back.”

Twilight cocked a brow in his direction. “It should, considering you’re paying for all this.”

“Oh you know what I mean.”

She laughed at his attempt to be cool. “Anyway. Let me send a text to my friends just so they don’t have to worry.”

“Another monster attack?” He asked sounding genuinely worried.

Twilight blinked. “What? No no no. Just… regular stuff. Not everything we do is related to magic and monsters. Though I’d understand if you think that.” Of course everyone would think that, you idiot, considering how much of a mayhem you girls go through in one semester. It’s actually a miracle that you were able to get through two years of all that chaos without losing a limb or two. “Shall we?”

“Please. Allow me.” The boy offered, which Twilight naturally accepted.

Midnight trailed them. Not like she had much of a choice seeing how she was pretty much tethered to her host like a gosh-darn pet on a leash. If there was ever a feeling of being a third wheel in a date, this would probably be it. God I hope they don’t go all lovey dovey on one another. There’s only so much dopiness an evil apparition like her can handle in one day. She’d much prefer if everything here were on fire. That way she could revel in other people’s suffering and torment.

But alas, this land was far too peaceful for its own good.

The restaurant they came to was something that had been lingering at the back of Twilight’s mind for quite some time now. It was an exotic place that had built quite a reputation here in the city. So much so that there was a short line of patrons casually hanging outside believing that the food here was worth the wait.

Thankfully they didn’t have to join the common plebeians standing outside. The lady by the door somehow recognized Flash and kindly ushered them in with a wave of her hand ahead of the line. They earned a few displeasing stares but none of them even noticed it. Upon entering, the first thing Midnight noticed was the heavy spice aroma lingering in the air. It flew from the kitchen, dousing the whole room with a smell that would make your mouth water and your stomach churning.

She quietly took a mental note to spare this place once she dominates the world as its new queen.

They were led deep into the restaurant to a corner booth with a view of the fountain. It was mildly impressive.

“This. Is. Amazing.” Her host chimed almost giddily that she was bouncing off the seat. “I can’t believe I’m actually here. I’ve been dreaming of coming to this place since… forever.” With her supposed boyfriend apparently. But hey… details. “You think they have those little berry things like they had in the poster?”

Flash let out a laugh. “We’ll find out soon enough. Though I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Reality often disappoints.”

“Oh come on. Like you’ve dined in better places.” She paused for a moment before smacking her head in realization while her date gave a cocky looking grin. “Right. I forgot who I was talking to. The secretly rich kid. You must’ve had all kinds of food.”

He shrugged. “Eh… let’s just say that I’ve developed a healthy palate.” Thankfully they were interrupted by the waitress.

“Allo and welcome to da Tasty Treat.” The woman who led them in greeted with a heavily accented voiced. “Can I interest you in our special? We’re having a premium on our spices today.”

“Oooh. Yes please.” Twilight cooed, opening the menu. “What would you recommend for appetizers?”

“Ah. I have just the thing. A delicacy from my homeland of Saddle Arabia.” Sounds delicious. “Pickled Eggs.”

Their faces went pale as they held a hurl inside. The memories of that desert village came rushing onto their stomachs.

“Uh… we’re kind of… allergic to pickles.” Flash muttered which the woman accepted. “We’ll just have the special on offer.” The waitress shrugged and quickly jotted down their order and went on her way, much to their relief.

“Thanks. I don’t think I’m in the mood for anything pickled any time soon.” That was something they all agreed.

“Kind of makes you miss that old place.”

Twilight gave him a look. “You actually miss the food back in that desert?”

“Ok… the culinary options there were pretty limited but it was kind of interesting too.” He casually added thought his date didn’t seem to agree. “Come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t have a little fun after that festival. We also met a friend. Autumn.”

Ah… right. The crackpot hermit. “She was… ok. But the rest of it was pretty meh. I mean other than getting trapped on the other side of the world, away from all your friends, sleeping in a haystack and getting knocked out my magic.”

Don’t forget the glorious rebirth of the future ruler of the world! Don’t forget that part! That’s literally the most important part!

“And you and I got to hang out. That’s a win too.”

“Pfft… ok.” Ugh… that slight blush was despicable. “You were the one thing that kept me grounded. I don’t think I would’ve lasted a whole week there on my own. How’s the leg by the way?”

“All better.” He tapped the cast that was hidden under his pants. “It’ll be a while before I can remove it and I still have to walk with a cane. But other than that, it’s all good. Unless… you wouldn’t happen to know a spell that can heal it right up.”

“Sunset taught us a small healing spell. But that’s pretty much just for bumps and bruises. Nothing major like yours. Oh! And speaking of magic. I got you something too.” Twilight reached into her bag and produced a package wrapped around in newspaper. “Tada! It’s the cup. The… arts and craft project that you brought.”

His eyes snapped open in realization. It was the cup that was shattered a long while ago. He completely forgot about it. Removing it from the wrap, the boy found it to be in rather pristine condition. You can hardly make out the cracks at all.

“Sorry it took so long. Gluing together thousands of pieces from scratch is a log harder than it sounds.” It didn’t sound easy to begin with. Honestly, assembling something like that should be considered an achievement of some kind. She was practically putting together a jigsaw puzzle with no edges or corners.

“Thanks. At least now I can finally put this back in our vault.”

“I’m surprised your dad hasn’t caught on.”

“He’s been kind of busy with other businesses.” Flash shrugged as he stuffed the cup in his jacket. “Speaking of which. What are you guys planning to do with Hoity? Last I heard, he disappeared.”

“After what happened on Freefall Island? I’m not surprised. We did put him in a corner.”

“Don’t forget: Beating him to a pulp.” Midnight mentioned pulling a motion of swinging a bat as context though no one could really see or hear her.

“You… you think he’ll come back?” It seems like the boy had the same thought as the rest of the girls back home. He was hoping that the fighting would end the moment they took down Hoity, but that didn’t seem to be the case. And if that fallen fashion legend followed the trope of every villain in the world, he’ll definitely return with a vengeance.

“Honestly… yeah. I do.”

He looked visibly disheartened. “What do you plan to do when he does?”

“We… haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. But like you said before: So long as my friends and I stick together, nothing’s impossible.”

“Not even slightly scared?”

She took on a confident pose, sticking her chest out proudly. “Not even remotely. I got six friends with more magic than I know what to do with, powerful artifacts, a talking dog, and some private connections with the magical world of Equestria. I’m sure we’ll come up with something. And if that doesn’t work, I still have a millionaire friend as my failsafe backup plan.”

The blue boy shifted, visibly amused. “Glad I can contribute. But I gotta be honest. Sitting around and waiting for this secret organization to strike back doesn’t sit well with me. I wished we had a lead to follow.” Unfortunately all the leads they had went up in smoke… almost literally in fact. Even Hoity’s store branch in Uptown closed down after the sudden disappearance of their benefactor. It was like the workers packed up everything when everything went downhill.

“Well… there is one lead.” Twilight cooed, before producing a thick book from her bag.

“Is that…?”

“Captain Hoofbeard’s personal journal.” She confirmed with a cheesy smile, tracing her fingers carefully along the book’s spine. “I spent all night cramming through its pages. There’s a whole wealth of knowledge hidden inside. If there’s any information about this Order of the Black Stone, I guarantee we’ll find it in here.”

Flash bobbed his head, partly in agreement and partly intrigued. “Sounds like it’s worth a shot. What did you find?”

“Well… not much.” Her smile visibly waned as she opened it to a random page. “Hoofbeard was around during the old colonial – and their language was very different from what we’re used to. Not to mention that a lot of the ink has faded over the centuries. Luckily, yours truly, was able to translate a few of them.”

“The journal wouldn’t happen to mention a place marked with an X, would it?”

Twilight gave a preened expression though she seemed to have expected it. “No. Mostly just places he’s visited. It’s been hard translating all of it on my own.”

“Aren’t the others helping out?”

“Ha! I wished. They’re all doing their own thing, planning for the holidays. And Sunset’s no help either. She’s busy chatting with her friends from Equestria.”

Flash gave her a complimentary chuckle. “Sounds like you have it rough. So what did you find, exactly?”

“I’m glad you asked.” And like magic, her eyes gleamed with intrigue as she shifted through the pages revealing a section with a drawing. “I decided to comb through the mid-section of the journal instead of going through the whole thing. According to what I can make out of his ramblings, it seems like Hoofbeard wasn’t originally a member of the Order.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No. He was recruited. Just like how Professor Cinch was.” A logical standpoint seeing how humans can’t exactly live forever. The Order would’ve eventually had a change in members over the generations. “And he wasn’t the only one either. Apparently this Order recruited a number of folks like Hoofbeard, promising them riches and power. He wasn’t just a pirate, but an explorer. They’d hire ships and send them out into the world searching for magic. Hoofbeard was a special case though. And you’ll never guess why.”

“Untold riches and power?”

“Nope.” Though she’d understand why those would come to mind. “It was because… of her.” She flip the page again, this time coming to a full blown drawing of a familiar woman with surprisingly exotic features. You could tell from a glance that the artist took painstaking time to put in every little detail, cherishing every brushstroke on her face, every wrinkle on her clothes, and even the shimmer on her hair.

“Whoa… nice. Who is she?”

“That… is Jewel.” Twilight explained. “According to what Hoofbeard wrote, she’s a high ranking member of the organization. She was the one who recruited him. And get this… I think he was totally in love with her.”

“Really?” His eyes sparked with interest. “How can you tell?”

“Trust me. The next few pages pretty much has all his feelings written all over it. He was head over heels over her. He had pickup lines, poetry, even gift options. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.” Ironic, considering you’re the one here who is clearly blinded from it. “But here comes the interesting part.”

“More interesting than a pirate in love?”

“Way more interesting.” Twilight winked, flipping to another page of another drawing. Not a person, but rather an object of sorts. “You see. The Order was scouring the world looking for magical artifacts. And to help these sailors find them, they provided them with these magical compasses.” She flipped the page to another drawing of a circular device.

“A magical compass?” That sounded so cliché. Like something out of a pirate movie.

“Yup. And from what I gathered, it supposedly led them to other magical items around the world. Kind of like my magic tracking device but portable. Can you imagine what kind of magical construct needed to design such a thing? If we had something like it, I could enhance my equipment and find all traces of magic throughout the country. It would be… phenomenal.” But the girl immediately stopped when she realized that Flash had gone quiet, sitting there looking at her with a curling smile. “Wh… what?”

“Do you know that every time you’re excited about something, you have this light in your eye?” He let out a laugh before pointing towards the restaurant itself where a few patrons were giving them their amused look.

Twilight turned a shade of pink when she realized how loud and nerdy she must’ve sounded. She quietly sunk back into her seat, embarrassed. “Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t be talking about this during our date.”

“Eh… I won’t pretend to understand magic. But it’s never boring, I can tell you that.”

“Tell me about it.” She grumbled in agreement. “I could never talk about this with Timber. He doesn’t really have that big of an interest in magic.”

“Really? That’s surprising. Considering how much you two have in common. I figured he’d like magic.”

“I think he hates it because of how much time it takes from me. Ever since this whole magical fiasco started, we’ve been seeing each other less and less. I even promised to give the whole apartment thing a trial run. But that went out the window ever since I moved in to Sunset’s place.” She groaned.

“Looks like you two have a rough patch ahead.”

“No kidding. I just hope he understands that I’m doing this for him too. I mean… he doesn’t get it. But there’s a good chance we might get attacked by more shadow monsters or worse. I don’t want to put him in unnecessary danger.”

“Heh… now you’re starting to sound like Sunset.”

She jerked back. “How so?”

“Every time I try to help her out in some way, or try to get involve in her life… she pushes me away.” He let out a pained breath, eyes cast down on the table. “She says that she’s trying to protect me and keep me from harm, but I feel like there’s more to it. It’s… kind of like she doesn’t want me there for some reason.”

“I…… oh…” Twilight knew the reason. She discussed it excessively with Sunset plenty of times before that they almost had a fight over it. It was because Sunset had an unbearable guilt towards him. She blames herself for deceiving Flash which led to their eventual breakup. And while things between them have mellowed down over the year, you can still feel some lingering tension – or at least she could.

“I guess we all have the same problems, eh?”

“More so than we realize.” They shared a genuine laugh together which instantly removed all the sourness in their moods.

Midnight decided to tune them out and lingered in silence, watching the interaction go by without so much as a raised brow. By the time their order arrived, the date went into full swing. And while Twilight was either oblivious to the whole thing or just plain ignorant, Midnight could feel all her emotions and thoughts like they were very much her own.

She was smitten. It was plain to see. The way her eyes sparkle whenever they talk, her smile, her laugh. They were more expressive, livelier than normal. Heck, even her heart was beating a few pace faster than normal. And honestly, the fallen angel couldn’t really blame her.

Flash was a bombshell. A big fish in an ocean, the golden goose of relationships. While his personality could use some fine tuning, she had to admit that he was decently good looking. And if her host’s friends were telling the truth, the guy’s family would be loaded. Getting in good with him would set anyone for life. And those were just his obvious qualities.

But Midnight also had a quaint interest with the boy as well.

Her eyes lingered on him – or more precisely, his bandaged hand.

(Equestria) (Canterlot Library) (Starswirl section)

“Remind me again why we’re spending our free time at the library instead of somewhere more… interesting?” Trixie groaned as she covered her snout keeping herself from inhaling the dust in the air.

“The library is an interesting place.” Starlight defended earning an eye roll from her best friend. “Come on now. This is a center of knowledge and wisdom. It’s not just some building like the rest of the city, but a monument. It’s the first ever grand library in all of Equestria. Where else can you find a gathering of knowledge in one place?”

“We work in a school.”

“Ah… yeah… good point.” She blushed in embarrassment.

“You do realize that we spent the last few days preparing for Twilight’s coronation. And this is our first ever time off from this whole… inter-worldly-dimensional mission. I know that Twilight assigned this whole thing to you but I was hoping we’d have a change in scenery. Someplace without… books.”

“We will.” Starlight promised. “It’s just that I wanted to check up with Sunburst first. Last I heard, he and Starswirl were searching for the origins of this mysterious magic. I’ve been trying to call him through our two way music box spell but he hasn’t been answering. I’m actually kind of worried.”

“Well considering that he’s spending his time with Starswirl the Bearded, I bet he’s having a swell time.” Trixie brushed her mane cockily as if to prove a point. And she wasn’t wrong there. Starswirl was one of Sunburst’s biggest role model. The guy literally wrote one of the first books on magic. And anyone remotely associated with magic are kind of like heroes and celebrities in his eyes. It wouldn’t surprise her if Sunburst had one or two questions to ask.

“I hope so. Twilight’s been so busy preparing to become the next ruler of Equestria. This last few week she’s been going on diplomatic missions and goodwill assignments. The last thing we need are more problems to add to her list. She gave me this task and I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Oh please. You’re practically her top student. She trusts you completely. If anyone can deal with a problem as complex as traveling to another world, it’ll be you.” Trixie gave a smirky look before finally reaching the secret entrance of Starswirl’s study. “I’m sure you’ll have this whole thing solved before Twilight even hears about it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“A vote that is well earned. Now let’s hurry and find your friend so we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I hear that a new bakery opened in Restaurant Row and their bear claw is simply to die for.”

“I promise. After this is done. That’ll be the next place we visit.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

And thankfully they didn’t have to go far. As they entered the secret chambers, they immediately found Sunburst at the center of the room leaning on the stone table grumbling.

“Sunburst?” Starlight approached and upon closer inspection discovered that her old friend was not grumbling but rather snoring lowly to himself. There were dark bags under his eyes and drooling spilling from his mouth. There was even a cartoony bubble floating atop his snout which threatened to burst at any second. “Sunburst? Hello?”

“Bwah? Huh?” The young orange unicorn popped from his slumber looking rather dazed for a moment before noticing the two mares. “Oh~~ I know you~. Starxie and Trixlight.”

“It’s… Starlight and Trixie.”

“Yeah? What did I say? Ooff!” He wobbled weakly before slamming onto a pile of books.

“Are you ok?”

“Of course I am.” He said groggily like someone who was only half asleep and half awake. “I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Fit as a grown stallion. Totally completely and absoplicitly fine. Beyond fine actually. Did I mention I was fine?”

He certainly didn’t look fine. In all honesty he looked like he barely had any sleep at all.

“Hmm… incoherent thoughts, uncoordinated walk, baggy eyes, making up random words.” Trixie deduced imitating that of a detective. “From my professional perspective and wide array of knowledge: I can safely assume that you, Sunburst, are suffering an All-Nighter Syndrome.”

“Is that a thing?”

“Trust me. As a fellow all-nighter. I can tell.” Sunburst didn’t respond, but instead crashed onto the floor and dozed off. “Yup. I’m a hundred percent sure.”

A raspy laugh followed after from the doorway. “That was perhaps the best research study I’ve had in centuries.”

“Starswirl?” Starlight noted the old unicorn popping out looking equally exhausted. “What happened?”

“Just a bit of a competition between two great minds.” He chuckled humorously followed by a long drawn yawn. “Forgive me. It’s been a while since I’ve had an All-Nighter Syndrome.”

Trixie gave a snarky elbow blow. “Told ya.”

“Sunburst and I spent the last few days using all of our magical knowledge to find the source of the otherworldly magic. And as a good sport, I must say that your friend here beat me to it.”

The Headmare’s eyes lit up. “Wait… do you mean…?”

“We found out where the magic in the human world came from.”

Author's Note

Hello readers. I guess you all know that the holidays are here. So hope you're all having a wonderful time despite the many terrifying things going on.

Going on a break. But I hope to hear from all of you. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Compromise

Chapter 51: Compromise

(House by the hill)

Luna felt like she was gonna need a whole bucket of painkillers after tonight. She felt a headache coming and a rough guess would say that the six girls before her was the cause of it all. Seven, if you count the one absentee.

Honestly. There was once a time she used to think that magic would make a world a better place. But ever since this ‘magic’ came into the city, her life around school has been rather… unprecedented. A few years ago, the worst cases she had to deal with are student arguments, teachers bickering, cheaters, and on some occasions: Parent teacher conferences.

But now? Now there are monster attacks, magical beings who brainwash you to do their biddings, a camping trip that turns into a nature trap, and now dark magical conspiracies? What’s next? A zombie infestation?

Oh wait…

At first she wanted the professionals to deal with it themselves. After all this was magic. It wasn’t the kind of subject you taught in a regular school like theirs. What were they to do against such things? She and her sister thought that the girls here could handle it, and that things would eventually go back to normal. Oh how naïve they were.

What were they thinking leaving a bunch of teens to deal with this? That was perhaps the first mistake they made. She should’ve pressured Celestia to do something. Anything. Anything was better than leaving these kids to their own devices.

And now here she was, staring at the same girls, standing at attention in front of the fireplace like a bunch of troublemakers who were perhaps neck deep in more problems than any teenager ever rightly deserved. How in the world did they let this get so far? It was supposed to be over. Things were supposed to go back to normal. Instead it blew up to a proportion that none of them had expected. Perhaps she should’ve taken Cranky’s words to heart and put these kids in their places.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned to face the girls. Luna would’ve preferred to have them all here, but unfortunately Twilight had other obligations that could not be canceled.

“Right then. Let’s get this over with.” The Vice-Principal began sounding as stern as she could under the circumstances. “I don’t suppose I need to tell you all how disappointed I am with all of you.” Their twiddling figures and silent rubs lingered in the air. “Do you have anything to add to this discussion before I start?”

“Uh… I do.” Rainbow Dash courageously raised her hand in the face of her fuming tantrum. “On a scale of 1-10. How much trouble do you say we’re in?”

Honestly? A bazillion.

“I don’t know Rainbow Dash.” Luna retorted. “How much trouble do you think you can get after breaking a fire in the middle of the city and creating a worldwide sensation on TV?” The poor girl slinked back into her friends sulking.

It was a difficult task getting Sunset to finally confess all their doings. The girl was pretty tenacious when it came to keeping secrets. She even tried to hide it all feigning ignorance and trying to pull the innocent look. But the moment Luna brought up her burnt down apartment there was no defense or argument in which she could hide under. She had to come clean.

And honestly the stories that came out of Sunset sounded more farfetched than anything she could come up with. I mean… shadow monsters and psychotics under the influence of magic. Now a secret cult of magic users? Where did the good old days go?

“I honestly can’t believe you let it all go so… drastically.” She stated abruptly, pausing in her pace. “How in the world did you let it fall so far? First the fire in the city and now an entire island on lockdown?”

Applejack raised her hand up in protest. “Well… in our defense, we were trying to stop Hoity Toity from taking over the city.”

“He was trying to mind control everyone in the pageant show.” Sunset added. “We couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”

“I don’t care if he was trying to steal presents from children!” Luna roared, silencing them both. “That doesn’t excuse you from everything you’ve done!” She pinched the bridge of her nose fighting back a headache that was throbbing at the back of her mind. “I’m not saying what you did was wrong. I’m saying that I’m disappointed that you didn’t come to me or anyone else for help. Do you understand what kind of constant dangers the six of you are exposing yourself to?”

Of course they did – or maybe they didn’t. There was this time that two worlds threatened to merge during the Friendship Games, but who wanted to remember that nonsense?

“I mean… it’s not like we can just go to the police for this.” Rainbow Dash muttered, which strangely was oddly true. “I mean… what would we tell them? That some guy was trying to take over people through a fashion show?”

“No. But you could’ve at least come to me or Celestia. We could’ve helped.”

“Umm… how… exactly?” It was Fluttershy who asked the lottery-winning-question.

Sunset again nodded in agreement. “Sorry Vice-Principal Luna. But this whole magic thing isn’t exactly up your alley.”

She hand a hand up stopping her. “Sunset. You lost your apartment and everything you owned, and are now living in your ex-boyfriend’s old house. You are the least qualified to make an argument right now.” The redhead tried to protest but quickly found herself mumbling incoherently in the corner.

“She’s got you there, darling.” Rarity muttered.

“Look. I won’t say that I know what you’re all going through right now. But it’s clear to see that none of you here have a clue to what you are doing.” Luna sighed, leaning her backside on the edge of the couch. “Celestia and I thought that we could leave this whole magic thing to you – seeing how you all have some hand on things. We trusted you to handle things like you did during the Friendship Games or the trip to Camp Everfree. But this has clearly spiraled out of control.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Hey come on now VP. You can’t say that we haven’t been doing good work. I mean if it weren’t for us, things would’ve been way worse.”

Luna’s piercing stare would’ve made grown men whimper. “Rainbow Dash. Need I remind you of the stunt you pulled at the front of the school the other day? Your ‘shred-off’? Or the fact that your actions have caused the fire which left dozens of families homeless, destroying a castle and then having an entire island closed off?” The others tried to add in but Luna stopped them with a wave of her hand. “I’m gonna need coffee.”

Pinkie gladly complied filling a cup and handing it over which she gratefully took a long gulp.

“So… what happens now?” Sunset asked. “Are you going to stop us?”

“Honestly? That seems to be most logical thing to do.” Luna hummed in defeat, keeping her eye on the dark liquid. “But knowing you girls – anything I say will probably be left ignored. And… I can’t stop you from doing what you’re doing. But what I can do is provide… assistance.”

“Wait… what are you saying?”

“It seems that this ordeal requires a more ‘Hands-on’ approach.” She stood up, taking another sip. “To make sure you girls don’t get into any more trouble that you’re already in… I suggest a compromise.”

The six girls turned to one another nodding and shrugging.

“We’re listening.”

(Camp Everfree)

The cabin was downright gorgeous.

Twilight’s jaw went slack when Timber ushered her in, like a valet welcoming a lady to a grand ball. She heard about the renovations that the camp was having but this was far more than she anticipated. The cabin they were in was made for the camp councilors so it was expected to have some extra amenities. But still… it had that air of luxury that made you feel like the only piece of civilization in the far off countryside.

It almost felt like she was living in a fantasy home in the woods.

Yet oddly enough it also kind of reminds her of the house by the hill. The only thing missing was the giant portrait of Professor Sombra and his wife hanging over the fireplace. And maybe a few other furniture that made it look snazzy.

“Well? Whatdaya think?” The boy inquired smugly, as he brought in the luggage. “Pretty impressive eh? Gloriosa and I spared no expenses. We even got subpar indoor plumbing if you can believe it.”

She bobbed her head in response. “Alright. I’ll admit. It’s pretty good.”

“And all of this was made possible thanks to you and your friends many… many… MANY… fund raising events.” He gave her a soft hug which somehow felt more annoying that cozy. “So think of this whole thing as me showing my appreciation for all your hard work.”

“Oh please. We both know you just want to show off.” Twilight countered to which he did not deny. “But it is very impressive.”

“Wait till you see the other places we’ve renovated. It’ll blow your mind. That spa resort next door’s got nothing got nothing compared to us. And I don’t wanna spoil anything. But it is going to be awesome. I bet when this whole trip is over, you’ll fall for me all over again.” Well someone’s acting confident tonight.

“I thought you didn’t like the camp.”

He shrugged. “I still don’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t put my own personal touch. And don’t you worry about a thing either. Gloriosa had this place stocked up. We got enough food to last the New Year and more than enough firewood to warm us to spring.”

“Sounds like you got everything planned.”

“Like my sister always say: I got this.” She forced a smile and watched the boy head in to what looked like the bedroom, preparing for their weeklong stay.

Yet strangely enough, something didn’t feel right. Twilight had this lingering anxiety building inside her chest. Like a certain unease was poking around. Could Midnight be doing this to her?

“You ok Twilight?” Spike asked, poking his head out of her backpack.

“Oh hey Spike. Yeah. Why?”

“You got that look on your face. Like the kind of look when you eat a bad sandwich and holding it in.”

Did she now? She didn’t really feel that good either. Not since their trip. “It’s probably from the long drive. Or maybe the change of weather. I have been to a desert wasteland and back after all. Sudden changes in temperature can be hazardous to your health.”

“Is that really a thing?” The little mutt didn’t seem all that convinced but decided to drop it. He wanted to add something else but then his body began vibrating from an object inside. “Uh… Twilight. I think you got a call.”

She reached in for her phone wondering who could be calling her at this time.

“Twilight?”

“Flash?” Her eyes lit up suddenly as a smile snuck its way to her lips. “Wh… wh… what’s up?”

“Sorry to call so late. You busy?”

“Me? Pfft. No. I’m just umm… hanging out.” She dropped her bag watching Spike crawl off with a soft grunt. “What’s new with you?”

“I was gonna ask you that.” The boy let out a chuckle on the other side. “You left quite early after our visit to the pet shop. I was starting to wonder if I did something wrong.”

“Oh please. If I didn’t leave when I did, we would’ve stayed in the mall the whole day. I think one afternoon is all I can spare.” Twilight mumbled softly, her hand playing with the tips of her hair. “I mean… there are only so many places we can go in the mall.”

“Hey, when you’re out with Flash Sentry, you’re guaranteed to have a great time. Signed, sealed and approved.”

“Yeah right. I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Meh… only the pretty ones.”

She was glad he wasn’t around, otherwise he would’ve caught her cheeks turning redder than a tomato. “I take it you didn’t call me in the middle of the night just to double check on our date. So what’s up?”

“Well for starters, I got some great news.” He began excitedly. “I went back to return the cup to my dad’s vault. And found something amazing. I wasn’t really sure at first. But when you showed me that picture of the Magic Compass in Hoofbeard’s journal, I knew it looked familiar. And I was right.”

“You don’t mean…”

“It’s right here.” He exclaimed which shocked her. “It’s part of my dad’s collection.”

“I don’t remember seeing the compass in the exhibit.”

“Because it wasn’t. The item was still being categorized in storage so it wasn’t put on display in the museum. But I’m definitely sure this is the same one.”

That… that’s an amazing find. Talk about a stroke of good fortune. Twilight could already see the implications that device alone can bring. If she could get her hands on it and combine it with her technological magic radar, it would improve its efficiency and effectiveness by a hundred-fold. They’d be able to find magic all across the world. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. There were so many things she could do with it.

Improving their defense against shadow monsters, magical detection, and maybe even invisibility. The implications are immeasurable.

“That’s incredible!” She gasped, hastily walking out to the cabin’s porch for a better reception.

“I know, right?” The boy on the other line chuckled. He totally knew full well that she would react like this. “Want to take a crack at it?”

“Your dad won’t mind?”

“Meh. What he doesn’t know, can’t hurt him.” Twilight could already see him shrugging nonchalantly. “I replaced it with a compass I won off a cereal box. I’m sure he won’t be able to tell the difference. Besides, I’m curious to see what this little thing can do.” Ha! Why wasn’t she surprised? That boy had the curiosity and bewilderment of a child.

“So it’s for personal gains.” She teased, which again she could see him shrug.

“I was thinking more of mutual gains.” Ha! What a quip. She could feel Midnight giggling somewhere underneath. Twilight couldn’t help but resist a laugh. “So should I stop by the old house tomorrow?”

“That’d be…” But then she remembered where she was and froze. “Oh… umm… that might be a problem.”

“Everything ok?”

“Ye… yeah. It’s fine. It’s just that…” She turned to look inside watching her boyfriend bring in the firewood for the fireplace. “I’m gonna be a little occupied for the next few days.”

“Oh… I get it.” He did? “It’s the New Year after all. You’d probably want to spend it with your family.”

She was not. “Yeah… totally. Family.”

“That’s fine. Sunset and I can have a look at it until you get back.”

“That’s…… great.” For a moment there, Twilight felt a twinge in her heart. Like something shaking. Still it was a logical action to take. Sunset was their prime connection to Equestria, and her knowledge of magic probably surpasses hers tenfold. There was no reason to decline.

“Cool. I’ll see you next year then.” A rough sound came from the other line.

"Master Flash. Pardon the interruption but you have a private call from a... Vice-Principal Luna on the main line." That sounded like his personal butler.

"I'll be right there Edmund." He whispered. "Bye for now Twilight."

“Yeah…… bye.” And with that last farewell she hung up feeling somewhat hollow inside.

She would’ve stayed there for the rest of the night had Spike not nudge his mane to get her attention. “Is everything alright? You don’t sound too good.”

“I’m fine Spike. Really.” Again she waved his worries off. “You don’t have to hang over me all the time.”

“Well somebody has to. Considering how much trouble you get without me.” Oh god. Even her own dog was looking out for her. How depressing is that?

“I’m fine. Really.”

“If you say so.”

Thankfully they were interrupted by Timber who burst out of the bedroom with a wide eyed smile on his face. “Who wants popcorn?”

Heh… she could go for some popcorn.

(Celestia’s/Luna’s apartment)

“I’m guessing from that long winded sigh of yours, the meeting with the Board of Education didn’t go so well.”

Celestia let out a mumbling noise as she put the caller on loudspeaker as she fixed herself a nice cup of coffee. “Is it that obvious?”

“It’s either that or you had the worst parent-teacher conference ever.” Sombra chuckled. “And seeing as school is still out for the holidays, I’m leaning on the former.” Dang it. Luna did say that she be quite obvious when it came to expressing things on her face, but never the sound she made.

“I’ve tried to reason with the members, but they’ve all agreed to allocate our funding for the next school year to a… more demanding academic project.” As if it wasn’t enough that they had to cut their budget to an inch of its life. If the school suffers even more damage to magical shenanigans, they’ll be putting their finance on life support. “Apparently high schools like CHS don’t exactly meet the same standards compared to colleges like Everton Academy.”

“I know the feeling.” She could see him shake his head in resentment. “Many of my students are already asking for scholarships to their school.”

“If this keeps up, I might have to cut the salaries of my staff or worse… terminate one or two just to keep the school afloat.”

“If it’s funding you need, you know you can always turn to me, right?” Of course she knew. That was pretty much the first thing that came to her mind the moment the meeting came to an end. With the amount he makes on a monthly basis paying for all his workers, expeditions, and fancy lifestyle, funding a simple school like hers would hardly register in his bank account. In fact, she had been debating herself on how to decline should the man ever offer.

“Thanks Sombra. But I think using my fairly rich boyfriend to keep my school up is kind of… cheating.”

“Sounds more like pride is getting in the way.” Ouch. No holding back on those counters. “But I understand. You raised that school yourself. So it’s only right you hold it on your own.” Oh come on! Don’t make it sound like she’s some paragon of strong-independent women. That just makes things harder. “How about a suggestion instead?”

“At this point I’m ready to go see a soothsayer for advice.” She laid the coffee on the table, bringing the phone up to her ear. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well I was combing through some of Dean Cadance’s old files and came across something rather interesting. Apparently she was working on a joint activity project between Crystal Prep and your school.” A joint activity? The Friendship Games? But that isn’t scheduled for another year or so.

“She never mentioned anything to me.”

“Well it was never completed.” Of course it wasn’t. The change of heads came rather sudden. So it was to be expected. “But according to what she wrote here, it sounds like she was planning some kind of educational event. If we put in some adjustments, we can have it as a fundraiser as well. Perhaps the two of us could take a look at it later tomorrow.”

“I don’t know. Taking Cadance’s work for ourselves doesn’t sit well with me.”

“We could bring her along as a compromise. I think she’d like to complete her grand project.”

It sounded like a lot of work. But at this rate, Celestia couldn’t think of a reason to decline. The school needed money, and she’d rather have more paperwork done than to have teachers complain about their pay cut.

“Maybe after the holidays, Sombra. I still want to enjoy what’s left of this year. Besides, Luna and I have this tradition of hanging out together in the New Year.” She muttered before her attention drew to her sister’s room. “I’ll call you later.”

A few moments later, Luna stormed out of her room with a large suitcase in hand panting.

“Oh! Celestia. Good timing.” She said like her actions didn’t really amount to any questioning. “Mind helping me with this?”

“What are you doing with all that?” The elderly sister questioned. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Not really. I thought about taking a little trip out of town for a while.” Luna shrugged back, struggling to pull the suitcase through the door. “You know… like a little vacation.” She gave it another haul but the darn thing remained stuck. “This thing looked a lot smaller when I was packing it.”

“Is something wrong, sister? You never told me of any trips.”

“It’s just a casual thing.” That sounded like a poor excuse but Celestia decided to hold that comment. “Just a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. I’ll be back for our annual New Year movie night. I promise.” After another two pulls, the suitcase finally broke free, thumping down on the floor with an audible noise. “Phew. There we go. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

Celestia barely managed to get another word in when her sister brushed pass her hauling the comically large bag on her back and walking out the door with a plastic smile on her face.

“Uh… bye?”

Author's Note

Happy 2021 folks.

Not exactly the most thrilling year to start off but certainly getting better everyday (Hopefully).

Wishing you all a pleasant week and hope you keep reading.

I know this one's a little short and nothing much happening. But like many story writers know: It's the in-between that's the hardest.

Eve

Chapter 52: Eve

(House by the hill)

When Luna made a suggestion of observing the Rainbooms she wasn’t really sure what to expect.

Honestly when she thought about seven wild teenagers hanging under one roof she was expecting something akin to her own memories back in her high school days. The ordinary times she remembered. Hanging out with Matilda, Sophie and Celestia back in their dorm over a nice cup of coco, painting their nails and talking about clothes, fashion and cute boys – and maybe even share a hobby or two. Never in her lifetime would she imagine magic being used in any regard.

While the Rainbooms certainly have an assortment of magic in their arsenal, they each seem to have a unique ability that separate them from one another. She figured it would be simple enough to record them.

But here she was, sitting by the living room, metaphorically putting one foot on her face while scribbling down what she had observed over the last few hours. An empty cup of coffee to keep her mind in check.

It started off during breakfast with Pinkie. Judging by her habit, that bubbly gal was put in charge of everything food related. A good choice seeing that this pink lady was pretty much a culinary master when it came to confection. She’d recommend these girls to get a balanced breakfast with their four basic food groups but there was no doubt in her mind that Pinkie made the best cupcakes ever. She wouldn’t mind having one after every meal. She only wished that she wouldn’t let a few of them explode just for fun.

Honestly, exploding food? What twisted logic of power is that? Does she even realize how dangerous it is handling such firepower?

Next was Applejack, who seemed to be in charge with repairing and reconstructing the house many… MANY faults. Not unexpected seeing she was proficient in arts and crafts and. If she recalls correctly, that cowgirl even had a channel in the CHS website recording many of her woodwork projects. It’s nice to see a lady not afraid to get her hands dirty. But seeing her lift a pile of wooden planks was a different thing entirely. Applejack even claimed to have stopped a rolling boulder at one point – and honestly, she believed it.

Note to self: Don’t challenge her to an arm-wrestling contest.

Then there was Fluttershy, whose power was more… fantasy related than anything. She claims she could talk to animals. But then again, Ms. Shy never really has been much of a people person. According to her personal records, she prefers the company of other creatures than those of people. Apparently it had something to do with her personality. Not much has been done seeing as she had her own circle of friends to compensate for it. Luna decided to skip the process, thinking that there wasn’t much harm in such magic.

But if she starts getting birds and mice to do the laundry for her and sing to a Princess-like tune… then she’d like to have a word.

Next up was Rarity, who… on part of her own ego… can create… diamonds?

Are they diamonds or shields? She wasn’t really sure. Not even Sunset seemed to be sure. All they seem to understand was that it is nigh unbreakable. The whole glittering glimmering beauty matched well with her personality. Rarity said that it made for a nice temporary table or chair that can be made anytime anywhere. She even stated that she uses it as a mirror to see her own reflection from time to time. Not much of a surprise there. The girl was like a goldfish – attracted to shiny things.

And of course there was Rainbow Dash. The… not-really-a-problem-child, but more of a kid with too much energy than she knows what to do with.

The captain of nearly every sports team in CHS was gifted with the ability of EFA… or Enhanced-Friction-Acceleration… or the lack of a better probably scientific name… Super Speed. Rainbow Dash can move about as fast as a speeding car with almost no acceleration needed to reach the necessary velocity. She could at one point one moment and be across the city in record time. Yet despite possessing this incredible power, her tardiness on school doesn’t seem to have changed in the slightest.

“Ugh…” Luna placed her pen down feeling another headache coming along. She grabbed her mug hoping another dose of caffeine would cure her but found it empty.

Thankfully her savior would come along soon enough pouring her a fresh steaming pot which saved her a trip to the kitchen.

“Rough morning?” The blue haired boy asked sweetly with his trademark smile.

She returned the gesture, taking a long gulp before answering. “More like a rough day. It’s only been a few hours and I’ve been having a hard time putting everything I’ve seen into paper. Kind of like writing my first thesis.”

“That actually sounds like something I’d like to read.”

Of course you would. “Except for the fact that the more I write, the more I feel like I’m writing a fantasy novel. And speaking of which, I’m grateful that you were able to accommodate me into this little abode considering the timing of it all.”

“Eh… don’t mention it.” Flash shrugged. “Honestly, I was actually surprised when you called me last night. When I heard that you wanted to move in with them I didn’t think you meant it literally.”

“It’s a temporary arrangement.” She assured him. “It’s a compromise we all agreed to. With all the trouble those girls have been running into, they could use a little guiding hand.”

“Oh I don’t think you need to worry about that. I’ve known these girls for a long time and I can guarantee they’d never use their powers for anything bad.”

Luna gave her a half-baked smirk. “I never said that they’d go around conquering the world, Flash. As far as I’m concerned, they all have a clear view of what good and evil are. It’s just that their handling of problems can be a bit… messy.”

The boy raised a finger to argue but paused. “Ok that’s fair.”

“I’m not saying that they haven’t done any good. Those girls have proven themselves capable of handling themselves in tough situations but the way they do it leaves a lot to be desired. That is why I’m here. To help them.”

“Help them how?”

She paused. “I… don’t know yet. Which is why I’m here, writing down everything I know so I can formulate some kind of plan.” In other words… she was making it up as she goes. But he didn’t need to know that. There wasn’t exactly an instruction manual to help magically gifted students.

“What about you?” She turned the question around which the boy blink dumbly in return.

“What about me?”

“What do get out of all of this?” Her eyes darted remained on him even as she took another sip off her cup. “I know you’ve been helping these girls for the last few weeks now but I can’t wrap around my head as to why.”

“They’re my friends. It’s only right that I help them.”

“Oh please. You really think using the ‘Friendship’ card is gonna get you out of this one?” Luna grew a smirk. “Flash. I’ve seen you help a lot of your friends during your time in CHS. But there’s a limit to what friends can do. Maybe you help them cheat in a test, or give them a ride around town. And despite your wealthy background, I don’t think what you’re doing is beyond what ordinary friends do. If you had any common sense, you’d probably stay as far away from these girls.”

“But I…”

“You helped out Applejack by fixing up her barn.” She reminded, drawing a finger out with every example. She remembered that one because Sombra muttered it on a passing conversation. “You constantly put yourself in danger fighting against unnatural forces and if I’m hearing things correctly, you spent nearly a whole week trapped inside a cave.” Naturally that last one was an obvious lie but she wasn’t 100% sure on that just yet. She hasn’t gotten the full story out of him or Twilight.

Flash’s guarded face broke. He crumpled down to his seat looking like a kid who was caught in a lie.

“Ok… so maybe I might’ve gotten a little overboard.”

Overboard?

Kiddo, I think you have gone wave over overboard. You have seven young pretty girls who are pretty much celebrities in school, living under your roof living off your dad’s expense without his knowledge. If you were anyone else, I’d think you were planning something sinister with them. Thankfully he wasn’t. At least…… she hoped not. That kind of scandal would be too raunchy even for the school. The media will be having a field day. And Neighsay too would be munching on the school’s tattered reputation like it was a medium rare steak.

“I’m not scolding you, Flash.” Luna clarified hinting a smile. “I’m actually glad that you’re helping these girls out in their time of need. God knows they need it. But in my lifetime experience, nobody does anything without expecting something in return.” Her gaze fell dimly at him. “So why are you doing all of this? What do you hope to gain from everything you’ve done for them?” And like a cornered rat, the boy shifted uncomfortably as his eyes cast away from her. Luna followed his glance towards the window, outside where the girls were busy honing their magic under the supervision of a certain redhead.

Sunset Shimmer. She almost forgot about her. The actual problem-child of this little family. The source of all this magical nonsense. Her special ability was that of mind-reading. Out of all the girls whose power can be considered extraordinary, hers was perhaps the most dangerous one.

To have the ability to read anyone’s thoughts and rip them out without their permission? That was frightening. There would be no secret she can’t uncover, no lie that she can’t see through. All she needed was a touch and all your deepest darkest secrets will be out in the open.

She can find the answers to all the questions in a test, know what’ll be on the lunch menu tomorrow… or worse… she’ll find out that she’s been using Celestia’s makeup supply for the last month to save money! Eeep!

The fact that she hasn’t abused that power yet can be considered a blessing at this point. Seriously… reading minds? Luna would rather face off with a fire-breathing dragon. To think she and Flash used to date.

And with that moment of weakness… of unguarded fortitude, it all became clear. She saw it clear as day on that boy’s face. The way his expression mellowed, how his eyes softened, and how his lips parted in longing.

“Oh my…”

Luna stifled a gasp which thankfully he didn’t seem to notice. It was brief and he tried to hide it but she could gather everything she needed in that one look.

“I see…” She said finally bringing him back to attention. “That’s certainly a better reason.”

His head snapped in her direction, cheeks turning redder than a tomato. “I… didn’t say anything.”

You didn’t have to. Your face practically said it all.

They say that love can make you do the craziest things. And right now she was inclined to agree. Let’s just hope Celestia doesn’t make the same mistake – or Sombra for that matter.

She turned a glance over to the fireplace where a younger – handsomer – Sombra stared down at her with Sophie sitting beside him.

But before she could say anymore, a strange musical tune echoed nearby.

xxxxxxxxxx

What were they talking about?

Sunset snuck a glance over by the living room only to see Flash and Luna having a civilized conversation by the table. She hope she wasn’t scolding him. The boy had enough on his plate. He didn’t want him to get in trouble because he was helping them.

“Applejack sweetie. Are you sure about this?” Rarity called out worryingly from the sideline watching the cowgirl do a number of stretches as if she was about to do a marathon.

“A hundred percent!” She responded flexing her arms. “Lay it on me. I haven’t met something I haven’t been able to crush with these bad boys.”

“I’m still not sure if this is a good idea.” A few of the others agreed.

“Stop worrying and start showing. I can take it.”

They were out in the backyard of the house practicing out their magic. After Luna asked for a demonstration of their unique abilities, Sunset thought that it was high time they got some decent practice. If they were gonna deal with enemies the likes of Hoity Toity or Cinch, they had to be prepared. Their arsenal of magical artifacts from Equestria can only do so much so improving their magic might even out the odds.

With a hesitant wave of her hands, Rarity conjured a large diamond shield hovering over Applejack – and with a twist of her arms it dropped on the cowgirl creating a large crash. Everyone knew how tough Rarity’s shields can be. It can stop a direct blow from a rampaging robot and handle a laser beam without a single tare. But then again, it never went against Applejack’s barbaric brute strength either.

When the smoke finally cleared, the result was in.

“Ow…” Applejack laid on the snow, puffing out air trapped under the shield which quickly vanished. “Ugh… man. So much for that idea. That was heavy. And here I thought I was the rock.”

Pinkie Pie laughed on the sideline. “Come on Applejack. Everyone knows paper beats rock every time. It’s the natural order of things.” Yeah… if the paper was made out of diamonds.

“Well I guess that’s one way to find out.” Sunset admitted whistling over to the others. “Fluttershy. Mind cleaning that up?”

“Already on it.” With a puck of her lips and a few wacky sounds here and there, a family of moles poked their heads out of the ground as if to answer her call. With a digging skill of nature, they fixed up the hole on the ground within seconds. It was nice for them to offer their assistance in their training regime.

So it would seem Applejack’s super-strength has its limit. Despite being stronger than your average human being, she’s still susceptible to damage. And Rarity’s shield seems to have more room to grow… quite literally in fact. She can change the shape and enlarge it as much as she desires at the cost of more magical energy. Give her enough time and training she could probably shape them together to form so many things – other than a paperweight.

“Alright. Pinkie Pie. You’re up next.” The bubbly gal nodded and immediate hopped on the plate, ponying up and bringing the cupcakes she made this morning. “We’ll be testing out what affects your explosive uh… confectionaries.”

“You got it!” She quickly lined a few of them on the makeshift table as Rarity conjured more of her shields to act as target practice. “This one is a low sugar dosed. Batter up!”

Sunset watched as her friend threw a perfect pitch, the cupcake reduced to an exploding powdery substance upon impact. She took down notes, only to pull a stop when Rainbow Dash snuck up beside her.

“Are you really ok with all of this?” The sports gal whispered gesturing to the house where Flash and Vice-Principal Luna continued their ongoing discussion.

“With what?”

“You know what I mean. Having the head honcho stay at your place?” She clarified. “I mean… isn’t that a bit… overboard?”

Sunset shrugged. “Vice-Principal Luna said that it’s just a temporary arrangement. She’ll just be staying over for a couple of weeks to observe us. And honestly I can’t decline. We have been making quite a mess everywhere we go. And who knows? This might actually be a good thing. Having someone else supervise us can lead to a different result.”

“But don’t you think that might just be a teeny bit awkward? Aren’t you the least bit upset having your place invaded?”

“Ok… 1st) It’s not my place. It’s Flash’s old house. I’m just squatting there until I can save enough to get another apartment.” Which would take her a few months if she continues her part time job at the Sushi Store. A couple of weeks if she can get a second job. But seeing that it’s the Winter Holidays… that won’t be happening any time soon. “And 2nd) Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy all agreed. Sure it’s a little bit weird having her stay, but there’s nothing I can do about it. She even asked Flash’s permission too. So we’re outta luck there.”

“Yeah… but it’s our unofficial clubhouse. It’s gonna totally ruin the dynamic of our system.”

“What system?”

She blatantly ignored the question and ranted on. “What if she doesn’t wanna leave? What if she gets too comfortable and wants to stick around longer?”

“Rainbow Dash. You’re being paranoid. It’s only been one day. Give it some time. I’m sure you’ll get over it.” Fat chance of that happening though.

“Double caramel cupcake, incoming!” Pinkie announced tossing another bundle from her hair like it was an endless void. The explosion was a bit bigger but nothing Rarity’s shields couldn’t handle.

“But what if this gets worse?” Rainbow added much to her frustration. “First it’ll be Luna. What next? Principal Celestia? Our parents?”

“I highly doubt Vice-Principal Luna would want this to escalate any further than it has. And besides, I have this magic compass to look into. Now will you calm down? I’m trying to take notes here.”

“Triple whipped cream whip lash!” Pinkie said with even more enthusiasm before swinging it in with another. “Super Sunday Surprise!”

“Ok Pinkie. That’s enough.”

“Quadruple nut monger!”

“Pinkie?”

“Quintuple banana supreme!”

Oh crud…

“Pinkie!?” Rarity cried out. “No!”

WHAM and BOOM. The cupcake exploded into a creamy delight covering the whole ground with its contents. The gang could only stand and stare while Pinkie catered an adorable ‘Oops’ in the background. Rarity on the other hand went deathly pale when she saw the stains on her jacket.

“Ugh… this is gonna take a while. Fluttershy?”

“On it.” The animal lover gave a whistling tune calling the folks in the forest to clean up the place.

Well… at least those guys will be having a good lunch.

But just before Rainbow Dash could mutter another word, Flash called her out from the window. “Sunset. You got a call!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Oh… my… goodness. This has got to be the most adorable way of communication ever. A real live genuine life form from another world!

Luna wanted to squeal but kept her professionalism in check. Honestly when she heard the music box playing she thought it was just another fancy item. But when the pony ornament began to speak it honestly freaked her out and in a good way too.

“You found out where the magic came from?” Sunset looked practically ecstatic when the pony made her announcement.

“Yup!” Starlight Glimmer, the name of the purple pony, nodded in confirmation. “Sunburst and Starswirl found out about it a few days ago. It’s a world called Ezaquatel. According to what Starswirl said: It’s supposedly a land brimming with magic. And get this. The magic resonating from that place matches the one in the bracelet and the Portal Stone perfectly. So we’re absolutely sure that they came from that world.”

“That’s… awesome! Finally a lead. Anything else you can tell me?”

“Well… other than what I just said, not really.” The figurine shrugged cutely. “I just came by to give you an update. We wanted to check it out for ourselves but Starswirl insisted that he goes by himself. Something about not mucking up the worlds or something. Eh… I’m sure he’s fine. He is Starswirl after all. And who is… that?” She pointed her finger… or maybe that was her hoof… in her direction.

“That’s Luna.” Sunset answered. “She’s the Vice-Principal of our school. She’s staying for a while. It’s a long story.” The pony on the pedestal gave a long stare at her like she was looking at an exotic animal in a zoo. “Anything else to report?”

Starlight shook, turning back towards the redhead. “Well actually, I was kind of hoping you could help out. Sunburst was asking if you had any more of those artifacts with the unique magic. He says if we had them, we could better understand its nature.”

“Absolutely. We got this magic compass and another bracelet from Hoity Toity. I’ll send them over by the portal later this evening.”

The conversation went on for another few minutes but Luna had pretty much lost all track of whatever it was they were saying.

Magic portals.

Artifacts?

Magic resonances?

A pony that communicate through music box?

Starswirl the bearded who was related to science and culture was some kind of world traveling explorer?

Flash was right beside the girl, listening intently, and seemed to understand the general idea of the conversation. He also seemed to be deep in thought. Perhaps he could contribute in some way.

There were so many questions and there was no way in heck she was gonna be able to answer any of them. Not in this lifetime or the next.

And if she was gonna be any help around here, then she needed some references.

(Camp Everfree)

Twilight felt like she was the luckiest gal in the world as she handled the kitchen work preparing dinner. The water was boiling in the pot with a sweet aroma coming from the lid. Her personal favorite stew was well on its way. All she needed to do now was wait. After a day full of riveting activities, a quiet evening in the cabin with a nice warm meal seemed like the perfect way to wind down.

Timber kept his promise down to a tee. From early dawn to dusk he delivered everything he stated without a skip.

In the morning he brought her to the river which had been half-frozen and took her ice-skating. The weather was perfect and the morning sun made it even better. They played and danced, and even Spike got to make a snow angel down by the snow – or was it a snow cupid? It was hard to tell. Either way the little guy spent the rest of the day chasing rabbits and squirrels.

By noon, Timber took her out canoeing downstream which led them through a gorgeous frozen ravine. It was like sailing down a river made entirely of diamonds. And then from the edge of the woods, they walked through the forest in relative silence hearing nothing but their own heartbeats and some lame jokes Timber cooked up in his free time.

By the time they got back, the sun was already setting giving the whole camp this sweet red glow.

It was the making of a romantic dinner.

And honestly, Twilight had to admit that the day was pretty romantic. From the atmosphere, to the setting, right down to the very last detail. It was everything a girl like her could ask for in a date. Folks would be turning green with envy if they knew what she went through the last few hours. There was no way in heck she could possibly be uncharmed by such a splendid day. Now all that was missing was the two of them snuggling by the fireplace.

Yet… why?

Why did it all feel so… shallow?

Why was there no spark?

Something didn’t sit right with her. With the day she spent with her boyfriend she should be half-way over the moon, dancing with joy and humming to the tune of some invisible music or breaking into a song. But instead there was nothing. No butterflies in her stomach, no glitter or glamor, not even a shooting star. Just your same old woodland background.

“Tired of your boring love life already?” Midnight ask, appearing out of the blue like usual. “And here I thought you were having a good time.”

She did have a good time. A great time actually. Taking the scenic view from the woods and sharing such a romantic stroll with Timber should’ve felt great. But instead it only made her stomach churn.

“I’m just tired.” She threw out that plain of an excuse which the angel simply rolled her eyes to. “Maybe I’m just worried about something else.”

“Or maybe you’ve grown apart.”

“That’s not true.”

Midnight scoffed. “Honey, please. I’m inside your head. You can’t keep anything from me even if you tried.” She then gently floated towards the table, passing through the furniture like a ghost. “I know every little thought and everything you feel. Face it: You’re bored.”

“Oh like you’re the master when it comes to relationships.”

“I know for a fact that you’re not feeling any of that romantic spark between you.”

“That’s not true.” She repeated. “There was some romantic sparks. Timber was sweet the whole time.”

Midnight looked like she was going to snap, but decided to just put it down. “You know what? Forget it. I didn’t sign up to be your life councilor. Arguing with you is just putting more headache… and I’m saying that as someone inside your head for that matter.” She then took a deep breath before continuing. “What I’m concerned is that you let an opportunity to study magic, slip through your fingers. I mean come on! A magic compass? Do you know what implications we could be doing right now?”

“Flash already got that covered.” Twilight returned to her stew, stirring the pot calmly. “I’m sure he and Sunset are already working on it. They’ll let me know if they find anything.”

A grin found its way to Midnight’s face. “Or maybe they’ll be too busy with each other.”

Her stirring came to a halt. “Wh… what do you mean?”

“Oh please. You know exactly how that boy is head over heels for that unicorn. If I was a betting girl, I’d say that they’re spending their nights just like you are now. Walking down the beach holding hands, having a special dinner – or maybe even nuzzling with one another by the fireplace.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Her voice trembled, which she quickly corrected. “Sure, they’re into each other. But the other girls will be there too. Besides, they’re professionals. They wouldn’t let their personal relationship get in the way of researching.”

“Are you talking about them, or yourself?”

“What are you getting at?”

Midnight dragged her hand down her face in frustration. “Wow… you… are super dense.”

Twilight couldn’t really understand where she was going with this. Of course Flash would take any opportunity to be with Sunset. He was… like she says… head over heels for her. She wouldn’t be surprised if they got back together somehow. He’d shower her with all the love and… attention she needed, take her to all the fancy places money could buy, and…… they’d be together… forever.

Forever…

They’d all be… happy… right?

“Not everyone.” Midnight whispered joyfully in her ear before vanishing again without a response.

Twilight shivered, returning to her stirring while a part of her pondered on the thought.

(CHS) (Guidance Councilor’s office)

Neighsay would say that he was a punctual man. He cast a glance at his new office and admired his work. To think that this place was nothing more than just an ordinary store room a few hours ago. Now it was redone to give the look of professionalism. No one would ever think that a simple table and a few chairs here and there would change the outlook. While not as admirable as his previous post back in Manehattan or Fillydelphia, it was impressive enough to pass his standards.

Hopefully the students that come through his door will be just as acceptable.

A knock on the door alerted him to a visitor.

“Excuse me. Professor Neighsay?” The school janitor asked poking his head in. “We’re just about to close up. Will you be taking any longer?”

Ah proper respect and mannerism. A breath of fresh air after looking through all the faculties.

“Just a few more minutes.” He answered. “I’ll be out the door by then. Thank you.” The older man nodded and slowly withdrew from the door.

The night was quiet. Probably because of the New Year fast approaching. Most of the faculty are probably heading home to visit their friends and families. This means the counselor was pretty much alone, which was good. That means less chance of people hearing him.

Closing the blinds of his window and locking the door shut, he walked over to his desk and pulled out the first drawer.

A black gemstone attached to a bracelet came into view. He scoffed lowly before putting around his wrist. The jewelry suddenly hummed with power before tearing through a portal in an open space. A swirling projection shot open as a feminine figure stood by as if expecting his call.

“Neighsay…” The figure spoke.

“Master.” The man tilted his head in a gesture of a bow. He said nothing else and kept his head in that position until she spoke again.

“This call was scheduled. Report.”

He raised his head back, maintaining a tone of complete discipline. “All is prepared. I’ve completed my transfer to CHS. So far no one has discovered my presence. Not even those girls whom we suspected of magical interference.” He paused and allowed the silence to linger before continuing. “As for the museum project. I’m afraid the damage done from the fire is far more significant than we imagined. Cinch has also drained much magic from the Chalice of Wishes. Repairs are being done and we are searching replacement for the lost magic. Though I’m afraid we will not be able to make the scheduled deadline. We will have to skip this year’s Winter Solstice.”

The woman on the other side huffed, eyes narrowing in displeasure. But she maintained a calm voice. “This is unacceptable. All the progress we’ve done over the last decade has been undone by… children!? This interference has cost us too much.”

“We can hardly put all the blame on the children.” Neighsay added. “Cinch was never truly one of us. We were nothing more than tools in her eyes. As for Hoity. Well… his arrogance and underestimation of his opponents was his downfall. Not to mention he was secretly using some of our magic to further his own goals of popularity.”

A thin line appeared on the lower face forming a scowl. “Hoity was ambitious. His plans nearly exposed us all. He will be properly punished.”

“As he should.”

“We cannot afford anymore setbacks. Those girls has caused us too much grief. Destroying them must now be our priority.”

Neighsay raised his head up. “I must decline that, Master.” The figure raised a brow but waited for him to explain. “While I must admit that these… children have thrown a wrench in many of our operations here in Canterlot, we cannot deny that they have aided us in purifying our organization. Were it not for them, worse things could’ve happened. And we would be stuck dealing with them ourselves.”

“Hmm… true.” The woman nodded. “But they did not help us directly. Leaving them alone could spell disaster for main project.”

“I will ensure that the Chalice and the museum are protected at all times. That is what I am here for after all.” Neighsay added. “But it will not be long before these girls sniff us out again. They appear to have a habit of discovering our operations. So in turn I would like to offer a suggestion.”

“Hmm… proceed.”

“Cinch was never truly a member of our organization but her management skills were top notched. Which is why we assigned her to the project. Her magical skills weren’t on par with our older members. However… Hoity is not the case. Even I would have difficulties subduing someone of his caliber.” He paced towards his desk, slapping a paper with the Rainboom’s faces. “Talent like that is not easily found.”

“What are you suggesting?”

He smiled. “I was thinking we could get these girls to join us.”

Break Time

Chapter 53: Break Time

(Canterlot Mall)

Luna had many regrets in her life. Never been able to go on a traveling spree across the world when she could, never having the courage to ask her high school quarterback out on prom, or figuring out which ice cream flavor she preferred – vanilla or Sunday Supreme.

But right now her biggest regret of today was making way too much purchase. She was walking down the mall with four plastic bags on each hand, each of them weighing like dumbbells, and a backpack so heavy that it was practically straightening her spine.

A few pedestrians gave her a weird look but most of them steered clear of her path. Some might even think that this woman was on a shopping spree. But sadly, the truth was way less entertaining.

After yesterday’s studying into the magical lives of those girls, Luna came to the realization that she had absolutely no clue on how to help them. Their magic was like a completely different language. One that was filled with more key words than your average tongue twister. Relics, artifacts, portals. You may as well be talking gibberish and the result would be the same. She had no clue to how any of them work or function. No way of putting two and two together. And so she decided to seek out knowledge from the one place that had remotely any information about it.

Books!

She ransacked the fictional section of every bookstore in the mall and strapped them to her back. From the Idiot’s Guide to Hexes and Charms, to Old Wives’ Tales of Talismans and Enchantment, right down to the Instruction Manual of Ogres & Oubliettes. She was gonna study them all and become a Level 20 Sorceress or by god she will die trying. At least one of them must have the knowledge she needs to provide some semblance of aid.

That alone was going to cost her, her Winter Holiday bonus.

After walking through a crowd of last minute shoppers, the poor Vice-Principal slumped down to the closest bench hoping to catch her breath.

“Hoo boy.” She panted heavily. “That’s it. I’m putting gym in my New Year’s resolution.” And that would’ve been the end of it, had destiny not decided to mess with her life just a tad bit. Just when she leaned down for a little rest, the books she had in her backpack spilled forth like a torrent spreading across the floor like an abstract piece of art. And to top it all off, a kid walked by uncaringly, his ice cream cone dripping messily on one of them. Her eyes cast down at it before she muttered. “Of course. Why not?”

With a groan and a sigh of admittance she began gathering her new collection feeling dejected as a girl having a bad day.

Thankfully fate was not completely heartless.

“Last minute shopping?” A familiar voice came over, handing her a portion of her fallen collection.

She smirked at his appearance. “Not exactly. More of a… personal interest.”

“Magic and Mystics?” Sombra raised a brow noting the title on the book.

“Like I said: Personal interest.” She snatched it off and stuffed the rest back into her backpack. “And what are you doing here so close to New Year? Did you finally decided to buy the whole mall? If you did, I’d like all-year discount at the salon.”

The older gentleman chuckled at her attempts of humor which said otherwise. “Just because I have money, doesn’t mean I splurge it unnecessarily. I have something people call restraint.”

Ehmm hmm. Says the man who owns a private jet, a private yacht, and a whole fleet of cars under his mansion. Seriously though. One of these days, she was gonna call on his favor and take a trip down to Manehattan.

“So if you’re not here to buy the mall, then why are you here? I figured someone as busy as you would be ordering things online instead of getting your hands dirty.”

Sombra scoffed. “Need I remind you that I am a renowned archeologist? I am not so pampered not to get my own hands dirty. But if you must know.” A smile crossed his face as he pulled a photo album from his jacket. “I’m actually here to pick up a gift for my son.”

Her eyes widened with interest. “Didn’t you get him a phone earlier?”

“That was just a formality. This one is far more personal.” She gave an ‘Oh’ sound. “It’s a personalized photo album of his childhood. I gathered all the pictures from our storage and put them all in one absolutely stunning album. That way he can look back at all the good times we’ve had together.”

“That… that actually sounds pretty good.” And she didn’t even have to exaggerate it. “Well done Sombra. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you. And I made quite a scene for it too.” A scene? “I told Flash that I would be busy with my election campaign this weekend.”

“On New Year’s Eve?”

“Yes! It’s all a ruse of course.” He clarified quickly enough. “I took your advice to do something special. And when he comes home, I’ll surprise him with a party. With balloons and fireworks and a feast just for the two of us. I had my butler prepare all of his favorites.” He sighed. “He’ll come home, I’ll shout out ‘Surprise’, it’ll be wonderful, I will give him his gift, we will talk, hang out, we will bond, and it will be heartwarming!”

“That sounds…… great?” More like a recipe for disaster but Luna didn’t have the courage to say that.

“I know, right? I knew I’d get this whole parenting thing right eventually. Ha! Flash will be so thrilled.”

“Yeah… but don’t you think you’re overthinking this? I mean… won’t it be better to keep things simple? You don’t need to go over the top.”

“Simplicity is overrated.” He flaunted his arms dramatically as if to make a point. “I’m squeezing in years of lost time into this one magnificent evening. I’m going all out! Besides, he enjoy parties like this. I know my son better than most people.”

Do you also know that he’s converted your old house into a private club for 7 girls who are holding a secret war against a magical organization?

No?

I didn’t think so.

“You really think you’re gonna win your son over with some surprise flashy gimmick?”

“Uh… yes?” He looked back, noting her shaking head. “No? Maybe?”

Oh good god. And to think this guy will be the next mayor of Canterlot City. The guy was a complete showboat. If every problem in the world can be solved by throwing money at it, he’d be great at bringing out world peace. Unfortunately things weren’t that simple.

“Look I’m the least qualified person to tell you how to bond with your son. But I’m sure that you don’t need to go this far to earn his affection. Try something simple.”

“You mean… fly him out to Las Pegasus?”

Yes!

“No!” Her mouth ran differently as she resisted the urge to face palm. “Did you not hear what I said just now? I said simple, not expensive! Go on a trip with him. Take a walk down the park, play catch in your backyard, go fishing!?”

“So… an outdoors activity?”

“ANYTHING! Ao long as you two are together. How hard can this be for you to understand?”

“So… no gift?”

“No!” She paused. “I mean. Yes. Gift yes. Just… be there for him when he needs you. Oh gods. This is not how I wanted to spend my holiday.” The lady let out a long groan. “I hope your son isn’t as dumb as you are.”

(House by the hill)

“You want me to what?” Flash balked loudly nearly sputtering his drink all over the place. “You want me to date who? Why?”

Ha… she knew that this would be his reaction. Not really much of a surprise but still… the man should be more intoned.

“Rainbow Dash.” Rarity clarified doing her best to appear a calm as the wind but on the inside she was just as panicky as Flash was. “And not actual dating darling. It’s just playing pretend. Rainbow Dash made the unfortunate mistake of claiming to her parents that you were her… ugh… boyfriend.” She shivered at that last word.

“Again… why?” He directed the question to the sports girl who looked back guiltily.

“I was under duress, alright? They were gonna set me up with their friend’s kids and stuff. They were planning on playdates and meetings. They looked so happy and I didn’t want to make them feel bad, so I did the logical thing and picked someone out instead.”

The logical thing would be to tell them the truth darling. Not this.

“Ok but why me?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to ask her.” Rarity thumbed over to her multi-colored-hair friend. “Apparently you made quite the impression with her mother.”

“But we only saw each other one time and that was like… half a minute?”

Rainbow scoffed. “Yeah… my mom has a very hyperactive imagination. She tends to do make up scenarios and stuff. And you’re pretty much the first guy I ever brought to our place so she technically made up the whole thing in her head. But the matching jacket we wore kind of sealed the whole deal for her.”

“In other words: It’s completely your fault.” Rarity added judgingly earning a scowl from her friend. “So to ensure that Rainbow’s parents don’t go playing matchmaker, we have to sell the idea that the two of you are in a steady relationship.”

“Do I get a say in this?”

She eyed Flash, shrugging. “Naturally. You have the option to say no. But…” She pointed to the Rainbow Dash.

“Please Flash!” Rainbow begged, hands clasped together. “I’m asking for a big favor just this once. I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow. Please?” Ah… the art of begging. Never fails to soften a simpleton’s heart.

Flash dragged a hand down his face in frustration. “Ugh… I dunno you two. This sounds kind of… messy.” That’s one way to describe it. Honestly a part of her wished that he did decline. That would certainly teach Rainbow to be more honest and face her problems head on.

“Pretty please?”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you just told them the truth?”

“Triple pretty please with cherry on top?”

“It seems rather excessive.”

“Please?”

“But…”

“Please please please please please please~~~~!?” She added that last bit with a puppy dog pout, pressing her hair against his arm. A classic seduction technique. The boy held fast against her charms. But to go against such cuteness, such desperation and bland seduction, he faltered.

His expression mellowed instantly in defeat. A groan escaped him, along with a faint smile. “Alright fine. I suppose one little act can’t hurt.”

“Yes!” Rainbow beamed bringing the boy in for a big hug. “Thank you thank you thank you! You’re a lifesaver Flash. You won’t regret this. I promise.” Somehow she feels like that wasn’t gonna be the case.

“Let’s save the thanks for later.” He casually pushed her away. “So how are we gonna trick your parents into believing that we’re together-together? Do we just play it slow or…?”

“That’s where I come in, darling.” Rarity raised her hand up proudly. “We imitate the script of Emerald Oaks, Season 2 Episode 5.”

“Emerald Oaks?” Flash tilted his head completely dumbfounded. “That TV drama show?”

“Precisely.” She paced around the two judging their fashion from top to bottom. “We’ll add a few extra additions to the lines here and there but the routine should be all the same. You’ll be invited to a dinner date at Rainbow Dash’s place tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow!?” They yelled.

“So soon?”

“On New Year’s Eve-Eve!?”

But Rarity remained firm on that decision. There was no way in heck she was gonna let this whole shenanigan linger any longer than it needed to. “Why of course darlings! The sooner we get this whole charade done, the sooner we can get back to our ordinary lives.” Rainbow Dash tried to protest but couldn’t really come up with anything better. “Now. Before we proceed, we’ll need to make it look like you two are actually going out. But seeing as this is still a very new relationship, we have to take it slow. Like snail kind of slow.” Her eyes wandered around them before her fingers snapped. “I got it. Rainbow, you still have Flash’s matching jacket?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Good. Wear that when you two meet. It’ll sell the scene much more convincingly. And it’ll hide that old fashion of yours.”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Rarity gave her a look. “Other than it being three seasons old? Everything. We need to make it look like you’re putting some effort for this whole dating thing. Change up your style a tad bit here and there. The jacket is only the cream of the crop. Put on a different colored skirt. Oh! And maybe add some accessories like a pin or necklace. Jewelry never fails to make ladies shine.”

Rainbow stared. “I don’t do jewelry.”

“You do and you will do it now.” Rarity gave a threatening tone before she turned to the other actor. “And Flash.” The boy stood stiffer than a board. “You’re fine. Just go as you are.”

“Uh… thanks?”

“Now I’ve printed out the script you need to memorize to heart.” Rarity then produced two stacks of paper and handed it over to them like she had been preparing for this moment. “No need to stick to every word. Just get the feelings down and you should all be fine. Remember: You need to sell the scene so try to sound passionate, awkward, like a young couple in love!”

“Right~.” Flash flipped through the pages and whistled cautiously. “This sounds more complicated than it needs to be. Can’t I just… you know… pop in and say hi?”

“Of course not! This isn’t just some gathering. First time meetings are very important. It will be crucial. Her parents will judge you for all your worth. You must be strong, but open. Not intimidating, but firm. Pleasant and polite, but not show weakness. Even a single wrong word can spell disaster! The main character of Emerald Oak said so herself.”

“Did she? Because I don’t remember this part in the episode.”

“Tut tut. Let’s start rehearsing. Flash. I want genuine feelings from you. And Rainbow. Don’t forget to smile dear. You’re with your boyfriend and family so always try to keep a cheerful appearance. We can’t have your sulky disposition ruin this whole charade.”

“Ugh… fine.” Rainbow looked at her script boringly and immediately noted something strange. “Uh… why are my pages blank?”

“That’s because you won’t be saying anything.” Rarity clarified taking a seat by her chair. “This dinner will mostly be your parents interrogating Flash. So he will be doing most of the talking. Besides, we all know that the less you open your mouth, the less chance you’ll have to mess this up.” It was harsh but it was true. That girl’s mouth can get her in more trouble than an electric disco ball in a funeral. “Now be quiet on the set while I run our darling Flash here through some pointers. We have a lot to do and not a lot of time to practice.”

(Equestria) (Castle of Friendship)

Sunset had almost forgotten how it felt to have a properly functioning magical laboratory. While the technology of the human world can be convenient, it’s nothing compared to the ingenuity of well-trained magicians. No more thermos or beakers or paying electricity bills. It was all just magic from here on. Magic and spells.

“And done.” Starlight announced as she whisked the magical object from the table. “You were right. This thing really is enchanted with magic. A very complex one too if I may add. Where’d you say you got this?”

She shrugged. “It’s from a friend. Kind of like a collector. Can you tell me what kind of magic at least?”

“Well… from what I can gather over a quick look, it seems to be nothing more than a simple searching spell.” Starlight placed the compass back on the table as she explained. “But it’s interwoven on the artifact unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It searches for anything bearing strong ties to magic and directs the arrow towards it. See?” She gave an example by using her horn which sparked the compass to point towards her. “Short, simple but very effective.”

“And is it the same from… Ez… Ez… ma?”

“Ezaquatel.” She corrected. “The land of untamed magic, according to Sunburst’s description. And yes it is. The magic resonance is identical to the bracelet and the Portal Stone you brought. This should be more than enough to confirm our suspicions. I don’t suppose you’ll let me keep the compass for a while? I’m sure Starswirl will want to take a look at it once he gets back from the other world.”

That would be grand. With all the tools this place had, they’d be able to make that compass sing like a tuneless guitar. But unfortunately, it also came with a pretty bad warranty.

“Sorry Starlight. I’d love to leave it here, but I can’t. It’s kind of on loan at the moment.”

The purple pony gave a look. “Hmph. I can say the same about the stuff I let you borrow.” But she digressed and returned it either way, the red pony stuffing it into her satchel.

“Sorry. I’ll be sure to return every one of those relics as soon as things settle down. I promise.”

“Emm hmm…” She didn’t look that certain. “You know many of those things are extremely dangerous. The Alicorn Amulet in particular. Are you sure you can’t return just that one instead?”

“Nope. At least not yet.” Sunset reassured her, nudging her snout away. “It’s kind of a last resort thing. And don’t worry. I already made sure that it won’t corrupt me.”

“And how do you get it to do that? When Trixie used it, it corrupted her almost immediately. She even ruled over Ponyvile for a couple of days.”

“That’s because I don’t use the magic directly.” Sunset explained. “I merge it with my geode. So whenever I use the amulet, my necklace becomes a filter for all that bad magic. So you have absolutely no need to worry about me going all conquering evil…… again.”

“Oh please.” Starlight shrugged her history off like it was nothing. “If we’re talking about who’s the most evil around here, I got you beat by a mile, sister. I once almost destroyed the fabric of the universe by using an ancient time-traveling spell.”

“That doesn’t sound like something you should boast about.”

“I know. But trust me. Whenever you start thinking that you’re bad or evil, just think of me… and you’ll feel all better.” Starlight threw her head in distraught. “Alright fine. You can keep the Alicorn Amulet. But just so you know: Twilight isn’t gonna like it when she finds out that I gave YOU some dangerous artifacts from the vault.”

“I’ll be sure to explain it to her myself.”

“Good.” She nodded back, accepting the conclusion. “And speaking of Twilight. Have you decided who you’re bringing as your Plus-1 to the coronation?” Sunset drew a blank which pretty much answered her question. “You do remember that Twilight’s coronation is in two days… right?”

“Uh… yeah… totally.” She didn’t. Though to be honest, a lot of things have been going through her mind lately. “Actually… thinking about it now. I think I’ll skip it.”

“WHAT!?” Starlight snapped, coming face to face with the red maned pony. “Are you out of your mind!? This is the coronation party. The only coronation party in like… EVER! Do you not understand how rare these invitations are!?”

Ok… personal space please.

“It’s just that with everything happening back at home, I don’t think I’ll have the time to attend. With all this magic fiasco and my financial problems, I’ll be too busy keeping my life together.”

“But Twilight made the whole reservation. She’ll be so disappointed.” Oh come on. Don’t do that pouty face. Now you’re just making me feel guilty. “Won’t you reconsider?”

“I… I can’t. I just can’t afford it. If things starts to go wrong and if I’m not there…”

“Oh come on.” Starlight insisted. “It’s just one afternoon. Surely nothing bad can happen just because you’re not there for a few hours. And it would mean so much for Twilight if you just showed up and say hi. She’s actually been looking forward to seeing you again.”

“I wouldn’t really want to bother her especially with her new duties.”

“Exactly!” The purple pony exclaimed. “This might be the only chance you get to see the Princess. Once she’s crowned, she’ll officially be the new ruler of all Equestria. She’ll be busy ruling an entire nation. There’s no telling when you’ll be able to see each other again after.”

“Wow… when you put it like that it does sound pretty important.”

“It is important! Why else would she send you an invitation?”

Sunset sighed and hovered the invite in front of her. The ink on the letter still visible.

“Can you at least consider?” Starlight pleaded. “There’s still two days left before the coronation. Please. It would mean so much to her.”

“I…” Another sigh. “Alright. I’ll give it some thought. Just… don’t expect much.”

And even if I did want to come… who was I even gonna bring?

(Museum of Natural History)

30 minutes left till closing time.

Maud let out a breath as she filed the last of her folders into her desk. Normally the head clerk would be in charge of filing all manner of paperwork around here but she took her leave early saying she wants to spend time with her family.

It was fine. It’s not like this place had a list of visitors coming in. After the Yaztec exhibition a few months back, this whole place has become a ghost town, and even more so after the fire that caused untold damage on the new wing. Nowadays the only people that come here are construction workers, employees and maybe the occasional rare tourist who saw their pamphlet or flyers across town.

Maud didn’t mind being a stand in. With the holidays up and about, getting a part time job around here was practically impossible. So anything that can generate revenue was a godsend at this point. Not that she needed it, but shopping gifts for the whole family wasn’t exactly easy especially with Limestone’s expensive taste. The eldest of the Pie sisters always had an interest for the fancier things in life.

Having her usual deadpanned stare, the girl checked the time on the clock and nodded. “Looks like we get to close early today, Boulder.” Her pet rock simply responded by being completely still. “That’s actually a good idea. We should stop by the Sweet Shoppe. Pinkie will definitely love some cake.” She reached into her desk producing a set of keys. “I’ll go and lock up the other rooms. You stay here and keep watch.”

She went off with a small smile, doing the same routine she had been so accustomed to after working in this museum for over a year. She knew all the hallways, all the corners, all the items, rocks and bones placed in every area like it was her own personal backyard.

The only one she hadn’t really got a hang of was the new wing that they were rebuilding.

While she wouldn’t say it out loud. There was something odd about that place. And she wasn’t talking about the relics placed there as well. There was just a feeling. A feeling of being unwelcomed. A chill that made her skin crawl.

And that feeling only grew larger when she came upon that place and saw the Chalice of Wishes floating in midair with a blue hue glowing around it.

“Huh…… that’s something you don’t see every day.”

End of the Year (Part 1)

End of the Year (Part 1)

(Natural History Museum)

“Wow…”

The words left Sunset’s lips faster than she could even think about it. Her eyes remained glued to the phone as it played out the recorded events of last night in great detail. The Chalice of Wishes floating in midair, radiating with a blue flame that seemed cool yet volatile at the same time. It was beautiful to see firsthand. It would’ve even been lovelier had it not exploded in a bright swath of light which ended the clip then and there. She looked up from the video and saw the real in only a few feet in front of her, which left a little impression.

“You say this all happened last night?” She turned over to Maud who stood by with the same stoic face as before, Pinkie by her side.

“Yup. Right around closing time.” The second eldest Pie stated pointing at the chalice. “I was locking the place up when I saw it glow. And then… nothing.”

Sunset approached the Chalice but stayed far enough not to feel any drawback. “There’s definitely heavy magic residue here. I can feel it.”

“Ooooh~~. What’s it like?” Pinkie asked, slithering closer to the chalice than any tourist needed to be. “Is it like a wobbly wobbly feeling or is it a whomp whomp kind of feeling? Do you think there’s more?” She inched closer to the chalice but Maud stopped her pulling her by the skirt.

“Not anymore.” Sunset answered. “Whatever magic that was in this cup is gone. Like it was used up.”

“Aww… boo.”

“Were there any visitors in the museum when it happened?”

Maud remained stoic as she answered. “Not that I know of. We don’t get that many visitors during the holidays.” So it could be anyone. “The Chalice of Wishes was returned to the museum a few weeks ago. But it has never done anything like that before.”

Sunset glanced over to the chalice and tried to get a feel of any trace of magic but there was little left. Judging from the immense residue, whatever happened here caused some significant backlash of magical energy. If she recalled correctly, Adagio said that the magic lingering in here was burning off and Cinch was using a portion of it to search for magical traces around the city. She was hoping that it would just disappear naturally on its own. But it’s clear now that someone had used the magic inside for some nefarious purpose.

Could it be another member of the Order? After they kicked Hoity down the curb, those guys have been pretty quiet. She expected them to retaliate after they thwarted their plan of mind controlling everyone in the city.

“Wait…” She froze as if struck by realization. “Cinch was in charge of managing the items here, right?”

“That’s right.” The stoic gal shrugged. “Until her untimely retirement, she was the only one who handled all the artifacts here. The Chalice especially.”

“Then… who’s managing all these items now?”

“That would be Professor Sombra.” Of course it was. “Until a proper replacement for the custodian is found, the owner of the items is in charge of all placement.”

Sombra.

The name alone rang some alarming bells in her head. Even though she knows that she can’t judge a man based on her own world’s counterpart, something about him just felt… weird.

And it certainly didn’t help when she discovered that he was the father of her ex-boyfriend. Talk about awkward.

“And has Professor Sombra visited the museum recently?”

“A couple of times.” Maud nodded, cupping her chin in thought. “Though he mostly just took inventory of all the Yaztec Relics he’s donating. After the fire the other day, he’s been keeping many of them back to his place. The only things left are those in this room. And… actually… now that I think about it. It’s kinda weird.”

“What is?”

“Professor Sombra is really protective of his collection. After the accident, he’s been taking many things back home for safe keeping.”

“Well… yeah. Isn’t that normal?” If she had a stake in this place, she’d want to take back her stuff too.

“But if he’s really protective about all these important artifacts… why did he bring the Chalice of Wishes back?”

…

That was… actually a very good observation. The Chalice of Wishes was pretty much the centerpiece of the whole exhibit. Even the cup alone was worth its weight in diamonds. Why would anyone risk putting their most prized piece back here after what happened? It would be better to keep it in a vault somewhere before returning it to this place until security can be guaranteed. Unless… unless he kept it here for a reason.

Ugh… if only Starswirl or Princess Twilight were here. They’d solve this puzzle in a manner of hours. But the old unicorn was delving in another world and the Princess was busy preparing for her coronation.

“I need to discuss this with Twilight. Maybe she can figure something out.”

“Oh oh! Should I call everyone else?” Pinkie offered. “The whole gang can chip in.”

“No… not now.” Sunset declined though it was tempting to do so. “I don’t want to interrupt their New Year’s plan. Besides, this is all just technical stuff. I’ll call them when we find something.”

(Camp Everfree)

“Alright. Keep me posted.” Twilight hung up her phone as she returned to the couch sighing softly. Sunset had just given her the details of the event that took place in the museum, which undoubtedly sparked her interest. Normally she’d drop everything and sprint her way to the nearest bus station. But unfortunately the timing of it all was simply unfavorable to her.

“What are you doing!?” And like clockwork, her evil twin decided to show herself.

I was about to sit down on this couch and take a break on this beautiful morning until you showed up and ruin it. “Nothing…”

“There is a magical emergency and you’re just gonna sit here lazily like some kind of sloth!?”

“It’s not a magical emergency. Just a magical incident.” Twilight clarified, though she doubt this annoying angel was gonna accept that as an excuse.

“You’re darn right I’m not accepting that as an excuse!” Figures. “This is a crisis! The most powerful magical artifact we’ve ever come across is acting up and you’re doing nothing!? We should be going over there and investigating, not wallowing around like some… swine. What’s wrong with you!?”

“I’m spending the New Year with my boyfriend.”

Midnight frustratingly argued back. “Aren’t you at the least bit curious? This event happened exactly yesterday around the same time as that Solstice. This can’t be a coincidence. Who knows what kind of phenomenon we’re dealing with? It might be another shadow monster, a world shattering event! Or… maybe even… another villain bent on world domination.”

I already have one of those living inside my head.

“Look. As much as I want to investigate this event, I’m not going to drop everything to see it. I’m spending time with Timber, and that’s final.” She lifted a cup of coco and took a long sip. “Besides. What can I even do? I don’t have any of my equipment. If you forgot, my parents cut my lab off from the rest of the house.”

“That’s why you should-”

“I am not asking Flash.”

“ARGHH! You are unbelievable!” Midnight looked like she was on the verge of tearing her hair out. “A great magical incident has occurred and all you can think of is sitting here over a hot mug?! I expected better of my host.”

Twilight brushed her off. And it’s not like she didn’t want to go. Every fiber of her being would like nothing better than to just drop everything and bolt it over to the museum and have a crack at that chalice. Heck, just having a look at that magic compass would be a blast. But… even so it wouldn’t be fair. It wouldn’t be fair to Timber, who spent his precious time making this whole week feel special. She just needs to get this through the New Year and she’ll be back to solving mysteries with the gang. There’s no need to rush. She should enjoy the time she had with her boyfriend while she still can.

It’s not like they’re going to be living together.

Oh… wait…

“Hey there.” Timber’s voice sang from the doorway as he arrived with freshly cut firewood. “How’s my favorite gal doing? Ready for a brand new day?”

She forced a small smile to greet him as he peck her cheeks. “I’m fine. Just had Sunset check up on me.”

“Oh? Any problems?”

“Nothing she can’t handle. So I’m pretty much free for the whole day.”

“Great. Because I saved the best for last.”

“The best?” She questioned. “But the solstice was yesterday.”

“That was just the appetizer.” He replied with a wink. “Now it’s time for the main course. And you’ll never guess what it is.”

“Ooh? Is it a formula for facial cream? Rarity’s been begging me to invent one.”

“Nope. Even better. Come on I’ll show you.”

(Applejack’s farm)

Applejack felt… weird inside.

Like the good kind of weird. And even though it was freezing colder than Aunt Goldie’s cabin, she felt warmer than a gal in the desert.

She adjusted her blouse and skirt, feeling it wiggle on her waist. It wasn’t exactly her choice to dress up like some kind of pilgrim, but this was pretty much the only thing they had for the theme. Granny Smith decided that they should all dress like the early settlers instead of the usual winter themed myths and legends. It’d certainly paint a prettier picture. Not that they could find anything better.

Besides, it wasn’t really that much different from her normal attire. Other than the skirt which dragged all the way below her feet, everything else felt rather comfortable. It was only the lack of buttons and clips that she had a hard time putting any of them on. Heck, even the shoes felt like they were about two or three sizes larger than her feet. Grandma must’ve been in her prime when she wore this to her prom.

“Oh dagnamit. How in the world did those people put any of this on in a reasonable amount of time? Not even Rarity’s dresses are this complicated!”

“Applejack, you in there?” A knock on the door called to her.

“Y… yeah. In a minute. I think I finally got this.” She reached for her skirt and yanked it only to stumble on her feet. “Oh no…” Her balance shifted one side crashing onto the door.

But thankfully someone caught her on the other side with a firm grasp. “Whoa. Easy there.”

Ugh… thank god for blue hair and semi-toned muscle. “Thanks Flash. This dress is a lot harder to move in than it looks. I have no idea how folks get anything done with these on.”

The boy returned a chuckle. “Well for what it’s worth, you look great in it.”

She shot him a smirk. “Right back at ya.” And she wasn’t lying either. With a slow roll, she scanned the Flash from top to bottom, admiring the pilgrim clothes that granny got for him. He fit into it like a glove and even filled out in all the right places. If it wasn’t for this cold weather, she’d be whistling like a broken gas pipe. “Looking pretty sweet there, pardner.”

“You think so? I feel like my pants are a little tight. I think I got used to my normal clothes.”

“Heh… same here.” Applejack agreed patting her coif, feeling rather naked without her usual cowboy hat. “Thanks again for coming to my family photo shoot. I know you’re busy this time of year. But this is pretty important to me and my folks.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve never had a family tradition before. It’d be nice to be a part of something like this every now and then.” He patted his pants, putting out the wrinkles. “Although to be honest, I wasn’t really expecting to see Ms. Cheerilee here either.”

Her expression soured immediately upon mentioning of her brother’s new girlfriend. Her hand traced down her feel dragging her cheeks. “Ugh… don’t remind me. I had to watch them come together like some cheesy story book.”

“Oh…” He recoiled as if stumbling upon gold. “So she’s with… Big Macintosh?”

“Yup…”

“And… are they like… together?”

“Yup.” She nodded again much to her chagrin. Flash’s mind expectedly exploded upon realization.

“Wow…” The boy mumbled, stunned. No surprise there. She had the same reaction a week ago when Big Mac told the whole family about it. Who would ever thought that her Math teacher for the last four years would be hooking it up with her brother? Not her, that’s for sure. “That’s… that’s really something.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I mean… I heard rumors going on about the two of them but I never thought it’d be true. Like… how did it even happen?”

“I ain’t exactly looking into my brother’s love life.” She groaned. That was the last thing she wanted to get on her mind. “That’s a dung heap of trouble I’m not even touching with granny’s fishing pole.

“And are you guys… ok with this?”

Honestly… no. But what was she to do? Big Mac was her big brother. He was old enough to make his own darn choices. His romantic life was no one’s business but his. But maybe he might’ve crossed a line somewhere with Ms. Cheerilee. Only god knows where that relationship will head towards.

“Can’t say that I am. But… I can’t say that I ain’t either.” She admitted. “I’m just gonna let the dice fall where they roll on this one. I don’t suppose you’d mind uh… keeping this on a down low?”

“I think the whole school already knows. But… sure. I can keep a secret.”

“Thanks. The last thing those two need are more attention.”

“Oi! You two wackos done yet?” Granny Smith interjected from the stairway waving her antique camera like a club. “We’re burning daylight here. Can’t take no picture if there ain’t no sun. And this family tradition ain’t gonna keep itself either. So hop to it.”

“Almost granny.” AJ replied shuffling her skirt again and failed. “These things ain’t exactly made for convenience. It’s like trying to fit myself inside a boot that ain’t my size. Don’t you have anything better wear?”

“Well excuse me. During my time we had to wrap ourselves up like onions. You young’uns are always goin on about with your skimpy outfit and your fancy frills. Back in the old days, there was no such thing as fashion!”

“That’s not what I… ugh… never mind.” No point arguing with this lady. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

“Good. Now start gittin. And while you’re at it. Stop those two lovebirds outside from flirting for about five minutes. Otherwise this family photo will be all smooch and hooch.”

Ain’t that the truth. Big Mac and Ms. Cheerilee are easily what you would call an annoying couple with no boundaries. They’ll act like ordinary folk one moment then become lovey dovey the moment they see each other. Just listening to them call out their pet names alone was viable to make anyone hurl. It got so bad that Apple Bloom had to wear ear plugs just to drown the cringiness.

“So…” Flash opened up, extending his arm. “May this one be willing to accept this gentleman’s request to escort thee?”

A smile curled around her lips. “Yes you may.”

(Apartment building)

*Poke*

Adagio was bored.

Bored out of her mind. Bored in a way that made her sprawl around the couch. So bored, that she even let her hair down.

*Poke poke*

Never in her life did she wish for something to happen.

Something. Anything really. So long as it was entertaining. As long as it can hold her interest just for a while. Even five measly seconds will do wonders for her mind.

*Poke poke poke*

And take that damn finger off my face before I bite it!

“Aria. I think Adagio’s broken.” The idiot of this estrange family whimpered, continuing to poke her leader not know it was like aggravating a puma with a stick. Aria – on the other hand – did the smart thing and remained in her corner reading another of those trashy magazines. “Hello? Adagio? Are you ok in there?”

“Does it look like I’m ok to you?” Adagio shot back grumpily, swatting her finger away.

“Aww… are you feeling hungry? We got some really nice cake.”

“No Sonata. I am not hungry.”

“Oh…” She looked down dejected. “Are you thirsty? We got some of that soda you really liked.”

“No, I’m not thirsty either.”

“Oh?” Now she looked confused. “Is it that time of mo-”

“NO you idiot! I’m bored!” The Siren leader snapped. Though her anger quickly subsided when she slumped back on the couch. “I’m bored out of my mind.”

“Oh!” Sonata’s face lit up unexpectedly. “I can help you with that.”

Really? This should be interesting. Adagio shifted to a comfortable position, hoping that whatever this girl had in her sleeves would at least give her a chuckle or two. But that hope quickly dashed away when she pulled out a familiar pun book from her pocket.

“Ahem. Why did the chicken cross the road?” Sonata grinned, pausing for effect. “Because it wanted to prove it wasn’t a chicken!”

…

“Ughhh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.”

Gods. Just kill her now.

“How about this one? What do you get out a pampered cow?” She paused. “Spoiled milk!”

No… NO! This isn’t entertainment. It’s god darn torture!

“What does the Pharaoh do before he goes to bed? He wraps himself up!” That wasn’t even a joke. That’s morbid. “Oh oh oh! This one is good. What did the fire hydrant say to the dog?”

“Give it up Sonata.” Aria thankfully came to the rescue before that idiot could continue. “You know how she is when she’s like this. This isn’t the first time she becomes lazy. Just leave her be and she’ll come out of her shell.”

“Oooh? Is she becoming a snail?”

Aria face palmed before quickly handing the girl some loose change. “Why don’t you get yourself a drink? I’ll handle our fearless leader.”

“Yay! I’ll get us all some ice cream!” She bolted off towards the door a second later with a wide eyed grin on her face. At least someone here was easy to please.

Once she was certain that the little idiot was gone, Aria turned her attention back to their leader who once again shifted her position on the couch, spreading herself like a ham on a slice of bread.

“What’s gotten you all murky?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Adagio scoffed, not taking her eyes off the ceiling. “I’ve given up on life. This world and our pitiful existence is meaningless compared to the great cosmos and the infinite void we call: The universe.”

“Are you bummed out because the new season of Emerald Oak got delayed?” Ugh… that news only made her sink into the couch even more. That TV show was one of the few things that got her out of bed every morning. She was looking forward to it too but then news came that it was pushed back for another month. They may as well have canceled the whole thing.

“Everything is a lie. Nothing is permitted.”

Aria shook her head in distraught. “Alright that’s it. Come on now. Let’s get you out of there.”

“No! Leave me alone.” Adagio whined, grabbing the edge if her comfort zone. “This couch is the only one that understands my pain.”

“Staying on this couch is making you lazy and dull.” The middle sister grunted as she pulled her by the leg giving it another huff and puff. “You need to get out or you’ll be molded with the pillows. There’s a whole city out there.”

“There’s nothing in this city that can entertain me!”

“How about we go to the park and use our magic there?”

She grabbed her pillow and planted her face on it. “Ugh… what’s the point? It’s always the same old routine of gathering negative energy.”

“But… you always liked it whenever you see people arguing.”

“Not anymore.”

Aria groaned again, giving another pull but the girl wouldn’t budge. “Ugh. How about the mall then?”

“And what, pray tell, are we even gonna do there? Window shopping? We’re barely making rent as it is.”

“We’d have money if you just let me and Sonata help out.” A tempting offer but she doubts they’ll be able to get anything other than another part time job. The winter season fills those positions quickly. “What’s the matter with you? You’ve been like this before but never this annoying.”

That’s because nothing in this darn world is entertaining enough to keep her interest. Not since… that very night.

She groaned and returned to her couch, sighing her day away.

“That’s it. I’m calling the big guns.”

Adagio blinked, noticing Aria holding her phone. “What are you doing?”

“I’m calling that boy you’ve been hanging around with.” She paused to think. “Flash Shanty or something.”

“WHAT!?” Adagio’s face lit up like a firework panicking. Her body reacted so quickly that she threw herself off the couch, falling face first on the floor. She heard the ringtone dialing for a second before she grabbed it and hung up. “Are you out of your mind? Do you know how much it cost to call someone? I can’t waste precious minutes on some random call. And why in the world would you want to call him of all people?”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve been infatuated with him?”

“Wha…? Infa… infatuated?” Her hair frazzled. “Why in the world would I hold any interest to some ridiculous human?”

Aria hid a mischievous grin under her lips. “I can think of a few reasons.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing~.” She sang. “At least it got you off the couch. Look – you if you want something fun to do, then why don’t we all head out to the docks tomorrow?”

“The docks?”

Aria clarified holding out a flyer advertising some event. “It’s some kind of fair. Ever since they closed down that island, they had to move the event down by the docks. Could be fun.”

“Let me guess. Sonata wants to go?” She nodded. “And you agreed?”

“There’s a free buffet.” Ah… that made more sense. Their pantry has been looking a little dry of late. “And there’s gonna be fireworks too. No negative energy. But it might be fun.”

“So pretty much a waste of time.”

“Hey if it’ll get you off your butt, I’m down with it. Not like we’re doing much else around here.”

No. No they were not. But come on. A fair? We’ve been to a hundred of those already. Canterlot City was pretty much a magnet for all manner of wacky events.

Still… the free buffet was tempting. And it would help fill up their pantry and keep them from going in the red.

If only their magic would be easy to restore as well.

(Camp Everfree Rock Quarry)

“Alright we’re almost there. Keep your eyes closed now.”

Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes as her boyfriend continued to lead the way. It doesn’t really matter if she kept her eyes closed or not. She was already blindfolded. The only thing she could feel are his callus filled hands pulling her along.

She wasn’t entirely sure what her boyfriend had in mind but it certainly wasn’t pleasant. Leaving the confines of their cabin, Timber had her blindfolded, saying that he was saving the best for last. Not really sure if this best includes walking down the less maintained road of the camp because her shoes were getting blisters.

“Timber. I’ve been walking blind here for over 10 minutes. Can you please just tell me where we’re headed?”

“Come on now. What’s the point of a surprise if I told? Trust me. You’ll love it.

“Please don’t tell me you found another flower species. The last one you found was just a dandelion painted blue.” What an embarrassment that one was.

“Hey, that was one time.”

Two times actually. But Twilight wasn’t gonna mention that.

Ugh… this place is rocky. Every step she took felt like she was walking back to that ranch in Peril’s Peak, minus the sand of course. Still… it was an unpleasant feeling for her toes.

And there was this damp feeling in the air. She could still here Spike huffing in the background so they probably weren’t going anywhere dangerous. At least… she hopes not.

“Alright. We’re here.” He said bringing her to a complete stop. With a quick motion he undid her blindfolds humming a happy tune. “Tada!”

Twilight squinted from the sudden rush of light, her eyes fixating to the multitude of colors. It took a while but thankfully her sights adjusted and what greeted her was perhaps something she would describe as the 9th natural wonder of the world.

They were in the rock quarry. The place where all their magical troubles began – or at least officially. The place was… in a lack of a better word ‘Renovated’ to near perfection. The decorations the gang left during their field trip here was still left on but with added materials. There were banners, tables, chairs, flowers, a dancing floor, and even neon lights that were reflected upon the minerals sticking out of the rock formation creating a disco ball effect. They even redesigned the magical podium where their geodes came from as a stage for a band to play. This place had turned from an old mining shaft to a natural disco club.

“It’s… beautiful.”

“Right?” Timber stood tall and proud with a cheeky grin on his face. “I pitched the idea to Gloriosa. I thought that… since the dance party here was the one that saved the camp from going under, I figured we’d keep it as an extra recreational activity for all of our campers. A little going away party after every session. The fake flowers were my idea. Plus it makes for a great hangout.” And he wasn’t kidding. Put a few more pillows, and maybe a drinking station and people from far and wide will want to chill here rather than their neighborhood ice cream parlor.

“Timber, this is… amazing. You even got a crystal rock chandelier!”

“Yup. You have no idea how long it took us to get that thing right. You like it?”

“I love it! How in the world did you get all of this together? This must’ve cost a fortune.”

“Oh please.” He waved it off. “You guys already did most of the work. All we had to do was add a little something of our own.”

“Well whatever you guys did. It’s definitely gorgeous. This place is awesome.”

“Ah ah…” He waggled his finger at her as he brought out an old boombox. “And as a special surprise. I got you something a little extra.”

A music began to play. A song she was familiar. A tune she definitely sang at one point or another.

“Flower for the Lovable Folk?”

“By Dirk Thistleweed. I knew you liked his songs after the music festival. I hear you humming it every time we meet.”

“You noticed that?”

“A good boyfriend always know.” He approached, gesturing a bow like a gentleman meeting a lady in a ball. “May I have this dance?”

She smiled in turn, her cheeks darkening a bit. “Yes. Yes you may.”

They boogied and twirled to the rhythm of the music, chuckling and smiling as the moment went by. It was sweet. It was romantic. It was all so…

“Oh and before I forget. I got one more thing.” More? Really? As if this whole thing wasn’t enough already. “There’s a firework display happening at the docks tomorrow. Right around midnight. You know… for the New Year. There’s a special area that’ll get you the best view of the whole thing. It’ll be, as you commonly say, magical.”

“That was an awful pun.”

His face flushed. “Sorry. I tried making one up during our walk here but I came up empty. But hey… wadayasay? Up for one more date before the end of the year?”

What was she to say?

“Absolutely.”

(Rainbow Dash’s house)

Rainbow Dash stapled a smile on her face and tried hardest not to scream.

She has handled dangerous situations before. Shadow monsters, quicksand, man eating plants and the forces of nature. You name it. But never before did she ever come across a situation so volatile and so deadly that it had her sweating buckets. A single mispronounced word or discrepancy in their story could erupt in a cacophony of explosions that would take eons to repair.

Damn it Rarity. When you said that this whole plan was going to be a piece of cake, you never mentioned how dangerous it would be. One wrong word, one misconception or misunderstanding and her parents will go ballistic. Who knows what her parents would do if they find anything out of place?

She looked around and noted her mother’s cooking on the table, her father sitting on the opposite end with the same casual look, the weather outside was pleasant, her family all smiling giddily, and her apparent boyfriend sitting beside her smiling like it was the most natural thing to do.

This was a powder keg just waiting to blow up in her face.

She looked to herself making sure that her appearance was up to Rarity’s standards. Normally Rainbow wouldn’t really bother with any fashion but this was a very crucial moment that could potentially change her life forever. So instead of going with the usual casual jogging pants and shoes, she traded them for a pair of puffy jeans she got from Fluttershy last summer and some short heels on loan from Rarity’s own collection. How that fashionista learned to walk with these things, she’ll never know. They were about as comfortable as daggers poking up her soles. She even went as far as changing her hairstyle for this very night: A side ponytail that went on just length below her neck.

The only silver lining was the band jacket that she kept from Flash. It was perhaps the only thing comfortable on her entire outfit. Rarity insisted on putting jewelry but she had none other than her geode. The closest thing she had to an accessory were some wrist bands she won from some cereal box ages ago.

It’ll have to do…

“Your pasta is amazing Mrs. Whistles.” Flash started off, which her mother responded with a soft giggle.

“Oh please. It’s nothing really. I’ve been making these for my little girl since she was just a baby.” Ugh… gee mom. Thanks for not embarrassing yourself… or me for that matter. “You should see how Rainbow eats before a big game. She’ll chow down three bowls full. She says that she needs the calories to burn through, but honestly that’s just her nerves talking.”

“Mom~!”

“Now now dear. Let’s not embarrass our little girl too much. You’re gonna make her turn red.” Thanks dad. You’re a lifesaver. “Save some for later when we need it.” I’m taking away your ‘#1 Dad’ mug tonight. “So… Flash… was it?”

“Yes sir.” The said boy sat up straight like he was on the verge of saluting a drill sergeant.

Bow Hothoof laughed. “No need for all that formality here, young man. Please just call me Pops.”

Flash glanced towards her for permission which she responded with a quiet nod. Best to go with the flow for now. “Uh… ok… Pops. This is a nice place you have here.”

“Why thank you. Built this whole kitchen with my own bare hands.” Yeah right. Rainbow rolled her eyes. You tried to refurbish the kitchen yourself one time and hammered your hand on the first plank. Mom had to hire a contractor to finish the rest of it off. “So tell me. My wife and I have been dying to meet you. Rainbow Dash here never said a word when she first started dating. We weren’t even sure if she was in a relationship so this came quite a surprise.”

Oh god. Here we go. Rainbow Dash took a glance at the boy hoping he would remember his lines. Her parents have been looking forward to this day and there was no doubt that they would follow the same trope of an interrogating family.

“Oh it’s kind of a new relationship.” Flash admitted sheepishly though it was still technically a lie. “I haven’t even mentioned this to my dad either. We kind of wanted to keep it a secret between us until we were ready. We weren’t sure how the others would react.”

Rainbow didn’t trust her word and decided to do a tactical nod instead.

“Aww a secret relationship.” Windy cooed snuggling to her husband like they were reminiscing. “I completely understand. Folks nowadays can be so judgmental. Please tell us everything. Like how did you two first meet?”

“We met since freshman year.” He answered with a joking tone. “I think it was during P.E. We joined the soccer team the same time. You should’ve seen her ma’am. Rainbow Dash was a natural at sports. I don’t think anyone could outperform her in any physical game.”

“That sounds like my little girl alright.” Dad nodded proudly with his head held high.

“She always did say she would make it in the sports circle.” Windy chimed in. “We didn’t think it would be in all of them.”

Come on guys. Hold back your praises just a tad bit? I’m gonna die of embarrassment here! Even Flash seems to be in on it.

“And let me guess. Your relationship started from there?” Mom! Come on!

“I’d say… no.” Flash clarified holding a straight face. “Like I said: This is kind of a new relationship. Besides, I wasn’t exactly good in sports. My passion came from music instead, which is where we started meeting early on.”

That… wasn’t a total lie. It wasn’t until the Rainbooms formed during the Fall Formal that they actually started hanging out… in a sense. In fact, she could hardly recall any interaction with him before this whole magic thing started. Flash has always been the guy next door that she never really had any real reason to interact with. Even when they were made locker-neighbors, the most she ever got out of him was a casual hi and hello.

“We didn’t get along at first.” He continued. “In fact. I think we butted heads more times for the sport light. Lead guitarists like us tend to head each other.” Rainbow once again implemented a tactical nod to pass along the conversation. Good good. Never let the relationship look too good to be true. Always add a hurdle to make it look more believable. He was following the script to the letter…… mostly. Rarity’s depiction of this scenario went way differently on her imagination.

“It was only during the Winter Holiday party that we sort of started going out.” Flash shrugged awkwardly. “She was playing for my band that time. And that’s where I realized how amazing she was.” He turned his head over towards her giving out a warm smile which made her cheeks turn. “We had our first date after that.”

“I knew it!” Mom cheered. “I knew that jacket had some hidden meaning and I was right! Woo! Mother’s instinct baby! It never lies.” Down mother. The neighbors can hear you.

“A first date?” Dad followed suit, eyes widening. “Really now?”

“It wasn’t anything special.” Rainbow Dash finally chipped in thinking she might actually put some effort in this meeting. “We just went to an ice cream shop and shared a scoop. Nothing major.”

“You shared a scoop?” Windy squealed like her namesake, her smile widening so much that it looked downright frightening. “Oh now that is serious! What was it like? Was it magical? Did you see sparks?”

“Uh…”

“It was a bit awkward.” Flash answered for her. “But yeah. There was a feeling there.”

“And then what happened!?”

“I uh… think I’ll keep that private for now ma’am. It is our first date after all.”

Windy pouted but didn’t press any further.

“We are planning to head to the fair by the docks tomorrow though.”

“Tomorrow?” Her parents said in unison.

“On New Year’s eve?” Windy gasped. “Don’t you want to spend time with your parents?”

“Eh… my dad will probably be too busy.” Flash explained. “He said he had work to do so he won’t be home. So I figured we’d spend the evening there and see the fireworks. If… that’s not too much trouble for all of you.”

“Not at all. Our little lady always did love fireworks.”

“That still sounds so wonderfully sweet.” Windy was fanning herself at this point. “I remember my first date with Bow. It was surreal.”

“I made a complete fool of myself.” Bow laughed heartily, mashing one hand on the table. “I didn’t know what a formal attire looked like so I came in with my holiday shirt. The whole restaurant looked at me like I was the elephant in the room.”

This is good. It seems like they really did believe that she and Flash were an actual couple. They were kind of suckers for sappy stories. Maybe she can lead them on from there.

“What about you, Flash?”

“Wh… what about me?”

“Tell us more about yourself son.” Her dad followed, putting the spoon down and turning his full attention to him. “You know a lot about our little girl. But we’d certainly like to know more about the boy she’s going out with.”

“Oh… I’m… no one anyone special.” Uh oh… not good. Rarity was very skeptical about this part. They all knew how Flash could be very secretive about his personal life. She scooted closer to him, laughing nervously.

“Come on guys.” Rainbow chimed in, despite against her better judgment. “Don’t you think it’s a little too early for that? I mean this is our first meeting after all. We’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks.”

“Nonsense honey. Getting to know each other is the whole reason why we invited him over for dinner. We only wish for the best for our little girl.” Bow continued shifting his gaze back to the boy. “Please go on.”

Flash remained on his seat rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Well I suppose my name is Flash Sentry. I like music and video games. I’m studying in CHS like your daughter and I got a few friends there too.” He kept the details light which Rainbow nodded happily to. No need to bring out the rich background. Compared to what she imagined, they were doing pretty well. He had top of the line manners, which shouldn’t be surprising considering his upbringing. And he praised her mother’s cooking, which earned him bonus points for later.

“Any plans after graduation?” Seriously dad!? You’re poking at this whole future thing too?

“Oh… that’s complicated.” Flash remained firm though he showed a few cracks in his defense.

“You haven’t thought about it?”

“I have sir. It’s just that my options are… a few.”

“Ah… I understand.” You do? “The future can be a scary thing. But that doesn’t have to be. Why… our little girl here kept saying that she was gonna be the best hockey player in the whole county.”

Pfft!

Rainbow bit her lip as her face turned redder than a tomato.

“First it was baseball. Then basketball.” Windy followed suit, giggling childishly. “Then there was a time she wanted to be a dancer.”

“Danc-”

“Th… that was just a phase!” Rainbow snapped, hands slamming the table. “I was seven! That doesn’t count!”

They all shared a laugh, unfortunately, at her expense.

“We all had strange childhoods growing up.” Flash added returning their attention back to him. “Mine isn’t so different. I guess that’s another thing we have in common.” Oh for crying out loud. How can you say these cheesy lines with such a straight face? You weren’t this good during rehearsal. “But to be honest, I know exactly how Dash feels. I did have a plan. It’s… kinda stupid really.”

“Hmm?”

It was the boy’s turn to blush as he confessed. “I uh… actually wanted to take my music to the road. Be a full time musician like the other big names out there. But that’s off the table now.”

“Oh?” Bow blinked. “Why?” Even Rainbow seemed surprised. She figured that the Flash Drive were making bank, especially seeing their popularity was soaring through the roof. Heck, she’ll even admit that they were a teeny tiny bit better than the Rainbooms in terms of skill and music. If just a bit.

“Well my band isn’t exactly sticking for long. My drummer’s got a gig with another team out of town and my bass player is heading over to Neighgeria for some soul-searching prophecy. So it’s not really much of a team with just two.”

“Whoa whoa. Hold on.” Rainbow recoiled. “Your band is breaking up? When did this happen?”

“Right after the Winter Holiday party.” He answered nonchalantly. “We had a long talk after that gig. And we all agreed to break it up while the going was good. Even Sandlewood plans to take over his dad’s flower shop once he graduates.”

“But but… your band is awesome! I thought you guys were great after that gig in the park. Didn’t you say you had like… a million followers or something?”

He shrugged, not really expressing much woe. “Nothing lasts forever. Sure - I’m bummed about it. But I can’t stop them from chasing their dreams. We all have to make tough decisions at one point.”

“Spoken like a grown man.” Mom nodded in absolute agreement. “Everyone has to make sacrifices. It’s good to enjoy the little things in life while you can.”

“No doubt about it ma’am.”

“What about your parents?” Dad asked. “Do your folks know that you’re going out with our little lady?”

“Just my dad. My mom passed away when I was little.”

“Oh dear.” Mom’s expression visibly shifted, hand covering her mouth. She cast a rude glance over to her husband who immediately got stiff and muttered a silent apology. “I’m so sorry sweet heart.”

“It’s fine ma’am.” He waved it off coolly. “It’s just me and my dad at this point. We’ve been getting along most of the time. But he’s busy with work lately. So he doesn’t really know much about my dating life.”

“I… I see…” Bow nodded but didn’t ask any follow up questions. Perhaps the hint of guilt scared them off. “Well it’s good to know that my little girl is going out with someone who has a good head on his shoulders. I’m sure you two will make some great memories together.”

“Yes sir. I already feel like the luckiest man alive when I’m with her.” Flash casually clutched her hand which made her heart jump. It was surprisingly warm. “I’ll be sure to treat her right.”

“What about you sweetie?” Windy directed a question towards her.

“Me?” Rainbow balked.

“Do you feel the same way?”

She looked to the blue boy who maintained that warm smile on his face. God, was she blushing? She could feel her cheeks growing redder by the minute. If it wasn’t for this weather, she’d be blowing steams by now. But she needed to respond quickly. What was she to say? All this pretending was getting more and more sappy by the minute, and if she remains silent it’ll look deadly suspicious.

So with all her might, a smile crossed her face as she uttered those little words out loud.

“Yeah… I do.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“Ugh… finally… it’s over!” Rainbow let out a sigh as she walked Flash to his car, but not before giving a glance to her house just to make sure her parents weren’t spying on them from the window. The last thing she wanted was to get caught in the act because she was careless in the last minute. “Who knew that acting can be so exhausting? I don’t think I’ve ever been this exhausted even during baseball. But… the good thing is that my mom and dad bought it. They totally believe that we’re an actual couple. How cool is that?”

“Not as cool as I wanted.” Flash admitted chuckling awkwardly. “I don’t exactly feel comfortable lying to your parents like that. What if they find out that it was all a hoax?”

She brushed his worries off. “Relax. They don’t suspect a thing. My folks are suckers for sappy stories. By next year, this whole charade will be over. I’ll tell them that we broke up and we’ll be back to our normal routine. My parents will leave me alone and you’ll get uh… something.”

A coy smile showed itself on his face. “Gee. I feel like the luckiest man alive.”

“Don’t be coy. I felt like I was gonna die in there. Who knew Rarity’s script would be so convincing?” That girl charted down every last thing right down to the last detail. Though they had to improvise some of the lines along the way. Maybe she didn’t give that fashionista enough credit. “Anyway… thanks for going along with this whole mess. I know it’s not every day for someone to ask you to fake the boyfriend act.”

“What? Pretending to be the boyfriend of Rainbow Dash, the Captain of every sports team in CHS? It’s every boy’s dream.” She turned a blush. “And I also learned that our beloved Rainbow also wanted to be a dancer.”

“Oh give me a break!” She threw a punch which he dodged smoothly. “That was a phase!”

“I can already picture you in a ballerina outfit.”

“Cut it out!” She hammered his arm weakly refusing to blush as he laughed. “You tell anyone about that and I’ll clobber you. I know where you live.”

They later arrived at his car not long after, looking prettier and fancier than she last remembered. The boy hopped in, lowering the window to one last chat.

“So… this was an experience.” Flash added, grinning.

“Tell me about it.” She agreed. “Hey listen. I’m… uh… sorry for what happened to your band.” She brushed the side of her head shyly. “I didn’t know it was really that bad.”

“Don’t worry about it. These things happen.”

“For what it’s worth, you guys were pretty awesome. I wouldn’t mind playing with you guys again.”

“You might get another chance.” He chuckled. “We might have a few other gigs next semester. Figured we’d play till the last minute before we all go our separate way. And we could always use a backup guitar.”

Rainbow smiled warmly at his humor. “Heh… you’re on. I could use the practice.”

“I’ll hold you up to that.” He answered with a chuckle before revving the engine up. “So what time do I pick you up tomorrow?”

She blinked twice, confused. “Err… what now?”

“For our date to the fair.”

The fake date? “Wait… you were serious about that?”

“Of course. It’d look pretty strange if I didn’t come pick up my ‘Girlfriend’ for our big date.”

“Oh… I was thinking maybe we could skip that part.” She shuffled awkwardly by the window. “Maybe I’d just head to the clubhouse and hang out there instead.”

“What? And skip a whole day of fun? Come on.” Flash gave a teasing grin. “It’ll sell the whole couple thing even better. Plus it’ll be great learning experience for when you do get that special someone.”

It sounded logical enough. And it did sound like fun too. Rainbow Dash liked fairs. The game booths and attractions? The rides? She could already taste the cotton candy in her mouth. It’d be a blast. And besides… if she was gonna sell this charade to her parents she may as well have a bit of fun along the way.

“That does sound pretty cool.” She muttered before nodding. “Ok I’m in. But just so you know. I am not wearing these heels.”

“I think I can live with that.” He laughed. “See ya?” And with that last farewell, the boy drove off into the night waving cheerfully, leaving the girl behind with a silly grin on her face.

“See ya…” She whispered softly, unaware of her whole body glowing with magic.

End of the Year (Part 2)

Chapter 55: End of the Year (Part 2)

(Flash’s house)

Ok… let’s see here.

Clothes… check.

Hairdo… check.

Cologne… check.

Teeth… sparkly… check.

Everything was ready for tonight. Flash made one last inspection making sure that he was prep and ready for tonight. While it may just be a pretend-date, that didn’t mean he couldn’t show Rainbow a good time. And he made it a tradition that anyone that goes out with Flash Sentry should have a great time, or their money back. So right now everything has to fall onto his standard, including him.

“Lookin good, partner.” He gave a finger gun gesture to his reflection who responded in kind. He then spotted a stray hair coming along so he quickly reached for his comb and tamed it. “Right. What do you think buddy? Do I look great or what?”

Bananas gave him a long look and tilted its head letting out two barks before returning to chewing its toy.

“Yeah, you’re right. I should probably put on something simpler.” He looked at himself one more time before checking the time on his phone. He still had 2 good hours before he had to pick up Rainbow Dash from her place. That means he could put in some extra effort for their not-date-date. “Hmm… maybe I should get her a gift. What does Rainbow Dash like?”

*Woof!*

“No Bananas. A basket of bananas is your thing. I need something else.” Unfortunately the boy came in blank. Honestly, he never really had much of a relationship with Rainbow until recently. It didn’t help that they were locker-neighbors either. Everyone in school knew what Rainbow was on the outside. She was sporty, loves music, likes to dance too apparently, and enjoys her mother’s cooking more so than she claims. But those were just the surface level stuff. He needed something deeper. Something concrete.

“Should I get her a new guitar?”

*Woof* Bananas disagreed… or maybe he did. It’s not like he could tell.

“No no. You’re right. I should keep it low. This isn’t a real date after all. How about… a new bike?” If his dog could understand him, it’d be rolling its eyes right now. “Geez buddy. You’re not making this easy. Oh! How about the latest edition of Daring Do?”

*Woof woof*

“No… wait. The latest issue was a month ago. The next one isn’t due to arrive until next year. Hmm…” He cupped his chin deep in thought. “Wow… I never thought it’d be this hard to pick a gift. What do you get a girl like Rainbow anyway?”

Should he ask Rarity for help? Nah. That girl already gave enough of her free time and help for this whole act. Asking for more would just be selfish. But seriously though… what does a girl like Rainbow like anyway? Perhaps he should’ve used the parental meeting last night for some tips.

“Master Flash.” Edmund’s voice cackled from the door interrupting his thoughts.

“Come in.” The butler did so, giving the young boy a polite nod. “You got everything?”

“As per your request, sir.” He handed Flash an envelope which contained his secret weapon. “You’ll find all of your passes inside. As well as the tickets you ordered.”

“Awesome! You’re the best, Edmund.”

“My pleasure sir.” The older man nodded. “I take it you have plans for tonight.”

“Yeah. It is New Year’s Eve after all. Speaking of which. Any word from my dad?”

He shook his head politely in return. “I’m afraid Master Sombra has not relayed any news to me. Should I ask him for you?”

Flash looked dejected for a moment there but then he reminded himself that this wasn’t anything new. “Nah. If I didn’t know better I’d say he was busy with work as usual.”

“I shall summon a chauffeur?”

“No need. I got my own ride. No need to wait for me tonight. I’m planning to spend the New Year outside.” He paused in thought. “Oh… speaking of which, you wouldn’t happen to know a good gift, would you?”

(Rainbow Dash’s house)

“How about this one?” Rainbow groaned into her hand as Windy suggested another dress from her own collection presenting it to her daughter like some kind of trophy. “Or this one? How about this one? Or maybe you’d like something that would match your hair.”

When Rainbow presented her apparent boyfriend to her parents yesterday, she was hoping that would be the end of it. She hoped that they would leave her alone and let her take her relationship steadily as it goes by. But that was probably too much to ask for knowing what her parents were like. That was doubly taken for her mother, who for the lack of subtlety and inability to perceive, or let alone respect, personal space.

“Mom~~ please.” Rainbow whined. “This isn’t such a big deal. Flash is just taking me on a date.”

“But sweetie. This is a BIG deal. The New Year doesn’t roll around every day.” Yeah. The same can be said for any holiday ma. “You have to put some extra effort here if you want to seal the deal.” She stated giddily like this was hers and not Rainbow’s date. The woman had been snapping pictures whenever she could documenting this whole moment like it was going to be put in the history books.

“It’s nothing like that. We’re just hanging out and having fun. It’s nothing too serious.”

“All the more reason to put the extra effort.” She added, earning herself an expressive eye roll from her daughter. “How about this blue one? It’ll look great on you and you two would match perfectly together.”

“Mom. Please. I’m sure what I’m wearing now will be fine. So unless Flash shows up in a suit and tie, I think I’m good.”

Windy deflated and casually toss her collection on the floor. “Alright. But if he does turn up in a suit and tie, I get to pick what you wear.”

“Deal.”

“Good. Now face the mirror and let me brush your hair.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest but there was something about the longing look on her mother’s eyes that had her sighing instead. “Fine. But nothing hard.”

She did so and scooted to the back of her daughter. With her hands caressing over her rainbow colored hair, she began to comb it gently, untangling any strands that might’ve made its way.

“So~?” The woman began. “What did you guys have plan for this evening? Do we need to set up a curfew?”

Windy giggled from behind, and Rainbow had a sinking suspicion there was another reason why she’d ask to brush her hair. She was working on an angle. There was no way she could run away now. At least not without seriously damaging her hairdo. Curse her and her sneaky habits.

“Mom. Seriously. It’s nothing like that.” Rainbow threw out her same sad excuse. “Flash and I are just gonna hang in the docks. It’s nothing major. We’ll play some games, watch the firework, and get come straight home. It’s just that simple.”

“If there’s one thing I know about dates, sweetie: It’s that no date is ever simple.” She added cutely while maintaining the motion of her comb. “Sometimes the most amazing things can happen. You might even find that spark that’ll light up your whole relationship.”

Yeah… I doubt it. The only sparks I plan to see in this date is the fireworks.

“This brings back so much memories for me.” Windy followed, not taking her hand off the job. “I remember when I first started dating your father. My mother did the same thing to me. She would spend hours letting me try on everything and made sure I was as perfect as I could be before I even set one foot outside the house.” She crooned. “If she saw us now she’d be gushing all over.”

“Sounds tiresome.”

“Very. Your grandmother was a very picky person. But I love those moments. Your father’s parents weren’t much different either. We’d spend hours picking out clothes, adding accessories, putting makeup.”

“Makeup!?”

“Yes! Lipstick, eyelashes, the works.” She then noted Rainbow’s panicked face on the reflection. “Oh but don’t worry. I know that those things aren’t really your cup of tea. As much as I would love to put mascara on you, I wouldn’t force you to put anything ridiculous.” Oh thank god. For a moment there she wondered if she would be dolled up like one of those supermodels on TV. Rarity would probably be thrilled on the prospect. But even she knew where to draw the line when it came to personal boundaries and taste.

There was no way in heck was she ever gonna wear makeup. The sun would implode first before she’d willingly try on anything so… girly.

Still… her mother’s expression said much. And she supposed that it wouldn’t hurt… for just tonight.

“Eh… I wouldn’t mind a little blush.”

“REALLY!?” Windy’s smile beamed up like a thousand lights. So much so that she unconsciously pulled her a lock of her hair. “Oh. Sorry sweetie. But you really mean it?”

“Yeah… sure. Why not?” She shrugged. “You did say I should put some effort.” Plus it would ease this guilt I was feeling inside.

The older lady squealed with such delight that it could be heard throughout the neighborhood. “Hold still. I want to treasure this moment.” With a quick motion, she grabbed the blush from the nearby cupboard and began applying it generously on both sides. The powder puffed everywhere for a moment before revealing her daughter in all her glory. “There… you’re beautiful.”

“Really? I don’t see it.”

“Even the slightest change can make all the difference, sweetie.” She pulled Rainbow into a tight hug sniffling a tear. “Look at my beautiful baby girl. Going on her big date. Pfft… they grow up so fast these days.”

Oh brother. That sounded like a quote from a romance comedy skit.

Still… at least the extra effort she put in would sell the whole couple thing. Whatever happens now, she was ready.

And not a moment too soon either, for the doorbell rang. They weren’t expecting any visitors today and dad was probably still busy at work. So the natural answer would be her ‘date’. Rainbow looked to her watch and noted that he was ten minutes early, which was kind of expected coming from a guy like Flash. Even a guy like him would know professional courtesy.

“Oh! That’s probably him.” Her mother beamed as she hurriedly hopped her daughter out the room and facing the main entrance. They could see a silhouette by the window which matched his size. She squinted, scanning her face for any useless blemish that she may have missed. But smiled when she found none. “She’s ready~~!”

Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. She just needs to last a few more minutes. Once she was out the door, her act would finally be over and she could return to her normal daily routine of being awesome. No more of this makeup, or dressing up business.

She yanked the door open.

“Hey Rainbow Dash.”

And her heart skipped a beat.

“H… hi?” The girl could only stammer and raise her hand to give an awkward wave. Her lips curled up a smile and her cheeks darkened enhancing the blush that her mother applied just recently.

The boy on the other end raised an inquisitive brow but didn’t mind. He looked… different than before. No, his clothes were the same old rocker style. Was he always this tall? He looked like he could tower over her dad. And did his hair always looked that nice? Were his eyes always blue?

“I uh… got you these?” Flash said, breaking the strange eerie silence that seemed to have lingered far longer than she realized. His hand came from behind his back, revealing a small bouquet of red roses, their petals still wet from the morning dew – or maybe that was just her eyes playing tricks on her.

“Uh…?” Without even thinking she accepted the flowers, which was kind of weird now that she thought about it. No one in their right mind would ever get her flowers. It was like… the last thing anyone should get her. Heck even her parents knew that she wasn’t the kind of gal who’d enjoy such girly things. People would get her comics, video games. Heck, a replica sword from Daring Do and the Adventure of the Lost Tomb. Never… flowers.

Yet strangely enough these felt charged and alive. They shivered in her hands – or maybe that was just her hands shaking. Why was she shaking?

And it didn’t the fact that they were roses, which made it look way more serious than it needed to be. Rainbow might not know much about the language of flowers, but even she knew what they represented in the general spectrum.

“Oh how adorable.” Windy’s voice quickly brought her out of her train of thoughts. “They’re gorgeous.”

It was Flash’s turn to blush this time. She wasn’t sure why he had anything to be embarrassed about. “Thank you ma’am. I wasn’t really sure what to get as a gift so I went with the classic.”

“They’re perfect.” Windy turned to her daughter committing every second of her daughter’s expression to memory. But she quickly nudged the girl out of her stupor when she realized that she was getting too quiet. “What do you say honey?”

“Huh? Oh! Uh… umm… thanks?” Why is everything coming out her sounding like questions rather than proper statements? Come on girl! Get a grip! They’re just dumb flowers. How touching can they be? “I mean THANKS~!”

“You’re welcome.” He bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “Shall we go? We got a full night ahead of us.”

Yes please. The sooner they were out of here, the better.

“Wait!” Mom clapped her hands pulling a camera out of her pocket. “I promised your dad I’d take pictures. It would make a wonderful centerpiece for our next family album. Say… chrysanthemum~~.”

Chrys-what?

Click. The flash came before she had a chance to even think.

“Mom!”

“Perfect! Alright you two. Stand side by side and I’ll have a close up shot.”

“No!” Rainbow yelled much to everyone’s shock. But she quickly recovered. “Uh… I mean… not until I have our matching jacket. We can’t have a close up picture without that, can we?”

Windy’s jaw slacked as if struck by realization. “Of course! How could be so foolish?! Stay right here, I’ll go get it!” She bolted off into the other room and began rummaging through the drawers.

Rainbow bolted out of there, dragging her date with all her might.

(Flash’s house)

Everything was ready.

Sombra puffed his chest proudly as he checked his work.

The whole dining room was decked out to his specification. While not as elaborate as his other parties, it was well enough to be passed as a party for two.

He had an assortment of snacks. All of his son’s favorite lined up in alphabetical order. And at the center of it all, was the photo album he had picked for this special occasion. The night was going to be perfect. By the time New Year rolls around, he and Flash will become the best of buddies like all father-son should.

The old man gave himself a pat on the back for a job well done. Maybe he should be the one writing the book about parenting. Because he seemed to be great at it.

Now all he needed to do was play the waiting game.

And thankfully he didn’t need to play it long because the door behind him creaked open.

Whipping his whole body around, he gleefully welcomed his son with a wide smile on his face.

“Surprise!”

“Wha?” ‘Flash’ was obviously caught off guard.

Sombra’s expression visibly soured when he looked closer to the new arrival. “Oh… it’s just you, Edmund.”

“Master?” The butler tilted his head, visibly confused. “I wasn’t aware that you were here. I thought you said you would be busy tonight.”

“A slight change of plans.” He replied as he returned to his seat, adjusting the chair adjacent to him as if he saw it by a millimeter off. “I prepared a little surprise for my boy for this very special night.”

“Did… did you do all this?”

“Impressed?” He smiled smugly. “It was a bit of a challenge keeping the other servants in the dark. I had to buy all the food myself as well. The fast food industry here is by far the most unsanitary. It’s a wonder why Flash likes them at all. But in the end, I overcame these challenges. It was quite the eye-opening experience. Flash will undoubtedly be surprised. Don’t you agree?”

“Very much sir.” Edmund cordially nodded. “Though… I have to ask. Does Master Flash know of this?”

Sombra laughed, reaching for a drink. “Of course not. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he knew.” He then noted his butler’s face souring just as he did. “What’s wrong?”

“Well… it’s just that…” Edmund stammered, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. “… Master Flash said that he made plans for tonight.”

“Plans?” Sombra’s lips went dry. “With who?”

(Docks)

Flash had a look of bewilderment at Rainbow Dash. He knew the girl to be the most energetic in the whole school. There was never a moment she would be idle. If she wasn’t practicing some sport or coaching a team on their techniques, she’d be practicing her guitar. That… or coaching a team while playing the guitar.

But tonight that same girl was sitting on a bench, face planted on the table, letting out the mother of all sighs.

“Rough night?” He couldn’t help but hold back a smirk.

“Don’t even get me started.” Rainbow groaned on the table, lifting her face up just in time for him to push a drink to her face which she greedily accepted. She gulped down a quarter of the bottle and then letting out a moan. “That… was the most exhausting two hours of my life.”

“Come on. Aren’t you exaggerating? I mean your mom wasn’t that bad.”

She slammed her bottle spilling a drop or two. “That’s easy for you to say! You didn’t have to sit around all morning having someone pick out your outfit. First it was the shirt, then the shoes, then the skirt. Ugh…”

Flash rubbed the side of his neck in apology. “I guess you had a pretty bad morning.”

“No! Of course not!” She retorted which confused him. “Actually… I… kinda did.” Flash mouthed an ‘Oh’ sound. “At first I didn’t. I mean… me and fashion don’t exactly see eye-to-eye. My closet is pretty much just the same thing I had all year round. But when mom started going on and on about my appearance, I kinda… got into it.”

“So… what’s the problem?”

“Everything.” She yelled out loudly which was thankfully masked by the music in the fairground. “When I saw mom looking all so happy… I kind of felt… guilty. She even had me put on makeup.”

She did?

He can’t see it.

“Well if it’s any consolation: It is over now.” Flash said hoping to bring a silver lining to this. “All you need to do now is break up with me and everything will be back to normal. Right?” He certainly hoped so. They didn’t go through that whole mess just to have everything fall apart at the very end. “So why don’t we forget this whole thing and enjoy this fair. It is the New Year after all.”

Her eyes looked up, the color returning to her face.

“Yeah.” She admitted. “You’re right. It’s over. I can finally go back home and relax and not worry about my dad setting me up with some stranger.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Rainbow quickly finished what was left of her drink and masterfully tossed it to the nearby bin. “So… how does this whole date thing work, exactly? Do you take me to dinner and an opera?”

Flash stifled a laugh. That last bit was probably a referral to the vampire movie: Fangshire. Who goes to the opera these days? Was there even have an opera house in Canterlot? “Are your only references, movies?” He quickly jumped back dodging a punch.

“Hey! Give me a break here. I’ve only seen these types of things in movies and books. I’ve never really had much of a dating life before now.”

“Well, don’t you worry. Because you’re in the hands of the dating master himself.” He offered his arm which Rainbow looked at confusingly before clumsily holding onto it. “I guarantee you that you’ll have a good time or your money back.”

“Is that a sales pitch?”

He rolled his eyes in return. “Let’s just have fun.”

And fun they did have.

xxxxxxxxxx

In the far off corner of the docks, another couple was having just as much fun.

“Come on. You’ve got to be kidding me.” Twilight watched as Timber pleaded to the ticket holder who refused him passage to what looked like the viewing platform for tonight’s firework show. Timber went on and on about the show and to be honest, he didn’t exaggerate. A whole section of the pier had been walled off just right next to the ocean. A row of bleachers stretched out to the far side, giving the audience a perfect view of the ships that would launch the pyrotechnic art into the night sky. There was even a gazebo reserved for the most affluent guests who will undoubtedly have the best view of the display.

“No means no, mister.” The manager in charge of the tickets repeated what she had been saying for the last minute. “Sorry buddy. But the whole place is booked. You aren’t the only couple that are here for the fireworks. Those that knew about the firework show made reservations days ahead of schedule.”

“But there has to be something you can do.”

She shrugged. “Not if you can make some new seats appear like magic.” Twilight rolled her eyes at the comment. “Sorry kid. But there’s only so many tickets I can hand out. So unless one of the others give away their tickets, you’re out of luck.”

“Not even the top slot?”

“Nope. We reserve that place for some of our more… wealthy clients.” She knew it. “Fortunately they all their own plans than watching some firework show.”

“Great! We’ll take it.”

But again the manager shot him down. “Sorry kid. You’re a little late on that too. Someone just rented the whole section for their date.”

“A whole floor!?” Timber gawked in disbelief. “Who in the world can rent a whole floor to themselves?” She can think of a few.

Again the woman shrugged. “Someone with money, I guess. Look. Like I said: Unless someone gives up their ticket on the slot, you’re out of luck. Now if you’ll excuse me, I got work to put on the gazebo.”

And with that, the manager departed leaving the poor boy to sulk.

“Timber. It’s ok.” She reassured him, patting the poor boy in the head. “We can just watch the firework from the beach instead. It’ll be just as fun.”

He sighed but admitted that there was little he could do to change that. “Yeah. I guess so. It’s just that I really wanted to take you up there. We’d have the view of the whole bay. Alone. Together.”

Aww… what a sweet heart.

Oh just drop him already.

“That’s sweet of you. But it’s fine. Really. I’d very much prefer if we just played a few games around here. This whole trip was for us to be together, isn’t it? So it doesn’t matter where we are.”

His eyes lit up as if struck by enlightenment. “Yeah… yeah you’re right. As long as we’re together, nothing can top us.” He then grabbed her hand and led her to the pier.

xxxxxxxxxx

Why oh why did I ever agree to come here?

Adagio groaned as she walked into the pier, dressed to the nines with her sisters in tow. The moment she stepped into this god awful fair, her skin began to crawl. Everywhere you looked you can see joy and positive energy pouring out from every soul. Happy couples locking arms together, family spending their time in fun and games. Heck, even the rides here oozed with enough positive emotions that made her want to hurl.

Why in the world did she let Aria talk her into coming to this place?

“Weeeeee!! Ohmigosh! Adagio look! It’s an all you can eat buffet!” Ah… right. That’s why. They needed to walk the idiot. “And look! They have a giant unicorn!” Oh yay… a giant plastic version of a creature they once dominated a long time ago. Talk about painful nostalgia. Adagio rubbed the side of her head in frustration. She would’ve snapped there and then had Aria not held her back.

“How did I let you get me into coming here?”

“Lighten up Adagio. It’s the end of the year. Try to enjoy it while you can.” Aria waved off to Sonata as if she was giving permission for the kid to go off on her own. “Besides, not everything has to be about magic. Learn to have a little fun.”

“I think we have two different definitions of what we consider fun.” The leader glanced around, resisting a hurl when a happy couple passed on by with smiles plastered on their faces. “Ugh… it hasn’t been a minute yet and I already want to burn this place to the ground. There’s not even a hint of negative energy here. Why do these people have to be so full of joy and hope? Will it kill someone to have a little misery out here?”

“Stop with your moping. Let’s try out some of these games and win us some prizes. You love it when you clean out their stock.”

She didn’t exactly ‘Love’ it. But it was a welcoming distraction. Seeing the reaction of some sucker lose all of his trophies often brought a smile to face.

“Fine. But if any of those creepy clowns get anywhere near me, I’m putting this place to the torch. Got it?”

Aria shrugged. “Fair enough. Now hurry up or some chef will try and pry Sonata from the buffet table.”

Too late for that, the girl was already having a tug of war with another patron over the fries’ bucket, waving a stuffed toy like a club to defend herself.

xxxxxxxxxx

Whoosh.

Another ball slid through the hoop with a pleasant sound followed by a series of tickets chucking out the slot.

Flash couldn’t help but watch as Rainbow followed it up with another dozen or so throws and each ball that fell, went through that hoop like a waterfall while the scoreboard went up. A few passerby gave her an impressed look and some even applauded for her performance. But from where he was standing, it seems like that girl was letting out some steam.

He looked to his own corner, lining up a shot and tossed. The ball bounced, dangled and fell. No whoosh.

A buzzer noise came a few seconds later signaling the end of their game.

“Booya! New record!” Rainbow pumped her fists triumphantly into the air before grabbing her tickets which was now piling below her. “Phew. You were right. This was a lot more fun than I thought.”

“I’m… glad?” He muttered, eyeing the two scoreboards and seeing the obvious difference. “Guess you had something to blow off?”

“Was it that obvious?”

No. But her frustrated grunts and annoying throws were easily definable from a closer perspective.

“A little bit.” He shrugged.

“Sorry.” She grabbed a stray ball and casually tossed it in like it was nothing, earning another whoosh. “It’s just my parents. They can be a little…” Her voice cracked. “… well… you know.”

“I’d say they were pretty decent considering how much they love you.”

“Oh please. What you saw was nothing.” Her mouth curled a scowl. “Last year, they snuck into our soccer match with Crystal Prep.” Oh yeah. He remembered that. They brought in a boatload of camera equipment saying that they wanted to capture their girl’s great moment. It didn’t really interrupt the match but it was certainly hard to ignore.

“Right~… the super camera incident. That was pretty fun.”

“For you maybe. But it was so embarrassing. Everyone was staring at them like they were elephants in the room.” Rainbow scoffed. “And it was even worse when we got home. We had to watch the whole thing on reruns. Dad even bought a new TV just for that occasion. He said that it had better picture quality or something.”

“Sounds like a fun thing to do.”

“No. It was not.” She replied in a matter of factly. “Don’t your parents do anything embarrassing to you?” The smile on his face wavered instantly, which prompted Rainbow to reconsider her words. “Ah… no. I mean… I didn’t mean it like that. I was just…”

“It’s fine.” He waved it off brushing through the subject. “Honestly, I don’t exactly have that much family memories so I can’t really relate. My dad was always away on his archeological adventures and my mom is… well… I don’t even remember her.”

“Yeah… sorry. I didn’t mean it that way…”

“It’s fine.” He repeated. “For what it’s worth, I think your parents are pretty cool. A little on the flipsy side, but cool. Not to mention they let me see your trophy room. Or to be more precise: Rainbow’s Room.”

Rainbow Dash’s face cringed at the thought. “Please don’t remind me. I’m gonna be suppressing that memory forever.”

It was rather disturbing and amazing at the same time. Bow converted their guest room to some kind of shrine dedicated to everything about his daughter. From baby pictures to fads, hobbies and baby teeth, even her old diapers was framed on the wall. It was downright harrowing yet Flash couldn’t take his eyes off any of it. There were even stuff in there he wouldn’t dare mention it to others unless he wanted Rainbow to rip his mouth off.

“I knew you were a big fan of Fangshire. But I didn’t think you’d have an exact replica of her dress.”

“It’s a battle skirt! And Claire is cool!” She nudged a finger at him, strong enough to send him recoiling. “And enough about me. Let’s turn this to you.”

He blinked dumbly. “Me? What about me?”

“This whole dating thing is about getting to know each other, right? Like… to see that we’re compatible and stuff?” The girl stated which was somewhat technically true. “Well you know everything about me now. So why don’t you tell me about you?”

“I think you know enough.”

But she didn’t seem to take that as an answer. “Oh please. No one in school knew that you were a rich-boy until just a few months ago. Not even Sunset knew. You have a giant pool, a giant mansion, a whole lot of cars, and even an Aviary! I wanna know the real you. Not the rocker guy or the rich boy. The real Flash Sentry.”

She made it sound cool in her own way which made it rather tempting. “Why are you so interested all of a sudden?”

“Because you know some of my deepest darkest secrets. It’s only right I get to find out a few of yours.” She then raised her massive ticket pile to him. “I’ll even give you half my tickets in exchange.”

Wow… arcade tickets in exchange for all of my revelation. That sounds like a fair trade if he was an idiot.

“I think I’ll keep my real self a mystery for now.”

“Oh come on! No fair.”

He laughed while the girl puffed her cheeks in annoyance. She looked absolutely adorable. Nothing that you would expect from a girl like Rainbow Dash.

“Tell you what. If you can beat me in the next game, I’ll spill the beans.”

She smiled cockily knowing that it was a sucker’s bet. “Ha! You’re so on!”

“Now hold on a second.” The boy poked her head stopping her from bolting off. “But if you lose, I get to ask one favor from you, free of charge.”

“Ha! Deal!” Oh wow, she was certainly confident if she was willing to shake on it so quickly. “So what’s it gonna be? Another hoop match? Darts? Soccer? Strongman high striker? Motocross derby? Race across the pier? Name any game you want and I’ll beat you at it without even breaking a sweat.”

“Any game?”

“Any.” She answered confidently, striking a pose.

Flash couldn’t help but smile. Hook, line, and sinker.

“Ever heard of Sudoku?

End of the Year (Part 3)

Author's Note

Hey guys. Sorry for being a little late. I had to rewrite this chapter like a dozen times just to get the feeling right.
Also got myself roped into a wedding plan. So I might not be able to write for a while.

So stay safe out there. Stay healthy and keep warm. :applecry:

End of the Year (Part 3)

Chapter 56: The End of the Year (Part 3)

(Docks)

Numbers.

Why oh why did it have to be numbers?

Rainbow Dash slammed her head on the table in complete and total defeat feeling the life inside of her completely drained. She crumpled a piece of paper in her hand resisting the urge to throw it away and scream at the top of her lungs.

When she made this bet, she was expecting an easy win. An auto-resolve situation if you’d want to call it. There were dozens of games in this fair. Many of them requiring an athletic body or keen instinct to master. But never in her life did she ever expect to use her brains in a game.

Ahhhh! Dang it! My one weakness!

Who in their right mind would make math a game? It was bad enough already when it was the worst subject in school. She looked to her paper again and saw the numbers within, only to have them go all blurry in her eyes. How can anyone even consider this to be entertaining? People were just putting numbers in squares, finding some kind of pattern. There wasn’t even a crowd to watch this madness!

“And that’s it. Time’s up.” The announcer declared raising a hand signaling the rest of the players to stop. “Flash Sentry wins this table. Congratulations.”

Her date held a grin on his face when the prize was given. A stuffed toy that looked poorly made. It looked like a dinosaur… though one could probably mistake it for a dragon.

“Well well well… this feels familiar.” Flash stated smugly like he had won over her in an actual contest. “You really need to step up your game Rainbow Dash. Otherwise you’ll never be as awesome as me.”

“You… cheated.” She hissed, glaring dagger eyes at him.

He didn’t seem all that bothered and instead shrugged arrogantly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re the one who took the bet. And you did say any game after all.”

“I was thinking more like the usual fair game!” She growled. “Something like darts or bumper cars. Not… whatever this is.”

“It’s still a game. And I won.”

“It doesn’t count!”

“It totally does. Just like how I won in our shred off.”

Rainbow grumpily huffed, folding her arms together feeling like she had been dealt a low blow. She really needed to specify what kind of games she wanted to play. Ugh… she can already picture what her friends would say when they see this. If Applejack heard of her defeat, she’ll never let her live it down. She’ll take it to her grave and beyond.

“Come on. Don’t sulk.”

“I’m not sulking!” She barked before returning to her moping. “It was a stupid game anyway.”

“Will a drink make you feel better?”

Don’t you give me your pity, you cheater. I have no need for such useless gestures. I’d rather sulk here for hours before I give in.

“Pumpkin spice.” She said finally which made him smile.

…

After a quick drink and some popcorn from the kiosk, Rainbow returned to her somewhat neutral attitude. Food always did have a way of cooling her jets.

“Haa… alright. Let’s hear it.” Rainbow stated after a quick sip from her drink earning a look from her date. “As much as I hate to admit it: I lost fair and square. Even though I still think you cheated. But never say I was a skimp. So let’s hear this favor of yours. What is it? Want me to play backup again?”

The boy cupped his chin in thought. “Actually… I have no idea.”

Her expression soured. “You’re joking.” He wasn’t.

“I didn’t really think much of it. I was kind of going with the flow there.”

“Ugh… seriously? It’s bad enough that I lost, now the other guy doesn’t even get a prize?”

“I got this dragon.” It’s a dinosaur… or at least she thought it was.

“Not. The. Same.” She emphasized on every word swatting the stuffed toy away. “Ugh… you’re lame. How am I supposed to take this defeat with any dignity if my opponent won’t even take his win seriously?”

“Is it really that bad that you don’t get to hear all of my deepest darkest secrets?”

Yes!

“No…” She admitted, though her facial expression said otherwise. “Well… maybe. I was just thinking of a quick win alright?”

Flash laughed at her. Great. Now she just made a fool of herself. Why did she ever agree to this date to begin with?

“Well if it means that much to you. How about another game?”

She eyed him wearily, which was to be expected after the curve ball he threw at her just now. Was he gonna rope her into another trick or was it just a sucker’s bet? “What kind of game?” Her tone dripped with suspicion.

“Five questions.” He answered plainly raising five fingers. “Each of us asks the other person five questions each and the other guy answers truthfully. You can’t lie no matter what, but you get one veto.”

So basically it was truth or dare without the dare part. It sounded simple enough. But she knew better now than to jump straight into the fight. Better to be cautious. Fool me once, shame on me and all that nonsense.

“So I can ask anything from you and you won’t lie?”

“With this little dragon as my witness.” He raised the said toy like it was some kind of deity, holding one hand over his heart.

“No boundaries? No riddles or skeptic or cryptic messages?”

“The sky’s the limit.”

Rainbow gave the game a thought. It was a good offer. Though granted she had to reveal four secrets of her own, the return for that trade was pretty good all things considered. Besides, the guy already knew most of her embarrassment, thanks to her parents.

“Deal.” They shook hands on it.

“And as a gesture of good faith. I’ll let you go first.”

She shrugged. “Fine by me. What’s your most…”

“Veto.”

…

“Dang it Flash!” She threw her popcorn at him.

xxxxxxxxxx

Timber let out a groan, slogging down on the bench with an exhausted sigh. Tonight was simply the worst. He didn’t want to believe in anything like luck or karma but tonight he felt like he was cursed.

After they were declined at the viewing platform, Timber tried his best to make up for it by finding them a better view of the fireworks. First he tried the pier which was unfortunately swamped by couples and families that had the same idea he did. Then he tried the parking log which didn’t fare any better. Then he had the bright idea of reserving a spot at the Ferris wheel. But again, someone had beaten him to it. A number of couples had reserved their seats ahead of time.

After that, the boy tried to salvage the date by trying to win her a prize from the games. But even then, his curse seemed to follow him. Apparently some trio have been going around grabbing all the fancy prizes off the shelves winning games like they were using magic. Now all that was left were a few knick knacks that no one was interested in.

So all in all, he felt cursed.

And now Twilight and Spike ran off to the free buffet tent hoping to grab something to eat before the show starts.

Ugh… how did it get like this? This was supposed to be his time to shine. Why did it all have to go so wrong?

The boy huffed, unconsciously kicking a pebble down the floor.

The last few days with Twilight has been amazing to say the least. To have her with him alone in a cabin was like a dream come true. They’d go on walks, skate by the frozen river and just be by one another for comfort. But… even so he could tell that there was something bugging her. She might be with him but she wasn’t fully there per-se. Twilight would often have this look in her eyes like her mind would be far apart while her body went into auto-mode. It was hard trying to get into someone who had all the knowledge of magic.

Ugh… magic.

The mere thought of it made him rather upset. If it wasn’t for that, Twilight would’ve just been another ordinary girl. His ordinary girlfriend. They’d be together, instead of her going off into these weird adventures and fighting off shadowy monsters from beyond.

“Trouble in paradise?” A witch-like voice spoke from the deep, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked around and noted a figure inside one of the tents where his pebble dropped in. “I can feel your frustration all the way from here. But I assure you, that you have nothing to fear. You have the face of a troubled soul. Please come in and get away from the cold.”

Was she… speaking in rhymes?

He noted the sign outside. ‘Zecora’s House of Fortune’

Oh… it was one of those gypsy’s nonsense. The fake magic tricks. Like the ones that grandiose magician in Twilight’s school.

“Hard for you to consider what is real and fake. When all you need to do is make one mistake.” The woman inside added. Did… she just read his mind? “Your mind? No. But your face tells me more.”

Curious… the boy decided to enter. He quickly found himself surrounded by objects and items that practically screamed witchery. Giant face totems, flowers he had never seen before, incense candles emitting strangely relaxing smell, a cauldron brewing nearby, and face masks that were frightening enough to dance lifelessly in the air. He could ever hear a strange tune humming in the background – or perhaps it was those giant speakers hidden behind pillows and carpets.

“Uh… hi?” He said finally, his body reaching for the chair to meet the woman who was covered in a dark blue shawl and a thin veil covering the lower part of her face. A crystal ball shining between them revealing white ink on her cheeks. “Sorry. I don’t normally… do this.”

“Of that, I can tell. But there is a first for everything as well.” The girl nodded, golden rings dangling on one ear. “I can see that you are marred by many troubles. Even the signs say that they are not subtle.”

“That obvious, huh?” Timber wondered. “I guess you could say that I’m having a little problem with someone.”

“A family? A friend? Or… perhaps someone closer?”

Wow… she’s good. “Uh… the last one.”

“Ah… a matter of the heart. Feelings of closeness yet fear of being apart.” Oh wow, another strike on the head there. “What ails you?”

Did he want to do this? Entrust his love life to a complete stranger?

Ah… heck. Why not? It’s not like anyone else had an idea.

“It’s just that. My girlfriend and I have been together for over a year now. And I love her really much. But… I get the feeling that we’re… as you say… growing apart.”

“Oh?” Her eyes lit up as if sparking interest. “And what brought these dark thoughts to bare? When all things should be right and fair?”

“Well… you see… my girlfriend is kind of… special. Like really REALLY special. And sometimes she has to do these things that I can’t put myself in. It’s kind of like… a line drawn between us. And now that she has this new uh… job… I can’t seem to involve myself somehow.”

“Ah… I see. You fear that your presence drifts from her mind. You fear what she will become and what she finds.”

“Uh… I guess?”

“Unique is this task she given. She is motivated to do it, and driven.” That’s… kind of true. Twilight had a fascination with magic ever since she discovered it. It was like… her sure fire road to a science grant. Nowadays it’s pretty much the only thing she ever thinks about. “And what is it you wish to do? What do you believe is best for her and you?”

“I…” He breathed. “I want to be more involved.”

“You wish to share her path. Even if it would incite her wrath?”

“Yeah. I want to be involved. Is it wrong that I want to be with my girlfriend more?”

The woman didn’t answer, instead turned her head towards her crystal ball. A hand crept out of her shawl, hovering around it, interacting with the mist inside. “To feel closer to the one you love is admirable, so to say. But best tread carefully less your involvement drives her away. Such actions are wrought with perils and danger. One misstep and you two… may become strangers.”

“I think we’re already heading there.”

“Fear is just an excuse. It is a shield, misuse.” She exclaimed, eyes widening. “If you truly believe such actions can strengthen your bond. Then go to her and find your common bound and beyond. You already have your goal! Fear nothing and search deep within your soul. The answers you seek may not easy to see. But I have something that may make your relationship… a guarantee.”

Does she mean like some kind of short cut?

“What is it?” Please tell me it’s not some silly love potion.

And thankfully it wasn’t.

She pulled out a beautiful amulet from her shawl and presented it to him like a gift. “A trinket from my home just for your size. It is not as pretty as others but it is worthy of a prize. Present your love this modest offering. And I can assure you that your love will be… uh… bud…ding!”

Timber wanted to call her out on that last rhyme but he was quite distracted by the amulet. At first glance it would look like some cheap knockoff you can get off any jewelry store. But upon closer inspection, he could see that it would make quite a gift. The necklace was made out of cheap material and everything it held looked very plain and ordinary. However, the shining sapphire in the center of it all caught his attention.

It was a great reminder of how their relationship started. A nostalgic blast from the past. He wondered why he didn’t think of it earlier.

“It’s perfect!” He reached out to it only for the woman to pull it back at the last second.

“That’s all dandy and fine. However… that’ll also be 5.99.”

The boy’s face soured while as he reached for his wallet while the grin on the fortune teller’s face palpable.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Ugh… that was the worst.” Twilight groaned as she left the buffet tent with nothing but a scoop of ice cream, her hair riddled with pasta. She was supposed to get something for Timber to cure his foul mood. But sadly that wasn’t going to happen. Apparently a girl came by and began stocking all the food she could carry. The chefs tried to stop her but by the time they got word, the attacker had consumed a large portion of the buffet sparking the others to do the same. By the time they got control of the situation, that girl made off like a bandit and disappeared into the crowd.

The mayhem left behind was so catastrophic that even her shoelaces came off.

And thanks to that, all she got for her effort was the last scoop of ice cream, which was hardly enough for one of them.

“Talk about an uproar. That place was crazy. Who knew so many people would be mad over free food?”

“Meh. I’d give that a 2/10 in disaster scale.” Midnight answered, floating above her host like an unwanted fairy. “Still. Seeing all those people fight over the last chicken leg was entertaining.” And surprisingly enough, Twilight agreed. To see such civilized folk devolved themselves into fighting for literal scraps of food like savages was kind of fun to watch. “And did you see that guy playing with the ketchup?”

How could she not? The guy was using it like a gun squirting everyone with sticky red liquid. One of the chefs had to tackle him down just to stop his reign of terror. In the end, it was a horrible mess that someone had to clean up.

Still… it earned her a few laughs which she desperately needed. Who knew that a little chaos could be so much fun?

“I know, right?” Her alter ego agreed wholeheartedly. “Chaos and mayhem in a budget! The madness of it all! Having men groveling at your feet while you hold their lives in your hands!”

“I… don’t remember seeing that happening.”

The fallen angel shrugged unapologetically. “Eh. Who cares? At least it was something that was actually entertaining. Unlike the rest of this date with what’s-his-name.”

“It’s Timber.” She insisted though it didn’t seem like her inner voice was listening. “You know, for a voice inside my head, you really don’t know much about me.”

“More like you don’t know yourself.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing~~.” The wicked witch whistled.

“You know. You’ve been really judgmental of Timber lately.” Twilight added. “What got you all worked up? Did he do something to you that I don’t know about?”

“Other than him being a complete snooze fest these last few days?”

“Hey! He’s trying his best. Timber has been a complete gentleman this whole week. Which is far more than I can say for some people.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“So we had one bad date. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Sure sure. Whatever you say.” Midnight waved it off, not wanting to bother arguing. “Just know that when you finally come to the realization of your own stupidity, I’ll be here laughing.” Twilight wasn’t really sure what she meant by that, but it was clear that she held some manner of grudge against her boyfriend. Either that… or she knew something she didn’t. Either way it didn’t matter.

“We should probably get back to Timber before he starts worrying.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Ah… that felt so much better.

Adagio let out a satisfying moan as she took in a deep breath smelling the negative energy fill into her soul. The food fight in the buffet tent was menial to say the least but seeing those humans plaster themselves with all the pastries they could get their hands on was a welcome distraction. Seeing such savage actions on such semi-intelligent creatures never gets old.

It was even better when she deprived the game hosts with all of the greatest prizes. Some of those suckers really think they could one up against the Sirens. You’d think after all these years, people would know better than to try to cheat on them.

With a little allure, seduction, and a hint of magic, they robbed those suckers blind like they were a bunch of bandits. By the time they figured what was going on, (If they ever did) they’d find their stalls cleaned of all their precious prizes and their games rigged in the players’ favor. Their misery and loss was delicious to say the least. So much so that it even brought Adagio out of her rut.

Though she wouldn’t say this out loud, Aria might’ve been right. Perhaps all she needed was a little outing to oil her gears. Dust away the cobwebs, so to speak.

“Ugh… so… full.” She turned over to the sides finding her youngest sister groaning on the bench, her face plastered with all manner of sauce and condiments. After her raid in the buffet tent, that little girl made off with a bucket load of treats. And as per usual she stuffed herself silly with everything she could get her grubby little hands on. Now she was looking more like an overstuffed pig. Though granted there are actually pigs out there with better manners than her. “Can’t… eat… anymore.”

“I told you to take it slow.” Aria cooed over her little sister, placing her head on her lap. “Come on. Sit up properly before you hurl up again.”

Adagio simply shook her head and left her to her own devices. It wouldn’t be the first or last time she ate herself to oblivion. If there was any upside to these humans, they certainly knew how to cook. The creatures over in Equestria were far too green for her liking.

Now let’s see. What else can they do before the firework show? Maybe she can entice a couple into breaking up… or maybe have another food fight but on a larger scale.

No.

None of those sounds all that entertaining. She needed something more. Something enticing. Something that can get her blood pumping again.

Something like…

Hmm?

Lover Boy?

xxxxxxxxxx

Flash couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he strolled down the pier listening Rainbow Dash. He had learned much about the girl after they started ‘dating’. After all, this is what dating was all about. But never in his years would he even thought of discovering so much of her deep dark secrets. Normally you’d think you’d have to bribe her with a boatload of Daring Do memorabilia to get her to reveal anything. But instead all it took was a simple game of questions.

“Wait. You serious?” He asked, cackling childishly in disbelief, barely holding back his own chuckles. “You’re afraid of rollercoasters?”

The bravest soul in CHS scoffed out loud, folding her arms. “Yeah. What about it?”

“But… how? Why?” The boy questioned. “I mean… don’t you go around with your super-speed jumping and flying and stuff? And… aren’t you like… faster?”

“That’s totally different!” She spat. “With my powers, I get to control where I go and what I do. I can twist and turn and stop whenever I want. But with a rollercoaster, you’re locked inside a giant metal death machine going 130mph with no breaks! I mean… who would want to go on such a dangerous ride?”

Huh… that actually sounds pretty logical. And there’s barely any kind of protection when you’re riding such a dangerous machine. A customer is far more liable to lose a limb or life than to have a good time.

“Hmm… now that is interesting.” He hummed, taking a sip off his drink. “Rainbow Dash is afraid of riding the rollercoaster. Who would’ve thought?”

“And don’t even think about telling others about it either.” Rainbow warned with an accusing eye, stabbing him with another finger. “If you say this to anyone, I will flat out deny you. You hear me?”

He quickly raised his hand up as if to swear an oath. “Relax. Your secrets are safe with me.” Besides, I don’t think anyone would even believe me if I told them. Folks would probably just laugh at me saying I was making things up.

“Alright. My turn.” She pointed out. “What’s your greatest fear?”

“What? You want to waste a question on that?”

“Hey, I told you mine. So it’s only right that you tell me yours.”

Ugh… what a petty girl she is. But then again, this was Rainbow Dash after all. You can’t expect someone so stubborn to hold a grudge.

“Fine. Mind control.”

“Mind control?” She parroted. Her eyebrow sinking suspiciously.

“Yup. If there’s one thing I’m really afraid of: It’s being brainwashed by another magical creature hell-bent on world domination.”

“That’s not a fear.”

He scoffed back. “That’s because you’ve never been mind-controlled before. Unlike you and your friends who have magical powers, we ordinary folk can’t even protect ourselves. I got turned into a zombie, and one time I was unconsciously under the control of three girls with magical singing voices. Can you imagine what it’s like to have your whole body put under a spell? Because I think speak for everyone in school when I say: It’s not a good experience.”

“Come on. It can’t be that bad?”

“Oh really?” He challenged back, grinning. “How’d you like it if one day you woke up and decided that you didn’t like sports and become a dancer instead?” The thought alone made Rainbow visibly shiver. “Or how about if you somehow gave up music and became a hair stylist… or worse… a fashion designer! Oooooooh~~~~!”

“Eeep!”

“Or how about one day you find yourself attracted to… Professor Doddle?”

“AHHHH! No no! No! Never!” She covered her ears and shrieked.

“I can picture it now…”

“Ok stop! I get it!” The girl capitulated almost immediately, rubbing her arms to chase away the goose bumps. “Ugh… now there’s an image I’ll never get out of my head. Thanks a lot.”

Flash let out a hearty laugh. There’s just no way he could get enough of Rainbow’s bashful face. That annoying pout, the mean glare she tries to give out reminds him so much of Bananas whenever he felt left out. You could easily picture her with animal ears and tails…

… oh wait.

“You know. When Rarity told me about this whole plan, I thought it’d be an absolute disaster. But now that we’re actually here, I think this is actually going pretty well.”

Rainbow scoffed not believing that for one bit. “Oh please. You just like to tease me.”

He shrugged. “Well… I can’t deny that.” She’s just so adorable when she’s all flustered and angry.

“But… it’s not exactly bad either.” She added, brushing her hair shyly like she was hinting at something else. “I mean… I know it’s a fake date and all. But if this is how a date goes… I wouldn’t mind doing another one.”

A small smile curled upon his lips. “Oh so are you saying that I actually have a chance with the infamous Rainbow Dash?”

“Uh… what?”

“My final question of the night.” The boy exaggerated throwing one hand in the air. “If I were to ask you out on a date – a real date – and not a fake one. Would you say yes?”

Rainbow immediately had the look of a deer staring down headlights. Her brain immediately went frizzled like it had burned up from all the processing it needed to do. In that instant, a cacophony of actions took place. Her cheeks turned beet red, her hands flustered over her hair and face while she dodgingly avoided eye contact. She stammered softly, muttering something under her breath, trying her darn best to form sentences but fumbled in and out of it. God she was an absolute doll when she’s shy. It took every ounce of mental fortitude for Flash to resist laughing. He even had the urge of pulling out his cell phone and snapping a picture in that moment of weakness. The guys back in school will be livid if they ever caught this expression. The sports teams will bid for it. Heck, Zephyr Breeze alone would probably sell off his kidney just to get a copy of such a picture.

After fumbling on her words for a couple of seconds, Rainbow did the smart thing and answered…

“Veto.” Oh my god! He flipping knew it! “Stop laughing! You’re the one asking weird questions!” She pounded her fists on his arm which he casually brushed off.

“Pfft! Sorry sorry.” He snickered, holding back his laugh and failing. “I just couldn’t resist.”

“Ugh. Whatever. I gotta go and wash up.”

“Come back before the fireworks. I still got one surprise left.” He shouted out which she acknowledged with a wave of her hand.

Ah… man. Who would’ve thought that Rainbow Dash, the coolest and most reputable girl in CHS would have such a cute side to her? He felt a little bad teasing her so much. He would’ve stopped immediately if she didn’t have such an adorable reaction. She was definitely rough around the edges and stubborn to a fault. But if you look closer you can see that she had more to offer than what she had on the outside.

Heck, if he wasn’t head over heels for Sunset, he would’ve asked that girl out a long time ago.

Oh well. Some things were never meant to be.

Ha! If only he knew what the universe had in store for him.

“Doh!” Just as the boy whipped around, he found himself bumping another traveler, who then spilled something cold and clunky onto his jacket.

His eyes shot up to his assailant. “Twilight?”

xxxxxxxxxx

Midnight couldn’t help but cackle evilly as she watched her host turn a bright shade of pink when she realized who it was she bumped onto. She never was one to believe in destiny before but this chance meeting might actually make her a believer. For a moment there she thought that this night would be another boring outing with whats-his-name. They’d hang out, flirt, and maybe even kiss. And she’d be sticking around to watch as her ignorant host makes a complete idiot of herself. They were waiting for that green haired moron to show up at the meeting place but for some bizarre reason, he hasn’t shown up yet, which was pretty dull. So imagine her surprise when they bumped into the one person who was even remotely interesting around here.

“Twilight?” The boy looked just about as surprised as she was.

“Flash?” She sensed a familiar emotion stirring inside her host. Her heart rate increased while other parts of her body continued to groan. How Twilight remains oblivious to these feelings was anyone’s guess.

The two of them froze, their brains processing the situation like it came as a shock.

Thankfully the boy spoke first. “Hey. Funny bumping into you here. Didn’t even recognized you.”

Her brain rebooted back, turning a smile. “I could say the same to you.” She paused on that sentence. “The bumping part. Not the… other thing.” The girl then quickly noted the ice cream stain on his jacket, eyes lighting in embarrassment as she reached for her handkerchief. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll have it dry cleaned tomorrow.” He brushed it off so casually as he removed the said jacket. “I’m guessing you’re here for the fireworks?”

No you idiot. We were here to enjoy the sights and smell of the ocean and enjoying the cultural significance of the city’s shipping industry. Why else would be standing in the pier?

“Wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“That’s great. You here with your folks?”

“No I’m a……” Her heart wavered for a brief second there. “I’m with Timber. He’s uh… he’s running late.”

“Oh right. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” He scratched his head awkwardly.

“What about you? Who are you with?”

“Me? Oh… well…” Midnight crept in closer, analyzing every inch of his face. “I came alone actually.” That was a lie. She could tell. But it was surprisingly well hidden. The boy certainly had some experience. That… or someone’s been teaching him.

“You’re not with your dad?”

“He’s busy at work. As usual.” He shrugged on that last part. “Not surprising. Seeing how his election campaign is pretty much in the bag at this point. I’ll barely even see him once he becomes Mayor.”

“That’s… not good.”

“Meh. What can you do? It’s not like it’ll be any different from before.” And strangely enough he didn’t sound too bitter about it. Twilight felt some empathy for the boy. To spend this special day alone was rather unbecoming. Perhaps she could ask Cadance to talk some sense into his old man.

No.

That would be butting into his personal life. Best to leave it be.

“So… uh. It’s been a crazy yeah, eh?” Was that supposed to be a question or a statement? Midnight couldn’t tell.

To no surprise, the boy agreed. “Tell me about it. These last few months have been a blast. The whole Freefall Island pageant show, the shadow monsters, getting teleported to the other side of the world?”

“Pfft! Please. Only you’d find all of that to be fun.”

“Well I can certainly say that it’s never a boring day with you guys around.” Oh bravo. What a catchy comeback line. The guy was a natural when it came to pickup lines. And he did it so casually that he didn’t even realize that it just made her host all tingly inside. “If anything, I hope I get to spend more time with all of you next year as well.”

That won’t be too hard seeing as all of them were technically living under your roof.

“Really?” Twilight’s face beamed. “After everything that’s happened?”

“Absolutely.” He replied confidently. “As a matter of fact. I think I’ll make me one of my New Year’s resolution. If I get to be part of your adventures, I’m happy. Just… warn me whenever you’re gonna try teleporting next time.”

“Deal.”

Their laughter was soon interrupted by the fair’s PA speakers. “Attention, all visitors. The New Year’s countdown firework display will be starting in fifteen minutes.”

“Looks like the show will be starting soon.” Twilight sighed. “I wish I could see it from the viewing platform.”

“Didn’t you get tickets?”

“No. They were pretty much sold out by the time we got here.”

Flash’s face quickly turned a smile. “Well… why don’t you join me?” She raised a quizzical brow to which he quickly explained. “I rented the whole top gazebo.”

“That was you!?” Girl… why are you even surprised? You know this kid comes from money. “Wait… you bought a whole floor just for yourself?”

“Oh… uh… well… yeah.” He said quickly enough to avoid suspicion. “I figured I’d spend the New Year in style. Ahehe…”

Twilight gave him a curious look. It was definitely strange. But then again, this was a rich kid throwing his cash around. So what do they know what goes through his head.

xxxxxxxxxx

“We’re leaving.”

Aria’s eyes shot up when she heard her leader made a declaration.

“What?” She questioned.

“I said: We’re leaving.” Adagio repeated, face turned away sounding rather irritated.

“But… the fireworks…” Sonata tried to argue but was quickly shut down when Adagio turned towards them. “Eeeep!”

“Now…”

The two younger siblings looked at one another confusingly but complied nonetheless.

What crawled under her skin all of a sudden?

(Equestria) (Castle of Friendship)

“Well… that certainly was……… something.” Sunset rocked her head as she strutted through the halls of the Castle with a heavy heart and a messy mane, Starlight Glimmer following her not far behind. She wiped a stain of apple fritters that landed on her head and kicked off the gunk that latched on her hooves.

“I don’t think there’s a word out there that could possibly describe what just happened.” The purple pony agreed wholeheartedly on that matter which they followed with a hearty laugh while they removed some gunk from their nose.

The two of them had just come from their attendance of Princess Twilight’s coronation back at Canterlot Castle, which was an absolute disaster from start to finish. They all expected some kind of grand event. The kind where parties are spoken in legend like the Grand Galloping Gala. And they weren’t wrong either. The ceremony alone would be spoken far and wide and played on Manehattan Square for all to remember. Just… not in the way the Princess and her friends expected.

So many events took place in a span of just a few hours that it was difficult to even remember what happened and when. First it was her royal gown, then the yaks and dragons started challenging each other who could make the loudest noise, the gryphons then dropping in and intervening, then the parade animals went into some kind of frenzy creating all kinds of mess, the fireworks were out of synch, being managed by a wild alligator, the Wonderbolts performance that went absolutely horridly wrong, and the food? By Celestia… the food. The chef in Canterlot Castle needed to be fired and replaced by… well… just about anyone. A simple taste left many creatures rushing for the royal toilets and many more curling on the floor in disgust and pain.

It must’ve been so embarrassing for the Princess of honor to simply stand there and watch as everything fell apart like a house of cards. The poor alicorn could only wave and smile while the rest of the castle staff did their best to wing it as it went. And in the end… let’s just say that it concluded horribly.

“Well… at least you were right about one thing.” Sunset chuckled. “It certainly was a once in a lifetime event. No one will be forgetting this day any time soon.” The two of them shared a comical laugh before finally making their way to the back room where the portal was placed.

“I’m glad you were able to attend. I know things have been quite hectic on the other side. But you could’ve at least talked with Twilight while you were there. She would’ve definitely made time for you if she knew you were there.”

“I think she has a lot on her plate without me adding to the mix. Just being there to witness her ascension is enough for me.” She added while scrubbing what little gunk was left on her mane. The exploding fireworks did not mix well with the food. Though it certainly saved her from a bad stomach. “Besides, I can’t have the new ruler of Equestria waste her precious time on me. She has an entire kingdom to rule now. Not to mention the diplomatic tour she’ll be doing later on. That’s definitely gonna keep her busy for a long time.”

“Come on Sunset. You of all people know that Twilight always has time for a friend.” Starlight sighed but didn’t press it. “Well… at least you were able to attend. I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with that. It was a nice event though. Even though it wasn’t exactly what everyone was expecting.”

No kidding. I don’t think anyone was expecting a toothless alligator to be managing the fireworks who nearly burned the whole place down to the ground. Not to mention the chaos that followed. Geez… Discord must be having a time of his life.

“I suppose no one’s perfect. Not even a Princess.” She tapped the mirror feeling its magic swirl on her hoof. “I should probably head home. Pass my congratulations to Twilight. And thanks again for the invite.”

“Any time.” Starlight waved her off. “We’ll be here if you need us. Happy to help whenever we can. It’ll be a heck of a lot quieter here now that the coronation is over.”

“Well… if you want, you can always drop by my place. We still got a lot of things to handle.”

“Oh please. After what happened today I think I’d rather enjoy some peace and quiet for once.”

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle Library) (Starswirl’s chamber)

A lone Pegasus clad in golden armor patrolled these empty halls. He let out a lone grumble which echoed far and wide throughout this section of the library.

Normally the entirety of the castle guards would be on standby even after the coronation. Unfortunately, someone was needed to patrol the ancient hall of Starswirl the Bearded. And being the poor unfortunate soul that he was, he was given the ‘Honorable’ task of walking this hall dead in the night. What an honor indeed.

Though the thought of anyone infiltrating this place was remarkably unfounded, leaving it unguarded would be considered reckless. After all, a whole wealth of knowledge and magical artifacts was stashed here. Along with multiple portals to different worlds. That last part should’ve been put at a higher priority.

“Ugh… dang it.” He mumbled lowly to himself as he swung his lantern around his wings to get a better look at the area. “This stinks. Why am I the only one who gets this crummy assignment? Just because I miss one briefing, doesn’t mean I have to be put on night shift.”

There was actually many more reasons why he was given such a boring task. Sleeping on the job was the main cause, but he wouldn’t openly admit even to himself.

Resigning himself to his misery, the guard turned over around another empty corner hoping to finish his round. Perhaps after this next corridor, he could take a quick break in the guard station and catch up on some sleep.

Or… at least that was his plan until a loud crashing noise startled him from his routine. The pony raised his head towards the source, thinking it might’ve just been the wind. But realizing that he was deep underground, that reason seemed to be highly unlikely.

“W… who goes there?” He demanded, bracing his wings for an encounter. “I’m warning you. I’m a trained member of the royal guards. S… so you may as well show yourself.” Whether it responded to his demands was unclear, but a shadowy figure did reveal itself. “Who…?”

The Pegasus readied itself for battle, preparing to unleash all of his training. But would later stare dumbfounded when his would-be attacker fell face first on the floor.

“Whoa!” He recoiled, but quickly shook out the shock and brought up his lantern for a better look. The pony nearly had a heart attack when he recognized the intruder’s face. “Master Starswirl?”

“The Princess…” The great wizard rasp, his voice hoarse. His body looking positively drained. “I must speak… with… the Princess.”

Hostile Negotiations

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Dangerous Games

Author's Note

And back from the wedding. It was short, small and very sweet. No bouquet but not a lot of folks anyway.

Food was meh, but the cake cutting was cool. (If only it was a real cake)
Now back home and back to ordinary days. :twilightsmile:

Dangerous Games

Chapter 58: Dangerous Games

(Sweet Shoppe)

The metallic bell chimed as Flash opened the door. An aroma of freshly baked goods and assortment of drinks flew into his nostrils reminding him of the good times. He was quite a regular here even before he started in CHS. Naturally, the place looked partially deserted with enough empty tables to put a sad face on anyone.

It was strange to be called out here so late, even stranger still when he realized who the caller was. Flash never really had much of an interaction with Timber before. Other than him being Twilight’s boyfriend, he didn’t really knew much about the guy. Even during the trip to Camp Everfree, the most they had was nothing more than a passing greeting or the casual hi and hellos. Now all of a sudden he comes up and asks for a private meeting. It sounded rather important and said that he needed to discuss something face to face.

Looking around the store, Flash realized that his appointment still wasn’t around. He looked at the clock realizing that he came somewhat early. Having a decked out car can really save time.

Not wanting to waste a trip, he decided that it would be best to grab something to eat. This place did always have the best pastries.

He expected to see either Mr. or Mrs. Cake back there, but it would seem like they’ve got themselves another part-timer to help out. Last time, Pinkie worked here. Now it’s…

“Welcome to the Sweet Shoppe. What can I get…… you?” The girl’s lazy attitude suddenly lit up when she saw her next customer. The last word she said there seemed separate from the other question.

“Aria?” Flash remembered the name quickly enough. It was the middle sister of the Siren sisters. The supposedly somewhat-always-angry looking lady. “Are you… working here?”

Her brow rose while her frown deepened. “What gave it away? Was it the uniform or the fact that I’m standing on this side of the cash register trying to look interested? Or maybe it’s the fact that I just asked you what you want?”

“Uh…… the first one.” He blabbered, playing it safe. “I actually meant why are you working here?”

“We need the money. And this is one of the few places around that has a shift open at night.” She shrugged. “And it’s just three blocks away from our apartment so… it was a no brainer.”

“I didn’t think any of you would be out this late at night.”

“Why?” She challenged, arms folding. “It’s been over a week since we had to deal with any of those shadowy monsters. And last I heard, that was the Rainboom’s problem, not ours.” That was… kind of true. But they did take part in taking down Hoity. “Besides, if anyone here has to be afraid of the shadow monsters, it’d be you.”

“Oh… right.” The boy replied rather awkwardly. “So uh… how are you doing?”

“Not bad.” She shrugged. “Adagio’s still being a pain in the neck and Sonata is…… Sonata.”

“That’s… good?” He nodded, trying to play it safe. He didn’t know why, but he got a feeling that this girl had an aura of stabbing you in the back when you turn away. “So… I guess everything’s going well?”

“Are you genuinely asking that or are just trying to strike up a conversation to fill in the silence?”

…

Uh…

“Figures.” Her eyes furrowed afterward. “So are you gonna order something or are you just gonna stand there and waste my time?”

Thankfully he didn’t have to answer when Mrs. Cake came to the rescue. “Now now Aria. That’s no way to talk to a customer. Remember: A bright smile always brings joy to others.”

Aria rolled her eyes in annoyance but complied either way. After a deep breath, her frown turned upside down flashing the most plastic smile she could conjure, showing her teeth and gum like it was trying to stretch even further. It was the kind of smile Pinkie would make in one of her euphoric moments… just… creepier. Way WAY creepier.

“I’m sorry dear customer. Can I interest you in our special offer today~~? We have a big sale on bear claw. Two for the price of one~~~.” Every word that came out of her mouth felt like she was dragging a rusty knife down his chest, just waiting for the right moment to thrust it in and watch him writhe in agony. “And with every purchase, you will receive one sticker which can be redeemed for a prize at this very store~~.”

Mrs. Cake shook her head sighing, and turn to the boy. “I’m sorry about her dearie. She’s new. I’m just showing her the ropes right now. Will you be getting your usual?” Flash nodded, not really trusting to open his mouth less the girl was gonna spit poison at him. “One moment. I’ll get one fresh from the oven. Be right back.”

It was a short moment, but when Mrs. Cake was gone, Aria slumped down in annoyance. That smile she held earlier, switching back into a frown. “Ugh. I don’t understand how you humans can stand smiling all the time. My cheeks are killing me.” Flash wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. “You just gonna stand there all night?”

Yeah… he was gonna take two… dozen steps back just in case.

Thankfully there were plenty of seats around. Barely one or two customers to go along for tonight.

“Sorry about that.” Mr. Cake apologized quietly as he offered the boy a complimentary juice. “She just started. I’m sure she’ll be able to work off the edges in no time.”

Flash waved it off. It’s not like he was gonna come here on a nightly basis. If he wanted nice pastries, he could just ask for his butler, or one of the many chefs in his mansion.

With a sigh, the boy leaned into his seat and got comfortable. And not a moment too soon either as his appointment arrived through the door.

(Pinkie’s home)

“NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” Pinkie Pie’s wail can be heard throughout the neighborhood. Normally such a thing would alarm neighbors for some kind of plight but seeing as this was Pinkie, the folks there just brushed it off like it was a regular occurrence. The pinkette’s behavior has always been known throughout all of Canterlot. The poor little girl was dragged through the floor like a ball and chain, her arms gripping onto the leg of her eldest sister.

“Pinkie. We’ve been through this.” Limestone whined lowly, looking bored like this whole scenario was overplayed. The taxi she ordered for was waiting by the sidewalk, no doubt already having pressed the meter for good measure. “I can’t get to the airport if you keep holding me down like this.”

“But but… you can’t leave! There are like… a hundred things we haven’t done together yet! I had everything planned out!” She pulled out a scroll from her hair which rolled down in length. “We were supposed to go sleighing in the hills, have an all you can eat cupcake buffet at the Sweet Shoppe, and not to mention telling ghost stories before bed like before!”

“Well you should’ve thought of that when you decided to hang out with your friends than here.”

“But you’ve only been around for a few days.”

“I’ve been staying here for 3 weeks now.” Has she? She can’t quite remember. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I got a flight to ca-”

“No!” Pinkie demanded chaining herself to her big sis with a literal chain. Where she got that, no one will ever know.

“Pinkie. My flight is in 4 hours.”

“Exactly! That means we still have time to do one last activity! I have the perfect one.”

“No Pinkie. I need to check-in. And you know how busy the New Year is.”

“But… but…! Can I at least see you to the gate?”

Limestone sighed. “Pinkie, it’ll take forever for you to get back. And you got an early morning tomorrow. So… no.”

“How about we do one last prank on Maud? You like that, right?”

Limestone paused on the thought looking rather tempted. But thankfully calmer heads prevailed. With a low groan, she picked her sister up and dust the snow off her.

“Look. I came here to spend time with you and the family and I did just that. Besides, I got a life of my own back in Oxhoof. You can’t expect me to just show up at random.”

“Why not? I do it all the time.”

“Well not everyone in the family has your superpower.” Pinkie teared up which only seemed to make the elder Pie feel slightly guilty. “Haa… but I got time around Spring Break. If I’m not too busy, I’ll drop by for the week.”

“Really?”

“I’ll Pinkie promise you on it.” She held one hand over her eye and gave a cool smirk in return which prompted her little sis to stand. “And just so you don’t miss me too much. Here – we can have this at least.” She quickly brought Pinkie up close cheek-to-cheek before snapping a photo on her phone. “There. Now you got something to remember me by.”

Pinkie paused, looking at the photo before tearing up again, this time in joy. “This is probably the best give you’ve ever given.”

“Eh… I can put a little effort every once in a while.”

“And speaking of gifts~~.” Pinkie added before suddenly jumping and giving Limestone the biggest hug she could offer. “I still have 1 minute and 10 seconds of huggie time.”

The eldest Pie smiled. “Fine.”

(House on the Hill)

Ah… now this was the life. Twilight let out a pleasing sigh as she sank in her reading chair, a warm mug of hot coco by her side, sweet calming music playing from her phone, and a good book to read on. Some would say that she was burning the midnight oil and they’d be right. It’s been a while since she had been able to relax so peacefully and engrossed in her research. With everything that’s been happening around them you could hardly find time to do anything at all. So you could say that this little respite was exactly what she needed before school started again.

If only the book she had was bit easier to read. The journal of Captain Hoofbeard was like reading an ancient text.

Honestly, the old colonials back in the day were way too old school in their language. And the buccaneer’s flowery pirate-ish slurs and slangs made it rather difficult to discern what he actually meant. Not to mention the penmanship alone was sloppy. It got so bad that she even had to look up some of them from the net.

“Are you still reading that thing?” It didn’t come as a surprise that her inner evil voice decided to pay a visit. Twilight has pretty much gotten used to the dark angel appearing when no one was around. “Honestly Twilight. For a girl your age to be reading a thousand year old book in the middle of the night and in this study room? That’s just sad.”

“Well it might be sad for you. But for me, it’s relaxing. We all have our own hobbies.” She brought the cup to her lips and sipped. “Yours is total domination of this world, mine just happens to be researching.”

“If this is what you call hobby, then we need to find you a new one.” The floating apparition groaned. “What do you even expect to find in there? You’ve been looking into that book for over a week now.”

“It’s… difficult to translate pirate language to our everyday common. You have to be very careful. One single word here can change a whole sentence. Besides, this is the only lead we have on the secret Order.”

“Uh… there’s a bigger lead we can follow: The creepy dude who just tried to enlist us?”

Ugh… she didn’t want to be reminded of that. The encounter was still fresh on her mind, which is partly why she wanted to have this peaceful moment to herself.

“I highly doubt Professor Neighsay will tell us anything. Besides, he could be lying.”

“He wasn’t.” Midnight corrected. “What’s the point of trying to recruit us?”

“In either case. We need to know this Order by doing our own research. The information in this journal will be far more reliable than what Neighsay gives us.”

Midnight sagged in defeat. “Ugh… fine. What did you find out anyway?”

“Eh… not very much.” Twilight half-heartedly admitted, frowning lowly. “From what I can tell, Hoofbeard was a real piece of work. He raided towns and villages all along the coast when people first started settling here. He robbed from everyone and didn’t care who he came across.”

“Oooh. Sounds like my kind of person.”

“But he suddenly had a change of character when he met a member of Order of the Black Stone. This… Jewel.” She pointed to the rough drawing of the person. “He was totally in love with her. He brought gifts, flowers and even wrote poems for her.”

“Anything good?”

Twilight shrugged. “Eh… if you consider piracy context a form of flattery. Then no. Let’s just say that he was head over heels for her.”

“So what? Did those two get their happily-ever-after or something?”

“I… don’t think so.” The bespectacled girl sighed. “If what we saw in the temple in Saddle Arabia was any indication. I think something must’ve happened between them. Something bad. And his journal entries become stranger the further I go in.”

“Stranger than a pirate’s rambling?”

“Well… for one thing… he talks about Jewel and the Order obsessively. And he can’t imagine a world without her. And that he’s willing to do anything to be with her.”

“Sounds more like a love-struck idiot.” Midnight shrugged. “He does know that there are plenty of fishes in the sea, right?”

“And there’s this one.” She quickly flip the pages to the latter entries where the handwriting becomes strangely aggressive. “He talks about a dark presence lingering at the back of his mind. That he… struck a deal with a monster. A bargain of sorts with some entity. Something he calls… The Pony of Shadows…”

“Pony of Shadows?” The evil angel stifled a laugh. “Sounds rather generic.”

“It could just be another shadow monster like Kaaz, the snake, and Uta, the wolf. There’s so much we don’t know about the Order. But I do know that they definitely got their powers from the Yaztec people. Ugh… if only I had someone who can actually help me with research.” But alas, none of her friends had any interest with the study of magic and Sunset was far too busy to offer her a helping hand. She was striking out on her own with the limited resources she could find. “If I just some of my old equipment, I could further my studies into the Order’s magical gemstone – or maybe even improve our own magic.”

“But that would mean opening your lab. And incurring more electric bill than you can possibly afford with your salary.”

Ugh… money. It all comes down to money.

“You can always…”

“No.” She already knew what she was gonna say and she wasn’t having any of it.

(Equestria) (Castle of Friendship)

Sunset watched as Starlight inspected the Memory Stone, clasped in her horn magic. The little gizmo floated just inches above the table like a precious gem. She spun it around, analyzing every crisp and crack like a pawn shop proprietor trying to find its true worth.

“Wow…” The purple pony let out an exasperated gasp. “I can scarcely believe it. But this thing really is the Memory Stone.”

“So it’s genuine?” Starlight nodded black, placing the dangerous object within a glass container just to be safe. They definitely don’t want something as powerful as that roaming around here.

“The magic and spell recipe is all there. But this is old magic. Like… really ancient magic. I’d say it certainly predates the founding of Equestria.” She shuddered at the thought. “It’s badly damaged. But whoever put it back together sure knew what they were dealing with. Every piece is being held together with some kind of enchantment. Very complex even for me.”

So it wasn’t a fake but the real deal.

Sunset was glad about that. She certainly didn’t want to deal with it after it robbed all of her friends of their memories together. One misadventure about brainwashing was enough for her, thank you very much.

But still… why would Professor Neighsay hand over something so precious so willingly? Was it really just to curry favor with them?

“I’ll have this bagged and ship to Canterlot Castle tomorrow.” Starlight continued, locking the container tightly. “This is far too dangerous to keep around Ponyvile. I’m glad you brought this here. Who knows what kind of untold damage this thing can do.”

“Believe me. I know.” She let out a soft chuckle. “At least that’s one headache I don’t have to worry about. The problem now is what to do. I got a member of the Black Stone Order taking up residence in my school. He’s definitely up to something. But I just can’t see what it is.”

“Sounds like you got yourself a little friendship problem there.”

Sunset shrugged. “I don’t think that’s right. It’s more like an invasion problem.”

“Ok so maybe not a friendship problem. But it’s definitely close.” Starlight added. “Now, I’m not exactly a professional when it comes to dealing with secret orders and such. But if you want my advice, I’d say you hear him out.”

“Hear him out?”

“He could’ve done things far worse to you and your friends. But instead he decided to talk it over instead of fighting. That kind of action takes a lot of courage. So instead of handling it like you did with the others, why don’t you try giving him the benefit of the doubt?”

“It’s kind of hard to do after we had to deal with two of their members. And not in a very friendly kind of way either.”

“Ok so their first impression wasn’t perfect. That doesn’t mean you can’t work things out for the better.” She had a somewhat good point there. “Trust me. We’ve seen our share of bad guys. In fact, I used to be one of them. But if you take the time to learn about them, they might not be as bad as you might think.”

“I don’t think that applies here.”

“I know it’s hard to trust people who tried to hurt you. But remember you used to be on the same boat.” Ouch. Hitting a sore spot there. “I find that talking things over is the first step towards trust. Besides… what do you have to lose?”

Huh… that’s true. While it was a hard pill to swallow, there were benefits to this. There was also a good chance that the attacks on them were separate instances. Cinch was motivated by her personal hatred to the girls for humiliating her during the Friendship Games and Hoity Toity was inspired by his own personal greed.

If this Order wasn’t really as bad as Neighsay claims, they might just have a chance to cooperate – or at the very least they’ll leave each other alone.

If they can at least negotiate a truce, they won’t have to worry about another attack. The girls can go about their daily lives without magic and maybe even leave the sanctity of the house by the hill. No more looking over your shoulder every ten minutes or fearing another retaliation.

Sunset wasn’t about to trust these guys just yet. But perhaps some talk will be good in the long run.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“That’s the spirit!”

They were suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Or perhaps it was more of a bang. It sounded more like somepony just whacked his/her whole body onto the door hoping it would just open.

Starlight answered it, eyes widening to see a familiar cross-eyed delivery Pegasus on the other side, head plastered on the floor.

“A mail delivery? At this hour?” The deliverer didn’t reply, instead shook off the dirt and handed a scroll over with triple ribbons. She gave a playful salute before flying off, hitting a few pillars on the way out.

Sunset raised a curious look. She heard of the Triple Ribbon Express delivery before. Princess Celestia used it once or twice when she was still a student in her school. It’s the kind of service provided by Flying Pony Express for the really SUPER-FAST delivery. Kind of like the overnight shipping back in the human world. The company would call upon anyone who was available and pay them double overtime for the workload.

“What is it?”

“It’s from Sunburst.” Starlight gasped, opening the scroll, scanning its contents hastily. “It says that something happened in Canterlot Castle… and wants me there immediately.”

An emergency summon? At this time? That didn’t sound good. “Did something happen?”

“He didn’t say. Just that it’s an emergency. And that I need to go there right away.”

“But how? I don’t think there are any trains leaving at this time.”

“Then we’ll just have to go there the quick way.” Starlight then reached for Sunset, lighting up her horn to cast a spell.

And with a flash, they were gone.

(Canterlot Castle)

“Whoa…” Sunset blinked and immediately found her surroundings changed in an instant. The next thing she knew she was standing in the front lawn of the Castle of Canterlot. It was incredible. She knew of powerful teleportation magic. As a matter of fact, she used to do it too, but only going from street to street, or even a few kilometers, but never cross country before. “You can teleport all the way from Ponyville?”

Starlight raised her head proudly on that fact, waving her hoof. “It’s easy once you get the hang of it. The trick is to always keep your focus. Otherwise you might end up stuck between a wall, or somewhere underwater. It happens more time than you think. If you want I can teach it to you.”

“Hmm… that might actually come in handy.” She agreed on it so readily. It’d be great to be able to transfer that kind of spell to her human form. It’ll definitely save her time and gas money. “That must’ve taken a lot of studying to achieve.”

“Well I did have a great teacher.” They were again interrupted when the doors to the castle burst open startling them.

“Starlight!” Sunburst said in panic as he approached them flanked by two royal guard unicorns. “Thank goodness you got my letter.”

The two of them immediately went into business mode, putting on their serious face. “Your letter didn’t mention what was going on. What happened? You said to come over as soon as possible. What’s the emergency?”

“It’s Starswirl.” He answered nervously. “He’s back. And… not in a good way.”

Dread filled their faces when they heard this.

“What happened to him?”

“We’re not sure. But you better come quickly!”

Taking his word for it, the two unicorns followed him into the castle. They blazed through the empty halls, where the night shift guards hastily moved aside and granted them passage. It’s been a while since Sunset walked through these halls. Not since the day she first traversed to another world many moons ago.

xxxxxxxxxx

After a few minutes they would arrive at what looked like the guest wing of the castle. Dignitaries, ambassadors, and important visitors from all over Equestria would have been checked in this place. It was kind of like a hotel for VIPs.

They came towards one particular room however which was surrounded by a whole platoon of royal guard ponies. Not surprising when they know who was on the other side. The unicorns by the door noted Sunburst and immediately opened the door with their badges.

Inside they found the old wizard lying on a bed, stripped of his hat and cape, attended by nurses and doctors all around. Sunset expected to see Starswirl in there, and maybe a few other ponies. But never did she expect to see her former master.

“Princess Celestia? And… Princess Luna?” The two alicorns, hearing their names called, whipped their heads towards the newcomer and sighed in relief.

“Starlight! And Sunset Shimmer?” The Princess of the Sun greeted. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“We came as soon as we could, your majesties.” Starlight gave a short bow along with her friend. “Can you please tell us what happened?”

“Well we were planning to retire to the Silver Shoals.” Luna scoffed. “But just before we could get pass the gates, we were informed that former mentor had collapsed after returning from a grand quest in another world. We’ve been here all day. And now thanks to him, we’re missing all the great plans I arranged for today!”

Celestia waved her sister off and shook her head. “I’m sorry about her. Luna has been looking forward to our retirement. So this was rather unexpected.”

Sunset stepped in. “Can you tell us what happened?”

“Not much I’m afraid.” She admitted. “One of the guards that I sent to protect Starswirl’s vault found him unconscious in the hall of mirrors just the other night. He brought him over, completely haggard. We didn’t even know he was here until this morning.”

“Is he alright?”

“He’s in no immediate danger.” The unicorn doctor answered in their stead, slowly approaching them with an attentive poise. “I’ve completed my diagnosis and have concluded that: Master Starswirl is simply suffering from a severe case of magical energy exhaustion. It’s something we unicorns get after strenuous use of our magic. It can very taxing to one’s mind and body when used continuously. Other than a few scratches and bruises, he should recover after a few days of rest. My nurse can attend to his basic needs until he wakes up.”

“Thank you Dr. Flatline. We’ll take it from here.” Celestia gave a sigh of relief dismissing the good doctor away.

They later approached the old wizard on his bed, wheezing heavily. You could tell he was exhausted from the wrinkles on his cheeks and his beard – or… maybe those were already there.

“Starswirl is one of the most powerful wizards of his time.” Sunset mentioned. “What could’ve done this to him?”

Luna groaned. “We were hoping you could tell us. I know that this old man has a habit of exploring the known universe, but he’s way past his prime to simply go on adventuring. And Sunburst here refuses to say anything until you Starlight arrived.”

“What ever could you all be doing that is so dangerous?” The sun sister asked to which the three stared at each other in question. How were they to explain the complicated situation they were in?

“It’s… a long story.” Starlight admitted.

Luna rolled her eyes. “Seeing as all of our retirement plans for today just went out the window, I think we have time.”

“Well…”

“Stop stop!” Luna interjected rather abruptly. “If this is going to be long, then we may as well get some refreshments.”

“Luna, this is hardly the time.”

“I already had to cancel my afternoon lunch at the Huffs and Hooves. The least I could get is some tea. Guards!” The said royal guards hastily went away bringing over a tray of confection and a pot of tea. “Right. Now where were we?”

…

“… and that’s about all of it.” Starlight finished, sighing lowly to the two princesses.

Celestia nodded back, having been silent for a long while, listening intently to the journey the ponies had in their ignorance. To think that such a threat was happening without their knowledge. Granted that this danger was literally in another world. Yet that didn’t much give them reason to let down their guard.

“That is indeed quite a tale.” Celestia sighed, rubbing her hoof on her chin. “It’s hard to imagine that you were all going through such a journey without us knowing.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Luna added chewing through several biscuits at once. “I thought magic didn’t even exist in that world.”

“Neither did I.” Sunset admitted.

“This is troubling.” Celestia paced to the window, deep in thought. “Normally I would ask Twilight to personally accompany you as this falls in her expertise.”

“But she’s on a goodwill visit to the other lands along with her friends. She won’t be back for months.” Starlight remembered too going into her brain storming mode. “Maybe we could ask her to change her schedule.”

Sunburst shook his head frantically in refusal. “On her first term as the new ruler of Equestria? That’ll be a political nightmare. This goodwill visit to all the lands is to ensure the smooth transition of power and authority. The whole thing was carefully calculated and organized by the other delegates of every creature in every corner of the realm. Representatives are making time out of their busy schedule to meet with Princess Twilight. One mishap and it’ll ruin everything!”

“How bad can it be after her coronation?” Luna chewed only to earn a glare from her sister. “What? You have to admit that it was a complete disaster.”

“As much as I would hate to admit it. Sunburst it right. Twilight and her friends are on a very delicate situation and bringing her here could jeopardize her reign in the long run.” Celestia stated, joining the other ponies around the bed. “Which means we have to do this on our own. I don’t suppose any of you know what Starswirl was doing in the other world.”

“We were hoping you did.” Sunset answered.

“I’m afraid Starswirl was pretty delirious when we arrived. He was mumbling something incoherently earlier but I couldn’t quite make it out.”

“It could just be his old habits of sleep talking.” Luna reminded taking a sip off her tea. “He did that a lot back in our time.”

“There was one thing.” Celestia remembered. “The guard who found him said that he needed to speak with the princess.”

Speak with the princess? Was he talking about Princess Twilight or…

“That doesn’t give us a lot of information.” Sunburst grunted. “Maybe we can retrace Starswirl’s hoof-steps. I’ll go through the portal to Ezaquatel and see what I can dig up.”

But Starlight stopped him. “You can’t! Starswirl was strongly against sending anypony else going through these portals.”

“But this could be a threat itself. We won’t know anything unless we find out more.”

“But it could be dangerous. Starswirl was one of the greatest wizards of his time, and look what happened to him.”

“All the more reason to go there.” The orange pony insisted. “If the magic from this world is threatening another, there’s a good chance it might also threaten Equestria itself. We can’t take the chance even if it is small. We should thoroughly investigate this before it escalate even further.”

Celestia stepped in. “Normally I would agree with you Sunburst. But I have side with Starlight on this one. There’s a very good reason why Starswirl forbade others from using the portals. It’s the reason why I sent Twilight alone to the human world. They were never meant to be used in the first place.”

“What?” Sunset’s eyes widened. “Wait a second. What do you mean they weren’t supposed to be used?”

There was a dead silence in the air, followed by a cold wind blowing through the window. All the ponies cast their eyes over to Celestia who apparently seemed to know more than she was letting on. The two princesses traded knowing looks breathing a sigh of regret. The mentioning of the portal seemed to have triggered some lingering memory that they would very much like to leave buried.

Luna waved her hoof dismissing the guards leaving the rest alone in silence. She even used her magic to enclose the area trapping all sounds so that no one would be able to listen in on them.

Once Celestia was sure that there were no eavesdroppers, she began.

“When Starswirl first created these magical portals, he did so in hope furthering his studies into other fields of magic. I’ve accompanied him through many of his adventures through each and every mirror. And thanks to that, we were able to learn much from other worlds.” Her tone darkened at the end. “But after years of traveling, we discovered that using these portals had a very dangerous side-effect prior to their use.”

That… did not sound good.

Starlight gulped. “What… kind of side-effect?”

“A very dangerous one.” She replied ominously. “These portals connect two separate worlds together using very ancient magic. They pierce through the barriers that divide our worlds apart. Think of the mirrors as a dam connecting two great oceans. The more you use it, the more water leaks into one another. But if used too often, then the barriers that keep the two worlds apart break downs and it goes out of control. And when that happens…”

“Then the two worlds merges together.” Sunset’s eyes widened as if struck by realization. “It happened before. When a whole lot of Equestrian Magic came into the school… it tried to pull Equestria to the human world. But if that’s true, then… every time I use the portal. I’ve been putting two worlds at risk at the same time.”

“She got it on the first try. Well done.” Luna gave a slow and sarcastic applaud.

Celestia sighed. “That is the sad truth, I’m afraid.”

Sunset doubled back for a moment there. Pacing on the floor while she had one hoof over her mane. It was a lot of information to take all at once and it came so suddenly out of nowhere. She always took for granted that the portal were just a convenient way of traveling between worlds. A way for her to simply go back and forth between her old home and her home-away-from-home. Never in her wildest dream would she ever think that simply setting foot through that mirror would bring about the destruction/unification of two worlds.

“Wh… why didn’t you tell me?” She croaked loudly, on the verge of yelling.

“In all truth, I did not think you would stay in that world.” The sun princess shook her head before answering. “I thought that… with all that well and done, you would come back here to Equestria. But I’m afraid I made an error in judgment.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Luna muttered softly behind the scene.

“You didn’t think it was important to tell me that I could be endangering two worlds just by setting foot inside a mirror!?” Her tone took a sharp turn which frankly made Starlight recoil. “That every time I go from Eqeustria to the human world and back, could mean total destruction of EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE!? Where’s the logic in that!?”

“Would you have obeyed if I told you?” Sunset’s words froze in her chest. “It might not be the news you wanted to hear but it is the truth nonetheless. And I’m afraid what you witnessed back in the human world was only the tip of the disaster.”

“Wait.” Sunburst gawked. “Are you saying that this has happened before?”

“It has. A long time ago.” Celestia’s words were filled with sorrow as she looked out the window, gazing at the familiar moon while her mind wandered to an age long passed. “It was during my early days as a princess that I… nearly destroyed the world. It was only thanks to Twilight and her friends that the whole disaster was narrowly avoided.” She paused, her face twisting in pain. “Sometimes there are just sacrifices that need to be made.”

“Is there really no way of fixing that side-effect?” Starlight asked.

“If there is one, then I’m afraid neither Starswirl nor we, know of it.” Luna answered, finally joining in on the conversation. “Which is why you must come to terms, Sunset Shimmer.” She walked towards the red maned pony with the same stern expression she held. “Should this threat creep its way to Equestria, it is our solemn duty to defend it.” Her face hardened. “Even if it means we have to destroy the mirror itself.”

…!

(Human world) (Sweet Shoppe)

Flash wasn’t really much of an analyst. But he could tell something was up with Timber’s bodily expression. He recognized anxiety when he sees it and the boy sitting opposite of him was showing it in spades. The guy was looking around like he wanted to make sure that no one was around to hear them. His thumb twiddled over his cup squeaking over the handle like a toy, and his lips quivered as if he was trying to say something but he just can’t seem to find the right words.

Whatever he was here for, it was definitely serious.

“Thanks for coming down to meet me.” Timber began finally after taking a quick sip off his coffee to relax his nerves. “I know we don’t exactly talk. Actually I think this is the first time we ever had a face to face moment. I honestly didn’t think you’d take my call.”

Flash shrugged. “Not a problem. I don’t exactly have a lot to do tonight. And you sounded pretty urgent so I thought I’d hear you out.” He took a bite off his cookie before continuing. “So what’d you call me for?”

The green haired boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, again trying to find the right words. But thankfully he calmed himself and decided to bite the bullet and get it over with. “It’s kind of awkward meeting up like this. But… I actually came here to talk about…… well… it’s Twilight.”

Flash’s eyes drew up in attention. “Twilight? Why? Did something happen?”

“No. Nothing big. At least… not as big as before. It’s just that. Things are a little bit… somewhat… not-exactly… right. Ugh… this made a lot more sense in my head.” I certainly hope so because you aren’t making any sense to me.

“O…kay? So this is about Twilight.”

“Yes!” He exclaimed a little too loudly which he quietly corrected. “Sorry. Uh… so… you know that Twilight and I have been dating for over a year now, right?” The blue boy nodded. “And just recently I kinda asked her to move in with me.”

“Oh yeah. She told me about that.” And she also told me that she was having panic attacks thinking about it too. “Congratulations? I guess.”

“Yeah well. Things didn’t exactly pan out the way it should’ve.” Timber let out a long winded sigh. “And ever since this whole magic fiasco started, I’ve been feeling kind of… out of touch with her. It’s like she’s living in another world entirely.”

Yeah… he could totally relate. When Sunset rediscovered her magical connection with Equestria, she was totally absorbed with it that their relationship practically drifted apart. It’s one of the reasons why they broke up.

“Well you can’t exactly blame her.” Flash shrugged back. “I mean… studying has been her passion. And magic just happens to be her interest.”

“But it’s also been interfering with our lives.” Timber reasoned. “If it wasn’t for this magic, she would’ve been with me. But now she has to hide away in someone else’s house to keep herself from being attacked.” Technically it was his house, but he didn’t need to say that.

“This isn’t the first time Twilight and her friends had a magical incident. They’ve handled these kind of situations before.”

“Yeah… I know.” The green haired boy sighed. “It’s just… I want to be a part of it. Just a tiny bit.”

“Heh… I know how you feel.” He chuckled. “Sometimes you can barely keep up with whatever they’re talking about. It gets… confusing at times.” They shared a short laugh.

“That’s what makes this whole relationship so… troublesome.” Timber added with another sigh that went even deeper. “How am I supposed to be a part of what she’s going through if I can’t even get close? She won’t even tell me of her adventures anymore. And when she does, I can’t even relate. And now she’s…… she’s…”

Flash caught the boy’s wandering tone, and shifting gaze. There was something there. Something in his voice that made him believe that there was something more to this whole meeting. He didn’t come all the way her just to rant on his girlfriend. If it was just that, he could’ve done it with a closer friend or even family. With the way he was playing with the stirrer on his coffee and the way his eyes kept going from side to side – it was plain to see that he was just playing for time.

“You didn’t call me all the way here in the middle of the night just to talk about magic, did you?”

…

His silence alone confirmed it.

“No.” Timber’s tone turned deathly cold that even Flash could feel crawling over his skin. His eyes suddenly went from soft, to stern, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. “I’m here because of you.”

“Me?” Flash blinked. “What about me?”

“There’s no easy way of saying this but… I want you to keep away from Twilight.” That was rather straight forward compared to the skirting-around he was doing just then.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I know this is going to sound a little crazy but… every time you’re around, Twilight tends to act a little… off beat. Like she’s… not herself.”

“I… don’t understand.”

“She’s infatuated with you.” He added, which only seemed to confuse him. “Like… interested… or… something.”

The wheels slowly began to turn in his head. “Wait a second. Are you saying that Twilight is…”

“She’s got a crush on you, alright!?” Timber’s hand slammed on the table startling some of the few patrons in the store. Even the cashier seemed to have been taken aback by the sudden outburst. But Flash in particular was shocked. His whole body felt like it just got electrocuted.

“Wh… what?” He stammered. “Twilight? As in your Twilight? She’s…”

“Yeah.”

“No.” He tried to laugh it off but failed. THE Twilight? Strangely enough that made him feel somewhat giddy inside. “That… that can’t be right. I mean… she doesn’t see me that way.”

“I don’t think she even notices it. But it’s true.” Timber painfully admitted. “I don’t know how or even why, but that’s how it looks to me. Every time you’re around, every time she talks about you, she’s always so… chippy. And that makes me… I dunno… a little down in the dumps.”

Flash couldn’t really respond to that accusation. Actually his brain was still sorting through all that info and the little people inside his head were going mad. Twilight Sparkle. THE Twilight Sparkle of this world, had a crush on him?

That couldn’t possibly be true, could it? I mean the first time they met, he mistook her as his Twilight from Equestria and even after then they hardly had much interaction. It was only when this whole deal with shadow monsters that they actually had a chance to bond.

And then there was that unexpected trip to that desert town in Saddle Arabia. That didn’t go so well.

And then there was that outing they had in that one restaurant…

… then the fireworks…

Ok… yeah. Now that he thought about it, they have been acting like a couple in a way.

Still…

With a sigh, Flash spoke. “Ok. If what you’re saying is true – then what do you propose? I can’t exactly stay away from her.” She’s technically staying at his place with all of her friends.

“Just keep your distance.” Timber pleaded, which didn’t seem to be logical. “I know it’s a lot to ask for, but it’s for the best. At least for a while. Please?” He begged. “I love Twilight. I really do. And I don’t want to mess this up. So… just hang back or something.”

Was this guy seriously asking him to ghost one of his friends?

School's In

Chapter 59: School’s In

(CHS)

Ah the beginning of school.

A rather joyous occasion for a select few – and a miserable moment for those that detest such obligations. And for Sunset Shimmer… well… it was probably both.

“Ugh…” The bacon head slammed her face on her locker groaning louder than ever before. She felt miserable and she wasn’t quite sure why.

Maybe it was because it was the beginning of school and she actually secretly detest coming here. Or maybe it was the weather. It was rather gloomy this morning. Or perhaps she was feeling that time-of-month thing that human females go through?

Or maybe it’s because she just found out that she has been endangering two worlds for the past year without even realizing it?

Probably that last one. Just a hunch.

Ugh… just thinking about it was already making her head spin.

And can you blame her? Who would’ve thought that using the mirror would have such dire consequences? I mean come on! Breaking down the barriers and merging two worlds into one? Causing untold destruction and damage? Tearing the very fabric of reality like it was cheap tissue paper? Couldn’t Starswirl put some kind of warning label saying: ‘Hey everypony. Don’t use this portal too much because chances are… you’ll destroy two worlds in one go!’

But nope. Apparently that pony didn’t think ahead and left all of his greatest life’s work to collect dust under some silly basement!

I don’t know why everypony call you the greatest wizard of your life, but a little heads up would’ve been nice!

And Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were no help either. Granted that they’re both retired royalties, but come on! You two are flipping alicorns! What’s the point of having all that power and magic if you can’t even solve a problem that dangerous!?

And now… she was faced with an ultimatum.

Either resolve the situation quickly and peacefully without using the portal or… have it destroyed. That was Princess Luna’s royal decree. What a goblin!

Oh yeah. Sure thing Princess. As you command. I’ll just hop over here and figure this out on my own. No need to come with me BTW. Shouldn’t be too hard!

ARGHH!!!!

If that pony wasn’t some royal twat she would’ve slammed a book right on her flank and tell her to shove that royal decree of hers up her…

“Sunset Shimmer!”

“Gah!” She jolted up from her locker. “What!? What happened? What’s going on?”

“Class’ starting. That’s what’s going on.” Twilight replied pulling the girl up. “You do remember that this is the first day of school, right?”

Oh right… school. Ugh… what’s the point?

“What’s with you? You’ve been sighing like that since we left the house.”

It’s nothing really. I just discovered the fact that I’ve been endangering you and every other living beings here for the last year. That and… things might change from here on out.

“It’s… nothing.” She lied. “I’m just… really tired from my trip back from Equestria. Magic portals and all that.”

“I know. You practically came back around past midnight.” Twilight recalled. “Did something happen while you were there?”

“Just… uh… same old.”

“O…k?” Twilight shrugged it off. “Speaking of magic. There’s actually something I want to discuss with you. I’ve been reading through Hoofbeard’s journal, and I’ve come across something that you might wanna…”

“No.” Sunset raised her hand stopping her.

“B… but this might be crucial to…”

“Sorry Twilight. But right now, magic is the last thing I want to talk about.” She could barely stomach the fact that there was a doomsday weapon just sitting in front of the school. “Can we just save it for later? Besides, Principal Celestia said that we aren’t allowed to bring magic to school. Ever.”

“I think we can throw that rule out the window with Neighsay here.”

“Seriously Twilight. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“Oh please. We’ve done way worse than a simple spell here or there. And Rainbow Dash blew the courtyard to smithereens during the finals. How much trouble can you and I possibly get?”

And once again, when you challenge the universe, the universe answers it in spades.

The PA speaker rang to life with Celestia’s voice on the other line. “Will student Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle please report to the Principal’s office?”

Sunset’s expression soured. “You were saying?”

xxxxxxxxxx

Ugh… being called to the big man’s office on the first day? Before class even starts? That has got to be a record.

Sunset groaned again, pushing the door to the office. There were several teachers there who nodded at them before leaving, having been familiar to their presence in this place. She wasn’t quite sure if that was a good thing.

“Ah Sunset. Twilight. Thank you for coming.” It was Vice-Principal Luna who ushered them in, closing the door behind them. The star haired lady looked surprisingly fresh despite having left the same time as they did. “Please have a seat.”

“Sorry to call you two so suddenly, and on your first day.” Celestia unexpectedly apologized, which was rather new for a change. Sunset preferred this Celestia over her princess counterpart in the other world. “But we have an emergency that needs your immediate attention.”

An emergency? Hopefully it was school and not magic related.

“Did something happen?” Twilight asked taking her seat.

“Nothing of immediate danger.” Celestia clarified much to their relief. Thank goodness. “As some of you already know. CHS has been receiving an unprecedented boom in its popularity thanks to our recent increase in test scores. You two in particular, holding some of the highest GPA out of all our students.” Twilight seemed immensely proud of that. “However… we recently discovered that several of our new students are holding us down… immensely.”

Not surprising. Not everyone here can be a total nerd or a genius like Twi or Micro Chips. In fact the two of them are actually neck in neck of becoming valedictorian.

“Uh… ok? So what does that have to do with us?” Sunset said.

“The Board of Education is keeping a close eye over our school.” Luna added. “Which means: If our GPA dips any further, they’ll be pulling more of our funds to other ‘Important’ areas.”

“Normally we’d have Doodle oversee such matters. Taking care of unruly teens has been his forte. However. Considering the nature of these… new students, I was hoping to have you and the Rainbooms handle it. For our sake.” The Principal pleaded in that last phrase. “In return, we’ll put in a generous participation bonus in your overall scores.”

“So… it’s like a tutoring thing?” Again Twilight inquired suspiciously. Though the addition of her scores was definitely a big hook for her to sink in. “Pfft. No problem. Sunset and I are good with people. It’ll just be like babysitting.”

“Not… exactly.” Celestia pressed the buzzer on the intercom as she mumbled. “Bring them in.”

They all whipped their heads towards the door just as it opened.

And when they saw the three girls walk in, Sunset immediately knew why they were called.

Oh for the love of Celestia.

xxxxxxxxxx

Fluttershy was… troubled today.

No, not the kind of trouble you could get in school – or the kind of magical trouble she had to deal with every other week. In fact, you could say those kinds of trouble have a habit of following her. It was kind of the consequence of having friends.

The Rainbooms were having a decent respite to themselves. After everything that has happened, some peace and quiet felt rather relaxing for a change. Thankfully these shadowy monster attacks have not really affected her or her family directly. And the home that Sunset moved into has become somewhat of a roost for everyone to feel safe under.

But as the first day of class rolled in, she expected everything to be as normal as it can be. But alas, it seemed like the universe decided to throw her a curve ball instead.

Just as she opened her locker, her eyes suddenly shifted downward when she noted a particular object that was out of place. No, her backup gym clothes were still there, her emergency animal food for her animal friends was left untouched, and all of her books were not tampered with. Even that spare rope she got from Applejack was still hanging there. But deep inside her locker, lodged between last year’s book report and history text, was an object that did not belong there. An object that stood out like a polar bear in the desert.

It was an envelope… or to be more precise, a letter… or to be even more precise… it was a LOVE-letter. Yes, a love letter. There was certainly no mistaking it. Even a girl as introvert as her knew exactly what it was.

With those decorative hearts and the smell of a very distinct cologne under its surface, it was practically oozing love.

Fluttershy was left stunned as a leaf. She closed her locker shaking her head thinking that it was some kind of hallucination or a trick of the light. Maybe Pinkie Pie put something in the pancake this morning and it was messing with her brain.

With a deep breath she opened her locker again, expecting it to just vanish like it was never there. But sadly, the object remained. Sitting still as a rock, waiting patiently for the recipient to open and read its content.

Fluttershy repeated the process twice over. Closing her locker, blinking three times before opening again, expecting the result to change. But it did not. The letter persisted. One might even hear the faintest of whispers in one’s ear, saying: Read me.

Finally acknowledging its existence, the girl reached for the object, holding it carefully between her hands. It definitely wasn’t a prank. And if it was, it was a carefully crafted one. Not even Pinkie or rainbow would be this devoted to a trap.

No. Whoever delivered this letter was genuine and they made sure that there would be no errors. It had her name written in cursive right on the back, and her favorite symbol of three butterflies flying freely pressed beside it. Heck even the color coding of the envelope itself was dedicated in her image. No one was that careful.

Fluttershy wasn’t really sure how to feel. On one side, she found it strange that wasn’t panicking yet. On the other side, this little letter was making her feel all warm and fuzzy.

Firstly she was thrilled, then she was shocked, then she was confused… and now… she was curious.

She questioned herself if she should open the letter.

No. She had class to attend. And reading the contents will only distract her.

Thankfully calmer heads prevailed and she decided to restrain herself despite her curiosity.

Maybe lunch period she’ll have time to read it in private.

Or at least that’s what she thought when she turned away from her locker only to come face to face with the purple haired fashionista whose jaw hung wide open, eyes shooting upward unblinking while a single finger shaking madly at the object Fluttershy had on hand.

Oh horse dung…

“IS THAT A…”

Rarity never got to finish when Fluttershy tackled her down with the strength of a Minotaur, gagging her friend and tying her up with such speed that even Applejack would be impressed. A few students shot a passing glance wondering what all the commotion was all about. But by the time they snapped their heads in their direction, the two girls were gone.

…

The soft-spoken member of the Rainbooms would later storm into the janitor’s office, panting heavily while holding the fashionista like a hog garnering the attention of owner.

“Oh! Hey there Fluttershy.” Leo, the school janitor greeted, not even remotely fazed by the sight. “How you doing today?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.” She answered back as sweetly as ever, like she was just greeting the man in a natural conversation and not kidnapping a friend in broad daylight.

“I take it you gave the animals at the shelter their breakfast?”

“Already done. Though Angel did look a little cranky. He doesn’t seem to like the carrots I gave him.”

“Yeah they switched over to a new supplier.” Leo shrugged. “It’s supposed to be cheaper. The folks at the top have been cutting our budget over and over. I’ll have to ask Principal Celestia to change it back if they start hurting the animals.”

“Thank you sir.” Fluttershy nodded back. “Oh. I’m sorry to have to ask this Mr. Leo. But may we borrow your office for a moment?”

“Absolutely. Go right ahead.” He said with such glee before picking up his toolkit, completely ignoring Rarity’s wiggling body and muffled screams. “I gotta head over to the hallway. The head honcho’s got me putting up lockers for some new students. Here are the keys. Don’t forget to lock up on your way out.”

“We will, sir.”

“Good girl.” He stopped by the door to mention one other thing. “Oh and there’s some tea and cookies left over by the table. Help yourself.”

When the door closed up Fluttershy let out a long winded sigh, but not before Rarity wiggled off.

“Pfa!” The fashionsita gasped, finally slipping the gag out of her mouth. “Well… that’s not going to traumatize me in the slightest. Fluttershy darling. I know this is rather sudden. But can you be a dear and PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!?”

“Sorry Rarity.” The pinkette complied, gently putting her prisoner down by the couch, undoing the rope. “I panicked and I didn’t want you freaking out.”

“I was more freaked out by how you reacted. But… I suppose that was a natural thing to do. Still…… it’s a love letter!” She let out a girlish squeal, as her expression did a complete 180. “I can’t believe it. I’ve only heard of such things before but seeing something so farfetched in person? I have to say I’m shocked.”

You and me both.

“Do you know who it’s from?”

Fluttershy scanned the envelope but only saw her name on it. “It doesn’t say.”

That only served to make Rarity squeal even louder. “Eeep! So it’s a secret admirer? How adorable. Some might think that having a stalker is a creepy. But to me, having someone follow you around is absolutely sweet.”

“It is?” It sounds more like a murder just waiting to happen.

“Absolutely!” The fashion gal said with regal. “It’s the epitome of obsession. There’s no greater admiration than someone stalking you from the shadow, knowing your every detail.” Does that include Pinkie Pie? Because if memory serves, she does that to everyone. Even complete strangers. Even the police were amazed by her intel gathering techniques. “Well? Aren’t you gonna open it?”

“I… I’m not really sure if I should.”

“Oh but Fluttershy darling. You must! If someone left you a letter in your locker so early in the morning, it must mean he has something to say.”

More like you just want to know what’s written inside. Your face was practically screaming it.

Still… Fluttershy would be lying if she said she wasn’t remotely interested.

Finally submitting to temptation, she opened the envelope with a satisfying pop and read the letter within.

You are the apple of my eye

You are the sun in my sky

I see you walk on by

Yet I cannot speak to you even if I try

“Oh goodness.” Rarity swooned over her seat. “Poetry. A classic surefire winner. How very… romantic.”

“I don’t get it.”

“It’s a rhyme darling!” She explained annoyingly. “It’s poetry so it’s open to interpretation. But it’s very direct. It means this person always looking at you but doesn’t have the courage to talk to you. A silent admirer from afar. What a lovely piece. A classic maneuver. Though… granted, it doesn’t exactly tell us who the sender is.”

“Wait. There’s more.” Fluttershy added, scanning what looked like an ordinary section of the letter. “It says he wants to meet up with me… today.”

Rarity’s face beamed like the sun. “Omigosh! A secret romantic rendezvous? Today!? On the first day of school!? Where!?”

“At the school’s animal shelter, behind the auditorium.”

Rarity went giddy all over. “Oooh! How exciting. This is exactly the kind of spice our lives needed! Pure innocent romance. None of that complicated love Applejack and Pinkie Pie are going through.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” She lied. “I’m just muttering nonsense darling. Ignore me. It’s just the excitement getting to me. And here I thought this semester will just be plain boring?”

“So… what should I do?”

“Well… that’s up to you.” She answered like it was a matter of fact. “This is an invite after all. It would be disheartening not to accept.”

“B… but what if it’s a creepy person? Or someone scary?”

“Fluttershy, darling. Come now.” The fashionista cooed. “Do you really think a strange and scary person would go through such length to write down this loving letter for you?”

“Yes.”

“Well you’re wrong.” Rarity snatched the letter and placed it carefully on the table. “And we can discern the writer’s intentions with all the details on this paper.”

“We can?”

“Attention to details is my specialty, darling.” She quickly pulled out her working glasses from her purse and began analyzing both the envelope and the letter in haste. She scanned every nook and cranny, every swing of the pen, every letter, every word, leaving little untouched. “Well from what I can see here. Whoever wrote this letter went through painstaking efforts to ensure its perfection. There are no visible fingerprints or markings to identify the writer. The penmanship is accurate and all within the lines. Meaning this is someone who values margins with no margins for errors. He even had the envelope put in your favorite color. I can say for certain that the person who put this together went through everything at least four times before putting it in your locker.”

“Uh huh…” Fluttershy nodded. “That’s… great? But I don’t think this is the right time. Maybe I shouldn’t go.”

“NO!” Rarity boomed slamming both hands on the table. “Are you mad? This person went through such length and mustered up courage to finally speak to you. It would be unbecoming to leave this person hanging when he brought his hopes up.”

“So… what should I do?”

“Meet with the fellow. If you’re interested, perhaps something can come out of it. And if not, well you need to let that person know… but gently.” She handed the letter back soothingly. “You have until the end of school to prepare. And if it’s too nerve wrecking for you, I will be more than happy to accompany you to the rendezvous.”

“Really?”

“Of course. As your friend it is my obligation to support you in these trying times.” Or maybe because she was a snooty snail who has difficulties respecting people’s personal boundaries.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight has been to a lot of strange situations before. Magical portals, monsters and at one point she got turned into a unicorn while traveling through the magical land of Equestria. But out of all of that, she had to admit that the situation they were in came in close 3rd. She expected one magical mayhem but looking out for three former magical creatures for one semester was not something she saw coming.

At first she was inclined to reject the offer, but Principal Celestia was cunning and made a proposition of adding a big extra-credit participation bonus for their cooperation. It was gosh dang offer she couldn’t refuse. Anything to get an edge over Micro Chips’. The two of them were neck in neck on becoming valedictorian during graduation. So this was going to give her that boost she so desperately needed.

Still… it’ll have to work out somehow. Her friends will have to be brought over and they’re not gonna like it one bit. The school’s reputation (And funding) were on the line here.

Regardless, it was done and the Sirens were officially their responsibility. They’ll just have to make do with the situation they’re given. Besides, it doesn’t seem like a lot of work if they all put their heads into it.

Sonata didn’t seem like a bad girl. In fact her bubbly personality and airheaded demeanor kind of reminds her of Pinkie in a lot of ways. She was just mixed in with some sour apples. She had a carefree and friendly personality, which will undoubtedly win her a lot of friends at school. If Sunset can do it then so can they.

Aria seemed like a lukewarm gal too. She had the personality of an ice-cold queen with the attitude to back it up. Her words can bite harder than most and she looked like she’ll scratch your face off the moment you get too close. So… respecting her personal space will be vital to a healthy relationship. But it seems like she’s got a soft spot for Sonata.

The only real problem here would be the leader of the Sirens herself, Adagio Dazzle.

She was…… a complicated person. While at first glance, you’d think she was just another one of those pampered princesses. But buried beneath that layer of cold bitter hatred… and another dozen layers of terrifying ambition, lies a sweet girl who just wants to…

“Hmph!”

No… nope. Can’t see it. She tried. She really tried. But just giving one quick look at that puffy haired witch, and you know that it was in your best interest to stay at least twenty steps away from her. Adagio was a person who valued herself above all. She doesn’t do anything unless there was something in it for her. If you want something from her, you’d better be ready to sell the clothes off your back and maybe even your soul. She’s the kind of girl that reminded her of those super tough prisoners in cop movies. Turn your back on her for one second and you’ll get shanked by a rusty nail before you know it.

And… it seems like she has a personal grudge against her too.

Twilight can feel the Siren Leader glaring holes on her back. She looked about ready to pounce the moment they were alone. Or maybe that was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

“Nope. She’s definitely got something against you. I can feel her mood just by standing here. And I’m not even in the material world!”

Did she… do something to offend her or something? Was she still ticked off about the cup that she broke to save her sister?

“Is that…?”

“No way…”

“It can’t be…”

Twilight was brought out of her train of thoughts when she realized some loud whispers were being directed at them. The students passing by the hallway took one glance and immediately shrunk back to their corners in both fear and confusion. No surprise there. Adagio and her sisters did cause quite a stir when they last came to CHS. In fact they almost had the entire school under their influence through magic.

Actually… now that she thought about it. She and Sunset were kinda on the same boat too. If what folks here say was correct, Sunset turned everyone into mindless zombies to invade Equestria. It was only due to the actions of her magical counterpart that she reformed the way she did.

And of course there was her. The nerdy girl who unleashed a magical terror that nearly destroyed both worlds.

Ugh… with that kind of track record, they may as well start a World Domination Club. Only those with extremely high ambition are allowed membership.

“Oooh! Sweet name. I like it.”

Shush you.

“I call dibs as overlord!”

“Alright. We’re here.” Sunset announced as they arrived at what looked like a fresh line of lockers. “These are your lockers for the rest of the semester. The combinations you put on the dial will be your own. Any questions?”

“Oh! I do!” Sonata raised her hand up like a student would to a teacher. “What are the lunch programs in this school like? Do we get to choose between an all bread meals or are we sticking to that balanced diet stuff like they show on TV?”

Uh… good question. Though not really something they were knowledgeable of.

“We’ll uh look into it.” Sunset groaned. “First period will be starting soon. Shouldn’t be too hard. We’ll tell the others about this whole thing over lunch. Aria and Sonata. You two are with me. Adagio, you’re with Twilight in this room for super-advance physics.”

WHAT!? Are you saying that I have to watch over this dangerous person for a whole hour!? By myself?

“Our first period is History with Professor Doodle.”

“Oh great.” Aria said in a shallow exaggeration. “History. As if living through one lifetime wasn’t enough already.”

No! Sunset wait! Please don’t leave me alone with her! She’ll kill me!

But sadly Twilight’s silent plea fell on deaf ears, and now she was left to fend for herself like a rabbit facing down what looked equivalent to a tiger. She held up her books using them like some kind of shield but to little avail. Adagio’s scowl fell even lower, and her eyes sharpened like daggers trying to carve into her soul.

And suspiciously enough the hallway they were in suddenly became deathly quiet. All the students that were there just a second ago vanished as if they were frightened away by the arrival of the Sirens. Not that she could blame them. Adagio did give a rather frightening visage even on her happy moments.

“Ahehehe…” She let out a terrified chuckle. “So… I guess this means we’re uh… locker buddies now.”

The Siren didn’t respond. Instead gave a snort before rolling her eyes and walking off to the classroom.

“Yup. It’s official. That girl definitely hates your gut.”

“Thanks for the astute observation Captain Obvious.”

“I prefer Admiral Obvious.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“Uh oh…” Applejack jolted from her locker when she heard Pinkie muttered what looked like a warning sign. “I’m getting a tingling feeling.”

That wasn’t a good sign.

Pinkie was a lot of things, and most folk wouldn’t normally believe in superstition. But as one of the few folks who knows Pinkie Pie her whole life, Applejack knew that it was in her best interest to listen. The girl somehow had these unexplainable powers WAY before magic was ever introduced to the world. She was somewhat of a fortune teller, with her whole body being the medium.

And a tingling feeling meant something bad was about to happen.

“Ya think something bad is about to happen?”

“Dunno. It’s never tingly like this before.” The bubbly gal shrugged back. “Normally it’d be like a swish and swirl. But this time it’s like there’s a party in my tummy.” And she could hear it too. There was a loud rumbling, followed by a burp. “Oh. Never mind. That was just my breakfast. I might’ve put in a little too much cream in that last batch.”

“Well… let’s just hope our luck holds.” AJ groaned, picking out her geography textbook. “I’m keeping my geode close in hand just in case. With that Neighsay being around, you’ll never know what to expect. We have to be on our guard. For all we know he could be trying something big like Hoity Toity.”

“Yes sir, Applejack, sir! You can count on me.” Pinkie gave a semi-serious salute before pulling out her creep kit from her locker. “Don’t you worry one bit. With my night-vision goggles, spy cameras and security drones set up. There’s no way that guy will slip through me.”

“Uh… I just meant we should be careful.”

“Oh!” She bobbed her head in realization. “Yeah. Totally. That too. But I wouldn’t worry too much. I mean he did say that he wasn’t here to hurt any of us. So I think we can relax a bit. I mean this is our final semester. So you gonna learn how to chill.”

“You’re really gonna take the word of someone who worked with Hoity Toity? A guy who tried brainwash people in Canterlot?”

“Oh please. World conquering evil are like a dime a dozen here. I mean come on. We’re friends with two of them and we stopped like a whole bunch of them. And of course there’s Rarity, who dreams of turning the whole world into a fashion heaven. Hey did you know that you look like my pet alligator with these goggles? You look green with envy.”

“Uh what now?” Applejack lost track of the conversation almost instantly.

“Gummy. My alligator, dummy. You know? The one who tried to turn Winona into a chew toy back in the house?”

“Wait… what?”

“Nothing!” She quickly bounced away, still wearing her spy gear like it weigh next to nothing. And Pinkie would come to regret it a few seconds later when she entered the classroom and crashed onto someone. “Goh!”

“Well this feels familiar.” A sweet voice chuckled sparking the two girls.

“Flash!” Pinkie cheered removing her goggles, a quick and rather awkward smile on her face. “Happy back to school day. Unless of course you’re Rainbow Dash then I would say: Boo! Back to school day.”

“Hi Pinkie.” The blue rocker boy laughed off her antics already used to her quacked up behavior. “What are you doing here? I figured you guys would be with the others.”

Applejack threw in a smug look. “Just because we’re friends doesn’t make us joined to the hip. Pinkie and I got Home Ec. Figured we’d get ourselves an easy subject seeing as Pinkie and me are pretty much culinary masters. It’ll make my report card look nice on the sideline. The better question is: Why are YOU here? Didn’t think you’d take Home-Ec as your extracurricular class.”

He brushed his neck shyly before answering. “Yeah. Not my first option. It’s pretty much the only class they had available. They wouldn’t let me take music a third time. And you know I’m not the best in sports. So I thought of getting myself some cooking lessons.”

“Don’t you have like a butler for that kind of thing?”

“Shhhh!” He hushed her. “Don’t say that out loud. And as a matter of fact… I do. My butler does make the best cakes around town. Uh… no offense Pinkie.”

“None taken.” The bubbly gal shrugged it off. “If the guy can make a berry blasted butter biscuit on a bun with five and a half layers of chocolate, he’s a champ. I’d do anything to taste it again.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know.”

“Wait…” Applejack noted. “You went over his place before?”

Pinkie’s face froze for a second there, as if she got caught with her hand stuck in the cookie jar. “Oh… uh. Yeah. It was just a casual visit thing. Long time ago. Aheh…”

Thankfully she would be saved by bell, almost literally for that fact as school began in earnest.

Soon enough, students from all around began funneling into their respective classrooms leaving the hallway deserted.

As expected, there were hardly any students who came into Home-Ec. Roughly half the seats here were pretty much empty. Students who took Home-Ec the first time often find it troublesome and skip over to other subjects that align to their interest. Even AJ would agree to head over woodshop if she could, but sadly that place was booked full before she could even get a slot in.

Eh… oh well. At least this subject would net her an easy A+. She’d say that even Granny Smith would be impressed.

“Alright ya young’ins. Shut your pie holes down and get your hineys in them stooly wobbly thingies!”

“Granny Smith!?” Applejack nearly fell off her chair when her grandma walked in front of the class with an authoritarian voice.

“That’s my name, Sugar Cube. Don’t wear it out.” She let out a scrapping toothy laugh. “Welcome to Home-Ec kiddos. It’s the class where you’ll get to know everything there is to know about the kitchen. When I’m through with you, you’ll know the back end of a microwave and the front edge of a spanner.”

“Wait wait wait.” The cowgirl panted, obviously confused like the others. “You’re… teaching Home-Ec?”

“You bet your bacon I am. At least until Ms. Baguette comes back from the hospital. That lady made the mistake of taking home the cafeteria leftover meatloaf.” The class collectively gasped in horror. “Yup. I bet that gal is regretting her life’s choices. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was writhing in pain right about now. But don’t you worry, little biscuit. I won’t be playing favorites around here. So you can rest your…” Her words immediately froze up when she spotted a certain blue boy sitting next to her granddaughter. “Ooooh…”

Her expression then twisted into a mischievous minx, and Applejack did not like it one bit.

(Equestria) (Canterlot library) (Hall of mirrors)

Sunburst never liked danger. In fact, you might even say that he was downright allergic to any manner of life-threatening situations. But when things get tough, he knows that it’s better to face the matter head on than to skirt around it. At least… that’s what his mother used to tell him back when he was a foal.

He stood before the portal to Ezaquatel with a determined look in his eyes. Starswirl’s warning left many of the ponies here rather worried, himself included. Whatever he saw on the other side of this mirror was enough to get the old wizard to use all of his magic. And that was the kind of danger Equestria didn’t need at the moment. Not when Princess Twilight and her newly formed Council of Friendship are out on a world tour.

So before the problem comes to them, he was going to scout ahead and see what the threat was all about.

“Ugh… you know Sunburst. When you came to me to ask a favor, I was expecting something more in the field of magic. Not manual labor!” Trixie busted through the door, hovering some gear with her magic.

“Sorry Trixie. But you’re the only one I know who can have all of this done in secret.” The orange pony apologized, checking the equipment she brought in. “Is this everything I asked for?”

“Climbing gear, running gear, surplus climbing gear, lamp, energy drinks, notepads for taking notes and extra notepads for taking extra notes, and… an apple pie. Courtesy from yours truly.” She gave him a friendly tap. “Everything you need for a long trip down the road. You’re lucky I had plenty of these in my trailer.”

“The pie or climbing gear?”

“Yes.” She grinned mischievously before turning mellow. “Are you sure you this is what you really want to do?”

“We don’t have much of a choice.” He reasoned. “We can’t afford to wait for Starswirl. It could take days or even weeks to recover from magical exhaustion. And by the time he wakes up, it might be too late. That’s why I have to get in there and retrace his steps and find out what happened to him.”

“But isn’t that dangerous? Don’t get me wrong.” Trixie defended. “I’m all about saving the world from imminent danger. But are you sure you don’t want to tell Starlight about this? I mean… she’ll be more than happy to follow you if you ask her.”

“She’ll never allow it.” The young pony said knowingly. “Besides, the school of Friendship will be starting soon. And as the new Headmare she needs to be here to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

“And shouldn’t you be helping out? As her Vice-headmare?”

“I already filed in an extra two day leave.” He explained. “I said I needed extra time to do some research. Which technically isn’t a lie.”

“Right~. You just forgot to mention the dangers on said research.” The orange pony let out a rather awkward laugh in response. “Well… I can’t stop you. But in the off chance that you stumble upon something dangerous on the other side, The Great and Powerful Trixie comes with the tools!” She quickly brought in a small sack of foggy crystal balls that were familiar.

“Smoke bombs?”

“The common tool for every great magician.” The blue mare explained. “Very handy when trying to escape from a giant monster that wants to eat you. That or an angry mob.”

He gladly accepted. Though he didn’t want to meet with any monsters. One should anticipate for the worst.

“Thanks Trixie. I owe you a big one for this.” Sunburst pulled her for a hug which she blushed at.

“Oh please. You’ll be doing me plenty of favors when you come back.” She added with a short whiff before frowning. “You are coming back… right?”

“Definitely. That’s a promise.” And with that last goodbye, the orange unicorn turned to face the mirror portal. It sensed his presence and hummed to life, drawing a powerful swirling vortex on its reflection. One could already sense the power and magic resonating on the other side. “Well… here goes nothing.”

With a brave face, the pony set his hoof inside and allowed the portal to take him. His body, his equipment, and everything he carried with him followed suit.

His vision went blurry a few seconds later as lights and unknown shapes whirled around like a torrent. It went on like this for a few seconds before the portal spat him out on the other side, his tools scattering everywhere.

…

“Ow…” Sunburst collected himself, holding up his glasses to rub the sore spot on his nose. “That’s… gonna take some getting-used-to.”

Thankfully his vision focused a second later making sense of the world around him.

But what he saw next… made his mane stand on ends.

It's only the First Day (Part 1)

Chapter 60: It’s Only the First Day! (Part 1)

(Equestria)

He’ll be fine.

He’ll definitely be fine.

Trixie paced back and forth in front of the mirror portal, trying to convince herself that everything will be just fine and that she had absolutely had nothing to worry about.

Except that it wasn’t working and she was worrying about everything that could happen. Ever since Sunburst ran straight into the portal and disappear to the other side, she made an attempt to just brush it off and head back to the School of Friendship and be done wait for the guy to come back safe and sound.

But instead she found herself pacing like a loon thinking of every worst-case-scenario like she was doom scrolling on the internet.

Sunburst was a great magician. A semi-powerful wizard. He was no Starswirl but he fought off dangerous creatures before. He even fought a changeling right before their reformation under King Thorax. Surely he could handle whatever dangers that presents himself in that other world.

…

But what if he gets sucked into a black hole? Or gets ambushed by a nine-headed hydra? What if he gets stuck there than more than a few days and then the apple pie she gave him wasn’t enough and he starves to death? What if he’s swallowed by quicksand… or worse… swallowed by a pony-eating yeti!?

Starlight would be devastated!

And so for the sake of their friendship, she must do what all friends do.

Follow the stallion in.

Thankfully she prepared for such an event and had extra-extra gear ready just for such occasion.

“Don’t you worry Sunburst! I’m coming to save you!” And with little hesitation, the egotistical unicorn jumped in expecting to be greeted with revelry. She didn’t even feel the hurl from the portal when it spat her out on the other side. “Have no fear, friend! The Great and Powerful Trixie is here to save the d—goh!” She slammed head first onto a wall stopping her midsentence like a pony-wrecking-ball. The gear which she carefully packed spilled almost immediately across the floor.

Yeah… she might’ve forgotten that these portals have a habit of tossing you out like a rag doll if you don’t know what you’re doing. Really now Starswirl. Can’t you put the effort of putting warning label or something?

Shaking off the dizziness from the fall, Trixie’s blood froze when her vision cleared up, only to be greeted by a monstrous horned figure.

“Eeeeeep!” She squealed and ran like a cartoon character, taking cover behind the largest boulder she could find. For a moment she thought it might’ve been a minotaur… or maybe even Tirek himself from another world who could suck the magic out of everycreature. She cowered there for a moment before realizing that the figure was not attacking.

In fact… it didn’t seem to be moving at all.

She poked her head out and quickly realized that the horned figure was actually stoic to a tea. A well made one too. Though the creature’s name was not something she recognized. It was far too chubby to be a minotaur and far too rocky to be alive.

“Oh… you’re just a statue.” Trixie breathed a sigh of relief, brushing off that humiliating act like it was nothing. “Pfft. That was embarrassing. Good thing no one saw that.”

That’s what she thinks.

There were about a dozen of these statues standing around. Each of them unique and different. One looked like a bulky humanoid with a donkey head. But they all appeared to ‘Guarding’ this area.

Or perhaps they were protecting the portal?

Eh… either way, they were no threat. Just rubbish art.

She scanned her surrounding and found herself standing in what looked like some sort of decrepit temple. It was hard to discern the architect of this place even with the light on her horn. Was there a time difference between worlds that she didn’t know about?

Ugh… so much for my grand entrance. And to think I made all that effort for nothing.

Hmm?

Just as she was collecting her gear, Trixie paused when she noted something else lying on the floor.

For a second there she thought that some of her stuff had scattered all across the room. But she later noticed that some of the equipment here were from the gear she gave to Sunburst. That idiot had better not drop the stuff she brought. These things are really expensive. It practically took half of her savings to get all this equipment together.

But unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Because beside those scattered tools laid a fabric that she was all too familiar with.

It was a blue cape with star prints.

(Human world) (CHS)

Luna often enjoyed seeing her sister all flustered and worried. In fact when they were children, she’d play a number of pranks on her just to see her reaction. It was kind of the few times where she actually got to laugh at her perfect big sis.

But sadly today was not one of those moments. Because she wasn’t the one who pulled the prank and she was oddly in it with her.

By now the whole school would’ve known that the three powerful Sirens are back. Though Sunset did say that they lost most of their magic, that didn’t exactly make them feel better. If they could’ve had it their way, they would’ve simply expelled the three and be done with it. But alas, they had to jump through a few hoops to save the school’s reputation (And funding).

“Sister. Will you please calm down? You’re going to ruin the new carpets at this rate.”

Celestia grunted loudly, her hands pressed on her table. “I’m trying, Luna. But every time I think about this whole scenario, all I can think about is what could go wrong.”

“We’ve done everything we could to make it easier on the girls.” Luna explained. “We even convinced them to attend with all the bribes we put in.” Getting those three to actually attend school was kind of a hurdle. They had nothing to gain from returning at all so they had to add some… incentives to get them in.

“Do you really think they’ll keep their end of the deal?” Celestia asked, biting her thumb. “What if they decide to use their magic again? Or endanger the other students?”

“You’re thinking of the worst case scenario. Try to relax. That’s the whole reason why we put them with Sunset and her friends. They’ll keep an eye out if they try anything funny. They are partially their responsibility after all.” Actually, scratch that. Anything magic related should be their responsibility.

“Maybe I should follow them.”

“NO!” Luna ran to the door and sprawled herself across it, using herself as a human barricade.

“Luna, get out of the way.”

“I will certainly not! Do you have any idea what the others would think when the school Principal is peeking through classrooms with those three? If you start making a big deal out of this, the students will panic!” Not to mention the teachers too. The last thing they want is for the faculty to request hazard pay – and the school’s budget was already put on life support.

Thankfully Celestia saw reason in her rant and quickly calmed down. She grabbed her coffee and chugged it down to bury the stress in caffeine.

“Right. You’re… absolutely right. But still…”

Oh god. This girl really wasn’t gonna let this go. She always was a worry wart. But if folks around here start seeing the head honcho wondering around school grounds, they’ll know that something was up.

“Why don’t I go instead?” Luna offered. “If it’s me, people won’t be too suspicious. I’ll keep an eye out for those three just in case.”

“Are you sure? What if they use their magic?”

“Oh… I wouldn’t worry about that.” Luna casually slip her hand into her pocket dangling the pretty gemstone that Twilight gave her the other day. If it works the way she says it does, then she won’t have to worry about magic ever again. “I’ve learned a few things while I was away.”

“Maybe I should go with you?” Celestia insisted again. “People won’t find it odd if I took a stroll around the school on the first day.”

Well… that’s true. But it’ll still raise a few eyebrows around here. Unfortunately I can’t think of a reason to say no either.

“Principal Celestia?” The intercom suddenly buzzed to life interrupting their conversation.

“I’m a little busy right now.” Celestia responded rubbing the temple above her nose.

“I’m sorry ma’am. But your 8 o’clock appointment is here to see you.”

Celestia blinked. “Did I make an appointment?”

“Yes ma’am. He’s on his way to your office.”

And true to her words, a polite knocked echoed from the door. It tapped gently on the glass as a mighty silhouette appeared behind it.

Unconsciously Luna opened it and was somewhat surprised to see the visitor.

“Pardon me. Am I interrupting something?”

“Sombra?” Celestia balked. “Wh… what are you… doing here?”

“I’m your eight o’clock appointment.” He said casually like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We were supposed to discuss the financial troubles that we talked about?”

Celestia slapped her head in realization. “Oh! Right. That… thing.”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No!” Luna answered for her dragging the man in. “It’s actually perfect timing. Lesty and I were just finishing up. Isn’t that right, sister?”

“Well…”

“Right. Off I go then. You two have fun now. Enjoy talking about… money and stuff.” Luna practically pushed the man to her sister closing the door behind her. She even wrote in a ‘Do not disturb’ sign on a notepad just for safe measures.

That should keep Celestia busy all morning at the very least.

Now… she should head off to find those Sirens. Hopefully people haven’t noticed that they were here yet.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ok… this can’t be a coincidence.

Twilight muttered the words in her head as she tried to focus on her textbook. Although she didn’t exactly glance over to her right, she could feel her there. Adagio was sitting beside her, eyeing her… nay… staring at her with a look that could probably frighten an innocent critter.

It didn’t exactly help when the rest of the class seemed to notice this too, leaving a line of empty seats between them and the two creating some kind of buffer zone. Those who recognized Adagio buried themselves with anything else they could do and those who did not were clearly advised by others not to mess with her. Even Micro Chips looked uncomfortable, suddenly becoming far more interested in the wall than he had any right to be.

The normal chatter you would hear from an unattended class like this was reduced to whispers and hushed voices. No one was willing to gather than girl’s ire or be the first to incite her wrath.

Unfortunately though, she seemed to have a beef with… well… her.

What was her problem? Did I do something to her? Was she irritated at the way I read my books? Did she not like the way I do my hair? What? WHAT!?

“Hey.”

“AHHH!” Twilight squealed, flinging her books all over the place, subconsciously grabbing her geode preparing for a malicious attack. The whole classroom went deathly quiet, expecting an explosion to happen any second now. But thankfully none of that happened. “Uh… I mean wh… wh… what? Ahehehe…”

Adagio, didn’t seem all that surprised of her reaction, remaining about as stoic as Maud Pie on her birthday.

“What’s your hobby?”

Eh?

“My… what?”

“Your hobby.” She repeated. “What do you like to do… for fun?”

Well that was a rather random question if there ever was one.

“Oh… well… uh…”

“You do have one… don’t you?”

“Course I do! It’s… um… music?” That sounded like a question, which only made Adagio shrink a brow. “Well… I calculations and algebra in my head when I’m not really doing anything.”

“What a boring hobby.”

“THANK YOU! Finally! Someone else notices!”

Who asked you!?

“That’s not very nice.” Twilight retorted. “Not everyone has the same interest. What about you then? What’s your hobby?”

“Other than making humans bow before my every whim?” Adagio gave a seductive chuckle which only made the other students visibly shiver. “I like collecting stamps.”

Stamps?

“Stamps?”

“Stamps?”

“Yup. It sooths me.” The Siren put her feet up, ignoring the few brave glances that came her way. “I happen to have an impressive collection all the way from…… well… a long while.”

“That’s… actually surprising.” And she wasn’t lying on that either. You wouldn’t expect someone as dangerous and cunning as Adagio would diminish herself in collecting postal antiquities. “But… why?”

“When you live as long as I have, you tend to try new things to keep yourself from getting bored.” As long as you… wait… how old is she exactly? Is she even… “Another question. What’s your favorite color?”

“Color?” She paused for a moment. “Umm… I guess… maybe… purple?”

“Hmm… mine’s blue.” Adagio cupped her chin in thought.

Ok, what was she going on about? What’s with these ordinary yet bizarre questions?

Twilight opened her mouth to ask but found herself interrupted when the bell rang.

“Alright class.” Ms. Cheerilee began, entering the class just in the nick of time. She didn’t seem keen on noting the strange situation… or perhaps she was ordered to ignore it entirely. “Welcome to super-advance-physics. I know that this may be the last semester with all of you, and that your grades alone are above your average student. But that doesn’t mean we can get careless. We still have a long way to go before you can call yourselves geniuses.”

Meh. Not surprising. The world of science is pretty vast even for Twilight.

“Oh! And that reminds me. Before we start I just got word that: The B.B. Science Regional Tournament has just been announced. And you’re not gonna believe that it’ll be held here in Canterlot City.”

Twilight’s eyes shot open. “The Brain-Blast competition!?”

Micro Chips followed suit with a loud gasp. “The very same event that they hold every three years?”

“That’s correct. The very same one.” Cheerilee nodded. “It was originally supposed to be held in Vanhoover, but got moved here after some incident. The best young minds from all over the country will be butting heads going against one another.”

“So it’s a gathering of nerds. Great~~.” Adagio muttered boringly.

“And as you may know, the Brain-Blast Tournament is sponsored by many high end businesses. And the winners of the event leaves with a fabulous grand prize money.” The Siren’s eyes curled upward. “Thanks to our city hosting such a famed tournament, we are granted a slot in the event. Principal Celestia has already given me the go-ahead. Two of our best academics will represent our school in the upcoming competition. Which is why we brought all of you to the Super-Advance-Physics class. The pair that achieves the most points in the midterm exams will be sent in as our representative.”

Twilight gripped the edges of her table, a wide smile curling on her lips. There wasn’t a nerd out there who didn’t know about the Brain-Blast Tournament. It was something of a major event for teens with deep aspiration for all things academic. Geniuses from all around the country compete in them hoping to earn a science grant from multi-billion businesses. The greatest scientists and philosophers were discovered in this event becoming instant celebrities in the academic circles. And those who win become renowned for their breakthroughs.

Not to mention the money alone would be enough to finance her whole career up to space!

Ok… maybe that last part was a bit of a stretch but still…!

With that kind of cash, she could pay back her parents for the electric bill and even have more than enough to run her lab for years! And if she can introduce magic into the mix, she’ll be golden! There wouldn’t be a businessman out there who wouldn’t want to sponsor her. The implications alone would make her career a legend.

Forget the scholarship to Everton Academy. This might just be the support she needs to set herself for life.

I am so in!

xxxxxxxxxx

“She’s got a crush on you, alright!?”

Timber’s words rang in Flash’s head like a broken recorder. It replayed itself endlessly in a loop, with him trying to discern every word like it was a riddle sent by the gods. He spent all night trying to process it all, but no matter how hard he tried it just seemed too surreal to believe.

Was Timber playing a prank on him? If he was, then it was a bad one.

I mean… there’s just no way. There’s just no way that Twilight… the Twilight from this world… had a thing for him?

The thought alone was enough to make him blush. He was definitely flattered for sure. I mean… who wouldn’t be? To have an adorable girl like Twilight have an infatuation with you? He was honored. Heck, if this had happened during their trip to Camp Everfree, he’d be jumping with joy.

But… sadly that wasn’t the case.

Flash was confused. His head was in the air and his mind was convoluted with too much information to deal with. What was he to do? It took him a while to get over the other Twilight. And he was already in love with Sunset. Though granted: That whole ordeal with Sunset wasn’t exactly going as well as he wanted to.

Should he just ask and break her heart?

No. That kind of thing would just destroy their friendship. It took a while but he was able to build some manner of trust between them. It’s too soon to assume such a thing. There was a chance that Timber might be wrong and this whole thing was nothing more than his inner jealously

“Uh… Flash?”

I mean come on. This is Twilight. THE Twilight. Not the Princess from another world. Sure they hung around for a while. But they’re just friends.

“Flash!”

And even if Timber wanted him to stay away from her. He couldn’t possibly do that.

Never in this lifetime.

“FLASH!”

“Huh? What?” The boy bounced out of his train of thought when he realized a blazing inferno raging in front of him. “Whoa!”

…

“What in tarnation were you thinking dozing off like that in the middle of cooking!?” Granny Smith scolded, like the nanny that she was. Thankfully the blaze wasn’t too bad and it was brought under control by Pinkie who strangely-yet-unsurprisingly pulled out a fire extinguisher out of her hair. The whole class was put on hold thanks to his error. “This ain’t some snooze fest class you can just daydream! The kitchen work is serious business. One wrong move and you’ll get yourself hurt!”

“Yes ma’am.” Flash sulked, his head hanging low. “Sorry.”

“Sorry ain’t really gonna cut it kiddo. I’m putting you on potato peeling duty for the rest of the week until you can learn how to use the stuff around here.” He didn’t decline. But rather nodded in acceptance. “Alright you young’ins. Back to your stations. We still got an hour before class ends. Applejack, take this fella to the nurse’s office and have that burn looked at. And try to keep him from burning anything else. Otherwise, Principal-Celestia will be tanning my hide over budget.”

“Sure thing granny.” Ugh… great job there Flash. On your first day and already you made a hiccup.

“Thanks AJ.”

“Don’t sweat it.” The cowgirl brushed it off casually like she was used to it before leading the boy off to the hallway. “This ain’t my first rodeo in the kitchen. Though I gotta admit, I didn’t expect you to burn pancakes.”

“Sorry. I must’ve set the stove too high. I’ve… never really had much luck with cooking.”

“I know.” She gave a smug look. “I’ve tried your soup.”

His face turned a beat red. “Ah… right.”

“But it looks more to me like you’re distracted about something.”

Was it that obvious? Well it must be seeing how he just torched the poor ceiling and burned out one of the fans. He quickly jotted a mental note to have to have the school reimbursed.

“Yeah.” He admitted, sighing heavily into his hands. “I got… something on my mind right now.”

“You… wanna talk about it?” Talk about it? Absolutely! To you? That… might not be the best idea.

“I don’t think it’s right.” Flash gave a forceful smile, trying his best to assure her. “You guys got a lot on your plates already. You don’t need to hear about my problems.”

“Oh now that’s hogwash. You know full well that the whole gang owes you more than just my burnt down barn. You’re part of the team now. You’re our friend. And as your friend, I can at least hear you out.”

He wanted to agree – and normally he’d accept the offer. But the problem he was dealing now was more… personal… and very much related to one of your friends. It was a question loaded with enough explosives that’ll blow a hole in his brain.

“Thanks Applejack. But I think this is a problem I need to deal on my own. Right now I’m more worried that your Grandma hates me.”

Again the cowgirl brushed it off. “Oh please. That’s just Granny’s way of setting folk straight. Trust me. Big Mac, Apple Bloom and I have been on the receiving end of her scolding more times than I can count. But she’s always got our best interest at heart. That’s just her way of saying that she doesn’t want you getting hurt. Think of it as another one of our family traditions.”

Did anyone ever tell you that your family has some strange traditions?

“Well… I hope that’s the last one I’ll get.”

“I wouldn’t hold you up to that.” She chuckled. “With the way you handled the stove today, it won’t be long before she talks your ears off.”

“Yeah~~ I really need to get better or I’ll be peeling potatoes for the whole semester.”

“Heh… well it’ll be bad if you break another stove down.” Applejack cupped her chin in thought just as an idea came through. “Hey now. How about you drop by my place this weekend and I can teach you the basics?”

“Really?” He blinked. “Will that be ok?”

“Sure! What’s the worst that can happen?”

(Ezaquatel)

“Sunburst? Are you in here?” Trixie whimpered, treading softly and carefully through the halls of the temple. It’s been over an hour since she arrived in this strange house of horrors and has been regretting it ever since.

The whole place felt like a labyrinth with enough corners and turns that would confuse tomb raiders. Not to mention that several section of the temple had sunk into the ground twisting and contorting the very hallway making anyone lose their sense of directions in a matter of minutes. And there were even more statues in the halls than in the portal room. Each of them even more ridiculous than the last.

Whoever designed this place surely had some kind of twisted sense of architectural design. That… or they were really into freaky statues.

It was getting so creepy that it made the Castle of the Two Sisters looked like a holiday destination rather than a haunted fortress. All that was missing now were a few traumatizing tapestries, a couple of armor sets, and maybe a dozen or so hidden passage ways.

Hmm… maybe she should bring Discord along. He’d love this place. Not to mention his chaotic magic would be a heck of a lot helpful here.

“If you can hear me, say: Trixie is amazing. And that’ll be enough.” She called out again. Though she doubts the pony would be able to respond.

While she still held onto hope that the orange unicorn was fine and simply lost in this maze, a part of her began to wonder if something had happened to him. He did have a habit of finding trouble whenever he’s on one of his expeditions. But the deeper she traveled, the dreaded feeling inside of her grew. And that only solidified with that thin piece of fabric on her hoof.

Trixie has known Sunburst long enough to be called a friend. And she knew that the stallion would never throw away his trusty cape. He’d wear it for every occasion. It was his trademark, his comfort blanket, and maybe his trusty sidekick, all in one. Taking it away was equivalent to taking his identity. He’d let the Crystal Empire sink into the depths of Tartarus before he’d lose this cape.

And yet here it was.

She only hope that the pony simply dropped it when he was on his research.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” Trixie paused on her hoof, considering the thought of heading back. But her ego brushed it away. “No no! You can do this. You’re the Amazing Trixie. Something as childish as this shouldn’t deter you from finding your friend.”

A rumbling noise in the dark decided to test that faith.

“Eeeep! On second thought. Maybe it would be better if I… went back and get some extra… help?”

“… back…”

The hair on Trixie’s mane stood on end when her ears picked up a voice in the air.

It was quiet as a whisper, and just barely noticeable from the drumming of her heartbeat.

“Who’s there!?” She demanded, shining a light in all directions but saw nothing but the stone walls and the many statues. “I warn you. I am a master in all forms of magic! Don’t you dare come close!”

…

“Go… back…”

The words practically echoed next to her ear at this point, causing her to whip her head in all directions. Her body rattled, as she backed herself into a corner. “Sunburst. If that’s you, this is a poorly made prank.” Her flank smacked against something freezing her on the spot.

Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster. Please don’t let it be a monster.

Her eyes slowly glanced back, sighting a cracked creature standing behind her, glaring madly with its goat head.

Oh thank Celestia.

“Oh… it’s just another statue. Silly me.”

But her sigh of relief lasted only for a split moment, when the statue’s lifeless eyes sprung open bursting with a magical flame.

“Oh… well… that’s… certainly… something… you don’t see… every day.”

It roared, and Trixie bolted screaming.

(School of Friendship)

Starlight Glimmer poked her head out of her paperwork, ears flickering as if she picked up a strange frequency that only she could hear. The first day of school was starting up and there was a lot to be done. And things would go a heck of a lot smoother if some of her other teachers were around to pick up the slack.

“Something wrong, Headmare?” Sweetie Belle asked, serving as her new assistant.

“It’s strange.” She mumbled. “For a second I thought I could hear Trixie screaming.”

“Is she being run out of town again? She does have a tendency to be chased by an angry mob like the Flim Flam Brothers.”

“That’s… true.” Starlight admitted. “It’s probably nothing.”

(Human world) (CHS)

Ugh… this is really not how I wanted to start the first day of school.

Luna wandered through the empty halls, looking through the detailed schedule that her sister carefully crafted for the three Sirens. The whole trick was to keep them apart for as long as possible while making sure at least one or two of the Rainbooms were keeping watch over them.

While she doubts that those three would cause any kind of calamity since their defeat in the Battle of the Bands, they were technically still powerful sorceresses capable of turning students and teachers alike against one another.

The thought alone made Luna fiddle with her newly acquired bracelet, tucked inside her pocket. It made her feel somewhat special to have such a powerful object in her inventory. But at the same time it made her feel like a walking target.

And the agreement of not having magic in the school is pretty much thrown into the dirt now. Not only did they have three creatures capable of casting powerful mind-altering spells, but they also had a member of this secret organization hidden as one of their faculty. What’s next? An alien invasion? Demons pouring out of the gates of hell coming to consume their world to feed their ancient god that can only be defeated by assembling the four pieces of a legendary sword, which can only be found in a legendary island open by some mystical key?

…

Ok she needs to really stop reading the guidebook of Ogres & Oubliettes.

But seriously though. When did their school… no… their city, become such a hotbed for magic conundrums? Everywhere she looked, there was some phenomenon going on about. Who was to say that the next tabloid piece she reads on the news wouldn’t actually be real magic?

Ugh… she doesn’t recognize this world anymore.

“Vice-Principal Luna.”

“GAHHH!” She flipped a switch in her head readying what looked like a martial art stance. “Stand back! I know my grasshopper-kick!” She paused and gapped when she saw her assailant with a stone cold expression. “Oh… P… Professor Neighsay *ahem*. I was um… thinking you were someone else. How are you?”

“Delightful.” Neighsay answered, not even a hint of emotion leaking from his face. He then produced a piece of paper from his jacket, handing it to her. “Anyway. Here is the list of students I wanted to speak with for tomorrow’s session.”

“Eh?” Luna’s head tilted.

“It’s for the Career Aptitude Test.” He explained. “With the majority of your senior students graduating this semester, I thought it’d best to quickly conduct as many of them through this exam before the finals.”

Oh right. That was the whole reason he was here. At least… officially.

Luna scanned the list and noted one of the Rainbooms were on it. A certain Pinkie Pie.

That can’t be a coincidence. No doubt he plans to use these one-on-one meetings as a chance to brainwash each and every one of them.

Well not this time. Not on her 24 carat watch.

“Just a… slight inquiry.” She spoke up. “What would these sessions entail?”

“A short series of questions regarding their future occupations, a few off-branching opinions, and perhaps a suggestion or two where they would benefit the most in society.” He paused. “We’ll narrow down the options they have and ensure that they’re picking something realistic and nothing out of reach like say: Becoming an astronaut. You know. The usual.”

Uh huh. Right. And where in this document does it say, that when you have them in your clutches, you’ll reveal your fangs and suck the blood out of each and every last one of them!? Did you have the fine print written down in invisible ink!? Are you gonna try and brainwash them like the Sirens did to them? You can’t trick me you… vampire. I’m onto you. As long as I’m still the Vice-Principal of this school, you won’t be harming the hair of any of my students.

“Emm hmm…” Luna hummed. “I don’t see any problems bringing these students up to date.”

“Excellent. I’ll prepare for…”

“But there’s just one tiny thing I want to add.”

Neighsay’s brow rose about an inch. “And… that would be?”

“Normally I wouldn’t mind having students be interviewed by our own faculties. I conduct a few of these myself. But seeing as you’re new around here, I’d like to have someone observe these sessions to ensure that everything you do is up to standard.”

“I believe my resume speaks for itself.”

“Even paperwork can be exaggerated.” Luna asserted.

“That… is true.” He admitted painfully. “But I still cannot. It’s a violation of the student-teacher confidentiality.”

“And it’ll stay that way.” She rebuked him, putting her foot down. “I don’t know how you did things back in Hooverton, but down here in CHS, you follow our rules. I’ll be observing your sessions quietly in a corner. I don’t want any of them feeling overwhelmed just because they’re graduating. You may be a well-known professor back in your place, but while you’re teaching in this school, you’ll do things our way.”

Neighsay’s eyes squinted as his frown dipped even deeper down his face. She half expected him to use some of his magic at this point, which she was ready for. In fact, he looked ready to start an hour-long argument.

“Very well.” He submitted, which was rather surprising. The guy looked like he was going to say something else but changed it at the last minute. His eyes shifted suspiciously to the side. “I suppose one audience will make little difference.”

“Great! I’ll see you tomorrow then.” She turned and walked away, holding back a triumphant grin that threatened to spill out.

xxxxxxxxxx

“You can come out now. I know you’re there.”

Ah crud. Figured he notice me. And to think I hid so well.

Sunset groaned, appearing out of her hiding place just between two pillars in the hallway. Being a former delinquent, she had a knack for remembering all the hidey spots around school. It’s how she manages to ambush students without them noticing.

“Playing hooky on your first day, Ms. Shimmer?”

“I got a hall pass.” She responded showing said pass which seemed to satisfy the man’s curiosity.

“Ah… I see. It’s good to know that even students such as yourself are following the rules.” He smiled – or maybe he didn’t. It’s kinda hard to tell. “So what brings you here? I didn’t think you’d come and meet with me alone.”

“Let’s just say I’m strong enough to take you on.” She fiddled with an amulet just under her shirt. “But honestly… I’m here to make a deal.”

“A deal?” The man’s eyes rose in interest. “Have you considered my master’s offer?”

“No. And I highly doubt any of us will. I’m here to strike a new deal.” His expression went from stern to brick-like but remained silent to listen. “I… we… got a lot on our plate right now. But my friend advised me to give you the benefit of the doubt. So I figured we’d start off with something we both can agree to.”

Neighsay bobbed his head slowly. “I’m listening.”

“I want… a truce.”

“A truce?”

“No more fighting. No more attacks.” She explained. “If you can leave me and my friends alone for a whole month, I’ll take it as a sign that you’re serious about your stand as a peaceful group. And if you can do that, we’ll consider your offer.”

Neighsay gave a thinking face before he answered. “Very well. I accept.”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Just like that.” He confirmed.

“No conditions or trade or anything?”

“I told you already, Ms. Shimmer. Our organization is focused on studying magic for the benefit of all mankind. And if this is what it takes to prove our commitment, then it is a small price to pay.”

Huh… that was surprisingly easy.

“If that will be all, then I must excuse myself. And you have a class to return to.”

(Animal Shelter behind the auditorium)

Fluttershy took in a deep breath as she hung around the animal shelter. Normally she’d be thrilled to hang out with all of her animal friends. But unfortunately today was not such occasion and all of her little furry companions can feel it. As a matter of fact she was standing stiffer than a board as the fashionista puffed her cheeks constantly with powder.

“Uh… Rarity. Are you sure this is necessary?” She asked as her good friend applied some last minute makeup to make her look more ‘presentable’.

“Absolutely darling. You’re about to meet your secret admirer. You have to look your absolute best. You’ll never know if this kind of thing sparks interest. So you have be prepared for each and every occasions.”

“But… don’t you think this is a little too much?”

“Of course not!” She retorted, puffing her nose with an extra layer of powder. “The blush is to make your expression more appealing, the powder is there to absorb any tears, the mascara is just the bare minimum for first meetings, and let’s not forget the eye-liners.” The fashionista then put on another thick layer of cream, before wiping it all off with a hot towel. “There. You are now ready for your secret rendezvous with your very own stalker.”

Does she? Because she feels like she was being dolled up for a dancing ball.

“Now remember. Listen before you give your answer. Give the fellow a chance to explain and have everything laid out. Once you’ve made your decision, let the other person know it firmly. No half bake replies, understand? Do that… and you’ll satisfy both parties.”

“What party?”

“Oh! Better go now. Good luck. I’ll be nearby, recording everything for future reference.” And without another word, the fashionista dove into the bushes, away from prying eyes.

Ugh… why did have to be like this? Fluttershy has never considered having a romantic relationship before. She’s always been the shy timid one. The girl no one would ever notice. A background character that folks tend to ignore while the main heroine takes center stage along with the hero after vanquishing a dragon or something. How anyone would show any kind of interest towards her was beyond her own comprehension. The guy must’ve either had strange or poor taste. Perhaps even both.

Smokey Junior let out a worried squeak.

“Oh. Sorry little fella. I guess you could say that I’m a little nervous.” She said to her little animal friends. “I’m meeting up with somebody. And it’s not the normal kind of meeting. I know that this person has some feelings for me.” She held up the letter, sighing out loud. “I can’t say that I’m not curious. But I don’t think I’m ready for a serious relationship.”

And worse yet… what will she do if she lets him down? Reject this stranger’s heartfelt proposal? The letter that was given to her seemed so well made and so personal. Getting rejected after going through all those hoops would be devastating. Oh dear. I hope the guy won’t feel too bad. After all, she wasn’t in the mood for any kind of romantic attachment. If anything, she was more inclined of loving her animal friends than anything else.

Maybe she should’ve asked Rarity for more advice. She wasn’t ready for confrontation.

But that thought came too little, too late, as the animals scattered when they noted a figure approaching them.

“Fluttershy?”

Every cell in her body froze when she heard her name being called by a muscular voice. Here it was. This was it. The moment she’s been waiting for. Do or die!

Ok… not really die, but this was close enough.

She swallowed down her fears and anxiety and stood up, slowly turning to meet…

“Umm… hi there.” She greeted in the politest way possible.

…

Who is he again? I don’t recognize the guy. The brown hair, lightly tanned skin and bangs over his face. He looks somewhat familiar but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Was he even a student here?

“You are…” No. Don’t make it sound like a question. He might take it as an insult.

“It’s me.” The cool guy pointed at himself. “Feather Bangs.”

“Feather Bangs?” A voice in the bushes squeaked.

Feather… Bangs?

Fluttershy blinked, hoping he didn’t notice her confused brow.

“We’re classmates in Biology this afternoon?”

“Uhh…”

“We met in 7th Grade History?”

Nope. Not ringing a bell. In fact I can hear an echo inside my head.

“We were in the same Geography team last year?”

Still drawing a blank here.

“We’re in the same knitting club last semester!”

Still nothing.

“We handed out flyers together for Tree Hugger’s recycle movement?”

I wonder if there’s a sale in the bird feed today.

The poor boy sighed. “I was Frog #4 in the school play of The Ugly Duckling?”

OH!

Her memories finally clicked. “Right! I remember you now. Feather Bang. Of course.” She’d remember all animals. Even those pretending to be one. “How are you?”

“Uh… I’m… fine?” He responded, looking like he was caught off guard. Thankfully he recovered, coughing into his fist to hide his embarrassment and turning his attitude around. “I take it you got my letter.”

“Oh! Right. The letter.” Fluttershy immediately remembered her position and had her cheeks turn a ray of pink. “It was um… very sweet. I think.”

“Why thank you.” Feather Bang casually responded, flipping his bang in a strange yet surprisingly naturally way. “I spent all week trying to find the right words for it. I’m kind of a master in poetry.” He gave out a flirty wink and a very toothy smile flashing his ivory teeth. “So what do you think, Fluttershy?”

“That thing took you a week? Lame!” The bushes rumbled, but none of them heard it.

“Uh… about what?”

“About… us?” He said in a manner of factly. “I thought… you know… me and you… going out proper?”

Oh! Right. That’s what Rarity said earlier. Come on Fluttershy, focus!

“Right… about that. Umm… uh… sorry. This isn’t what I expected. It’s just that… why?”

“Why what?”

“Why me?” She asked so cutely that even Angel was sticking his head out to support her. “I mean… you are umm… popular. I don’t think you’d like someone like me.”

“Nonsense lady.” Feather Bangs waved it off cockily, again whipping his hair to the other side. “You’re the perfect one. The real deal. I’ve been infatuated with you since the first time we’ve met.”

“You… have?”

“From the moment I laid eyes on you in History Class. A voice in my head said to me: Feather Bangs old chum. That’s the gal of your dreams. That’s the gal who you’ll be infatuated till the end of your days.” That’s… not exactly helpful. “I’ve watched you from afar, darling. I’ve seen you in the hallway, on stage, fighting dangerous monsters and show more love to every critter here that anyone I’ve ever seen. You’re gosh darn gorgeous in every possible way.”

Oh… well… that was…

“Th… thank you. That’s umm… such a lovely compliment.” She can’t help but admit that those words did strike a chord on her. Her cheeks darkened a bit. “But I’m not really much of a… people person.”

“That’s fine by me.” The boy coolly approached. “All the more reason why I’m so into sweetie. That adorable voice of yours is sweeter than an apple pie. You got the heart the size of a giant. And I love every bit of you that you show and don’t show.” He inched closer, his face just a meter away from hers. “So whadaya say? You love animals, I love animals. You like music, I like music. We totally complement each other. We’d make the perfect couple, don’t you agree?”

Would they? Because she really can’t see it.

Ok. This is getting way too out of hand. She was supposed to let him down gently, but this guy seemed like the kind of stalker that only attention-lovers like Rarity would appreciate. In fact… he was giving her rather… TOO much attention. It’s like being an amoeba under a microscope, whose every motion was being observed and recorded for study. Something that she was semi-deathly allergic to.

Perhaps it would be best to just reject him. But do it slowly so to not hurt his feelings.

“I’m sorry.” She sucked up her inner strength and gave him her answer, which unsurprisingly, caught him off guard. “I can’t.”

Feather Bangs recoiled like he was struck by a rock. “But… why not? We’re perfect for one another.”

Perhaps in your point of view.

She shyly brushed her hair and poke her feet on the ground. “You seem like a really nice person, and I’m really flattered. But I’m afraid I can’t. It’s just… complicated.”

“But Fluttershy, sweetie. You gotta see that we’re meant for one another. We got what this world can never have.”

“I’m sorry. I really am.” She lowered her head shallowly, feeling somewhat guilty as well.

Feather Bang opened his mouth to argue but found himself turning away. “I… guess… if that’s your answer.” He sighed. “Can I at least know why?”

Why indeed. Why was she rejecting him? Because he was a creep? Because he was a stalker? Because she had no interest in a romantic relationship at the moment? No. None of those sounded like a viable excuse. It was more like an insult or maybe a slap in the face. She can’t let him go on such a lame reasoning. Rarity would scold her for such a thing.

She needed to be firm. She needed to give him an answer that’ll satisfy him. An answer so resolute that he’ll get the message.

“It’s because…” Fluttershy’s mind went blank. “I’m actually seeing someone else.”

…

“What?” Feather Bang blinked.

What?

“WHATTTT!!!!!?” The bushes screamed.

The cows in the background mooed, the donkeys went hoarse, the birds chirped, the little critters began to make noise, and poor little Angel fainted.

Fluttershy paused, and allowed the moment to sink in as the rest of the animal shelter collectively gasp. It was only after that split moment did she realize the words she said.

Oh… fudge. I think I made a big mistake. Quick… think of something witty. Can I take it back? No! It’s too late. The sentence was already thrown out there. The Akashic Records has placed them in its compendium and locked away for all eternity. There are no take-backs. Just like a person sends out a lame text and can’t go back and rewrite it!

How about we just laugh it off and say I was kidding? No! That’ll just make her look stupid.

“You’re… seeing someone?” The boy recovered as if he was in shock.

“Yes! Yes I am.” Fluttershy was mentally breaking at this point. While she tried to remain calm on the outside, every voice inside her head were screaming to the dark void, letting the echoes reach the deepest corners of her sanity.

“Oh… I see. I guess I should’ve seen that coming.” Feather Bang slouched down dejectedly.

“We’ve been… going out for a while now actually.” Forget it. If this is how things were gonna roll, then she may as well roll with it. Bury the lie under a ton of lies. Bury it so deep that no one would separate the truth. “But we’ve been keeping it a secret from the others.”

“Is that… so…?”

"I’m sorry. But I don’t think things will work out between us right now.”

“Yeah… I understand.” He brushed his bangs dejectedly. “I’ll uh… see ya?”

She waved him farewell, putting on a smile. She waited patiently and calmly. Only when she was sure that he was out of sight and out of mind, did she fall to the ground, face redder than a tomato.

It's only the First Day (Part 2)

Author's Note

Sorry for being a little late. The wifi at my place broke down. We're suffering a slightly-massive storm which cuts our power every few hours. Completely forgot about updating.

Stay well folks.

It's only the First Day (Part 2)

Chapter 61: It’s Only the First Day! (Part 2)

(Ezaquatel)

“YAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”

Trixie screamed and ran. She ran as far as her hour hooves could take her. She didn’t know where she was going and she rightly didn’t care. Because anywhere was pretty much better than just standing around waiting for that monster to come get her.

The darn golem steamrolled behind her, stomping its mighty and tearing down anything and everything that stood in its way. She wasn’t sure why it was after her, but she was sure that it wasn’t about to introduce her to some brand-name cleaning supplies.

And it wasn’t alone either.

By the time she bolted away from the stoned creature, the other statues that riddled the area came to life. They all awoke from their idled position, creaking and cracking and running like someone just rang the darn dinner bell. And sadly… it would seem like she was the appetizer.

Thankfully all those years of running away from monsters and angry mobs has given the blue unicorn a little leeway in survival. She was technically used to being chased and even more so from a crowd.

But normally the usual crowd would often give up after the first hour or chase. These guys on the other hand did not seem to have the fatigue of normal creatures.

“Eeeep!” Trixie whimpered when she ran right into another statue, this time a hydra. And just like the others, it sprung to life, hissing loudly. “Take this!” She fired a magic bolt from her horn only for it to bounce off harmlessly from its marbled body. “Ah… ahehehe. You wouldn’t hurt little old me now… would you?”

It reared its fangs out hungrily making the pony bolt out of there.

She tried everything, from her smoke bombs, to tearing down walls. But these monsters don’t seem to know the meaning of obstacle as they just batter down anything that came their way.

Is this it? Is this how the story of the Great and Powerful Trixie ends? To be trampled by living statues and crushed to a pulp like a grape in another world no less?

She was hoping for something more dramatic, like taking down an evil organization, or at the very least: Death by performing an amazing feat of magic! Anything was better than this!

Has her luck truly run out?

The answer to that question would come in the form of a trap floorboard that opened up and swallowed her whole.

For a moment there she thought it was over. She was gonna be monster food. A sweet meat for these creatures to feast upon, a chew toy to play with.

“Trixie?”

“Please don’t eat me!” She begged, shivering madly, hooves over her eyes. “I taste terrible, I swear! You wouldn’t like pony meat, honest. We’re very sour and lean! I’m practically skin and bones!”

“Trixie!” The voice called out again, tapping a gentle hoof over her. “Relax. It’s me.”

Eh?

Fearing and curious at the same time, she took a peek with one eye and yelped.

“S… Sunburst?”

“The one and only.” He confirmed it with a soft smile, recoiling when the blue pony jumped at him pulling him to a worrisome hug. “But what are you doing here? I thought you were still back in Equestria.”

“I came here to save you!” She shouted only to be hushed by the other unicorn.

“Shhh. Not too loud. They’ll hear you.” They both paused, listening to the vibration above. “They’re very sensitive to sound so…”

“Fine.” She mumbled after making sure that the stony guardians weren’t around. “Oh and you dropped this.”

“My cape!” Sunburst grabbed it and hastily hoist it over his body. “Thank goodness. I thought I lost it forever.”

“No need to thank me. It was my pleasure. Though… I guess we found out what Starswirl was fighting around here. You’d think someone as wise as him would’ve at least mentioned that there were dangerous rock monsters guarding on the other side.”

“I don’t think Starswirl even knew of these things either. He’s probably just as surprised as we are.”

“And how in the world would you know that?”

“I’ve been following his trace.” The blue unicorn gave him a puzzled look. “It’s how I found this underground passageway. You see… I discovered that magical creatures leave behind a magic residue that serves like a hoofprint. Whenever we cast a spell or simply use our horns, we leave traces of our presence. I was able to develop a spell to bring it out.” And with a use of his horn, the orange pony cast a spell lighting their little tunnel and revealing Starswirl’s image in all his glory.

“Whoa…”

“And I figured a unicorn as powerful as Starswirl would leave heavy traces of his magic behind.”

“Alright. I’ll admit. That is rather impressive. You don’t need to gloat about it.” Trixie scoffed. “But why can’t I hear him?”

He chuckled. “Eheh… my spell only captures images, not sounds. It’s a working spell in progress. But with this, I can literally follow where he went.”

“I suppose that’s one way to follow a pony.” She sighed though she didn’t seem too disappointed. “Very well. As long as he doesn’t lead us to any more of those monsters or death traps, I’ll be fine with following. Speaking of which… you wouldn’t still happen to have my pie, would you? All that running made me hungry.”

(Human World) (Sweet Shoppe)

Rarity felt like she was experiencing déjà vu.

While the actors change, the script, the scene and the characters remain the same. And she was cursed to play the role of the unwilling recipient.

She watched as the poor girl on the other side of the table sighed heavily for like the umphteenth time, face flat on her plate, hands sprawled over in defeat over her ice cream glasses, and with her hair so frazzled that even she would have a difficult time untangling everything. Not that she could blame her. The girl dug her own grave, going off-script with her own gut.

“Here’s your 7th order of your triple-scoop sundae.” Mr. Cake stated, placing the order on the table hesitantly, only to see the messed up gal grab it off his tray and inhale it down like they were bite sized sandwich.

“Another one.” The frazzled gal requested as politely and menacingly as humanly possible before returning to her dormancy. Mr. Cake gave Rarity a worried look but brushed it off as she passed him his payment for the order.

“Fluttershy, darling.” Rarity tried to ease her friend’s embarrassment. “I know that what happened wasn’t exactly what you hoped for. But are you trying to drink your troubles away?”

“I’m trying out Pinkie’s brain freeze technique.” The girl’s voice was muffled from the table. “She said that if you eat enough ice cream, your brain will freeze over your most recent memories.”

“And… is it working?”

“No…” She sulked. “But I think I might be getting a tummy ache. Ugh… I still can’t believe I actually said that.”

Neither can she. Though granted, the result far surpassed what Rarity expected. She did let Feather Bang down. A little on the rough side but it seems to get the point across. Fluttershy even claimed that they were dating in secret so it should deter the boy from asking her out again. Poor fellow. Broken hearted before he even had a chance. Sucks to be him.

“Well for what it’s worth: I think you did… slightly above average.” She bit her teeth saying that. “Sure, it was harsh. But all’s fair in love and war. You told him off and no one’s the wiser.”

“But do you think I was a little too harsh?”

Yes.

“Of course not. He asked you out and you declined. It was a perfect response. While I can’t appreciate a lie. I’m still counting that as a win.” God knows she needs it.

“But what if I hurt him?”

“Time will heal all wounds, dear. I’m sure this Feather Bang fellow will get over it soon enough. He’s a mature man, and can take a hit.”

“You really think so?”

“Trust me darling. I’m a professional when it comes to these things. And if he doesn’t, well… I’ll take charge and talk some sense into him. Now stop slouching. You’re ruining your perfectly combed hair.”

Fluttershy got back up, a calm smile on her face. “Thanks Rarity. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I just don’t think I’m ready to be in a relationship just yet.”

“I completely understand.” She waved it off. “I just wish the others would see it that way.”

“And… I hope you don’t mind keeping this whole thing a secret?”

“My lips are sealed.” Rarity made a zipping gesture on her mouth just as another order of ice cream came along. It was another secret to be placed in her vault. “I just wish we had more of this happening. With all this magical conundrum happening around us, it’s a pleasant change to be normal teenagers for once. Painting our nails, trying out clothes, talking about cute boys and our love life. You know? Normal things.” The last time she last had such a juicy talk was with Applejack and Pinkie Pie. And we all know how well those went. Now she was stuck observing a love triangle that was doomed to explode sooner or later.

But little did she know. The love life she was so infatuated with was about to take a turn for the worse in the weeks to come.

(Twilight’s house)

“You actually called a truce?” Twilight whispered to her phone as she pranced around her room late that evening. Sunset had just given her the details of the arrangement she made with Neighsay which would technically put a stop to all the attacks the Rainbooms have been dealing with. Though granted she was a little skeptical on the whole thing. “Alone?”

“Yeah. I know.” Sunset admitted that it sounded a bit too good to be true. “But I had to. With all that we’re dealing with, I figured we’d at least give the benefit of the doubt.”

“Do you really trust him?”

“Trust him? No. But the last thing I want is another shadow monster incident. Besides, we don’t exactly have a lot to lose. And even if is plotting something, we’ll at least see it coming.”

“I’m not doubting your decision.” Twilight shrugged, pulling out the dog treats from her cabinet and pouring it over Spike’s bowl. “But I wished you’d discuss it with us first before you make a deal. You know we’re all in this together, right?”

“I know.” The girl on the other line sighed. “I just wanted things wrapped up quickly. I’ve got plenty of trouble back in Equestria as it is. And now with the Sirens hanging around school, we’ll be even busier than usual. Speaking of which… how’d it go with Adagio? Did she give you any trouble?”

“Eh… not really. She was pretty quiet the whole time.” Twilight tilted her head upward, recalling the glare she got from the puffy haired songstress. “Though she did look at me strangely though. I feel like she has some kind of grudge against me. You know, that look you give when someone wronged you that one time and you never quite forgave them?”

“Don’t I know it.” Sunset chuckled on that notion. “Well your other you from my world kinda thwarted her plan for world domination. So… I’m pretty sure she holds it against you. I’ll explain it to her when I see her tomorrow.”

Ah… that made sense. She did hear from some of her friends that Princess Twilight actually came and summoned some kind of mystical creature to battle the Sirens during the height of their power. The folks around here were hazy on the details though.

“What about Aria and Sonata? How’d they do?”

“Surprisingly well actually. Sonata made a friend in history class today. She kind of reminds me of Pinkie sometimes so I think she’ll fit in well. As for Aria… well… she’ll need a little work. But so far they aren’t making any trouble. If this keeps up, we might not even have to do anything at all. Though I just wished we had a better lead with this secret society.”

“Well. If you actually spent more time doing research with me, we might’ve had a breakthrough.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Things have been… hectic lately. I’ll uh… make it up to you. How does tomorrow night sound?”

Twilight looked at her notes and thought. “Great. I have some things I want you to look over. It’ll be nice to get a second professional opinion for a change.”

“Excuse me!?”

“I’ll grab the snacks. So it’ll be just us and Vice-Principal Luna. See ya then.”

“Twilight honey.” Her mother’s voice echoed from downstairs just as she hung up. “Cadance and Shining Armor are leaving now. Come and say goodbye.”

Oh right. Cadance and her brother were going back to their apartment in midtown near Crystal Prep. They only came by for the holidays and will be returning to their ordinary routines as Dean and…… whatever it was Shining Armor does in that place.

…

“Thanks again for the stay, Ms. Velvet.” She heard Cadance say from the entrance. “Shining Armor and I had a wonderful time.”

“Oh it was a pleasure, dear.” Twilight Velvet responded brushing it off with a hearty laugh. “I only wished you could’ve stayed longer. You know we love having you two around the house.”

“We love to. But with school starting up, we really have need to get back to our place. Besides… I think all your cooking is making Shining here gain a few waistline.”

“Hey! I heard that!” The laughed at his expense. “You know full well I can lose this tummy in the gym in no time.”

“Well just know that you two are always welcome back here whenever you wish. The house gets really quiet with only Twilight.”

“Hey!” The said girl countered but decided to let it go. She then proceeded to do the usual lady bug dance with Cadance as a final farewell.

“Are you two ever gonna let that go?” Shining whined earning a look from the two girls. “I mean come on. Don’t you think you’ve outgrown that little dance?”

The Dean scoffed. “That’s coming from someone who still wears that cheap plastic toy crown.”

“Oh Twilight…”

“Hey! The Sibling Supreme Crown is not a toy. It’s a symbol of our rivalry. And the one who owns it gets complete bragging rights. And it’s also so I can get Twilly here go Twilly-nanas over jealousy.”

“Jealous!?” Twilight retorted. “Pffft! Who’s jealous? Just because you had it for way longer than you should have and I never got a chance to win it back.” She coughed. “I still think you cheated on that last competition.”

“Well you would’ve had your chance if you stuck around home during the Winter Holidays rather than hanging with your friends.” Shining grinned cheesily. “I even had a game carefully crafted for the occasion. But… alas. I guess the crown shall remain mine until Spring Break. That would make me… Sibling Supreme… four times in a row.”

Oh no you didn’t.

“Shining.” Cadance cooed to her boyfriend. “Don’t agitate your sister now. This is supposed to be a heartfelt goodbye.”

“Sure sure. Absolutely.” He nodded cuddling her back. “But what’s the point of having the crown if I can’t flaunt it in her face?” Twilight’s face soured just a bit. “Well… as much as I ‘Love’ teasing her. We should probably head back. We got a load of paperwork to deal with as well as ushering in the new students.”

“Don’t forget your complimentary snacks.” Night Light added bringing over a basket of goodies from the kitchen. “Did I miss anything?”

“No Mr. Night Light.” Cadance shook her head, accepting the goodies. “Shining and I just need a little talk about humility.”

“Oh!” The man’s eyes widened. “I see. Guess you told her about that job offer, eh?”

…!

… what?

“DAD!” Shining Armor’s face went pale.

“What job offer?” Cadance looked confused. And honestly she wasn’t the only one. Twilight and her mother didn’t seem aware until they noted Night Light’s face going ‘oopsie’

“Oh…… uh…”

“Shining.” Cadance turned to the boy in question, eyes furrowing. “What is he talking about?”

Shining groaned out loud muttering a curse under his breath while giving dad the stink-eye. Night Light simply whistled it away, sweating madly despite the cold. “It’s… nothing.”

“Shining…” She shrugged him off, facing him directly with a glare. “What’s going on?”

He let out a defeated sigh. There was no keeping secrets in this relationship. “I… got a call from Headmaster Chrysalis a few months ago. There was an opening for a new substitute teacher in one of their departments in Everton Academy and I… may have applied for it.”

“WHAT!?” Cadance was a person who rarely raised her voice. But when she does, it resonates and leaves quite an impact to the world around her. “You’re going to Everton!?”

“As a substitute teacher.” He repeated, waving his hands up in defense. “It’s great and the Headmaster there said that they have flexible working hours. Not to mention the pay is a lot more than what Crystal Prep has to offer.”

“And you didn’t tell me!?”

“Well… I was going to tell you when we got back.” The boy glared his old man who refused to make eye-contact. “And honestly I didn’t think I would even get the job. It was kind of… spontaneous.”

Uh oh… this looks like the beginning of a domestic dispute.

“I know! Isn’t this thrilling? Finally, some fresh entertainment.” Her alter ego crunch through some imaginary popcorn.

“This is just…” Cadance looked furious. She wore an expression that would make grown men cry. And Shining Armor was of no exception. But the Dean quickly remembered where she was and who they were with and quickly pushed her anger down. “We… are going to talk about this back home.”

She strutted to the car, turning her back on him.

Yup. She was definitely mad.

Poor Shining.

(Luxury Apartment)

Neighsay took a sip off his mug as he stepped into his luxurious apartment that night. While the Board of Education can only provide him with a meager sum for his stay in Canterlot, the Organization he served with certainly knew how to splurge.

He wasn’t really complaining. To be transferred so suddenly to such a backwater place like Canterlot City was deplorable. But with the extra amenities provided, it made his stay quite tolerable at least.

Placed at the very edge of Uptown, the apartment had a wonderful view of the city itself. It almost looked like he was standing on one of those super-fancy high-rise hotels back in Manehattan or Las Pegasus. A man can get used to such luxury.

He would’ve enjoyed the view further had he not noticed the gleaming noise coming from his bracelet. The old man let out a sigh. And with a wave of his hands, the curtains closed in and the lights dimmed as if controlled by magic.

He turned over to the center of his temporary home and waited for the darkness to engulf him.

A whirling vortex appeared not long after, revealing a shrouded face on the other side.

“Master.” He greeted the figure with a slight bow.

“Report.”

“I have made contact with the children.” He said with fervor. “As I expected: They are a rather unorganized group. Two of them appear to be leaders while the rest are tag-alongs or friends with little benefits. However: The magic emanating from them is immense. They have great control over it and a range of uses. I can see how Hoity was defeated. The man never stood a chance against them.”

“And the artifact?”

“They possess the Travel Stone and many other relics as well. Combine all those together, and they make quite the powerful force. I am more than certain that they will make excellent addition to our organization.”

“You truly believe that they can be brought in?”

“I do.” Neighsay answered without hesitation. “Right now they’re on guard. Not surprising after their frequent hostile encounters with our agents. They will need swaying and a few… incentives to appease them. But they’re open to new ideas and thus can be persuaded to join our cause.”

“And you’re sure that they are worth your time?”

“I do.” His face remained unfazed. “It took us years and some of the brightest minds in our organization to discover how Travel Stones work yet these girls managed to figure it out in just a few days, if not weeks. And if that’s not a big enough reason, they defeated two of our agents in a battle of wits and magic. Their way of thinking is different to ours which makes them a viable resource. Bringing them to the fold will undoubtedly enhance our abilities.”

The figure didn’t respond, instead eyed the corners of the shadow as if deep in thought. No doubt their recent defeats have made her wary of such blatant actions.

“Very well. You have my permission to do as you wish. But the Travel Stone is still a priority. Recover it at all cost.”

He bowed again, this time deeply. “As you wish, Master.”

The Start of Something New

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Fluttering Problem

Chapter 63: Fluttering Problems

(CHS)

Flash was deep in thought at the time.

He thought long and hard on what to say and what to do.

At first he tried to ignore it. He tried to convince himself that Timber was just raging mad. That jealousy and paranoia muddled his words and twisted his perception. But now it was starting to get to him.

And this damn ache on his hand wasn’t helping him either. Seriously. The school nurse already checked it out four times over. She said that it was fine and that he might be suffering phantom pain or something. Whatever that means. Thankfully she was more than happy to apply disinfectant to help alleviate his worries. Now he just had it rewrapped.

Still… the situation didn’t exactly change for the better.

For a moment Flash thought of ignoring it. Let it go and have the whole thing run its course. After all, it was just a simple crush. But he couldn’t do it. There was no way in the world was he ever gonna ghost one of his friends just because they might have some unrequited feelings. The boy was never one to shy away from a fight, and he wasn’t gonna start now. He was going to face this problem head on and deal with the consequences later. And once he rips off this band-aid, they’ll either become better friends or they’ll become the most awkward pair this side of the hemisphere. And then the rift between them will get worse by the day until they can’t even be in the same room together.

…

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. He should probably consult with an actual expert before he commits. I mean… what if this whole thing destroys their friendship altogether? It’ll be a disaster. If only he had someone to talk to.

And so his wish to the universe was sent.

And thankfully the big fella on the other side decided to answer that plea in the form of a pink haired animal lover who came barging through the door.

The girl looked down right haggard, like she had been running for hours. She scanned the room, noting the dim lights and closed curtains before letting out a sigh of relief. She must think that no one would be here.

“Fluttershy?”

“Meep!” She squeaked, looking like an animal ready to bolt at the slightest noise.

“Don’t worry. It’s just me.” He quickly reached for the light, illuminating the place.

Thankfully the sight of him calmed the girl’s nerves down quickly enough. “Oh. Flash. It’s just you. You scared me.”

“Sorry. I didn’t think anyone else would be coming here.”

“Me too…” She muttered, moving shyly like she always had.

Then suddenly there was a commotion outside. A flurry of footsteps could be heard running through the hallway like a parade. Fluttershy’s body tensed up and quickly ducked behind the row of musical instruments, blending in so seemingly natural.

Flash wasn’t quite sure what was happening until the door opened a few moments later and a head poked in. The girl cast a glance around, noting only him standing at the center like a statue.

The boy smiled back, raising one hand slowly. “Um… occupied?”

“Hmph.” She didn’t reply and simply went away on her own.

It was only after the ruckus outside died down did Fluttershy reappear from her hiding spot, letting out the quietest of squeaks. “A… are they gone?”

“I think so.” He answered, lending a hand to her. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“No.” She squeaked. “Well… yes. But not really.”

“Uh… ok?” He shrugged. “It wouldn’t happen to be magic related, would it?”

“Oh no. Absolutely not.” Good. Because a magical hazard right now would be the worst timing ever. “I’m just hiding from some… people. It’s… complicated. You uh… wouldn’t happen to have heard any rumors lately, would you?”

“Rumors? Well… not really. I’ve been somewhat preoccupied with my own thing right now. Haven’t really had a chance to hear all the going-ons around school.”

“Is that the reason why you’re skulking around in this dark room all by yourself?”

“I wasn’t skul…” Uh… actually thinking back… he probably was. No self-respecting law-abiding citizen would hide in an unused room, lingering in the dark without some fowl intentions. It made him look like one of those peddlers who hands out ‘Candies’ to kids. “Ok maybe I was. But I have a perfectly good reason. It’s just that I was meeting up with somebody. It’s umm… complicated.” They shared a small chuckle, clearing some of the awkwardness in the room. “Seeing as we’re both need some alone time. Wanna sit around and wait?” He offered a hand.

She looked at it, giving a weird look before accepting. “I’d be hap-” They were interrupted by the sound of her stomach rumbling.

“Was that…?”

Fluttershy clutched her stomach, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment. “Uh… ahehehe… I… might’ve skipped lunch.”

“Ah…” The boy reached for his jacket producing a candy bar, which seemed pretty ironic at this point. “Chocolate?” She greedily accepted, tearing into the plastic and taking a large bite. The little chunk of calories relieved her of her stress. “So what’s this rumor going about that has you hiding?”

“Oh… it’s umm…” Her face sulked. “It’s nothing. Just something Zephyr started. It’s stupid.”

“Wanna talk about it?” He grabbed a table, patting the open area next to him inviting her to join. “They say that talking about your problems is a great way to de-stress. I can lend an ear for you if you want.”

“I’m… not sure that’s necessary.”

“It’s not like we got anything better to do.”

She gave it a thought…

… for about half a second.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ok. Here it was. The showdown of the century!

Rainbow Dash braced herself. She sat, arms folded, legs crossed, and eyes forward brimming with the same fiery determination she held whenever she was on the field. Her opponent sat on the opposite end of the table, not remotely impressed with her huffs and puffs. Rather he looked calm and bored than annoyed.

Rainbow darted her eye to the side noting Luna sitting on the couch. She gave a casual wink which eased her up a bit. But it still didn’t sit well that she had to be here at all.

She was brought over to this office by the order of this… vampire.

No. Vampire was too good for the likes of him. Count Vladcula was a gentleman compared to this creep. A true vampire would be edgy and cool, and maybe even a bit broody. But this guy. He was more like one of those emotionless Frankensteins that were either true terrors or misunderstood villains. She was willing to go with the former.

“Well then Ms. Dash.” Neighsay began, breaking the silence. He pulled out a folder from his desk, flipping it open. “Let’s begin with your Career Aptitude Test.”

“Pffft. Yeah. Sure.”

The man cocked a brow. “Ms. Dash. I recommend that you take these sessions seriously as it will apply to your future. Since this is your last semester in CHS, you must be prepare yourself so that you can be a productive member of society.”

Yeah sure. That’s what you want us to think. But I know your game, Neightsay. If that’s even your real name. You’re probably just doing this whole hoop jumping sessions to lower our guards. And the moment we do, you’re gonna show your fangs and bite our necks to drink our blood!

Well no sirree! I ain’t falling for it. Unlike her friends, she came prepared. And she wasn’t just talking about her geode either. She got smoke bombs from Trixie stuffed in her pockets, the Wendigo’s Hooflet on her arm, and as a special surprise: Some chili bombs from Granny Smith. Those things can be way worse than your average pepper spray. The moment he tries anything, anything at all, she’ll unleash the full force of her arsenal and blast him to smithereens.

So bring it on chump. I’m ready for you. Bring out your magic, your shadow monsters or any tricks. Because I’m ready for ya!

“Rainbow Dash!” Luna called out to her bringing her out of her crazed imagination. “Pay attention please.”

She glanced between the two adults and laughed it off awkwardly. “Oh… right.”

Neighsay cocked a brow in her direction. “As I was saying: I’m afraid your future is a bit… too troubling for my taste.” Troubling? What does that mean? “Your grades are reaching below-average, sloppy behavior, no sense of organization whatsoever, and… prone to extreme actions at the drop of a hat. If there was a word to describe you, Ms. Dash. I’d say it was ‘Chaotic’.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Luna mumbled just low enough for her to hear.

“If you continue on this path, Ms. Dash. I’m afraid your choice of careers will be pretty bleak.”

“Hey, you can’t tell unless you try.” She challenged. “How would you know what I want to be?”

“That’s because you were asked to fill out the forms beforehand.” The vampire slapped the said form on the table which the girl responded with an awkward ‘Oh’. “Ahem. Your career choices are… Astronutt, explorer, ugh… an Astronutt-Explorer, arkeologist, Daring-Do kind of arkeologist, debonair librarian, or whatever job Daring Do has.”

Ugh… for some reason that stare he was giving hurt her soul. Even VP Luna was giving her a disappointed look.

“Well yeah!” Rainbow retorted. “I mean haven’t you read a Daring Do novel before?”

“Fortunately… no.” He answered back without regret. “Seeing how it has muddled your brain, I think I might’ve spared myself the trouble. But that’s not even the worst part. You penmanship is atrocious, you misspelled over fifty words in this form alone, and you spilled juice all over the sheet. It’s enough to give me a migraine.”

“Ahehehehe…”

“Your only saving grace seems to be your club activities and athletic events, which is hardly an improvement.” Neighsay let out a tiresome sigh. “Without the proper grades to elevate your standing Ms. Dash. I’m afraid your choices of career will be severely lacking.”

“Oh please. What’s so hard about being an astronutt? I just wear this awesome space suit and press a button.”

“The fact that you don’t even know what an astronaut does, much less spell it correctly is the reason why you’re in school.” He scolded lowly, bringing out a paper from his desk. “But seeing as you have yet to improve any of your needed factors, there may yet be time to remedy it, and set you back on the right path. Because of this I am recommending you to get yourself a tutor for your afterschool remedial lessons, and banning you from all sports activity.”

“WHAT!?” She nearly slipped from her seat in shock. “You can’t do that!”

“I may not. But Principal Celestia does. And when she sees your abysmal grade firsthand, she will undoubtedly agree with me on this.”

“But that’s not fair!”

“Nothing in life ever is, Ms. Dash. As you will learn soon enough.”

“Wh… but… but… Vice Principal Luna!”

But sadly, the star haired lady only raised her hand up in decline. “Sorry Rainbow Dash. But I’m afraid I have to agree on Neighsay with this one.” Betrayal! “Your grades have been slipping lately – and you’ve only been able to keep your head above water because of your extra-credit projects. Unless you show some improvements in your other fields, we’ll have to bar you from your… uh… other distractions.”

No. Did Neighsay get to her already? Was she under his spell? Did he hypnotize the whole school with their knowing?

“This is all for your benefit, Ms. Dash.” Neighsay added, showing a hint of a sarcastic smile. “Improving your grades will open many doors for you. Perhaps even more than any of your athletic skills. Believe me. You will be grateful for these little help when you’re successful in life.”

Rainbow Dash glared at the man, slumping on her seat as the session went on.

She didn’t think she could hate someone so much until now.

She wondered if she could still use that chili bomb.

(Camp Everfree)

Gloriosa gave a wide and pleasant smile as she strolled around the camp that afternoon, observing the multiple activities going around. The latest batch of campers arrived just yesterday, and she was pleased to announce that they were having the time of their lives.

Everywhere she looked there were happy smiles all around. Some were cozying over one another to watch frozen river, some were ice skating, a few more roasting marshmallow by the large fireplace, and a few of the younger children having a snowball fight. It was a day of fun to be had.

With this successful trip, the camp itself was definitely bound to make a heck of a lot more money than before. With the new cabins in place, and the ad campaign she launched, she had people making reservations by the dozens. Some were even high class citizens living abroad. If she can keep up this momentum, she may even outdo Filthy Rich’s woodland resort. Oh she can already imagine herself rubbing that news on his face.

It’ll be so worth the wait.

“How ya doing everyone? Good?” She asked around to one in particular. “Great! Just remember to gather up before dark for another round up of spooky stories by the campfire.”

The kids let out a squeal of excitement and went on their way while the young adults clamored and nodded back in approval. Yup this camping trip was gonna be a successful one.

Gloriosa beamed brightly, pacing herself down the path, whistling a tune she remembered.

But she would be rudely interrupted when the ground suddenly rumbled, shaking everyone and everything. The resident of the camp all took notice and stopped whatever it was they were doing. The tremor was mild, shaking some of the snow off trees and rooftops alike. Thankfully however, it lasted for only a few seconds before every calmed down.

Gloriosa paused to listen, hoping that it was just a one-time thing. There shouldn’t be any kind of quakes in Canterlot City or its outer areas. There were no fault lines nearby, and the closest thing to a volcano around here was a hundred miles away.

But just when the folks were about to return to their business, the shaking returned, and this time in greater force. The campers huddled, while the children rushed to their parents instinctively. They all held their breaths until the shaking stopped.

“It’s ok people. It’s nothing.” She lied. “This happens all the time. I’m sure it’s just another of Mother Nature’s complaint. It’ll stop soon.”

It didn’t.

In fact, the tremor got worse, and louder this time. Loud enough to wake the birds from their nests which concerned her.

The money ba—err… campers, did not seem to like it.

But Gloriosa continued to smile and wave it off like it was nothing. “Stay right here folks. I’ll uh… take a moment and see what’s happening.”

She fast-walked her way to the direction of the tremors hoping not to spook her paycheck.

Dang it all. Things were going so well here. She had plenty of happy campers, enjoying their time. The last thing she wanted was another crisis.

The head camp counselor followed the dirt path which she easily recognized as the road to the old Rock Quarry. Timber spent weeks setting that place up to perfection. It’ll be a shame if all his hard work went to waste.

Oooh… if this was another one of Filthy’s ‘Expansion’ project, she was gonna give that billionaire a piece of her mind. Those bulldozers of his have caused enough damage to the woods as it is. He already had his darn resort and pool! What else was he planning to build? A dang golf course?

Gloriosa soon found herself at the mouth of the quarry’s entrance which didn’t seem to be all that bad. The shaking must’ve caused some of the furniture to move and scatter, but it wasn’t anything she and her new camp workers can’t fix with a little bit of elbow grease.

We can just remove some of the fallen snow, rearrange the chairs, put back the lights…… oh… and we can probably move that stone golem out of the way to make room for the dance floor.

…

The girl would later come back to that thought and turn towards the giant towering monstrosity, who in turn… stared back at her with its singular red eye.

…

Gloriosa screamed.

(CHS)

Twilight wasn’t really sure why she felt so… giddy that afternoon. Her body temperature rose slightly, and her heart rate increased twice over. Her skin was crawling, her head felt slightly feverish, and she the sudden urge to skip her way through the halls like Pinkie Pie.

She hope she wasn’t coming down with anything. The last thing she wanted was to get sick on the first week of school. And the Brain Blast tournament was coming soon. She needs to be in her A-Game if she wants to get a chance to participate.

The only problem now was to have a partner. They say that two heads are better than one, and for this case she was reluctant to agree.

Micro-Chips was the obvious choice. With their brain-powers combined, they could dominate the whole game and maybe even win. But he already decided to team up with Scribble-Dee on some super project of theirs.

Maybe Sunset? She’s also super smart. And her in-depth knowledge of magic could give her the edge to get ahead of the competition.

Her happy skip was sadly interrupted by a buzzing from her phone.

Hmm? An unknown number?

“Hello?”

“Hey~~ Twilight. How ya doing?”

She recognized the estranged voice. Just barely. “Gloriosa? Is that you?”

“Yup, it’s me. Your best buddy, calling you. Ahehehe…” Ok her tone was strangely stressed out. Either she was wheezing in a panicking way, or she was really on something. “Listen… you… wouldn’t happen to know something about a giant stone monster living in the Everfree Woods, would you?”

A stone monster? What giant sto--…

Oh…

“Now that I think about it. There was this one golem Timber and I found in a cave a while ago.”

“It wouldn’t happen to have one eye, has a creepy face, and about three times taller than your average person, would it?”

“Uh… yeah? Why?”

“Because it’s looking at me.”

…!

“It’s there!? At the camp?”

“Yup. Please hurry!”

Twilight bolted towards the exit, frantically sending a text to all her friends.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Wow… that’s… quite a story.”

Fluttershy groaned as she watched Flash’s reaction after she finished regaling him the shortened version of her tale. She spent the better part of the hour ranting heavily about her brother and the predicament he brought her in, down to the escape from the cafeteria, leading to this very moment. Thankfully the boy was kind enough to lend an ear for her rant and had his whole attention fixated on her.

“So now here I am. Hiding in this room, away from prying eyes.”

“That explains a lot. That brother of yours is really something.”

Oh he’s something alright. He’s in a whole mess of trouble the moment they get home. That brother of hers was going to get what’s coming to him and then some. He’ll be eating lead and pooping bricks when she’s done with him. She just needs to stop by the local pet store to pick up a few… ingredients.

“This is the first time, Zephyr actually done anything that involved me.” Fluttershy added, leaning back on her table. “He’s done a lot of things before but he never included me. Ugh… it’s infuriating.”

“I guess that’s how sibling works.” Flash shrugged. “I mean… I don’t really have brothers of my own. But if I had one, I’m pretty sure it’ll be like yours.”

“Tell me about it. It’s frustrating.”

“So you feeling any better?”

She blinked for a second and felt the air around her. The tingling fear she had earlier was gone. And the ebbing twitch and tremble stopped completely. “Huh… actually. Now that you mentioned it. I am.” The girl let out a calm breath. “That feels a lot better.”

“Told you talking about your problem was a good way to de-stress.”

Of course she knew that. She’d spend all day complaining if she could, but only in front of her animal friends. Unlike most people, they don’t judge.

Well… actually they kinda do, just not in a way humans would understand. Angel in particular was very judgmental and would put his opinion on everything.

“Thank you.” Fluttershy gave an appreciative nod. “I really needed that after what happened this morning.”

“Don’t sweat it. I do the same thing to my dog whenever I’m feeling anxious. It helps out in the long run. Especially when you can’t exactly tell others about it.”

“I know how that feels.” She mumbled. “So what about you?”

“Me?” He balked. “What about me?”

“Why are you hiding away down here?”

“Oh! I uh…” He turned away shyly. “It’s nothing. I’m actually uh… waiting for someone actually.”

“Oh…?” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion before suddenly jumping to conclusion. “Oh! You mean…? A secret date?”

“What?”

She jumped off her table dusting herself hastily. “I’m so sorry. If I knew you were meeting someone in secret, I never would’ve taken so much of your time. I’ll excuse myself now. Good luck on your date!”

“Wha? No! Fluttershy. It’s nothing like that.” He stopped her. “Trust me. I’m not doing some secret rendezvous like Feather Bangs. It’s more of a… private conversation… with a friend.”

Ah… that sounded way better.

“So… can I still stay here?”

“Of course.” He gleefully replied. “We chickens need to stick together.” They shared a quiet laugh together which lightened the mood around them. “But if it’s any consolation. I think I can understand why Feather Bangs would be attracted to you. You’re cute, pretty, and one of the sweetest girls in school.”

Her eyes widened for a second, surprised at the sudden compliment. “You… you really think so?”

“Come on. Don’t tell me no one’s ever called you adorable before.”

“W… well Rarity does. But she says that to a lot of things.”

“And I think she’s right.” He let out a chuckle which in turn made her hide behind her bangs. “So… what do you plan to do now?”

“Can I hide in my room for the next three weeks?”

“I doubt the school will allow it.” He stared at her with a goofy grin. “But if it’s any consolation, you can hide out at Sunset’s place. I don’t think she’d mind the extra company.”

It was a tempting offer. After the deal with Hoity Toity and his fashion disaster, there hasn’t been a single shadow monster attack against them. Which is why she and many others have decided to move back home. But the arrival of Neighsay could drastically change that, despite his peaceful intentions.

Sunset’s new home would be a good place to lie low, away from people. Her parents wouldn’t mind. And it would be great to get away from her brother before she’s tempted to throw away his CD collection and burn it in a pyre.

Still… the trouble was in school. Not at home. Even now she could imagine her friends expecting a real answer from her. And not some hootenanny excuse. They’ll be laying in the pressure and she’ll be powerless to stop them.

“Hey, it’s not the end of the world.” Flash added, patting her shoulder. “So the start of the year might not be the best. Just get through it and you won’t have to deal with it ever again. Just think of the next three weeks as some kind of challenge.”

“I don’t like challenges.”

“I know. But try holding it anyway. And hey…” He gestured to the room. “If you need a place to hide. This room’s open.”

That sounds… pretty good actually.

A quiet place. A safe space just for her.

“And if you need a little time away from everyone else, you can come over to my place. I’m sure the birds in the aviary will be happy to see you.”

And that alone got her all perked up.

She recalled the wonderful aviary back at the boy’s mansion. The large bottled up nature reserve with all of her feathery friends. The thought of seeing such a gorgeous place again brightened her mood and filtered off that depression like a water cooler.

“That does sound lovely.” Fluttershy chuckled. “But will your dad be ok with it?”

“Pfft. Oh please. He’ll be too busy running his election campaign to even notice.” He said it without a hint of remorse in his voice as he offered his hand. “So how about it? Stop by my place later?”

The girl let out a genuine smile, feeling somewhat giddy on the inside. It was sweet of him to try and cheer her up after everything that happened. And so with a nod, she accepted.

“I’d love t-”

But sadly they were rudely interrupted by a sudden tremor that caught them off their feet.

They were brought out of their happy moment, both casting their eyes onto the floor as it shifted slowly, vibrating loudly.

“Is… that an earthquake?” Flash felt his own feet trembling. He then looked up and noted the whole room… no… the whole building itself was shaking at the seams.

“Eeeep!” Fluttershy jolted towards him as a stack of various musical instruments fell from their holdings. Later they could hear students outside shouting as the tremor grew worse.

More objects fell. The ceiling itself began to crumble. Bits and pieces falling off until the whole support came crashing.

One particularly large piece broke off, falling in her direction.

The girl stood there, like a deer in headlights.

“Look out!” Flash shouted. And through some strange and magical force, the ceiling tile blasted away in the other direction shattering to a thousand pieces.

The two teens stared at the crash, puzzled. It was obvious what happened yet Fluttershy couldn’t grasp her head around it. Flash too seemed confused as he looked at his hand with an expression saying ‘Did I do that?’

But before any of them could investigate further, another tremor followed, sending the school into a panicked frenzy.

A Growing Magic

Chapter 63: Growing Magic

(Camp Everfree)

“Thanks again for giving us a lift, Vice-Principal Luna.” Sunset said while on the passenger seat. It felt rather strange to be riding with your school VP. But at least she knew that she wasn’t in trouble.

The star haired lady nodded back. “It’s my pleasure, Sunset. I told you I would help out in your adventures. I’m just glad that no one was hurt when the earthquake hit. I never expected the whole city to be hit that hard.”

“Rather surprising considering that Canterlot isn’t near any fault lines.” Twilight stated from the back.

The quake took everyone by surprise. They should’ve known that it was magic related when the ground vibrated earlier this morning. But sadly they took it for granted which resulted in the mess.

“I just don’t understand why the golem would be out here. I thought we trapped it inside the cave after our little expedition.”

“Me too.” Twilight nodded in agreement. “It must’ve somehow got out. And now it’s at Camp Everfree doing who knows what?”

“I wish we could’ve brought the others. If that monster does turn violent, we might need backup.” But sadly time wasn’t on their side. The whole school was flipped when the quake hit. Applejack and Pinkie Pie volunteered to stay behind and help fix the place out while Rarity joined up with the relief team. School was pretty much canceled that afternoon. “Speaking of which. Any word from Fluttershy?”

“She said that she’s busy.” Twilight recalled the last text message. “She’s probably helping out at the animal shelter around the back. You know how she is. We’ll have to deal with this ourselves.”

“Don’t do anything too dangerous.” Luna warned them. “You two might have magical powers and all. But you’re still students and thus, my responsibility. If anything happens to you it’ll be my head on the line. Not to mention the parent-teacher conference that I have to deal with afterward. So if it gets too hairy, get back to me immediately. Understood?”

“Don’t worry Vice Principal Luna.” Sunset reassured her. “We’ve done these kinds of things plenty of times. We’ll be careful. Promise.”

They would arrive at the entrance of Camp Everfree a few minutes later, which were strangely packed with crows and ravens for some strange reason. To their surprise, Gloriosa was there pacing back and forth. A rough guess would say that she was waiting for them.

“Oh thank goodness you’re here.” The woman looked giddy. If she were in a more panicked state, she’d be hugging them. “I was beginning to think I had to cancel the camp. The earthquake really got people shaking… both literally and metaphorically.”

“Is everyone ok?” Twilight inquired looking over the camp which seemed to be in a bit of a mess.

“Just a little damage. Nothing I can’t handle. But the giant monster thing? That’s something else.”

“Where is it?”

“At the rock quarry.” She stammered. “You know the place. Just follow the new path we set up and it’ll lead you right to it. I have the place closed off to the campers for now, but we’ll be having an activity there in tonight. So if you guys could get rid of that thing, that’ll be a great help. I’d follow you there but I don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to magic. You know? With the whole Gaia Everfree thing? And I tried to trap you all here for all eternity? Aheh.” She let out a weak laugh.

“Yeah~… right.” Sunset shrugged. “We’ll uh… do our best.”

“Is Timber around?”

“He’s back home.” Gloriosa answered. “The whole quake messed up the place but he’s working on it. But right now the faster you get rid of that… thing, the better it’ll be for all of us.”

Luna on the other hand decided to stay back. “I’ll stay here with Gloriosa and watch over the camp. I’m not much use in a magic incident. But remember what I told you: If it gets too dangerous, get back here immediately. Don’t do anything reckless.”

“You got it.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Camp Everfree.

Sunset found it rather surprising that it’s been almost two years since they last came here. So many memories in this place. While not all of them were pleasant, she cherished it all the same. After all, it was the place where their magic originated and where their geodes came from. If it wasn’t for this place, they wouldn’t have gotten their amazing yet dangerous powers to begin with.

*Caww! Caww!*

“Is it just me, or does Vice Principal Luna sounding more like a mother hen?” Twilight stated trying to lighten the mood.

“She’s just worried. Remember what happened when we camped here last time?” How can they possibly forget? “But I gotta say. Those improvements that Gloriosa mentioned was far more impressive than I thought. Though I could without these crows here.” She gestured to the black feathered creatures that seemed to trail them from the camp. “Those cabins looked pretty cozy. I wonder how it’d feel to stay in one of them.”

Twilight shrugged. “Eh… it’s not that impressive on the inside. Trust me. I’ve seen it. The one I stayed in was way better.”

Sunset’s eyes widened as a grin formed on her face. “Oh right. Your date with Timber. I completely forgot about that. How was it? You should tell me everything.”

“Eh… it was… ok… I suppose.”

“Ok?” Sunset scoffed. “Twilight. He took you for a romantic week in a camp with just the two of you. You had the whole place to yourselves, with no humans for miles, gazing at the Winter Solstice, and you call that ok?”

The girl shrugged. “What can I say? It was… ok.”

Unbelievable. Either Twilight has a very high standard when it came to dates or something else was up. If a certain someone took her on a week-long date like that, she’d be all for’em.

Aheh…

A certain someone.

“At least give me some details.”

“Why is my love life suddenly on the table?”

“I dunno.” Sunset admitted. “I guess to pass the time? We’re about to face the monster that almost crushed us. I could use something to take my mind off it for the moment.”

The nerd gave her a pointed look but didn’t seem to complain. A rough guess would say she was nervous as well. The last time they encountered this golem, their magic literally had no effect on it. And now it was here.

“Well… I guess it was sorta romantic.” She began. “The cabin we used was pretty cozy. It had a giant fireplace, a couch, and the ambience was absolutely perfect. We skated at the lake, took long walks at the woods, he even took me canoeing down the stream. We snuggled up close at the cabin… and he even took me to the rock quarry. He had the whole place renovated since our last dance.”

Sunset was sensing a ‘But’ there.

“But…?”

“But… what?”

“You did all of that together and yet you’re not happy about it?”

“Of course I am. I’m totally happy. It was really… sweet.”

“But…?”

Frustration boiled on her face. “There’s no but!”

Sunset quickly raised her hand up in defense. “Ok ok. No need to be angry. I was just… curious. That’s all. It’s not like anyone else in the group has any love story to spill.”

The cosmic universe sighed at her.

“What about Pinkie Pie?” Twilight reminded. “Didn’t she have that wealthy clientele that her parents have been her up with?”

“Yeah. But she’s not spilling. Normally that girl would share just about everything about her. Even stuff that I didn’t want to know. But right now she’s keeping a tight lid on the whole dating thing.” She shrugged. “All we know that he’s the son of someone very rich.”

“Know of any rich people out there?”

“Just the one.” They giggled as the blue haired boy came to mind. It sounded like a farfetched joke. Little did they know how on-the-nail they were. “But I seriously doubt it. Heck he might not even be from our school.”

“Must be someone from Uptown.”

Sunset agreed on that. That’s pretty much the closest thing to High Rise residence area in this city. “She did seem pretty embarrassed about the whole thing.”

“Pinkie Pie? Embarrassed?” Twilight couldn’t help but laugh.

“I know, right? What could possibly be so embarrassing that even Pinkie wouldn’t admit to?”

“Whoever it is, we should definitely grill her on it.” Twilight suggested with a snicker. “As her closest friends, it’s only right.”

“Lure her with the usual treat at the Sweet Shoppe?”

“Most definitely.” Their laugh however was suddenly cut short when they finally came upon the entrance of the rock quarry. It looked just about the same as any rock quarry they came across, with the exception of the giant golem standing beside the mouth entrance. “There it is.”

There was no mistaking it. That was definitely the same golem they encountered in the caves back then. It was hard to forget such a creature that tried to turn you into mush. Not to mention the looping trap they were caught in.

“What’s it doing?” Sunset squinted as they hid behind the snowy bushes.

“Not sure. It just seems to be… standing there.”

It sure was. The giant stony monster was just standing idle. Its massive body remained completely motionless with the exception of its large red eye that scanned all objects in front of it. Either it was waiting for something to happen or it was just resting.

Do animatronic monsters need rest?

Seeing the beast up close, Sunset began to think that this little rush might’ve been a bad idea. The last time they went against this monster, they bailed. There was nothing they could do against it. Not even magic seems to have any effect. If Applejack were here, she could probably smash the creature to pebbles. Heck, even Pinkie with her explosive cupcakes would’ve made a bigger dent than anything they could throw at it.

“So what’s the plan?” Twilight whispered.

“Me? Why are you asking me? I thought you had a plan.”

“You think I’d have a plan against something like that?”

“You made the plan when we went against Hoity Toity!”

“Yeah. But that took me days. I barely have ten minutes to come up with something.”

Figures. Ugh… maybe they should’ve come up with a strategy when they were driving here.

“Well it can’t stay here.” She said quickly. “We need to get that thing away from the camp. You grab its attention and I’ll hit it from behind.”

“Why am I the diversion!?”

“Because you can throw things at it. Magic doesn’t work on it, remember?” Twilight gave a grunt but accepted the plan because of logic.

With a single motion the two girls Ponied-up and hastily went with Plan-A.

Sunset took position a few dozen steps away from the golem. It didn’t seem to notice her yet, which was a good thing. The creature looked even far more intimidating up close. It was about three… maybe even four times taller than her, and three times bigger too. Not to mention made out of rocks. One blow from its massive arms would leave a crater half the size of a football field.

She swallowed down her fear and clutched her geode, holding the Alicorn Amulet in the other hand ready to deliver a serious blow to the monster when the opportunity arose.

And not a moment too soon either because Twilight was making her move. With a rush of adrenaline she stormed out of her hiding place and shouted.

“Hey big guy! Remember me?” She paused, attempting the world’s silliest provocation ever. “W… well… come get me!”

The golem’s eye directed at her. But it still remained motionless.

“Hey!” She continued, clapping her hands and doing what looked like a chicken dance. “Over here! Hello!?”

And still the creature remained still. Could it not hear her or something?

Irritated, Twilight decided to take her taunts to another level. With a wave of her hand, a large fallen tree rose from the ground, hovering above her. And with a motion, it flung towards the golem, smacking it right dead on the chest.

Sunset braced herself, waiting for the monster to respond. She prepared for a roar, or maybe even a stampede. She waited and waited for something to happen…

… but it didn’t.

She wasn’t sure whether to feel glad or disappointed. If anyone threw a log at her, she’d be right down ticked. But this golem seemed to have the patience of a saint.

Feeling a bit confused, Twilight decided to cautiously approach the beast. But not before tossing a bunch of rocks at it for good measure. And like before, the golem remained still and unmoving. It looked more like it was part of the scenery now.

“Huh… that’s weird.” Twilight said, getting a little closer to the one-eyed monster. “I… don’t think it’s moving.”

Sunset saw no danger and decided to come out and take a look herself. The golem remained still as the rock it was made from. They sensed no hostility from it… or anything for that matter. Only the red eye at the head seemed to be moving.

“Do you think it’s broken?”

“Beats me.” Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know anything about how these things work. For all I know, it could just be out of batteries.”

“Do… they run on batteries?”

“More so than you think.” A third voice interjected causing the two to yelp.

“Wha? Neighsay?”

(CHS)

“Ow…!” Flash resisted the urge to flinch as he sat there by the nurse’s office. A rather mean gash cut through the side of his head, leaving behind a nasty scar which thankfully can be easily hidden under his hair.

“Easy now. Almost done” Fluttershy ordered as she added the final touch to his injury, putting a cute band-aid over the wound. “There. All better now.”

“Thanks.” He let out a chuckle. Normally when someone suffers an injury like this they’d be all grunts and groan. But having a cute girl like Fluttershy easily made the pain go bye-bye. “The next time the ceiling comes down on me, I’ll hide under a table.”

“I’d say that you should duck and dodge. But considering that you saved me from a falling debris, I’ll make an exception.” She let out an adorable laugh which mysteriously lightened the mood in the nurse’s office. “You really shouldn’t be running to danger like that.”

“Hey, you know full well that’s not my style.” Flash brushed his hair and clicked his tongue coolly. “It’d hurt my reputation if I let a cute girl like you get hurt on my watch. Besides, I think I’m growing a collection.” He gestured to his other injuries which he wore proudly like a badge. “At this rate I might just get myself the whole set.”

“That’s not exactly a good thing.”

“Come on. It’s every guy’s dream to earn himself some battle scars to show off.” He chuckled. “Maybe in a few years, I’ll show this off to my friends and tell them how heroic I am.”

“I prefer if you didn’t have any more injuries because of us.”

“Ha! You’re starting to sound like Sunset.” The two of them turned over to the adjacent room where they could hear someone complaining about aches. Normally it would be the nurse who treats the patient who visits the office, but unfortunately she had her hands full with a dozen other students who suffered a few bumps and bruises from the earthquake. They can hear a few patients going ‘Ow’ and ‘Oh’ over by the next room. “That whole thing must’ve been pretty bad. You think it could be magic related?”

“I hope not.” She shivered. “Twilight seems to think so. She and Sunset set off a few hours ago to investigate.” He shouldn’t be surprised anymore. Those two would dive head into danger without a second thought if it involved magic. “I hope it’s nothing too serious.”

“You and me both.”

They both let out a soft chuckle which lightened the depressing mood in the other room.

“So…” Fluttershy started, her eyes wandering to the boy’s bandaged hand. “Are we gonna talk about… that?”

He brought his arm up to his face, breathing deeply. Flash avoided the subject for a while seeing as the whole school was up in chaos for the last hour. But it never really left his mind.

There was no doubt about it.

What happened back in the band room couldn’t have been a trick of the light, or an illusion. It was magic. He was absolutely 100% certain. And he was the source – or at least he hoped so. The feeling in his hand was unmistakable.

With some reluctance, Flash undid the bandages, letting it fall on the floor like he was unwrapping a mummy.

“Whoa…” And to their amazement, the scar that was seared onto his skin began to glow upon its revelation. “That’s…”

“It’s magic.” Fluttershy finished with a gasp, her hand clasping over her geode which reacted at the sight of the glow. “That’s definitely magic. But how is that possible?”

“Not sure. But I’m definitely not complaining.” A smile crept up his lips as he felt the pulse inside grow stronger. There was a certain energy running through his veins. The kind of power he’s always desired. “Maybe some of that Equestrian Magic that’s been going around the city finally came to me.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Well… what other explanation is there?” He laughed. “But this is amazing. Maybe now I can finally do the same things you do.” He jumped off the chair, admiring his new mark. “What kind of powers do you think I’ll get? Do you think I’ll be super strong like Applejack? Maybe have super speed like Rainbow Dash! Oh! Explosive pancakes? Not exactly stellar but I’ll take it.”

“Now slow down.”

“Oh! Maybe I can Pony-Up like you girls! I’ll get those ears, tails and even wings!”

“Flash. Let’s…”

“We’ll be fighting off shadow monsters together. I might even be able to fly!”

“Flash Sentry!” Fluttershy yelled out making him flinch back to reality. “Ahem. Maybe you shouldn’t go around running with that kind of power just yet.”

“Wha? Why not? This could be my chance! I finally got a shot at magic.”

“Yes that’s true. But magic isn’t something you should underestimate. It can be extremely dangerous.”

The boy puffed his cheeks. “Oh come on. It can’t be that bad. I mean… I saved you, didn’t I?”

“Yes. But that was one time.” She reminded. “We still don’t know what kind of powers you have. If you’re not careful, you might end up hurting others.” That was… sort of… logical… coming from Fluttershy.

Magic hasn’t exactly been beneficial to the school since its arrival all those years ago. And people who first experience them tend to become very power hungry. Sunset included.

Gloriosa tried to save her camp using magic, but in the end she got too caught up with the power that she nearly tried to imprison the campers into permanent residents. There were others that followed too.

Vignette Valencia, Juniper Montage, heck the members of the Black Stone Order were vibrant examples of what power can do to your brain.

And here he was, about to do the same. He was already thinking of what he could do and not the consequences that may come with his actions. If he ended up hurting someone by accident or turn into some monster that tries to take over the world, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. The others fell for that craze many times before. It’d be foolish to follow in their footsteps and learned nothing.

He needed to be the bigger guy here. The responsible one. Like that guy in the comic once said: With great powers come great accountability…

… or something along those lines.

Flash really wanted to use magic. Seeing how he flung that ceiling tile to the wall felt absolutely incredible. It was as if he was finally given a chance to shine. A chance to prove to everyone that he could be just as amazing as the Rainbooms.

But… without really knowing what he could do… he may just be a danger to others and himself.

And so with a heavy and reluctant heart, he put his hand down and nodded. “You’re…… you’re right Fluttershy. Magic isn’t something I should flaunt around. I should probably wait and have a real expert look into. I was just so excited that I got all magic-frenzy.”

“I’m glad you see it that way.” Fluttershy gave an approving gesture before bringing out another roll of bandages to cover the magical glow. “We’ll have Twilight look at it tomorrow. And who knows? You might have the power to talk to animals.”

“If that’s the case, then I know exactly who to come to for help.” Flash let out another awkward laugh as he felt her fingers wrap around his hand. The girl seemed used to providing first-aid to people.

“There. All done.”

“You’re really good at this.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice.” She chuckled cutely like always. “You’d be surprised how many times Angel hurts himself around here. Treating booboos and bumps are my specialty. But I also have a technique to make the pain go away.”

“Oh? Is it magic?”

He wasn’t wrong. Though it was a different kind of magic entirely.

Without any kind of warning, Fluttershy got up to his face and planted her lips on his forehead taking him by complete surprise.

“That’s for saving me.” She added bashfully.

“Oh…” He replied, stunned. “You’re uh…… you’re welcome.”

They stayed there, awkwardly moving about. And it would’ve lasted for hours had it not been rudely interrupted by an attentive knock on the door.

“Alright you love birds. Enough chatting.” Nurse Redheart remarked, flashing a coy smirk like she had just watched an appeasing movie. “If you’re all patched up, you can leave now. I got another student here who could use the room.”

The two made a hasty retreat out the nurse’s office, unaware that Tree Hugger was there, witnessing the whole event.

(Camp Everfree)

Sunset tensed as the man showed himself, a frown marring his pale face. His arrival couldn’t be a coincidence, not after this golem. “What are you doing here!?”

“Calm yourself.” He responded raising one hand up. “Don’t go jumping at shadows now.”

“Are you the one behind this?”

“No.” He answered so plainly. “I have nothing to do with the quakes or the Guardian. As a matter of fact. Seeing how you two responded so quickly, I’m more inclined to think that you were the ones responsible for the chaos. And as I’ve said before: Our Order is dedicated to the study of magic for the betterment of mankind. Destruction and disturbances does none of that.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Sunset wait.” To her surprise it was Twilight who stopped her. “Let’s hear him out before jumping to conclusions. We don’t know what really happened here.”

True. But the guy’s timing was just too… convenient. You can’t help but think that he was somehow responsible.

“Fine.”

Neighsay nodded his head in Twilight direction giving out an unvoiced thanks. “It seems that there’s at least one person in your group who has a leveled head.” He then pranced towards the golem, staring back at its red eye before placing a palm dangerously close to the beast. “Remarkable. Still working after all the centuries.”

“You’ve seen these before?” Twilight inquired.

“A few times.” He admitted. “We call them Guardians. Ancient protectors of the Yaztec Empire during their golden age. Made entirely from quarried stone and coated with magic-repelling obsidian. They often stand guard over ancient ruins and important locations. The Order of the Black Stone encountered them many times in our expeditions. They are physically resilient and impervious to magic. The only saving grace is that most of them are quite slow, which makes them easy to avoid.”

“If they’re immune to magic. How do you stop them?”

“High grade explosives are often the solution to these things. But the places they protect are often of historical value so we tend to dig a giant hole and lure them towards it. If none of that is viable then we simply lead them on a wild chase until their energy dies down.”

“Energy?”

“They’re animatronics.” Neighsay explained, knocking on the knee piece of the golem. “They’re programed to defend areas from intruders – or at the very least scare them away. But protectors as powerful as these require a substantial amount of magical energy to move. They lose their bodily functions before they shut down completely. From what we gathered, the shamans of the old empire regularly supply them whenever possible. Without the usual maintenance, they crumble. I’d say this one is on its last leg.”

So it really did run on batteries… so to speak. They were no different than your remote-controlled cars or your TV remote. That’s good to know. It’d definitely save us time should they encounter another monster of its size.

“But why did it come all the way here?” Twilight again inquired, no longer afraid of the golem.

“It’s all part of their programming.” He answered. “We encountered a few of these before. And we discovered that they were built to be self-sufficient – or at least they try to. When a Guardian is running short on magical energy, it seeks out the closest source of magic to replenish itself. It must’ve sensed some lingering raw magic around here but ran out of juice before it could reach it.”

The crystal vein! The source of their magic geodes!

Sunset shot a glance over to Twilight who immediately knew what it was after. The cave system the golem came from was no more than a 30 minute walk from here.

“Judging by your expressions, I guess you two know something.” They immediately froze when the Guidance Counselor gave them a pointed look.

“We might.” Sunset folded her arms together in return. They weren’t gonna give him any more information than he needed to know.

The pale man noted her words and didn’t seem all that interested in challenging her. Instead he returned his attention back to the golem which they noticed that its red eye was dimming. “It seems like the Guardian’s time has run out. I’d give it a few more minutes before it fades away completely. By then it will be no different than a lifeless statue.”

“Will it be of any danger?” Twilight asked.

“Not unless someone decides to feed it magic. And even then I wouldn’t know how to reactivate it.” He scoffed. “Seeing as this is your responsibility, I will leave this matter to you. Should you require assistance – please. Don’t hesitate to ask.” With a snap of his fingers, the ravens that have been trailing them for the last few minutes flocked to his side. And in a blink of an eye, he vanished.

If Sunset had an opinion to speak of, she’d say that it was a neat trick. Though she wouldn’t let him know that.

“Wow… now that… was an exit.” Twilight crooned earning herself a look from her friend. “What? You gotta admit, that was a pretty cool stunt. You think he’d teach me that if I asked?”

“Enough. Let’s get back to it.” She pressed the golem by the knee. “The Order might’ve fought this thing a dozen times over, but that still doesn’t explain what caused the earthquake. This thing might be a giant. But if it was running on fumes and walking down the mountain path, it wouldn’t make such a ruckus.”

Twilight seemed to agree on that logic. If an apple should fall from a tree, would people half way across the world hear it? The Guardian was big. Like… really REALLY big. About the size of her new house and then some. Not even it would make that much of an impact.

“I can probably convert my equipment back at my place to detect seismic activity. If anything we should probably look at the place where our geodes came from. That’ll be a good point of reference.”

“Sounds like a plan. The next question is: What do we do with big, stony guy? We can’t exactly just let it stay here. The campers will freak out and I kind of promised Gloriosa we’d get rid of it.”

Twilight puckered her lips in thought. She cast a glance over the now lifeless golem and then the rock quarry scattered decorations. If this was a cartoon, a light bulb would’ve appeared.

“I have an idea.”

A New Player

Author's Note

Attention: My town's gone into lockdown again so I'm heading back to my family's place. Just gonna pack light instead of moving my whole apartment with me. Will write again... eh... sometime later.

A New Player

Chapter 65: A New Player

(House by the hill)

“You girls are geniuses!” Twilight jerked back from her phone hearing Gloriosa’s enthusiastic voice bomb through the moment she answered the call.

“I take it the attraction was a success?”

“More than a success. The campers here love it! Especially the children. The kids can’t get enough of it. People have been taking selfies for hours now. The Rock Quarry diner was an awesome idea. I even have a couple saying that they want to hold their wedding right here! Can you believe it? A wedding in my camp?”

“That’s… great?” Twilight gave a look though the woman on the other line wouldn’t be able to see it. I mean come on… a camp wedding? It sounds rather cheesy. “Sorry we had to tear down some of your decorations. It was kind of a short notice.”

“Oh please. Compared to what you girls made, it’s a small price to pay. If this whole thing is a success I might turn this whole diner into a restaurant. Just one question. You’re absolutely sure that this thing won’t… uh… move or go crazy or anything?”

“We’re pretty sure. Just… don’t let it come into contact with anything magical.”

“Will do. I really can’t thank you enough.”

“Don’t sweat it.” It was sort of their fault that golem was there in the first place so… this little favor eased some of her guilt. “We’re happy to help.”

“Hey, if you girls ever plan on staying over, I’ll give you all a good discount.”

“That’s uh… awesome. We’ll think about it.”

“Great! Oh… gotta go. That couple earlier wants to set up a meet.” And with that, Gloriosa hung up leaving Twilight in a rather joyous mood.

“I’m guessing with that smile, Gloriosa liked our design?” Sunset asked sitting cross legged in her PJs on her bed.

Oh she most definitely liked it. While the big stony golem can look rather intimidating at first glance, that frightful visage was easily masked by a few banners and drapes. With a little spit and polish they converted that creature into a semi-tourist attraction that will undoubtedly bring Gloriosa a lot of good-will and money. They even placed the logo of Camp Everfree on its chest to make it look like it was all part of the establishment. By the time people saw it, they wouldn’t even know that they were actually staring at a dangerous monster that could possibly crush them underfoot.

“Naturally.” Twilight replied, jumping onto the bed. “That ribbon you added at the end was a nice touch.”

Sunset shrugged. “Meh. Like Fluttershy always say: If you want something to look cute. Just put a bow on it. Either way, that slashes one problem off our list.” We have a list?

A knock on the door interrupted their session.

“Are you girls still up?” The star haired lady poked her head in.

“Just doing some last minute research.” Twilight answered gesturing to the scattered papers around the room. “Come on in Vice-Principal Luna.”

“Just Luna is fine.” She insisted. “I’m not much of a stickler on rules and regulations like my sister whom I just had a nice long chat on the phone. It seems like the damage done by the quake was more severe than we imagined. There were a lot of broken classrooms and minor injuries. It’ll take all weekend to have the place up and running again.”

“That’s terrible.”

“It’s bad enough that our funding has been cut. Now we have to spend even more for repairs. And it’s only the first week of school. Sometimes I think we spend more money on fixing the school itself rather than maintaining it.”

Sunset flinched at the outburst. “Sorry Vice-Principal Luna.”

The woman quickly realized her error and raised her hand up in defense. “Oh no. I didn’t mean it like it was your fault or anything. That was… just me… thinking out loud. I’m just curious to where that earthquake came from. Canterlot City has never had anything like that before. At least… not in my experience. Not since our trip to Camp Everfree.” She gave the two a knowing glance. “I don’t suppose you two can explain.”

“Sorry. Ms. Luna. But we just started on our research. It’ll be a while before we can explain anything conclusively. There are just too many factors to take in.”

“Tut tut tut, Sunset.” Twilight waggled her finger at her roommate. “We might not be able to explain the magic behind it, we can however explain it scientifically.” She pulled out her phone showing a blog page from the internet. “Good news. Maud introduced me to a website where a bunch of scientists study the tectonic plates of our world. And thanks to their immense resource and stellar lab equipment, I now know exactly where the earthquake originated.”

“That’s convenient. For once.”

“That’s the power of the internet.” She struck a victory pose, signaling the triumph of mankind’s ingenuity. “The bad news however… is that: We can’t exactly go there.”

“Why not?” It was Luna who asked.

“According to the website, the origin of the quake came from Freefall Island, or more specifically, Hoofbeard’s Castle. And that whole place that’s been put on lockdown ever since our stunt with Hoity Toity. No ferry or boat are allowed anywhere near that place without permission.”

Sunset groaned and slumped on her bed. “Another hurdle? As if we don’t have enough problems already. Can’t something go our way just once?”

“Why don’t you let me handle that?” The VP suggested much to their surprise. “I did say I was going to help you solve your magic problem. When rules are set there are bound to be gaps. Trust me. When it comes to loopholes, I’m your girl. I’ll find us a way in.”

(Flash’s House)

Magic.

Flash couldn’t help muttering that word as he gaze giddily at his hand. Even under the cover of his bandages he could feel the energy pulsing like a second heartbeat. He wasn’t really sure what caused it or how it came to be – and to be perfectly honest – he couldn’t care less.

He had magic literally coming from the palm of his hand. It tingled through his fingers, electrifying every part of his arm giving him a weird yet strangely pleasant sensation. For all he knows, hanging out with magically powered girls might’ve passed him this power – or maybe the Equestrian Magic that’s been running through the city had finally caught on to give him a chance. Either way, the thought of such energy running through him made him smile. The boy could only imagine what kind of powers he received.

It didn’t matter if it was a lame power. Just the fact that he had magic was enough.

What if he could control water? He’ll be an ice-wizard, or a fire breathing sorcerer! A weight lifting juggernaut! Heck, maybe even swing around the city like some biogenetically engineered superhero!

The sky was literally the limit.

“Can you believe it buddy? I finally have magic!” He cooed to his pet dog who gladly licked his nose in return. “It’s finally my time to shine. With this power I can become one of those awesome heroes in the movies! Maybe I’ll even be able to Pony-Up like those girls. Think about it. Think about what I can do will that power.”

Bananas scratched the back of his ear in reply.

“I knew you’d be excited too.” He laughed. “Man. I can’t wait to show this to Sunset. She’ll be ecstatic. I just wish what my powers were.”

He glanced over his hand as the devil and angel whispered into his ears.

“Eh… maybe one try won’t hurt.” Despite knowing the danger, Flash decided to do a test run just for the heck of it. He quickly undid the bandages over his hand and grabbed a few of his old toys, lining them by his study table to act as target practice. “Alright. Sorry fellow members of the Cat Brigade. But your sacrifice shall be for the betterment and understanding of my new powers.” The action-figures understood and accepted its fate. Or maybe it didn’t. It didn’t really matter. He didn’t really care. “Right! Here we… oh.”

Thankfully he wasn’t completely brainless and quickly pulled Bananas over to his bed, hastily constructing a fort made entirely of pillows.

“Sorry buddy. But this is for your own safety. Wouldn’t want to hurt my best pal by accident.”

*Woof!*

“Alright. Stand back. Things are about to get… magical.” And with a thrust of his hand, the boy felt the power course through. A hazy sky colored glow lashed out from his fingers interacting with the toy. “Yes… yes… YES! It’s real! It’s really magic! It’s…… bubbles?”

The muscled action figure lifted from the table, floating in a magically made bubble. It made its way towards the ceiling before popping and dropping back on the floor with an audible thud.

“Ok. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it’s a good effort for a first try. Right Bananas?” The dog whimpered. “Let’s try that again. This time something flashy. Something awesome!” He took a stance and thrust his hand forward sending out another wave of his magic.

A second smaller action figure was chosen, shaking violently. Its whole body turned and twisted as each piece sprung over before anticlimactically tipping itself to the floor.

“Ugh! Come on! One more time!” The third figure followed suit, dismantling itself like a broken jigsaw puzzle. “One more!” And the fourth one melted. “Oh come on! Just one more time.” He kept going again and again with each spell casting turning out bizarre and diversifying results. None of which were to his satisfaction. “Ugh. Dang it. Those girls make it look so easy. I need concrete magic, not some random mumbo jumbo! How in the world am I supposed to help anyone with bubbles?”

On his twelfth swing of his hand, the glow suddenly intensified creating a seismic shock that shook the whole room.

*Woof!*

“Bananas!” Flash rushed over to his pal who thankfully got out of his pillow fort unharmed though it did look quite frightened by the sudden tremor. “Sorry about that buddy. Didn’t mean to scare ya.” He held onto the little guy, cradling him in his arms. “I guess Fluttershy was right. This magic really is dangerous.” A little more and he might’ve brought down the whole house.

“Flash?” A knock on the door came a few moments later. “Are you alright in there?”

Oh crud.

The boy quickly answered the door opening it just enough to poke his head out. “H… hey dad. Whatcha doin?”

Sombra gave his a raised brow. “I heard an explosion. Are you doing something in there? And are those… bubbles?”

“Oh that?” He chuckled awkwardly, tiptoeing out and closing the door behind him. “I was just um… doing some last minute school… science project.”

Come on you idiot. Science project? Really? You couldn’t have come up with a better excuse?

“You do know we have workshops in the backyard for that kind of thing, right?” The older gentleman reminded. “Try not to damage the house. Ask for Edmund’s assistance at least.”

“Yeah. Sure thing dad.” He brushed the back of his head awkwardly which his old man quickly noticed the bandages.

“What’s this?” Sombra asked, snatching his wrist with an exasperated look. “Did you hurt yourself?”

The man had a tone somewhere between frightened and furious. It was honestly a little surprising, especially as he held onto his hand when he was pulling away. He had to give it a solid yank before he let go.

“I burned myself during home-ec class.” He lied. “It’s nothing for you to be worried about.”

“I am your father. It is within my right to be worried.” Sombra sternly stated. “That little injury is not something I want to see on you.”

“Dad. Relax. It’s just a small wound. It’ll heal.” It won’t. That scar has been there since last year and it has only just now began to radiate with magic. “I got the school nurse to take a look and she said it’s fine. No need to make a big deal out of it.”

His old man didn’t seem to agree. In fact, he looked ready to pick up the phone and call a whole paramedic team just to give him a proper checkup. But thankfully and reluctantly he decided to let it go for now.

“Very well. If you say so. Just… be mindful. And use the workshop downstairs for your projects. I almost lost you in those caves on Freefall Island. I can’t afford to lose you now.” He let out a small caring smile, holding his shoulder tightly. “In either case. I came by for another reason. I actually have a favor to ask of you.”

A favor?

The boy gave a questioning look.

“With the recent upheaval in CHS and the change in management with the Board of Education, Principal Celestia has decided to host an event to make up for the lost funding in her school.” Oh right. He heard rumors that there would be some big spectacle coming soon. “It’s a joint venture between Crystal Prep and Canterlot High. A fund raising activity, if you could call it that. There’ll be auctions, bake sales, and all the likes.”

“Oh yeah. I heard about that.”

“Good. We can keep this short then. As the new Headmaster of Crystal Prep, I want to contribute to the event.”

That sounded pretty good. With all the damage done from the scientific and magical shenanigans the school could use some financial aid. Though it’ll be a heck of a lot easier if dad could just donate the money rather than jumping through all these loops.

“Sounds great. So… where do I fit in?”

“I was thinking of putting a few of my old things on auction. My garage is getting kind of full with the newer models. So maybe putting those that I don’t drive anymore.”

The boy froze. “Wait. You’re… selling your cars?”

“Just a few old classics. Nothing too fancy.” He shrugged. “Why? Is there a problem?”

“Only about a few hundred!” Flash stammered. “Dad. I don’t think anyone would be interested in buying your old classic.” He doubt any other parent or teacher could even afford them, much less the students.

“Oh…… you think they’ll like an exotic?”

Flash face palmed, hard. “Why don’t we start with something simpler? Something portable… and maybe even… affordable?”

(Equestria) (School of Friendship)

No… not here either.

Starlight Glimmer let out a sigh as she toured through the school for the 20th time this week. It’s been a few days now since school opened up and her two closest faculty and best friends were nowhere to be seen.

Trixie, she can understand. That pony had a wild side of her own and had a tendency to go off on one of her magical tours. She also developed a habit of being chased out of towns and villages because of some scam she worked up too.

But Sunburst? No way.

He did file in an extended vacation form earlier which she agreed upon, but he never exactly specified where he was going. Starlight sent a missive to both Canterlot and the Crystal Empire and neither royals have seen height or hair of that orange unicorn.

“Doh!” Starlight grunted when somecreature decided to fly right on her face.

“Oh! Sorry about that Headmare Glimmer.” Ocellus, the changling, frantically apologized as she grabbed the paper that spilled from her crash. “I should really look where I’m going.”

“It’s fine Ocellus. Just… remember to keep a strict altitude when you’re traveling in high speed.”

“Yes ma’am.” She gave a playful salute. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night? I thought you’d head home by now.”

The purple unicorn gave out a disgruntled sigh. “Just… making sure that everything is up to code. Wouldn’t want the EEA cracking down on us again. And… speaking of which. A little shot in the dark here, but you wouldn’t happen to see Trixie, would you? Normally I can find her no problem whenever she causes a ruckus around town. But she hasn’t showed up to her office for days now.”

“Oh, I have actually.”

Starlight blinked. “You have? Really?”

“Yup. She came over to our dorm room the other day. She needed Smolder and Gallus to help her make a few smoke bombs.”

“Smoke bombs?”

“Yeah. She said she needed them to get through some security in Canterlot Castle. Not really sure what they were up to but it looked pretty fun.”

That… did not sound good – or fun.

What in Equestria was Trixie up to now? She hoped she wasn’t regressing back to her villainess days. That would be a major disservice to her time here in the School of Friendship. Was she gonna rob somepony? Or maybe even a bank? She wasn’t short on bits, that’s for sure. Her salary alone should more than cover her expenses here in Ponyvile.

Unless… it wasn’t money.

“When did you say this happened?”

“About… two or three days ago.” The changling shrugged.

About the same time Sunburst took his extended leave.

Starlight’s eyes widened in realization as the scenario clicked into place. Her head snapped over to the window overlooking Canterlot City.

The timing of this whole thing couldn’t be a coincidence.

“No.” She muttered, nostrils flaring up. “He wouldn’t!”

Ocellus jerked back spilling her papers again. “Eeep! Headmare Glimmer?”

“Sorry Ocellus. I have something to take care of. Tell the other students that my period tomorrow is free.” And without even waiting for an answer she cast her teleportation spell and vanished into thin air.

“Umm… okay?”

(Canterlot Castle)

Princess Luna was sitting by Starswirl the bearded that night reading the latest issue of Daring Do. Seeing as her retirement plans have been thrown out the window, she may as well catch up on some literary relaxation with a nice cup of tea. A pony can only scribble so much ink on her old mentor’s comatose face for so long before getting bored. She even tied several knots on his beard to make them look… bearable to look at. She tried to trim it down earlier but Celestia warned her not to. I mean seriously… learn to shave, you old goat.

If she had her way she would’ve cleaned the whole thing right off.

Can you imagine? Starswirl the Clean Shaven?

Ha! His expression alone would be priceless. Though he’d certainly look a lot better than his bearded self.

But alas, that moment of peaceful serenity was abruptly interrupted when a voice boom across the castle.

“SUNBURST!!!!!!!!!!! You are in so much trouble!”

The echo alone rattled the castle to its core, alerting the guards outside. Her tea spilled over her book and her napkin.

The Princess of the Moon let out a sigh. “I should’ve planned our retirement sooner.”

(Ezaquatel) (Grand Temple)

Was that Starlight’s voice just now?

Trixie’s ears flapped when she swore she heard her best friend shouting across the hall. “Did you hear something?”

Her orange traveling companion shrugged back. “Hear what?”

“I swore I heard Starlight just now.”

Sunburst chuckled. “That’s ridiculous. You couldn’t possibly hear anything under here. It’s probably the wind.”

Right~~ wind.

“I think I would be able to tell the difference between a gush of air and my best friend.”

“Those hunger pangs must be making you delusional.”

“Well can you help me? I haven’t had anything to eat since that apple pie. And no, I am not eating your worms. They’re disgusting.”

“Hardly.” He retorted. “Earthworms have the nutritional value of a light snack. Even back before the founding of Equestria, Earth Ponies would put them in their pies, cake, and even salad. They were quite the delicacy back then.”

Trixie stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Well this palate only accepts actual food. Not… whatever squiggly wiggly thing you put in your mouth. How much longer must we stay here? We’ve been following Starswirl’s trail for days now and all he’s done so far is wander around aimlessly.”

And she wasn’t exaggerating either. The trace image of Starswirl kept a brisk pace in this world, however the old wizard had done nothing but wander the ground he walked on, tap a few walls here and there, and take quick breaks. She expected something big to happen when you follow in the literal hoofsteps of a legendary pony. But alas, it would seem like he was just as boring as the rest of the mundane masses.

Not only that, but they had to hide underground to keep themselves from being discovered by those creepy living statues. Every time Starswirl goes up from the underground passage, they had to hide in the dark corners of the temple as those monstrosities pass on by with their… uh… what do you call them again? Feet? Foot? Paws?

Anyway it hardly mattered. But that old wizard nearly got them in trouble several times already. They’ve been attacked, chased and pursued by these golems many times already. Thankfully, Trixie was used to being chased away by an angry mob and knew how to hide and turn a corner when needed. The only other problem was the grotesque nature of the monsters that attack them.

Each statue they came across began to look even more random and creepier than the last. Really… it was something even Discord would find uncomfortable, and that guy was THE Lord of Chaos.

Honestly, whoever designed these monstrosities did not have a lick of imagination.

“Starswirl spent a whole week on this world before he came back to Equestria.” Sunburst reminded. “As a fellow researcher, I can understand why he would spend all his time studying the area. Leaving no stone unturned.”

“I am not spending a whole week here eating worms.” She groaned. “Can’t you like… fast forward your spell to the interesting part?”

Sunburst puckered her lips to retort but found himself agreeing. He too must be getting a bit annoyed on how slow the old wizard was taking things.

“I suppose we can speed things up a bit. We can probably find out more once he wakes up.” He did so, putting another spell in the works and watched as the trace image of Starswirl sped up like a movie roll. He glanced around, using a spell or two before heading to a particular corner of the passage. “It looks like he found something.”

Is it a stash of hayburgers? Because she could go for one of those right now.

Sadly it wasn’t. The image of Starswirl looked up to an old floor tile and eyed it carefully before pushing it up with his magic. He peeked around making sure that there were no monsters lying in wait before jumping in.

What was the pony even looking for anyway? He went missing for a few days and came back all haggard. If this ends up to be nothing more than a wild goose chase, she was going to be sorely disappointed.

Following the old pony’s trail, they came upon what appeared to be a giant auditorium – or perhaps something akin to a grand hall. While it was pitch black on all sides, you could tell by the echo that it was empty.

“It looks like he found what he was looking for.” Sunburst surmised – or perhaps that was just wishful thinking on his part. “Let’s see what he found.”

With a little help, the two unicorns conjured light from their horns illuminating the place. And on the far end they found what looked to be the biggest mural they had ever come across. It covered the entire section of wall, painted with a style unknown to all of Equestria.

An archeologist would probably say that it was the discovery of the millennium.

But to Trixie, it was just another boring old painting made by some kids with too much time on their hooves.

“This? This is what Starswirl wanted to find? An old painting? What a bore. If he wanted a good one I can point him to the auction house in Canterlot.”

“Don’t let its simplicity fool you.” The Vice-Headmare stated. “These murals are more than just architecture designs. Most civilization in their early days would scribble down things like these to commemorate important events in history. Why even the ponies back before the founding of Equestria used to decorate entire temples with them.”

Sounds like a hassle when you can just write the same thing on a piece of paper.

Trixie rolled he eyes and shrugged. “Whatever. So what grand event does this entail? Is it some kind of party?”

Sunburst squinted closely to the mural, analyzing it bit by bit. Many parts of it has faded over time but you can still make out the whole picture.

Judging by the rows of humanoid figures kneeling, it was probably some kind of royal procession. An introduction to a new monarch or something like that. Honestly, what cheek. I mean commemorating your own procession? Can you be anymore arrogant?

Pffft. If she had someone paint a picture of her, it’d be way more modest than this. Perhaps a little bigger – and maybe sold to other corners of Equestria to commemorate her amazingness.

“No…” She stopped on her thoughts when she noted Sunburst gasping.

“Ugh… what now?”

“It… it can’t be.” The boy’s eyes shot up as his face turned paler than a sheet of paper. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

Ugh… great. He was doing that shocked expression. “What? What is it?”

The orange pony simply pointed to the center of the mural where a pitch black spot marred the entire piece. While the rest of the wall was decorated in beautiful colors and artistic marvel, the center of it was a pitch black hole, shaping into some kind of dark flame.

She could barely make out the shape hidden within.

A pony… made entirely of shadow.

Shadow's Return

Chapter 66: Shadow’s Return

(Ezaquatel)

Sunburst couldn’t believe it.

No, it was more like he didn’t want to believe it.

But there was no mistaking it. The peering shape, the accuracy of the brushstrokes, the wavy hairlines, coloring and demonic stare. It was… it was absolutely definitely…… him.

It was the Pony of Shadows.

After witnessing such power, such raw magic first hand… that kind of thing becomes engrained in your mind.

His first encounter with the most powerful creature in all of Equestria was not an experience he was likely to forget any time soon. Heck, he doubt anyone would be able to forget such a monster after seeing what he was capable of doing. The raw power it emanated alone was probably capable of causing untold destruction throughout the realms.

It was only through the combined effort of the Old Pillars of Equestria and the Council of Friendship and the near sacrifice of the Elements of Harmony, were they able to save its fragile host from darkness and banish the creature back from to the prison it so rightly deserved.

But… that should’ve been it.

That should’ve been the end of the story, the grand finale, the last chapter in a series that had gone on for too long. His portrait here… doesn’t make a lick of sense.

“It… it can’t be.” Sunburst muttered, rasping in disbelief. “That’s not possible. He couldn’t…”

“Sunburst!” A hoof punched his face whacking the boy off his stunned stammering. “Will you please stop speaking in disjointed sentences and start talking sense? I did not follow you through a magic portal, get chased by creepy weird living statues, only to have you mumbling incoherent words on me.”

“R… right right. Sorry. It’s just that… the creature at the center of this mural. It looked sort of like… the Pony of Shadow.”

“That giant monster that you and Twilight brought back?”

Yeah… that.

“It’s… complicated. Oh boy. I haven’t thought about that day since… forever. Which is why this mural here doesn’t make any sense. We… we defeated the Pony of Shadow. We banished it to Limbo for all eternity. It shouldn’t even be possible for him to return at all.”

Trixie shrugged. “Well… maybe it’s not him.”

“Are you kidding? Look at that!” He pointed at the raw figure of the creature. “You don’t create something that detailed and not think it to be the one and only, Pony of Shadow! I mean… what else can it be?”

“Hold it. Let me explain.” Trixie hushed him. “These ‘Other’ worlds, as you call them, are like reflections of our own, just… distorted and different, right?”

“Yeah? That’s what Princess Twilight described it anyway.”

“But that also means that there are counterparts, like me and you. What if this Pony of Shadow is the Pony of Shadow of this world?”

That…… that strangely made sense for Trixie. Starlight told him before that she met plenty of this world’s counterpart with the human world. So… it could mean that this mural was depicting events happening in this world.

Yeah… that… that made sense, right? If there can be two Princess Twilights in multiple worlds, then there can be multiple versions of the Pony of Shadow.

Yeah. That’s right. Ha! Totally! Haha!

Right?

“Yeah. That has to be it.” The young stallion let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks Trixie. For a moment, I was imagining the worst case scenario.”

The blue mare waved it off casually. “You’re very much welcome. I may not be the smartest Pony, but I can offer some great suggestions and advice sometimes.”

“Yeah. You are amazing.”

“And powerful.” She reminded. “Those two are mutually inclusive when it comes to me. Don’t forget that.”

He laughed. “Absolutely.”

“So… what now? I don’t see anything else here. And just how big is this temple anyway? I haven’t even seen the land or the sky yet.” She complained with a hearty huff. “When I came to visit a new world, I was expecting to see exotic animals or be turned into another creature entirely. I wouldn’t mind a nice transformation. My mane could use a redo.”

…!

Sunburst froze. “Wait… what did you say?”

“My mane needs a redo. I’ve been trying out this new shampoo from the store, and I think it’s making my hair all sticky.”

“No! Before that!”

“Exotic animals?”

“After that!”

She paused in thought. “Oh… you mean turning into another creature? Starlight told me that when you step into another world, you change.”

…!

How could he have been so blind? Why didn’t he noticed it earlier when he too first step into the portal? His power of observation must’ve been lacking to not realize such a simple thing.

The magic of different worlds did not allow traveling of creatures to another realm. They always changed you corresponding to the world you visit. It was like… the first thing Starswirl told him.

That must’ve been why Starswirl looked so confused earlier. He must’ve expected to change into his own reflection in this world.

Sunburst looked to the mural again and saw the many figures kneeling before the Pony of Shadow.

They all looked to be humanoid. Perhaps even actual humans like the ones Starlight visisted. If they were to be believed – they too should’ve changed into their counterparts here. It was like… the law of the universe. And the universe often liked to keep everything neat and tidy.

But they didn’t change.

Why was that?

“That… is weird.”

Trixie rolled her eyes again. “Are you going to start spouting in broken senses again? Because I will hit you again.”

Thankfully she didn’t need to as an eerie growl echoed from nearby. It sounded like one of those statues. The tremor of their stomps can be felt.

And that meant that they’ve outlived their welcome.

“I think it’s time we head back.”

Trixie couldn’t have agreed more.

(Flash’s House) (Backyard)

Flash peered through the afternoon sky, feeling the warmth setting in the air. The birds in the aviary were all chirping louder than usual. Many of them were leaving the glassed dome, flying north. With the melting of the snow, the lack of clouds in the sky, and the green leafs growing on the branches. That can only mean one thing.

Spring was here.

The first weekend of a new semester, and the true end of winter.

If he was a poetic man he’d write a song about it. Something colorful and soothing. Something heartwarming and possibly even romantic.

Meh… maybe later.

*Woof!*

His attention rolled over to Bananas who began chase around the yard rolling around like nothing ever mattered. It made him laugh a bit.

Though right now his attention was focused on his scarred hand. The source of his wonders.

He could feel it now. Slowly pulsing inside like an energy that matched the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Magic.

Pure magic.

“This is so cool.” He muttered once more, analyzing the thing like it was the greatest gift ever given to him by a Greater-Power. It would’ve been even better if the darn thing worked like he wanted instead of being completely… random.

The magic he had was great but it was also flawed. The experiment he performed last night confirmed it.

He was expecting a cool power like one of those superheroes in the comics or cartoons. The ability to fly, breathe fire, laser hands, or maybe even Pony-Up like Sunset and her friends. But instead the power he wield was one of chaos and mayhem. It got so bad that his whole room turned into a mess of gelatin and bubbles. Thankfully Edmund was able to replace all of his furniture.

Dad bought the excuse of it being a science experiment gone wrong.

Still… this can’t stand. If he was to take his place beside those girls who save the city from constant magical danger, he needed to put the rein on this magic. Have it obey his command rather than putting everything in bubbles.

He tried calling Twilight and Sunset for aid but it seems like those two were busy investigating the origin of yesterday’s earthquake. Can’t really blame them for having their priorities straight.

His second choice was Adagio. But from the looks of it, she doesn’t seem to be in the mood to hang out with him. He wondered if it was a girl thing.

But then… someone else might be able to help out.

“Edmund.” He called out to which the butler responded by appearing from the corner.

“You called, sir?”

“Get my car ready. I’m going out today.”

(Freefall Island)

Sunset had been lost in thought all morning when she eyed the island from afar. While the whole ordeal with Hoity Toity was just a few weeks ago, it felt like forever since they returned to this place. The whole island reminded her of her team’s accomplishments. A sign of how far they’ve come as both wielders of magic, and characters. All of their strength and knowledge pooled together to stop a maniac from taking over the city. And to think that a bunch of teens and a wandering unicorn from another world could achieve so much.

*Caw caw!*

Ugh… dang crows and their annoying caws. Go bug some other sailor!

“Alright ladies. We’re here.” Quibble Pants declared, mooring his tugboat by the old rickety pier that was once his shop. From the looks of it, the place had seen better days.

Sunset walked down the ramp with Twilight and Luna in tow. Thanks to the VP’s connections and research, she was able to find a loophole in the restriction.

Apparently, while the island was technically still in lockdown since their magical bonanza, and the common folk were barred from entering, construction workers and official inspectors were given the exception. Building materials and heavy equipment were being transported here through the city’s old ferry system. And to their luck, Rainbow Dash’s acquaintance happens to run one such barge.

“Thanks again for giving us a ride, Quibble.”

The slightly older gentleman waved it off naturally. “No problem. Any friend of Rainbow Dash is a friend of mine. Besides, that lady over there is giving me a little extra for my work.” He gestured to Luna who returned a coy smirk. A rough guess would say she bribed the man.

“Sorry about your shop.”

“Meh. It was bound to happen.” He shrugged back, sighing lowly to the rickety building just over the pier. “With the whole island on lockdown, there was no tourist coming, and that means no business. But thankfully I had a backup job to cover my rent.” He then let out an attentive cough. “Now remember: I got a few shipments to deliver this afternoon but I pass through here every now and then. My last trip is in the evening. So you have to be here by 3 o’clock or you’ll have to swim back home.”

“We got it.”

“Anything we need to look out for?” Luna inquired just as a precaution.

“Well… other than my buddies at the construction company, I did recall hearing about a private security firm being hired by the big wigs. Something about extra muscle for some project. But they’re mostly concentrated around the old resort. So if you steer clear of that place, you should be fine.”

Sounds easy enough. Investigate the magical anomaly, avoid people, steer clear from the wrecked resort, head back to the pier before evening, and be home by dinner. All in a day’s work for the Canterlot Investigation Club, as long as there was no fighting involved. At least now they were sure that they won’t be dealing with any shadow monsters or golems.

With a final wave, Quibble Pants sped up his boat and headed off to the main docks hopefully keeping his cover maintained.

“It’s really amazing you were able to find someone to bring us here, Vice-Principal Luna.” Twilight stated earning a humble shrug from the woman.

“Just Luna.” She insisted. “And please. Finding cracks in rules and regulations is one of my favorite pastime. Besides, we’re not breaking the law. Just bending it. Just consider this little venture to be a… special fieldtrip. And as your club supervisor, I’m permitted to be here. If we get caught, we’ll just tell them that this is a school activity. Works all the time.”

“You make it sound like you’ve done this before.” Sunset noticed to which the lady returned her a coy smirk.

“I wasn’t always a Vice-Principal, girls.” She hummed, without a hint of regret in her voice. “Before I became the paragon of virtue you see today, I was quite the rascal myself. Why I must’ve broken more rules in my school years than all my friends combined. The detention room was pretty much my second home. Ha! The things I did and the pranks I performed were legendary. There were even a few pranks that they can’t trace back to me. The trick is to destroy the evidence and…” She paused when she noted the two girls staring curiously at her. “Ah… ahem. To summarize the whole thing: I had a whacky childhood. Not so much different from yours.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Twilight whispered earning herself a chuckle. “You think she’ll tell us the rest of the story back at your place?”

“One way to find out.” Sunset said. “So where do we start off first?”

Twilight laughed. “That’s the easy part. The only place here that ever resonated with magic, would be none other than Castle Hoofbeard. Thankfully it should be relatively abandoned after our initial… uh… engagement with Hoity Toity.”

“You mean you girls wrecked it. Just like you destroyed the resort.”

Twilight began to sweat when Luna turned a daring glare. “Ahehehe. I… can neither confirm nor deny that claim. The former one… not the latter. Or maybe both.”

Luna’s eyes rolled over.

Just say yes Twi. Dodging the question just makes you look even guiltier. But Luna wasn’t wrong. They did technically destroy both the castle and the resort during their adventures. Not intentionally of course but still…

*Caw! Caw!*

A black feathered creature cawed from within the tree line.

Its deep red eyes locking onto them like a beast possessed.

(Sweet Shoppe)

Flash heard the rocking of the doorbell when he entered his favorite haunt. The old place was brimming with customers, which isn’t much of a surprise considering how popular it was to students. He wouldn’t be surprised to see this place standing after a hundred years or so.

But he wasn’t here for pastries right now. His target was there, standing by the counter, flipping a finger over her phone, looking bored as hell. He approached the counter and opened his mouth to speak only to have her beat him to it.

“Welcome dear customer. What can I get you today? Can I recommend you our new dessert? The Rosema—” Her sales pitch cut off when she realized who it was. The forced smile she wore fell off, replaced with a scowl as deep as the ocean itself. “Oh… it’s you. What do you want? If you’re here for the bear-claw, you’ll have to wait for 10 minutes. The next batch will be ready then.”

“Actually I was… here for you.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Uh… not like that.” He corrected hastily enough. “Honestly, I wasn’t even sure you’d be here at this hour. I uh… need your help with something.”

“And I’m still on shift.” She reminded, poking his chest. “If you want help, why don’t you go over to your friends?”

“They’re uh… busy.” The boy grumbled. “Anyway, it’s a problem. I just need a few minutes. Please.”

Aria leaned back, cocking one brow at him. That girl had the eyes of a predator, and the attitude and power to back it up. She looked like she was about to tell him to shove off but something stopped her. Perhaps… a deeper conscience?

Her eyes drifted to the side where Mr. Cake stood, casually talking with a close acquaintance by the table, laughing cheerfully at some joke that was said.

“Order something.”

Flash blinked. “What?”

“I can’t leave the cashier unmanned without a reason. Order something and pick a table by the window. I’ll come to you.”

Oh…… OH! That sounded like a cool spy rendezvous.

“Oh… okay. I’ll have… today’s special.” He handed her the exact change and bolted off to the table that recently became available by the window.

He waited for a moment, taking a quick glance over to the girl as she casually prepared his order, putting them on a tray and then casually walking over to him like he was just another customer. Judging from her natural posture, she must’ve done something similar to this plenty of times.

“So what’s this problem you have for me?”

“Well… it’s magic related.”

“So?” She shrugged. “Don’t you have that nerd gal of yours?” She must be talking about Twilight.

“Like I said, they’re busy. And honestly I didn’t think I’d see you this early. I figured you only took the night shift.”

“Only on the weekdays.” She explained. “I take double-shift on weekends. I get more cash that way.”

“That’s… a lot of shifts.” He noted taking a sip from his coco. “You guys having money problem?”

Her eyes sharpened. “What makes you think that?”

“I’ve never heard anyone willing to take so many shifts willingly. Not unless they’re short.” He should know. There was this one time Sandalwood’s family flower shop was in the red because of some error in shipping. The guy had to work an extra shift part-time to help make ends meet. Thankfully they got through it.

Flash could see Aria’s expression curl to a tightlipped frustration. Guess he hit the head on the nail there.

“Look. We’re here for your problem. Not mine. Now out with it. You said it was magic related?”

Guess she wasn’t gonna open that easy.

Still… she was willing to help. That was something.

“It’s…… this.” Flash hesitantly offered his scarred hand which she eyed boringly before they shot up when she saw it glow with magic.

“That’s… magic.” She muttered, clearly not expecting that. “How did you…!”

“Shhh! Not so loud.”

Aria closed her mouth, returning to her usual moody expression – if just barely. “How? When did this happen?”

“Yesterday. Right around the time of the earthquake.” He retracted his hand afterward. “It came out of nowhere. I’m not really sure how it came to be… but it’s there.”

“And you came to me for advice?”

“Well to be honest, you weren’t exactly my first choice.” He answered, which didn’t really insult her. “I just needed someone who can show me how to use it properly. After seeing all the magic going around the world, I didn’t want to end up like the usual bunch.”

Aria shrugged, glancing over his hand. “Have you tried using it?”

“A couple of times. But I’m not really sure what it does exactly. Every time I use it, it just does something completely random.”

“That’s because you’re using raw magic, you idiot.” The boy blinked back, confused. “Ugh. Come on. Have you been following those girls around without learning anything? Humans are incapable of using magic. It just doesn’t work. They need ‘Mediums’ to convert magic into a spell.”

Mediums.

Twilight said something about that before, but he can’t seem to recall when.

“Take those girls for example.” She took his silence as a chance to continue. “They have magic on them, but it’s their crystal thingies that makes them convert it into a spell. It’s how they all Pony-Up and do what they do. Kind of like the three of us with our amulets.” She gestured to the red gem dangling on her neck.

“Or those black gemstones Hoity Toity used!”

“Correct.” Aria grabbed his drink and leaned back, taking a quick sip. “Without those things, your magic will simply do… pretty much whatever it wants. You need something to focus it, mold it.”

“And how does that work?”

A small smile found itself on her face. “This’ll go a lot faster if I showed you.” She rose from her seat waving to Mr. Cake. “Hey boss. I’m taking my break.”

(Freefall Island)

Ugh… not again.

“Haven’t heard from you in a while. Anything going on?”

Twilight couldn’t help but curl a small smile as she read the text on her phone. Timber had been sending her more and more ever since their New Year date. Thankfully he was forming full sentences this time instead of using those gosh darn emojis.

“Just the usual magic investigation.” She responded. “Nothing dangerous.”

It took a moment before an answer got back. “Gloriosa told me about that new addition to the Rock Quarry. It was awesome. The kids love it.” A picture popped up afterward with Timber doing a selfie in front of the lifeless golem, which was now even decked with even more decorations than before. No doubt Gloriosa’s doing.

“Hey. Wanna go to the beach tomorrow? I got a day off from lifeguard duty. I can teach you how to surf.”

Ha… that sounds… pretty… cool… I supposed. But at the same time, really… mundane. It’s like… the same routine all over again.

Ugh… this can’t be good. She can’t really say no without a good reason. And she doubt that ‘Magical incidents’ would be overused at this point. To be completely honest… she didn’t feel like going at all. Like… it didn’t interest her one bit.

Could she be… getting bored of Timber?

No no. That can’t be right. She was probably just tired of all the physical activities they’ve been doing. Perhaps a change of pace was in order.

“Can we do something else? The weather really isn’t that warm yet.”

Yeah… that sounded like a valid reason. Neither of them would want to be swim in freezing temperature. Even though the snow had already stopped, it would take a good while before the surrounding land warm up again.

And quickly enough, the guy responded. “How about a dinner date? Remember that restaurant you always wanted to try out at the mall?”

Uh… surprisingly she did. Though… it was actually with someone else.

The Tasty Treat.

Heh. Thinking back on it now, she really did like that place. The food there was exquisite though a bit too pricey for her liking. The ambience there was warm, pleasant, and reminded her a lot of that desert village she visited with……

Flash…

The boy was practically her anchor that week. Keeping her sane and calm while she was spiraling out of her mind. And even after all that, he even got her a VIP reservation to the Tasty Treat. Heck the whole time there was pretty much a long enjoyable date with a movie and shopping combined.

It was an ordinary outing yet… it somehow felt… special at the same time. She wasn’t sure why, but she was definitely looking forward to the next one. Heck, she wouldn’t even mind getting trapped in another corner of the world with him around.

Wait… Flash?

Oh horse flank! How could she have forgotten!?

The boy wanted to talk with her about something yesterday. Something viably important. But the whole earthquake incident blanked that memory off her brain.

Dang it.

Ugh… maybe she should just text him and schedule an appointment. For tomorrow maybe? No. Timber will be expecting something. Maybe afterschool?

“Twilight?” She jolted up from her phone when Luna called her name. “Come on now. You’re supposed to be the one leading us.”

“Right right. Sorry.” She tucked her phone away, making a mental note to text back later. “Ahem. According to my estimation, we should be arriving at the old castle grounds just over this ridge.”

“You sure?” Sunset asked, not really convinced. “We’ve been going through the woods for a while now. How can you tell?”

“Trust me. I’ve done hikes before. Just use a compass, check for wind draft and keep heading north. It’s all calculated.”

“You mean you’re winging it?”

“It’s all calculated!” She repeated. “Just watch. The castle is just right over… here.” And true to her words, the moment they stepped out of the ridge, the castle was there. Though not in the way they expected.

Castle Hoofbeard had seen better days, that much was certain. The fortress looked like it was split, with a large chunk of it sunk beneath the ocean waves. A third of it lay on the open plains while what was left it tried to cling to what remained of the hill it was standing on.

But what got the trio more shocked was the large dig site beneath it.

“What in the…” Luna gawked.

…

There were people there. Dozens of them. Maybe even more, along with heavy equipment and digging tools. Judging from their vests, hard hats and heavy loaders, Twilight would say that they’re some kind of excavation crew.

“I don’t get it.” Sunset ducked down, watching the folks below. “Quibble Pants said that this area was supposed to be clear. What are the construction crew doing here?”

“Those aren’t constructors.” Twilight corrected. “They’re not building anything. They look more like… an excavation. Look at their equipment.” She pointed to the giant digging machines. “I think they’re clearing the rubble. Probably cleaning up the place.”

“And what in the world is that?” Luna asked pointing to a certain tent where a bunch of rubble gathered.

Twilight gasped in shock. She recognized the larger object. While it looked pretty dented from the earthquake, there was no way she could mistake that… arch… for anything else.

“That’s… the portal!”

“Portal?”

“You mean the one you and Flash jumped in during the fight?” Sunset recalled.

“You and Flash? Fight? What?”

“It has to be.” Twilight nodded in confirmation. “It must’ve somehow broke from the hidden chambers during our fight.”

“You think it could be related to the earthquake?”

“I’m almost certain of it. The kind of magic stored in these portal are very sophisticated. I tried powering one back in the desert village and it nearly blew me up.”

“Blew you up!?” Luna choked.

“Then it looks like we know what happened.”

Yeah. The gist of it can be surmised. When the portal broke from its hidden chamber deep underneath the castle, the power stored inside must’ve gone haywire and sent a powerful shockwave throughout the city. The excavation crew must’ve dug it up not realizing the energy that they unleashed. Heck, they probably don’t even know what they have in their possession.

“Well… that was surprisingly easy.” Sunset chuckled. “I figured things would be a heck of a lot harder with our recent track record. I think we can wrap up this investigation.”

“Not so fast.” Twilight grabbed her. “We still need to get in there.”

“Twilight. We already know what happened. There’s no point going in there.”

“If the portal survived the fall, there’s a good chance that the Portal Stone did so too.”

Sunset’s eyes jolt upward in realization. “You mean… those keys that activate portals?”

“That’s right. Those are the most powerful artifacts that the Yaztec people ever created. And if it’s in there, we have to get it - before it falls into the wrong hands.” And by wrong hands, she totally meant the Black Stone Order – or to be more specific… Neighsay.

“As much as I like to agree with you, Twilight. You’re asking us to look for a very small object inside a camp with beefy security guards.” A rather adequate description on her part. “That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“Thankfully we have a magnet for that.” She added, reaching into her necklace. “Our geodes react to magic. So all we need is to get close enough to find it. Something as powerful as the Portal Stone will radiate magical pulse. Then we grab it and head back to the pier without anyone noticing.”

“Ok… but how do you intend to get through security? This won’t be like us sneaking into the museum.”

“You snuck into where!?” Luna gasped reminding them of her presence.

“Oh… right.” Sunset tried to laugh it off but failed. “We may have… done a few things when this whole adventure started.”

The Vice-Principal opened her mouth to berate them but decided to swallow it in for now. She certainly had a list of questions long enough to fill a toilet paper roll. “This is getting way more than I bargained for. But… I suppose we can discuss your wrongdoings… later.”

“Yes ma’am.” Twilight nodded. “And to answer your question, I have the answer… right here.” She then reached into her bag producing the familiar Invisibility Cloak of Clover the Clever. “They’ll never see me coming. Mwahaha!”

(Sweet Shoppe)

Flash was led to the back of the store which looked like your usual street alley. A single corner path squeezed by three buildings. Two large dumpsters decorated the area along with a single manhole cover that stank up the place. Flash had seen similar locales like these in detective movies before. This is where an illegal transaction usually takes place, or maybe even a crime. He hoped that it wouldn’t be the latter.

Aria looked pretty much at home in this environment. She had the appearance of a criminal who’d shank you if it’ll serve her purpose. Perhaps it was the attitude she gave off. Maybe it was that gothic style clothes she wears that gives her that atmosphere.

“Ok. Firstly, we need to find out what kind of powers your hand has.” She explained as she ruffled through one of the dumpsters, pulling out an old soda can, placing it over the corner like a target. “You say it does thing at random, right?”

“Pretty much.” He nodded dumbly. “It bubbles things, turn it into jelly. My whole room pretty much turned into a madhouse overnight.”

“And that’s your first mistake.” She jabbed a finger at his chest, scolding him. “This isn’t like one of your lame water balloon fights. Magic is serious business. You can’t just toss it around without thinking. That’s an easy way to get someone or yourself hurt.”

Yeah… Fluttershy said the same thing.

“Now before we start, you have to know two things. 1) Magic isn’t just an energy. It’s also a force. You use it to manipulate the world around you. Objects, water, earth, fire, even space and time.”

Flash’s eyes beamed. “Space and time? You mean I can time travel?”

“Baby steps first.” She grunted. “2) Willpower is a factor. While you can manipulate objects, people and animals on the other hand are a little more… difficult.” The boy tilted his head in silence which she took as a sign to explain further. “Think of it as your natural defense against magic. If you cast your spell on someone, that person can break your spell if his willpower is stronger.”

“Like… when you try to put someone under mind control?”

“Exactly. But that part can also be tricky. If you use a spell against someone who isn’t aware of it, they’re more viable to fall under your influence.”

So pretty much like a sneak attack.

Flash nodded again, allowing her to continue. “Now before we start practicing magic. We need to get you a medium. Something you can use to focus all that magical energy.”

“Yeah~~. I don’t think they have those for sale around here.”

Aria rolled her eyes at him boringly before pulling her pendant off and handing it over. “Use this.”

Flash jerked back, looking at the thing like it was a holy grail. “Isn’t that important to you?”

“You’re giving it back, genius.” She brushed off his hand and then casually tied the pendant around his neck which fit surprisingly well. “Now. Try using your magic on that can. Lift it up and bring it towards you.”

The boy touched the new accessory around his neck and felt a sudden tinge on his hand. He could feel the power coursing through his body again, but this time more focused and controlled like they were being directed in a certain path.

Was this how people feel when they use magic? To have such power running through their veins?

He wasn’t entirely sure, except for the fact that it felt good. Really good. So good in fact that it made him all tingly inside. Like an incredible bowel movement.

Following the girl’s instructions, he thrust his hand forward again towards the can expecting it to do something. But instead the boy found himself being blasted backward from the recoil.

His body slammed against the wall, hard, leaving a crack before falling face first to the pavement.

“Ow…”

“Not all of it at once, you moron!” Aria face palmed at the sight. “What kind of idiot throws all that power at a single can?” Me… apparently. “Get up and try again.”

Flash groaned.

(Freefall Island) (Excavation site)

Whoa… this place looked a lot smaller from a distance.

Twilight snuck through the main entrance of the fenced off area, slipping pass the security guard and the many workers tending to the grounds. There were a heck of a lot more people here than she initially saw. They walked around like ants carrying buckets full of dirt and tools specialized in accurate digs. This felt a lot more like a real archeological dig site.

It was a real shame what happened to the castle. The place had such a great historical value to the city. To see it torn to pieces like this was a symbolic disaster. You’ll probably never see anything like this again in their lifetime. But alas, time erodes all of our history.

But now was not the time to be mourning. She was on a mission and she couldn’t afford any distraction. The Portal Stone was here. She was certain of it.

If the portal itself survived the cave in, there was a good chance that magical artifact did too. You wouldn’t be able to break something that powerful without a special tool.

The invisibility cloak worked like a charm giving her the perfect cover for infiltrating the dig site. It reminded her of the time she and Rainbow Dash infiltrated the resort to stop Hoity Toity. It felt almost too easy.

Now first thing first. She had to think.

If this was an archeological site, they wouldn’t mix up arts and miscellaneous objects with the usual rubble. They’d have a very specific place for that for appraisers to look into.

They wouldn’t leave such precious relics out in the open either. They’d put in a tent or a sealed environment. Someplace temperate, safe from the degradation.

Somewhere like… that.

Her eyes shifted to the large tent at the very edge of the dig site. There weren’t a lot of people coming in or out but there was a whole security team guarding every angle. A number of tubes and pipes protruded from it, probably regulators to keep the temperature inside stable.

There was no mistaking it. That had to be the place. If the extra security detail and expensive equipment weren’t enough indication, her geode was also pointing towards it.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight hastily made her way to the fancy looking tent, tiptoeing around the bulky guards like she was ghost.

And thankfully she was right on the money. Science and logic wins again.

The whole tent was a literal treasure trove full of artifacts. It was practically a gallery full of some of the most significantly historical objects that can be found in this corner of the world. One might even consider it a find of the decade.

Twilight couldn’t help but linger a bit, looking at each of these relics like a kid in the candy store. If only she could bring a few of these back with her to study. She could feel magic lingering in many of them.

“Very impressive.”

Twilight’s heart nearly leap out of her chest when she heard someone spoke. For a second there she thought she was caught, but instead found her own doppelganger leaning by the pile with an intrigued look on her face.

“Midnight!” She called out just barely above a whisper. “How many times do I have to tell you to not do that!?”

“You can say it a hundred times over and I still wouldn’t obey.” The fiery angel let out a bored sigh, reaching out to one of the trinkets only to have her hand whisk through it. “Ugh! Stupid ghost body. All this magic around us and I can’t even interact with them. What a waste.”

“You can mope about your condition later. You can’t be here.”

“Oh relax. It’s not like anyone else can see me. Though I got to admit, you surprise me.” Her grin widened. “Didn’t think you’d stoop to stealing so soon. Figured you’d take a lot of growing before you delve into crime. Oh! Am I becoming a bad influence on you?”

“Ok… 1) I’m not stealing. These relics were owned by a pirate long gone and these people just happened to dig them up. We’re just… um… requisitioning it, for… their safety. 2) You are not influencing me on anything.”

“Pfft. I beg to differ.” Her evil twin hovered over to the next rack, admiring the many objects that seemed to radiate with magic. “What a haul. I wonder how much these things are worth. If you humans knew half of what you dig up from ancient runes and temples, you’d be building palaces and temples.”

“Look. If you’re gonna be annoying, at least help me find the Portal Stone. It has to be here. And the faster we find it, the faster we can get out of here.”

“So… stealing?”

“Not stealing. Requisitioning.”

Midnight scoffed lowly, but not before her ears perked up to footsteps and voices approaching the tent. “Someone’s coming.” Twilight quickly returned her cloak and stuffed herself in a corner, closing her mouth to keep others from hearing.

“No no no! Absolutely not. We hath discussed this before last fare season, and that’ll be the end of it.” The first one gruffy stated as two figures entered the tent. From what Twilight can hear, it appears to be a man and a woman having something akin to a heated argument.

“You’re not even considering the option!”

“Because there is naught to consider. This company prides itself on true, trusted and tried methods of excavation. Bringing all that technology to cut through soil and rock will lead to more damage on the foundation!”

The woman groaned like a housewife who’s had this argument before. “We’ll be turned into fossils by the time you finish with your true and trusted methods. All I’m saying that this dig can use a little extra effort. Why not try new things for a change?”

Odd… those two sound strangely familiar for some reason.

“Because those ‘New Things’ are what’s killing our business to begin with.” He argued back. “If I start relying on machines rather than the competence of my workers, I’ll be laying many of them off just like everyone else. No. We’re doing this the way my forefathers did. With blood, sweat and tears. And no mechanical oil driven machine is ever gonna replace us.”

“Ugh. Igneous. This is the reason why your company is struggling as it is. You can’t follow the trend of the world. Try to see reason here. Not all technology is bad. Some of it can be of use to the company.”

Oh… oh!

Twilight finally recognized them. She was shock that she didn’t realize it sooner.

It’s Igneous Rock Pie and his wife, Cloudy Quartz. Those are Pinkie’s parents. The owners of the Pie Quarry, Mines & Co. They must be the ones in charge of the whole excavation.

“My decision is final. And the answer is no.” The older gentleman put his foot down, sternly. “It’s pickaxes and drills and nothing else.”

“Our workers are breaking their backs trying to dig through old stone! It’ll take months before they can even reach the caves before not to mention the danger. The whole area is unstable ever since that earthquake yesterday! We can’t ignore that.”

“Confound it, woman. You’re driving me insane.”

“If it’ll get you to reconsider, I’m gonna badger you all day if I have to.”

Uh oh. This sounds like something she shouldn’t be eavesdropping. But there was no way out. Those two were blocking the only path out. She’ll just have to stay hidden until they were done.

“My friends. Please lower your voices.” A third figure interjected, entering the tent hastily as if he was trying to catch up. “I can hear you screaming all the way to the dig. Let’s be reasonable and discuss this properly. There’s no reason to shout.”

…!

That voice…

“My… sincere apologies.” Igneous lowered his head in shame. “It’s just that my wife is being overly stubborn.”

“Stubborn!?” Cloudy spat. “If anyone around here is stubborn, it’d be you. Sticking to the old ways forever like you’re some kind of cave man. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be eating gruel and salted corn for breakfast.”

“Oh not this again. This is about our company, not our livelihood!”

“Well it should. I’m tired of cooking through that old stove in the house. It’s high time we got ourselves a new one.”

“Don’t use this argument to twist my arm for a new stove. That’s my great grandfather’s stove! It’s been passed down through the family for generations!”

“Then it’s time to pass it on to the dumpster. Otherwise the next meal you’ll be having is a coal sandwich!”

“Well your cooking is…”

“Enough!” The third man roared, silencing the two. “This is not the time or place for your domestic disputes. Lunch break is almost here. Once we finished loading the next batch of these artifacts to the mainland, we can have a proper discussion in the main tent. So… please. Hold this off until then.”

The two Pies glanced at one another angrily but kept it contained. That sounded very much like a marriage dispute.

But the second gentleman who came in was what Twilight was focused on. His chiseled form and face was easily recognized from her corner. You couldn’t possibly mistake him for anyone else.

It was Flash’s dad.

In the Thick of it

Chapter 67: In the Thick of it

(Sweet Shoppe)

*Clang!*

The can dropped, ringing throughout the alleyway like an annoying bell.

How hard is it-

*Clang!*

-for a guy to move-

*Clink clang!*

-one single-

*Crash!*

-stupid can!?

“Arghh! Come on!” Flash roared out angrily as the fifth can smashed against the wall flattening it. It was probably his twentieth try to move it, but each time, it would go too fast or too slow. While he was glad that it didn’t grow wings or get absorbed into bubbles, it still didn’t produce the result he wanted.

“Well that was an absolute fail.” Aria blew on her nails as she watched the boy continue to fumble. “I keep telling you to stop using too much magic.”

“One more try.” He did so again with another can only to have it smack him dead on the face. “Doh! Come on! Ugh… Twilight made this look way easier than it should have.”

“That’s because her geode already has a fixed spell on it. What you’re doing is casting a spell from scratch.” She explained. “It’s all about control. You can’t brute force your way into magic. Keep a steady focus and move it towards you.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that. But it’ll be a lot easier if you actually gave me a proper example.”

The Siren rolled her eyes, approaching him with a deathly glare. “You’re too excited. Too eager. You want results quickly, and that’s what causes your powers to fumble.” She grabbed his hand and steadied his stance, directing it to a bottle loitering around. Her petite body pressed against his back making him feel a little… unnerved in some areas. “Use you magic. Slowly. Keep it steady. Think of your powers as an extension of your hand. Holding the bottle with a squeeze. Too much strength, and you’ll break it. Too little and you’ll drop it. Don’t think about getting it quickly, just think about getting it.”

Flash wasn’t sure any of those were really advice but at least she was there. Taking a deep breath, he hovered his hand over, feeling the power once again pulse.

Calm and steady. Calm and steady.

Like… strumming his guitar on a cool afternoon.

“Good. Now put the can back in the dumpster.” Aria then let go, letting him take the rein over the next part.

The can wobbled in mid-air, which the boy quickly corrected, tightening his grip. But that only made the can crumple inward.

“Focus.” She reminded. “No distractions now.”

The can moved forward… then back, left then right… up, down… then turn 55 degrees north with a latitude of…

ARGHHHH! Fudge muppets!

Flash grunted loudly, his temper reaching a boiling point. His arm flared for a split second launching what he could only describe as a black bolt of lightning striking the can and sending it against the wall and then falling to the dumpster.

“There!” He roared. “It’s in! It’s finally… in… the darn… trash! Take that you dumb can!” Not exactly his proudest moment but no one was around to judge him. He took a deep breath, taking in the smell only to go into panic mode when the dumpster caught on fire. A literal dumpster fire. “Oh crud! Um… fire! Uh… what do I do?”

Aria came in a second later with a fire extinguisher putting out the flames before anyone saw the smoke. “I guess that’s one way of taking out the trash.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Do better.” She remarked. “This is why I told you: Magic is dangerous. I thought you’d learn this when you burned down a whole city block.” Ouch. Low blow. “Well… at least that was… somewhat of an improvement. At least you didn’t burn anything else… sort of.”

Nodding, the boy removed the pendant from his neck, sighing in defeat. “I guess I have a lot to learn about magic. It’s just you guys make it look easy.”

“That’s because I’ve had years of practice. Don’t go comparing me to some newbie like yourself.”

Harsh but true.

“Anyway, I need to get back to work. My break time is over.” She returned her pendant to her neck, briskly walking over to the door only to stop half way. “Hey…” Flash snapped his head in her direction. “For what it’s worth. No one gets magic right on the first try. Not even the best of us. Not even some Princess from another world.”

Was that her way of comforting?

“Uh… thanks?”

“Don’t mention it.” Her lips curled up to what looked like the smallest hint of a genuine smile. “If you asked your friends to help you out, I’m sure you can do better.”

Yeah… hopefully. If they actually answered any of his calls.

“Hey. You doing anything later?” She asked to which the boy responded with a tilted head. “I was hoping you can help me out with a small favor.”

A favor from a Siren? What’s not to ask?

“What is it?”

“Wait for me by the table.” She answered. “My shift ends in a bit. We can talk more there.”

(Freefall Island) (Excavation Site)

“I’m saying it for the last time. We are not bringing those diabolical death machines in my dig!”

“If you just listen to me, we can have this whole dig completed before Spring!”

For goodness sake. Are these two always like this? Twilight was beginning to change her perspective on the two married couple in front of her. The two elder Pies always looked calm and collected whenever she visited Pinkie at her place. They were supposed to be one of the ideal couples in the world. But now they were bickering like children, getting on each other’s faces as if that’ll do them any good.

Despite Sombra’s warning, the two immediately began bickering again. One was a know-it-all, and the other was a prideful stubborn egomaniac. Both of them shouted and argued like they believed each was in the right. She never imagined that these two would have such a mouthy spat. They’re usually pretty chill whenever Twilight saw them. Does Pinkie even know how strained her parents’ relationship is?

“My friends, please!” Sombra silenced them for the third time. “Let’s not argue. Can we just agree to disagree for now and move on with the dig? Both of you provide good arguments and each of them is sound.”

“There’s nothing sound about her ideas.” Igneous spat. “Bringing those giant death machines will bring the whole place down on us!”

“I’m only thinking for what’s best for this company and its workers. If you allow our most senior staff to dig such a place, we’ll be paying for medical bills up through the nose!”

“I said no! We’re not wasting our money on any of that nonsense.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m the one in charge of the company’s finance!”

He gasped. “You didn’t.”

“Already have and already did. I rented two of those ‘Death’ machines this morning. They’re on their way right now.”

“WHAT!? Woman, we’re already in the red as it is! You can’t just go around renting some tools we won’t be using for…”

“Alright. That’s it.” Sombra groaned, laying his head on his hand. He looked like a psychiatrist mediating a marriage counseling session which was going very poorly. “What’s done is done I suppose. I can tell that this argument is going nowhere. I am not inclined to butt in to your personal lives. But if it’ll get this dig moving… we may as well do it her way.”

“Sombra!” Igneous choked. “You can’t be serious.”

“I don’t like it either, old friend. The foundation of the castle is already weak as it is, but Cloudy Quartz raises a good point. That earthquake yesterday destroyed much of the support pillars we put in place and I’m already handing out hazard pay to my security detail. We were fortunate that no one was inside the tunnel at the time. This little tryout may expedite our excavation and save us a lot of headache in the future. It can’t hurt to try something new just this once.”

The old townie man sighed. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“I know that you pride yourself on traditional methods old friend. But the safety of you and your employees takes precedence here. So… please. Let’s do it her way for now. If it damages the foundation like you said, we’ll gather more materials for your support beams and do the whole thing your way till the very end. How’s that sound?”

Igneous grumbled and groaned, stroking the beard on his chin madly like he wanted to reach out to the first thing he could get his hands on and smash it. Thankfully he realized that he was standing inside a tent full of priceless artifacts and decided to calm down. He obviously didn’t like the whole idea but it was two against one. Clearly an unfair advantage. He glanced at his wife who already held a victorious grin knowing full well that she had him cornered. She wasn’t going to back down from this, that’s for sure.

And so… with no other alternatives, he sighed in submission. “Ugh… alright. But the moment I see one of those damnations go haywire, the expenditure is coming out of your cut!”

“Fine by me.”

“Excellent.” Sombra let out a sigh, relieved to finally settle the matter. “We’ll bring the new machines up later this afternoon. In the meantime, we’ll get all our personnel off the dig. No one is allowed in there without our say-so.”

The two Pies nodded back before they huffed it out of there. Igneous being the most irritated.

Sombra rolled his eyes at their childish antics letting out a tiresome sigh. It almost seemed like a common occurrence. Poor fella. Twilight can only imagine what it’s like to be working alongside such a volatile couple.

“Professor.” Another voice interjected entering the tent with an apologetic voice. “Sorry to interrupt sir. But the Headmaster is looking for you. She said that she wants to talk about the artifacts you’re taking.”

“Again?” The Principal whined. “Hasn’t she learned her lesson already? I thought she’d know better after our last scuffle. She knows she’s not getting her way, right?”

“Yes sir. But… that hasn’t stopped her from trying.”

Wait a minute. I know that voice.

Sombra sighed at him, putting the relic back on the table. “Ugh. Two arguments in one afternoon. No rest for the weary eh?”

The boy chuckled. “No sir. Should I tell her that you’re busy?”

“No. She’ll only whine if I do that. You know how batty she is. That woman is like a fly buzzing around my ear and never goes away. I may as well face the music while my ears are still functioning.”

“I know the feeling, sir.” No… it can’t be. “I’ve only been working with her for a few days and she’s already made an impression.

Shining Armor!? What’s he doing here!? And what is with that outfit?

“I don’t envy your position at all.” Sombra patted the boy’s back. “Working for that Queen of yours must be exhausting.”

“Eh… as long as the pay is good.”

Twilight wasn’t sure what compelled her but she could resist following the two of them out of the tent. Her invisibility cloak shimmered in the sunlight but thankfully kept her from prying eyes.

She found her brother and Sombra not far from the tent walking up to a green haired woman surrounded by black clad men. They all had the same uniform Shining Armor was wearing. She had the appearance of an academic, an authorizing gaze, and a scowl so deep they may as well be digging into the ground.

“Chrysalis.” Sombra gave her an acknowledging nod though his expression didn’t mirror that gesture. “Back again I see. I figure you’d still be licking your wound after our last spat.”

“That’s HEADMASTER Chrysalis to you, Sombra.” The woman known as Chrysalis replied with a commanding voice. “I’m here about the relics you’ve been pilfering from this place.”

“Yes. I know. And you should probably know by now that my answer remains the same.”

“But you haven’t even heard of my offer!”

“You have nothing that I want.” He put his foot down sternly. “The Castle and all of its treasures are mine to do as I wish. And they’re going straight to my estate where they will properly analyzed and categorized before they head to the museum where they belong.”

“Preserving our history is a noble goal. But surely you can do better than let these precious relics collect dust in a museum.” The woman known as Chrysalis added. “Everton Academy hosts a large number of private museums that would benefit all parties. Not to mention various collectors who’d love to attain one of your valuable finds.”

Sombra scoffed, rolling his eyes as if he was used to her usual reasoning. “Oh please. You and your sellouts are hardly academics. Admit it: You’re just sore that I outbid you in the auction. You didn’t know that this place held such secrets any way.”

“Well neither did you! It’s because of that blasted earthquake that you found this metaphorical gold mine! If I knew this place was more than meets this eye, I would’ve spent more than a few millions. And I’m still prepared to buy it off of you for three times what you paid for!”

“Give it a rest. What would I need more money for? I already have more than I need. Besides… many of these fine trinkets are far more valuable than gold and diamonds. I must admit, I’m a better archeologist than I thought.”

“You just got lucky.”

“True.” He admitted, holding back a victorious grin. “I was actually just going to restore the place. Make it a tourist attraction for the city. But thankfully my son found a treasure trove right underneath it. Talk about a fortunate accident. Who would’ve thought that Hoofbeard’s ship would be trapped under there after all these years?”

Twilight grunted lowly to herself. She knew it. The artifacts they uncovered must’ve come from Hoofbeard’s ship. She completely forgot about it ever since the incident with Hoity Toity. She really needed to get herself organized.

“And all those ill-gotten loot from all over the world~” The man added teasing her. “There’s so much in the cargo hold alone, it’s practically impossible for me to get them all out in one day. Such a wonder, don’t you think? I wonder if I should make it official and tell the media of this discovery. It’ll make such a spectacle. Not to mention it would certainly help with my election campaign.”

Chrysalis visibly fumed. “Can you at least let me see them for a few minutes?”

“You can see them when they’re put in the museum like everyone else.” He huffed away. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have a dig to attend to. You and your entourage can find your own way out.”

And with that final remark the gentleman departed leaving behind an irritated woman. She yelled out curses and open threats but they were all deafened by the sound of car engines revving in the sideline.

“Unbelievable. That man.” The Headmaster grunted sourly, poking her sharp heels on the ground as if she was putting a hex on the land itself. “He talks like he owns the place.”

“Well… technically he does.” Shining Armor remarked which earned him a glare. He raised his hand up defensively in response. “I’m just saying it like it is, ma’am.”

“Ugh… forget it. That man is as stubborn as the rock.”

“Should we try again tomorrow?”

She sighed. “No. I’ve had it with all this arguing. That man won’t budge an inch no matter how much I try.”

“If you knew he wasn’t gonna give in… then why did we come all the way here?”

She didn’t answer. Instead turning away towards the limo car waiting for her.

Twilight bit her lip resisting the urge to follow. There were so many questions she wanted to ask and no answers to be provided. One of which was the ship of Captain Hoofbeard.

If what Sombra said was true, then he really struck gold today. The trove of treasure hiding within the holds of that ship was probably insurmountable. Who knows how many magical artifacts he could’ve plucked off the depths? No doubt this little dig of his would make headlines, giving him wealth, prestige, and a whole sleuth of credibility to his political campaign. The guy was a sure shot now.

She wanted to see the ship for herself and view all the wonders and secrets it hid within. But the risk of being discovered was high. Not to mention she already got what she originally came for. Best not to push her luck.

Besides… all of those were going to Sombra’s place before being transferred to the museum. And she just so happens to know someone who can get her access to any of those magical trinkets.

(Sweet Shoppe)

Hmm?

Flash blinked as he looked around, confused. He could’ve swore he heard someone call him just now. Must be the wind… or the rattling of the plates around here.

“Thanks for waiting.” Aria stated, placing a plate of donuts in front of him like she did earlier. “Here you go. On the house.” The girl slumped over her side of the couch sagging her shoulder. Though she hardly looked exhausted for someone who just performed a five-hour shift.

“No problem.” He replied glancing over the treat.

“Sorry for the wait. The last customer I had was hitting on me. Had to put him in his place.”

Oh he knew. Heck, the whole store knew. They saw the whole thing like it was some kind of spectacle. It was quite dramatic… and a tad bit sadistic – though that kind of depends on who you’re asking.

A blonde student from Crystal Prep was feeling pretty sure of himself that afternoon and decided to try his luck on Aria. Trenderhoof was his name, if he remembered correctly. He was confident, charming, good looking, and had all the pickup lines memorized like it was his own personal literature. You’re A-typical lover, as one would say. In another lifetime, he probably would’ve been able to charm even the hardest of rocks. But later did he realize he was trying to dig through a mountain with a toothpick.

He tried all the tricks in the book, which was rather quite amazing as the flirting session lasted for about 30 minutes. He started off small. He gave flowers, used catchy lines, calling her cute names, and even tried the cute puppy dog look. But all of them didn’t even make a dent on Mt. Aria. She returned the same cold stoned expression, eyes bearing a reaper’s cold touch.

But Trenderhoof was persistent. He took a stance and read her a poem that he made on the spot. It sounded both catchy, witty and perhaps even… inspirational. But like before, his words were drowned out by the raging storm of Mt. Aria.

Feeling that his own pride was on the line, the guy went for the touchdown approach and decided to ask her out on a date there and then, and would do anything for it. The Siren would later manipulate those words and somehow tricked the guy into buying everything in the display case. A few minutes later, she’d ring him up, give him the bill with the most sadistic smile, and Trenderhoof was out the door sulking with 20 boxes of pastries to ease the pain.

Needless to say, the store burst out laughing which only added to his humiliation.

“Can you believe that guy?” The Siren flushed her complaint at him. “He called me the ‘Beautiful Authentic Working Girl’. What kind of idiot would fall for that kind of thing?”

Seriously Tenderhoof. Not your best work.

Flash grabbed a donut to muffle his laughter. “Well… there are a few people who can get swayed by the right words. Folks like it when they get a compliment.”

“It’s a wonder why your species hasn’t gone extinct yet.” She scoffed, placing her head in her hand. “Maybe I was too soft on the guy. I should’ve done something more.”

You already broke his heart, burned his wallet and shattered his pride, girl. What more can you possibly do?

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Flash panicked inside. “I mean… you wouldn’t want to waste your magic on someone that low, right?”

She brushed her hair in thought. “I suppose not. But sometimes, if you want to get a message across, you need to put in a little more effort.” Sounds like something Adagio would say. Guess these girls are a cut of the same cloth after all. “He’ll probably try again after a week. Guys like him are persistent. I wonder what kind of torture I should prepare for him.”

“Uh… so… what’s this favor you wanted to ask?” Flash gulped, wanting to change the subject.

“Hmm? Oh… right.” Aria fixed her shirt making her look half proper. “I need you to do something for me. It’s sorta… important.” It should be if you’re the one asking for it. Her eyes glanced around to the empty tables making sure no one was eavesdropping on them. “It’s Adagio.”

Flash’s eyes rose. “Adagio? Why? Is she in trouble?”

“No.” She answered boringly. “At least… I don’t think so. She’s…… she’s having one of her moods.” She noted his confused expression which she quickly clarified. “You see – Once in a while, Adagio would have these moments where she becomes completely… unbearable. It’s like a phase she goes through every year. Like the whole world had nothing left to offer her – or having lost the will to live. She’d get antsy and irritating, cranky. An all-round pain in the neck.”

Ah… I see. So it’s like a time of month.

“I think you’ve already seen how she is lately.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I think I know what you’re talking about. She was… colder than usual.”

“Yeah. My point exactly.” Aria scoffed. “Normally this phase wouldn’t last more than a day or two. She’d go out, make some folk miserable, cause a little mayhem here and there or on the rare occasions: destroy everything she sees, and by the end of it all she comes back fresh as new.”

“But…?”

“But now. She’s… getting antsy over the smallest thing. And honestly it’s been driving me and Sonata nuts. Adagio’s starting to feel like a barrel of snakes that’ll break at any second.”

That does sound like a conundrum. Flash can only imagine what kind of mayhem Adagio would do if her boredom reaches its peak. She might even regressed back to her villainous days and plot to mind-control all of CHS again.

“Ok… I get that Adagio’s having a… moment. But where do I fit in all of this?”

“Can’t you like… take her out or something? Show her a good time?” That was rather direct. “What do you call that thing again? Dates? Yeah… dates. I heard you’re pretty good with those.”

Flash sat a little taller with that remark. “Well… I can’t say that I’m good with dates. But… I suppose you’re not wrong either.”

“Great! Then you can take Adagio out on one of your dates. You’ll show her a good time, she’ll laugh, and hopefully stop being an annoying pain in the neck.”

The boy shriveled uncomfortably in his seat. “Y… yeah. But that’s not how…”

“Look.” The girl huffed, slamming her hands on the table. “I know I’m asking a lot. But I’m at my limits here. If Adagio keeps being annoyed, she might do something… drastic or even stupid. It doesn’t have to be classy or expensive. Just… try to make her smile or something. Once she gets that whole bored phase thing out of her system she’ll be back to her old annoying self and we can all go back to our old boring normal lives.”

“Why don’t you and Sonata do something for her then? Wouldn’t she be more comfortable with you guys instead of me?”

“Don’t you think we tried that?” Her eyes flared. “We took her to the firework show on New Year’s Eve and it just made things worse. Besides, you have a better relationship with her than anyone else around here. Probably one of the very few she ever had.” That didn’t exactly made him feel special.

“I wouldn’t really say we have a relationship. We’re more like uh…” Mentor and student? Acquaintances? A Mistress and a pet?

No… none of that sounded right.

“But you do whether you like it or not.” She added. “Trust me. It’s not a compliment. Just find a way to keep her entertained. I’ll even pay for all the expenses.” Flash curled a brow. “I’d owe you big time for this.”

Flash pondered in thought. It wasn’t really that insane of a request. He did promise Adagio that he would take her on a real date some time ago. What kind of a man would he be if he can’t keep such a small promise? And he’d earn himself a favor from one of the other Sirens too. That could definitely come in handy later on should the Order of the Black Stone try something against Sunset and her friends. As far as the boy could tell, there wasn’t any downside. Not that he could see anyway.

Besides, he was a sucker for girls like her.

“Alright. I suppose I can lend a hand.”

“So you’ll do it?” Aria’s eyes lit up.

He shrugged. “It can’t hurt. Besides it’ll be better for all of us if Adagio doesn’t go all evil on us.”

“Great. Just… don’t go anywhere too fancy. Adagio has some expensive taste which can be…”

“Oh you don’t need to worry about the cost. I got that part covered.” The boy grinned as he pulled out a notepad. “So… what kind of taste are we talking about here?”

(Freefall Island)

Ugh… this sucks.

Luna sat down on a nearby log feeling the chilling air breeze through. While it was still technically the end of winter, she could feel the heat seeping into her hair. Her clothes were soaked with sweat and her legs wobbled like noodles. It’s only been a few hours since they made their way from the pier but even that short walk has made her quite weary.

Could it be that… she was… out of shape?

Hmm… now that I think about it, she has been eating a little more than usual. The food she pilfered from the Winter Holiday party had a lot more calories in them than normal. Not to mention all the junk food she keeps in her locker. And she’s also been noticing that she’s been fitting into her clothes in all the wrong ways.

Hmm…

Luna pinched the side of her stomach and saw the fat stick out.

Maybe it was time to go on a diet.

“Ms. Luna? What are you doing?”

She choked when Sunset brought her back from her personal problem. “Uhh… nothing. Just… doing a little stretching! Gotta keep up that figure, right?”

“Uh… ok?” Sunset didn’t looked convinced but decided to leave it be. “Twilight’s been gone for a while now. I hope nothing happened to her.”

Not possible. If something happened at all, there’d be a commotion over by the dig site. A little girl appearing out of nowhere, trying to steal a priceless relic? That’ll turn a few heads. But thankfully the place has been quiet.

“I’m here!” Twilight’s voice startled them as she reappeared out of thin air panting heavily. “Sorry I’m late. Getting out of that place was a lot harder than getting in. Security was pretty tight.”

“Twi!” Sunset reached out to her for a grateful hug. “You’re back. Did you find it?”

She nodded back showing the said statue, which looked nothing more than a simple idol that could be bought in a souvenir shop.

“Told ya it would be easy. And you won’t believe what I discovered.”

…

“So… Sombra is leading this dig?” Luna asked to which the girl nodded in confirmation. “Hmm. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Sunset spoke. “You knew about this?”

“I heard that Sombra was buying up a lot of properties around Canterlot lately as part of his economic restoration plan with Filthy Rich. But I didn’t hear anything about buying a whole castle.”

“He did say something about turning it into a tourist attraction.” Twilight recalled. “But after our fight with Hoity… I guess that little plan went out the window. I’m worried that we might’ve done some damage on the castle’s foundation.”

“I’m more concerned about this ship.” Sunset added. “How many artifacts did you say there were down there?”

“A literal boatload. Flash and I explored it for a bit but we never really had a chance to investigate. The ones I found in that the tent alone all had magic in them.”

Aha… so Flash really did participate in this scuffle. That was… unsettling to know. That whole story about him being trapped under a cave-in really was a lie. Luna made a mental note to grill him about that later.

“That’s… troubling.”

Luna blinked out a question. “What do you mean?”

“Magic in this world can be very dangerous. We’ve already seen what a tiny bit of Equestrian Magic can do to people and objects. If those artifacts from Hoofbeard’s ship gets released, it could get out of control. Not to mention that the Order itself are searching for anything regarding magic.”

That was… true. Luna almost forgot that she was here to ensure that magic didn’t go rampant again. Just having 7 girls possessing such power has caused untold damage across the city. And here they are, having a literal boatload being sent to the city. The people down by the dig probably don’t even know what kind of power they were dealing with.

“Oh there’s no need to worry about that.” Twilight reassured them with a confident smile. “Because I have a plan that’ll make sure we get to all that magic before anyone else.” Sunset’s face twisted unsuringly. “What? What’s with that look?”

“Sorry Twi. It’s just that… none of us have a good track record when it comes to plans.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “I agree on that.”

“Oh come on! Have a little confidence.” Twilight retorted. “Just because we messed up a few key details, doesn’t mean we’re bad at planning. Besides, this one isn’t as complicated. And we won’t have to break any laws or bend any rules.” She glanced up to Luna. “Not that we ever did of course.”

Nice save.

“Alright then.” Sunset submitted. “What is this full proof plan of yours?”

“We’re gonna need a friend.” She smiled back, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. The tone rang for a moment before it answered. “Hey Flash. It’s Twilight. Are you free right now?”

Play Date

Chapter 68: Play Date

(Canterlot Mall)

“Ah… the mall.” Rarity crooned as she spun around like a child dancing in a wheat field. While it may not be as glamorous as nature itself, the feeling of the stores always made her feel welcome. “It feels like forever since I last visited this place. I have returned, my home away from home. I’m dying to find out what new designs they have in store. I can’t wait to see what new inspirations and chic that occurred in my absence. Time to get back in the times!”

“I don’t know about you, but I prefer some things to never change.” Applejack followed suit pointing at her favorite store. “Stinky Bottom’s Discount Hat Emporium is still there even after all these years. And so far they haven’t changed their stock.”

Rarity shrugged back. “Eh. I suppose everyone has their own unique taste. Speaking of which. Thank you again for coming with me. While I do enjoy window shopping around this fabulous place, having a friend tag along is always far more enjoyable.”

“No problem Rare. Always happy to help a friend in need. Besides, I need to do a little shopping myself.”

“Then we’ve come to the right place!” She exclaimed. “No more magic, no secret society or shadow monsters. It’s just you, me, and the greatest place mankind has ever invented.”

“I don’t think that’s…”

“Come along now! We don’t have all day.” She pulled the cowgirl through the crowd viewing the many stores along the way. “So what is it you’re looking for, darling? A new dress for the Spring Dance, a new pair of boots to go along with your gown? Oh wait. How about a new vintage hat design to spice things up?”

“Well… I suppose I am looking for something vintage. But it ain’t clothes.” Rarity gave her an ‘Oh’ sound. “There’s a crockery store here that imports some stuff from overseas. The metal they used to fashion their pots and pans makes them highly resistant to fire. Granny owned a set of them back in the day, but she gave them away when my uncle, Green Apple, got hitched. I figured I could use some of that to spruce up my place.”

“Applejack, dear. You already have a magnificent kitchen. I highly doubt another pan will make a difference.”

“True. But I kinda need the extra protection for tomorrow. I uh…” Her face turned a shade of pink. “… I kina promised Flash I’d teach him how to cook.” Rarity’s brain fizzled. “Uh… Rare?”

“Aheh. I’m sorry dear. But… did you say that you’re having… Flash… over?”

“Yup.” She said nonchalantly.

“Will… anyone else be there?”

“Nope. It’ll just be me and him for the whole day.” Rarity’s eye twitched as her friend gave her a suggestive wink. “I got plans for Granny to take the whole family out. I figured now was the best time to try out this whole flirting thing.”

“R… really now? That’s… wonderful.”

“Granny said I should be aggressive if I want him to notice. That… and that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And this little get-together is just the kind of excuse I need to set it up.”

“That’s… a great plan.” Rarity swallowed. “I take it you’re still pining to get closer to him.”

“Well… that’s not what I really want, but yeah. I figured if he and I would ever start to hook up, we’d start there.” Applejack chuckled shyly, which she mimicked the stance of a certain Wallflower in their group. “I know you told me that I should wait a while. But seeing this being our last semester, I thought I’d speed things up a bit.”

“Uh huh. That’s… great. I’m… happy for you.” Though the fashionista’s expression didn’t match her words. AJ quickly caught on that.

“What’s the matter? You still think I’m taking things too fast?”

Too fast? Maybe. I mean this is your first ever crush after all. Applejack has never been a girl who was into romance. In terms of love, one might even say that she was still an innocent soul. A ripened fruit just waiting to be plucked.

Oh… that sounded raunchier than she expected.

Still… if this was a simple love Rarity would’ve supported her friend all the way. She would’ve showed her the ways of seduction, flirting techniques, and all manner of things that would make a girl like her blossom. Applejack would’ve been the Belle of all the balls. Heck, she even knew a few friends who had massive crushes on her. But things were far more complicated than others turn them out to be, and honestly there wasn’t much she could do to remedy them.

For one, there was Pinkie Pie. Her parents were doing the arranged courting session between her and Flash, which was working surprisingly better than anyone expected. If anything, the odds of them really getting together was phenomenal. You’d expect someone like Pinkie would be somewhat harder to date with all of her cute-yet-crazy antics and her explosive personality. But to her amazement that gal was in it for the long run regardless of how much she protests. Either she was easily charmed or this Flash Sentry was really good at this game. Having all that money to fund his endeavors must be really nice.

And secondly, there was Sunset Shimmer. While she and Flash have officially broken up, there have been signs that they might be getting back together. Though that ship hasn’t exactly had a smooth sailing since this whole magical mayhem started.

And then there was Rainbow Dash and her god darn lying spree. One of these days she was gonna cash in those favors.

But what to do…?

If Flash goes for the others, dear old Applejack here will have her very first heartbreak. And honestly that’s never a good feeling to have.

“Rare?”

“Hmm? Oh sorry darling. I was a little deep in thought.”

“I’ll say.” Applejack cocked a brow. “You walked past four discount signs and didn’t even bat an eye.” Did she? Oh she’ll just have to take another tour around the mall later. Can’t miss those discounts. “So what’s the problem? You’ve been acting really weird every time I bring Flash into the conversation. You think I’m being ridiculous?”

“No. Of course not sweetie. It’s perfectly logic for you to give it all for someone you like. It’s just that… all this talk about love has me practically rattled.”

“And why’s that? I thought you’d be thrilled about having these girl talk.” I used to. But she had to find out the hard way that their love life was far more complex than this magical mystery they were solving.

“I do, darling. Honestly I do. But there’s only so much girl talk I can handle.”

“We’ve only done one.” Which was one too many already.

“Anyway, let’s not delve into this. We came to this mall to rest our laurels. Whatever you wish to do, I’ll um… root for you. Just try not to put too much of your energy in this.”

“Will do. Now let’s get that pot before it sells out.”

Absolutely. Anything to change the subject. She’ll allow Applejack to spend a whole hour talking about apples rather than listening to another minute of Flash Sentry.

“Oh hey guys!” A whacky yet strangely familiar voice called out to them as they entered the store, embracing the two of them.

“Pinkie?” AJ recognized her instantly, shaking from the shock. “And… Maud? What are you two doing here? I didn’t think you guys would be interested in old crockeries.”

“We’re not.” It was Maud who responded in the same stoic manner. “We’re actually here to replace some cups that Pinkie broke.”

The bubbly gal giggled back. “I was trying to make a five layered choco berry blasted bun cake. But I discovered the hard way that you need a very special kind of oven to even get close to it to that temperature. Long story short: It exploded. So now we’re here. What about you? Did you blow up your kitchen too?”

“Uh… no. I’m actually here to get some fire resistant pots for tomorrow.”

“Ooooh.” Pinkie crooned knowingly. “Right. You’re teaching Flash how to cook tomorrow. Oh that sounds like fun. Maybe I should come too? Give him some tips on how to bake the perfect cake.”

Rarity bit her lip resisting the urge to make a sarcastic cough.

“That won’t be necessary.” Applejack declined politely. “Your way of cooking is way too advance for someone who’s just starting out.”

“Ooooh. So it’ll just be the two of you huh?” She gave the cowgirl a knowing nudge. “Be careful there. Otherwise your crush might get jealous.”

“Hmrghhhmphh!”

“You ok Rarity?”

“Y… yes darling! I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine. Nothing to worry here.”

AJ shrugged back. “Well I wouldn’t worry about him. He’s not the jealous type. Though I could say the same for you.” AJ returned the gesture. “When are we gonna meet this secret date of yours? It’s been months now.”

“Oh pshh. He’s nobody interesting. Just someone my mom and dad introduced. You hardly even know him.”

Rarity began to sweat.

“Really? A rich boy who can take you to a very expensive restaurant? I can name a few.”

“It’s definitely not who you’re thinking.”

AJ challenged. “Wanna bet?”

“Ok!” The fashionista interjected stepping between the two. “It’s really nice catching up with you Pinkie. But Applejack here is in a rush to get those new pots of hers. Why don’t we save this conversation for another time? Preferably never.”

“Oh oh oh! We can pick them together!” Pinkie suggested much to Rarity’s frustration. “I saw this buy two get one free bargain just around the back.”

Pinkie hastily dragged the cowgirl through, ranting on about utensils and pickle barrels. Something Pinkie would say. But as long as they weren’t talking about that blue haired idiot, that was fine.

Goodness gracious. Never in her life did Rarity ever thought that having two of her friends so close together would be as dangerous as rubbing two sticks of dynamites together.

“You seem strangely nerve wracked.”

“Gah! Oh! Maud. I… forgot that you were here. And… yes. You could say that I am a little on edge. Things have gotten a little complicated and way out of my hands.”

“I’ll say.” She agreed. “Having a love triangle like theirs must be exhausting.”

“Tell me about it. I have no idea how this will end.” She paused for a minute. Waited for a few seconds more. And then it hit her. “Wait wha… what?! What are you talking about?”

“About my sister and Applejack having a crush on the same guy.” The stoic girl said plainly like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. “That thing.”

“Wha? I… I mean. No. Well… how would… that is of course…” Rarity went on a tangent for another few minutes, babbling incoherently before her brain finally burned out from the lack of excuses. “Ugh. How long have you known?”

“A while.” She shrugged. “I saw Applejack and Flash during the concert last year. They seemed to hit it off pretty well. Not as well as Pinkie, but pretty well.”

“And… does Pinkie know?”

“About Applejack vying for Flash’s attention? No. Pinkie is a lot of things and oblivious is one of them. She doesn’t suspect a thing.” That was… sort of good, I guess.

“Do you plan to tell her?”

“No.” Oh thank god. “I wouldn’t even know what to say. All I know is that… she likes him – and he doesn’t seem weirded out by her personality. He… makes her happy.” Maud gave out one of smiles which was perhaps rarer than a blue moon itself. “And to me… that’s really all that matters.”

“Oh?” Rarity blinked, caught off guard by the sudden admittance. “Are you saying that you approve of them getting together?”

“Maybe.” Maud pouted. Her eyes glancing sideways before she answered. “Honestly… when mom and dad suggested this, I was a little bit… skeptical. I was supposed to be their first choice, but when I told them that I was with Mudbriar they put Pinkie on the block instead.”

Really now? Can’t really imagine that. Maud and Flash? That’s a dynamic duo you don’t see every day. It would certainly make for an interesting pair – or a disastrous one.

“So… what do you plan to do?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.” The rock gal shrugged a second time. “I didn’t think it would work out between them. I was kind of hoping they wouldn’t be a match and they’d leave it at that. But after their second date. She seems… to smile more often.”

“She does?”

“Yes. Even Boulder here can see it.” The said rock nodded smugly in agreement. “I’d very much like to see them get together. Even if it means hurting one of your friends. At least I’d know she’ll be happy in the long run, and that she’ll be treated well.”

Oh wow. Maud.

That has got to be the most sisterly thing you have ever said. Actually that’s probably the most you’ve ever said in any conversation, ever. Rarity can’t remember the last time she said more than five words in a sentence.

Still… she could totally understand where she’s coming from. Being a big sister herself, Rarity also worries about Sweetie Belle’s future. While she has plenty of friends to guide her, you can’t help but wonder what kind of person she would choose as her special someone.

And she had to agree that Flash was a good catch. Not only was the guy stupidly rich, he was also pleasantly nice to be with. There were worst people for Pinkie to be with. Like that Feather Bang fellow, or god forbid – Cheese Sandwich. Sure those two would make a nice couple. They had almost perfect chemistry with one another. But two party pals living under one roof? I’d feel sorry for all the folks who would be their neighbors.

“What about you?” Maud asked, locking eyes with the fashionista. “Don’t you think it’d be better if Pinkie ended up with Flash instead?” Was she trying to pressure her into supporting her sister? Is that this works?

“Normally I would agree with you, Maud.” Rarity admitted. “I know exactly how you feel. Believe me I do. But sadly, in this case, it’s far too much for me to decide. They’re both my friends. I can’t pick one over the other. Especially when it comes to a touchy subject like love. And as their friend in return, I must remain neutral. I will cheer them on, but I won’t pit them against one another.”

“Hmm… sounds to me like you just don’t want to get involved.” Urk… she hit the head on the nail there. “Well… whatever. I just hope this doesn’t turn into something messy.”

Oh if only the two of them knew.

(House by the hill)

Ah… that was the stuff.

Sunset breathed out a blissful sigh as she got out the bathroom, changed into her PJs. There was nothing better in the world than a nice hot shower after a successful mission. Granted the mission wasn’t really that exciting or dangerous but she was gonna take every little victory she could get. A mission was a mission, and with all the crap they’ve been going through these last few months they were due for an easy win.

Having hot water in the house was also good too. Her old apartment had hot water in spades but the pipes had a habit of freezing over during the winter, and the landlord was a lazy cheapskate who kept putting it off for other ridiculous reasons. She was partially glad she didn’t have to deal with his sleeziness again.

Speaking of landlord. I wonder if Flash would ever come to collect pay. He said that she could stay here for as long as she wanted but a part of her was feeling rather… guilty. She was basically a squatter in everything but name. Heck, they all were.

Don’t get me wrong. The house is great. There was plenty of room for her to go around. Half of which she and her friends hardly even use. The view from this place was to die for, the distance from here to school was only about 10 minutes longer than her old place, and beach down the cliff was bound to be breathtaking when summer hits. Heck it was practically a beachfront property. The price on this location alone would be worth over a million bits back home. Though the ratio for bits and this world’s currency was debatable.

The only problem was, it wasn’t technically hers. At least… not by any legal standards. She didn’t have any bills to pay, no rent to think about. Not that she could pay any of them anyway.

When her whole apartment blew up, everything she ever owned went with it. Not to mention she was about two months behind on her rent. The fact that her old landlord didn’t charge her for it was a miracle.

Piling all that favors, debts and close call encounters, Sunset thought that it was high time she returned the gesture. Any more than this and she’ll be in debt with him till forever.

“What’s gotten you all murky?” Twilight asked as they sat by the dining table.

“Nothing.” She hummed. “I just… realized how comfortable I became, living here. It’s only been two months but it feels… longer.”

“I get what you mean. After the whole thing with Hoity Toity, you feel like this place has become our official home-away-from-home. It’s pretty homey here. I decorations, the view. And don’t even get me started on the location. It’s practically a half-hour drive to Everton Academy. Oh! And the electrical grid here is top notched. The electrical engineer who designed this place really know what they were doing.”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t have to fork over the bill.”

Twilight pouted. “I can say the same about you, Freeloader.” Ouch. That hurt. But not untrue. “Sorry. That came out wrong.”

“Don’t be. You’re right. I am literally just freeloading here until I get back on my feet. Or at least until this whole magical fiasco calms down a bit. I’ll have to go apartment hunting again after this.”

“Oh! I can lend you my brother’s binder. It still has all the cool locations. It’s a little bit on the pricey side but I’m sure there’s something in there that can suit your taste.”

That didn’t sound too bad. “I might just take you up on that offer. Which comes to my next problem.” Twilight raised a curious look which prompted her to continue. “I wanna thank Flash for everything he’s done for me. Show him that I really appreciate everything he’s given. All the help he’s done, the house… and so much more.”

“That sounds reasonable. What do you plan to get him?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know.” Sunset groaned, hands cupping her chin. “I was thinking about getting him a gift but…”

“You have absolutely no idea what to get him?”

“Exactly! What do I even get a guy who literally has a movie theater in his own house?”

Twilight pondered in thought. “Well… what did you used to get him back then? I mean… you two used to date, right?”

Her expression soured greatly. “And you remember that I wasn’t exactly the ideal girlfriend, right?”

“Oh… right.” Twilight again went into a deep thought and put out her two bits on the table. “How about a new guitar?”

“He can buy a hundred of those.”

“A new pair of shoes?”

“Have you seen his collection?”

“A private cruise trip?”

“He can buy the whole cruise ship and its crew.”

“Then I’m stumped.”

“Precisely.” Sunset sprawled on the table groaning on the maple wood surface. “Anything I get him, he could probably get a dozen or more all by himself. What do you get a guy who has everything?”

“MONEY!” Another voice answered bombastically, smashing a tray of food onto the table which startled them. “Sorry. I couldn’t help but overhear. And to answer your question, money is normally the solution. If you don’t know what to get someone, just give them money and let them decide. That’s what I normally tell my sister anyway - after she got me my favorite blouse with the wrong size for the fifth time. You can never go wrong with a few rolls of 20s in your hand.”

“Thanks Ms. Luna. But I don’t think money is gonna cut it with Flash. Not while he has more than he knows what to do with. We want this gift to be special.”

“Oh Sunset. You two are way~ overthinking this whole appreciation thing. I’m sure Flash will cherish whatever you give him. He’s your friend after all.”

“Appreciation is nice and all.” Twilight agreed. “But we really want to show that we’re grateful for everything he’s done. Sure there has to be something we can do that can show him that we care.”

“Well you could dress in…” Luna froze, her face turning a shade red. “Ahem. No. Never mind.”

“What? What is it?”

“It’s nothing. Just my wild imagination catching up to me. A little bit of my college days resurfacing.” She waved it off chuckling like some kind of pervert, hiding it behind her hands. “Now eat up. We had a long day today and you all need a good meal to get your strength back.”

The two girls relatively agreed. They could all use a little meal after a long day. But when they picked up their spoons, their bodies froze up in synch when they noticed the green goopy substance that sat in front of them.

What was that thing? It looked like something that came out of the swamp. Not only that but it smelled absolutely horrifying. The whole plate was covered from all edges with leafy, bobbly marsh. They can spot some chopped vegetables and mushrooms hidden within but they were all slowly sinking into the deep dark void of the porridge, never to be seen again.

“Uh… Ms. Luna.” Twilight dread to ask. “What is this… exactly?”

“Hmm? Oh this is something I used to make when I was back in college. It’s my very own recipe. Luna’s power-egg-cheese-salad!”

Egg cheese salad? Really? Well… I can see the salad everywhere, but… where’s the egg? Or the cheese for that matter? Did it get lost in the cooking or were they put on the side?

“Don’t you worry. I guarantee that it tastes a lot better than it looks.” And the fact that she’s actually eating it herself fortified her statement.

Sunset looked up to her friend on the other side of the table and sent a worrying message. Twilight didn’t seem that convinced but decided give it a shot as to not be disrespectful. With a little courage she got a spoonful of that green slimy goop, which seems to become even soggier as it separated from the main body, and chucked it into her mouth.

The poor girl didn’t even get to the first chew when her face turned pale as a ghost. She choked as the sludge worked through her teeth stopping just beyond her throat. Her face went through a mixture of expressions as sweat dripped down from her forehead. She looked like she was about ready to give up on life itself and toss her body down the cliff.

“See?” Luna said proudly. “I told you it was good.”

Twilight smashed her face on the table, hands twitiching madly before falling on the surface, her finger tracing a dying message.

‘Death comes for you’ is what she wrote with her exaggerated dying gasp. Or at least that’s what she think she wrote. You can’t really tell with the splotchy handwriting.

“Uh… y… yummy.” Sunset gulped, as she dipped her spoon into the sludge which made a very audible ‘Plop’ noise. “Can’t wait.”

Oh Celestia. She needed an out. An excuse. Anything really.

Maybe she can pretend to have a stomach ache? No that won’t work. Maybe she wasn’t hungry? How about she stabbed herself with her own fork just to get out of it?

Sunset glanced around looking for her salvation. And luckily for her… it came right above the fireplace.

“Say, Ms. Luna. You’ve known Flash’s dad from before. Right?”

Luna chewed. “You mean Sombra? Of course. He, my sister, and I were friends since we were teenagers. Why?”

“Does that also mean you knew Flash’s mom too?”

“Flash’s m—you mean Sophie?” Luna’s face turned curious. “Well… yes. I suppose I do. We went to the same college back in the day. Why?”

“It gave me an idea.” She reasoned. “And honestly I’ve been a little curious about her.”

“Oh me too.” Twilight added, miraculously recovering from her food poisoning. “She has a staggering collection of books I’ve never seen before. Many of them are somewhat related to magic.”

The woman paused like she had just been asked her age. There was a small array of expression twisting on her face which seemed neither upsetting nor pleasing. But you could tell that something was stirring up inside of her. Luna shifted by uncomfortably, her brain spinning around like she was thinking of an excuse not to answer. But sadly none came, and she slowly but obviously turned her attention to the large portrait above the fireplace.

“Well. I don’t normally speak ill of others but… I suppose I can make an exception.” She paused for a second to let the words sink in. “Sophie was… in a lack of a better term: An oddball.” That was unexpectedly blunt. “When I first met her, she struck me as someone who never really fit in anywhere. She had the most unusual hobbies. Collecting strange books, weird looking antiques, she even goes exploring the far off places for weeks without anyone knowing.”

“So she was an archeologist?”

“Mmm… more like an explorer.” She laughed. “She’d go on these wild adventures every summer vacation and journey to the most remote location she could find. That’s how she roped Sombra onto her. We hung out plenty of times back when we were in college. She quickly became one of my best friends.”

“She sounds like a handful.” Twilight snickered to which she did not disagree.

“Oh you have no idea. One time she even roped Cranky Doodle and Matilda to join her on this expedition on the canyons of the Ghastly Gorge. It was perhaps the most horrifying experience we ever had. But it got those two together so we didn’t seem to mind it. It was such a romantic moment.” Luna let out a wistful sigh. “Years later. After we all graduated, she and Sombra got married and they settled down here. As far as I know, they lived a pretty happy life.”

It would’ve sounded like a good ending to a story, had they not know the ending.

“So… what happened to her?”

Luna’s expression darkened a tad bit. “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask Sombra yourself. Though I highly doubt you’ll be able to get an answer out of him. It’s a very touchy subject for the man. All I know is that… right after Flash was born, something happened to her.”

“Something?” Sunset inquired. “What kind of something?”

“I’m not sure. He never specified what happened. He just said that she was gone. And… we would never see her again.”

That’s… rather suspicious if Sunset was being honest. For someone to just disappear without a trace? It had all the hallmarks of a mystery.

“Sorry Ms. Luna.”

“Don’t be.” She waved it off. “It was nice to reminisce about the good old days.” She paused briefly and coughed into her hand. “Umm… I mean… the better days. I’m clearly not that old to have such memories. Ahem.”

“Sure Ms. Luna. Whatever you say.” Sunset giggled under her breath before pausing to stare back at the goop before her. That little conversation brought her some time, hoping that it would somehow magically disappear on its own. But no. Instead, the green goop just seem to have gotten worse. Even the odor alone was putrid enough for one to desire to lose all sense of smell.

“You should really eat it before it gets cold.”

“Yeah… sure.” Sunset turned over to her friend once more who twitched her eye sending a deathly Morse code.

They would unanimously breathe a sigh of relief when the doorbell rang.

Thank Celestia.

“I got it!” Twilight volunteered almost immediately just to get away from the table. She practically ran to the door hoping to escape the dreaded meal. “Hey Flash. Great timing. Come on in.” More like perfect timing.

“Hey guys. Sorry I’m late. I had to stop by and grab pizza on the way here.” Flash Sentry, you beautiful lifesaving genius! “Ugh… what’s that smell?

(Equestria) (Portal Room)

Starlight grunted and huffed, pacing around the room like mother who was waiting for his children, whom she told that they couldn’t go to that concert so late at night, to return. She was livid. Perhaps even furious.

“I can’t believe those two! Going off on an adventure without me? What were they thinking!?” Standing a good distance from her was Princess Luna who was flanked by two members of the royal guards, who had the same attitude, though for an entirely different reason. “Just you wait. When I get my hooves on those two ponies they’ll regret it! They’ll be working overtime without pay for the rest of the year! I’ll chain them to their offices! That’ll teach them to just leave me behind!”

The moon pony coughed. “Starlight. I understand your predicament…”

“Oh no. I’m not giving them leeway this time. Trixie I can understand. She’s always been a pony who does things her way. But Sunburst? We’re supposed to be best of friends! Why did he have to lie to me!? You’re not supposed to keep things or trick me into getting your way! ARGHHH!!” She paused after her rant. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell so loudly. I must look like a total idiot right now.”

“Oh not at all.” She replied with regality catching the purple pony almost completely by surprise. “I find your anger completely justified and your punishment to be completely within your right. Though I would prefer if we kept them on probation instead, with tracking collars of course.”

“You mean… you don’t think I was being too harsh?”

“Absolutely not. In fact, I was expecting you to be quite lenient seeing as they’re your friends.”

“Well friends don’t exactly lie on your vacation letters and go on dangerous trips.”

“Perhaps I could offer you some extra suggestions on their punishment?”

Starlight couldn’t help but chuckle. “Thanks. For a moment there, I thought I was getting too emotional.”

“Oh believe me. I know exactly how you feel. My sister once did the same thing to me a long while ago. She visited another world and left the realm for a whole week without anyone noticing. Luckily for her, I was around to pick up the slack. It was quite a slog trying to keep the image.”

“Really? When did this happen?”

“A while back.” She brushed her hoof off. “It’s a long story. Best told after a good cup of tea. But I’ll let you know that it does with a… happy ending. Oh?” Her eyes brightened when she noted the portal sudden reacting. “And here he comes. I do hope you have a harsh lecture ready. They’ll need a good scolding after putting our worlds in danger.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve learned from the best when it comes to lecturing ponies.” Starlight quickly put up a sore expression when she recognized the blue mane coming through. “Well~~. Look who decided to show up after all this time? I do hope you’re ready for a good day’s punishment. Because you’re…”

But all that anger quickly went out the window when Trixie dropped to the ground with a loud thud, her mane covered in scratches and scars.

Starlight gasped and rushed to her friend’s battered body, cradling her in her hooves. “Trixie! No! I didn’t mean it! I take it back! I take it back! Wake up!”

“Starlight! Look out!”

Confusion and fear gripped her body when the portal suddenly began to react again. Something else was coming through the swirling torrent of magic. Something big and bold.

A claw three times the size of any pony made of fiery shadow tore through the fabric of time and space thrashing madly like an untamed animal. Several other portal mirrors fell from their stands as well as decorations and other ornaments. Starlight conjured a shield above her just in time to block a blow from the hand.

“Guards! Contain that thing!” The two unicorns in armor rushed as ordered tossing magical bolts. But it only seemed to agitate the beast even further.

The arm forced itself through even further, showing a full limb this time. Expanding its flaming figure for all to see. It looked some kind of monster trying to fit through a hole that was obviously not big enough for its massive size. But it didn’t seem to care and continued to squeeze its way in, disregarding any damage to the room or itself.

“GUARDS! Get in here, now!” Luna commanded with her age old voice summoning a battalion of castle guards to reinforce them. But they could do little against such bestial wrath.

The claw continued to thrash itself around the room, tearing through everything and anything it could reach. The guards did their best to rein in it, but they were clearly outmatched. It cut through their formation with a single swipe, and any magical attacks thrown at it were simply absorbed or ignored completely.

“Alright. That’s it!” Putting her hoof down, the Princess of the stars flew in. “I don’t know what you are or who you are. But no one thrashes my home but me. By my authority as Princess. You will cease and desist immediately!” Unsurprisingly, the claw didn’t respond well – or perhaps it didn’t really care, and continued to thrash around the room like before making a complete mess of the place. “Very well. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

With a deep breath, she fired a powerful bolt of energy from her horn hitting the claw directly on its joints. It exploded into a puff of smoke filling the place up with dirt and debris.

Starlight kept her shield up and the royal guards kept vigil but the attack seemed to have stopped the monster on its track.

“Is it over?”

“It is.” Luna confirmed it looking rather weakened herself. “I haven’t used such magic since we trapped those three villains in stone. Perhaps I shouldn’t have transferred all my celestial power to Twilight.” But she quickly regained composure and barked out commands. “You there. Get some pegasi here to clean up this smoke. And the rest of you, put that fire out. I’m going to find out who is responsible for this fiasco!” She then joined Starlight who cradled over her blue friend. “How is she?”

“She’s breathing. But she’s hurt bad.” That was an understatement. The poor unicorn was moaning achingly.

“Someone get a healer from the castle now! And where in Tartarus is that orange unicorn? He has a lot to answer for this mess!”

He really did.

What on Equestria did Sunburst and Trixie find in that…

“Princess, lookout!” Starlight tried to warn but it was too little, too late.

The claw thrust from the smoke and grabbed Luna. She gasped and choke, retaliating with another bolt of magic. But this time it had little effect.

“Release me at once you knave!” She demanded.

And this time, to everyone’s terror, it answered.

“Ahhh… magic.” It rang deeply like an echo of something horrifying. “True… Equestrian… Magic.”

“Wha…?” Luna gasped before realizing she was being pulled in.

“Hey!” Starlight quickly dropped her shield and raced forward using a roping spell to pull the princess back. “Help her!” The royal guards followed suit, the pegasi battalion rushing to the claw, prying its fingers away from the princess but to no avail. A dark laugh could be heard coming from the other side of the portal, mocking their feeble efforts.

“An Alicorn?” It asked. “No. Not the one. But… a meal all the same.” And then suddenly, with a hollowing cry, the claw began to funnel magic from the princess draining her of all that she was.

“Princess Luna!” Starlight pleaded. Begged, and pulled with all her strength. But it was simply not enough. The monster was simply too strong for any of them.

But then, out of desperation she heard a cry. A familiar voice shouting from across the world.

“No!”

Sunburst?

A sound of glass breaking echoed, silencing everyone in the room. The claw release its grip on the princess dropping her and allowing several pegasi to whisk her away.

“WHAT? What is this!?” The voice cried out. “No! No no no no no! You cannot…” It was cut off a moment later just as the mirror portal cracked. The claw tried to keep itself gripped on this side, but the force that pulled it back was greater. You could feel resentment and frustrating anger coming from its actions. It thrashed around some more trying to find something to grip. But nothing could hold it in. The arm would be swallowed back into the mirror before shattering to pieces.

Silence would fill the room leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in the wake.

What just happened?

Who was that?

And…… where’s Sunburst?

Author's Note

Hey there folks. Sorry for the late update. Just got myself my first dose of vaccination.
It hurts like hell but totally worth it. (Hopefully)
Will be getting another one in two months. The line there was crazy long.
Hope you all are having a wonderful time. And if not... then I hope it gets better.

Dreary Dilema

Chapter 70: Dreary Dilemma

(Applejack’s House)

Ok… final check.

Stove? Check.

Ingredients? Check.

Pots and pans? Check check.

Fire extinguisher for emergencies? Triple check.

Right. Everything was ready for today’s little outdoor cook off. Granted, the view wasn’t exactly perfect but it was good enough for her date to appreciate.

Applejack went above and beyond to ensure that her time with Flash would go smoothly. If everything went well, they’ll bond closer than ever. And who knows? If she’s lucky, he might even ask her out.

That was the plan anyway. Though taking things slow for now didn’t really seem all that bad either. Rarity hasn’t really been picking the pace even though she promised to help her out.

Oh well. Guess she’ll have to improvise.

“Well paint me pink and call me candy. You actually went and done it.” Granny Smith whistled impressively, admiring the effort her granddaughter put to her little kitchen. It was nice to know that all of her hard work was being appreciated. “I gotta say, I’m impressed kiddo.”

“Really?” She wondered. “You don’t think it’s too much? I just brought out the old grill and portable stove. I didn’t want us cooking inside the house just yet, in the flip side of all the burning.”

“Seems more like you wanna impress that Flashy boy more like.” The old apple grinned earning a bashful look from the girl. “Looking to get him through his stomach eh?” she tapped her own belly teasingly.

“That’s the idea.” AJ nodded pulling out a basket of apples from the stash. “I thought about what you said, Granny. If I’m gonna get the fella, I got to fight for it. And if that’s how mom got dad, I figured it might work here too. I got everything set up just for today.”

“Oh sure sure. That whole thing is pretty. But I was talking about your outfit.” She scanned her granddaughter from head to toe noting that she put just a tad more focus in her appearance. She traded in her white shirt for a fancy red one that had all the glitters sparkling just right. Her jeans were crisp to perfection, and she wore her lucky boots to boot. One might even say this girl came out to the batting plate to hit a homerun. “Wooo wee. Looks like someone’s bringing out the big guns.”

“I am.” She replied shyly failing to realize what her Granny was really talking about. “I really want this to work out. I thought maybe I could pulls some of Rarity’s tricks to spice things up. Even if it doesn’t work, I still got a backup plan to seal the deal.” Her eyes gestured to the pot she got at the corner. “And thanks again for taking the others for a day out of the house.”

“Don’t sweat it kiddo. I got me a game with my gals at Goldie’s place. Apple Bloom’s got her playdate with her friends and Big Mac is uh… hanging out with… Cheerilee. Ugh…” The two of them shivered at the thought. They still couldn’t let the idea of Big Mac dating Cheerilee to sink in. How that guy managed to score a hottie like her was anyone’s guess. “We should be back right before dinner. Don’t you be doin’anything I would at your age.”

She turned a smug. “Granny.”

“What? Can’t an old lady have a moment? I mean a girl and boy hanging out alone, in an empty house, all day long without a care in the world? Folks are gonna talk. Heh… Goldie will be mighty jealous. A girl’s imagination can go wild in this weather.”

“Well keep your imagination on a tight lid. We’re just gonna cook. Not do… uh… any of that stuff.”

“Ehmmm hmm… sure.” The old apple grinned sheepishly, not believing a single word of that before giving a cool wink. “Well if you two are feeling a bit thirsty, I left some ‘Special’ cider in the fridge. A little leftover from the reunion.”

“Special cider?” Apple Bloom tilted her head, arriving just in time to see her sister’s face turn beat redder than before. “That sounds delicious! Can I have some?”

“No!” Applejack burst, waving frantically. “It’s uh… grown up drink, Sugar Cube. Don’t be listenin to Granny about this. I guarantee, you won’t like it.” The little red didn’t seem convinced. “And you stop muttering all that crazy now. You gotta set a good example for Apple Bloom!”

“Heehee! Aww. Look at my little girl, being all nervous because of some boy. If it were anybody else, I’d be mighty worried.” She laughed out loud only to cut it short when she noted a fancy looking car drive along the side of the road just in front of their house. “And speak of the apple. He’s here already.” She glanced over her watch, nodding with approval. “And early too. Heeheeee! That boy knows his manners.”

“Granny!” Applejack blushed deeply, giving the old lady a glare which she laughed it off back to the barn pushing Apple Bloom with her who kept pestering her about the ‘Special’ Cider.

Dang it. Why did she have to make this whole thing so weird? Why isn’t she doing the same thing to Big Mac? That guy was in a relationship way longer than she was and she didn’t even throw a tease.

The old coot probably would if she knew it would garner some kind of reaction from that one-liner brother of hers. Either that, or she just didn’t want to mess with Ms. Cheerilee’s date. God knows what kind of fight that’ll spark.

Ugh… either way, she had to mentally prepare herself. Applejack took a deep breath, and poured that awkward shyness out, replacing it with the confidence she built up over the morning. She glanced over a mirror she brought from the house and made herself prim and proper. The shirt Rarity gifted to her a year back really filled out in all the right places. She looked dang good in her reflection and felt even better knowing that Granny approved. She was, in a lack for a better term, ‘In the zone’ – in control. The girls adjusted her Stetson and pulled a pose, holding a casual smile.

“Alright Applejack. You got this. This is your time to shine.”

And not a moment too soon either, for she heard a pair of footsteps approaching. The heavy shoes were unmistakable. She took a peek at her phone. Granny was right, the boy was roughly twenty minutes early, which was kind of expected for a man of his pedigree. It was a nice gesture not to keep a girl waiting. With a huff, she braced herself, interested to see what his reaction would be. Would he be amazed? Impressed? Shocked beyond all reasoning? Would her sense of fashion stun him into silence? Heh… that would be a sight to see.

Hearing him stop, she turned around.

“Well howdy th-.”

And her mind died a second later.

“Hey Applejack.” Flash said, smiling down at her. “You look great.”

Applejack’s jaw dropped.

The boy… Flash… beat her to the punch in fashion. He traded his rocker outfit for a plain outfit. Gone were the yankee jacket, gone were the cargo pants. He threw them off in exchange for a blue short sleeved shirt and long jeans. While his choice of clothing were rather barebones, she had to admit that it really brought out the figure in him. Kind of like Big-Mac after his morning exercise. You can see his muscles and form. It showed off the distribution of his weight perfectly, most of it being towards his chest and shoulders. He might not be as chiseled as her brother but he certainly had the right combination.

It was a common outfit. Rarity would say that it was even plain in her standards. But to a Cowgirl like her, it was like seeing a gosh-darn supermodel strutting down the runway flashing a smile that would melt her heart out. And she had the VIP box seat with a clear view to it all. She wondered if he would spin around if she asked him to. Maybe do a pose or maybe flex his muscle for a selfie opportunity.

Sweet caramel apples dipped in honey. How was a boy like him so… so…… so…

“Sizzling…”

“What?”

“I uh… I mean… salutations!” The last brain cell inside of her just died out of humiliation.

Salutations? Who says hello like that!? A gosh darn robot?

This was way too much. Too much for her to process in just a few short moments. Blood rose to her face turning her into one of her apples and she tried to laugh it off, only for it to come out high-pitched and nervous.

“I mean… hi.” She said managed to squeak out.

“Hi back at ya.” Flash said, breaking the odd silence. He didn’t seem to fare any better. In fact, he looked just about as awkward as she was. His posture still looked way better than hers, but that was probably her fangirl-vision going off. “Am I late?”

“Not at all!” Yikes. That came out a little too high pitched. Control girl. Keep it under control. “I mean… you’re right on time. I was just um… ingredient the ready…… I mean readying the ingredients!”

“Real smooth, kiddo.” Shut up Granny! Who asked you!? What are you still doing here!?

“Oh and before I forget. Here.” Taking advantage of the momentum, Flash reached to his back, revealing a fancy looking box decked out with some expensive looking decorations. He opened the lid, showing the treat inside. Each piece could be seen within, all made into different yet familiar objects and animals. Seriously. This look like something that would be presented to your special someone on a special day. “For you.” He added that last bit with a charming, sweet and handsome smile.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“Oh… th… thank you.” She didn’t even realize she had the box in her hand until she brought it close enough to eat, staring at it like it was the Holy Grail itself. It wouldn’t be the first time she got a gift from a friend, especially chocolates. Pinkie delivers them by the truck-full, but none of them felt so charged before. And with him being dressed as he was, this scene could’ve played out a whole lot differently in such context. He would’ve looked like the older, mature gentleman while she portrayed the young, nervous teenager who was being asked out on a romantic evening. It felt more… serious than a casual get-together.

This was simply too much. Blood suffused her cheeks and she tried to laugh it off, only for it to come out all disoriented and weird.

Damn it. Maybe Granny was right. She should’ve prepared more. She was ready for a skirmish, but this boy came down for a battle.

So much for me being in control…

Was it too late to jump back to her room and grab another outfit?

“Whoa. Did you prepare all this?”

He was probably talking about the mini cooking station she built. She almost forgot about that.

“You bet your britches she did!” Granny Smith added, jumping to her rescue. “She put a lot of effort into this, so you’d best be grateful, ya hear?”

Ugh… please… go… away.

“Yes ma’am.” And don’t answer her! You’re just gonna inflate her authority.

“Right then. Me and the others are heading off for our little outing. See ya’ll tonight. And don’t you be doing anything I would~.” Oh for apple-flipping-sake!

Apple Bloom’s voice chimed over the truck calling over Granny who giddily skipped to them looking like a child who just won his first argument. Big Mac would drive off a second later leaving the two of them behind to…… cook.

“So… where do we start?” The boy asked, smiling sweetly as before. He looked dashing, handsome even. Her cheeks burned again as he got closer. She quickly tried to calm herself down, breathing a sigh to ease her heart but that only served to inhale the boy’s thick scented cologne.

It smelled good enough to make her feel lightheaded.

(CHS)

Ugh… seriously? Why in the world are they doing here on a Sunday?

“Twilight~~~~.” Sunset yawned. “What are we doing in school on a Sunday?”

“I told you. I needed to get some of my tools to make the device to store magic.” She knew that of course. It’s just that… why did they have to do that so early in the morning on a weekend?

“Couldn’t you just have made it at your place?”

“I wished.” The nerd gal scoffed as they arrived at her locker. The school looked strange while it was deserted like this. “Ever since mom and dad cut my lab off from the rest of the house, I had to transfer most of my equipment offsite. I stashed more than half of it in the new house.”

“Yeah… I noticed.” That girl practically made the study room her own personal laboratory. It was a bizarre mixture of science and sorcery. Test tubes, centrifuge, and microscopes laid on the floor while books and ancient grimoires dangled overhead. It was kind of impressive if she was being honest.

“The rest, I stashed them here, in school. I use my arts and craft time to make up for the parts I need. Professor Doodle likes to throw scraps away.”

“Yeah. That’s fun and all. But did you really have to do it so early in the morning?”

“Of course. The early bird gets the worm after all.”

“And the early worm gets eaten.” Sunset croaked. “What are you making anyway?”

“I’m recreating my Magic Trap.”

Sunset choked. “You mean… that thing that we used against Cinch?”

“The very same.” Twilight shrugged as if it was nothing. “We’re gonna need it if we’re going to trap all that magic from Flash’s place.”

“But isn’t it dangerous? I mean… the last one you made burned out a whole city block.”

“Half a city block. Or… maybe 3/4th of a city block.” She corrected, which didn’t exactly help her case. “And that wasn’t my fault. That whole explosion was the result of too much unstable magic being absorbed too quickly and then being unleashed all at the same time. Besides… I worked out the kinks.”

“That’s what you said last time.”

“That was for magic control, not traumatic physical rupture. Trust me. With the upgrades I have in mind, it’ll work perfectly.” Twilight added gleefully before she finished rummaging through her locker. “Alright. With this, I can make the device and visit Flash at his place later this evening.”

“You’re going to his place?”

“Well duh. How else am I going to install the magic trap?” She pointed out. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to see his place. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy said that it was amazing.”

“You’re just doing this so you can experiment on Flash again.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned a shade of red. “Well… a little bit. We did promise him that we’ll help out. And besides, it’s a new form of magic! It’s the first time magic has ever infected a living breathing person rather than an object! The applications alone are limitless.” Her eyes gleamed. “Think of research, the thesis, the hypothesis we can develop. It’ll be a career boost for the field of sorcery!”

Ugh… those all sound like work. Hard pass. Normally Sunset wouldn’t mind a bit of busy body. But right now she already had enough on her plate. No need to add more to that mess.

“Speaking of careers.” Sunset spoke, her eyes wandering to a door just around the corner. She saw the plaque and wondered. “That key that Vice-Principal Luna gave you. Does it open all the doors in school?”

“Just the emergency door, classrooms and non-essential rooms. Why?”

“Well… the Guidance Counselor’s office is right over there.” She pointed out which sparked an interest in their minds. “Do you think it’ll work?”

“I…… maybe.” Twilight nodded though hesitantly. “That office used to be an old storeroom before it was converted to an office. The key… might work. But… why?”

“Nothing.” She lied through her teeth. “But… I was kind of thinking we could use this opportunity to bug his room. You still have some of those listening devices we used during Hoity’s pageant show?”

“Uh… yeah. But… do you think that’ll work?”

“Can’t hurt to try. And if it does… we’ll be able to eavesdrop on him without him even knowing.”

“I wouldn’t recommend such actions.”

“GAHH!” The two girls jolted upward when the voice startled them from behind.

“P… Professor Neighsay!?” Twilight gulped, freezing solid as she made eye contact with the man. “Wh… what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you two the same question.” His presence felt overwhelming yet subtle at the same time. Like a tornado that could pass by without anyone noticing. “Never thought I’d catch intruders in school grounds on my first week.”

“W… we’re not intruders.” Sunset defended.

“Really? And yet you were saying something about infiltrating my office to bug it with your gizmo?”

Ugh… crap. There’s no defense on that.

“We were just grabbing some stuff for uh… our… research?” Not doing any better Twi.

But surprisingly the man simply sighed. “I know you have trust issues with me, ladies. But I would prefer if you be honest with it rather than skulking around like a bunch of thieves. Such actions would undoubtedly create… grave misunderstandings. And we don’t want that.”

Yeah… and you’re working with a guy who wanted to mind control everyone in the city. Sorry if we don’t take your word for it, old man.

“Nonetheless, this timing is actually fortuitous. I was hoping to call you tomorrow for a meeting but we can have a discussion right now.”

Sunset glanced over to her partner who had the same expression as her. “You… wanted to talk with us? For what?”

“A rather important discussion.” He answered vaguely. “Something that you both may be interested in.”

The man then walked towards his office, unlocking the door and gesturing them in with a low creak.

Yeah… that wasn’t ominous at all.

(Canterlot Mall)

Apple Bloom let out a long winded sigh as she poked the side of her burger with a plastic fork. The bun wiggled at the touch while the patty inside sizzled. Normally she’d be gorging on the little treat like a grizzly bear on a honey jar. She loved fast food and loved eating it constantly. Her friends knew her to have the appetite of the Apple Family. But right now it looks like her stomach is elsewhere.

Her mind wandered back to her big sister who was probably having the time of her life trying to…… in the immortal words of Granny Smith: Trying to seduce a boy through cooking. Which still sounds weird every time she thinks about it.

She couldn’t believe that both her big sis and big brother found themselves partners at nearly the same time. Big Mac in particular. You’d think a guy of few words wouldn’t have such luck in romance. The guy was a rock some times. Ever his own sister couldn’t get a read on his thoughts. But right now it was really Applejack she was more concerned with.

She heard about Flash Sentry. Pretty much everyone in CHS knew of him. The guy was pretty popular around most circles in school. All of her friends say that he was that rocker boy living next door. Or perhaps a charming fellow who had a ton of followers on the school website. But to be honest, she didn’t really know much about the guy. And that worried her.

Ok, so she might give him the benefit of the doubt. He was the one who fixed up their barn when it burned down last year. And he did help rebuild the whole reunion from scratch. But other than that and his love for music… the guy was a blank slate. She wasn’t sure if he was really a nice guy or a guy pretending to be nice. For all she knows, he might just be that big ol’meanie who’ll steal the farm from right under them.

“You ok Apple Bloom?” She looked up from her food noticing her two friends staring at her worryingly. “You’ve been playing with your food for over 10 minutes.”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah. Normally you’d be on your fourth burger by now… and complaining that the portion is still way too small.”

Ugh… she must really be off if her friends can notice her slump. “Sorry guys. It’s just… I’ve been having a thinking session lately.”

“Are you still bummed out that Principal Celestia closed down our club?” Scootaloo mentioned. “I keep telling you, she had a good point. We were pretty much just using our club money to buy movie tickets for everyone.”

“No. It’s not that.” The little apple groaned. “Ok… maybe a little. But I’m actually worried about something else.”

“Well why don’t you tell us? We might not be an official club but we can still listen.”

“Is it a problem at home?” Sweetie asked, soothingly.

“Sorta.” She poked her fries next. “It’s kind of a secret. So no telling, ok?”

“Pinkie promise.” The two friends bumped fists. “Ain’t that right Pinkie?”

“Yup! Got it all written down, right here.” Wait… where did Pinkie come from…… and… she’s gone.

Apple Bloom decided not to question it. That was a rabbit hole no one wanted to delve into. “Well… it’s my sister. She’s been acting a little… different lately.”

“Different… how?” Sweetie took a sip off her drink. “Like liking oranges instead of apples different or wearing a new pair of pajamas kind of different?”

Those were strangely specific. “Uh… the second one… I guess. It’s just that there’s this guy she’s crushing on and it’s…”

“Pffft! What!?” They spat loudly which garnered the attention of everyone in the food court. “Applejack has a crush!?”

Apple Bloom gave them the stink eye in turn. “Very subtle, girls.”

Scoots chuckled apologetically. “Sorry Apple Bloom. It’s just that this is kind of a big deal. Unless of course it’s another teacher… like Big Mac and Ms. Cheerilee.”

“Ugh… don’t remind me.” They shivered at the thought. Even now those two are probably on some romantic date touring the city and calling each other their overly sweet nicknames. “It’s bad enough that she’s dating my brother but she also has to give me extra special attention too.” She even gave her bonus points in a pop quiz for no particular reason. That was so embarrassing. A cool perk to have but still embarrassing. Next thing people might think: She was a teacher’s pet.

“You know what this means, right?” Sweetie and Scoots nodded to one another.

Apple Bloom blinked. “What? What does it mean?”

“Well… you know what happens when people get together, don’t you?” The little apple stared back dumbly. “It means they’ll be moving on.”

“Breaking away from the branch.”

“Flying out of the nest.”

“Going south for the winter.”

“A chicken flying out of the coop.”

Apple Bloom groaned. “Are you two playing some kind of game I don’t know about?”

“It means they’ll be leaving!” Sweetie explained. “You know those stories about people getting together? Once they hitch, they’ll be moving out of the house next.”

“Moving out of the house?”

“Yup. It’s the way of life.” Scootaloo agreed chewing her burger. “Remember that couple from the Sweet Snacks Café? The moment they got married, they immediately moved out together after their honeymoon. It’s kind of like… tradition.”

“What?” Apple Bloom laughed at the thought. “That’s crazy.”

“She’s right.” The purple member of the club added. “Rarity told me that when two people get together, they need some ‘Privacy’ in their life. It’s absolutely normal. Why I wouldn’t be surprised if both your brother and sister leave the house to see the world.”

“You think they’ll take long vacation like the other couple?” Scoots beamed.

“Meh. Who knows? It depends on their preference. Rarity says that she’ll at least take a half-world tour when she gets married.”

No.

That can’t be right. Applejack and Big Mac were supposed to be with her to take care of the farm. They were supposed to be the inseparable Apple Family. Living under one roof, growing old together until the next generation kicks in. If they all leave, she’ll be the only one tending the farm. And that’ll never work!

“NOOO!” The girl screamed, garnering the attention of the whole mall. “That can’t be! I’m far too young to be left to my own devices! I don’t even know the full layout of the whole farm! I haven’t even tasted the Special Cider! What would I do without my family? Who will I turn to?” She hyperventilated, choking loudly. “Oh no. What if the farm goes under? What about taxes!?”

“Breathe!!!!!” Scoots shoved a paper bag up the panicking girl’s face. “Geez. You don’t have to freak out like that.”

“Yeah. We were only joking. Mostly.” The girl calmed down which prompted another row of stares. “Well? Don’t just sit there looking like an apple. Tell us who it is!”

“Yeah! Who’s the lucky guy that won her heart? Is it Soarin? Or maybe Thunderlane?”

“No, it’s probably Silver Zoom. I heard he’s had a massive crush on Applejack since in our trip in Camp Everfree.”

They eyed the redhead, smiling expectantly for an answer. She sighed.

“Fine. I’ll spill the beans. But you must swear never to say a word.”

Scootlaloo gave her a wavy response. “Oh please. We’ve already taken the Pinkie Promise. What more could you possibly want? Now stop keeping us in suspense and spill it.”

And that afternoon, beans were spilled.

(CHS) (Neighsay’s office)

The office felt cold. Twilight can practically feel her skin chilling just sitting there. And there wasn’t even air-conditioning around this place. Was this guy using magic or was his cold attitude just doing that to them?

“So what did you want to talk about?” Sunset went straight to the main topic without as much as a simple exchange of pleasantries.

If Neighsay felt offended in any way, he certainly didn’t show it. In fact… you could hardly read his expression at all. He was like a wall made of ice.

“I’ll get straight to the point.” He began. “We need your help.”

…

Well… that certainly wasn’t something they were expecting.

“Help with… what exactly?” Twilight inquired, raising one brow over her glasses.

“No doubt you all know of the earthquake that happened recently around the city.” Of course they do. Everyone does. “Ever since that event, I’ve conducted my own personal investigation to find the origins of that quake.”

But they know where it came from. It occurred when the portal in Castle Hoofbeard tore apart. Wasn’t that… right?

Twilight passed a glance to her friend which she shook her head in response. “And… what did you find?”

“According to our investigation, our intelligence believe that the cause and effect occurred within the city itself.” Inside? That can’t be right. “To be more accurate: It came from within Everton Academy.”

“Everton?”

“Correct. We believe stray magic may have made its way there causing some sort of cascade. It wouldn’t be the first time something like this happen.” It’s not? Then what have they been doing for the last few years? “It’s usually an artifact that somehow wandered into the area with its magic going haywire. You won’t believe how many incidents we’ve had with those. I would like your ‘Club’, as you call it, to investigate.”

“And why are we supposed to help you?” Sunset challenged which strangely did not garner any reaction from the man. “You do know we’re not exactly best buds, right?”

“Normally we would handle something like this ourselves. But even an organization as big as ours has its limits.” He gracefully added that last part with some hint of bitterness. “For one… it is a school. And as much as it pains me to admit, our influence that particular area is quite… shallow at the moment. And seeing as it is the beginning to the semester, imbedding an agent in there would be quite… difficult. However with you, that will not be the case.”

“That sounds like your problem.”

“Incorrect. It is ‘Our’ problem.” He said wryly. “You can pretend that you don’t care, Ms. Shimmer. But you can cut the act. You can’t fool me. Besides, can you really afford to ignore rampant magic at this time? The way I see it, this little quake incident concerns us both. Or are you simply a heartless girl who cares nothing but herself?”

Twilight eyed her friend who squinted angrily. She got her there.

No matter how small the incident might be, they can’t ignore it. For all they know it could be another artifact going haywire. If they hadn’t discovered Vignette’s enchanted cellphone, Juniper’s mirror, or the Time Twirler? Things would’ve been way worse than before.

“He’s right, Sunset. We can’t ignore it. If something really is causing a ruckus we have to at least investigate.” Her partner didn’t seem to agree and grunted. “Besides, we have a truce with the Order now. It’d be nice to work together for once instead of fighting each other. And if Neighsay had any bad intentions, he wouldn’t be asking us like this.”

“I can see who that you are the brains in this group, Ms. Sparkle.” The cold man nodded.

“But Everton Academy is a big place. Can you narrow down where the magic might come from?”

“That… I can.” He slowly pull out a stack of photos from his desk which depicted a certain old Principal. “During our early operations here, Abacus Cinch was our one and only contact. Her task was to locate and collect magical items from the city itself. During her stay here, she frequently visited Everton Academy under the guise of procuring some… of said artifact. We know that she met we many of the faculty in the Art History and Archeological Department. Your best bet will be to start there. I’m sure if there are any magical items, you will certainly find it. You girls seem to have a habit of encountering the strangest things.”

Twilight took a glance over the photos. It certainly was her old Principal. Before her memories were erased. No doubt the Order’s doing as punishment for tricking them. Ever since she discovered magic, she’d been doing a lot of shady things. Using the Chalice of Wishes to increase her own powers, turning her shadow monster against her friends, rebuilding her Magic Trap. These achievements alone were quite impressive especially if she did it all by herself.

“And how do you intend to get us in there? School’s already started. Won’t it look suspicious if students from other schools visit that place?”

“The Brain Blast Science Regional Tournament!” Twilight answered with an almost jubilant cry. “The first round of the tournament is going to be held in Everton. We can use that as our excuse to visit. They have special tours to view the outer grounds.”

“Correct.” Neighsay nodded showing some hint of admiration in his tone for once. “Tomorrow, Principal Celestia is hosting a fundraising event which should be… entertaining to say the least. School will be half-day. You can use that time to investigate. I might also suggest looking into some magical occurrences there. It may be a little difficult.”

“Oh not at all.” Twilight chimed flashing her phone. “I already got some hints.”

“We do?”

“Yup. Our club website. People post on it all the time when they see something weird or suspicious. Kind of like an occult gathering I simply cross reference words through the forums, match that with any known historical or important items in Everton Academy and we can work our way from there. It’ll narrow down our search pattern and we can keep a lookout for anything suspicious.”

“That is… quite… impressive, Ms. Sparkle.” The man’s brow rose a few inch which was probably the most expression they’d be able to get out of it. “I shouldn’t be surprised how you were able to defeat two of our agents. I take it you’ll accept this task?”

“We will.” She nodded. “But under a few conditions.” The gentleman remained silent hinting her to go on. “1) We will be leading this investigation. We will be doing this our way. No outside interference unless we ask for it.” That sounded fair. The first step to building trust was mutual cooperation – or so she would like to believe. “2) Any magical artifacts we acquire from this investigation will be our responsibility. And we’ll be the one to decide what to do with them. We are taking all the risks after all.”

Neighsay squinted, his brow sharpening just enough to show a hint of frustration. “I… suppose that’s fair. Though perhaps in the future, you’ll be willing to negotiate a trade.”

“And in exchange for all of this, we’ll provide you with a constant updates of our investigation. No secrets, no vague statements either. All honest truths.”

The Guidance counselor pushed his chin up in thought as he made his way to the only window of his office. He didn’t really have much to push with. And seeing he was the one making the request, he couldn’t really deny her conditions.

“Very well.” He said finally, much to their relief. “I accept your terms. For now. I expect a favorable report within the week.”

Yes!

“Thank you sir.” Twilight giddily nodded. “Oh, and do you mind if we take these photos with us? For reference of course.” The man shrugged and permitted them to be on their way.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was only after they made it out of school grounds did Sunset voice her protest. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Working with Neighsay? The Order? Don’t you think we should take this a little bit slowly?”

“It’s a magical incident. We can’t possibly wait. Besides, it’ll be a great way to prepare myself for my time in Everton.”

“True. But… shouldn’t we discuss this with the others first?”

“I don’t see what the problem is.” She shrugged back. “You were more than happy to make a deal with him without consulting with any of us.”

“That’s… also true.” Sunset groaned having put herself in a corner. “But what about this earthquake thing? Wasn’t that caused by the Portal underneath the castle going haywire?”

“That was our original hypothesis.” Twilight corrected. “We never really had any proof other than my scanners. We could be right or we could be wrong. Besides, this is still a good opportunity for us.”

“You mean a good opportunity for you.” She whined. “Ugh… fine. As much as I hate to admit it, we have to investigate. But how do we even start? Everton is a pretty big place. We need to find a way to narrow it down somehow.”

“I already have that covered.”

Sunset blinked. “You have? How?”

“With this.” She pulled one of the photos which clearly depicted Abacus Cinch talking with someone. “You see that woman talking to Cinch? I’ve seen her before. Back in the excavation camp in Freefall Island. She was talking with Professor Sombra and Shining Armor.”

“Your brother was there?”

“Yup. And I have a sneaking suspicion she has something to do with this magic mishap.”

“And you didn’t reveal this to Neighsay… why?”

“Duh. You’d think I’d trust a guy just because he asked? Pa-lease. I might be trusting, but not that trusting. Like people say: You got to give a little lie to look good.”

“You made that up just now, didn’t you?”

Twilight shrugged. “Eh… kinda. Now come on. Let’s get the others and we can plan our next step.”

Mission Pony-Possible

Author's Note

Sorry for the long delay fellas. My computer went on the fritz. Had to write on my lap top.
Scared out of my mind thinking i lost everything inside.
Turns out the power supply thingie was loose or something. I'm not really a comp expert.

Got it back last week so this chapter is a little on the short end.
Hopefully I'll get back to updating weekly.

Mission Pony-Possible

Chapter 71: Mission Pony Possible

(House by the hill)

“Alright people, listen up.” Sunset announced as the Rainboom gathered around the living room. Normally she’d be grateful to have all her friends visit her place. But unfortunately it was not in better circumstances. “We have a mission on our hand and it’s a big one.”

Rainbow Dash unsurprisingly cheered in excitement. “Yes! Finally! A new adventure for the history books. I’ve been waiting for this. What is it this time? Are we delving into another castle to fight off an ancient evil? Destroy a cursed relic from turning the world into a barren wasteland? Or are we finally going to take down Neighsay?”

Twilight cocked a brow in return. “Uh… none of those.” Rainbow slumped. “In fact. This new mission will have us working together with the Order of the Black Stone.”

“I still find that name rather bland.” Rarity commented. “Whoever invented it must’ve been a rather dull fellow.”

“Totally!” Pinkie squealed. “Like… just because they’re from a super-old company that use these black gemstones, they should’ve chosen something more colorful. Like the Silver Swans! The Pink Piñatas! The Fluffy Wombats!”

“Whoa whoa.” Applejack paused. “Hold up. Since when were we chummy with the other group? Weren’t they like… the bad guys in this story? I mean did you guys forget that they tried to mind control all the rich folks in the city?”

“And Cinch tried to drain the magic off of us?” Fluttershy followed shivering.

Their fears and doubts were understandable. This was a complete 180 of what they were doing after all. You can’t expect to have your enemies come for dinner and sing together after they tried to hurt you, twice now.

“I know it’s a little unconventional.” Sunset nodded in agreement. “But this is an important assignment.” She signaled Twilight to bring over a blackboard plastered with photos. “According to Neighsay’s information, someone or something caused the earthquake that shook the whole city the other day. And the origins of it came from Everton Academy.”

“That school Twilight never stops talking about?” Rainbow snickered.

“Hey! I don’t talk about it all the time.” The accused defended. “It’s only the most advance school in the whole country with all manners of equipment and departments that allow you to do your research on every level. It even has a private lab where you can…” Trailing through their stares, she sighed. “Ok… I see it now.”

“There’s a good chance that this might lead us to another magic user, but there’s also a good chance it might be a trap set up for us.” Sunset continued. “Therefore we’ll be splitting into two teams. One group will be investigating this magic anomaly while the other team keep watch over Neighsay. Tomorrow will be the school’s fundraising event. So you shouldn’t stand out too much. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack have their bake-a-thon sale so they’ll be the least suspicious.”

“The secret ingredient for tomorrow’s cupcake is… edible sunscreen!” The party animal exclaimed earning a ‘bleh’ noise from her friends. “It’s both festive… and good for your skin.”

“The rest of us will investigate Everton Academy.” Sunset added. “Rarity, your keen eye for details will be crucial for anything out of place.” The fashionista gave a semi-humble puff of her chest. “And Rainbow Dash. As much as I hate to admit it: Your TV knowledge of evil lairs, traps and other unexpected encounters saved us from a lot of trouble in Hoofbeard’s Castle.”

“Heh. That’s natural. See? I can be both brains and brawns.” The gang rolled their eyes collectively.

Rarity followed up, raising her hand. “But Everton Academy is quite a big school darling. Nearly three times as big as CHS.”

“Four times actually.” Twilight corrected arrogantly. “But thankfully, we have a lead.” She pointed to a particular photo where a familiar Abacus Cinch stood by talking with an unfamiliar woman. “This lady here is Professor Chrysalis, a former associate of Professor Cinch. According to Vice-Principal Luna, she was appointed to replace the old headmaster after he retired a year ago. So she’s filling in as a temporary Headmaster. And after cross-referencing information with our club website, a number of strange occurrences has been going on around Everton Academy a few days after she came into the scene.”

“Wh… what kind of strange occurrences?” The wallflower shuddered.

“The strange kind. Lights going out suddenly, furniture levitating in mid-air, books flying off the shelves, weird noises from various locations. There are even video evidence in the school’s website. But unsurprisingly, people have been treating it to be nothing more than a hoax or just made up shams.”

That was one advantage they had around here. Despite everything that has happened, the human world seems to have a difficult time believing in the existence of magic. Folks here would pretty much just think of strange events to be a trick of the light or maybe their own imaginations going overboard. Even Principal Celestia was in denial of the whole thing. It took the zombification of the entire school to change her mind.

Sensing the silence, the human Twilight continued. “Naturally we won’t be chasing over one lead. We’ll also be placing these magic sensors I’ve developed around the school to broaden our scope. If there’s magic in Everton Academy, we’ll find it.”

“Everyone good on the plan?”

“Sure do.” Applejack shrugged. “But I’m still not thrilled about working for Neighsay… or the Order for that matter.”

Sunset couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “Trust me Applejack. You’re not the only one. But it’s still our responsibility to look into the matter. And besides, you’ll be the one keeping watch over him until we get back. If anything goes wrong, we’ll give you a call.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“Hey Rarity.” Applejack called out to her best friend the moment they were in a separate room, out of earshot from the others. “You got a minute? I need some advice.”

“Of course darling. You know I’m always available to help a friend in need. Though I don’t think I can do anything more than what you have.”

The cowgirl gave a blank confusing stare. “Uh… what?”

“That outfit of yours is already perfect as it is. Those lucky boots, that hat, and that designer blouse of yours is absolutely perfect. It brings out your eyes.”

“Uh… these are the ones you gave me last summer.”

“And I stand by my statement.” She gave an arrogant pose. “Though I suppose we can add a few gemstones here for dramatic flair. A few necklaces for that sheek look.”

“What? N… no! Not about fashion! I need… relationship advice.”

Rarity’s face deflated almost instantly when she realized what she was going for. “Oh…… that. Well… I suppose I can help out somehow. Were you looking for something in particular?”

“Well… you know I had the whole afternoon with Flash today, right?” Of course she did. It was practically something she was blissfully aware and dreadfully hoping not to discuss. “I was thinking maybe you can give me some of that seduction technique you were talking about.”

“Ah… ahehe… right. I did say that, didn’t I?” Rarity bit her lip. “Sorry. I have been a little busy with this whole shenanigan. But why now? Did your little outing not go so well?”

“No it went… good. Great even.” She responded. Though her expression mellowed afterward. “Actually it went pretty smooth to be honest. Flash and I spent four hours together. We talked, we laughed, we cooked, and we traded our contact numbers. And after that we just hung around the farm. We even spent the latter part of it watching a movie over pies.”

“Oh?” Her eyes glimmered. “It sounds like you two had a great time together. So what seems to be the problem?”

“It wasn’t romantic… like… at all.” Her hands flipped over in the air. “You know those snooty love-drama movies that you make me and Rainbow watch all the time?” Of course she knows. It’s the only bit of culture these girls get exposed to. “Well… I was kind of expecting it to be something like that. You know? The kiss by the sunset, the pigeons flying in the clouds, the choir singing from nowhere. I wanted that.”

Oh sweet innocent AJ. That all sounds so sweet and so… fictional at the same time. Rarity could tell where she got those ideas from. But those were added in the background for dramatic effect.

“Applejack. Darling. You do know that movies are way different than that in real life, right?”

“I know that. But… can a girl dream?” She sighed. “I was really hoping something would spark between us there, but all I got was just the same old thing. I want something… spicy… passionate. I want to feel like… how I felt back during the reunion. But all I got was… mediocre.”

“Applejack. I know that this is your first ever crush and all. But you have to understand that love is a very complicated process. You can’t just rush it like everything else you’ve done. You have to nurture it, wait for it to bloom. Otherwise you’ll just wear yourself out.”

“So… you’re saying I should wait and let it grow naturally?”

Did she say that? That sounded a lot better than the metaphor she gave out.

“Sure. Why not?” She shrugged. “But there are other factors too.”

“There are?”

“Of course. Love must come both ways darling. Otherwise you’ll be suffering a one-sided love.” Rarity added, taking a seat by her personal table. “We all know your feelings for Flash. But the question now is: Does to return those feeling? Does he blush whenever you’re around? Does he look at you funny? Does he even know that you have a crush on him?”

“Uh…… none of the above?”

“Exactly. This is the reason why your little get-together didn’t feel special. You, my dear girl, are blocked by what many would call… the Friend-zone.” Her hands waved around as if conjuring an imaginary rainbow. “You see, both of your perspectives are different. For you, Flash is someone who you’d like to spend time with. Someone you’d like to have a closer relationship. A love-interest. But in his point of view, you’re just another friend, a comrade in arms, a confidant. And therein lies the problem.”

Applejack’s eyes snapped wide open like she had been struck by realization. “Of course.” Her hands clapped. “It all make sense now. He doesn’t see me like I see him.”

Rarity nodded. “Precisely. Because of that, your dream of a love between the two of you will never come true. You need to find a way to change his perspective of you. To let him see you more than just… a friend.”

“But how?” The cowgirl pleaded.

How indeed. Rarity was a lot of things. But an expert on love, she was not. In fact, the only knowledge of the subject were from TV dramas and books and even she knew that most of those contents were highly exaggerated for dramatic effect. Though she would never fully admit it, she too was just as innocent and naïve as this cowgirl. In fact… you might even say that Applejack and Pinkie Pie have more experience in love than she would ever be – and that was a haunting idea itself.

Oh when oh when will her Romeo finally show himself?

(Flash’s house)

“You sure you can do it by yourself?”

“Relax Twilight. I got this.” Flash replied confidently on his phone as he walked into the vault with little trouble. “Trust me. No one will even notice. All I gotta do is put this little gizmo in the same room as the artifacts and it’ll do the rest, right?”

“Technically the Magic Trap Mk. II scans its surrounding for magical energy and then absorbs it through a long process. So… yeah.” She paused. “I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you to do it myself. Something big came up and we had to reschedule.”

“Hey no prob. I completely understand. You guys are off to another big adventure. Saving the world from some power-hungry goon. Nothing I haven’t seen before. Speaking of which. Now that I have this power with me, maybe I can help out more. I mean, I can defend myself if we get into a scuffle. And I don’t have to worry about others trying to brainwash me.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea just yet. Not until you got some proper control.” The girl chuckled. “But I promise. After we conduct our investigation, I’ll personally give you a special tutoring session to hone your magic. We’ll do all manner of field testing and examination. I’m also quite curious on what you can do. The implications of that scar is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Flash could practically see her grinning on the other line trying to do what little research she could. “How does it feel by the way? Having all that power inside of you?”

“Eh… nothing much.”

“No pains, weird activities, or any side-effect?”

“Umm… it’s a little itchy sometimes and it glows, but that’s pretty much it. I’m actually worried about using it. The last time I tried focusing the magic inside, it made Bananas float up in the air. Took me a whole hour just to get him back down.” He heard a mumbling on the other line and the word ‘Fascinating’ creep in. “Speaking of which. Are you sure this device you gave me is safe? The last time I saw this thing, we nearly burned down a whole city block.”

“Technically that was your fault.” Ouch. That was painful, but not untrue. “And secondly: Don’t worry. I told you. I worked out all the chinks in the device and added extra lead density to keep everything contained. There are no risks of spontaneous combustion or explosion. Maybe.”

He paused. “Uh… maybe?”

“It’s not like I had a try out session here.” She defended. “As long as you don’t rattle it or toss it to a wall, it should be fine. I’ll monitor its progress from Sunset’s place.”

“I’m just making sure I’m not setting a bomb at my own house.”

“Since when did you become so cautious? Normally you’d be thrilled about all this magic stuff.”

“I kinda had some doubts ever since that time we got teleported to the other side of the world.”

The caller grunted. “Hmm. Good point. Anyway. I promise you. Nothing bad will happen with the Magic Trap Mk. II won’t malfunction one bit. And if it does, I’ll eat my own socks.”

“Aha! Now I really want to see it fail.”

“Oh don’t be a jerk.” She giggled cutely. “Speaking of which. Umm… are you free some time later next week?” Flash paused a second time. “I was kinda hoping we’d get together again.”

“Aren’t you gonna teach me magic?”

“Yes. Of course. But I was kind of hoping of something other than business. You know? Like that time we went to my favorite restaurant?”

“I thought you didn’t like the food.”

“Not all of it!” Her voice groaned. “Just the pickled stuff. You know how I felt about that stuff ever since we got back from the desert. Besides, you enjoyed it too.”

He knew that. He just couldn’t resist teasing. “Well, I’m pretty swamped next week. With dad becoming mayor and all and this whole magical investigation you guys are doing. But if you’re not picky. I think we can go for a movie next weekend.”

“Really?”

“Really. It’d be nice to be just the two of us.”

“Ye… yeah. Totally.” Did she stutter just now? “Oh… and speaking of the two of us. Remember the first day of school?” He raised a quizzical brow. “You asked me to meet you privately in the band room that time. But then the whole earthquake thing happened. What was it about?”

Oh… that.

Timber’s face suddenly popped into his mind. Memories of that fateful encounter at the Sweet Shoppe came flooding back in. The promise he made to the fella.

He completely forgot about it.

Ugh… and that one thing he wasn’t supposed to do?

Yeah…

“Oh it’s… nothing.” He said quickly, masking his awkward attitude. “It was just a school question. Nothing major.”

“You sure?”

“A hundred percent.” Flash coughed. “So anyway. How about I help you guys out tomorrow in your investigation? An extra pair of eyes can’t hurt.”

“True. But I don’t think Sunset will like it if I asked you to tag along.” Of course she won’t. “But then again. There is something else you can do for us.”

Inside Job

Author's Note

Finally saw G5 trailer. It looks pretty good.
I hope that it'll live up to the expectation of the previous generation.
Keeping my spirits up until then.

Inside Job

Chapter 72: Inside Job

(Everton Academy)

Everton was everything Twilight imagined it would be, and then some.

She visited the place frequently back when she was still in Crystal Prep but this was perhaps the first time she entered the school grounds properly. It had a really tight security system which only permitted visitors on a certain basis. But nonetheless, she was here now, and it was huge. Precisely four times larger than CHS or Crystal Prep for that matter.

They had every kind of facility dedicated to one field of science or research, a library so large that you could end up getting lost in, a private dormitory where all the wonderful thinkers meet up, and don’t even get her started on the cafeteria. It was a first class five-star restaurant. The meals they make in there were fit for kings. Everything a bright mind like hers needed was all within metaphorical-arm’s reach.

She can’t wait till graduation. To be studying here would be her dream come true.

“Twilight… darling.” Rarity spoke, tapping the girl by the shoulder. “Keep your head up dear. You’re standing out.”

Twilight quickly stood up straight, but again couldn’t help but marvel at the sign. They were just standing by the gate and already she could feel the knowledge streaming out of it.

“Sorry. It’s just that I’m so excited. This will be the first time I get to see the inside of the school itself. Can you imagine? The next generation of the greatest thinkers in this corner of the world all come through these doors. And in a few months, I’ll be one of them!”

“Yes dear. Like you’ve said a dozen times already. But honestly you can stand to be a bit more whelmed. Your jittery expression is weirding everyone out.”

“No I’m not.”

“You’re drooling.”

Was she? Twilight checked her chin anyway just to confirm and found her sleeves moist. Her cheeks turned red just as Rarity offered her a napkin.

“I gotta hand it to ya, Twilight. This place really is amazing.” Sunset added joining the row of students and visitors alike. “It kind of reminds me of my school back in Equestria. Though… not as grand. And speaking of which. Where are the rest of the tour group? You’d think there’d be a lot of students coming to check the place out.”

“Oh I’m sure there are other tours.” Twilight waved it off. “We probably got the early group.”

That made sense. “So… are you sure we’ll be able to find out where the magic is coming from?”

“Don’t you worry. I got everything covered.” The nerd gal quickly brought out a device from her pocket and handed it over to the rest. “These are the same tracking tools we used to search for magic. I’ve tuned it to detect both Yaztec and Equestrian Magic. If you hear it ping, that means you’re close. And as for Rainbow Dash.” She turned to the girl in question pulling even more palm sized gizmos. “These are my personalized magic scanners. Once the tour goes half way for its break time, you’ll place these on the roof of the tallest buildings. That way, I can scan the whole school from the safety of my lab. Think you’re up for it?”

“Oh please.” Rainbow Dash scoffed confidently, flexing her arms. “Getting around the school in 15 minutes? I can do that with my eyes closed.”

“I’m still not liking this.” Sunset chimed just as the students began to funnel in through the gate. “This could still be a trap, so we should all be extra careful.”

“I’ve already got Applejack and Pinkie Pie on backup duty. Fluttershy is with them too, but I doubt she’ll want to be put in harm’s way. If they don’t hear from us, they’ll head straight to Vice-Principal Luna.”

“Alright everyone.” A young gentleman in a green blazer called out to them. He looked like a teacher. A little on the young side with a nice suit, hair waving pleasantly just above his shoulder and a bright purple eyes. And judging from his frantic expression he must be somewhat new. “Sorry for the delay. We had a little problem with the faculty. A… are you the girls who signed up for the tour?”

“Yes sir!” Twilight responded eagerly, a wide childish grin on her face.

“Great! Um… my name is Thorax. And I’ll be in charge of showing you around.” He laughed out awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry. We weren’t really expecting such a large group to come by. My brother was supposed to do this with me but…”

Were they a large group? There were only four of them.

“Ahem. Anyway. Welcome to Everton Academy. The greatest educational institution in the western hemisphere. As you may know, our school will have the honor and privilege to host the first half of the B & B Regional Tournament. I have no doubt that this tour will answer all your questions of what the tournament entails and what our beloved academy has to offer. By the time you finish this tour, you’ll see that this place has everything you need to give you the edge in advancing your future.”

Twilight was the only one who applauded, nudging the rest of the gang to followed suit, though they couldn’t really offer anything more than just a slow polite clap just to add the mix. Rainbow Dash made a comment but none of them really heard it.

“Now if you follow me. We’ll have our first stop at the school library.”

They trailed the older man, with Twilight giddying every step of the way.

(CHS) (Football field)

Luna couldn’t help but contain a smile as she wandered down the field of her school that afternoon. No matter how many times she sees it, it never cease to amaze her how her sister manages to arrange everything on such short notice. In just a few days she managed to convert the school’s football field into a mini flea market. The amount of stalls erected here could compare to that of a fair down by the docks on New Year’s Eve.

An array of colorful banners dangled from rooftops and pavilion stands, a mixture of perfume and home cooked meals lingered in the air making people drool. The shrimp dumpling stall at the corner was especially enticing. And the amount of noise and music was enough to attract passerby and curious citizens alike just to see what the whole thing was all about.

It was also nice to see students and teachers from her school and Crystal Prep were getting along. The atmosphere here was way more manageable than the time during the Friendship Games. You can even tell the difference between the stalls of the two schools.

While CHS were more on the imaginative and creative side of art, you can’t really deny that those kids from Crystal Prep had their head in the game. Everything they had looked professionally done, like something a corporation would mass produce for big bucks. From their confectionaries to their games, and even a few activities. All of them seemed to possess a degree of ‘Gaudiness’. These rich kids really got style. Heck, even their prizes looked more appealing. From game consoles to……

… IS THAT A CAR!?

Luna snapped her head so quickly that it was a miracle that it didn’t fall off. She blinked twice just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things – and then a third time for good measure. But no matter how many times she blinked, the darn thing was still there. It was an honest to god car. A rather old model but still…… that can’t be real, can it?

“Yo~~~ It’s the VP. Welcome~~~~~.” A groovy gal waved at her, earphones blasting music so loud that she could hear it from a distance. Lemon Zest was her name, if she recalled. She was one of the competitors during the Friendship Games. “Came to try your luck on our biggest raffle? Only 50 bucks a ticket. 1st Prize is the legendary Hooverton Vintage model.”

“Raffle?” She balked, finger pointing at the car. “You mean this thing is…… real?”

“You bet’cha. Drove the thing all the way here.” Lemon Zest grinned. “This thing is about as old as my dad. Roughly 80 horsepower engine, reinforced tires, spoilers for maximum air time, and wicked decals to go with the rider. You’re guaranteed for a fun experience no matter where you go. Oh. And it’s got awesome mileage too. Pretty rad, right?”

Rad indeed. Who in their right mind would raffle their car off in a school fundraiser? What idiot would even give away such a prized vehicle for such a mundane event?

“Like what you see?” Her answer came in the form of that ‘Idiot’ walking up to her with a wide eyed smile on his face. “Pretty awesome, eh?”

“Sombra.” She mumbled under her breath. “Of course. I should’ve known you’d be the one to do something so brazen.”

“Are… you talking about the prize?”

“No. I’m talking about the background. Of course I’m talking about the prize!? Why in the world are you giving away this… beautiful piece of machinery!?” And it really was beautiful. She could really see herself driving this thing on the countryside with no one stopping her.

But unsurprisingly the older man simply shrugged. “It’s an old model from back in the day. It’s a little used up but it won’t breakdown along the way. There’s no need to worry. I have six more back home. Besides, it’s one of our biggest attraction so far. It’ll definitely raise a lot of money for the school.”

“You can probably sell this thing online and make a thousand times more than the whole event! You could’ve just done that and give the money.”

“That… is true. But…” His eye wandered to Celestia who was speaking with Dean Cadance in the corner. The latter looking rather gruff and haggard. “I highly doubt your sister would accept such a gift.”

Ah… right. That actually made sense. Despite the two of them unofficially dating, Celestia had a bit of a pride side in her. Gifts and presents were always welcoming, but she would never take a handout even if it was offered on a silver platter. Luna was conflicted to say if that was one of her better or lesser qualities.

She smacked her forehead, grunting. “Yeah that sounds like her. That girl really doesn’t know to take the easy way.”

“It’s one of her charms.”

“More like one of her faults.” Luna smirked. “I’m gonna have a word with her after today.”

“You do that.” He sighed. “In the meantime though. Why don’t you and I enjoy the festivities while it last? It’s not every day we get to hang out in such a pleasant circumstance.”

“That’s… nice. But I’m on duty right now.” Keeping watch on the crowd and a certain Neighsay who was casually browsing the stalls at the corner of her eye. “Wouldn’t you rather spend your time with my sister instead? It would certainly look good for our students knowing that the Principals of both schools were on good terms.”

“I tried that already. But Celestia is quite adamant on keeping our… relationship… a secret from the others. She simply gave me pleasantries and told me to wander.”

“So what? I’m your backup choice?”

“Well… yes.” Wow. He said that without a hint of remorse. I feel so special. “If it makes you feel better, I can offer you a treat from one of the stalls.”

“Oh~~ so you think I’m a cheapskate? Some girl who’ll just give you a pass just because she gets a gift out of it?” Luna turned away with a grumpy look on her face. There was no way in heck she was gonna give this guy the satisfaction of her company. Not after such an insulting remark. There was no way in heck she was gonna even look at him or even entertain the idea of splurging his money. Pfft. She wasn’t a skank. Even a girl like her had some sense of pride.

But oddly enough the aroma of the food by the corner broke that sense.

…

… damn it.

“I want the shrimp dumpling.”

The Principal smiled victoriously.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Come and get your cupcakes here! Delicious, nutritious, and absolutely ridiculous cupcakes! Now serving with tissues. And~~ it also comes with edible sunscreen! You can eat them. You can wear them on your skin!”

Pinkie shouted with absolute enthusiasm as she ran around the open field tossing flyers out to the people, whiles wearing the school’s fluffy mascot costume. The thing was heavy as a dumbbell, but it certainly looked adorable to boot. It’s no wonder the people who wear this thing get tired after a few hours. Still… it was no match to the limitless bubble of energy like her.

“Don’t forget to try one out from our sample basket.” Fluttershy added, casually handing out pamphlets to wandering patrons. “It now comes in six different flavors.”

The two of them and Applejack were running the bake sale which was pretty much one of the best attractions in the fundraising event. While everyone else were running their games and prizes, everyone here would have to energize to participate.

“Alright ya’ll. Break time.” The cowgirl announced, pulling two leftover cupcakes for them to snack on. “Great work out there girls. This whole advertisement thing is pulling in more customers than I thought. We’re already down to half our stock.”

“No trouble, pardner.” Pinkie replied, leaning on the kiosk as she inhaled her share of the snack. “Wearing adorable costumes, shouting to the top of my lungs while I run around the field can’t even be considered work. I do the same thing every Monday.”

Fluttershy tilted her head down. “You do?”

“Yup. It’s called lung exercise! I find that screaming to the top of your lungs just to hear the echo come back at you is the perfect way to start the week. It’s both relaxing and exciting. You should totally try it!”

“I think you have a different way of relaxing than most people, Pinkie.” AJ chuckled. “Speaking of which. I just got a text from Twilight. They’re in Everton Academy. So remember: It’s our job to keep an eye on Neighsay and make sure he’s not doing anything suspicious. So try to blend in.”

“No problemo~ I can do it. I’ll blend in better than Gummy in my backyard after a long sunny day. I even brought a disguise!” She pulled out a fake mustache looking more like an old movie villain than anything else. “See? No one would even recognize me.”

“Sure you do. But he ain’t gonna be hanging around here for our sakes. Which means one of us will have to keep an eye on him just in case he tries something.”

“Oh dear. Th… that sounds dangerous.”

“It might be.” AJ glanced around. “And since I’m needed here to man the booth, and Pinkie is about as sneaky as a sheep on sheering day, the only one who can do it is you, Fluttershy.”

“Me!?” The girl in question gasped, spilling her stack of flyers. “B… but I…”

“Whatdaya say Fluttershy? You think you can tackle the mission?”

“NO! It’s too much for my fragile-self! I’ll crack under the pressure. I’ll snap like a twig!”

“Great! Then you’ll be the one to keep watch over Neighsay.”

“B… but… but I… I don’t think I can handle it!”

“Don’t you worry your biscuits. Pinkie and I will be right here. And we’ll have our phones with us at all time. If you see that guy up to no good, give us a call. We’ll be on by your side in a moment’s notice. And if he does see you, just tell him that you’re handing out flyers for our cupcakes.”

“Don’t forget to take free samples~~” Pinkie added in a song, grinning like her usual self.

“Uh… I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”

“Sure it is! That guy is like super mad suspicious of everything and everyone. Look at him! He’s like the type of villain that you see in movies. If anyone even looks at him funny, he’ll blast them all with his magical powers! But you on the other hand are the least suspicious person on the planet. He would never hurt you. I mean you’re Fluttershy. The most inconspicuous person in CHS! There’s no way anyone here would suspect you of anything bad. Right Applejack?” The cowgirl simply responded with a positive hum.

Fluttershy croaked under her breath. “I honestly can’t tell if I’m being praised or insulted. And… I still don’t want to go it alone.”

“You won’t be.” Pinkie then produced her pet alligator from her hair and handed it over. How it got there, was a question best left unanswered. “You got Gummy, silly. If anything happens, just toss this green gobbler and he’ll take care of the rest. Ain’t that right, Gummy?” The said gator blinked incoherently. “Now go out there and break a leg! Metaphorically speaking of course.” Without even waiting for a reply, she quickly pushed the panicking girl over to the general direction of Neighsay handing her the free sample basket and a stack of flyers like they were her weapons and armor. “Good luck now! Don’t forget to hand out the flyers! We need more customers over here!”

Fluttershy could do nothing but whimper back as she sucked up whatever courage she could muster and walked off, her body shivering as she went.

“Let’s hope nothing does happen.” Applejack whispered. “Now. We should probably get back to selling these cupcakes. We got a ton of dough to make and these bad boys ain’t gonna sell themselves.”

“I’m on it!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Can I still keep the mustache?”

“Eh… sure… why not?”

“Yes! Time to work some of that Pinkie Pie magic. Breathe in all that air. Hang on to your hats, cuz this party’s about to r—oomph!” Her exciting tone was quickly halted when she slammed onto something.

… or to be more precise: Someone.

“Hey girls.”

“Timber?” The two of them blinked, looking somewhat surprised of his presence. He wasn’t exactly someone any of them get to see every day. The green haired fella looked like he was dressed for a date, wearing a swag jacket.

“What are you doing here?” AJ asked, breaking from her earlier shock.

“Just browsing.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I heard about the school fundraising event from a friend so I thought I’d surprise Twilight with a visit.” He leaned in to whisper. “It’s our two year anniversary. I wanted to do something special for a change.”

“Anniversary?”

“The day we officially began dating.” He explained, still smiling. “Or… at least that’s what she said last time. Anyway, is she around?”

Oh…

“She ain’t exactly… here here.”

“What?”

Pinkie decided to step in and provide a quick explanation. “Yeah. This new Guidance Counselor Neighsay told us about magical mumbo jumbo that caused the big earthquake the other day and asked Twilight and Sunset for help because they had experience in hunting down anything magic related, so Twilight is probably in Everton Academy right now, taking a tour to blend in with the crowd while investigating the whole thing and we’re back here keeping watch over the somewhat ‘evil’ organization that’s bent on ruling all of mankind.”

The boy simply blinked, having lost track of her words half way through. “Uh… what now?”

“Sorry about Pinkie.” AJ grunted. “The filters between her brain and her mouth are out of order.”

“It’s true!”

“She’s not here.” AJ clarified. “She’s investigating some magical mishap in Everton Academy with Sunset and the others. It’s a long story.”

“Everton Academy?” He asked, eyes sharpening in confusion.

“It’s a magic thing.” Applejack explained. “Not really sure about it myself. But apparently something big is going on over there so Twilight and the others are investigating. Apparently it had something to do with the earthquake the other day. I can’t really keep up with all that mumbo jumbo they go on about.”

“She never said anything to me.” Timber scratched his head confusingly. “Actually, she hasn’t been answering much of my calls these last few days.”

“Yeah… we’ve got an unspoken rule between us. We don’t talk about this with other people. Wouldn’t want folks’round here to think of us as a bunch of crazies.”

“But she should’ve at least told me. I could’ve helped out.”

“I’m sure she just didn’t want you to worry. Trust me. I know the feeling. I don’t even tell my family about this whole magic mumbo jumbo. If Granny knew half of the weird stuff I do, she’d lock me in the barn till I graduated.”

“Same here.” Pinkie hummed and flicked the loose strands on her hair. “I mean… I tell my family a lot of things, but I’d never bring up magic. Unless it’s Maud of course. I tell her everything! Though she might think I might’ve gone a little coocoo.” She saw them stare at her. “What?”

“See? No sweat. I’m sure they’re fine.”

“But I’m her boyfriend.” He reasoned. “She could’ve at least be a little open to me. I mean… we’ve been dating for over a year now. Doesn’t that mean something?”

The two girls shared an awkward glance. They weren’t entirely sure on how to answer that. Relationships weren’t exactly their forte.

“Sorry Timber. But I don’t think we’re the best people to ask that. Why don’t you ask Twilight when she gets back? I’m sure she’ll be happy to know that you came to see her.”

“Yeah! Totally!”

(Everton Academy)

“Anything?” Twilight whispered to which Sunset shook her head in reply. The tour was progressing smoothly with the whole group following the guide without much of a hassle. Thorax would say something, the gang would respond politely while they pull out their scanning device for any trace of magic.

“Nothing.” The redhead replied shrugging. “That’s the fifth building we’ve checked. I’m starting to think that this whole thing might just be a hoax.”

“It’s only the start of the tour. We can’t rule everything out just yet.”

“I dunno. A magic that can cause an earthquake of that scale would leave a big trace. And so far everything we’ve seen doesn’t have a lick of magic.” Sunset tilted her head. “Neighsay was pretty suspicious. He might be planning something.”

“That’s what you said the last time with Professor Cinch.”

“And I was right.”

“Hmm touché.” Twilight admitted. “But I get a feeling that he isn’t lying. He doesn’t seem the type. And he did say that his organization was made to better mankind.”

“Are you kidding? Have you forgotten Cinch or Hoity Toity and what they did to us? You can’t take their words for granted.”

“Those were separate actions. Completely isolated results.”

“That’s what Neighsay claims. For all we know, he’s probably trying to enslave the world, or brainwash everyone in school like Adagio and her cronies.”

“Or like you.”

Sunset gave her an annoyed look. “Hey! I might’ve turned everyone into zombies, but I turned my life around. Besides, you endangered everyone by trying to merge this world and Equestria.”

“Hey, I was under pressure. It was the Friendship Games. How was I supposed to know that unleashing all that magic would create a cleaving of both our worlds? And technically that wasn’t me. That was Midnight!”

“Oh sure. Blame me for all your wrongdoings why don’t ya?” Hush you.

“Will you two keep it down?” Rarity hissed from the front. “You’re being too loud back there and you’re garnering attention. Normally I wouldn’t mind, but this is supposed to be a stealthy mission.”

The two bickering girls jerked up and slowly scanned their sides noticing a few staff members and students staring oddly at them. Their argument must’ve been way louder than she realized.

Still… Sunset wasn’t wrong. They’ve been here for about an hour now and so far the only magic they can detect were the ones emanating from them. A spell that strong would’ve left traces of itself around here. But so far nothing major has shown itself. Heck the place itself looked pretty much ordinary.

What if she was right? What if Neighsay really was just sending them out here for a wild goose chase while he was performing some evil deed back in CHS? She wanted to trust the guy, giving him the benefit of the doubt. But maybe… just maybe… he could be different. Twilight wanted to believe that the organization he represented really did have mankind’s best interest at heart.

The tour continued for a few more minutes before Thorax gave a humorous chuckle, laughing at a joke he made, which didn’t seem to amuse her friends. Something about maple trees. She wasn’t really paying attention. Her focus was more on the large structure in front of them.

“And this, my fellow guests, is the school main library.” Thorax explained. “It’s the largest private library in all of Canterlot City. Every field of knowledge you could ever hope for lies within these walls. These are only available to students and faculties with proper identification.” He paused for a moment when he noted someone exiting the building. “We have original volumes of nearly every book in the world and in a variety of languages too.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “I can already tell what they don’t have: A full collection of Daring Dos first-edition.”

“W… well. No. But we do have signed copies special-edition of that series.”

“Wait. Really?” She blinked.

“Of course. A.K. Yearling is actually one of our top contributors when this school first started out. We dedicated an entire wing of the library to her. On occasions, we even get advance copies of her latest work, months ahead of release.”

The sports gal stifled a squeal, a wry smile showing itself on her lips. A typical reaction.

Twilight rolled her eyes and went on with the investigation. She waved her device sneakily at the library hoping to hear her device tick. But sadly, it simply let out a disappointing hum. Just like the last few times.

“Seeing as we’re already here. Why don’t you girls head on in and check it out? I bet it would be very enlightening. We’ll meet up right here in 10 minutes.”

The group nodded back to their guide and slowly went on their merry way. The library seemed like a good place to investigate but so far nothing seems to be ticking her scanner. You’d think a place as gigantic as this would have one or two magic books lying somewhere inside.

Ugh… maybe this was a stupid idea.

Hmm?

“Wait a second.” Twilight spoke up, flicking her glasses upward. She noticed a tick. “My scanner just picked up something from the library.”

Sunset scoffed. “It’s probably just detecting your geode again.”

“No I’m sure of it. And it’s close by too. I just need to check the…” But before she could finish, two large arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her waist raising her up. “Bwah!?”

“Twilly!” A familiar voice sang. “I knew it was you! I’d recognize that getup of yours anywhere.”

“Shining Armor?” She breathed after prying herself from his grip. “What are you doing here?”

“Well duh. I work here now.” Oh right. Why else would he be here?

“Your brother works here?” Sunset questioned from her position.

“That’s right. Didn’t my sister tell you?” He grinned. “You’re looking at the new substitute teacher of Everton Academy. I mostly just take over remedial lessons but it’s a big step up from my days in Crystal Prep. Not to mention the health benefits. The things around here work way smoother than my old job.” Twilight gave him a look. “So I’m guessing you’re here to scope out the B&B tournament.”

“Well… yes and… no.”

“That’s… partly it.” Sunset answered for her, though she held the truth back just a little bit. “Honestly we’re just giving this place a look.”

“Well you’re definitely gonna love it here. This place has everything. And the facilities are at the top of its peers. And don’t even get me started with the teachers. Many of them graduated from this very academy. You won’t find a better education center than here. It’s no wonder why my sister always go Twilly-nanas over this place. I mean… you were always crazy about it. But now I understand why.”

“Pfft Twilly-nanas.” She could hear her friends snicker behind her back. Thanks BB-BFF. Real smooth there.

(CHS)

“Ugh… stupid.” Timber huffed lowly just enough for some pedestrian to hear, kicking a pebble that stood in his way. Coming to this school was a mistake. He had hoped to make some great memories here with his girlfriend but instead he got stood up while Twilight went on some world saving mission.

It wasn’t fair.

He wasn’t annoyed by the fact he couldn’t join her, but more the fact she didn’t even bother to ask him for help. She should know by now that he would do anything for her. Sure he didn’t have magic, but that wouldn’t stop him from charging against a bulldozer with nothing but his pants. He even tried calling her a few times but his calls were going straight to voicemail. Either Twilight was in a situation that required complete silence or… she was ducking his calls.

And neither of those options were pleasing to him.

And to think he had a whole schedule made for her today. This whole fundraising event would’ve made up for the mess he made back in the New Year’s fair. He’d had enough money to get her to all the booths and all the games, and no stupid rich kid to muck it all up.

At least that Flash kid was keeping to his word and staying away from her – or… at least he hopes so. He didn’t exactly have the opportunity to ask around.

Ugh… this sucks. Today would’ve gone so well.

Out of frustration, he groaned out loud and kicked another pebble, hoping to smack it to the grass – only to find it mysteriously turn around and roll the opposite way… to a faintly familiar pavilion tent at the corner of the field.

“Is that…?”

No. It couldn’t be.

Timber rubbed his eyes, turning towards the old worn down sign just outside the tent.

‘Zecora’s House of Fortune’

Huh… talk about a small world.

“A small world it may be, but I assure you not everything is what you see.” The accented voice chimed from within with an unmistakable rhyming tone. “Come in and put your mind at ease, I assure you – you will not be displeased.”

Having seen what was inside already, the boy decided ‘Eh. Why the heck not?’ It’s not like he had anything to lose at this point.

The inside of the tent was decked out with many of the same relics he saw before. Creepy masks, a soothing yet mysterious fragrant from incense candles, carpets and ponchos with variety of colors. And sitting by a singular round table, cloaked in a purple robe, staring widely at a crystal ball was none other than the proprietor herself.

“Ah… a familiar face comes by, come along now don’t be shy.” The lady with many earrings greeted, gesturing him to the seat that was open to him with her alluring fingers.

“Uh… hey…… Zecora.” He mustered the name, just barely. “I… wasn’t expecting to see you again. Especially here of places.”

“It is a small claim where I show my skill, not to mention that it helps pay the bill.” That’s one way of saying it. “I also believe fate is at work here, for that is the reason why you appear.”

“I don’t believe in fate.”

“You may not believe in it, but it certainly believes in you. Why else would you have come?” Her eyes glint as if prying into his soul. They looked dangerously like claws, wrangling his deepest darkest desires. “Ah… it seems your past woes have yet to be at rest, come come and let me hear you confess.”

“You can tell?”

“A man’s face can say a hundred words, if it can speak it can be heard.” Her smile widened just a tiny bit, like a cat who had a plan to catch the canary. “I can take a gander that this is about the girl, the one who has caused your emotions to swirl.”

Wow… right on both accounts again. “Yeah.”

Zecora bobbed her head. “Was the gift not enough for her attention? Or perhaps it was a failure of admission?”

“No. I… never had the chance to give it to her.” He admitted. “The gift is great. But… that’s not what’s happening right now.”

“Hmmmm…” She stroked her imaginary beard, humming. “It would seem there is more to this problem, perhaps you can elaborate this conundrum.”

“Well… it’s… complicated.”

“Perhaps some tea would help untangle, that of which you have to ramble.”

“No I’m f… ine?” He froze when he suddenly noticed he was holding a teacup. A warm aromatic smell emanated from it, which caught him puzzled. “Wait… how did you…?”

“A simple brew from days old, it is a perfect remedy for weariness and the cold.” She added with nary a hint of what just transpired.

Did she… do magic?

No. That can’t be. It must be a trick. A sleight of hand gesture that he couldn’t see.

He looked at the cup curiously for a brief second and drank it all in a moment later.

…

Oh?

It was surprisingly delicious. The whole thing went down smoothly like a dab of hot water on a cold evening snow.

“Well?” The lady asked, her fingers gesturing him to come closer, to which his body complied without his knowing. “Please. Speak.”

“It’s… my girlfriend.” He said finally, suddenly feeling somewhat lightheaded.

“The girl in which you wanted to be closer, have you not resolved to be better?

“No it’s not that. She and I are close. Really close.” Whoa… he felt feint for a moment there. “I mean… we’ve been dating for over a year now. And things have been going great. But…” There was always a ‘but’. “… there are… complications.”

The woman mouthed an ‘Oh’ and waved her hands gently. Her finger tapped forward to the teacup which had somehow been refilled. Timber blinked but was unable to see anything wrong with it. Even as the water mysteriously filled in like… magic.

“I don’t really know how to explain this. But there’s this ‘friend’ who she seems to be close with.” He rambled on, taking the teacup and sipping from it. “This Flash Sentry guy. And every time he’s around, she has this… glimmer in her eyes.” He gulped. “Then she starts talking about him like he’s the best guy ever. Oooh~ Flash Sentry is so cool. Flash Sentry is so awesome! She makes me feel like I’m not even there.”

“An admiration born from ties and time, perhaps your girl merely respects him and whine.”

Ha! He wished.

“No. It’s more than that.” Timber muttered, eyes fluttering weakly. “I think… she actually likes him more than she realizes.”

“Oh?” She made a weak gasp. “Such a feeling. Are you certain?”

“I… I’m sure of it.” He said, gripping the teacup which again suddenly refilled itself. He sipped. “She talks about him constantly, always praising everything he does over and over. Oh sure. He helped her and her friends defeat some magical organization hell bent on taking over the world. Pfft! I could’ve done that too if she asked. Even without magic. And the way she looks at him? Twilight never smiles like that when she’s with me. I mean… what would it take for her to give me some extra attention? What does he… what does he have… have that I don’t?”

“An interesting sentiment.” Zecora’s smile turn snake-like and cruel. Her face appeared from her cloak as she leaned in to hear him better. “Please… tell me more.”

Clues of Her Past

Author's Note

ATTENTION!
Got my second dose of vaccine last week. Was quarantined in a local area along with a dozen other people for observation in case of any side effect. Thankfully all I felt was soreness around the arm and sluggishness. After a week, I was out and sent home.

Didn't know I was gonna be trapped in the city like that. Scary stuff. :fluttershysad:
But now it's over and I'm back home with my computer!
Can't wait for the movie to come out! :pinkiehappy:
Hope it's good.

Clues of Her Past

Chapter 73: Clues of Her Past

(CHS)

Ok Fluttershy. You can do this. You have to be strong.

Your friends are counting on you. You just need to keep close to Neighsay and make sure he doesn’t do anything suspicious. If he does something strange, just call Applejack or Pinkie and they’ll come running.

It would’ve been a lot easier if only the man didn’t look so frighteningly intimidating. Seriously, who wears a cape like that to school? Only villainous characters would wear such an attire. If Rarity were here she would have some colorfully harsh words to say about his sense of fashion Even if you are a professor, you need some class and decency. The man looked like a freaking vampire walking in broad daylight. And not the sweet romantic kind like the one in Fangshire. Is he somehow allergic to sunlight?

Ugh… she can already feel her stomach twisting at the mere thought of being discovered by the man. If he was any powerful as indicated, he could probably turn her into a frog. Or worse yet, capture her with his own shadow monster.

Wait… did he have a shadow monster? The other two they battled against did. A wolf and a snake-like being. What if this guy had a dragon, or a bat? Maybe even…

Nope. She’s distracting herself again. She needs to stop and focus.

Yeah… that should be easy enough. She just needs to be inconspicuous. Pretend that you’re going around handing out flyers and give the folks here some free samples. Yeah. Nothing suspicious here.

Just smile and wave. Smile and wave. Don’t worry. You’re not alone either. Gummy and Angel are here too. If Neighsay tries anything, they’ll protect her. Yeah. Angel is strong, loyal and brave. And Gummy is…… well… Gummy.

Either way, you can do this! You will do this! You will watch his every step. His every movement. You will not take your eyes off him for even a second!

Taking a deep breath, she mustered up her courage and proceeded. Now where are those free samples?

*Meep?*

“Angel!” She quickly snatched to goods from her bunny who seemed to have consumed almost all of it. “Those were not for you. These free samples were supposed to be for my cover!” The bunny simply shrugged unapologetically, giving little mind to her woes and continued eating the last piece like nothing was wrong. “Oh… now what am I supposed to do?”

“You could try being quiet, for one.” A dark and sinister voice answered her unfocused question followed by a shadow that loomed over her body.

Every hair on her head began to stand on ends, her arms and legs froze as if they were encased in ice. Fluttershy slowly creaked her head around, only to crackle at the sight of the vampire himself starring down at her like a predator sizing its prey.

“Hello, Ms. Shy.”

“EEEEEEEEEEPPP!” Fluttershy wanted to scream but the voice choked inside her throat. The man was every bit as frightening as her friends said he was. The pale face, that dead panned expression reminiscent of Maud Pie, and that glare. He could probably beat a rock in a staring contest.

But she didn’t need to fear. Her little Angel will protect her. Quickly she reached out for the bunny but the little ball of fur had already skipped town the moment it saw the monster it was facing. So much for her guardian. Gummy on the other hand simply blinked and fell on its stomach.

Oh well… back to freaking out then.

“Keeping an eye on me now, are we?” He added, which only made her whimper. “And doing a poor job at it too.”

Fluttershy felt like crying. But the tears were too afraid to even come out.

“Let me guess. That redhead friend of yours thought that I was being untrustworthy. So she sent one of you to spy on me.” He sighed, almost sounding disappointed rather than irritated. “I suppose it’s a natural thing to do. Though it’s rather poorly executed.”

Must he really demean her like this? It’s bad enough that she was just sitting there like a deer in headlights, but instead of putting her out of her misery, the car decided to take its time and rev its engine as if it was savoring the moment.

This wasn’t such a good idea after all.

No. Scratch that. This was a terrible idea to begin with. Maybe she should’ve objected on this mission. She was horrible at it! Why did those two even suggested this in the first place!?

“Well?” The man asked, taking a bite off his sandwich. “Care to elaborate?”

Gathering all the will she had in her, the girl lifted the flyers up using them like they were her only shield.

“Can I offer you a discount at our store?” She forced out a smile, squeaking as much voice as possible from her throat.

The man raised a sarcastic brow. His gaze locked themselves onto her body making her freeze like a human popsicle. He reached out to the flyer but a sudden gust of wind scattered them across the field.

Fluttershy could do nothing but watch as the last of her defense broke down like a literal house of cards. This was it. This is how she dies. If not by Neighsay then by shame. She can only hope she makes it quick and painless.

“Fluttershy?” The two tensed up when a third voice came into the mix. Their heads turn to the side noting the blue haired boy holding a couple of her flyers. “What are you doing?”

“Flash!” She yelped. “We were just… talking.”

“We?” He tilted his head in confusion. “We who?”

Fluttershy turned back only to find Neighsay gone without a trace.

xxxxxxxxxx

Luna let out a cheer as she knocked the stack of bottles down, the ball dribbling around the back.

“Ha! Eat that! Winner on the first try.” She declared with such enthusiasm that many would mistake her as a student rather than a teacher around these parts. The manager of the game gracefully handed her the top shelf prize which was a hand sized doll of an extinct animal. “Hehe. I still got it. Even after all these years, I still got that cannon. Not bad for a Vice-Principal.”

“Are you complimenting yourself?” Sombra asked, attempting a throw which missed its mark. “You were the jock in the group. You know that, right?”

“And I see you still have your noodle arms.” She teased. “You never were a sports person, even back in college you could barely push a cart enough without losing breath.”

“Old hag.” He gruffed loudly, tossing another ball only to see it wobble off his hand and bounce haplessly on the floor. The students managing the booth gave pitiful looks which he brushed away with a forced cough. “Yes… well… I’ve always been known for my looks and my brains. Never my muscles. We can’t all be perfect.”

“Sounds more like an excuse.”

“Oh? And are you any better?”

Luna gave him a snarky reply, tracing her hand from her hair to her legs. “Why yes. I am. I got brawns, brains and the looks to match.”

“And humble too, I see.”

“Exactly.” Sombra’s eyes rolled. “I’m the perfect package. Why… back in our college days, I’d have just as many guys fawning outside my dorm room just waiting for the opportunity to bask in my beauty. Compared to my sister, I was the Belle of the Ball.”

“And yet despite all of that, you couldn’t hold on to a single one of them.”

“Oh don’t be jealous, jerk.”

“Me? Jealous?” He laughed heartily. “Please. While you were off dating half of the football team, I matured. Growing out of my playboy days.”

“Playboy? You?”

“Is it so hard to believe that I was the most attractive man in school?” He brushed his hair back, letting out a toothy smile which would’ve worked on her back in those days.

“Hardly. Not while you were dating my sister.”

…

And… that got awkward quickly enough.

“Sorry. That was…”

“No. It’s fine. I’m over it.” He brushed it off, forcefully. “Besides, we got back together.”

“Yeah… like after 20 years. I still don’t understand what you see in her.”

“Come now, Luna. That’s your sister you’re talking about here.”

“It’s because she is my sister that grants me the right to talk smack about her behind her back.” She countered snippily, as they walked pass a drink booth. Luna pointed to an order which the girl on the other side nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way. But you two didn’t exactly split up on the best terms.”

“And you would know?”

“I know she left you with a note.”

Sombra choked on his drink. “Aha… so you do know.”

“In my defense, I only learned about that when you came back to Canterlot. For the last 20 years, I was made to believe that you two had a proper breakup.” That was probably the longest lasting lie Celestia has ever told her. “So it got me wondering.”

“A… about what?”

“Why did you get back together with Celestia?” Her face pointed at him. “I mean… I’m no relationship expert but if I was dumped by someone with a note, I’d have reacted differently.” Very… very differently. And a lot of carefully choice words not suited for school grounds.

Sombra’s face mellowed a bit. He didn’t seem to have much of an answer other than sipping from his drink every few seconds. He glanced around the field, perhaps looking for a way out. But after a deep sigh, he answered.

“To be honest… I… wasn’t planning to get back together with Lesty. It never really came to me.” He nursed his now half-empty cup, eyeing his reflection. “I didn’t even think she’d show up on my welcoming ceremony. It was… quite a surprise.”

“I’ll say.”

“Yes. That.” He hid a laugh. “It came as a surprise to everyone. You could even say I still had some lingering resentment from time when she left me for her new job in Hooverton. That note was… quite painful.” I can only imagine. “But when I saw her again for the first time after all those years apart. It felt as though… all that pain flew away. Those old feelings I once had for her came bubbling out of my heart like a torrent. Just one look at her and all the anger I felt from that fateful morning simply… disappeared.”

“Wow…” Luna cooed. “That sounds… pretty intense.”

“Oh definitely.” Sombra chuckled. “It would’ve been quite an encounter, before she vomited all over my expensive coat.”

The Vice-Principal threw a punch on his shoulder. “Oh come on! Don’t ruin the moment now. That whole spiel you said sounded really romantic!”

“I’m merely stating what happened.”

“Yeah, well, you can sugar coat reality.” She let out a tiresome groan. “Ugh… all this lovey dovey talk is bringing a bad taste to my mouth.”

“Aha! Now who’s jealous?”

Luna rolled her eyes, turning a cheeky grin. “Please. Don’t compare me to her. Celestia might be settling with you for love. But if I were to settle with anyone, it’d be for money.” Lots… and lots of money.

(Everton Academy Library)

Twilight shuffled as she browsed through the books of the Everton Academy library. The place was a lot bigger than she previously imagined, even more so now that she got a good look inside.

Thorax certainly wasn’t kidding. This place must have every book known to man – and in multiple languages too. You can’t imagine the amount of information hidden in here. It took every ounce of her willpower to resist the urge of pulling out some random grimoire and just lose herself to its pages. Just looking at all these books makes her want to graduate quickly so she can delve into each and every one of them.

Sure the internet can provide you with all the knowledge in the world, but there was simply no replacing books. The way the pages turn, the smell? No computer can ever imitate that experience.

“So~~?” Her brother cooed, leaning nearby. “Whadaya think?”

“It’s… amazing.” She exhaled, wiping her mouth to cover the drool she was pooling over her chin. “This place is even larger than I imagined. They even have Canterlot Cannibals Volume 31! The City’s Public library doesn’t have that volume out in circulation yet!”

“If you think this is impressive, then you should check out the VIP section. Only members of the book club are allowed in there. They get to read the first edition of all new arrivals.”

“Eeeep! This is so cool! And imagine that you actually get to see this place every day! You must be enjoying yourself.”

“Yeah… but not in the way you’re thinking.” He added with a cool smirk. “Being a prefect around here certainly has its perks. The excellent pay, the health care, the responsibilities? I even get to teach substitute classes when one of the professors aren’t around. It’s been amazing. Way better than my time in Crystal Prep.”

“Really?” She gave a playful nudge. “Did you say that to Cadance too?”

His cool demeanor unsurprisingly faded, turning into a full blown uncomfortable mess. He slouched down, one hand rubbing over the back of his neck. A rough guess would say that it wasn’t a topic he wanted to discuss.

“Well… yeah.” Uh oh. That did not sound like the start of a happy ending.

“And did you guys… talked things over?”

“Well… yes and no.” Which one is it, brother? You can’t have both. “Well… not so much as talked, but rather argued over it.” He paused. “We… fought about it actually. Big time.”

Ouch. That must’ve been bad.

“How did she take it?”

“How do you think?” He scoffed, head dipping lower. “We’ve had our share of fights before. But this one got a little… heated in the end. I almost thought she was gonna kicked me out of the apartment.”

Cadance? Sweet lovable Cadance, who has shown both love and tolerance in everything and everyone? Don’t be absurd.

“Oh don’t be so overly dramatic, Shining. Cadance might be a bit of an emotional nutcase, but she’s not cruel. Give her time. I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“I wished it would come sooner.” A sigh escaped him. “I really like this job. I thought she’d like it.”

“Why did you decide to take it? You never really said why. Was your old job at Crystal Prep really that bad?”

“Of course not. I loved that place. Principal Sombra even offered me a big raise to keep me. But… I couldn’t take it.” He leaned over by the bookcase, sighing. “I spent the last six years studying and working in that school. I made a lot of friends, and I met Cadance there too. But… I also found out that I was in a rut.”

“A rut?”

He grunted. “Have you ever felt like you were stuck somewhere and you couldn’t get out?

Twilight froze. Memories of her days back in the old school suddenly came flooding in like bad dream. She recalled those moments painfully. Always alone in her private room, the student body competing against one another in a never ending cycle of dog-eat-dog. The loneliness.

Her silence trailed over, giving her brother the gesture to continue. “That’s what I felt. I was stuck doing the same old thing, walking the same old hallway, doing the same lectures. It was suffocating. I had to get out of there before I become part of the furniture. I needed… I needed something new. Something to turn my mundane life around.”

“Shining… I… I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Yeah. Well… after I saw you transfer to CHS and met all your new friends. I figured… I could follow your example. Spruce up my life. It’s a big step up from my old one in Crystal Prep.”

“Well for what it’s worth… I think you made the right call.” Twilight reached out to him, showing a warm caring smile to sooth his nerves. “I didn’t really want to say this in front of Cadance, but I do support you for coming here.”

“I wished Cadance showed the same kind of support. I mean… does she know how hard it is to get a job around here? This is the most renowned learning center in the continent. I had to fight over this position with twelve other people.”

“She does…… I think.” Twilight can’t really answer that. “She just needs some time to adjust. I mean the two of you have been living and working in the same places for a while now. So losing you so suddenly must’ve been a shock to her. I mean… look at me. I was pretty shocked when Timber asked me to move in with him.”

Shining Armor blinked, his whole body jolting upward. “Wait… Timber did what?”

“Asked me to move in with him.”

“WHAT!?” A collective round of shush came from the library hushing the two. “Wait a minute here. Back up. Timber, asked you to move in with him? When did this happen?”

“Last year. I told you about this.”

“No you didn’t!”

She didn’t? Oh right… she told her friends, not her family. “Oh… well… now you know. Ahehehe.”

“Is this the reason why you asked me for relationship advice on the Winter Holiday?” Her expression answered that question for him. Ugh… I should’ve known. That whole conversation sounded way too serious to be small talk. This is what I get for letting you out of my sight all year long without supervision.”

“Well excuse me for having a love life. I just promised Timber that I’d move in with him after I graduate from CHS. It’s no big deal. It’s a trial period, to see if it can work out between us. His apartment is huge, and it’s only a fifteen minute drive from Everton Academy. It’s the perfect place to move in once I start my Independent Study Scholarship Program.”

“But there are dorms here.”

“True. But my scholarship doesn’t cover my dormitory rent. Staying here is morbidly expensive. I should know. I looked at the cost.” More times than she could count too. And by average, she’d have to work 4 jobs just to make ends meet or take out a student loan. And a big debt to the bank was not something she was inclined on doing. “And I’m not saddling mom and dad with any more of my expenses. Not since the whole electricity bill incidence. I just need to help pay half of the rent with Timber and Gloriosa.”

“That’s not exactly comforting.” He scratched his cheeks shyly. “I’m not comfortable having you live with a stranger. I mean… isn’t it a bit early?”

Her face gasped, looking somewhat insulted. “Excuse me. I’ll have you know that I’m far more responsible than I was when I was in Crystal Prep. And Timber is not a stranger. He’s my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for over a year now. Besides, how is it any different from you living with Cadance?”

“Cadance and I are both mature adults. And you…” He froze up when her sister squinted deathly at him. The man stepped on a landmine and he knew it. “… you’re my little sister. It’s my responsibility to look out for you.”

“I am a perfectly grown adolescent. I can take care of myself, thank you.”

“I know, I know. But still. I’m your brother. I can’t help it if I’m a little protective. Do mom and dad know about this?”

“Well… no. But like I said, it’s not a done deal yet. We’re just going for a trial run. And besides, I’ve stayed with him a whole week in a cabin in Camp Everfree – and it was perfectly fine.”

“Yeah… but… I’m worried.” He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I mean staying for a vacation trip is a lot different from moving in. This is a big change. You might end up making decisions you might regret. Trust me. I’m an expert.” A buzz from his phone prompted him to look away. His expression curled up annoyingly. “Ugh… look… I gotta go now. Just make sure that moving in with him is really what you want. Give it some thought alright? I’ll… see you later.”

He headed off a moment later, leaving her behind to ponder on her words.

What is with him all of a sudden? Shining Armor used to be such a supportive Big Brother. He was completely fine when she first introduced Timber to the family. Even mom and dad approved of him. Heck, he and Shining even went on one of those gyms together. They seemed to hit it off as buddies. And now he’s acting like the guy was a complete stranger or even a criminal just recently released from juvy.

Whatever. She may as well return to her search on magic. Rainbow should be done putting those scanners of hers across the school by now. Once she gets back to Sunset’s place, she’ll be able to get a proper reading of the campus.

“You won’t find it hanging around here.”

Twilight sighed. Her counterpart has returned, perfectly timing her arrival as her brother left. “Not now, Midnight.”

“Ooooh~. Well someone’s a bit snappy. I take it you didn’t like our BBBFF getting all nosy in your relationship.”

“Gee. What gave it away?” She scoffed. “And it’s MY BBBFF. Not ours. You’re just a part of my subconscious.”

“Which makes me a part of you, which in turn makes him as close a brother to me as is to you.”

“No it does not. Why are you even here? You haven’t shown yourself like this since the pageant show. If you’re not going to be useful, then you can go back into my mind and be quiet.”

“Wow… someone woke up on the wrong side of bed.” The angel grinned. “And here I thought I was going to help you out of the goodness of my heart for once.”

“Oh please. You don’t have a heart.”

Midnight laughed at the grim comment. “Ooooh! Two for two for the girl in blue. You’re getting better at this whole comeback wordplay. I must be influencing you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The only influence you’ve been doing is giving me a headache.”

“Are you really sure about that?” She challenged. “You’ve become far more daring ever since I came back to your life. Normally you’re a bit shy, timid, and a goody two shoes.”

“I am NOT a goodie two shoes.”

“SHHHHH!” Several passerbys hushed her forcing the girl to take her one-sided-conversation deeper into the library.

“Not anymore.” Midnight continued. “You formed a plan against Hoity, went on a daring mission to steal a Portal Stone, and you even went against your own promise not to include Flash into this whole thing.”

Ugh… she got her there.

“Th… those were circumstantial! We couldn’t allow Hoity to hypnotize the whole city, and we couldn’t allow such a powerful artifact to fall into the hands of the Order, and… Flash didn’t have magic back then.”

“Hmmm… sounds like excuses to me. Back when I came back, you wouldn’t even dare to steal from a shop. But now you’re here, conducting a secret operation in another school.” Midnight wiped an imaginary tear from her eyes. “Ah… they grow up so fast these days. I’m sure by the time you graduate, you’ll be having everyone here dancing at the palm of your hands.”

“I am not doing any of that. No one will be dancing in anyone’s hands, especially mine. I can prove to you that I’m still the same old me.”

“Really? Is that a challenge?”

Twilight’s eyes flared. “You bet it is.”

Midnight couldn’t help but grin even wider. There was just something so entertaining to watch her host try to prove something, even though she knows that she’s completely in the wrong.

“Alright then.” The dark angel flew over to a bookcase, placing a hand over one of the books. “Here… is your first challenge.”

A… book? Twilight’s head tilted in question. There had to be some kind of trick. A game she wasn’t seeing. Was this some kind of trap?

She shuffled carefully towards where Midnight hovered and suddenly felt a twinge on her neck. Her geode was reacting.

“There’s magic in this.” With a quick motion she wrestled the book off its place, feeling the familiar essence of magic pulse within her fingers. “How did you…?”

“I’ve noticed it ever since we walked into this place. It’s a little faint but it’s definitely Equestrian Magic.”

Twilight wiped the thin layer of dust off the covers and noted the patterns. It was a thick bound book made of hard paper. The spine was worn down and bent in a few areas which showed how old it was, and it was roughly about as thick as an old grimoire. There was no title. Only a strange symbol of a medicus at the center. Which was odd because she was sure she saw it from another time. She then flipped the pages, squinting at the chicken scratches written within.

“Strange. I don’t recognize this language.”

“Sure you have. Only one person here knows how.”

Of course! It was Equestrian! Or was it called Ponish? Ancient Ponish?

No… it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’ve found themselves a clue. It was proof. Solid proof there was magical activity here in Everton Academy. She needed to get this to her Sunset and have her decipher it ASAP.

But the bigger question is… what was a book from Equestria doing all the way here on this world? I mean… artifacts and relics from Equestria have wandered into this plain of existence way before Sunset ever arrived. And there have been proof that the Yaztec people have traverse multiple worlds before. But this? This felt so… random.

She was jolted out of her daze when her phone buzzed to life. A text from Sunset. Rainbow finished placing the scanners. If she stayed here any longer she’ll hold up the tour.

“Excuse me.” Twilight rushed over to the front reception desk where the librarian was busy mulling around. “Sorry. But you wouldn’t happen to know where this book came from, would you?”

The older gentleman smiled and traced the spine of the book, only to raise a brow by the cover.

“Ah… this must be from the donors’ collection.” He said in a wise sagely voice. “Sorry dear. But most of the books in that section aren’t yet categorized. We often get a lot of donations from old shops that we can’t keep up.”

“Do you know who donated it?”

The old man got to his computer and typed a few keys here and there followed up by a quiet ding. He flicked his glasses, squinted on the small letterings on his screen. “Umm… oh… OH! Here it is. Yes. This book came in through the donors’ section roughly 15 years ago.” Fifteen years? And it’s still sitting in the corner collecting dust? You really need to get to work old man. “Let’s see here. Ah… it was donated to our collection by a Mrs. Sophia Hope.”

…!

“Sophia… Hope?”

“Oh well this just got interesting.”

Flash’s mother? That can’t be…

Why would she have a book from Equestria? And… why give it away?

So many questions, so many theories.

“Do you mind if I check out this book?”

“Not at all.” He answered happily. “I’ll just need your student ID.”

Her mouth opened. “Ah… well… that’s um…” The librarian eyed her. “I’m… not a student here.”

“Oh my. Well I’m afraid that’s not possible. This library follows a strict policy. Only students and faculty members are allowed to check out books from our collection.”

That seemed reasonable enough. Libraries like these are notoriously protective of their collection, and wouldn’t dare loan it to some outsider. Even Dusty Pages, the librarian in the public library, would hunt down overdue books like bondsman. But still… the information in these pages could be a breakthrough in their investigation. She couldn’t just leave it.

“Is there really no exception?”

“I’m afraid not.” He shook his head wisely. “Unless the Headmaster comes by and grants permission, there’s no way around it. Sorry dearie.”

The librarian took off, leaving Twilight to sulk. So much for that idea.

I guess the only thing left to do is to… return it.

…

Or… I could… just take it.

I mean… it’s barely even in their system. This thing dates back to about 15 years for goodness sake. And it’s not like anyone could read it. Not unless they’re ponies that came from a different world.

B… but that would also be considered stealing… and stealing is a crime. And she would never… ever… try to take something that doesn’t belong to her.

Twilight would never do such a thing.

Not such an immoral…… thing.

In the back of her mind, she could tell that her alter ego was smiling victoriously back there.

(CHS)

Ok, that… didn’t exactly go as planned.

Fluttershy pondered to herself as she relaxed on the bleachers regaining some of that little confidence. Her attempt to keep a close eye on Neighsay had failed spectacularly and now the man has disappeared from the field and was nowhere to be seen. Not that she mind. The guy was frighteningly intimidating. A single glare from his eyes was enough to send her knees shaking down to the bones. Not to mention that he was unnecessarily mean about it.

Just because she was bad at sneaking doesn’t mean he had the right to criticize or belittle her. His words alone stung her hard, and his comments seemingly dug nails into her morale. Honestly, that vampire could make a grown man feel like the most insignificant piece of human waste the world has ever seen and laugh about it.

And her friends were of no help either. Her best bud Angel ran away on the first sign of danger and just now returned, chomping on a carrot like nothing had happened. Thanks a lot.

And as for Gummy. Well… he was about as useless as a bicycle is to a fish. But at least he stood by her side. Or… maybe because he wasn’t really sure what was really going on. It’s really hard to tell with that gator. He had absolutely no hint of an emotion or a reaction. If it weren’t for his eyes blinking every now and then and the occasional croaking, Fluttershy would’ve mistaken it for a stuffed animal.

Her annoyance and confusion was thankfully interrupted by a warm cup of coco offered to her. “You feeling better?” Flash asked. The boy looking rather worried of her condition.

“Yes. Thank you.” She accepted the drink and took a good long gulp. The cold and fear she felt earlier melted away in mere seconds. “Ah… much better.”

“I can’t believe you went to keep an eye on Neighsay all by yourself. That’s quite brave of you.”

It’s not as heroic as it seems. “It wasn’t exactly by choice. And… I don’t think I did a good job at it.” The guy found out about it right away. “Maybe I should wear a disguise like Pinkie does.”

“I don’t think wearing a giant costume would make you look any less conspicuous.” Flash mentioned chuckling. “But it must’ve been scary to face him.”

“It was terrifying.” She shivered at the thought. “The way he stares down at you with those dead-shot eyes, the way he breathes, the way he moves. They reach down right to my soul.”

“Well at least all you got was a good scare. If he was anything like Hoity Toity, it would’ve been a different story.” Yeah. Like being brainwashed like Vignette or worse – become a zombie under his direct command. “So what do you plan to do now?”

Normally she’d say she’d go look for him again. But knowing Neighsay, he’ll probably have his guard up the whole time.

“I’m… not really sure.” She admitted. “I was supposed to look out for Neighsay. But I don’t think I can do a good job at it.”

“How about you we look for him together?” He offered which the girl tilted her head back in confusion. “What? Strength in numbers, right? Besides, I got magic now. If that guy tries anything, I’ll blast him off like I did that ceiling tile the other day.”

Aww… that was sweet of him to act all tough and mighty. But in all seriousness, Flash wouldn’t last a minute against someone like Neighsay. He looked crazy dangerous, and powerful. And if his words were anything to go by, he was probably way more powerful than either Cinch or Hoity Toity.

“That’s nice of you to offer. But I don’t think it’ll be safe.”

“Oh please.” He brushed her worries off like they were a smelly breeze. “I’ve tackled danger plenty of times with you girls. I’ve gone to the other side of the world through a portal, faced off a fashion designer who wanted to brainwash the whole city, and now I got a chance to make a difference.”

“Y… you actually like these things?”

“What? Going on your wild adventures? Absolutely. I mean who else here can say that they’ve fought shadow monsters, save the world from certain destruction, or even brave the dangers of mysterious magic?” Those sounded more like dangerous situations. “I’ve seen you girls do all the craziest things. If I was given the chance, I would trade places with any of you girls in a heartbeat.” He placed his hand over hers, the magic within the scar pulsing with a strange yet comforting warmth. “So whadaya say? Would you let me help? I promise that whatever happens, I’ll be around to protect you. Neighsay won’t dare to come near you with me around.”

…

Fluttershy’s cheeks turned a shade of pink. Her mouth croaking a chuckle.

It was corny. His words were lame. Like something out of a fantasy movie hero, yet somehow he said it with such determination that she can’t help but believe in them. They all sounded like words that a Prince would say to a Princess while rescuing her off a tower guarded by a fearsome dragon. A part of her wished she could show such confidence.

She couldn’t return to her friends like this either. And seeing he was offering…

“Alright… sure.” She said finally, brushing her hair back shyly as is her namesake. “Thanks Flash. I wish I had your courage.”

“Hey, if you can get back on the horse. You already got more courage than me.”

Ack! How can this guy say such lame things with a straight face? Does he rehearse these lines somewhere before he meets with people? Does he look in the mirror and try these phrases and comebacks?

Fluttershy stifled a laugh.

But her mood would change sourly when she suddenly noticed a third presence standing nearby. They turned to the newcomer only to see the slack-jawed face of her idiot brother, wheezing, with one shaky finger pointing at their held hands.

A Prelude to Disaster

Chapter 74: A Prelude to Disaster

(CHS)

Fluttershy knew her brother well.

Well enough to know what kind of person he was.

He’s normally a sweet, social and at the same time lazy and cunning. The boy dangled a fine line between the laws and somehow managed to keep himself afloat. He’s the kind of guy who would con his own family to make a quick score. If he had the charisma, he’d probably be able to sell sand in the dessert.

But this time however, he took a little too far. Which is exactly why the boy in question was on his knees in front of her with a stash of illicit items forked out of his pockets.

It all started roughly… ten… fifteen minutes ago. Fluttershy was having a nice and relaxing chat with Flash when her brother showed up gawking like the idiot that he was. The boy was holding onto what looked like a stash of jewelries and other goods that were clearly not normally found with teenagers.

Zephyr practically got a fanny pack filled to the brim with stuff with tools to put the odds in his favor. A coin with two heads, loaded dice, trick cards, infrared goggles courtesy of Pinkie Pie, and a wad of play money that’s almost indistinguishable from the real thing if you look close enough.

Oh Zephyr. You are totally in for it now.

“Ow! Easy!” The boy in questioned whined as she pulled his ear like a den mother who caught her child in an embarrassing situation. “I’m a lover, not a fighter. You know, for a family member, you’re not exactly acting very family-like.”

“I think I’m acting very family-like right now.” Fluttershy countered, folding her arms while glaring sternly back at him. “You’re gambling again aren’t you? I told you that if I ever catch you doing something shady again, I’ll tell mom and dad.”

“Oh you wound me, Flutter Butter.” Ugh… that ridiculous nickname. She hated it. “I would never betray your trust. Ever. Scout’s honor. I swear, I put all my bad habits behind me. I’m practically a model citizen.” Yeah… no one was gonna believe that. “I’m just providing some light entertainment for the fellow people enjoying our fair… uh… fair?”

“Really? And what are these?” She grabbed a fistful of jewelries that she picked out of his pockets.

“Oh… those.” He began to sweat. “Those are just some items I’m holding onto… for… a friend.”

“And these?”

“Lottery tickets. All legitimate, but expired. The numbers Fido gave me were bogus. That’s the last time I count on his predictions. Pfft.”

“And this one?”

“Hey! Don’t touch that! That’s my spread sheet for my fantasy football league! The quarterback for the Griffonstone Feathers just came back from a leg injury! Gilda. My star player just went through knee surgery after she was tackled down by four other players, winning the little league. Now she’s back and better than ever. I’m thinking about raising her stats for the next game.”

“Zephyr!”

The boy scoffed in defeat. “Alright alright. I give. I… may have been dabbling in a few… dozen… side activities. But it’s all just good fun. I’m even planning to donate 1… erghh… tenth of… a quarter to the fundraising pot.”

No he wasn’t. A rough guess would say that he was about to bail out of there with all his winnings and no one would be the wiser. If there was anything he was gonna donate, it would be time. And even then he’d find a way to make a profit.

“You are returning all of this to their proper owners, right now.”

“But I won those fair and square!” Her glare made the boy shiver. “Come on sis. Can’t you look over this little thing for once? I’m not exactly hurting anyone here.”

“You’re cheating people off their stuff.”

His head shook around. “I prefer to call it, a sucker’s deal. They’re the ones who set the rules. I just… bend it a teeny tiny bit to make a profit. Come on now. We’re all family here. Surely we can come to a compromise. I’ll even let you keep one of the rings.”

“Ugh… you’re unbelievable.”

“I think what you’re trying to say is: Unbelievably awesome. Ahehehe.” Wow… he’s really something. And here he thought Rainbow Dash was egotistic.

“Oh brother.” She whined, patting her forehead shallowly.

But then the boy beamed up, as if he found a compromise. “How about this then? I’ll be willing to play ball with you, if you give me a little something in return.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Fluttershy shut his offer down without a second thought. “We’re not making any deals here. I’m very upset with you right now, buster.”

“Relax big sis. It’s nothing major. Just hear me out for a second here.” He wiggled his brow while flashing a charming yet mischievous smile. “I’ll turn over everything I have in my pockets to the fundraising pot right now. In exchange, you give me a the deets on your… ‘New friend’ over there.” His brow wiggled over to the corner where Flash stood by, out of earshot. She asked him to give her a moment with her brother which she was thankful that he agreed without question. She’d rather not have other folks knowing about Zephyr’s bad habits. Even worse knowing that the two of them were related at all.

“You mean… Flash?” She gave a questionable brow to his suggestion not really understanding the point. Flash was pretty much known to the whole school. He was crazy popular with everyone. More so than he actually realize.

“Yes, him.” Zephyr nodded. He had that look of a schemer. Someone who had a plan to come out on top. “I was wondering what kind guy my big sister was in to. Turns out you pick the cream of the crop, reaching out for the stars, going for that full-court shot!”

Those metaphors were just bouncing off her nose like brick wall.

“Are you trying to distract me again? It’s not going to work.”

“Absolutely not. This is all genuine sincerity here, big sis. All I want is the juicy words between the two of you?”

Her head tilted. “Between the two of us?”

Zephyr’s eyes rolled while that coy smile of his grew even wider. “Oh please. There’s no need to keep it a secret, Flutter Butter. It’s obvious that he’s the guy you’ve been dating all this time.” Her head jerked back.

“What!? Me? Flash?!” She wasn’t entirely sure if she should smack him or pull his hair off. “No!”

“It’s ok. You can come clean with me. We’re all family here. It was super obvious.” He wiggled his brow a third time. “I mean two love birds roosting in a quiet corner, sweet talking away from the crowd, and holding hands? That sounds like my classic Fluttershy technique to me.”

Fluttershy dragged her hand down her face. It was clear her brother simply caught them in a situation and came to the wrong conclusion. Again.

“Listen Zephyr…”

“No need to give me the spiel. I totally get it.” He interrupted. “This whole relationship is totally new territory with you. It’s scary, and seeing how you’re all just staying away from folks, you want to keep it a secret. Well lucky for you, your little brother found out about it first. This is totally awesome news.”

“No. Zephyr. It’s not like th…”

“Honestly I’m kind of relived. I was thinking you might’ve fallen for an actual bad boy or goodie two shoes. But you went for the top shelf and got the good stuff.”

“Zephyr. Will you please list…”

“Man, I am stoked. It’s no wonder you turned down Feather Bang so quickly. Hooooo-wee. I feel sorry for that guy. He clearly doesn’t stand a chance.”

Her brain snapped back to attention. “Wait… Feather Bang? He’s been asking about me?”

“Yup. He’s been asking about your new boyfriend ever since you gave him that big ‘Oh no’ rejection the other day. From what I hear: He’s been writing a new poem for you, working some kind of angle. He thinks he still has a chance with you.” Oh come on! Rarity said that a firm rejection would deter people from trying. He was not supposed to come back for round two. “Heh. I’d like to see his face when he sees the competition.”

“Competition? What do you mean?”

“Come on sis! This is Flash Sentry we’re talking about here. No one would dare try to compete with him. You got like… the holy grail of hotties around here. Everybody knows that he’s the biggest fish of them all around here.” He paused a thought. “Well… 2nd biggest fish. Yours-truly is still number 1. Though Big Mac might be a close contender with him and Ms. Cheerilee. How that country bumpkin like him got a gal like her is anyone’s guess.”

She snapped her finger at his nose. “Focus Zephyr! What do you mean by ‘No one would dare compete’?”

“What? Because you and Flashy boy over there?” He scoffed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Well ain’t it obvious? He’s like… super popular right now. No one would dare come between you and him. Not even Feather Bang would be dumb enough to tango with big blue over there. That’s social suicide at its finest. Besides, there’s like an unspoken rule about this whole thing. You just don’t go stealing another guy or girl from another. That’s just all kinds of wrong. Can you imagine the drama?”

Fluttershy toned the boy out when he began to ramble. Still… there was some merit in his words. That little lie she told Feather Bangs has blown out of proportion. Even her friends were beginning to ask for details. Some were even speculating that she was even dating a teacher. The scandal of it all. It was a mystery everybody seemed bent on finding out one way or another. And the longer it persists, the greater the rumors will grow.

But if it’s known that both she and Flash were sort of together, the mystery would disappear and people will move on with their lives. And if her brother’s words were to be trusted, even Feather Bangs would have to give up his quest for her affection.

Yes… that’s it! Just a little game of pretend. Just for a short while. And just long enough to put these ridiculous rumors to rest. No one else will find out and no one will even get hurt.

And thankfully Fluttershy knew just the person to spread the word. Her eyes fell on her brother as a delicious plan brewed in her head.

“Say…… Zephyr. How about you and I make a deal?”

The boy unsurprisingly looked surprised.

(Everton Academy)

Ugh… just how big is this place? They already crossed through three dorms and two auditoriums.

Seriously. When Sunset heard about Everton Academy, she imagined it would be similar to Princess Celestia’s school for Gifted Unicorns. But unsurprisingly everything seemed a whole lot bigger in the human world. It felt like they were trying to compensate for something.

For a bunch of non-magical creatures, they sure know how to build.

“Ugh… this is getting boring.” No one really reacted when Rainbow Dash whined just out of Thorax’s ears. The girl slouched lowly, unable to take the stillness for much longer. “You know. When you guys asked me to get into this job, I was expecting something more like what happened in Freefall Island.”

“Not every adventure needs to have death defying adventure Rainbow Dash.” Rarity countered. “I prefer a quiet adventure full of beauty rather than danger.”

“I know. But still. I don’t mind a little excitement. Don’t you remember the thrill of it all?”

Sunset eyed her wearily. “Do you mean the part where we endangered a hundred people in Hoity Toity’s pageant? Or the part that we were nearly crushed by a falling castle? Or maybe the part where Twilight and Flash got teleported to the other side of the world and we had to spend a whole week lying to their parents?”

“Ok ok. So there might’ve been a few… mishaps. But it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? We stopped Hoity from taking over the city, and Twilight and Flash got back safe and sound.”

The fashionista didn’t agree. “That’s putting it mildly darling. I was tense the whole time. I for one, do not wish to experience such a thing ever again. All that stress and excitement is a gateway for wrinkles and pimples. And someone as gorgeous as I cannot be seen with any.”

“And this might also be a trap.” Sunset reminded them. “I still don’t trust Neighsay. For all we know, this could just be a scheme to lure away from him.”

“And has he done anything?”

“W… well no. Applejack just gave me a text. Everything seems fine back in CHS.”

“Duh. Of course everything’s fine.” Rainbow stated. “That’s because Neighsay is a Red Herring.” The two girls stared blankly at her. “A Red Herring is something that misleads or distracts…”

“We know what a Red Herring is.”

“Great! Then you should probably know that Neighsay isn’t your guy.” She sounded confident. Like she saw it coming a mile away. “Hey don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t go near that guy with a ten-foot pole. But think about it. Just because he’s the most suspicious guy out there, doesn’t mean he’s necessarily THE bad guy. It’s all just a clever ruse.”

“He’s working with Cinch and Hoity Toity. I think that qualifies him as more than just suspicious.”

“True, true. But~ that’s the whole point. He’s too suspicious. That’s how they get you. While you’re out here thinking about Neighsay, the real bad guy is probably out there pulling the strings from behind the scenes just so they can make a dramatic revelation near the end of the scene. Trust me. I fell for it in Fangshire 2, where they portray Count Vladcula as the villain. But in actual truth, it was the Night Hunters.”

Ugh… of course. Sunset rolled her eyes. “Rainbow. Not everything in your movies are real. I know we brought you in for your expertise, but this is the real world.”

“That’s what you said back in Castle Hoofbeard.”

“Th… that was one time!” Sunset snapped.

“Suit yourself. But when things go south, don’t say I didn’t told you so.”

“Like that would ever happen. Come on Rarity. Even you have to find this ridiculous.” The redhead waited for a supportive answer, which sadly didn’t come. “Rarity?”

“Uh… sorry Sunset. But I’m afraid I might have to side with Rainbow Dash on this one.” She gawked. “Don’t get me wrong. While I do find Neighsay’s approach to be rather distasteful, his fashion sense especially, you have to admit that he seems too obvious a villain. And despite what we might think, even Rainbow Dash’s vast knowledge of tropes can be helpful. And even a broken Rainbow Dash can be right once a year. And with this being the New Year, I am not taking any chances.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“I’m not getting any of my outfits torn by any more traps, thank you.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but grin triumphantly as Sunset’s face crumpled to a frown. To think that she would be outmatched and outvoted by her of all people.

“Ugh… fine. If Neighsay really is a ‘Red Herring’, who do you think is responsible?”

The sports gal gleefully yelp. “According to my well-crafted ‘Research’ the real culprit would be someone who we’d least expect. He’d be someone who would pose as the most innocent looking fella. It would likely be a side character, or one of the main characters who’s actually a double-agent!” That was stretching it. “But knowing that none of us would be the bad guy. *Cough*! Present company excluded.” Sunset’s mean glare went ignored. “We can narrow it down to those that we’re close to, but not enough to be a suspect. Someone like… Thorax here!”

“Yes?” The tour guide turned to them with an expectant expression like a puppy wagging its tail giddily for attention.

The three of them stared for a moment and concluded that it couldn’t be him.

“Ok… so maybe not him. But it has to be someone we know, and it has to be someone from Everton. And it has to be a teacher. Oh! And he must have an evil lair hidden inside. An evil lab where she conducts all of her evil experiments. He must also have an evil laugh to boot! And a grand master plan to take over the world using the power of magic!”

“And~~~~ you lost me.” Sunset groaned. “I don’t think real villains will have actual lairs or secret labs. You have to be more realistic. Even if there is one, we don’t even know anyone in Everton.”

“We know Shining Armor.”

Huh… touché.

“Ok so we may know one or two. But honestly. Do you really expect Twilight’s own brother to be the mastermind behind all of this?”

“Hey I’m just saying what I know. But it would certainly make for an awesome twist!”

And just like that, she lost all attention.

“Speaking of Twilight.” Rarity leaned in to whisper while they followed the tour guide as he rambled on about the science building. “Is it just me or is Twilight acting a little strange to you?”

Her eyes wandered to the back of the group to the said girl. And no… it hasn’t escaped her noticed.

Twilight’s behavior was becoming oddly suspicious and Sunset could tell. Ever since they got out of the library, she’s been acting weirder than normal which wasn’t like her at all. She kept lagging behind in the tour, gripping the handle of her bag tightly, talking to herself and staring into empty spaces like she was trying to scold a ghost. She appeared to be completely out of focus. Was she upset that they didn’t find magic at all? I know she can be a bit overly dramatic but she couldn’t take it that far.

xxxxxxxxxx

“You did it! You actually did it!” Midnight could not stop laughing. The dark angel was wheezing endlessly like a child. If she didn’t have her wings, she’d probably be rolling on the floor holding her aching stomach. “This is the best day EVER! I honestly didn’t think a goodie-two-shoes like you would actually go for it, but you did! Twilight Sparkle. The rule book, the law-abiding-citizen, the one who could do no wrong… has actually committed a crime!”

“I did no such a thing!” Twilight hissed back though it was mostly ignored. “I simply took possession of an artifact that was misplaced. This tome is obviously from Equestria. So it never belonged to the library or Sophia Hope to begin with.”

Her evil counterpart leaned in, touching nose to nose metaphorically, with a plastered grin. “Sure sure. You can sugarcoat it all you want, sister. Whatever makes you sleep at night. But in the end, you took something from someone. It’s a small step, but you took it anyway. That makes you: A bad girl.”

“I am merely doing my part in protecting others. This book contains a hint of Equestrian Magic. Who knows what kind of shenanigan this thing can cause if we left it around here?”

“Uh-huh. And you still took it anyway.” She laughed. “Oooh! Maybe from now on you can call yourself Twilight, the Book Thief! No wait. That sounds redundant. The Page Pincher, The Tome Taker, The Grimoire Grifter, Sticky Fingers!”

“What!?”

“No. You’re right. That last one sounded too much like a pickpocket. And you’re way above that. I’ll come up with something better next time.”

“Hey! This was your idea after all!”

“Oh? So we’re playing the blame game now? You’re the one who did the deed.” The Angel snickered. “But if you’re saying that I can somehow influence you. Then maybe I can take control of your body right now.” Her host froze as her ghostly finger dangled dangerously close to her nose. But like before, it merely phased through, which prompted her to laugh. “Ha! Oh boy. You should’ve seen the look on your face. Haaa~~ I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. Oh the sweet joys of small evils. If this goes on, I might have to consider myself your mentor.”

“You are not my mentor.”

Ah… still so innocent, so childish. But then again, everyone is at some point. Trying everything to excuse her actions and pinning the blame on me. Was this how pride feels like? Probably not. But hey. Seeing her miserable face was always worth the effort.

Hmm?

“Hey! Don’t ignore me! I’m trying to…”

“Shh. Be quiet for a minute.” She hushed the girl down. “Is it me or does that woman over there look familiar to you?”

Twilight followed her finger and quickly noted the lady with an authoritative posture. There was little doubt about it. She could recognize that hairstyle in a minute. Not to mention her face was pretty much in the whole briefing. She appear to be supervising some construction workers on the field building what looked like a massive stage.

“That’s Chrysalis.” She mumbled. “She’s the one who was at the dig site with Shining Armor.” Her eyes beamed. “This is perfect. If we can get a magical reading from her, it’ll prove to Sunset that there is magic here.” Easier said than done. “Alright Midnight. Go get her.”

“Me!? Why me?”

“Because you have a better magic detection than me and it’s less risky this way.”

The angel gasped feigning hurt. “And just because of that I’m being volunteered to go on a dangerous mission?”

“Well… yeah. Exactly.” Ouch. Direct but not wrong. “I don’t know why you’re scared. It’s not like you can get hurt anyway.”

“I do have feelings you know.”

“Just go already!”

Yeesh. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.

(CHS)

297, 298, 299… 300!

Applejack beamed as she finished counting the money in her box. The apple fritters and cupcakes she baked with Pinkie the other day has sold out leaving nothing but empty trays for her to take home.

“Alright. That’s the last one.” She declared proudly. “Thanks for advertising Pinkie. You can come on back now.”

“Awww… is it over already? But I was just getting my groove on.” The Pinkette groaned. “I haven’t even done my quadruple flip slam dunk touchdown dance! I’ve been practicing that move all week.”

“Why don’t you save it for a better occasion?” She chuckled. “Like… graduation.” Or more like never. “You think Fluttershy’s alright? She hasn’t called in ever since we sent her to spy on Neighsay.”

“Oh she’s totally fine. I should know. I put a tracking device on her just in case.”

Applejack jerked back. “You… have a tracking device?”

“Yeah. Mrs. Cake gave them to me. When the twins came, they were such a hassle to deal with. Always crawling around nooks and crannies, sneaking into hard to reach places, and constantly getting kidnapped by wild animals. But after they baby-proofed the whole house, they didn’t need them anymore.”

“O…k?” She croaked. “Uh… just for a peace of mind. Did you happen to…”

“Put one on all my friends so that I’d know where everyone is at all times?” Pinkie grinned innocently. “Yup. I put yours on your hat.” Applejack took a look at her Stetson and found the strange gizmo quickly enough. How she managed to plant it there without her knowing is anyone’s guess. “Don’t worry. This thing only has like a 10 kilometer detection radius. It’s just to let me know that one of you is nearby. And according to my Baby Tracker 2000. Fluttershy is right by the… Crystal Prep big selection section.”

“Is that the part with that raffle on that super expensive looking car?” She caught a glimpse of the thing when they first opened the stall thinking that it was some kind of joke set up by the students of Crystal Prep. But nope. That thing was real. Doubly real. And shiny too. Prettier than anything the Apple Family could ever afford with a year’s worth of harvest.

“That’s right. Pretty cool eh? It’s an old model donated by Superintendent Sombra to support the fundraising event.”

“Well… if you’re gonna go overboard with something you may as well do it right.”

“Oh totally. It pretty much raised over two-hundred thousand according to my calculations. I even got myself six tickets just to put the odds in my favor.”

“Aren’t each of those tickets worth like…… a lot? And why would you want to win a super-expensive car? You don’t even drive. You don’t even have a driver’s license.”

Pinkie simply shrugged. “Oh come on Applejack. We all know that it’s not about the prize. It’s about the rush you feel when they call out the number. The sensation of victory when you walk up to that stage and know that everyone would be envious of you! Plus my dad could use something new. His old steam roller is really putting on the years. Oh! Speaking of which. I gotta go. They’re gonna pick the winner in a few minutes!”

And without even waiting, the energetic bubbly gal dashed off in her mascot costume dodging every obstacle in her way with graceful style.

“I guess I’ll just close up here then.” But before she could even start stacking trays, she noted a familiar trio coming her way. “Well hey there Sugar Cube. You and your friends enjoying the fair?”

“Sure am!” Scootaloo answered for them. “We went to all the booths and played all the games. It was awesome!”

“We even went to this fortune teller.” Sweetie Belle added munching on a corndog. “She was amazing. And she gave out free liquorish too.”

Apple Bloom on the other hand, folded her arm and pouted. “Meh. I guess she was ok. Too much on the rhyming for my taste.”

Applejack noticed the bitter look and tone on her sister’s face, which Scoots gladly explained. “Oh come on Apple Bloom. Don’t be mad just because you didn’t like her prediction.”

“It was way off the mark and she knows it!”

The elder Apple laughed. “Now now. Don’t take another guy’s word too seriously. It’s probably just some silly hocus pocus nonsense. Remember what Uncle Cobbler used to say. We Apples make our own future.”

“That’s what I said!” Scoots agreed wholeheartedly. “It’s all just fun and games. You don’t have to take it word for word. Just because she paired you up with Snails, doesn’t mean it’ll come true. I mean… the guy really isn’t that bad to be honest.”

“Snails?” Applejack raised a curious look. “As in Snips and Snails? What’s this about?”

“Apple Bloom asked the fortune teller about her future love life. And the lady paired her with Snails.”

“Love life!?” AJ stammered, jerking back a bit like she was hit by a brick.

“It was just a silly prediction.” Apple Bloom countered. “She told me I could ask her anything so I asked: Who am I likely to be with? And she chose him? Pfft. As if.”

“Why in tarnation would my little sister be asking about that?” Applejack panted. “I don’t mean to sound like Granny, but you’re way too young to be interested in such a relationship.”

“I was just curious. I didn’t mean much about it. I mean… with Big Mac and… ugh… Ms. Cheerilee getting along, and you and Flash mphhh!” The girl’s mouth was hushed by her sister.

“Hey! Ex-nay on the Flash-ay!” The two non-Apples snickered.

“Relax sis. They know.”

They do!?

She face palmed. “Apple Bloom. That was supposed to be a secret.”

“It won’t be much of a secret if you ask him out already.” She scoffed lowly which made her big sis turn a tad bit red. “I mean come on. If you like him so much, you should go for it.”

Since when did you get so invasive? “It’s… ain’t that easy.”

“Oh my stars, it’s true.” Sweetie Belle restrained a squeal from her mouth. “You really are into Flash!”

“Shhh! Not so loud.” She shushed them, her cheeks turning a shade darker, which emphasized her freckles. “And… well… yeah. I guess I am in to him. Though it’s kind of one-sided at the moment.”

“How did it happen?” Scootaloo asked, pulling her face into the booth with a grin widening with each question. “Was it really love at first sight? A romantic gesture? Did he sweep you off your feet and flew you across the city on a magic carpet?”

The two of them leaned in closer, eyes turning beady like they were expecting a spectacular answer.

“Well… none of the above.” Applejack admitted, blushing oh so slightly. “It sorta just… happened. It was a while back right before the New Year. I was in a bad place one day and… well… he came by and saved me.”

“Just like that?” The two asked expecting a little more.

“Well… there were other things that happened too. But yeah. That’s pretty much it. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be in a tough spot. So… I guess you could say it was the 2nd one.”

“Aww~. Like a Prince saving a Princess. That’s so romantic.” Sweetie Belle crooned dreamily. “I am so jealous right now.”

Scootaloo on the other hand looked somewhat tad disappointed. “I dunno. I was kind of hoping for a little bit of action. Like the two of you got caught in a fight between you and a giant monster. And then after you beat it, you two fell madly in love. Like Daring Do and The Prince of Saddle Arabia.”

Ha! Wouldn’t that be something? Having Flash whisper poetry in her ears while they sit by the fireplace, cuddling like an actual couple. That would probably be the most romantic thing ever. But sadly her romantic moment with Flash wasn’t so dramatic or magical. It just sort of happened. Like her heart striking a beat at the most unexpected moment.

“Sorry fellas. But real life ain’t exactly like what you see in them movies. Believe me. I’ve had firsthand experience.”

“So… when are you gonna ask him out?” Apple Bloom followed up making her sister blush a third time. “You know you’re gonna have to ask him out eventually, right?”

“I know. But I’m waiting for the right moment. And right now I got a lot on my plate.”

“But you guys are perfect for one another. I mean come on. The other day, you two were alone together for hours.”

Scoots and Sweetie gasped. “Alone!? Together!?” Awww apple fudge. “What did you do!?”

“Did you cuddle?”

“Did he whisper in your ear?

“Did you kiss?”

“No!”

Scoots whined. “Boooo! Lame!” Lame!? Since when were these young’ins so judgmental? “I was hoping for something more… steamy. Oh I know! How about you try Zecora?”

“Zecora?”

“The fortune teller.” Sweetie Belle explained pointing over to the large purple-ish tent at the far off corner by the bleachers. “Maybe she can tell you if you and Flash are meant to be together or not. She’s really good at it. And it might just solve your whole love life. Oh! We can all go together.”

“You guys just wanna get more of that liquorish, don’t ya?”

“It’s delicious!” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes at them.

Are they serious? Do they really expect some random fortune teller to simply tell them their futures just because of some magic ball or some lucky pull of tarot cards? It sounds interesting, and probably lure in some easily charmed fellows, no doubt about it. But even Applejack knows how silly and ridiculous it sounds. The last thing she needs is someone spoiling the future.

“Sorry kiddos. But I don’t believe in fate or destiny. I’m more of a… down to earth kind of gal. That whole mumbo jumbo is nothing more than a bunch of baloney. Besides, I got stuff to do here.”

“Oh come on. Pretty please?” Scoots pleaded, eyes blinking rapidly to imitate a cute animal. “Just one time? We promise it’ll be fun.”

“Please Applejack?” Sweetie followed, tilting her head aside. “For us?”

Ugh… these kids have grown devilishly devious and wisely manipulative. If they follow this path, they’ll be able to manipulate anyone to do their bidding.

“Oh alright. If you insist. I suppose I can give it a shot.” All but Apple Bloom cheered. “But you all gotta promise to keep this whole Flash business a secret. I don’t want any of my friends finding out just yet.”

Discovery

Chapter 75: Discovery

(CHS)

The plan was working perfectly.

That was what Fluttershy thought to herself.

As she and Flash walked around the fair, she noticed people glancing over in their direction. Some were awestruck, some were confused, and most of all – they were looking AT them. The girl had locked arms with the guy, doing exactly everything Rarity taught her during their time together. Watching that silly romantic sit-com TV show really had its perks.

She leaned close to him, practically hugging the boy’s arm like it was a comfort blanket. The girl didn’t even try to hide this time, instead, gracefully walking beside him with a hint of confidence. Fluttershy even went as far as holding his hands – which Rarity stated to be the epitome of couples sign of love and affection. She intentionally slowed down making sure everyone within range got a good look.

And look they did.

That’s right people. Sink it in. Burn it into your memories. Take pictures, whisper and spread it around. The more the better.

This was perhaps the one and only time Fluttershy ever wanted attention. The stares, the judgmental looks on these peoples’ faces were absolutely priceless. She could hardly even fathom what they were even talking about at this point.

But it didn’t matter. Look all you want folks. This is gonna be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to gaze upon me and Flash to satisfy your obsessive curiosity.

Wow… that sounded a little too much like Rarity. Perhaps she should dial it down a bit?

Zephyr was true to his word for once. Flash really was a big fish in the ocean. The celebrity of the age. A popular kid in school who a lot of girls dream of dating. If people really saw them together, there was no way Feather Bangs would try to ask her out again.

That was the idea anyway. I hope this doesn’t mean they can’t be friends.

Angel on the other hand only gave her a look of disapproval.

Oh what do you know, silly rabbit? This is for my benefit, in the long run. Sure, it was weird and awkward, but the reward was worth the torture. She just needed to hold her shyness in for a few hours and everything will be back to normal. Once everybody sees that the two of them were a-sorta-couple, they’d leave her alone for good.

No more love letters, no more after school confessions or pain staking lies.

“Uh… Fluttershy.”

“Eep!” She squeaked only to pause when she realized it was Flash who spoke. “Um… ahem. I mean… yes?”

“I know we’re supposed to look for Neighsay, but I don’t think walking around aimlessly is gonna do much here.”

Oh right. Neighsay. She totally forgot about that broody guy. The reason why she brought Flash with her to begin with. It was doubtful the guy would stay anywhere in the fair. Knowing him – after that last encounter, he’d probably retreat back to his lair, or his office. He wouldn’t stick around here after he realizes that the gang was watching him like a hawk.

“R… right. Neighsay.” She whispered. “Well if I were him I would… go to the most crowded place in the fair.”

The boy blinked back. “Really? You think so?”

“Absolutely. If I wanted to be out of sight, I’d do it in the place where there are a lot of people. A lot of witnesses.” Never thought I’d say that out loud before.

“I dunno. That doesn’t sound like…”

“Please Flash. You can trust me.” She replied sweetly. “Besides, if he does try something there. We’ll be the first one on scene.”

“But you said he wasn’t the type to do harm.”

“Did I say that?” She did. “Oh… well I say a lot of things. And there’s a good chance I could be wrong.” She didn’t wait for his response and gently grabbed him, taking the lead – willingly – for the first time. “Come on. We can watch the show.”

The said show however was actually the announcement of the raffle winners that Crystal Prep hosted. Nearly half of the school was there to see it.

“Is the grand prize really a… car?”

Flash grumbled shyly as they saw the vehicle on stage. “Yeah. My dad donated it. Don’t ask. He kinda does this over the top stuff every now and then.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if he sold the car instead?”

“Yes.”

Fluttershy opted to ask for more but decided that it was best not to. This was the life of the rich. Best to consider it normal for them.

Still… it was a car for crying out loud. Who could afford to just toss out an old vintage vehicle like they were used socks? And who in their right mind in this school, would want to own one?

“I DO~~~~~!”

“Bwah! Pinkie!”

“That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.” Pinkie gave a playful wink as she got between her and Flash, slamming her body on him like a cannonball. She was still dressed in her pony mascot outfit, which looked pretty worn right now. “Heya Fluttershy. Did you come to see the winner of the grand prize raffle ticket? Because spoiler alert, that person is moi.”

“You bought a ticket?”

“Nope! I bought 20 tickets.” She flashed them the said tickets like poker cards. “Cost me just my whole life savings and a little more from Maud’s wallet, which I’m sure she’s totally cool with.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“I’ll have a set of fish and chips please.” Maud requested to the clerk who quickly produced the said food. “And one taco for my pet, Boulder.”

“Sure thing. That’ll be $2.99.”

She quietly reached for her wallet, only to find a note inside with the letters ‘I.O.U’ with a doodle of Pinkie’s face holding a thumbs up gesture on it.

Maud waited for a minute, eyeing the note like it was the best novel ever written. The cashier tried to call for her attention, but immediately stopped when he saw her mood darken. “Pinkie. I swear upon Boulder’s entire family. I… will have my vengeance…”

xxxxxxxxxx

“But it’ll be totally worth it in the end!” Pinkie continued. “According to my ‘Statistical analysis’, this raises my chances of winning the grand prize by 0.5%. That’s like… half a % higher than before! These other suckers don’t stand a snowball chance against me. Oh hey Flash. Whatchadoin down there you silly? The party’s up here.”

“Hey… Pinkie.” The boy groaned back up.

“You got a raffle too? I hear the second place prize is a new guitar.” The party gal elbowed him.

“I’m good, thanks. Actually, Fluttershy and I were keeping an eye out for Neighsay. You wouldn’t happen to see a half-baked vampire wannabe with a chip on his shoulder, would you?”

The girl puckered her lips in thought. “Hmm… no. Just regular looking folks on my end.” Her smile then suddenly turn seductive as she strutted to Flash’s side. “But I have seen a dashing handsome rocker boy wearing a cool leather jacket hanging around here. He seemed very suspicious.” She followed it up with a knowing wink, to which Flash responded with a chuckle.

“Really?” He responded coyly. “And what did he look like?”

“Oh. You know. Nothing special.” Pinkie shrugged comically. “Blue hair, blue eyes, wears a leather jacket, and loves to play the guitar. He’s also part of a band called the Flash Drive. You probably never even heard of it.”

“You’d be surprised.” Flash gave a cheeky grin. “And what crime did this person do, exactly?”

Pinkie leaned in to whisper. “He committed the grievous crime of being too handsome.”

They burst out laughing a second later, which Fluttershy could do little but join in awkwardly. It sounded like a private joke of some kind, which was weird though.

Not because it came out of those two. But the fact it sounded a lot like casual flirting.

It might just be her insecurities talking here. But did… did Pinkie just flirt with Flash?

(Everton Academy) (Admin Office)

Twilight had only seen Chrysalis once before and she looked pretty intimidating even from a good distance.

The woman had an air of authority around her. With that oddly greenish suit, semi-unkempt hairstyle, and that mighty gaze she carries around, she could probably freeze a grown man solid with a single look. Though if we were going through appearance alone, she’d look more like a tyrant than a teacher. All that was missing was a horde of loyal minions at her side who’d obey her every whim.

While it might just be speculation, that woman was the biggest suspect in their investigation. She became Headmaster of Everton Academy only recently and came upon wealth through political connections. And according to Cinch’s journal, she met up with Chrysalis on a regular basis. Hinting that they’ve been working together on something.

Twilight was more than certain that she was responsible for the earthquakes the other day. Her gut was telling her.

That… and the woman looked downright evil from an aesthetic point of view.

Seriously. Who wears a suit with that mixture of colors? And that hair? The combination only made her look more like a hybrid-insect than a human. If Rarity were here she’d say that she had a terrible sense of fashion.

“You’re one to talk.”

Twilight stopped and quickly leaned by the wall, opening a random book from her bag. Years of experience blending into the scenery back in Crystal Prep made her inconspicuous to the naked eye. Even without the standard uniform, no one would even notice her presence.

“Did you get a look?” She whispered to her evil twin, not once taking her eyes off Chrysalis.

“Oh I got more than just a look.” Midnight teased. “That woman really knows her stuff. The perfume she wears reeks like mint and coffee, her hair is atrocious, and don’t even get me started on her fashion sense. She kinda smells like your brother, after a hot date with Cadance.”

“What? No! Eww! Why would you know that?! No! I meant the magic!”

“Relax Twilight. I know exactly what you mean.” She gave an imaginary flick on the head. “I got a look at her. And…”

“And?”

“You were right. I can smell faint traces of Yaztec magic on her.” I knew it! “From what I can tell, she must’ve used a spell of some sorts for bits of wild magic to linger. As a matter of fact… I can smell some of it around here.”

And she wasn’t wrong either. Twilight’s magic detector gizmo was suddenly giving off a faint beeping noise which was catching a whiff of magical energy all over the building. Whatever spell Chrysalis casted around here was powerful enough to leave a trace for her device.

“Ugh… this is gonna be a lot harder than I thought.”

“What’s the matter? Your little toy broke already?”

“It’s not a toy. It’s a magic detector. It’s supposed to pinpoint the magical energy. But from what I can tell, whatever spell that was cast here was pretty powerful. We’ll need to pinpoint its exact location.” An idea then popped. “You think I should just ask her?”

“Sure. That’s a great idea. I’m sure the lovely lady over there would be more than happy to answer. Just ask her if she knows anything about magic. It wouldn’t creep her out at all.” Her tone was practically dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t be an idiot. You really think you can just walk up to anyone and ask about something so bizarre? Have you forgotten that she was working with CINCH!? The lady who tried to steal your magic!?”

“Ok ok. You don’t have to yell. It was just a suggestion.” She paused just as the green bug lady stopped to talk with a janitor. “Ugh… if only I had my lab. The device I asked Rainbow Dash to plant around the school won’t be ready until tomorrow.”

“Oh for the love of…” Midnight Sparkle faced-palmed herself like she was dealing with a child. “Use that thing you call a brain for a minute. Think. Magic isn’t a normal thing around here. So if I were her, I wouldn’t openly use it where people would see me. And if I wanted to cast a powerful spell to test something. I’d do it somewhere no one would come looking or bother me. Somewhere safe. Secure. Somewhere like…”

xxxxxxxxxx

The Headmaster’s office!

Duh! Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? It was just plain logic.

And thankfully the office wasn’t hard to find in this large building. Just follow the signs and look for the most decorative door. That’s usually the one. Not to mention the name plaque on the door says it all. Principals and Headmasters often like to make their office look as welcoming and gaudy as possible. Principal Celestia was of no exception. She had her own trophies and diplomas decorated in her room to show off all of her accomplishments and shove in the faces of any who visits. She was a bit egotistical that way. But not that it made her look any less of a teacher than most.

“Ahem. Focus.”

“Right right. Focus.” She took a deep breath and quickly scanned her surroundings before shedding off the Cloak of Clover the Clever. This thing was far more useful than she ever thought it could ever be. Not to mention its versatility was immense. Maybe when this is over she could ask Sunset if she could keep it.

It was 11:45. Which means that most of the staff and students would be off for lunch. There were no security personnel around, and the door to the office wasn’t even locked – which was kind of strange.

Either this Chrysalis person was lax in her security details, or she was more open than she thought. No… wait. That’s not it. The lock is actually broken. The handle on the door was loose and there were a few screws that were out of place. Even the door was held together by a brick as it didn’t close all the way. A poorly made sign hung on the doorknob saying ‘No-Entry’.

Huh… what a shabby construction. This was supposed to be the greatest learning establishment in the whole region. This was a terrible first impression. But hey… it was a benefit to her.

Right. Let’s do this. She already committed one crime today, why not add ‘trespassing’ to the list?

With a little push, the door gave in to a…

Uh… what?

“Whoa…” The Fallen Angel whispered as she floated in. Which strangely, Twilight had to agree. “What in the world happened here? Is this supposed to be an office or a dumpster?”

She would choose the latter. The office was totally wrecked from top to bottom. There were papers scattered everywhere, bookshelves cracked and their contents spilled on the floor, shattered window glasses that were barely covered by the curtains, and don’t even get me started on the floorboard or the main desk.

“Kind of reminds you of your lab after a failed experiment.”

“Hey! It wasn’t that bad.”

“You blew up the attic. Twice, with your super glue. And a third time after you made your dog a robot girlfriend.”

Oh goodness. She hadn’t thought about that old project for a long time. Spike was having a bad week so Twilight thought it would be a good idea to make him a partner using genetic strains from her friends and a little bit of Timber. It sounded like a logical thing to do… until you realize that programming a dog to do dog things was a lot harder than it sounds.

It started swimmingly well at first. Spike had a friend to play with and someone to practice his catchphrases on. But as the week went by, the robot buddy began to cling onto him like he was some kind of property.

And when Spike finally got together with Fluttershy’s other animal friends, that’s when things really went out of control.

The poor robot tried to exterminate them all with its laser eyes. It went on a bloody rampage, blasting holes in her lab and tearing all of her equipment like they were made out of paper. And it wasn’t like they could stop her either. That mechanical mutt had four Double-D batteries as backup. They had to keep it in the lab for hours till it finally died out.

Apparently artificial intelligence can get really jealous. Who knew?

“Yeah… that was bad.” She willingly admitted. “But at least my disasters were contained. It’s nothing like this place. Any idea what happened here?”

“Not entirely sure. I’m willing to bet it has something to do with that.” Her twin gestured over to the center of the room where the floorboard bent inward. There was a dark mark there, which meant there was a fire. A big one. And whoever started it must’ve been in a rush putting it out, because that someone used an expensive looking carpet to smother it.

And once again, Twilight’s gizmo began beeping loudly along with her geode. A strong pulse of magical energy funneled forward as if attracted to her like a font.

“There’s no doubt about it. A spell was cast here. Something very complex. Something dangerous.”

“Looks more to me like someone didn’t know what they were doing.” Midnight trailed her ghostly finger on the burnt floor, feeling a trace essence of magic. “This feels… strangely familiar though.”

“We’ll take a sample and take it back to Sunset’s place for analysis. Come on. We need to look around for more clues. We only have a few minutes before we need to get back to the tour group.”

“And how, pray tell, do you expect to find anything in this mess? You’d have a better chance looking for a very specific needle in a box of needles.”

“Hey! You’re the one who said you would help me out in magical crisis. Well here’s your chance. Now start looking.” The Fallen Angel groaned and floated off, mumbling curses and annoyance to herself.

But Midnight wasn’t wrong though. This place was a mess. Finding anything here would take a miracle. You’d think a Headmaster like Chrysalis would be more careful when delving into magic. Whatever she did here must’ve caused a powerful shockwave that sent every flying in all directions. The only thing not destroyed was her trophy case which displayed all of her achievements. She even had a photo of herself holding trophies.

…

Wait…

Twilight jerked back at the photo. It showed a younger version of Chrysalis, grinning smugly in triumph holding a smaller looking trophy. But the woman standing next to her.

The slim figure, long brown hair, blue eyes…

“Is that… Sophie?”

Flash’s mother?

I couldn’t be…

But her face, her hairstyle. It’s almost the exact replica of the one down at Sunset’s place. First the book she donated, and now this? First times are coincidences, but two is suspicious.

What did it all mean? Argh! The questions just keep piling and not a single answer to be seen. But one thing was certain: Sophie had the answer. If only she knew how to perform necromancy to commune with the dead. Then she’d know all the secrets in the world.

If only things were that easy.

“Uh… Twilight.” Her alter ego called out in a trailed out voice. “You’re gonna want to see this.”

“You found something?”

“Oh… it’s… it’s something alright.” She gestured to the ground where an oddly familiar figurine stood.

“Is that… a Portal Stone?” It definitely was. She could never forget something that powerful. Though this one appear to be damaged. The statue’s limbs were torn off, leaving traces of magic in its wake. It was as if someone was trying to pour energy into this figurine, hoping to cause a tear in the fabric of space and time. But without a gateway to focus the spell… it must’ve backfired… badly.

Neighsay was right. The cause of the earthquake really was here.

There was no doubt about it now. Chrysalis was the one responsible – and somehow Flash’s mother was related to it. There were too many instances for it to be mere coincidences.

“But what does it all mean?”

“You’re asking me? You’re the smart one. You figure it out.” Figures the most powerful magician here would be as useless as a tack on the moon. “Hey!”

“Oh be quiet. At least we got all the evidence we need. If we show what we found to Neighsay, he’ll definitely come to the same conclusion.”

“You’re actually gonna trust that blood sucker?” The angel groaned. “You know he’s gonna turn on you the moment he has no more use for you, right? It’s villain 101. He’s a total villain. I mean come on. Don’t tell me you actually buy that charade of his. ‘For the benefit of mankind’ nonsense.”

“Of course not. But I have given him the benefit of the doubt. And so far he hasn’t done anything that would warrant our attention.”

“Other than looking like the most cliché villain we’ve ever met?”

“That would be you.”

“Ooooh. Now that’s a stinger if I ever heard one. Well done.” Her compliment didn’t exactly make her feel better. But at least they got the evidence they need to start a case. If all goes well, this whole debacle might just sort itself out and they can return to their ordinary school life and graduate without incident.

But like they say before…

Should you ever challenge the universe…

The universe tends to answer that challenge.

“Hey! What are you doing here!?”

Ah crap!

Twilight snapped around and saw the Headmaster of Everton Academy waltz in, eyes glaring daggers in her direction. She froze like a deer in headlights, gulping a chunk of air.

“Don’t just stand there like an idiot! Run!”

“Run where!?”

“I don’t know who you are, but this office is off limits to…” The woman paused when she noted the statue in her hands. “Give that back, now!”

Oh crap, oh crap oh crap!

Panicking, Twilight hastily brought her magical cloak over herself, vanishing into thin air.

“What…!? Where did you…?”

“RUN!”

Twilight ran, unconsciously tackling the woman aside. She heard yelling, cursing and a whole load of shouting. But eventually she got clear of the building, and no one even saw her escape.

(CHS)

“No~~~!”

Flash never thought he’d see someone drink their sorrow away today – or any day until he was 25 at least. He always pictured this kind of scenario to be like those movies, where he and his friends would stay over in a bar, wallowing in their misery over a stiff drink. But life had a way of surprising you. Because that was exactly what was happening.

But in this regard, the bar was a corner kiosk, and the stiff drink was a smoothie, and his friend who was wallowing in misery was… Pinkie Pie.

“Aww… there there.” Fluttershy cooed, stroking Pinkie’s hair, easing the poor girl who was bawling on the table like a baby who got her candy stolen. “It’s ok. Don’t be sad. There’s always next time.”

“There won’t be a next time!” Pinkie whined, slurping her fifth smoothie down like it was water. “I don’t understand how I could lose! I had 20 tickets. 20 tickets! The odds of me winning should’ve been way greater than the others! I spent a whole month of my allowance, plus my babysitting money, and Maud, to get them all! And now… they’re worthless! Worthless! Just like one of my prized deflated soufflé to Rarity.” She held up the said tickets as they spilled from her fingers and scattering to the floor. Her head slammed onto the table again, drowning herself in a pool of her own tears. “Boo… I should’ve listened to that fortune teller. She told me that my luck would be sour today. But I decided to challenge the universe and it bit me right back. And now… I’m doomed! Doomed!”

And here I thought Rarity was the dramatic one.

“It’s not so bad.” Flash chimed in coolly. “You still got a consolation prize out of it.”

“Says you.” Pinkie tried to make a hissy face. But instead of being all intimidating and scary, it came out cute and adorable. It was like a puppy pouting after visiting the vet. “You’re not the one whose family drives an old steam-powered car. Ugh… now I gotta start from scratch again. I’ll never be able to catch up with Limestone now.”

“Your big sister who’s studying abroad?”

“Yeah. She promised to teach me driving if I ever get my own car. And this was my one chance to super-duper bond with her. Not to mention having a super cool car to show off! Now I’ll have to settle with cookies and pancakes.”

Flash shrugged back. “Well… look at it this way, Pinkie. Instead of being unhappy. Why don’t you try being happy for the winners? I mean look at Professor Doodle.” He gestured to the side of the road where the said professor stood, grinning childishly as Sombra handed the keys to his new prize. “You can’t possibly put a price on a smile like that now, can you?”

Pinkie seemed to be thinking it, because her expression went from somber, to annoyed, and then back to somber within a few seconds.

“I guess so.”

“There there.” It was his turn to rub her fluffy hair to which she purred at the touch. “Tell you what. I’ll have Edmund whip you that cake you like so much.”

Her mood immediately turned a complete 180. “The choco berry blasted butter biscuit bun cake with five and a half layers of chocolate!?”

“How do you do half?” Fluttershy asked innocently enough which was left ignored.

“The same one.” The boy confirmed it. “I’ll have it delivered to Sunset’s place tomorrow.”

The pinkette let out a squeal as she brought him in for a tight hug. “Awwww… Flashie. You know just what I need to get me through the day.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” He let out a cheesy laugh, returning the hug. None of them aware of his scar flaring once more.

Aftershock

Chapter 76: Aftershock

(House by the hill)

Twilight felt relieved to finally be back at the house. Despite its decrepit look, the place did offer a sense of safety amongst other things. And after a grueling encounter at Everton Academy, it was good to be back within the shielded walls of this place. Not to mention the result they managed to acquire was beyond expectations.

“ARE YOU INSANE!?” If only her friend saw it the same way.

Twilight plugged her ear, recoiling from the sound. “Ow… you don’t have to yell, Sunset. I can hear you just fine.”

“That’s because it’s the only way I can my message across! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?” Sunset snorted, eyes flaring with restrained anger. “What if something were to happen to you!? You could’ve gotten hurt, or worse!”

Oh for goodness sake. She’s been going at it for over twenty minutes now. Ever since they got back from Everton Academy, the redhead has been chastising her like a den mother. She would not stop scolding her.

After the events of her dashing escape from the Headmaster’s office, Twilight expected something akin to a massive lockdown. But instead the school was quiet. There were no alarms or scrambling of security personnel. It was almost like nothing happened at all.

It was only after they split with the rest of the group, did she decide to tell Sunset of what transpired. And as you can guess, she didn’t take it well.

“Relax. I wasn’t in any danger.” Twilight reasoned off which did little to deter her friend’s raging frustration. “Ok look. I know it was reckless of me to go off on my own like that. But I didn’t have any choice. If I brought any of you guys along it would’ve looked suspicious. And the results paid off. This proves that Chrysalis is the one responsible for the earthquake the other day. There is magic in Everton Academy. A whole mess of it.”

“That doesn’t justify risking your own neck.” The former unicorn countered, rubbing the side of her nose frustratingly. “Going off like that and breaking into places? That’s not like you.” It really wasn’t. “I understand that this mission is important. But I thought we were in this together.”

“We are.”

“Really?” She folded her arms disapprovingly. “You’re not exactly showing it.”

“Look. I said I was sorry. Ok? What else do you want from me? A hundred page essay?”

Sunset’s eyes sharpened. “Don’t tempt me.”

“I’ll admit that it wasn’t my best idea. And I doubt she even saw my face. But I came out fine.”

“You snuck into the Headmaster’s office and stole a priceless relic from her, nearly getting caught.”

The nerd gal paused. “Ok so it wasn’t the most ethical of choices. But let the results speak for itself.” She then placed the evidence she collected on the table. “This broken Portal Stone proves that she was the one responsible for the earthquake. Judging from all that I’ve seen, she must’ve tried the same thing I did when I was in the desert town in Saddle Arabia.”

Sunset’s attention was quickly snatched. “You mean that time you and Flash were trapped on the other side of the world?”

“The very same.” Twilight then brought out a black gemstone, placing it next to the broken statue. “As you recall, the Portal Stone magic the Yaztec used to travel across the world has two key necessities. 1. Being the Portal Stone. And 2. Is the Portal Gate itself. The stone creates the portal to your destination, and the gateway acts as a binding agent, keeping the magic from going haywire.”

“Like the one under Castle Hoofbeard.”

“Exactly. I tried doing the same back in Peril Peaks but with only the gateway. And let’s just say the results weren’t… exactly… what I wanted.”

“You almost blew yourself up.” Hush you. No one’s asking for details.

“Chrysalis on the other hand tried to create a portal without a gateway. Thus the magical backlash was this.”

“Uh huh…” The redhead nodded. “That still doesn’t explain what caused the earthquake. A magical backlash shouldn’t have affected anything beyond her office… or her building at least. I should know. I’ve had plenty of those back when I was in Equestria.”

“Magic works differently in this world, remember? Equestrian logic doesn’t factor in here. Who knows what kind of mystery a backlash could have on the long term?” She then pull out the second piece of evidence she had on hand. “And speaking of Equestria. I found this in the school’s library. See anything familiar?”

Curiously Sunset decided to open the said book, only turn wide-eye when she saw the letters written within. “This is… Equestrian!”

“Precisely. It was placed in the unorganized section of the library. It emitted a faint trace of magic.”

“And how were you able to get it out? I thought they didn’t allow books to be taken by those other than students and faculty.”

“I uh… didn’t really… ask for permission.”

“WHAT!?” Sunset choked. “Twilight. Are you saying that you… stole this too?”

“Technically it wasn’t theirs to begin with – thus I never stole it.” It was poor logic. But it was all she could conjure.

“I’m not really liking this new version of you.”

“Oh please. I’m only doing what needs to be done. And no one got hurt in the process. So can you read it or not?”

Sunset eyed her, but decided to save that argument for another time and returned her attention to the book. She scanned the first two or three sentences, noticing the strange patterns.

“Towar del partagesh. Fungil dea…”

“Uh… what?”

“It’s old Ponish.” Sunset explained. “It’s the old dialect of my world. Kind of like the old colonial language of this world. I took a course during my time in Celestia’s school for Gifted Unicorns. Though I never took much interest in it. I should be able to translate it in a week or two. It’s a thick book.”

“Why don’t you ask Starlight for help? That’s what she’s here for after all. Right?”

“True.” She glanced over to the music box. “I haven’t heard from her for a while now either. I wonder if things are ok in Equestria.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind you dropping by. But that’s not the biggest mystery yet. According to the librarian. The person who donated this book was none other than Sophia Hope.”

The name sprang a bell in her mind. “Sophia? You mean… Flash’s mom?”

“The very same.” They both turned to the portrait above the fireplace where the woman sat, smiling sweetly at them. “And get this. She’s also an acquaintance of Chrysalis. I saw a picture of them together in her office.”

“Ok now that’s really suspicious. How in the world did she get her hands on a book from Equestria?”

“That’s the lottery prize question, isn’t it?” Twilight firmly added. “If only we could ask her in person.”

“Unless you know how to talk to the dead, I think we’re stuck on that.”

“Yup. So I’ll be doing the next best thing. I’ll ask around.” The nerdy gal turned towards the man above Sophie, wearing another childish smile. “But for now, we’d better report all of this to Neighsay. Just in case.”

(Flash’s mansion)

It was itching again.

“Dang it.” Flash cursed to himself as he rubbed the side of his hand, seeing the glow return on his scar. It has been acting more frequently ever since his magic came to be. The pulse that he felt inside was growing stronger, beating to the rhythm of his own heart. It turned from blue to yellow, then green and red. If he were a joking man, he’d say that this was something akin to one of those mood rings that they show on TV.

This was really starting to be a problem.

He already tried everything. He applied ointment on it, medical salve, herbal balms and other manner of medicinal apparatus, but so far the best he could achieve was a moment of reprieve. It was pretty bothersome, especially before bed. And even worse was the fact that the glow was getting stronger than before. The light inside was practically glowing like his personal mobile disco ball. It shined through his bandages endlessly. He had to wrap his hand over with mittens just to cover them up, and they’re a lot harder to write with too.

Maybe he’ll ask Twilight for some advice tomorrow when he learns some magic.

*Woof!*

Bananas quickly came to his aid, giving a lick on the wound.

“Aww… thanks buddy.” He brought the little guy up to his nose. “But I don’t think your licky powers can do much against magic.”

“Never hurts to try.”

“Master Flash.” His butler’s voice chimed from his door.

He quickly wrap his hand before answering. “Come in.”

“Pardon the late night intrusion. But your order for Lady Pie is ready.” He presented the gorgeous treat like it was a prized winning trophy. “The choco berry blasted butter biscuit bun cake with five and a half layer of chocolate. Baked to perfection.”

“Looks good.”

“The chefs really did outdid themselves, sir.”

They really did. Just looking at it was enough to make Flash’s stomach growl. The frosting alone was enough to give anyone a sweet tooth.

But…

“Why is it shaped like a heart?” He asked innocently enough.

Edmund’s expression cracked a tiny bit. “Well… it was an aesthetic choice.”

“Really?”

A sweat drop appeared on his forehead. “The ingredients simply came that way, sir.”

Flash didn’t believe it. “Edmund…”

“The temperature of the oven must’ve changed its shape from the heat.”

“Let me guess.” Flash eyed the older man suspiciously. “Dad?”

…

“No.”

That’s a yes.

“Ugh… DAD!”

“Yes?” The man in question was easy to find just outside his room. “You know you don’t have to shout. I can hear you perfectly fine where I am. The echoes of this place is rather articulate.”

“Did you tell Edmund to make the cake into a heart?”

He glanced over to the said cake, then to the butler, then to his son. “Why yes. Yes I did. It does add quite the sweetness to it, don’t you think?”

“Why in the world would you shape it into a heart? People might get the wrong idea!”

“I don’t see what the problem is. It is a gift for Pinkie. I thought you might’ve been interested so I decided to add a little extra tact for the mood. It would be such a waste seeing how she loves it. Oh and speaking of which, I also brought you a bushel of flowers as a little incentive. Girls love chocolates and flowers. If you want, I can even get you a private cruise around the docks where you can both watch the sunrise.”

“Dad. I told you once before: It’s not going to work.” Flash whined pressing his palms together. “Pinkie and I aren’t going out. That’s final. Besides, she doesn’t see me that way. We’re just friends.”

“Sure~~ friend~~~~~.” A voice chimed from somewhere.

“I beg to differ.”

“Well it’s my decision. So please. Just leave it be.”

“But she really is a nice girl, Flash. She’s perfect for you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Are you perhaps interested in one of her sisters by any chance? Marble might be a little meek but… I hear Maud maybe willing to…”

“NO! No one!” He snapped. The thought of hooking up with any of Pinkie’s siblings was just too out of this world. He’s only ever met Marble once during a goodwill visit and the two of them hardly even shared a word, much less a glance. And wasn’t Maud seeing someone else? “Please stop playing matchmaker with my life. It’s not going to happen. EVER.”

His old man eyed him wearily, but didn’t give much of a hint of his thoughts. He looked rather stoic. Almost like a statue. He seemed almost hell bent on playing cupid shooting out arrows out of a gatling gun each of which had his and Pinkie’s name on them.

“Fine.” He said finally with a depressing sigh. “If that is what you really wish, then I’ll stop.”

Huh… that was surprisingly easy. Almost too easy. He was expecting a little more resistance like before.

“You will?”

He confirmed with a nod. “I promise from here on out, I shall stop trying to put you and Pinkie together. You’re a grown man now. And you can make your own decisions and accepting the consequences. You don’t need me holding your hands and pushing you to some random girl you clearly have no attachments to.”

Flash couldn’t help but eye his father with suspicion. The man was stubborn to a fault some times. But then again… this could be his way of breaking out of his shell. And he wasn’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Really?”

“Really.” He responded with a casual smile, which hardly eased his worries.

“Really really?”

“Swear it.” The man raised his hand up like a boy scout. Flash would’ve preffered if he took a Pinkie Promise, but doubtful he’d get it.

“Well… thank you. I… guess?” The boy turned to his butler. “Uh… change the shape.”

Edmund bowed lowly. “As you wish, Young Master.”

Flash would spend the next few minutes cautiously walking back to his room with Bananas trailing not far from his leg. He turned his head repeatedly to face his father, but the old man simply waved at him innocently like the most inconspicuous man in the world. He might not know his dad for a while, but he can tell that he was up to something. The guy had the look of a schemer and he literally had near infinite resources to hatch some diabolical plan.

“That was… weird.” He said at last, once he was safely back in his room.

“Yup. He’s definitely up to something. You should definitely keep an eye on him. He might try to blindside you just when you aren’t looking.”

“Thanks. But I doubt dad will try anything underhanded.”

“Hey. You never know what a guy with his money would do. For all you know he could be setting you up with another Pie.” Oh god. He hoped not. That was just a beehive just waiting to be poked. And a lot of people are gonna get hurt for sure. “Or maybe he’ll laced your cake with love potion.”

“Love potion? Please. Don’t be… ridi… cu…lous?” It was only after the next few words did Flash realize something strange with this conversation. “Wait. Who am I talking to?” He scanned the room, thinking that he may be speaking with a ghost.

“Down here, partner.” The voice added to which he followed.

He looked down… and saw his pet dog smiling at him.

“Hey there.”

The boy’s scar beamed.

(CHS) (Neighsay’s office) (The next day)

“I must say, I’m rather impressed, Ms. Sparkle.” Neighsay stated as he scanned the contents of her report, showing what looked like a hint of admiration in his voice. It was weird getting praise from someone whom her friends considered an enemy. If it were Cinch or Hoity giving out the praise, she’d be a lot more wary.

And it’s not like the praise wasn’t earned. The information they gathered in just a single day’s investigation was beyond what either of them expected. Within 24 hours they were able to deduce the origins of the magical incident, the perpetrator, and the objects of which the magic was used. If she had to give herself a grade, it’d be an A++.

Though she did leave out about the book from Equestria. She was gonna keep that to herself for a while longer.

“Thank you sir. It was a team effort.” She replied, trying to seem humble.

“I admit… I wasn’t expecting much of your report. But it’s a pleasant surprise to find myself wrong for once.” He turned away from the document to face her with a small hint of a smile. “Not only did you find the origin of this rogue magic but you also discovered another Travel Stone to boot.” He gestured to the broken artifact in question. Travel Stone must be the terminology they use for the Portal Stone. “While it is sadly damaged, you were right to take it away from Headmaster Chrysalis. Your efforts are to be commended.”

“We’re still not sure what she was trying to do though.” Twilight added. “She attempted to use the stone to open a portal, but it backfired on her.”

“It sounds like she’s just another radical who didn’t know what they were doing.”

“Huh?”

“Oh don’t be so surprised. Every now and then some idiot somewhere would encounter a magical artifact and think themselves their betters. They’d incorporate magic into their daily lives trying to improve their station. It happens more than you think.”

That… actually made sense. So far most of the folks they’ve met who encountered magic weren’t… exactly right of mind. Gloriosa became a magical dryad trying to save her camp, Juniper Montage became a mirror monster, Vignette trapped them in a magical dimension, and if Sunset was telling the truth – The Post Crush duo abused the Time Twirler to get that ‘Perfect’ day. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to see others mishandle powers beyond their own comprehension.

“So… what now?” She asked. “What are you gonna do about Chrysalis?”

“Nothing for now.” He admitted with a guilty sigh. “She’s a high profile person. Moving against her would only result in unwanted attention. But I believe she will be harmless, provided she has no more magical artifacts or associates who delve in such practice.”

“Yeah… about that.” Twilight twiddled her thumbs together. “Actually. There are some questions that I’d like to ask.”

“Oh?”

“It involves the investigation.” She hastily added. “Think of it as a quid-pro-quo part of this partnership?”

The man’s brow rose, intriguingly. “Partnership revolves around trust, my dear. And while I do enjoy this sharing of information, I do not like the fact that you have your friends spying on me.”

Ah crud. He must’ve spotted Applejack and her team.

“That’s for insurance.” Twilight replied earning a rather surprised look from the older man. “Let’s be honest here. We’re never gonna trust each other. Not after what happened with Hoity Toity. This partnership is about mutual self-interest, not trust. And as much as I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I can rule out that you can be a threat to me or my friends. Just like you can’t rule out that WE are some radicals who’re using magic for our own gains.”

If Neighsay was insulted, he certainly didn’t show it. Instead his gaze sharpened, as if judging her.

Twilight stood her ground, unmoving from her seat. She had the advantage here. This guy doesn’t know how many staring contest she won against Shining Armor when they were kids. She can hold them until her eyelids turned purple.

And thankfully, he backed down. “I see that have thought this through, Ms. Sparkle. I’m… rarely impressed.” A smile formed on his lips. A genuine smile. “Your ingenuity and willpower are excellent qualities. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in a career working for our Order?”

“I’ll think about it.”

His mood remained unchanged. “Very well then. Ask you questions.”

Thank god for that.

“Ok Twilight. This is crucial. You need to pick your words very carefully if you wanna get any information out of him. It’s all about the tone and subtlety…”

“Why are you really here?”

“Or you can just throw subtlety out the window and do a Hail Mary approach.”

Neighsay raised his brow again. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“What’s your goal?” She clarified. “I mean what does the Order intend to do here in Canterlot City? According to you, your organization secretly spans across the world. But even a secret organization has limits to its resources. Yet… after thinking about it, I get the feeling whoever is in charge is pouring more effort here than anywhere else.”

His eyes suddenly narrowed, drawing a suspicious gaze. “As I have said before. Our organization is created to study and implement magic to…”

“What does it have to do with the Chalice of Wishes?” Neighsay’s expression changed immensely. His hands splitting away from the table. “What are you really planning? And what does it have to do with the Winter Solstice? And why here?”

These were all lingering questions that have been clogging at the back of her mind since the whole magical fiasco began. She knew about the Chalice and the timing of the whole thing, but could never really connect the dots. What they plan to do with it. What it was for. Why here of all places? She needed answers, and she was gonna get them one way or another. Obviously she didn’t expect him to be completely honest but at least then she’d get some closure.

A mixture of expressions folded around Neighsay. He twisted and turned, diverting his eyes away from her as if in thought. It went on for about a minute before he finally decided to answer.

“Those are some rather difficult questions, Ms. Sparkle.” He began. “I knew that my colleagues underestimated you and your friends but now that I’ve seen you… I can see why. I’m afraid I can only answer three of those questions.” Quietly he rose from his seat, picking out his black gemstone. Naturally it sparked a hostile reaction from the girl who quickly reached for her geode. “Calm yourself. I am merely explaining it in detail.”

He then gently placed the black gemstone on the table letting it glow.

“As you know, most of our magic is based around the ancient Yaztec Empire. An empire that once spanned across the world before their mysterious disappearance some ten thousand years prior.” Basic History 101 practically. “Their Shamans used a method similar to what you see here. Their magic alone allowed their soldiers to become super-human, travel across the world using Travel Stones. But what you don’t know is that their magic was not infinite. They require a method of renewing their powers. Think of it like today’s people with their cellphones. And sadly… electricity wasn’t invented during their time.”

“So… how did they charge their magical energy?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Religious sacrifice. Though mostly animals.” He chuckled dryly. “Mostly…”

Twilight couldn’t help but gulp her own fears down. She knew that the Yaztec people had a habit of performing religious sacrifices. Though archeologists today would believe they did it to appease their gods. Never would they imagine that they were actually doing it to recharge their magic. If Fluttershy catches wind of this, she’ll be livid.

“And what does this have to do with the Chalice?”

“I’m getting there.” The man removed the gemstone from the table, grunting. “To be completely honest, I’m not entirely certain what the Chalice of Wishes does. Though we know to be a vessel of immense power capable of syphoning magic from elsewhere. These objects are extremely rare even during the Golden Age of the Yaztec Empire. And according to our experts, the vessel is capable of… well……” He paused. “As ridiculous as it may sounds. It can grant wishes.”

“Wishes? Like a genie?”

“I’m not entirely clear on the details. But you do know how spells are used, right?”

“Of course. It takes a recipe, converts magical energy to whatever you want.”

“Precisely.” Again, Neighsay nodded, looking even more impressed with her knowledge. “Though at times we do not have the recipe or the methods needed to create the spell we desire. But with the Chalice on the other hand, it circumvents those trivial methods.”

“So it’s omnipotent?”

“Partially.” He shrugged. “We were supposed to test it during the Winter Solstice as that is the time when magic is strongest. But as you already know, that didn’t happen thanks to the combined efforts of your former Principal. It took forever to collect all that magical energy.”

A Chalice that could literally do anything you wanted? Pfft… yeah right. When something that good comes along, you just know there’s a scam behind it. If there was anything she knew about the world of science and sorcery, it’s that nothing comes for free.

Well… except friendship maybe.

“Oh give me a break.”

“Not to mention the rarity of the artifact itself.” Neighsay continued. “As you are aware. The Chalice of Wishes isn’t exactly found in droves. We’ve recovered many of them ourselves but never one so intact. It took forever to sneak one of our agents in that museum. I should’ve known better than to put Cinch in that role.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” She agreed, only to pull up a quick stop in realization. “Wait a minute. Professor Cinch? She’s your agent? What about Sombra?”

The man unexpectedly raised one eye upward. “The Headmaster of Crystal Prep? What about him?”

“Isn’t he part of your organization?”

“A man of that stature? Hardly.” Neighsay hummed a humored tone. “He’s much too powerful and too public for our group. Besides, he’s a man of science, not magic.”

That was somewhat surprising. Twilight was almost certainly sure that Sombra was a member of their group. He was in a great position, not to mention all the artifacts he had in his possession.

“Will that be all, Ms. Sparkle?”

Forget it. She’ll have more time to think about it when she gets back home.

“There’s one more question I’d like to ask.” She added. “Does the name, Sophia Hope, mean anything to you?”

“Sophia Hope?” He placed two fingers on his goatee in thought. “Sombra’s late wife? Why?”

“Her name has been coming up a lot in my search. I thought it might’ve been just pure coincidence. But there are just too many factors to rule that out. If you have any information about her, it could expedite our investigation.”

“Then I’m afraid you’ll get little from me. I only know the surface level of information regarding this person. Other than her in-depth studies in history, there’s little else I can provide.”

So another dead end. Figures it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Perhaps you could ask those closer to her for more information.” Neighsay added earning a look. “If I recall correctly. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna were once close friends of hers. Perhaps they could give you the answers you seek.”

“They were friends?”

“As far as I could tell. Other than those two, your best bet would be her husband or…… her son.” His face twitched a bit at the mere mention of Flash. “Either way, that will be done at your own time. In the meanwhile, we will begin conducting a thorough investigation over Ms. Chrysalis. We will make sure that she does not do anything that threatens this city again. On behalf of the Order, I thank you, Ms. Twilight. Please pass my regards to your colleagues. And as I promised, you may keep any relics you recover.”

“Wait… you’re cutting us off the investigation?”

“I asked you to find the source of the rogue magic and you and your friends delivered more than I expected. Anything more will be exposing yourselves to unnecessary dangers. Best leave this sort of matters to more experienced hands.”

That made sense… sort of. And she really didn’t want to show her face there again. At least not until she graduates.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Please tell me you’re not actually gonna let that emo-centric vampire get the better of you.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, keeping silent just long enough to make sure no one was around to hear her. “Of course not. And you can already tell what I’m planning. We’re connected after all.”

“Just making sure.” She shrugged. “I needed to make sure that we were both on the same page.”

“We can’t allow Neighsay or the Order of the Black Stone catch Chrysalis. Not until I understand fully what she intends to do.” The nerdy girl walked up to her locker, grabbing a few books for her next class. “And there’s a good chance that she has a few more magical artifacts under her sleeves. I’d rather have those in our possession than anyone else. Oh! And that reminds me. I’ll need to collect the Magic Trap Mk. 2 from Flash later this week.”

“Speaking of Flash. Didn’t you notice him twitching when he mentioned him?” She did. It was perhaps the closest thing the man ever had to an actual expression on his face. Even during the entire interrogation, he was stoic as a rock. But when he just mentioned the boy, his face went all contorted like he just sucked a lemon.

“Yeah… I did. And it is rather suspicious.” Twilight mumbled. “Could he know about his new found magic? Ugh… I feel like I should’ve pressed more questions on him. There’s still so much I could’ve learned from him.”

“I just hope the rest of your friends are as enthusiastic as you are. As far as I’m seeing, only two of you seem to be doing all the work.”

“Oh don’t worry. I’m sure everyone’s doing their part.” Twilight’s thoughts were quickly interrupted when her phone buzzed with a familiar number on screen. “Uh… hello?”

“Twilight! Hey there…”

“Gloriosa? Is that you?”

“Yup, it’s me. Your friendly camp counselor, Gloriosa.” She sounded strangely perky. Kind of like she was trying to keep a perky happy smile even though she was panicking inside. “Sorry. I’m probably sounding like a complete lunatic right now.”

“A little bit.”

“It’s just that I’m a little… anxious right now.”

Twilight’s face turned. “What happened? Did the golem move?”

“What? No. Of course not. That thing is pretty much the centerpiece of my new campground. You should come see it sometime. I think you might even be impressed of what we’ve done with it. But another time. I was actually calling to ask if you’ve heard from Timber.”

“Timber? Well… not recently. Why?”

“Well he told me he was coming to visit you yesterday during your fundraising event.”

He was here? He never said anything to her. “No. I wasn’t in school during the event. Why?”

“It’s just that he was supposed to help me out at the camp today arranging the walk through the woods, but he’s a no show. And now one of my extra-hands is stuck at home with fever. So I’m a little shorthanded. I checked his apartment and the usual haunts but I can’t find him anywhere. I’ve tried to reach him but all my calls are going straight to voice mail. And I know I should respect my brother’s privacy. But as his sister, I’m kind of feeling a bit… worried.”

Timber’s missing? That’s not good. Though it wouldn’t be the first time he went off the grid for a while. The boy was a free-spirited one and often goes on long trips before popping back unexpectedly.

“I’ll keep an eye out for him.”

“Oh thanks Twilight. You’re the best.” Gloriosa sighed with some relief. “And when you do reach him. Please tell him to report to Camp Everfree right away! Sister’s orders. Gotta go now.” She ended the call with an audible click.

Hmm… this was strange. Where would Timber be at this time? I understand that he and Gloriosa didn’t have the best of relationships but they still care about one another. Even he wouldn’t leave her alone for long.

Hopefully nothing bad happened to him.

(Classroom)

“Huaaaaa~~~” Oh boy. That was a little loud. Sunset muffled her mouth as she let out a long extended yawn. Thankfully the teacher out front didn’t seem to notice and continued on his lecture.

“That was a pickled yawn if I ever heard one.” Rarity pointed out which wasn’t far from the mark. “I’ve done plenty of yawning myself. And I reckon that was an ‘All-Nighters’ yawn. Stayed up late again?”

“That’s one way to put it.” She groaned, putting her head between her notebooks to act as a comfort pillow. “Twilight got me translating an old text from Equestria she found during our trip on Everton Academy.”

“You mean that little stunt she went on her own?”

“Yeah. That.” Everyone was a little bitter about that. The old Twilight would never risk something that dangerous before. But now she was becoming far more daring. More reckless. Like… Rainbow Dash, but worse.

“Rarity was pretty ticked off about it. Guess she doesn’t want friends going off on their own. Twilight must’ve done goofed if she got her that riled up.”

“Yeah. I gave her an earful last night.” She yawned again, her eyes barely keeping attention to the teacher. “That didn’t stop her from pestering me to translate that darn book.”

“So… what’s in the book, exactly?”

“Not… sure. It’s written in old ponish so I’m having a bit of trouble translating it. From what I can gather from the few pages I’ve been able to decipher, it appears to be some kind of ancient alchemical formula. The terrible horn-writing wasn’t exactly a big help either.” She scoffed. “At this rate, it’ll take me months before I can translate the whole thing. And I’ll be graduating by then.”

“Can’t you ask your friend on the other side to help you?”

“Tried that. But Starlight hasn’t been answering my calls. I’ve been trying to use that music box and the journal to get a response, but no dice.”

“Then why don’t you stop by their place after school?” Applejack suggested. “I mean the portal between that world and ours is literally just next door.”

That was… a rather good suggestion. The portal was just a few steps from the gate. She could pop in with her book and be back within the hour. And even if the Order discovers it, they won’t be able to use it without the ‘Key’. And only she and Princess Twilight have those.

“Yeah… that sounds like a good idea. Thanks Applejack.”

“You’re welcome, Sugar Cube. This whole fiasco is far too big for just one of us to go at it alone. We all need a little help now and then. That’s what friends are for after all.” The cowgirl waved it off. “And the sooner you guys figure this out, the better. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells every time I come to school. Knowing that Neighsay is still around doing god-knows-what. Sometimes I even get the feeling that he might just go and do some magical mumbo jumbo before any of us know what happened.”

“Trust me. You aren’t the only one.” She let out another yawn. “But I do feel a little burned out from all this research and adventuring. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper break.”

“Well if it’s a break you want, then you should join me on a little spa date at the mall after school. Rarity got herself some coupons for a good discount and needs an extra seat filled out. So I figure a little relaxation is deserving, don’t ya think?” Actually… that sounds kind of good. Sunset could really go for a little pampering right about now. It’s no hoofacure, but it certainly does take the stress off one’s body.

“Huh… I… might take you up on that offer.”

“Great! I’ll text Rarity and tell her to make the reservations.”

“Ahem!” The teacher let out an attentive cough, eyeing the two, which quickly hushed their conversation.

(Celestia’s Office)

Ahh~~… nothing beats a cool working day than a cup of hot coffee in the morning. Celestia took a sip from her cup, enjoying the bitter taste it gave. Class was in session and her paperwork for the day were all done. Her schedule was clear for the day, and there hasn’t been a single report of magic at work around school, which meant that either the Rainbooms were doing a good job, or they were all hypnotized without their knowledge. She was gonna choose the former.

It’s difficult to find time for herself these days. Maybe she can consider having a second breakfast, reading over a good book. She’ll finally be able to catch up on that novel she had hidden under her cupboard. So much use over the free time she had.

But alas, tis wasn’t meant to be as the door to her office slammed open making her spill her coffee over her table.

“I’m not late!” Luna stated panting heavily, looking like a shriveled mess. Her clothes were barely buttoned up and her hair were tangled in places that gave her the appearance of a witch. “I’m not late!” She repeated.

Celestia glanced over the clock above the door and grinned. “You’re late.”

“Just by a few minutes!”

“That’s still count as late.” The Principal added coyly taking another sip from her cup as she penned a mark on a sheet of paper. “That’s your second tardiness of the year. Tut tut tut.”

“Ugh… stupid attendance sheet.”

“I take it you had fun with the gang last night?” It was pretty obvious from the untidy appearance. After the fundraising event, Cranky invited all the senior staff to a joyride on his new car. They must’ve gotten pretty rowdy because a few of them called in sick today.

“You could say that.” Luna’s expression turned dopey for a second there. You could already tell she must’ve had a great time. “Say what you want about Cranky and Matilda. But those old coots still know how to party. Even Granny Smith went on the karaoke.”

“Sounds like you had a great time.” The elder sibling raised a comical brow. “Nothing too rowdy I hope.”

“Of course not. We’re people, not animals.” She laughed heartily as she took her seat. “You could’ve joined us too you know. It would be like the old times. The old gang hanging out and living life on the edge, and not caring what the next day brought.”

They weren’t that old… yet. “Thank you for the thought. But I had my own engagements to deal with.”

“Ooh?” Luna gasped intriguingly. “Let me guess…”

“I didn’t go out with Sombra.”

“Boooo!” She was so surprisingly obvious. “If it wasn’t a hot date, then what was it?”

Celestia took a meaningful sip before letting out a sigh. “If you must know. I spent the latter part of the evening consoling our dear friend, Cadance.” That got an interested reaction from her sister who quickly snapped her head in her direction. “Apparently she was really heartbroken when Shining Armor decided to leave for Everton Academy.”

“Oooh right. I heard about that from Sombra yesterday.” Luna bobbed her head in realization. “That’s just like Everton. As if it’s bad enough they’re taking away our students. Now they’re poaching staff from other schools? They’re downright criminals. At this rate they might even try to take away our faculties.”

“Cadance said the same thing.” It was a real shame. Even the sisters liked Shining Armor. He may have been a smug alumni of Crystal Prep, but he showed many qualities that befitted his station. He was one of the few good ones around here. He was loyal, hardworking, and thrived well under pressure. Not to mention a highly capable leader amongst his peers. You won’t be able to find folks like him around these parts for a long time.

“This is bad.” Luna added, followed by a gasp. “Wait. They’re not breaking up, are they?”

“Of course not.” At least… not yet. Though Cadance did sound somewhat distraught. Those two seemed like one of the perfect couple despite their age gap.

Hopefully they’ll work it out somehow.

(Hallway)

“Hmm…” Rarity let out a low and curious hum. It was probably the fifth time she did in the last hour which finally prompted Fluttershy to respond.

“Is… everything ok, Rarity? You’ve been making that face for a while now.”

“I’m just curious, that’s all.” She explained, while her eyes wandered to the crowd around the hallway. “Haven’t you noticed anything strange happening today?”

“What is?” The animal lover asked, glancing around her locker area. “Is Rainbow Dash doing another one of her solo musical number? Or is it Pinkie Pie with her vaguely specific twitches?”

“None of those.” And we can all be thankful for that. While Rainbow Dash has been known to go on a musical jam in rare occasions, Pinkie’s twitchy senses were far more frightening. And all those who know her long enough, learn the hard way that you should never ignore her senses.

“Then what is it?”

“I’m about to find out.” Her keen eyes then quickly scanned the surrounding, taking every little detail into account. The special ability that she had been honing ever since she took up fashion was coming into work. “Oh my goodness.”

“What? WHAT!? What is it?”

“There’s a rumor circulating around school!”

…

Fluttershy blinked at her purple friend. “Uh… what?”

Rarity pulled the girl up to her face, hugging her neck and pointing out to all the signs. “Can’t you see it, darling? The groups huddling together, the hushed whispers, the chuckling of amusement and gasping of shock, the odd glances our way?”

“Umm… maybe?”

“These are all the telltale signs of a new gossip spreading across school! Ah! Yes. That must be it.” She squealed. “The sensation. I wonder what it could be. Oh! Perhaps Chestnut Magnifico finally got back together with Brad-Brad. Oh! Maybe the Spring fashion lineup is finally in season!”

“Or maybe we could just ask what it is.”

She gasped. “Oh my. Fluttershy. You’re an absolute genius. It always pay to be in-the-know.”

Rarity then calmly galloped to a nearby group of classmates who acknowledged her presence. “Pardon the interruption darlings. But I must positively must know what everyone is talking right now. Judging from the sound of it – it must be positively juicy.”

“You don’t know the half of it, Rare.” Cherry Crash was her name, laughed in agreement. “And it’s not just a rumor either. It’s been doubly confirmed by everyone in school.”

“Oooh. And what is it?”

“You won’t believe it. But yesterday, during the Fundraising event, Flut—err…” Her face and the face of all her friends suddenly turn pale as Fluttershy approached. “Err… I mean… Flubber Blubber’s Gum got a… super—er—healthy new flavor!”

Rarity’s head unsurprisingly tilted in confusion. “That’s the rumor everyone’s talking about?”

“Yup.”

“Absolutely. Definitely nothing else. Ahehehehe.” The second guy added laughing awkwardly.

“Oh and look at the time. We’re almost late for class.”

“It’s lunch period.” Rarity pointed out.

“Well we don’t want to let the food wait. Good to see ya Rare. Hey there Fluttershy. How’s it uh… hangin?” Cherry Crash raised a fist-bump gesture which the girl in question responded with a sweet adorable yet awkward fist of her own.

“Uh… pretty good?”

“Great great. That’s really great. Well see ya.” The group quickly scattered off in the opposite direction, hastily making themselves scarce, trying to smile it off though unconvincingly.

Now that was probably the most bizarre goodbye Rarity has ever heard, and she’d seen Pinkie do her flaming hula-hoop farewells.

“Was it just me or was that the strangest thing ever?”

“It was.” Fluttershy agreed holding her fist up. “I think that was the first time I ever did a fist-bump. I… I kind of like it.”

“No! Not that. They’re clearly keeping the juicy gossip to themselves and leaving me out of the loop.” The fashionista huffed. “Well that’s fine. We can simply ask someone else for the details. Oh hello Scribble Dee.” She found her next friend right off the bat sipping by the drinking fountain.

“Oh hey Rarity. What can I dooo…ooooh!?” The girl froze mid drink, her voice suddenly turning to a high pitched squeak. “H… hey there Fluttershy! I didn’t see you there.”

“Hello.” She responded, waving her hand sweetly.

“H… hi.” Scribble tip-toed back, unconsciously bowing as if she was in the presence of royalty. “Uh… oh! I’m so sorry. Did you want to take a drink? Please go right ahead, Your Honor.” She then quickly pull out her napkin and rub the hose. “Let me just… clean that up for you. Ahe… hehehe. Oh wow. Look at the time. I’m supposed to… be… at class! Right see ya.”

“Wait! But it’s still lunch period!” But the girl was long gone before Rarity could stop her. She was practically bolting away like her own butt was on fire. “What in the world was that?”

Again Fluttershy shrugged. “I have no idea. But it was very thoughtful of her to clean the hose. I am feeling a bit thirsty.”

Ok now she was certain something was definitely wrong here. Rarity tried to shake it off as mere coincidence at first, but now there was no mistaking it. Even as she turned her gaze to the other groups of classmates in the hallway, they would immediately tense up and bolt it out of there like they just saw one of their worst nightmares.

Something was up, and it was clear that this innocent lovable wallflower next to her was the root cause.

“Fluttershy. Did you do something strange yesterday?”

The girl poked her chin innocently in thought. “Hmm… not that I can think of, no.”

Ok, either she really has no idea or she was a complete airhead.

Or maybe even both.

There has to be someone here who can give them a clue.

Oh wait. Here comes one now.

“Excuse m…”

“Eeeeeppp!” The guy screamed, spun a complete 180 and got the heck out of there. Naturally her eye began to twitch irritably.

Oh for the love of…

“THAT IS IT!” Rarity roared, her hair twinging on all sides. “I’ve had it with this lunacy! I am getting to the bottom of this nonsense, right now!” And thankfully she didn’t have to look far as Snips and Snails exited the bathroom just in time to face her. “YOU!”

“Uh oh.” They got about two steps before Rarity confined them in her diamond force field, dragging them to her like prisoners.

“Start talking!”

“Ok ok ok!” Snips wept. “We confess! It was us! We did it! We’re the ones who keeps taking the soap from the bathrooms!”

Dark Clouds Gather

Chapter 77:

(Band room)

“YOU DID WHAT!!!!?” Rarity’s roar could perhaps be heard for miles echoing across the school shaking it to its very foundation. Students and animals alike jumped at the shout, some scurrying back into their holes in fear. The fashionista huffed and puffed like a wolf ready to pounce on a poor defenseless animal.

Fluttershy, unfortunately, was on the receiving end of her outburst who huddled behind a fortress made of desks and chairs that formed her wall. A tiny slit in-between the furniture showed half of her face looking very distraught. “I might’ve… maybe… possibly… spread a rumor about me… dating Flash Sentry.”

Rarity grabbed onto the frame of her window, eyes bulging, teeth seething together like saws. “And you thought that was a good idea!?”

She squeaked. “Y… yes?”

Rarity palmed her face heavily. A thousand curses passed through her lips, and a thousand more would’ve gone through had she not restrained herself.

“Ok… ok. Calm yourself Rarity. You’re stressing yourself – and stress leads to wrinkles and pimples. Stress is the enemy and you will not let it get to you.” She breathed in and out, trying her best to calm her nerves. “No. You know what? No! To heck with it! I am stressed right now, and I need a way to vent!”

“Eeep!”

“Fluttershy. Darling. I know that this whole thing was supposed to be to get Feather Bangs off your back. But this really NOT the way it should’ve been handled. Do you have understand what I’m trying to say here?”

“That you’re proud of me that I took initiative on a problem and handled it by myself?”

Rarity’s frown wavered for a second. “Well… yes. You did. I am proud of you for that. But… NO!” She screamed that last bit off which prompted the girl in the fortress to grab a hockey helmet and stick from the box of props. “This isn’t just a disaster. It’s a downright mess of a makeup! Out of all the people to get yourself tangled with. Why!? Why him!?”

“Because he was the closest one I could find?” She reasoned poorly which only made the fashionista’s eye twitch. “And he didn’t seem to mind.”

“It sounds more like you didn’t tell him at all.”

“Well… that’s true…”

“And you decided to go with it anyway!?”

“It sounded like a good idea at the time!” She squeaked. “And Zephyr told me that if I did date him, others would stop asking me out.”

That was a miscalculated plan if there ever was one. Though Rarity had to admit that it had some credence. Flash Sentry wasn’t just a small fish in the lake he was practically the King of the Pond around here. If you combine his looks, personality, mannerism, athleticism, talent for music, and his new found wealth, the guy was practically the golden goose of the school. Any girl who manages to hook herself onto that guy would be set for life.

Zephyr wasn’t wrong though. If students found out that Fluttershy was ‘dating’ him, not even the jocks would dare come close to her. Even Fido and his gang would have second thoughts. She’d be untouchable. Heck she would technically be Royalty. It might sound like an exaggeration but it was true. Teens these days cared much for reputation. Folks would bow at her presence or cower like they did with Sunset. Even Feather Bangs wouldn’t be dumb enough to try and seduce her. There wouldn’t be enough poetry or love letters in the world that could compete with a boy like Flash.

Honestly, even Rarity was beginning to see the appeal. Yeah… Flash was on a whole’nother level.

But the bigger question that was plaguing her mind right now was WHY?

No… wait. She knew why Fluttershy was doing this. She wanted to know ‘WHY HIM!?’

This is the fourth time. The fourth time she had to do something eerily similar.

First Pinkie and Applejack. Now Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy!? Granted, the latter two are pretty much just using the guy for a scheme to fool others. But still! This cannot be a mere coincidence. Either this was just a string of strange events, or destiny was throwing a curve ball here. Not to mention there was Sunset Shimmer to put in the equation.

Ugh… this was starting to become a dumpster fire, and the stink was starting to affect the place.

“Ok Rarity. Calm down.” She said to herself after a brief silence. “This is just a problem. You’ve sewn back together Ms. Hemline’s Winter Collection in two hours flat, you can fix this one as well. First thing’s first. We need damage control.” Fluttershy gave a confused look from her fort. “Fluttershy, you’re breaking up with Flash immediately.”

“WHAT!?”

“Don’t ‘WHAT’ me. You brought this upon yourself, therefore you will be rectifying it before it goes out of hand.” Rarity has had it up to her neck with this nonsense. There was no more gentle touch. She was ripping off the band aid and scream the pain off later. “We have to put every back into perspective before the whole school turns this rumor into a monster!”

“Can’t we just… leave it alone? Maybe it’ll just go away like all the other rumors.”

“Not this kind of rumor. This is the kind of thing that sticks in people’s minds. What do you think would happen if everyone else hears about it? What do you think Sunset would say if she heard about this whole fiasco?”

Fluttershy visibly gasped. “Oh no. I haven’t thought of that.”

“Of course you didn’t. Now see here. You will break up with Flash and you’ll do it quickly and painlessly. It has to be public. In a place with lots of people. The more eyes to witness it the better.” She’ll also have to request Flash to put on a show as well. Hopefully it won’t have any repercussion later on.

“Oh no. I don’t think that’s possible. I’m uh… I’m not good in public.” She sank deeper into her fort. “I think I’ll just stay back here and wait for the whole thing to blow over. That sounds like the safer option.”

“Oh no you don’t, Missy! You’re not getting out of this one.” Rarity reached out for the girl’s fort, rattling it. “You made this mess and I’ll be cursed before I clean it up. I’m already handling three other scenarios. I am not doing a forth! Now come out of there!”

“Umm… no.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO!?” The girl’s patience was nearing its end. She hammered her fists on the fort, trying to get her friend to come out. “Fluttershy. Get out of that outrageous contraption immediately. You look ridiculous.”

“No!” She responded, quickly covering the last hole in her fort, slamming it shut.

“D… did you just… did you just slam the door on me!? Why I ought to…” The fashionista began banging again. “You come out of there right now, young lady! You can’t possibly stay in there forever. Even a girl like you will have to come out.”

“Just watch me!” She challenged back, voice raised. “I’ve stayed cooped up under my bed for a whole week living on peanuts and tannin tea. I’ll stay in here until this whole thing goes away!”

Alright. That’s it. No more Ms. Nice Lady. She tried to be nice. She tried to be reasonable. But if the girl wasn’t willing to cooperate, then it was time for Plan B. “You are not locking yourself in your safe space! You will rectify this problem now, even if I have to drag you out of there myself! You know full well that I have the power to rip this fort of yours to pieces.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Oh I dare. I dare it when one of my friends becomes stubborn as a mule.

Conjuring a pair of diamond shields, Rarity plunged them into the frames of the tables and lifted them off like they were balloons. But to the fashionista’s surprise, the wallflower inside only replaced that lost furniture with another.

“For goodness sake, Fluttershy! Stop acting like a child. This is unbecoming of you!”

“And I said… NO!”

The process went on for another minute or so with Rarity ripping off portions of her fort only to have it replaced with another table or chair. The two friends shouted and barked, but neither saw reason in the others’ actions. The whole fight blew over that it scared everyone away.

Even the animals felt like this whole thing was gonna end up with someone getting hurt. Only sweet little Angel remained behind, but even he thought it was best to keep a relatively safe distance, behind a tick concrete wall.

“You… are… coming… with me… NOW!”

“And I said… NO!”

“Darn it Fluttershy! You are not leaving me with your mess! You have to come and face the music!”

“I’d rather starve!”

“Get out of there! You don’t have unlimited furniture!”

“That’s what you think!”

“Grrr! That’s it! I didn’t want to do this. But you forced my hands.” Rarity decided to throw caution and patience out the window and throw herself right into the matter. Quite literally in fact.

Removing her shoes and her jewelry, the fashionista dove face first into the fort tumbling the whole wall down into a crumbling mess.

“Aha! Got you! Now come here you little rascal. No one says no to Rarity and gets aw—yeow! You bit me! Hey! Come ba—ow! Stop pulling my hair! I spent a small fortune getting it perfect! N… no! Don’t you dare touch my… MY BLOUSE! That was part of my Spring Collection! It took me days to get this right! Oh you little…”

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” It was Principal’s Celestia’s voice that managed to stop them from escalating the fight. Her words made the pair stop dead on their tracks, turning towards the woman who wore a deep frown on her face. She scanned the room, noting the damaged furniture and equipment scattered around – and the single bunny who somehow managed to survive the onslaught.

“You two… my office… now…”

(Cafeteria)

Hmm… odd. Still nothing.

Sunset traced the pages of her magical journal expecting something to appear. She had written to both Starlight and Princess Twilight since last night and was expecting a reply. But so far the pages next to her request remained blank and dull. A part of her was starting to wish that Equestria had internet connection. If they did, she could just give them a video call instead of waiting a response through this book.

It was like the bulkier version of an SMS or the most oversized-inconvenient pager.

Maybe she should go and check up on things.

Hmmm… no. That might not be a good idea. Starswirl was adamantly clear when he said that using the portal would endanger both worlds, and you can hardly argue the words of Equestria’s most renowned wizard. And Princess Luna was quite clear about her ultimatum. No doubt she’ll chastise her if she discovers that she used the portal just to deliver one measly book. She might even go ahead and do the deed right then and there and smash the mirror altogether.

The Princess of the Night was known to be pragmatic.

Still… this radio silence treatment was pretty worrying. It never takes them this long to respond to a request.

Maybe Starlight’s busy. She is the new Headmare of the School of Friendship after all. Between helping her and the new students coming in, it’d be hard to balance things out.

I should probably give her some space. Maybe wait for another day before jumping to conclusion.

Right now I should probably eat this sandwich while I’m alone.

“Sunset!” And there goes my alone time… and my sandwich.

“Hey Flash.” She responded, picking up the pieces of her spilled meal. The three-second rule should apply. “What do you want?”

“I need your help.” The boy stated in a panicky tone which was quite rare on his part. He was often composed and calm. He approached, one hand clutching onto the other worryingly. “Last night – the scar – Bananas, no… the animals – magic over – and I think that it’s…”

“Whoa whoa there Flash.” Sunset calmed him, raising both her hand and sandwich in defense. “Take it easy. All I got from that sentence of yours was ‘Magic’ and ‘Bananas’. Did something happen?”

“No… well yes! Last night and this morning. I tried to… well I think it was… maybe…”

“A little slower.”

He grunted irritably on the table before an idea struck. “It’d be faster if I showed you.” With one swift motion he grabbed Sunset’s hand and placed her palm on his head.

And then it all came flooding. A strong emotion of last night came into her like a torrent. She saw his pet dog barking – or… no – it was speaking. Words. Actual words. And there, right on his hand, the scar pulsated with magic.

The moment came and went seconds later which the girl blinked back out of her trance.

“Oh my Celestia.” She gasped. “Bananas can talk?”

“Not just Bananas. All the animals!” Flash clarified raising his voice just above a whisper. “I’m hearing them like… constantly. Everywhere I go, I hear voices coming from the sky, the trees. On my way to school, I was berated by a squirrel who said my hair looked stupid. And this morning during math class, a bird flew over and whined to me about his marriage!” That last bit sounded interesting. “I didn’t even know birds had marraiges!”

“The ability to talk to animals? Are you sure?”

“Absolutely sure.”

Whoa. That’s… bizarre. “And you’re saying, you can hear ‘All’ animals?”

“All of them.” He shivered. “Dogs, cats, birds, frogs? Even that horse in the animal shelter in Midtown got some comments about my hair.”

Technically you’re already talking to a former pony, so speaking to a horse shouldn’t really bother you. But Sunset decided to keep that comment to herself.

Still… this was new. She thought that only Fluttershy would have such ability. And it was a pretty rare one even back in Equestria. Super speed, super strength, telekinesis and conjuring spells were all pretty common with professional magic wielding unicorns. But to be able to translate animal speech was unique in its own right.

“That is weird.” She mumbled. “And you said that this all started last night?”

“Yeah. It just happened all of a sudden.”

This is what you get when you dabble with magic in this world. Sunset groaned inwardly trying to keep a composed face. The unpredictable and chaotic nature of it was the very reason she forbade its constant use. Even now she could barely wrap her head around the scar on his hand.

The glow was faint but visible enough to appear behind the row of bandages. If she had her way, she would’ve tried to rid Flash of it. Magic has brought enough misery and madness to this world. But… it wasn’t that simple. At least not here.

“There’s… something strange with the magic.” Sunset explained, holding on tightly. “It’s different. The power inside changed somehow. It wasn’t like this when I first saw it.”

“Can you fix it?”

“Magic in this world doesn’t behave the same way as it does in Equestria. I’ll need to fully analyze it. But… I can do this.” Quietly she clutched her geode and muttered a spell in her head. Flash saw a tinge of light coming from her body coursing all the way down to his hand. Within moments, the glow faded, leaving it as dull as a doorknob.

“Whoa…” He lifted his hand to his face, marveling at the sudden result. “How’d you do that?”

“I added a little bit of my own magic to it.”

He blinked. “So… it’s over? Just like that?”

“No.” She clarified, much to his annoyance. “If it was that simple I would’ve done it a long time ago. I just put a dampener spell on it. It’s a simple spell and not very effective on powerful magic. But it gets the job done. It’s one of the first things we learn back in Equestria. It won’t stop you from hearing animals talk but at least you won’t be walking around school like a human disco ball.” He sighed with relief on that regard and muttered a thank you. “Still… we need to investigate this. Did you do anything unusual yesterday? Think of something. Anything that could’ve triggered your hand.”

The boy pondered in thought though he came up blank. “Other than hanging out with my friends at the Fundraising event. No. Everything was pretty standard. It felt like it came out of nowhere.”

Yeah that sounds about right.

Magic here has a habit of appearing in places that they least expect. Even wild Equestrian Magic has a tendency to go rampant.

“Well… at least it’s not something dangerous.” Sunset looked upon the silver lining. “Talking to animals shouldn’t be that much of a problem for you.”

He chuckled boorishly. “Easy for you to say. You didn’t walk into the aviary at my place. Those guys are relentless. I don’t know how Fluttershy handles it all.”

“Maybe you should ask her. But at least now, you might consider trying to get rid of that magic instead of keeping it.”

Flash brushed his hand off the table, keeping it off. “No way! I just got my magic. I’m not letting it go just because of one bad spell. I just need some time to make it work. I’m sure I can be of use. Besides… I’ve always wanted special powers like you and your friends.”

“Don’t be so enthusiastic. I still think we should find a way to get rid of it. Hardly anything good comes out of magic in this world.”

“Well I’m willing to bet I’ll be the exception.” He countered with that same sweet trademark smile of his. Ugh… even when he’s against her he’s cute. “I mean… if you girls can do it then so can I.”

“That’s different.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” He added which the girl turn to pout which he undoubtedly noticed. “Does it bother you that much? About me having magic?”

Her eyes shifted away. “Well… no. Not really. I mean. Kind of.” She sighed. “Sorry. It’s just that… ever since this whole magical fiasco began, things haven’t exactly been a bed of roses. I mean… ugh…”

“I guess you’ve been having it rough.”

“You have no idea.” Sunset motioned, exhaustion and irritation marring her face. Her gaze darted from place to place, as a mixture of emotion whirled around her. She had so much to think of, so much to say. But everything felt like it was clogging up. It went on for a minute before she finally returned her attention to him. “It’s… well… ugh. No… never mind.”

“Hey come on. You know you can always tell me anything.”

“I know. I just don’t want to bother you with more of my stuff after everything you’ve done for me already. If I do any more than this, I might just get myself neck deep in debt.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t owe me that much.”

Her eyes rolled. “Of course not. I’m sure you just give a house to anyone who asks.”

Flash shrugged back with a cheeky grin. “Only the cute girls with magical powers that come from another world. My standards are pretty high.” The fiery redhead threw him a weak punch on the shoulder. “So come on. If you need to vent, then I’m your guy. You know I’d do anything for you, right?”

Of course she knew. That was perhaps his best quality. Something she clearly took advantage of when they first dated. It’s one of the many reasons why she felt absolutely guilty talking about it. Though she wished the guy could be a little less caring. That kindness of his can be overwhelming.

“Want me to do a Pinkie Promise?” He raised his hand up preparing to take the ultimate oath which made her chuckle briefly. He always did know what to say to lighten the mood.

“I don’t think we need to take it that far. But thanks for the gesture. Right now I just want to relax and unwind without worrying about magic for a few minutes.”

“Well… it’s just right now. Wanna head out and talk? I am known to be a good listener.”

A private moment together with him? To forget all this magic mumbo jumbo for a few minutes?

That actually sounded divine. But the universe again decided to throw a curve ball at her just as she was about to agree. The magical journal buzzed to life snatching their attention.

Thrilled, Sunset quickly flipped the pages, seeing the reply appear word by word.

“What’s it say?”

“It’s from Starlight.” Her expression suddenly and slowly turned from hopeful to panic as she continued to read line by line. “She wants me to return to Equestria immediately. There’s… an emergency at the castle.”

(Football field)

Rainbow Dash felt a tinge go up her arm. She stopped dead on her tracks in mid game, seeing the hair on her skin stand upright at attention. Her eyes went wide as a smile came across her face. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with. One might say that it was somehow related to Pinkie Pie’s unnatural senses.

She developed this sense, came to acknowledge it a long while back. It was something that didn’t happen often. But whenever it did, she knew that it could only mean one thing.

“I feel it.” She muttered, eyes cast towards the school, her smile turning to a full blow grin. “The call of adventure, awaits!”

A joyous occasion to be sure, were it not for the universe throwing a curve ball at her. Quite literally in fact.

“Rainbow Dash!”

But Pinkie’s words came too little, too late. Before the sports gal knew it, a soccer ball smacked right dab against her face knocking her down to the ground in an instant. The sound of the impact made those around her flinch terribly before rushing to her side.

“Rainbow Dash! Are you ok?” Pinkie came first, pushing the others away and began waving her hand in front of the knocked out friend. “What kind of sandwich am I holding?”

Rainbow Dash groggily responded. “Five?”

“Good enough! She’s ok!”

Urgh…

“Oh… never mind! She’s not ok! To the nurse’s office! Make way people!”

(Courtyard)

Ominous messages was never good. Flash had seen enough movies and read enough comics to know that. Everything played out just as he would expect with everything becoming a blur in a matter of seconds. The moment Sunset received that summons from her book, she dropped everything and bolted off to the courtyard brushing pass anything and anyone that got in her way.

“Sunset! Slow down!” The boy panted, chasing after his ex. “Sunset wait!”

“Sorry Flash. But this can’t wait. I need to go now.”

“Yes. I get that. But shouldn’t we tell the others first? They can help.”

“There’s no time. Something’s happening back home and I need to be there.” They arrived at the courtyard a moment later which was thankfully left empty. Lunch should be in full swing right about now so there was no fear of any students or teachers catching them.

“But what if it’s something dangerous? You’re gonna need help.”

“I’ll be with some of the most powerful ponies in Equestria.” Sunset explained knowing well the situation there. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it.”

She said it like it was a natural occurrence for her. Granted Flash knew very little of the world beyond the portal. He only visited the place once before and during that time he was irritably sick along with everyone else. Still… knowing that Sunset was going to be with some powerful wizards didn’t sit well with him.

“Maybe I should tag along.

“No!” She snapped violently which startled the worried boy. It was only after the words left her mouth did she realize her actions. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just… there’s a reason why Princess Twilight and I put on this lock. There are forces at play here. And rules to follow. I can’t bring you with me.”

“But…”

“Please.” She pleaded. “I don’t have time to explain. Just… know that I have a good reason.”

A reason she clearly didn’t want to say.

Flash had the urge to press on but… he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He felt that pushing her now would only serve to push her away. And that was the last thing he wanted. Damn his bleeding heart.

“You’re coming back though. Right?”

Her eyes met with his. “Of course.”

“Promise?”

She smiled, grabbing his hand, unaware of the flare in his scar. “I Pinkie Promise.” That would… probably do for now. “And… in case something happens. Here.” With a small gesture, the fiery redhead handed over her magic journal which he hesitantly accepted. “Keep it safe for me?”

“Of course… I…”

“Which is why you must come to terms, Sunset Shimmer.”

What the…? What the heck was that?

“Should this threat creep its way to Equestria, it is our solemn duty to defend it. Even if it means we have to destroy the mirror itself.”

Is that? Principal Luna? No… that’s a pony.

“I’m off.” Sunset declared.

“Sunset… wait…” But Flash’s words barely made it pass his lips when the love of his life vanished beyond the mirror. Her body sucked through a wormhole made of water of magic. He made an attempt to follow but the mirror turned solid by the time he reached it.

A hallow phrase rung deep in his heart.

Stay safe…

(Equestria)

Oh crud this was a bad idea! Why in the world did I run in!?

Sunset mentally cursed herself as her body flung from the mirror slamming her back against the wall. She completely forgot about the backlash with these magical portals. Despite her and Princess Twilight working tirelessly to perfect the portal itself, they never could fix the blowback from traversing between two worlds.

Perhaps she’ll ask Starlight to put pillows around the room to cushion her fall the next time she drops by. The girl was liable to break her neck at this rate.

Oh well. Something to think of anyway. Now where’s Starlight? She said that she needed to meet her immediately. And… speaking of which…

Where is here exactly? This place doesn’t look like the Castle of Friendship. It was too dark and not too… ‘Crystalee’. Not to mention it smelled worse than a Gryphon’s outhouse. Either Starlight had done some redecorations or something really bad happened here.

In either case at least she knew she was in Equestria. Sunset noted immediately from her reflection on the mirror that she had turned back to her unicorn form. It always felt weird when her limbs turn from fingers to hooves.

Anyway – enough distractions. She needs to find Starlight. The red mane unicorn turned towards the only door in the room which she could hear noises coming from. A rough guess would say that it was either Starlight herself with a bunch of her students.

…

But then again she could be wrong.

“What the?” A pegasi clad in golden armor turned to face her as if caught off guard when the door opened.

“Uh… hello? Where…?” Sunset barely got the chance to ask her question when the other pony yelled in alarm.

“Intruder!” In a moment’s notice, a dozen royal guard soldiers burst from the doors pushing her back into the room. They swarmed through the door like a river of gold and silver, huffing and gruffing, with all their weapons pointed in her direction.

Ok… either she was in the wrong place or the School of Friendship’s curriculum made a dramatic change from peaceful cooperation to… military dictatorship.

“Ok guys.” Sunset chuckled worryingly raising her hooves up in surrender. “I think there might’ve been a misunderstanding here.”

“Silence Intruder!” The pegasi warned, spear trained at her face. “How did you get in here!? Who are you!?” She blinked back, obviously confused. “Answer!”

“W… well which one is it? You told me to be silent and now you want me to talk?”

“Grrr. Search the room!” He ordered. “She must’ve come through somewhere. You three, take her to the dungeon.”

“No wait…”

“That’s alright Sergeant.” Thankfully a third voice interceded before the guards could take her away. The figure stood by the door, prompting the soldiers to stand at attention in proper military discipline. Slowly the figure showed himself, donning a cool purple armor.

“You’re…”

“Red mane, sun cutiemark. I take it you’re Sunset Shimmer?” He asked with genuine concern to which she nodded hastily. The white unicorn sighed with relief and quickly dismissed the guards with a wave of his raised hoof. “It’s alright everyone. She’s expected. Return to your duties. I’ll take her to the throne room.”

The throne room?

“Follow me.” The white unicorn ordered to which she complied. She was led to the hallway which she was unfamiliar with flanked by even more royal guards armed to the teeth. “Sorry about that. We weren’t expecting you to arrive so quickly.”

“I wasn’t expecting to be surrounded by royal guards either.” She replied, keeping up with the older pony’s brisk pace. “You’re… Shining Armor, aren’t you? Princess Twilight’s brother? She told me a lot about you.” The purple clad soldier nodded with a positive hum. “I thought you moved to the Crystal Empire.”

“I did.” He confirmed it. “But Princess Celestia recalled me to assist with security around Canterlot Castle. With the new Captain of the guards on tour with Twilight, she needed someone who knows the layout of the defenses. Not to mention the incident a few days ago.”

“Incident?” Sunset’s head snapped in his direction. “What incident?”

Shining Armor opened his mouth but decided not to answer. “It’s best you asked Princess Celestia herself. I’ve only heard about it from Cadance.”

This was getting from weird to worse. Something was going on around here and Sunset could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Even the air around the hallway felt heavy due to the presence of so many guards. You’d think Equestria itself was preparing for war.

“Where are we? This doesn’t look like the Castle of Friendship.”

“It’s not. We’re at the basement underneath Canterlot Castle.” The castle!? Wha…? How…? “Princess Luna ordered the mirror portal to be moved here for security reasons.”

“Is that why she stationed guards out here?”

He bobbed his head sideways in response. “Sort of. But you’d best ask the Princesses.”

And thankfully she didn’t have to wait long as they arrived at the front of the throne room a minute later. Shining Armor waved his hoof to the guards at the front who hastily opened the door using the medal on him.

Inside, Sunset was shocked by the sight of, not two, but three alicorns standing by.

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance? The ruler of the Crystal Empire? Here? And why does Princess Luna look like she lost an argument to a yak?

“Sunset Shimmer. Thank you for answering our summons so quickly.” Celestia began with the usual authoritative voice. “I hope we didn’t interrupt anything important.”

Oh nothing. Just my everyday school life back in the human world – and maybe one math pop quiz. No biggie.

“I didn’t even realize I was being summoned.” She replied, lowering her head slightly in the presence of royalties. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“You could say that.” It was Luna who huffed back, rubbing her sore wings. “Before we answer any of your questions, we must first ask if you’ve made any progress on your mission. We’ve received no reports from you whatsoever over the last week. I hoped you’ve made some headway at least.”

Oh…

“Umm… define headway.” She tried to smile it off, but their neutral expression did not share her humor. “Ok… it’s… how should I say… complicated?”

“Try us.”

Like she was given any choice.

And so Sunset explained everything to the last detail. From the magical earthquake, to the secret Order hiding in their world, and the existence of magic itself. The story was long despite everything she did to shorten it down. And oddly enough the Princesses nary interrupted her. They simply sat there, listening to every word without breaking or asking anything, eyes glued at her like she was reciting a tale as old as time. It felt about as frightening as it sounds.

“This is… most troubling.” Celestia brooded after she finished. “Thank you Sunset Shimmer. I see that you weren’t exaggerating when you said that things have become… complicated in the human world.” At least somepony gets it. “However, I was hoping for more of an answer to our current predicament.”

It was her turn to ask. “What predicament? What happened?”

“A beast of darkness has attempted to make its way here, in Canterlot Castle.” Luna responded. “Roughly a week ago, Sunburst launched an expedition into the world of Ezaquatel to follow the footsteps of our mentor, Starswirl, in hopes of finding the source of the magical problem. He and the other unicorn, Trixie spent days there against our wishes. And upon return, a shadow monster crossed over.”

“A shadow monster!? Are you sure?” Sunset gasped.

“I am most certain as I have the bruises to prove it.” She gestured to the band-aid on her cutie mark. “According to Starlight, the beast shared the same properties as the ones you encountered in your world. It was strong. Immensely strong. But thankfully I was around to deal with it. Even with my depleted powers, it was no match against my - yeow!” Luna dropped her act and flinched when Celestia poked her wings. “Anyway. It caused a right mess of things. So to prevent something like that from happening again, I’ve ordered your portal to be kept in the basement of the castle. At least there, the guards will be able to keep watch should anything try to sneak its way in.”

“What about Sunburst and Trixie? Are they ok?”

“Trixie is fine.” Celestia answered, which Sunset could sense a ‘But’ coming. “But I’m afraid we do not know the condition of Sunburst.”

“What? Why not?”

Luna sighed. “He never made it back. By the time Trixie returned, the shadow beast came through. The battle I waged against it destroyed the portal to Ezaquatel, along with many others.”

Oh no. That’s… that’s terrible!

“Is there some way we can restore it? Don’t you magic that can create these portals?”

Celestia shook her head in distraught. “These portals were made using ancient magic. Something neither Luna nor I could grasp. Only Starswirl had the knowledge to create them. And he’s currently… indisposed at the moment.”

Her sister scoffed. “You mean he’s napping.”

“But we have to do something! We can’t just leave Sunburst on the other side with… that monster.”

“We understand your frustration.” It was the pink alicorn, Cadance, who responded this time. “And we are doing everything in our power to help. Which is exactly why we summoned another expert on dark magic.”

An expert on dark magic? There are hardly any pony, much less unicorns who would dare delve into something so dangerous.

Sunset heard the door behind her open revealing a single scrawny grey unicorn with a green mane wearing a ragged cape. The guy looked feeble and tiny, and looked even more so with the royal guards flanking him. He pranced upward forward the thrones with an expression that was both a mixture of fear and admiration.

“Your highnesses.” He bowed deeply.

Celestia acknowledged the unicorn. “Sunset Shimmer. Allow me to introduce to you, Stygian. The foremost expert in dark magic.”

Mimicry

Chapter 78:Mimicry

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle)

Stygian. It was a name well known around Equestria and Sunset knew all of it.

He was the unicorn that founded the Pillars of Equestria, the greatest heroes of the last age. Their deeds were legendary even today. There wasn’t a creature in all that lands that didn’t know of them. And through their feats and accomplishment, Equestria entered a Golden Age bringing about peace and prosperity for all who lived in it.

It was because of this one pony, the finest warriors, sorcerers, and mystics came together, creating the greatest force that brought about the end to the darkness. It was through them, the land became what it was. And it was because of them, evil receded from the world.

But he was also the Pillar’s greatest enemy.

After a falling out with its members, Stygian took a dark path, delving into forbidden practices. From his anger, hatred, jealousy and desire for recognition, he brought about Equestria’s ultimate foe.

He became… the Pony of Shadows.

The hero who forged the Pillar’s becoming its fiercest opponent. That was truly the making of a great novel. You really can’t make that stuff up in this day and age.

“Are you alright?”

Sunset bobbed out of her thoughts. “Huh? Oh! Yeah. Sorry. It’s just that… I can’t believe I’m actually meeting with the actual Founder of the Pillars. It’s an honor.”

Stygian waved it off with a polite chuckle. “Please. I’m not that amazing. Not as amazing as the actual Pillars.”

“Are you kidding? You’re the one who brought them together. The Pillars! The greatest heroes of the last age. If it wasn’t for you, the world would’ve been engulfed in darkness for another hundred moons. That’s incredible!”

The gray pony turned away shyly. “Umm… thank you. It’s not every day I get a fine compliment. Folks these days tend to remember me for my… darker deeds.”

“About you becoming the Pony of Shadows?”

He scoffed. “Yes. That…”

“Hey don’t sweat it.” Sunset gave him a gentle nudge. “Trust me. I’ve experienced something quite similar to what you went through. I once tried to conquer Equestria with an army of zombies from another world.”

Stygian balked. “R… really?”

“Yeah. And I almost succeeded too. But I changed.” She added hastily with a shrug. “So believe me when I say: I know what you’re going through. And there are other ponies out there who share your experience. All you need to do is find them.” They shared a quick laugh. “Speaking of which. What’s this about you being the foremost expert on Dark Magic? I thought the whole realm outlawed it.”

“Well I wouldn’t call myself an expert.” The gray pony grumbled. “I’m actually just the only pony around who actually knows more about Dark Magic than others. I guess when you’re the only one who knows how Dark Magic works, other folks would consider you the expert.”

“Stygian was brought in to bolster our defenses against the Shadow Monsters.” Luna explained from the front trotting along with her fellow Alicorns. “After that recent encounter in the portal room, we thought it best to improve our ways of combating creatures of darkness. We don’t want a repeat of that day ever again.”

“And with Starswirl still out of commission, Stygian was the obvious choice.” Celestia followed. “It would be beneficial if all four of you to work together in this matter and resolve it quickly.”

“Four?”

“I will be assisting you in this endeavor.” Cadance explained. “I might not be an expert on Ancient Magic like Twilight but I am versed on some of the more advance studies. Besides… it’d be beneficial to the fourth member of this study group.”

Sunset opened to ask for more but pulled a stop when they realized they arrived at the royal library. The guards there noted their presence and bowed respectively before Shining Armor moved in to open the heavy barded doors.

Inside, they found the whole place turned inside out. Books and grimoires of all shapes and sizes were cast to the group like used socks, the shelves were emptied, and scribbled notes scattered across the floor. At first glance, you might think a tornado came through here. But if you look closer, there was somepony hanging at the center.

“Starlight?” Sunset noted, calling out to her friend which was left unanswered. The purple unicorn hovered weighty tomes overhead, scanning one book after another only to toss them to a pile when the information she needed wasn’t found. Grunts and grumbles could be heard from her station along with a number of frustrated sighs.

“She’s been cooped up in here ever since the incident.” Luna answered her unspoken question. “She’s been going through all of Starswirl’s notes to find a way to fix the portal hoping to save her friend. But so far all of her attempts have failed to produce results.”

“She hardly sleeps or eat anymore. And honestly it’s become quite… worrying.” The pony of the sun added, glancing over to the headmare. “Which is why we called for you, Sunset.”

“Me?”

“You and Twilight both worked on the portal to the human world. It’s how it managed to work without the old journal. We were hoping your expertise could be put to use.”

Expertise? Are they serious? She and Twilight hardly did anything to improve the portal. The simply made it fully autonomous without the reliance of the journal. It was pretty much like adding an extra cog in a machine. The only unique thing they did was adding a lock feature so that no one else would accidentally come through without their say-so. Everything else was built upon Starswirl’s design and even that was barely manageable.

Still… she can’t let down her friends. Not this time at least.

“We’ll do our best.” Sunset said finally.

Her former mentor gave a thankful nod, wholly expecting her answer. “In the meantime, we will continue to maintain the castle’s defenses should the need arises. We have high hopes that you will bring a swift resolution to this problem.”

“And if you don’t… well… there’s always a Plan-B.” Luna added that last bit to herself holding up an industrial hammer threateningly.

Gee… very subtle warning there. No need for threats, Princess.

“In the meantime, I’ll bolster the guards around the portals.” Shining spoke to his wife. “And don’t you worry about Flurry. I can handle her.”

“You sure?”

“Course I’m sure.” He said with such confidence that it might’ve actually convinced them. “I had to get the hang of parenting eventually. Right? We’ll be fine. You girls just do what you do best.”

With the two former rulers and the former Captain of the Guards away, Sunset returned her attention back into the library – or to be more precise: Her friend.

Starlight looked exhausted even from a distance. If her unkempt hair wasn’t any indication, then the large bags under her eyes were clear signs. Even her attire, which she took time and effort to meticulously pick out, looked haggard and worn three times over. She barely even noticed their approach. All of her attention was focused on the pages in front of her. She eyed every word, read every sentence repeatedly, making sure that she didn’t miss a single letter.

“Starlight?” There was no response. “Starlight?”

Silence.

“Allow me.” Cadance strutted in. And with a gentle tap, a stack of books fell to the ground startling the pony.

“Huh? Who? Wha? What’s happening!?” The purple pony spun around panicked before finally calming down to notice them. “Oh… OH! Sundance! Hi! You’re here!”

“Sunset.” She corrected.

“Right right. Sunset. Of course. I remember now. Ahehe. Sorry. Things have been a little hectic around here. Uh… what are you doing here exactly?”

Sunset blinked. “Uh… you called me?”

“I did?” Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh right! I did. Silly me. Uh… must be my memory going muddy.”

“Princess Celestia told me everything. I’m so sorry about what happened. But don’t you worry.”

“Worried? Who’s worried? I’m not worried. I’m totally fine.” She clearly wasn’t. “Sunburst just happened to wander into some mystical land and got himself in trouble. No big deal. It’s definitely not the first time. I’m sure he’s fine. Ahe… ahehehe.”

“Why don’t you take a short break first?” Princess Cadance offered, to which made the purple pony jolt up.

“No!” She snapped, almost like a devil-pony, only to stifle her mouth in realization. “I mean… no. I can’t. I’m so close to deciphering Starswirl’s notes on the portal. I just need a little more time to figure it out. I’m sure I’ll get it right this time.”

“That’s what you said the last time. And the two other times before that.”

“Oh please. It wasn’t that bad.”

The ruler of the Crystal Empire rolled her eyes. “You caused a magical backlash.”

“That was totally not my fault. How was I supposed to know that the portal spell would need a constant swirl on magical energy?” Starlight reasoned rather poorly. “If anyone’s to blame it’s Starswirl. His horn-writing is almost impossible to read, and none of them are organized… like… at all. He’s a bigger mess maker than Pinkie Pie. Except… in papers and books instead of cake and cookies.”

“Why don’t you let us take over?” Sunset followed, patting her panicking friend. “This isn’t the first time I’ve delved into ancient magic. Not to mention we got another expert on our hands.”

“Hands?” Stygian tilted.

“Anyway. You should get some rest. You look like you could fall over any second.”

“I don’t need rest! That’s what coffee is made for! I’ve actually worked five-times faster with caffeine in me!”

“You can barely see straight.”

“I can see things just fine, Sunny Starbuck!”

“Sunset.”

“That’s what I said! Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to get back to my research…… and another mug of coffee.”

Cadance, again, decided to intervene. “All right. I think you’ve had enough.” With a gleam of her horn, she cast a familiar charm on the Headmare.

“Bwhey… whab arrr youzz…?” That was about as far as she got before she hit the floor, snoozing peacefully like she was stung with a sleeping dart.

“A light sleeping spell.” Cadance explained to Sunset’s unannounced question. “Twilight taught it to me a while ago when Shining had sleeping problems. I’ll take her to the guest wing for a good nap. Why don’t you get started?”

“You can count on us.” Sunset’s confidence dimmed however when she turned over to the pile of notes she was forced to contend. “Though… finding a starting point might not be that easy.”

“Never fear.” Stygian reassured her. “Like they say: The hardest part of every journey, is the beginning. We just need to find an angle and row with it.”

He’s quite the optimist. Hopefully it’ll be enough to get them through this study.

(House by the hill)

Flash could feel something changing in the air. And no, it wasn’t the weather. Though spring was indeed approaching. No, it was something else entirely. Something was about to happen. Something big. He just didn’t really know what, and that alone scared him.

The scenario playing around the city was becoming more and more dangerous with each passing day. Before, magic used to be a simple inconvenience. A pastime or an incident that can easily be resolved with Sunset and her friends. But now it was changing – growing. The arrival of The Black Stone Order, Yaztec Magic, and the portals scattered throughout the lands. In a span of a few months, their views on the whole magic stuff grew from the small portion of the city, to the entire world itself.

No… that wasn’t right. Magic has always been here even before Sunset came through that mirror years ago. They just weren’t aware of its existence until now. They were merely shortsighted from all the glamor thinking that they were the center of it all.

And now that magic has extended itself to him. If by a limited means.

Don’t get him wrong. He was still happy to be a part of this exclusive club. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was coming to a head. Everyone here and out there who bore even a semblance of magic were riding on the same boat, enduring a storm that was sending them crashing upon a rock in the middle of the ocean. And when it comes down to it, it’ll be every man or pony to themselves.

“Flash! Will you please hold still?” Twilight insisted, her hands tracing all over his arm like an octopus. She was plugging all manners of wires and gadgets onto him like a science experiment. “I can’t get a proper reading if you keep moving.”

“I know. But Twilight. Are you sure this is necessary? I mean… shouldn’t we be talking about Sunset?”

“We have and did.” She retorted courtly, not taking a moment off her actions.

Rainbow Dash chimed. “Yeah! Like how she didn’t bother to even call us. She should’ve brought us along to fight bad guys and show off our skills. I wouldn’t mind turning into a Pegasus and flying through the air like that one time.”

“I’m with you on that, Sugar Cube.” Applejack nodded. “But we can’t exactly follow her through the portal. She put that whole lock thing on the mirror so no one could use it.”

“Oh come on. We gotta do something. She could going on a super epic adventure right now and we’re just sitting back here missing out on all the cool action! I mean this is an emergency call from EQUESTRIA. The land of talking ponies and magic! You just don’t get calls from the other side for nothing.”

“Or… it could be a good kind of emergency.” Pinkie added, gorging on the promised cake that Flash brought. She spooned one in her mouth and crooned on the taste. The butler certainly was a master of the culinary arts. “Like maybe she was summoned to plan an emergency birthday party! Or emergency three legged race! Or or or or or or… someone in Equestria needed an emergency babysitter! Oooh~~! Do you think they’ll pay extra for interdimentional travel? How much do you think the rates are over there? I mean I get a bonus for taking the bus if the job is in Midtown…”

“Focus, Pinkie.” The sports gal sighed. “I doubt she was called back just to sit on some royal baby.”

“Or is it?”

“Regardless.” Twilight coughed. “Sunset’s situation is out of our hands at the moment. Whatever it is she’s dealing with she will have to handle on her own. Speaking of which. Where’s Fluttershy and Rarity? I sent them a text to meet up today.”

“Serving detention and community service.” AJ answered with a tiresome groan much to their surprise. “Apparently the two of them got into some big disagreement and damaged some equipment in the band room. Vice-Principal Luna is overseeing their punishment.” Rarity and Fluttershy got into a fight? That seems rightly unbelievable. Rare was hardly someone who would resort to scuffle as it would wrinkle her attire, and Fluttershy was the last person anyone would see as an aggressor. I mean… it’s Fluttershy.

Flash asked. “What did they argue about?”

“Not entirely sure. I asked Rarity just after school but she didn’t give me a straight answer. Ugh… and we were supposed to go for a spa treatment today too. So much for that idea.”

“Well… nothing we can do for them.” Twilight added, nodding to her instruments. “I’m far more interested in this arm of yours though. The powers it’s emitting is wholly unique. It’s like a blend of Yaztec Magic and Equestrian Magic, which is highly unusual.”

“Unusual how?” He asked dreading the answer.

“Well… if you remember that time you and I were trapped on the other side of the world, I kind of tried the same thing to open a portal back home.” He partially remembered. Though sadly it didn’t invite the most pleasant of memories. “Putting the magic of two worlds together doesn’t exactly mix well, and normally results in a… um… volatile return.”

Flash’s face went rigid. “Are you saying I’m gonna blow up!?”

“No no no no. Of course not.” She laughed it off casually. “Though I thought about the same thing. Thankfully the blend in your hand is stable. No risk of anything blowing up……yet.” Her ‘Yet’ at the end there did not give him a sense of confidence.

“That doesn’t explain why he’s hearing animals talk.” Rainbow Dash added. “I thought only Fluttershy did that. And isn’t she… unique?”

“All of our powers are unique.” Twilight explained, going in her full teacher mode. “Each of our geodes correspond to our personalities. As to how Flash got that power…” She then paused, turning slightly to the side as if listening to someone. “I might have a theory.”

“Which is?”

“Flash. Were you hanging out with Fluttershy at any time yesterday?”

The fundraising event came to mind. “Well… yeah. I was helping her during the fundraising event. Why?”

She scribbled down something on her notepad. “Good good. And did you physically interact with her for a certain duration?” He stared blankly. “Did you touch or shake hands?”

Well… she was oddly clingy that afternoon. Though that might’ve just been fear kicking in.

“Well… I guess so.”

“Good. This might just clear things up.”

“Uh… Twi. Mind filling us in on your theory?” AJ chimed in. “Not all of us here have a degree in magic.”

“Of course.” The nerd gal nodded giddily. “But for this next step to prove my hypothesis, I will need a volunteer from you guys.” The trio raised a quizzical brow together. “Can any one of you come over here and hold his hand?”

“Hold his… hand?”

“Yup. Just for a minute.” Surprisingly enough the whole gang went quiet on the table. Applejack in particular turning away to force out a cough. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Huh? Me?” The sports gal jolted up, her fingers tangling against her hair. “Oh… umm… my hands are umm… dirty… at the moment.”

“I’ll do it!” Pinkie volunteered, happily hopping to his side and grabbing his hand, slipping her fingers through his like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. “Pfft. This is easy. What next?”

“Just stand there and keep holding hands for about a minute. Can you do that?”

“Easy peasy, pudding in the freezy.” Flash couldn’t help but chuckle at her attitude. This wasn’t exactly the first time they held hands. He recalled their first date at the Huffs and Hooves a while back. Pinkie looked absolutely adorable. Even though she was forcing herself to be prim and proper. The look on her face back then was unforgettable. And her fingers felt soft at the touch. A hint of chocolate stain could be felt in its crevices, but that only served to show her character. It wouldn’t be Pinkie if she wasn’t a tad bit messy.

…

They stood there for a while, hands locked together while the crowd around them stared like they were the exotic animals in the zoo. Only the whistling of trees and the waves crashing onto shore could be heard echoing from outside.

It lasted for about twenty seconds before Flash noted the pinkette’s face turn. It was quick and subtle but you can see her expression changing with every moment. She looked down to her hand, wiggling her fingers trying her best to make a joke out of the whole thing but nothing seemed to click. Soon enough it got gentle. She tried to laugh it off but it just came out weak and whimpish. Like she was trying real hard to fill in the empty silence.

“So……” Pinkie spoke, looking like she was a loss for words. “You come here often?”

Flash chuckled, getting into character. “I should. I own the place.”

It was a corny joke. Probably one of the less witty lines he’s ever written. But it certainly was enough to make her beam.

“This is umm… this is…”

“Awkweird?” He offered their secret word which again made her stifle a laugh.

“Yeah. Awkweird.” And just as those words left her lips, Pinkie’s body began to glow with magical energy. Pony ears and tails sprouted from her hair and back burning brightly like a beacon. “Whoa~.

“Uh… Twilight. What’s happening?” Rainbow Dash quickly hid behind the couch expecting something to blow up.

Thankfully nothing did.

Pinkie pulled their hands up noting a strange shift in color in the boy’s scar. “Did I do that? Or…”

“Did I do that?” Flash mumbled, just as equally surprised.

“Technically you both did.” Twilight explained, coming in between the two and eyeing their held hands with great interest. “Interesting. Very interesting. Our theory was correct!” Our theory? “Flash’s hand is a conduit that modifies magic, changing it, modifying its purpose to match the original owner.”

“Translation?”

“He can copy the magic of another. It’s a genuine Mimicry!”

“A what?” Applejack asked.

“A Mimicry. The ability to copy the powers of others upon contact.” You make it sound like it was a common thing around here. “Seeing as Fluttershy’s magic is wholly unique to her, I figured the only way for Flash to have the same power is to copy it. The merging of two magic is highly unstable when used. That’s why every time he tried to use magic, it turns into something… random or chaotic. The mixture is just so complex that it simply doesn’t know how to do it. But if you have the blueprint of the spell itself, it becomes focused. We’ll need more tests to see how far it can go.”

Rainbow Dash hovered over, eyeing the whole situation with a highly suspicious look. “So what you’re saying is… that Flash here can have all our powers?”

“Technically, yes. But like I said: We still need to do some tests. The magical properties here are near limitless.”

“But what about Pinkie Pie?” The cowgirl reminded, gesturing to their pinkette friend who was still glowing like a star. “Why is she brimming with magic?” She really was. The girl looked like she was living disco ball. Even Flash had to admit that she looked even stunning in those magical attires.

“That is… a good question. I have absolutely no idea. I thought that the magic only flowed one way.” Twilight’s instruments began to flicker. “Her magical energy is going off the chart. Pinkie. How do you feel?”

Pinkie examined herself, playing with her clothes and hair and shrugged. “Hmmmmm… tingly, itchy… also like…” She quickly pulled out a cupcake from her hair, and watched it gleam with a gentle glow. It all seemed normal, until it began to vibrate with enormous amount of power. A feeling of dread surrounded her which made everyone stepped back subconciously. “Uh oh…”

Uh oh?

“Duck!” Someone screamed and bodies hit the floor. They all expected something to go boom. The same kind of mess that came from every confection that Pinkie held.

…

But thankfully, again, nothing did.

“Ooooh~~ tasty.” With little care, Pinkie swallowed the enhanced cupcake, crooning at the taste. “Now that’s what I call icing. No need to worry guys. False alarm.”

Flash made a mental note that every new test should be conducted outside.

(Canterlot Mall)

Stupid Fluttershy and her stupid plan. This is all her fault! If she had only followed her idea from the start, they could’ve ended this little misunderstanding right before it went out of control. But noooo~~. She decided to turn tail and stick with her dumb plan! What in the world could’ve caused her to conjure such an idea!?

Well… her brother, that’s for sure. But still! You really can’t be this dumb. Sure it might look good now with everyone treating you like royalty and leaving you alone. But what do you think will happen when the wrong people starts to hear about the rumor?! Sunset alone was a minefield just waiting to be stepped on. But then there was Applejack and Pinkie Pie! This garbage fire was turning into a massive oil spill, and it was spreading too quickly to be snubbed. The result of this rumor combined with the emotional turmoil of her friends will be far more apocalyptic than any of them could expect. It would be a reckoning. A dangerous kind.

She’d bet that by this time tomorrow, the whole school would’ve heard it by then – and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They…… nay… Fluttershy, will be the one who will deal with the consequences. She can only hope that it wouldn’t be too severe. That girl deserves better.

Still… Fluttershy wasn’t entirely at fault here. She was just so desperate to get out of the limelight. To get out of the dating market. The thought of other folks asking her out was such a mortifying thing that she decided to fake her own relationship not knowing the ripple effect it might have. There’s a sad twisted irony hidden in that sentence, but she couldn’t quite nail it.

Fear and desperation motivated her. And the opportunity was there. Flash offered a quick and somewhat painless solution and she took it without even thinking of the consequences. There was not a doubt in her mind that this whole thing will blow up in all their faces and that boy will, sadly, be at the center of it all. Rarity wondered if she should pity Flash or wish him misfortune. He didn’t entirely deserve it. But he was somehow drawn to their problems whether he liked it or not.

Heck, there’s a good chance he would’ve agreed to the whole charade if Fluttershy had just asked. That kid had a weakness for their group and he would do pretty much anything to help them out. Heck he was already helping out Rainbow Dash with her a similar problem with her parents and he did it with little hesitation. Rarity wasn’t entirely sure if that was a fine quality or a flaw to have.

Ugh… nonetheless this whole ordeal has ruined her mood completely. She even had to cancel her spa-date with Applejack thanks to Principal Celestia calling them out on their little fight. Thankfully the damage they did to the band room wasn’t too severe. A few broken chairs and tables, and a window. Fluttershy got off easy seeing as she was the one handling the animal shelter behind the school.

Rarity on the other hand had to do three days of community service with Granny Smith as an assistant lunch-lady.

They really… REALLY don’t like magic anywhere near their school.

Haaaa… this year really wasn’t starting the way she wanted it. She was downright depressed right now – and this little window shopping trip downtown wasn’t improving her mood either.

“Does sorrow bother you child? And here I thought this place brought nothing but smiles.”

The fashionista jolted upright, trailing the voice to a strangely out of place blue-pup-tent. Odd… she was sure that wasn’t here earlier. It hardly even matched the coloring scheme of the mall.

“Who? Who said that?”

Zecora’s House of Fortune?

Rarity cast her eyes around the sign before she hovered close to the tent. She could’ve sworn that this tent wasn’t around here before. Was it a new attraction of some kind?

“Come in, young lady, and take a seat. For I am the one you are destined to meet.”

The gleaming yellow eyes of its proprietor beckoned her to approach with a wicked smile hiding under that veil.

Cracks in Our Bond

Chapter 79: Cracks in Our Bond

(CHS) (Principal’s office)

VP Luna hated mornings for a lot of reasons. For one it signaled the end of a good night’s sleep and the beginning of work. She was a lady of the night who reveled under the moon-lit city. Even when she was in her younger years she was known to be a party animal who hung out in festive events. This however was extra brutal seeing it was the weekends. Meaning the only people around here were her, the janitor, and the accursed paperwork which seems to grow in size every time she looked away. She opted to bring their work home with them, but then realized it would only pile up in their apartment.

Ugh… what she wouldn’t give to go back in time and to be young again. Partying with her friends and not caring what tomorrow brought. There certainly wasn’t any paperwork to deal with. Heck, if she had kissed that quarterback that one summer night, maybe her life would’ve turned out differently.

God she hated mornings.

And she wasn’t even supposed to be alone today either. Her sister was supposed to be here suffering the same amount of paper cuts. But she was called on to attend an emergency meeting with the board of education trying to convince those bloodsuckers not to cut their school funding. She swore, they were nothing more than a bunch of penny pinching poltergeists who reveled in their misery. Luna was more than certain that they were doing this to line up their own pockets, or the pockets of those they deemed worthy.

Canterlot High School wasn’t as prestigious as the other academies in the continent but they had charm. Ok so we might’ve overstretched out budget with all of the constant repairs the school goes through, and they might’ve overdone some of their activities – thanks to Celestia’s policy of freedom of imagination – but that should be a given. If the Board knew about the kind of magical mumbo jumbo they had to deal with in a monthly basis, they’d be floored. Sadly… we did not live in a perfect world. If we did she’d be sitting on the broadside of a yacht, basking in the sun while sipping her favorite drink in one of those fancy glasses with the cute umbrellas.

Alas… they were flat near-broke.

Thankfully the fundraising event the other day managed to get them out of the red, even if it was for the moment. And honestly more than half of that money came from the aid of Crystal Prep – or to be more precise, Sombra’s raffle. If it wasn’t for that little stunt he pulled the whole thing might’ve turned sour. Bake sales and games just aren’t cutting it anymore. Especially not in this economy.

Ugh… and not to mention she has to supervise today’s disciplinary actions. The usual suspects are all on the list with the surprising exception of two.

Fluttershy and Rarity.

Apparently those two got into some kind of heated argument and brought magic into the mix, which was kind of surprising in a lot of ways. Fluttershy mostly because she’s practically the last person in school she’d expect to get in an altercation. Rarity was more of a fashionista rather than a fighter. She wouldn’t dare do anything that would ruin her perfectly styled hair, much less her clothes.

Oh well… at least their punishments were made. Fluttershy will be helping the janitor clean out the animal shelter at the back of the school, while Rarity will be helping Granny Smith with lunch period. That old crone has been pestering the school to get her a new assistant. Not that they could afford any at this point. At least this will keep her quiet for the next few days. Gosh, next week is gonna be a full house.

Maybe it was high time she got a refill on coffee.

Thankfully she stopped when the buzzer came to life.

“Excuse me ma’am.” Leo, the janitor, spoke on the other line. “You have a Mr. Sombra here for you.”

Sombra? What was he doing here? Did he have an appointment? A guy like that doesn’t naturally show up without a good reason.

Was Flash up to something again?

No… wait…

Celestia mentioned something about going out for lunch today. Something kind of special occasion. But then she had to go do that super important meeting with the board. It’s possible she forgot to mention it to him.

“Send him in.”

Oh boy. How in the world do I break it to a guy who…

“Happy anniversary!” A loud booming voice chimed in as the man himself entered through the door like a gallant knight, dressed to the nines, smelling like gold, and holding onto the a bouquet of roses. He presented himself like a champion of a far simpler times, grinning smugly as if he had won some kind of challenge, arms stretched out like he was expecting a hug.

Luna wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to be impressed or amused to see the man. He looked clean, shaven, and prepared for whatever tribulation the date imposed. A part of her thought it was kind of overkill. But then again… this was the guy who raffled one of his cars out in a school fundraising event.

When he realized that he wasn’t getting any hugs… or a reply for that matter, the man opened his eyes, only to freeze like a child who was caught in an embarrassing moment.

“Oh.” He coughed into his hand, hiding his blush. “You weren’t who I was expecting. Ahem. Is uh… Lesty here?”

“Hello to you too Sombra.” She curtly responded. “I see you’re as fancy as ever. Nice to see you go through the extra effort for my sister.”

“Yes… well… I always say that you should never do things half-hazardly. If you don’t go big, then don’t do it at all.”

“I noticed.” Luna rolled her eyes and leaned in the Principal’s seat, admiring his attire, which looked damn expensive. Were those gold embroidery? “So what’s the occasion? You said something about an anniversary?”

“Our monthiversary. It’s been a full month since Lesty and I have gone steady.” He explained with a charming tone which only made it sound oh so romantic. “I thought I’d make it a memorable one.”

“Oooh. Sounds… romantic. I take it you have plans.”

“I figured we’d go to that fancy restaurant she loves so much. The one near the docks. And after that I’d take her to the botanical garden and we can stroll around in the greenhouse. Nothing overly taxing.”

“That’s it?” Luna sounded rather disappointed. “What? No oversea trip? No private shows that you booked over with a stack of money? That’s a bummer. Normally your dates are more exotic.”

“Lesty got tired of all that and asked to keep it simple.” He explained. “Besides, it’s a lunch date Luna. Not a vacation.” True. But with all the ridiculous stuff you pulled off these last few months, she was kind of hoping of something grander. I mean you took Celestia to a political gathering on your first unofficial date. That kind of stuff are normally reserved for… fifth or sixth dates.

“Well it doesn’t matter. Because you just missed her. Celestia just got an emergency call from the Board of Education. They’re thinking of slashing another portion of our funds.”

“Again?” He face drooped, and so did the flowers.

“Yup. She left about an hour ago. Leaving me with all this paperwork. She probably forgot to mention it to you with all of the confusion. Sorry.”

“I swear. The Board members are greedier than my staff on a good day.” He grumbled lowly. “I should know. I had a talk with my own staff at the dig sight this morning. I take it CHS will be running on the red?”

“Thankfully no. The fundraiser we had the other day, helped out. Or… maybe I should say that your raffle event helped out?” She gave a teasing wink which the man did not rise to answer. “Maybe you can reschedule? I’m sure a man of your caliber can handle a little inconvenience.”

“Doubtful. That restaurant has been booked ever since the New Year started. Apparently it’s quite popular amongst the locals. If I cancel it now, they’ll just sell the seat to the next highest bidder. Though I suppose I could take her to that other fancy place. I mean… it wouldn’t really do much against my credit scores.”

Ugh… the flexing of the 1%. How droll.

“Hang on.” A comical light bulb suddenly appeared over his head. “Why don’t I take you instead?”

What?

Luna violently choked on her coffee, spitting the contents out like a fountain. “Cah! Wha? Me?” He nodded. “Oh no. I couldn’t possibly do that.”

“Why not? It’s just lunch.”

More like a minefield. “Don’t get me wrong. It sounds like a generous offer but I don’t think that’ll be wise.”

“Come now. You always said that you wanted to eat at a fancy restaurant before. And I still owe you for helping me with Flash. I figured I could use this stone to kill another bird entirely.”

“That metaphor doesn’t even make sense.”

Her? Going to a reservation meant for her sister? That sounded like a bomb that could go off in front of her face. There was a myriad of disasters that was just waiting to happen. And don’t even get her started on the ethical applications. There are things you just don’t do.

He casually walked up to her table, flashing that trademark smile of his which was absolutely irresistible. “Come on now Luna. Let me. I promise it’ll be at least entertaining.”

“Entertaining?”

“Absolutely.” He said, striding forward with such confidence that reminded her of the time when they were in college. That impeccable jawline, and deep red eyes that seemed to be both seductive and intimidating. “Anyone that goes out with the Legendary Sombra is destined to have a good time, or they shall strike my name from history.”

That… sounded something like Flash would say.

Luna opened her mouth to speak but the reply clogged in her throat. Sombra was close enough to smell, and there was no denying that he smelled great. The offer was also very tempting. A lunch date for two in one of the fanciest places in the city? It’d take her months just to afford an appetizer, much less dessert. Not to mention it would certainly be fun to take her mind off the girls for a few hours.

But…… no. She couldn’t possibly accept such an offer. It wouldn’t be right to just be Celestia’s replacement. There were just some things you don’t do even with family. Besides, she was too busy doing the last of her paperwork – and they needed to be finished by Monday or they’ll be clogged up in the system.

Yes… paperwork. The large stack of paperwork that just seemed to have grown even larger the last time she laid eyes on it. She swore that pile was alive somehow and it had a mind of its own.

…

Ah to hell with it. She could use a good afternoon.

“I’ll get my coat.”

Sombra cheered.

(Twilight’s house)

“I don’t get it.” Twilight mumbled to herself as she stuffed her nose into her notebook on her bed writing down more calculations that would make an astronaut dizzy. She had been going on and on about her research for hours now and so far nothing conclusive have come up. The discovery of Flash’s new magical powers was definitely a wonderful discovery, but at the same time it brought insurmountable amount of questions. Questions which… again… unfortunately… she had no answers to.

“How is this even possible? There has to be something I’m missing.”

“Talking to yourself again?” Her counterpart asked, appearing beside her like magic. Though her sudden arrival didn’t exactly frighten her. “That’s a bad habit to have.”

Thankfully Spike wasn’t around to hear her literally talk to herself. The little mutt took a day off with Fluttershy yesterday to hang out with his own gang.

“I just don’t get how Equestrian Magic and Yaztec Magic can merge together without creating friction. I’ve done this process several time before and it almost blew me to pieces.” Catastrophically too. Putting these two energy sources was like trying to add gasoline to a nuclear reactor, then lighting it on fire and crossing your fingers that it won’t blow up. “But for some reason, Flash doesn’t seem to be suffering any negative side-effect. It’s like something is binding them together.”

“Who knows? Maybe it’s that weird blue hair of his. For a rock star, he’s got strange taste.”

“Don’t brush this off like it doesn’t involve you.” Twilight chastised. “You knew. You knew he had magic inside of him right from the start, didn’t you?”

Midnight shrugged and feigned innocence. “I had my suspicions. But yes.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“I knew he had magic. But I didn’t know he had THAT kind of magic. I mean… the power to copy other people’s magic? That’s something you just don’t make up on the go.”

True. It was certainly one of the more unique powers. But then again the magical handshake was a catalyst somehow.

“Wait.” Her thoughts snapped together in realization. “Could that be the reason why you’re able to manifest like this? Because of his magic? I remember holding Flash’s hands when we jumped through the portal and wounded up on the other side of the world. That stream of magic could be the reason why you came out.”

“Hmm… true. But again, thinking about it won’t make any difference.”

“Uh… it totally would.”

“No it wouldn’t.” She insisted. “Trust me. You can theorize all you want. After all the test you did to him, you still don’t understand how his magic work.”

Sadly it was true. After the discovery, Twilight set upon testing Flash’s powers with the other members of the club almost immediately. It was a quick test. Nothing dangerous other than that mess made with Pinkie’s confectionary power – though that was partly her fault too.

The conclusion was that Flash can only copy one power at a time and with limited degrees in control. He tried Applejack’s super strength first and he nearly tore the table to splinters with a light tap. Rainbow Dash’s super speed came next… and sadly… he had no way of stopping. It was only after he slammed onto five walls did he managed to come to a complete halt.

To simplify the matter: His powers only allow him to copy one ability. That alone limits his magical capabilities but at the same time, it gave him flexibility whenever multiple magic users are around him. If he can learn how to control his powers… he’d be a great asset to the team. Heck… he might be able to go farther and steal Neighsay’s power for himself… whatever that may be.

The two things that she didn’t understand was how two sources of magic can surge inside of him without going all explody, and the shining effect.

Whenever one of them goes for a magical handshake with Flash, the donor of the magic would suddenly brim with magical energy. So much so that they Pony-Up almost immediately.

Pinkie came to call it as The ‘Glow’. And so far there hasn’t been any side-effect either. Applejack said that it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Rainbow Dash said that she felt light on her feet, and Pinkie was just… well… hungry.

Ugh… she so wanted to study that magic. Sunset would’ve been able to get this working with her knowledge on magic. But sadly she’s off helping an emergency in another world.

If she could somehow replicate it, it would advance her knowledge of magic by a hundred-fold. But alas, her limited resources could only come up with a few theories.

“Ugh… if only I had my lab. I could give Flash a quick scan and I’ll be able to know everything.”

“Well… you could.” Midnight teased. “I mean… all of your advance equipment are right here.”

Twilight’s face immediately went sour. “Oh no. No no no no. We are not…”

“Why not? You have everything you need, right here. All you need to do is do a quick scan and boom. You get your answers.”

“But I’ll need someone else to do the magical handshake.”

“You can do it yourself.”

Well… yeah. She probably could. “But what if he finds out about… you? You’re connected through me through magic so… it might be possible for him to see you.”

“Oh relax. I’m your subconscious. He won’t see a thing. And even if he could, I’ll be in your head the whole time.”

That would be a good thing. It would undoubtedly be quick. Not to mention the data she could collect from…

No. She swore she wouldn’t use her lab anymore. At least not until she can help mom and dad pay the massive electric bill she accumulated. Shining Armor would be very upset with her if he found out that she turned her lab on again.

Twilight had the idea of transferring her equipment to the new house, but… things simply got in the way. But the answers she gets from this could be life changing.

No. She couldn’t. And even if she wanted to, mom and dad were still downstairs. They’d know.

“Twilight honey.” And as if on cue, her mother’s voice rang from below. “Your father and I are going out for a bit. Keep the house clean while we’re gone.”

Twilight didn’t need to look but she was more than certain that her evil twin was grinning from ear to ear right now.

xxxxxxxxxx

The doorbell rang and Twilight answered it almost immediately.

“Twilight?” The boy on the other side blinked. “Is something wrong? I got a text from you saying to come to yo…”

“No time!” She pulled him in and immediately went to work.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Ok… let me get this straight. When you said that you had an emergency, you meant a scientific one?” Flash was obviously upset to be tricked like that. A natural reaction to someone who just got bamboozled.

Twilight couldn’t help but give out a weak smile in response. “Well… technically I said that I needed you to come to my place urgently. I never said that it was an emergency.” It was a weak excuse, but it was all she had. “Ok fine. Sorry. But there was an opportunity so I took it. I really wanted to understand how your magic work so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t recommend using that metaphor around Fluttershy.” He grumbled in defeat. “Well… we may as well do this seeing that I’m here already.”

“Excellent! I knew you’d see it my way.” Not that he had much of a choice in that matter.

“As long as I don’t have to run into any more walls.” He shivered at the thought. “I don’t know how Rainbow Dash does it going that fast without suffering whiplash. I thought I wouldn’t stop.”

“We did warn you that trying out new powers was going to be tricky. I mean Rainbow Dash didn’t start out good with it either.” That girl kept sliding from one side to another like the world’s worse ice skater. It actually took them a whole song montage to actually master it - according to Sunset anyway.

“I guess so.” He coughed. “I really want this whole new magic thing to work out. I mean… this is my first time ever wielding magic. How cool is that?”

“Yes yes. That is ‘Cool’. But remember to be responsible. Me and the girls are already up to our necks with people who abuse their magic.”

“Hey. Give me a little credit here. It’s me, remember?”

“Just promise me that you won’t go using your magic for evil purposes.”

“Scout’s honor.” He raised his hand childishly in a symbolic gesture. And she believed him.

After all, what else was he going to use his powers for? Rob a bank? The guy’s already richer than Filthy Rich. He can buy himself an island and it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

To become more popular? Ha! He already got that gig in the bag.

Flash was the boy who had everything. And with his new magic… that sentence might be more true than anyone realize.

“So how does this work, exactly?” He asked.

“Oh that’s easy. We get a detailed scan of your entire arm, the magic entity, and a few other readings just for good measure. All you need to do is wear this wire and make our magic handshake. The machine will do the rest.”

It sounds easy because it was easy. She spent years troubleshooting this scanning device. It was one of her prime achievements in life.

Flipping the big red switch at the corner quickly made the whole machine come to life. Twilight hadn’t noticed it until now but she can see now why her electricity bill was exactly as it was. Each of her invention were energy guzzling machines. With all the lights, gizmos and gadgets she installed, it would easily drain the power plant of all its juice. Even now she could feel that bill suddenly spiking just by turning this place on.

“Ok… let’s get this over with.” Twilight said to herself before offering Flash a seat beside her. He gladly accepted which strangely made her feel somewhat… warm inside. Was he always this tall and good looking? And he smelled pretty good for some reason. And those blue eyes of his were so deep you could lose yourself in.

“Twilight Sparkle!”

Gah!

“Twilight?”

“Right right. Sorry. Was in deep thought.” Focus girl. You only have an hour till mom and dad gets back. Every minute of this study was costing the family MONEY. No time to be thinking random thoughts.

Quickly and carefully she slipped the device around Flash’s scar. The scanning machine hummed positively which was a good sign.

“Ok… now… we… hold hands.” The words went coarse out of her mouth. Was she shaking? Why was she shaking? It’s absolutely normal to hold hands with another person. She’s done it plenty of times before. However this time it felt… different. The good and scary kind. Her body shivered in fear and excitement at the same time.

Did that make sense? No it didn’t. Why is she thinking all these random thoughts? Was she nervous? No of course not. She was just angling for the best possible position for the magic to connect and…

“And… here.” Flash decided to take the next step and slip his fingers onto hers. “Is that ok?”

Twilight’s brain fizzled for a moment there. “Y… yeah. That’s um… perfect.”

She could feel the boy’s strong grip, the thick fingers. They somehow felt warm to the touch. It’s incredible how big he was compared to her. She bet he could even wrap himself around her and she wouldn’t even mind it. Was that the magic transferring? Possibly. She never really implemented how it would feel personally.

Oooh. This could be added to her research. An in-depth study to magic transfer. Yes, it would be her magnum opus.

“I’m getting a brain cramp.”

“Feel any different?” Flash asked from his side sounding somewhat worried.

“N… not really.” Her answer came out as part laugh and part squeak. “I mean we could be doing it wrong. I mean… last night’s hypothesis was a rough guess. But this… is different. How can we know if it’s even working?” And as if coming to answer her question, her body began to glow with magic bringing out her pony ears and tails. A colorful aurora appeared and began dancing around them forking over every color one could imagine. “Oh…”

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah. YEAH! Totally.” She muffled her mouth as that answer came back way too loudly. “I mean… yes. I’m ok. Just… um… excited. This is a mystery after all. And uncovering mysteries is the duty of every genius.” That or a bunch of teens and their trusty canine companion.

A moment of silence passed them by.

“So… how long is this gonna take?”

“Not long at all. About 3 to 4 minutes. Depending on the transfer of data.”

Another silence.

Damn it. She didn’t anticipate the awkwardness. Normally she’d have Spike around to keep her centered but he’s not around right now. All she could do was sit and wait and maybe listen to the noise of the machine beside her.

Uh… crud. Hey Midnight. Can you give me a hand here? I need something to talk about.

…

Great. Of course you’d be quiet. The one time I actually ask for your help, you’re nowhere to be found!

“So… this is what you do huh?” Flash seemed equally uncomfortable and decided to fill the silence himself. “You do all your research here.”

“Huh? Oh yeah. This is where the magic happens. Kind of. I made most of these during my time back in Crystal Prep. The gadgets I use on our magical adventures are all made here.” From her magical radar, down to her Magic Trap Mk. II. Everything the gang needed to fight the shadow monsters were invented in these very walls.

“That’s kind of amazing.” His praise made her giggle inside. “I can’t believe you managed to do all of this all on your own. You’re kind of a super genius.” Well at least someone noticed.

“Well… I do get the occasional help from the others. Sunset mostly because of her indepth knowledge on magic. As for the rest… well…” Her eyes rolled. “Let’s just say that science and sorcery aren’t exactly their field of expertise.”

“That’s true.” He nodded, again glancing around. “So… this is your lab?”

“Well no. My lab’s in the attic. I just moved all the necessary equipment to my room just for this experiment.”

“O… oh!” She noted his reddened face. “I guess that would explain… the room.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… it’s just that… it’s not every day I get to see a girl’s room.”

…

Oh…

Realization slowly dawned on Twilight as she turned to her room in frozen horror.

She had brought a boy into her room. Her humble abode, her private quarters, her personal space. The first ever boy who is not related to her in any way. Not even Timber has ever even seen this place. The moment came to her as she noticed the mess she left behind.

Strips of her research were strewn across the floor, her bookshelves unorganized, her trash bin overflowing with snacks from last night’s power-study, and her pajamas strewn across the bed for everyone to see. Gah! And… her wardrobe was unkempt. This wasn’t a room, it was a pigsty! Anyone who saw this place would judge the tenant to be a pig. What was she? 10? Get it together Twi!

“Umm… this isn’t what it looks like.” She said as she frantically moved all her clothes out of the way with her telekinesis power. But she immediately regretted it when parts of her undergarment whisked passed them in slow motion. “It was umm… it was Spike’s fault.” Sorry Spike. “He can be such a slob sometimes when he’s playing around. Trust me, this place is way cleaner when he’s not around. Ahe… hehehe.” Her wavering smile didn’t do much to convince him.

“Well it certainly has… character.” The boy eyed the used pair of socks which she quickly floated away with a flick of her finger. “Heh… never thought I’d see this side of you again.”

“This side?” Her eyes widened. “Wh… what side?”

“The adorable panicky side.” He answered. “You’re usually kind of uptight.”

“Me?” She took offense to that. “I’m not uptight. I’m never uptight. I consider myself to be a rather lax and free spirited person with a hint of a refreshing attitude.”

Again he laughed. “See? There. That’s the usual Twilight. The gal who always has an answer to everything. No matter what happened, you always seemed to have a solution.”

“So what? I find that a good thing.”

“True.” He agreed on that wholeheartedly. “But when I looked back at that time we spent together, I kind of find your other side to be… refreshing.”

“Refreshing?” Oh please. That was such a vague statement. “Refreshing how?”

“Well… for one thing. She was kind of angry. Like all the time.”

“We were trapped on the other side of the world!”

“A little snarky. Kind of condescending.”

“I was under duress! We were practically stuck!”

“She gets really moody when things don’t go her way or can’t figure something out.”

“I was trying to get the portal to work! You can’t blame me for being a little prickly!”

“She’s also very irritable in the morning.”

“You’d be too if a sheep keeps trying to nibble your hair!”

“But ultimately, I thought she was pretty adorable.”

“Well I’d like…” She froze, eyeing him shyly and immediately her cheeks burned. “Oh. R… really?”

“Absolutely.” The boy turned a smile, which made her heart race. Did he practice these lines before hand? How can a guy like him be so smooth with words? It’s like he’s reciting them out from a playbook. Was he always a playboy? I mean… this is Flash Sentry after all, so that wouldn’t be such a farfetched story.

Dang it. What was this strange sensation building inside of her? That churning inside of her stomach, the tensing of her muscles, her sweat glands overworking. Was the weather changing? Was she changing? Maybe her pony-up form had a side effect. Maybe she’s sick. No… that can’t be right. She made sure to check her temperature daily to keep herself from any sort of illness.

But Twilight could feel it. Deep down, inside her heart, something was happening. An odd yet familiar feeling began swirling from within. Her eyes locked with Flash, unable to tear away from that deep blue cerulean gem staring down at her. A person can really get lost within them if they’re not careful.

*Ding!*

The sound of her machine popping signaled the end which quickly prompted her back to reality.

“A… ahem! We… well that’s done.” Slowly she let go of his hand, feeling the magical bond broken within seconds. “With this, I can make a conclusive understanding of your magical abilities. And learn how to reproduce it.”

She fiddled with the device, quickly shutting it down before it consumed more power.

“So…”

“So……” Flash mimicked looking about as equally as awkward as she was. “I guess we’re done?”

“Yeah…” For some reason that sounded disheartening. “I guess… we are.”

“So… I guess I should get going.”

“Yeah.” Wait… not yet.

“I’ll see you at school then.” Quietly the boy rose and headed off to the door, giving out a gentle wave goodbye.

“Yeah…” Twilight couldn’t help notice her heart suddenly sinking at the thought.

“Oh for the love of…… GRAHH! W-”

“-ait!” The words left her mouth before she even realized it. But it was enough to get Flash to freeze and turn. Twilight smacked her mouth, suddenly realizing the tone she used. “I mean… w… wait. Maybe you can stay for a bit.”

The boy’s eyes rose up. “Really?”

“Yeah… YEAH! I mean… it’s the weekends, and I’m not really doing anything important right now. So why don’t we spend some time here and I can help you hone your magic? I mean… I did promise to help you with it after all. And now’s a good a time as any, right? We wouldn’t want you going around with my telekinesis powers breaking stuff now, do we?”

Flash gave it a quick thought and recalled his previous experience with magic. “Yeah. That does sound pretty good. And I do want to get used to this magic. Eh… why not?”

“Really?”

“Like you said: Now’s a good a time as any. And it’d be good to get ahead in my magic.”

“Great! We can use my backyard. I can show you the ropes on how to use my magic.”

“Sounds like fun.”

It does, doesn’t it? She could take notes too! Analyze the implication of magic firsthand. It’ll be a worthwhile field test. The thought alone started to make her feel giddy inside.

But the moment was rudely interrupted when her phone began to ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey there. How’s my favorite girl doing?” Wait a second. That singsong voice. That flirty teasing question.

“Timber?” Twilight’s face went slack unaware of her guest’s tenseness. Why was he calling now of all times? She must’ve left him like a dozen text messages and voice mails to boot. “Is that you?”

“The one and only. Did you miss me?”

“Well… yeah! I haven’t heard from you for a few days now. Gloriosa has been trying to reach you. She’s been worried sick.”

“I know I know. She gave me an earful when I got back to camp. Always going on and on, worrying about me all the time. But you know me. Sometimes a guy need a little space every now and then to clear his mind.” That sounds like Timber. Though he was gone far longer than usual. “Anyway, enough about me. I got a surprise for you. Can you meet me the mall in about 20 minutes?”

“The mall?” She sputtered. “As in… Canterlot Mall? As in right now?”

“Yup. I got a big surprise for ya. You’re gonna love it.”

A surprise? What could possibly outclass the stay they had in Camp Everfree?

“That’s… great. But I don’t think now is such a good time. I’m kind of in the middle of something right now.”

“Oh come on Twilly. It’s the weekend. Surely you could make time for your boyfriend now. Trust me. This is gonna blow your mind. Metaphorically speaking of course.” He corrected that last bit rather quickly. “So whadaya say?”

It sounded nice but Twilight really didn’t want to. She just made plans, great plans. It would be the cuff of her research project. And honestly, staying here with Flash felt a lot more appealing to whatever surprise that guy had in store. I mean… you really can’t beat magic.

“I mean… it’s a bit sudden.”

“I know you like to keep your life on schedule. But sometimes the best things in life comes from the unexpected. So how about it? One lunch date with sweet old Spruce? My treat~~~. I’ll even let you pick dessert.”

Ugh god, did he always sound so dorky?

Twilight really didn’t want to. But somehow she felt like she needed to. It was Timber after all. And he was just trying to be the best boyfriend he can be. It wouldn’t hurt to go on one date. It would be good to maintain her relationship.

“I… suppose I can go. For a moment.”

“Awesome! I’ll see you there.” And with a chirpy reply, he hung up.

Twilight turned from her phone, noticing how quiet Flash looked. He likely heard the whole conversation and can guess the rest. “Umm… sorry. But I’m gonna have to take a rain check on our practice session. Again…”

But the boy hastily waved it off like it was nothing. “No no. I heard the whole thing and I completely understand. Relationship comes first. And I kind of remember that I have something to do back home.”

“Totally.” And just like that… that awkward silence which she tried so hard to remove, returned with a vengeance. “I… can cancel it if you want…”

“No! Please. It’s fine. Really. I’m not mad or anything. It’s just that I understand. Guys like Timber are hard to come by. It’s not every day you get to have a date with your boyfriend. You should… really hold onto him.”

“Yeah…”

“I mean I wouldn’t want him getting the wrong idea about us like last time.”

“Right. Of cour… wait what?” Twilight blinked just as Flash slapped his mouth shut. She saw a hint of panic in his eyes like he let loose something dangerous. “What did you mean last time?”

“Uh. Nothing. Just a play-on words.” That was a lie. She could see it on his face. “Anyway, have fun on your date. I gotta go.”

And just like that, he was gone. And for some reason her heart sank with it.

(Canterlot Mall)

Twilight felt a little moody after she arrived at the mall. She let out a long winded sigh as she looked at her reflection at the fountain water, the glittering coins at the bottom sparkling underneath.

“Ugh… you are unbelievable.” Oh great. The angel came back when she wasn’t needed. How convenient. “We had prime material back there! And you decided to waste it all on this?” Midnight groaned back, taking over her reflection. For some reason, the fallen angel looked annoyed. “I can’t believe you would drop a whole day of magical research for… for a stupid date!”

Trust me, I’m not thrilled about it either. Normally spending a whole day with Timber would spark some kind of reaction out of her. Mostly positive. She’d be excited, happy even. But now, she hardly even looked forward to it. She’d rather be back in her house, studying Flash’s unique magic. The data was already collected. All she needed to do was analyze it.

And why was she even feeling this down? She felt annoyed, perhaps even a little ticked off. Like… she was robbed of something.

“Are you kidding me right now!? How can you not understand after everything you’ve gone through!?”

Am I supposed to know what you’re thinking? Because as far as I know, this whole telepathic mindset only works in your favor.

“ARGHH! For the love of all that is……” Midnight looked like she wanted to tear her own hair out. “How are you the smartest, yet the stupidest person, at the same time!? Seriously. Even rocks have less density than you!”

Oh wow, a geology joke. Score one for her alter ego.

Ugh… where’s Timber? He should be here by now.

“Hey! Don’t you ignore me! I’m trying to help you.”

Yeah, like when I needed your help twenty minutes ago.

“At least I’m not the one lying to herself.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Midnight rolled her eyes as she hovered towards her. “Ok look. This little gag between you and your feelings have been entertaining to watch for a while. But the joke’s gone on for too long. And honestly, it’s lost its charm.”

“I have no idea what you’re going on about.”

“Look at yourself Twilight. Even a blind guy can see how unhappy you are for this little… ugh… date. That Timber guy is not a match for you.”

“What? That’s crazy. Timber and I are a perfect match. We have that spark. We both like dogs, we like math, science and geology, and we have the same interest in outdoors activity. We even had that big Winter Solstice date back in Camp Everfree.”

“And tell me. Did you feel that… spark?”

Twilight paused but answered. “Well… it was… pretty cool… I guess.”

“It was dull. Come on girl. I was watching the whole time. You can smile, and laugh, and look like everything’s right in the world. But we both know the truth.”

The… truth?

“Take a look at the recent takes. You no longer look forward to meeting him, his voice sounds like sandpaper rubbing against the chalkboard, and you haven’t even kissed him once this year.”

“W… we kiss.”

“Pecks on the cheek and blow kiss don’t count.” No. That can’t be true. “Face it Twi. You might have the same interests, but even people can change. And as far as I can tell, you’re the one who changed the most.”

Could she be right? Twilight entertained the thought before but she simply brushed it off as a mere blunder in their relationship. I mean… that’s how every relationship worked. At least the ones she knew. Everyone had their dry-spell. But eventually the drought ends, right?

“Yours have been dry for a while now Twi.”

It… it can’t be true.

No that’s not possible. Her relationship was steady. She and Timber were good. They had to be. She was his rock and he was her one true love.

And yet. Why didn’t her heart ache? Why did nothing beat inside her chest? Only an empty voice resounded, leaving her stunned and confused.

Was Midnight Sparkle right? Has that spark between them really gone out? Her words rang close and echoed through her entire being.

No. No of course not. Get it together Twilight. This is the witch that tried to destroy your world. She’s just trying to get in your head.

“I’m already there, genius.”

It’s a metaphor! Shut up!

I need to… I need to think. Her relationship with Timber was just hitting a rough patch. That’s it. The BIG surprise he had in store was just what she needed to get the spark going again. You’ll see. We’ll both fall in love all over again.

“Hey there Twilight.” And as luck would have it, the boy in question arrived in the nick of time.

“Timber! Hey! You’re…” Twilight froze as she turned to face her date expecting him to be in the usual attire. But instead she found Timber dressed up to the nines. He traded that old casual outgoing attire to a grey business suit with tie and vest included. But what really caught Twilight’s attention was how his hair was all gelled up and shiny. You’d almost mistake him as one of those guys in fashion magazine. “Wow…”

Timber gave a finger gun gesture followed by a wink. “You like my new digs?”

She wasn’t entirely sure. “It… certainly is something. Where did you get it?”

“Oh just a brand store a few blocks over. The tailor there saw me and told me I could use some new threads. What do you think?”

“I think it looks expensive.” No kidding either. The pants, the tie, and those high-quality leather shoes? Those look like they cost a small fortune – or your whole lifesavings. You’d expect to see Flash wear something similar if he were to go to a formal event. “What’s the occasion?”

“I thought I’d give myself a makeover for my special girl after I got her something special.”

“Oh yeah. You mentioned a big surprise.”

The boy grinned from cheek to cheek. “You betcha. And you’ll never believe it. But I’ve decided to take you to… that super fancy restaurant, Tasty Treats.”

…

Eh?

Shatter

Chapter 80: Shatter

(Canterlot Mall) (Tasty Treats)

Everything was exactly as she remembered it.

Twilight glanced over to the restaurant, remembering the ambience well.

The hint of spice lingering in the air, the soft foreign music playing in the background, the exotic decorations lining the wall. The mere sight, smell, and sound of the place was enough to flood her brain with memories of her previous visit.

How Timber managed to score a reservation to this place, she’ll never know. She asked him earlier, but he brushed it off, saying that he came upon some money and wanted to splurge. A rough guess would say he won some kind of prize or a tournament somewhere. Maybe even the lottery. But the guy wasn’t budging an answer.

He was absolutely giddy about bringing her here thinking he just won her over again. Though he was far from it.

Twilight didn’t have the heart to tell him that this wasn’t her first visit. He looked proud of himself. She came to this restaurant some time ago with another guy who… was paying back a debt. In fact, she could even recall the whole event down to the last detail.

She glanced over to the corner booth where she and Flash sat. It was a small area with the glassed window view of the mall’s fountain. She recalled the food they ordered, the things they talked about. She recalled enjoying her time there, laughing and chuckling like it was one of the best days of her life.

It was…… great…

“So~~? Whadaya think?” The girl jolted back to her body, turning to face her boyfriend who was smiling sweetly from ear to ear. “Was this everything you dreamed about?”

“Y… yeah! It certainly is.” Dang it Twilight. Keep your focus. Do not let your mind wander now. You are here to prove that your bond with Timber is rock-solid. Do not give that angel the satisfaction of victory. You are in a healthy and thriving long term relationship, so now it’s time to prove it.

“Yup. This place was pretty pricy even for me. Thankfully I was able to get a reservation just for the two of us. Am I the best boyfriend or what?”

He truly was.

“You really are.” She replied with a semi-monotoned voice. Strangely enough Twilight can’t seem to muster that loving adorable feeling from within.

She should be ecstatic. Timber just scored her a trip to the restaurant where they dreamed on dining. She should be overjoyed. Maybe even a little giddy. But strangely enough nothing came. It was like she was dead inside, grayed and hollow. All the butterflies in her stomach had gone extinct leaving an empty void somewhere along the line.

“So what’s the occasion?” Twilight asked, lifting herself from the menu for a few minutes. She merely wanted to get a conversation going to keep her focus away from that dreadful feeling.

“I just wanted to treat my favorite nerd somewhere special for a change.” Even more special than that whole weekend at the cabin? “Besides, we’ve always been talking about visiting this place. I thought we may as well do it. Why? Something wrong?”

“No. Of course not. It’s just that you don’t normally do something like this unless something big happened.”

The boy’s smile turned sly for a second there. “Well… I guess you could say that. Something big did happen. It just so happens I got myself a sweet new gig.”

A new gig? “As in a job?”

“That’s right sweet cheeks. Got myself landed on something nice. Easy money on a big business.” Ok, was he trying something new here? Because that is definitely not the usual way he talks. Timber was more casual, calm, and a little bit awkward at times. Here… he’s suave, savvy and somewhat pretentious.

“Is that why you were out of contact for two whole days?”

“Partly. But I also needed a little alone time. You know how I am. I like to get loss in the wind. But I can say that my new job is out of this world.”

A strange choice of words there. A job that pays well for a low skilled employee? If it was anyone else, Twilight would say that it sounded rather shady. But this was Timber. One of the finest, law-abiding citizen you’ll find here.

“So… what is this job?”

“Ah. Sorry, Twi. But I can’t reveal anything just yet. It’s all confidential. Contract binding, you see.” Sounds fairly logical. Though it was starting to sound shadier that more he explained it. “But I can say that you’ll approve. Oh… speaking of which, I got us tickets to the movies. Special Couple seats.”

“Movies?” She blinked. “As in… today?”

“As in an hour.” He gave a toothy smile which sparkled like mirrors.

“But it’s so sudden. I mean… I have plans and…”

“Come on Twi. It’s just for one afternoon.” But my studies… my research! The Nobel Prize winning calculation. “Trust me. One long date and I’ll get you home before dinner.”

Twilight didn’t want to. In fact… she REALLY didn’t want to. This whole date was all too sudden and it was taking time off her valuable studies.

“Please?”

… dang it.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ah~~~ That hit the spot.

Luna let out a satisfied moan as she left the establishment with a full stomach and a sated pallete.

The food in that restaurant might’ve been fancy and hard to pronounce, but it was undoubtedly delicious. The taste alone lingered on the tip of her tongue, and the full doggy bag she had with her promised for a wonderful dinner later tonight. She only wished she could’ve tasted some of their fine assortment of wines, but Celestia would probably give her a stern lecture if she came back home buzzed. Honestly, that woman acts more like a den mother than she realizes.

“You know. Out of all the people I’ve met, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with your appetite.” Sombra followed her out of the establishment, smiling teasingly and holding a takeout bag in hand.

“What can I say? I’m a growing girl.”

“Growing the wrong way, you mean.”

She smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t be coy. We both had the same order.”

“I had foie gras and a caesar salad.” He mocked. “You had the same with two extra portions, an extra side of cheese bread, AND dessert. Not to mention the juice.”

“Hey if they say ‘Unlimited-refills, then they should’ve known what to expect.” Though to be honest, she might’ve overdone it a teeny tiny bit with the drinks. The waiter practically had to run back and forth just to refill their jug about six times over. The other diners must’ve thought she was a thirsty peasant. “Don’t be afraid to order extra as it was offered freely.”

Sombra didn’t seem to mind and laughed it off. “I was more afraid that you would explode from all that consumption. I think you might’ve gained one or two sizes after that meal.”

“And you’re inching closer to getting a good smack on the head if you keep up with those insults.”

He quickly raised his hands up in defense but paused when his phone buzzed.

“It’s Lesty.” He announced with a small smile on his lips, scanning the content of the text message. “Looks like she just remembered we had a big date today.”

“Great. Does it sound like she’s wallowing in guilt? I’d very much like to hear that.”

“Possibly.” Sombra gave an apologetic shrug. “It says she wants to make it up to me by cooking dinner at her place.” Oh. Bravo sister. Nice redemption act. And here she thought she’d have to watch her wallow in misery again. No doubt she learned from her previous breakup with the guy. Her cooking wasn’t stellar but it wasn’t entirely bad either. No doubt it would make for a memorable night.

“Oooh. A late dinner date between two Principals? How scandalous.” Luna cooed teasingly. “Should I book a hotel?”

“Now now. It’s nothing that raunchy. We’re both mature adults. Not wild animals.”

“I’d beg to differ. If I remember correctly. You were just as wild as I was when we were both in college.”

“Your memory must be failing. I hear that happens a lot during old age.”

“Jerk.” She tossed him a punch which he masterfully failed to dodge. “Well I guess this is where we part ways. Wouldn’t want to keep my sister waiting.”

Sombra’s face tilted with confusion. “It doesn’t have to be. Lesty’s still going to be with the Board for another three hours. We may as well kill time here while we’re at it. What say you and I go through memory lane?”

“Now that’s something old people would say.” She countered back grinning cheesily from ear to ear. “But I don’t think we should hang out too long. A lot of students hang out in this place. People might get the wrong idea about us.”

“And when did you start worrying about public image?”

About the same time I woke up one night hammered in a frat house, smelling like a dumpster.

“You aren’t the only one who grew up after college.” She paused. “But on the off chance. What did you have in mind?”

“A movie or a walk in the park.” Two classic options for a short date. Though Luna expected something more out of him. “That… or you could go back to school and finish that stack of paperwork.”

…

Luna’s expression pruned at the mere mention of work. She knew she had to go back to it. But after enjoying such a satisfying meal she hardly had the stomach or capacity to return. She had no idea why, but she got the feeling that the stack must’ve gotten bigger by now.

“On a weekend no less.” Sombra added that last bit with a hint of pity in his voice. A twisted mockery of empathy that allured her to a more scenic life. She eyed him annoyingly knowing full well what he was trying to do.

And to no surprise… it worked.

“You’re despicable.” She mumbled while his triumphant grin widened. “Fine. But you’re treating to ice cream before this is all over.”

“I think I can afford it.” Sombra let out another cheer.

(Flash’s Mansion)

Bananas barked out lowly as he tried to reach for the bag of treats that hovered mysteriously over him. Flash gave a soft chuckle, enjoying his new found abilities for a spell, watching his dog jump up and down with futility and confusion. He glanced over his glowing hand as it hummed with new found power. The itch was still there, but he barely reacted to it. No doubt he was far too engrossed with the magic to even bother with such a minor discomfort.

“I can get used to this.” He muttered to no in particular before finally putting the bag of treats down and letting his little mutt gorge on it. It took some effort, a little bit of practice, and a whole heap of plates and utensils from the kitchen, but the boy was able to get the power under his control.

After nearly killing himself with a spoon and breaking a few kitchenware, Flash realized that everything just needed a little bit of easing in. Kind of like trying out a new car and getting used to the steering wheel. Not exactly the most unique metaphor, but that was how he would describe it to himself.

Eventually he was able to get a hang of the ability and now he began using it to move his room around. This is probably how Twilight manages to get all of her stuff done so quickly and efficiently. It was highly entertaining, addicting… and dangerous. How that girl resisted to abuse it was probably a testament to her patience.

Twilight…

Flash couldn’t help but reflect on that name.

There was no denying it, something weird was going on when he visited her. The way she acted around him was becoming more… attaching. It was more personal, more affectionate. It was like she wasn’t even sure of what she was trying to do. But he could see it. She had her guard down, shown her vulnerable side. So much so that she unconsciously invited him to her bedroom, her personal space. In his experience, you don’t get to do that until after the fifth or sixth date.

It’s no wonder Timber felt a little threatened. At first he thought that the guy was just being a paranoid boyfriend. But after seeing how her eyes glitter, and how she smiles oh so sweetly, anyone would mistake those action as signs of affection.

But he couldn’t really help it. Twilight just looked oh so unbearably adorable. Especially when she starts talking about topics she likes. It’s like her entire body lights up like a bumbling beam of energy that you could just watch for hours without getting bored. Even her cheeks looked squishy to the touch.

Honestly, if he knew that this world’s Twilight would be this cute, he would’ve swooped down on her a long time ago. Which is probably saying a lot considering his crush on her pony counterpart, who is now a ruler of an entire world.

Dang it. Thinking about her made him realize how jealous he is of Timber. He’s a lucky guy to get a girl like Twilight on his side.

Hope their date goes well.

*Woof!*

“Wha…? Oh crud!” Flash was drawn out of his thoughts when he realized several objects around him floating aimlessly like they were suspended in mid-air, including his dog which whimpered helplessly. “Uh… hold on Bananas! I got you.” He must’ve did it right because everything came crashing down afterward leaving a great big mess. “Oh…”

*Woof!* Bananas let out a happy bark and gave a quick lick to his master’s face. If Flash could hear him talk right now, he’d be reciting some poetry of gratitude.

“Wow… Twilight was right. Maybe I should lay off the magic until I get professional help.” His mutt agreed wholeheartedly on that.

A knock on the door suddenly followed with the voice of his butler chiming. “Master Flash? Are you alright? I heard a crash.” The man poked his head through the door with a hint of worry. But it all vanished a second later when he saw the mess.

The boy’s face went slack. “Uh… I was just… doing some cleaning?”

*Woof!*

“It… kinda got out of hand.”

“I noticed.” The butler replied with a monotone voice. “I shall send someone to… ‘Properly’ clean your room. Ahem. Anyway sir. I would highly recommend that your change into more comfortable attire. We have an appointment to keep.”

Appointment?

He tilted his head in confusion. “Really? With who?”

“Why… with the doctor of course.” He replied as a matter of factly. “Master Sombra arranged an appointment with Dr. Heartbeat today to give you the full checkup and to see the progress on your leg.”

Oh right. He almost forgot about that last injury. Ever since he removed the cast he hardly even recalled the pain.

“Was that today?” He whined. “Can’t you just tell him that I’ve healed and leave?”

“Absolutely not, Sir. The good Doctor has given up his valuable time to come all the way here. It would be insulting to simply shoo him away.”

“But I really don’t wanna.”

“It’s for your own good, Master Flash. Be a little considerate for your father as well, seeing as he wants you be fit and healthy. It’s not easy to get a doctor for a house call.” Yeah yeah… like you tell me a dozen times before. “Not to mention how expensive it is. Not just anyone can call on a renowned doctor like Heartbeat.”

“Alright alright. You don’t have to give the whole guilt-trip talk. I’ll go.”

“Please ensure that you are properly dressed sir. The good doctor will be here any minute now.” And as if on cue, the doorbell rang echoing throughout the house. “Impeccable timing. Master Flash…”

“Yeah yeah. I got it. Just give me a minute.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Flash can’t recall going to a hospital before, so he really had no context on how people reacted to getting a medical checkup. He heard from his friends that they never liked it. The smell of the place and the ambience was just too tense, especially the dentists. And if that’s how they react, Flash would agree with them in a moment. He never liked doctors. Especially the guy his dad hired.

Dr. Heartbeat was the name. Any time Flash got a bike injury or suffer a slight cold or fever, his old man would dial the guy up like he was on a 24/7 house call. And he was scary beyond belief.

He always used big and complex words that was way beyond what a rocker like him would understand. Something Flash couldn’t really follow. The old guy would just plug some stuff onto him and get some readings like it was a repeated process. Edmund mostly jots down whatever the guy in the white coat says and gives everything to his old man. Then he just tells him that he was perfectly healthy and leaves without as much as a hi, hello, greetings or goodbye. While Dr. Heartbeat was undoubtedly one of the best in his field, his bedside manners were definitely something to be desired. He was like Twilight, except far less interesting to be with.

Speaking of which. Flash wondered if his magical arm would be read in the scans. It would be bad if something mysterious came upon the checkup. The last thing he wanted was to be a guinea pig for some kind of lab experiment…

… but then again he was tested on by Twilight so… that reasoning can’t be held in court.

So… fingers crossed.

“The doctor will be with up shortly sir.” His butler came along bringing out the old notes like they were research papers followed by a trolley with snacks on top. The guy never failed to bring in some lighthearted treats for him.

Flash passed his thanks along, pausing just for a moment before some idle thoughts came to his mind. “Hey Edmund. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course Master Flash. I’m always at your disposal.”

“Why hasn’t dad taken me to a hospital?”

It was such an innocent question born out of pure curiosity and a hint of boredom. Something so benign that you might’ve just let it pass overhead without a second thought. Flash even thought that the answer wouldn’t really matter. But the reaction he got out of his butler was different than what he expected.

Edmund’s body trembled as if struck by lightning. The normally unflappable servant of the household, whose actions were always so precise and on point, skipped a step and spilled tea onto the floor.

“Edmund?”

“Apologies sir. Just a little miscalculation.” The older man responded throwing a weak laugh into the mix. “As per your question: I’m afraid it is the result of your father. He… umm… let’s just say that he has a strong distaste for hospitals.”

“He hated hospitals? Why?”

“It would be regards to his late-wife, Ms. Hope.” Edmund added, taking a hollow breath. “When she passed away, Sir Sombra became somewhat… distant. There are too much memories in those places. He disliked hospitals ever since. Which is why he orders Dr. Heartbeat to provide whatever help he could.”

That was a pretty reasonable explanation. The loss of a love one can really change a man.

Still… Flash couldn’t help but feel like his butler was keeping something from him.

(The Sweet Shoppe)

This is wrong…

This is all just so… wrong.

Twilight tried to fight the thoughts from her head, but she couldn’t.

Even as she stared at her own reflection in the mirror in the bathroom, she couldn’t deny the expression coming from her own face.

Her date with Timber went well. Surprisingly well in fact. The last few hours they spent together was undoubtedly the best they’ve had in months. They had good food, watched a movie, visited the petting zoo, and even shopped at her 2nd favorite bookstore. And right now they were going to end it by having a super-smoothy at Midtown’s favorite ice cream parlor. This had all the hallmarks of a successful date. She should be grinning from ear to ear just like she did back in Camp Everfree. Perhaps even more so.

But that wasn’t the case. In fact… she was bored as heck. You might even say that this date was deader than a doorknob. Twilight tried. She really tried to enjoy herself, but nothing stuck. It was as if everything they did hardly left a mark on her.

Timber was the perfect gentleman too. He was polite, sweet, flirty, despite his strange shift in personality. But even so… it failed to garner any kind of reaction. He had all the words but none of the substance.

It’s like…

“All the flare you had for him died out.” Her reflection spoke out, taking the shape of her alter ego. “So…? How’s the date going so far?” That witch already knew. She just wanted to hear it.

“It’s… going fine.” It really wasn’t. “Just fine. He’s… great.”

“Are you trying to convince me… or yourself?” Midnight crooned, slowly hovering out of the mirror and floated around like a magical creature. “Face it girl. You can feel it inside your heart. There’s no magic between you two. All that crushing and fleeting feelings of love are dead and gone. Even a dummy can tell that you’re done with him. The guy’s a bore, a chump, a bread sandwich.” Was that a wordplay?

“But he’s really trying.”

“And certainly not succeeding.” She retorted. “Come on. I’ve been watching you from start to finish. And even you can’t be blind to the truth.” Indeed she cannot. As much as she hated to agree with her inner mind, she wasn’t wrong. Timber simply didn’t invoke the usual reaction out of her like before.His words were colorful and his actions were pure. But they felt… empty on the inside. It was all style with no substance. “So… are you ready to admit it?”

Damn you, accursed demon! Can’t you just leave me alone for a few minutes to gather my thoughts?

Twilight gritted her teeth and sighed. She didn’t want to admit it but the Angel was right. The old crush she had with Timber no longer existed. It was high and dry, dead and gone, it wrinkled up and turned to dust.

…

No. That wasn’t right either.

The emptiness she felt, the boredom, the shallow feeling of irritation has always been there. Far longer than either of them knew. It’s just that she didn’t want to accept it.

This was her first ever loving relationship after all. So naturally everything was new. Heck she even thought she might spend the rest of her life with Timber. The future they had planned together felt so sure, so certain, like it was written in stone.

And when he invited her to move to his place, she was even more certain that… her destiny was set.

But that wasn’t it. That wasn’t the future she wanted.

“How long?”

“Eh?”

“How long have I been feeling this way?” She asked. “You’ve been telling me about this whole… dry spell. When did I start becoming… like this?”

Midnight scoffed. “You really think I’d keep a record of all your emotional baggage? I’m an observer, not a record keeper. If anything I’d rather forget half of the stuff you know.” Insulting but not unexpected. “Besides… does it really matter when? The important thing is that you know it and that you’re aware of what you feel. The bigger question is… what are you going to do now?”

“Me?”

“Don’t give me that look. It’s already obvious that you got no hots for the guy. You’re ready to move on. So be the bigger person around here and do what needs to be done.”

“And that would be…?”

Midnight’s eyes rolled. “Let me put this in a way that even a nerd like you can understand. Break-Up-With-Him.”

Twilight’s face filled with dread. Oh god. That voice inside her head was right. Accumulating all the knowledge she gained from movies and TV series, she recalled that she now had to perform the most hated pieces in every long loving relationship.

The breakup.

It was going to be heart wrenching. There’d probably be tears, a lot of begging and pleading – and a whole mess of explaining.

Ugh… she was definitely not looking forward to that.

Maybe she could send him a text or a voicemail inste—

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” The Fallen Angel bellowed with the cries of every man and woman who experienced such a betrayal. “You are not going to leave this guy up to dry with a half-baked goodbye! What kind of a sick, cold, heartless person would breakup with another guy with a note!?”

xxxxxxxxxx

In a far off meeting room, a certain Principal felt a disturbance in the force. She turned away from the hearing, glancing suspiciously by the window.

“Is everything alright ma’am?”

She quickly brushed it off apologetically. “No. Just my imagination. Please continue, Councilor.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“But it’s going to be so awkward and… weird.” Twilight tried to reason but her subconscious wasn’t having any of it.

“That doesn’t give you an excuse to dump a guy with a blasted note!” She yelled, eyes blaring fire. “This is what you get for not understanding your own feelings faster. Consider it karma. You are going to go back out there, bring Timber to the table, get him to talk, break up with him, and you’re going to give a proper and logical reason for it. You will deal with whatever comes up afterward.”

“But what if he takes it the wrong way? What if I hurt him?”

“Better him than stringing him along. Now stop being a scaredy cat and go and face the music. You’ve been in this bathroom for over ten minutes now. Other folks might think you got bad stomach or something.”

“W… wait. What do I say to him?”

“How should I know? You’re the one in a committed relationship. You figure it out! Now get!”

Ughhhh! Dang it! Why does she have to be right today!?

Groaning angrily at herself and her alter ego, Twilight pushed the door and readied herself for battle.

But the idea poofed away when she bumped onto Mrs. Cake spilling what looked like a tray of donuts.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry Mrs. Cake. I didn’t see you there.” She knelt down to pick the pastries. “Here. Let me help you get that.”

“Oh no need dearie. Just a little leftover from the table.” The older lady smiled back as sweetly as ever. “You’ve been in there for a long time. Is everything alright?”

“Y… yeah. I was just… fixing myself.”

“It’s not constipation is it?”

Constipa… wha?

“What? No! Nothing like that. Really.”

“That’s good. Don’t want you young folks go through that kind of trauma.” Mrs. Cake added, quickly dumping the leftover pastries to the bin. “Are you and your boyfriend having some love problems?”

“No.” At least not yet.

“Good good. I would want you two arguing like what he did with that other fellow.”

What?

“What?”

“What?” Twilight’s ears perked up at the thought. “What do you mean? Are you… talking about Timber?”

“Yeah. That boy of yours got into an argument with some other guy the other day. It was more of a one-sided yelling really. My husband said it got really heated too.” Timber was having an argument with someone? He never mentioned anything to her. That normally sounds like something you’d share.

“Who was he arguing with?”

“Uh… I don’t recall his name. But it that blue haired fellow. The one who was dating that redhead friend of yours.”

Twilight’s lips turned a frown.

Tear

Author's Note

Before you read this chapter, please note that i made a slight change in the previous chapter
when Flash and Edmund had a little confrontation. I didn't like that part so i edited it out.

Sorry for the late update. Things have been hectic at home.
Hope you all are having a great time wherever you may be. :pinkiehappy:

Tear

Chapter 81: Tear

(Sweet Shoppe)

Twilight’s thoughts spun in circles as she poked at her ice cream, stealing a few quick glance at her boyfriend who casually slurped his slushy like everything was right in the world. She couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of him being so… aggressive.

In all of the two and a half year of dating, she never once seen her boyfriend fight or berate anyone before. Sure he might’ve argued the price of a sneaker or hotdog, but never yells out loud. At least… not that she knew of.

According to what Mrs. Cake told her, he and Flash came by the shop one night for a snack. They didn’t really think much of it since they were busy closing up. But then it all changed when Timber exploded and started yelling out angrily like he was just massively offended. He slammed his hand on the table rattling utensils and plates without a care. The Cake couple couldn’t really make anything out of the whole argument but they were certain that Timber was the aggressor. He sounded really mad, like a guy who was unjustly wronged and was taking out his frustration on the poor guy in front of him. It got so bad that some of the other customers decided to sneak away before the situation got too heated. Mrs. Cake even thought that Timber might throw a punch.

Thankfully it didn’t go that far. Timber was a lot of things but ‘Violent’ was not one of them. He’s the closest thing you can find as a pacifist around here.

As for Flash. According to Mr. Cake, the boy just sat there and took it. Not even arguing back – even when Timber was literally right on his face. Either he was really chill about it or he simply had no comeback whatsoever. When the whole thing ended, both of them left at different times, with Flash leaving a very generous tip for the waitress.

“Everything alright?” Her eyes shot up to meet Timber who glanced at her worryingly. Despite the change in his hairdo and overall attire, he still had that same old feeling of kindness. “Your ice cream is melting.”

Oh crap. It really was melting. She’s been poking at a yolky object for far longer than she realized. Her carefully presented smiley face was becoming goop right in front of her eyes.

“Sorry. My mind’s just somewhere else today.”

“Family problem or magic problem?” Neither, thank goodness. It was far more complex than that. “Hey. You know you can tell me anything, right?” Of course she knew that. “What’s the matter? Was the date too bland? The food in the restaurant not to your liking?”

“No.” He gasped. “No! I mean, yes. It was great. All of it was great. The food, the movie, the walk around the park. It was… umm…”

“Dryer than the desert of Perilous Peaks?” Hush you!

“It was fun.” She lied. “I’m just thinking about… something.” Particularly you, who just so happens to be keeping secrets.

“Twili? What’s wrong?” She saw his hand reach out to hers which she quickly took away.

“It’s nothing. Really.” Another lie. “I was just… thinking about my research and school and stuff.” That was a horrible excuse. Probably one of the worse she came up with, and Timber seemed to notice.

“Was it the new look? Was it too much?”

“No.” She paused. “Well yes. A little bit. But that’s not entirely it. It’s just that… this whole… new you thing kind of got me puzzled.” It was more than just that. He was different. Totally and completely. It was as if she was talking to a whole new person. She’s a believer of people changing over time, but Timber was more instantaneous. His attitude was a complete 180 of his previous self. Her sweet old Timber would never wear something as flashy as that blazer, and he certainly wasn’t one to wear jewelry that would make even Rarity turn green with envy. Twilight was even open to the idea that he was abducted by aliens and replaced with a half-cooked clone.

A farfetched idea but still an idea.

Timber checked himself and let out a small laugh. “Heh. Just because I look different, doesn’t mean I’m not the same old Timber. Come on now Twi. You know me better than anyone else.”

I used to think that too. But seeing this new side of you kind of makes me question that. This wasn’t the same Timber she knew from Camp Everfree. He seemed more… overly attentive and confident. Flirty but in a strange way. And he certainly didn’t keep secrets from her. At least… nothing as big as a fight with one of her friends.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her nerves talking here. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was off.

“I know. It’s just that this problem of mine isn’t exactly easy to share.” Twilight reasoned.

“Hey. I said it before and I’ll say it again. You can tell me anything. What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn’t help my girl out in her time of need?”

She looked at him for a moment, trying her best to search for any signs of deceit. But there was none. Perhaps there was still a little bit of her dear old Timber hiding under all that suave and hair gel.

Twilight wasn’t really sure on how to handle this. Heck, all of her experience regarding love has been a trial and error approach. It was either a hit or a miss. And sadly this scenario only had one shot. She couldn’t rely on the old TV series to help her and none of her friends were close enough to offer a helpful advice.

She had to face the music. No more running, no more delaying tactics.

Ugh… if she knew breakup was going to be this bad she would’ve practiced the day before.

“Alright.” The girl said finally, locking eyes with her boyfriend. Her heart pounded, quickly pumping blood into her massive brain. “Do you promise to answer honestly?”

“Scout’s honor.” Not the same as a Pinkie Swear, but it’ll do.

With a deep breath, she laid her spoon on her melted ice cream and opened her mouth.

“What didn’t you tell me that you and Flash had a fight?”

…

Time itself seemed to have slowed down for her and Timber. Every tone of sound, every voice around them seemed to have gone mute.

As expected, the boy’s face drained of all color. That confident stride he came in earlier suddenly fell and shattered onto the floor leaving nothing more but a boy who was caught red handed. His breathing stopped while his eyes shot up wide open. At this very moment, his brain was most likely going on the fritz.

And Twilight didn’t budge an inch either.

When she posed that question, she did not pry her eyes away, but rather forced herself to face him. She will hear his answers, no matter how distasteful it might be, and clear this whole mess up once and for all.

“Wh… what?” Timber’s voice went rasp as he was able to squeeze the words out of his mouth.

So it’s true. His expression said it all.

There was a small part of her hoping that Mrs. Cake was wrong. That it was all just an over-reaction of imagination or a simple misunderstanding. But the boy’s stammering and stuttering proved otherwise.

“Wh what are you talking about?” Timber turned away, making a hasty retreat, already regretting everything that led to this situation. “I never… we…”

“Mrs. Cake told me.” She continued her accusation. “She told me how you sounded really angry, and yelled at Flash for something.” The boy sat back in stunned silence. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s… I wasn’t…” Timber went on with his broken sentences, unable to conjure a proper excuse. He fumbled, eyes casting to every patron in the shop hoping that one of them would give him an out. “Twilight, it’s not what it sounds like.”

“What happened to ‘You can tell me anything’?” She countered, again earning a grit from her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. “Timber. You know that Flash is one of my friends. If you two are having a disagreement then tell me.”

“It’s not that.” He huffed. “Flash and I just got to a disagreement, that’s all.”

“That’s not what I heard. From what Mrs. Cake said, you were really angry at him.” The question poured out but the boy refused to answer. “Timber?”

It took a moment for him to realize that there was no escaping it. Sweat began to collect on his forehead slowly tracing down his face. He bit his lip and looked away, not wanting to make eye contact. It was as if he was caught in the web of his own creation and was trying to find a way out.

But he had to answer. He had to. He had no other option.

“I… can’t tell you.”

…

It was Twilight’s turn to be stunned. She braced herself for an answer but she never expected him to pull a stone-wall maneuver. “Why not?”

“Because I can’t.” That was not an answer. There was no way she was gonna accept that. “Flash and I fought because… he did something… bad.” Flash? He was the one who started it? “He… stole something of mine. A while back. Something very precious to me. Something I didn’t want to lose.”

Flash? A thief?

“What was it?”

“I can’t say. At least not yet.” He let out another sigh, still refusing to look at her. “When I found out about it. I got really mad at him. I guess I got a little overboard with the whole yelling thing. Look, can we not talk about it?”

“Timber.”

“I know that it’s not ideal. But this is something really… personal for me. I can’t tell you just yet. But I promise, when I’m ready… I’ll tell you. So… can you wait? Just for a little while? Please?”

She couldn’t decline that sad face. She just… couldn’t.

(Twilight’s house)

ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Twilight felt like she wanted to scream – and scream she did. She garnered all of her frustration and anger and threw it all into her favorite pillow gripping it onto the seams and tearing it like she wanted to swallow it whole.

What the heck was that!? What did she just do?

I’ll tell you what she just did. She chickened out! She blinked at the last moment and lost her fervor. She was a klutz, a wimp, and a spineless pony!

“Not exactly the words I’d use, but yeah. That could’ve gone so much better.” She couldn’t even make a good comeback to retort to her evil counterpart who laid by her bed like no one’s care.

She had everything ready – well not entirely. But she was determined to put the break-up prospective out in the open. It would’ve made things easier in the long run. Then that argument between Timber and Flash came along and everything just went up in one huge mess!

God she hated it. She hated herself for being such a chicken, she hated Timber for keeping secrets, she hated this ungrateful angel reading her mind, and she hates the fact that she can’t do anything about any of her problems! This is such a frustrating annoyance! Being helpless stinks so bad! She can’t imagine a worse feeling than this!

Twilight let out another scream onto her pillow biting it in the process.

“There there girl. Let it all out. You’ll feel better that way.” It’s now even more humiliating that she was receiving consolation from one of her former enemies. “Oh I’m not consoling you. I’m just being entertained how miserable you are.”

Ugh… this stinks. Why do breakups have to be so hard?

“I just don’t get it.” She said finally, letting go of the pillow. “I can’t wrap my head around what Mrs. Cake said. I mean… what could those two be arguing about that Timber would be so angry about? What did Flash take from him? I mean… he’s super rich. He can buy anything.”

And Flash isn’t a thief. At least… I don’t think so. He wouldn’t steal anything.

“Oh please. Don’t tell me you actually believe that nonsense?” Nonsense? “Didn’t you noticed Timber’s whole reaction? That obvious tell-tell signs he was giving out? The way he rubbed the back of his neck, the way he changes the subject, how he tried to avoid eye-contact. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your sweet’ol Timber was lying through his teeth the whole time.”

“Wha? No. That’s crazy. Timber wouldn’t…”

“Lie? Please. The only thing he didn’t do was hold a sign up saying: ‘I’m lying’. Face it Twilight. Your boyfriend is a bonafied two-faced cheat. He’s hiding something. And I’m willing to bet it’s more than just a simple argument with blue rich boy.”

Twilight didn’t want to listen, but so far this ridiculous Angel has been on a streak. She’s been predicting everything far better than any fortune teller. And betting against her right now seems a loser’s gamble.

“What should I do?”

“Breakup with him? Duh.”

“Yeah I got that part. But… how? I totally screwed up in the shop. I really tried. But then this fight between him and Flash came along and he looked really sad. I just… couldn’t really bring myself to just… bring more bad news. And the longer this goes on, the harder it’ll become for me to… actually breakup with him. What should I do?”

“Why are you asking me for? What do I look like? A relationship counselor?”

“No but you’ve been right so far. So… please?”

Midnight blinked, though somewhat surprised. “Wow… you must be really desperate.” I really am. “Ugh… you have to be kidding me. From an all-powerful sorceress in the whole world reduced to becoming a therapist for a teenager with boy problems. How the mighty has fallen.” She followed it up with a smack to the head and a loud tiresome groan. “GAH! Fine! But only because watching you go through this for too long is unhealthy for me too. But if we’re doing this, I need to know you’re committed. No matter what happens, you will do everything in your power to breakup with Timber.”

“I will!”

“Good. So first thing’s first. We need to find out what those two fought about. And seeing as only the two of them know, we may as well get to the source.” The source? “We call Flash and asked him.”

“What? No! That’s just…”

“Ah ah…” The Angel wagged her finger at her. “Full commitment. We are getting to the bottom of this mess one problem at a time. And it’s clear you won’t be able to focus on anything else today until you find out what those two got beefed on.”

Dang it.

Sighing in resignation, Twilight obeyed her evil-self and found the boy’s number.

(Flash’s mansion)

“There we go. All done.” Dr. Heartbeat declared pulling the needle out and letting Edmund plug the injection area with a band-aid. Flash gritted bitterly but didn’t complain. He had gotten used to the usual checkup his dad makes him go through. It was a little inconvenience, but that’s a small price to pay for health.

And just like before the ‘Good’ doctor finalized his conclusion on his laptop and whispered the results to Edmund who casually jot it down on his notes. Dad will probably want to see it once he gets back.

At least there doesn’t seem to anything out of the ordinary. The scans didn’t show any indication of his new found magic. Either the equipment the doctor brought was faulty or maybe his tools couldn’t read them. Either way, his secret remained safe, and that was the important thing. The last thing he wanted was for that doctor to strap more devices on him and become an unwilling lab rat.

No sir. He wasn’t getting more needles on him.

Well… unless it was Twilight doing it.

That girl had bedside manners at least. Not to mention she was easy on the eyes.

“Master Flash?” Edmund spoke up bringing the boy out of his fantasy, the doctor having left for the rest room. “Would you like some refreshments? You must be exhausted after that little ordeal. The kitchen staff made some wonderful pastries today. Perfect for an afternoon snack.”

“Ah. No, but thanks. I’ll just head back to my room.” He shrugged. “Say Edmund. Is it normal for people to get monthly checkups like this?”

“I wouldn’t say yes. But, your father takes your wellbeing very seriously. While it is unconventional, having a checkup like this can make a world of difference. Not to mention that the good Doctor is paid handsomely for his service.” Yeah he’ll bet. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that Dr. Heartbeat is our family doctor and all. But I’ve never seen him checkup dad before.”

Edmund’s brow rose. “Master Sombra has an entirely different schedule from yourself, sir. He is a very busy man after all. Not to mention he has only returned a few months ago.”

“Yeah that made sense.” Flash rubbed the back of his neck. “So what did the scans show? Anything good?”

“You’re the picture of health, Master Flash. Nothing you should be concerned of.”

“Can I see?”

But to his surprise, Edmund jerked back with his notes. “Umm… it’s nothing much, sir. Just some random numbers here and there. Hardly anything you or I could understand.” Did he just call him dumb in a roundabout way?

“Edmund?”

“Ahem. I should probably go. I have to arrange a driver for the good doctor.” Without even waiting, the butler scampered off, leaving a rather stunned Flash behind.

Ok that was just weird. In all his years of knowing Edmund, Flash knew the guy to be as solid as a rock. He was a wall in itself. An unflappable image of professionalism who can do no wrong. He wouldn’t care if the world ended tomorrow if there was still a single dish left dirty.

But in that split moment, his professionalism faltered. The guy practically shook, surprised even. Kind of like Sunset when something major bothered her. He stammered and jerked away like he was trying to hide something from him.

He was only asking to see the results. Nothing wrong with that. If Edmund had just given a proper excuse, he wouldn’t have even cared either way. But for some reason, that little request touched a nerve. Was he keeping something from him?

Curiosity came over the boy, and he decided to investigate.

Flash made a curious face as he moved ahead to Dr. Heartbeat’s laptop. Edmund may have taken his notes with him, but he still had the original source of the info. Thankfully the good Doctor didn’t seem all that keen of protecting his files.

So much for the Patient-Doctor confidentiality. But he’s not complaining.

Let’s see here.

Aha! Flash’s test results. That was easy enough.

Looks like Dr. Heartbeat has been keeping a strict observation on him. From the looks of it, he’s even got files from years before.

Flash won’t pretend to understand what was written here. Edmund wasn’t wrong when he said he wouldn’t understand. There were so many big-words here that they sounded almost like a complete alien language. It may as well have been because they all sounded like something you’d hear from school.

Flash didn’t know what he expected. He never really took much interest in his checkups until just now. In fact, the Doctor kept telling him that he was the picture of health itself, and that there were no risk of any illnesses. It’s like a recorder that repeated the same phrase over and over for the last 10 or so years.

But then one thing did catch his eye.

From what he can read, the doctor seemed to be very keen on monitoring his heart. Every report and scans detailed everything down to the last digit.

Was it just a coincidence?

Wait… something else isn’t right here.

The files that Dr. Heartbeat recorded were only from 14 years ago. The records from beyond that were from someone else.

A certain Dr. Flatline.

Not exactly a name I would choose for a Doctor.

He seemed to be a staff at Canterlot General Hospital. There are also some notes here. Something about ‘His condition worsening’?

Was he sick? He can’t really recall when he was that young.

“Dr. Heartbeat, sir. Your ride is ready.”

Ah crud. No time.

Flash hastily closed the file and returned to his seat as Edmund and the good doctor returned. He gave them a polite nod and smile and pretended like everything was fine.

Back in his room, he couldn’t hear his phone buzzing in his bag.

(Twilight’s house)

He wasn’t answering.

Flash was probably busy. He did say he had something to do today after all. Twilight wasn’t sure if she should feel disappointed or relieved.

“Neither! You should be frustrated!”

“Look. Even if I did get him to answer, it wouldn’t matter.” She gruffed back at her counterpart. “I mean, what would I even say? ‘Hey Flash. I heard you and Timber had a big fight the other day. Mind telling me what that was all about?’.”

“Yes! Exactly!”

Oh…

“Well…”

“You’re really bad at this whole relationship stuff, aren’t ya?”

Twilight couldn’t help but sulk in return. She really was bad at this. So much so that the voice in her head was scolding her.

That’s it. She was done. There was no way she was going to get through this without help. Proper help. Someone, anyone would do.

She scanned her list of friends and groaned.

Sunset… where are you when I need you the most?

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle Library)

Hmm? Odd. For a moment there it sounded like Twilight was calling her.

“Something wrong?” Princess Cadance asked, noticing her sudden staring into space. “Did you find something?”

“No. I must be… tired.” Sunset admitted setting another book down into the pile. “Going through all this research is starting to take a toll on me. I think this is the most Ancient Ponish I’ve read since I left Celestia’s School. And combing through all of Starswirl’s journal is like trying to decipher an entirely different language. He might be a genius, but his horn writing is like that of a filly.”

“Yeah. Twilight might’ve said something about that.” The Princess of Love nodded in agreement looking just as equally exhausted as her. She gave out a soft yawn before drawing forward another book from the pile. “Thankfully Starlight translated most of it. If it wasn’t for her, we’d still be stuck reading through his diary.”

It wasn’t much of a diary. But more like a complaint book.

Even in his younger years, all Starswirl did was whine about Celestia and Luna during their youths. One record even detailed a hinted romance between her former mentor and a King in another realm.

“Tell me about it.” Sunset scoffed. “But still… even after everything. We’re still nowhere close to deciphering his Portal Spell.” She pulled out a note from the pile. “How does he do it? I know that Old Magic is all about incantations and rituals but the way he describes them makes it look like a complex mish mash of everything. I wouldn’t have made heads or tails with these notes if it weren’t for Stygian. Speaking of which… where is he?”

“Here~~.” The old frail unicorn declared, raising a hoof from a pile of scrolls and books. “I was just umm… resting my eyes. Reading all these notes of Ancient Ponish is really taxing my brain.”

“Any luck on your end?”

“No. But I understand part of it the magic. From what I can tell: The spell he used to create the portal mirrors creates a breach in Limbo. The Land in Between Space. It then bridges one part of another world with the mirror, creating a wormhole that travels both ways.”

“But how does he know which world to go to?” Cadance asked, taking a break on the cushions provided.

“That’s just it. He doesn’t. The paths he creates are completely random. There’s even one entry in his journal that one of his experiments led him to an ocean world. He flooded his lab and a whole village at one point.”

Sunset scoffed. “That sounds… reckless.”

“What else did it say?” Cadance droned.

“Well things got easier after he brought back objects from that world. He wrote that when an object of some power is brought in, it became a focal point. Instead of sticking randomly, the focal object becomes like a beacon. It hones it from the world it came from and bridges the gap.” That would certainly explain why each mirror only went to one world and not multiple.

“But if so, then why did Starlight’s experiments failed? She followed the instructions to the letter.”

“A few factors could’ve caused it. The object itself is too worn to be used to bridge the gap between worlds. It’s possible that IT being in this world for so long, withered its original connection. So every time Starlight tried to connect it, it stops half way and breaks down.”

Kind of like a battery dying out just when you need it the most.

“So how are we going to open a portal to Ezaquatel?” Sunset asked again.

“I’m afraid we can’t. Not unless we start doing it like Starswirl did and go randomly.” And risk opening the gate to another ocean? Or worse yet, a raging volcano? No thanks. Bringing that kind of chaos to Equestria was not an option. The new ruling Princess already had her hands full will all the diplomatic meetings.

But if that’s the case, then rebuilding the portal to Ezaquatel would be… impossible.

Sunburst would be lost to them… for good.

…

No… she won’t allow it.

“There has to be another way. Can we use another object?”

But Stygian shook his head in response. “The result would be the same. All the items Starswirl brought from the other side have been here far too long. They’ve lost their connection.” Dang it. Another dead end. “And even if we did have an object, we still need to create a portal stable enough to hold it together. And Starlight wasn’t even half way of completing it.”

Cadance sighed, frustrated by the whole ordeal. “It seems like Starswirl’s own genius really is his own undoing. The Old Magic was simply far too advance and complex back in its hay days. It would take someone like Twilight to figure this out.”

Yeah it would. If Princess Twilight was here she’d figure this whole thing in a blink of an eye. She was a genius in her own right.

…!

“Wait.” Sunset’s mind clicked, pointing her hoof at Cadance. “Say that again?”

The pink Alicorn blinked. “Uh… it would take someone like Twilight to figure this out?”

“No. Before that.”

“That… Old Magic was simply far too advance and complex.”

“Far too advance.” And then an idea clicked. “Hold on. What if we had something else we could use to open a portal instead of a spell? Something that can create a bridge on its own. And if we combine it with the object from Ezaquatel, it can catapult the whole thing, making it easier to connect the worlds together.”

Stygian gave her a look, brushing his chin in thought. “That could work. But what kind of relic would be powerful enough to bridge two worlds together?” His answer came in the form of a statuette that Sunset produced from her saddlebag.

“This is a Yaztec Portal Stone.” She declared proudly. “It has the ability to create portals bridging two places. I was doing my own research with it before I came back. My friends and I acquired them from a few sources back in the human world.”

“Incredible.” Cadance gasped, glancing at the odd figurine like it was an alien object. “I can sense a very complex spell locked inside of it.”

“If we use this on one of Starswirl’s mirrors, combined with any object from Ezaquatel, I think we might be able to create a stable enough portal to reach the other side.” It was a long shot for sure. There were a few factors that neither of them had even taken into account. But time was not on their side.

The longer they delayed, the less chance they’d find Sunburst.

They needed to throw caution to the wind and get this show on the road.

Change in Our Magic

Chapter 82: Changed in Our Magic

(Applejack’s farm)

Death in the family was never easy for Applejack.

It reminded her of her parents, of the good and bad times. The feeling of loss of a love one always leaves a gaping hole inside your heart with rarely anything to fill that place. She thought she’d get used to it by now. But like everything in life… it catches you when you least expect it.

And this one personally… hit too close to home.

A close friend of hers now lay still, lifeless, and cold right in front of her. Cracking and crispy, like she had just gone through the seasons. His skin turning gray and dull while his branches crackle like kindling.

“Applejack!” Granny Smith yelled out from her side bringing the girl out of her mourning. “Quit your mopen and get to cutting! We got a whole field to plough. And that plough ain’t gonna move itself!”

“Granny! Not now. Can’t you see I’m giving Bloomberg here a eulogy!?”

“You can be givin that thing a manicure for all I care! We need to clear this part of the orchard ten minutes ago. And that tree is the last one! Now hurry it up or we’ll be planting the rest of these saps in the summer.”

Ugh… Granny. Sometimes she can be so heartless.

Bloomberg here wasn’t just a tree. It was the fifth oldest apple tree in the whole bloody orchard. One of the last original sapling that pretty much started the whole batch. It was also Applejack’s favorite. The big guy was at the perfect spot in field. Big enough to shade her from the sun while she takes an afternoon nap, and large enough to keep the rain from soakin her. It also never failed to produce an excellent yield of apples every harvest season. The darn thing was practically the grandfather of nearly every tree in this orchard.

Applejack even thought that this big guy would be here forever. But alas… young Bloomberg was taken away from her by nature’s will – it’s life cut short.

The frequent snowfall last winter killed off many of the farm’s crops and the orchard took the biggest hit. The frigid temperature made Bloomberg freeze to the touch, and the strong winds made it prone to breaking. Eventually the big guy gave up the ghost and snapped off his stump leaving nothing but dead roots on the ground.

“Applejack…” Her little sister chimed worryingly. “I know this tree was really special to ya. But Granny’s right. We gotta get rid of it or it’s just gonna be in the way.”

“I know, Sugar Cube. It’s just that this tree has been around since I was your age.” She gave a long winded sigh as she gently traced her fingers down a branch only for it to snap like a twig. “Losing this big fella is like… losing a close friend.”

Apple Bloom raised a worried brow. “You were friends with a tree?”

“This was before I met the others.” She explained. “Let’s just say that your big sis wasn’t exactly the social gal she is now. This tree was my pal till I got to grade school.”

“Now that’s just sad.” Apple Bloom added with an uncaring shrug. “I can’t really tell if having an imaginary friend is better or worse. I mean… it is just a tree.” She then turned and walked away. “Well. Once you’re done giving your final farewell, bring the tree over to Big Mac. He wants to make a wood carving for Ms. Cheerilee.”

Hmph… kids these days. They have no respect for their elders. They don’t appreciate what the generation before them did to get this far. “Don’t listen to her, Bloomberg. She doesn’t understand you like I do. You were the biggest tree there is in this here orchard. You might be turned into firewood, but your legacy lives on to every other tree in this farm. But… I suppose it’s time for you to retire to that big’ol forest in the sky.”

Bloomberg didn’t answer.

Actually a tree doesn’t talk.

“Farewell big guy.” Applejack let out a breath, tracing her fingers down its branches one last time. “I just wished I could sit under your shade one more time.”

And then, as if by a miracle itself, her body began to glow. Applejack sensed magic coming over her, alarming her to something strange.

“What in tarna…?” That was about as far as she got when her body began sprouting pony ears and tail. Her whole body radiated with unimaginable power. So much so that her geode had difficulty containing it all.

Energy began to course out of her fingers, flowing into her ‘Dead’ friend. Suddenly the branches of the tree began to extend, the crispy and cracking skin turned colorful and strong, even the roots seemed to have reattached themselves, spreading farther and wider than any tree should. It was as if time itself was going backward, bringing Bloomberg back to the time of its youth.

And it didn’t stop there either. The tree itself grew taller and larger sprouting from the very earth itself carrying the young Apple on its branches. Applejack screamed bloody murder the entire way before the whole scenario died down.

She found her grip on one of the bigger branches and hastily balanced herself, getting a good bird’s eye view of the whole farm.

“Applejack!” Her sister cried out from below with the rest of her family looking up just about as equally as stunned as her. “Are you ok up there?”

“I’m… f… fine!” She yelled back. “I think. Umm… anyone one of ya’ll mind getting me some rope? Or… maybe a really tall ladder?”

She needed to find Twilight quick.

(Arcade)

Rainbow Dash felt like today was going to be a good day.

Hanging around the arcade at the mall has always made her feel better. While it may not be physically active, the clinking and clanking sound of the video games never failed to put a smile on her face.

Not to mention it was a great place to keep her skills sharp and meeting a few of her friends.

With the threat of the shadow monsters now under control, it was high time she got back a little bit of normalcy in her life. Fighting evil magic was great and all, and dealing with evil sorcerers bent on dominating all life in the city was accomplishing on its own. But there are times where she thought that being an average teenager was actually quite appealing.

She wouldn’t openly admit it of course, but she does enjoy some measure of peace and tranquility in her life. If she constantly desired wanton rock and destruction, it would paint her as nothing more than a troublemaker.

“Aww yeah. Now that’s what I’m talking about.” She let out a wild cheer as prize tickets poured out of one of the kiosk. Another good thing about this place was that they also gave gifts for those who performed well. She then hastily made her way to the prize booth to claim one of the many offerings in stock. The clerk on the other end was an old friend who knew her by name. “Hey Parasol. I’ll be taking that free ice cream token, thank you.”

The clerk chuckled before turning to face her. “Sorry. But Parasol is taking the day off. However I would be more than happy to help you.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as she recognized the unfamiliar clerk. “Wait… Quibble Pants?”

“The one and only.” Quibble tilted his cap to her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I work here now.” He answered cheerfully. “Yup, you are looking at the official arcade prize giver of Canterlot Mall. Pretty sweet gig if I do say so myself.”

“Weren’t you working at that gift store the other day?”

“Yeah. That was pretty cool. But after they closed the island down for safety reasons, they closed down my shop too. So the brass had me transferred here.”

Oh… right. The incident at the island.

Rainbow Dash felt a tad guilt on her neck.

“S… sorry about that.”

But he waved it off coolly. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault.” Not that he knew anyway. “Besides, I like it better here. Being out there with very few customers coming in and out was downright boring. I spent most of the day sleeping in my office. The city is where the money’s at. Besides, here I’m closer to my family, and I get to hang out with Clear Sky more often. And even Wind Sprint would drop by too. So that’s a bonus.”

“That’s… great.” Rainbow Dash gave the guy a halfhearted congratulations. “I’m glad everything worked out well for ya. Anyway, can I get that free ice cream token?”

“Sure.” He nodded, handing her the said token. “You know it’s a lot cheaper to just buy the ice cream, right?”

“Pfft yeah right. Where’s the fun in that? Earning the scoop this way just makes it all the most delicious.” She reached for the token, only to flinch when her fingers felt a twinge of shock. “Ouch!”

The token fell and rolled over to the arcade machines. She gave the thing a puzzled look but quickly thought of it as pure coincidence.

“Come here, you little… ow!” She reached for the token, but found herself shocked again. “What the heck? Hey Quibble Pants. What’s the big idea with these tokens?” The man only shrugged back, not really sure what to say.

Rainbow Dash tried again and again, but every time she reached for the stupid coin, it simply sent an electric shock through her fingers. It was like playing with a hand buzzer prank, except she wasn’t laughing.

“Ok you little monster. I am getting that free ice cream scoop if it’s the last thing I do! Ow!” She reached for it and flinched. “Yeow! Why you lit-ow! Just get over-ow! GRRRR! Alright. Nobody plays a prank on Rainbow Dash. Come here!” She used both her hands to grab it, laughing triumphantly before groaning and then playing hot potato with the token itself. “Owowowowowow!”

All the while, the girl didn’t notice her body glowing, radiating power unseen.

“Stupid coin! Stop buzzing me!” Static electricity flowed out of her body as tails, wings and pony ears fluffed out of her body. “GRAHH! WHY. WON’T. YOU. STAY. STILL!”

And through that sudden burst of anger, the energy that built up inside of her exploded cascading into an electrical form that overloaded all the arcade machines and lights. Every machine near the girl burned out. And when the silence came, it was rudely interrupted when the emergency sprinklers came on.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel like this was somehow her fault as she looked at the token in hand.

“Uh oh…” That was the last thing she said before bolting out of there with her super speed.

She needed to find Twilight, quickly.

Back at the prize booth, her old friend Quibble Pants could only watch in confusion, while he muttered under his breath.

“I am so fired.”

(Pinkie’s House)

Pinkie was a girl with little regret.

In fact you could even say that there was hardly anything she ever regretted. She was the kind of girl who does what she wants, say what she wants and don’t give two pennies to what others may think. Pinkie was the kind of gal who can find the joy in almost anything.

But if there was anyone in the world that can make her sweat anxiety, it would be Maud. Her big sis. The Head Hancho of the Pie sisters. Hancho? Hanchess? Hanchalada? Is that even a word? Anyway it didn’t matter. Long story short: She was the one in charge when all of them were together.

That girl was a rock, in everything but form. No one could really read her, not even their parents. And when she was mad, she’d show it. Well… not really in the way normal people do, but the kind of way that you would feel it in your bones. I mean… not even Limestone would dare get on her bad side if it could be helped.

There was one time Limestone ‘Accidentally’ used a rock polish meant for Boulder for her own shoes, Maud gave her the unending disappointing gaze for a week. It’s the kind of look that made you quiver on the inside and makes you feel like you’re being watched even when you’re in the toilet. Limestone couldn’t sleep a wink and was forced to buy a replacement polish at the end. She might’ve suffered a little trauma but no one really looks into that.

Simple to say: Don’t get on Maud’s bad side. Which is unfortunate for Pinkie.

“Nooooo~~! Maud you monster! How could you?” Pinkie pleaded on her knees, begging – or in this case – holding onto her sister as she held hostage that which she cherished most.

“This is recompense for taking my money without my permission.” Maud responded in a monotone voice like always, dragging her feet through the house passing through Marble who gave them nothing more than a quick glance before returning to her tea.

“But why that? You could take anything. ANYTHING! My complete CD collection of Emerald Oaks Seasons 1 – 3 with the specials interview with the main lead! My magazine collection of Fun Fun Fun-Time! My autographed copy of Post Crush Limited Edition Comeback Box-Set! You can have it all! Just please don’t take my Party Cannon!”

“You should’ve thought of that when you took my money to buy raffle tickets.”

“But it was a sure fire win!” She reasoned. “The odds were in my favor. I had a way bigger chance to win that car than anyone! How was I supposed to know it was still just a 50/50 chance overall?”

“It’s simple math Pinkie.” The elder Pie replied bluntly. “So until you pay me back. I am confiscating your Party Cannon.”

But like always, Pinkie was resolute, hastily blocking her sister’s path to her room. “What about a new Rock Polish? I got a spare from Dad’s work place. Boulder could use a new shine~~. Eh? Ehhhhh~?”

“No.” Maud easily pushed pass her.

“What about a new Rock Pouch? There’s a sale in the mall right now. If we hurry I can get you one. I’m sure Boulder would love to be carried in one shaped like unicorn.”

Maud paused for a moment but immediately disregard it. “Pay me back with 20% interest. Then you can have it back.”

“20%!? Oh come on! Even Canterlot Bank doesn’t charge that much on loans! I should know. I actually borrowed money from them too.” As for what? She wouldn’t say.

“That just goes to show you that crime doesn’t pay.”

“I’ll do your chores for a whole week!”

“You don’t even do your own chores.”

“I’ll babysit Boulder for a month!”

“Boulder is a lot older than you, and a far more responsible adult. He can look after himself.”

Pinkie was ready to tear her hair out at this point. “I’ll clean your room for an entire year!”

“Do you even know how to clean your own room?”

“Ok maybe not that. But come on! I’ll do anything! Anything!”

“Anything?” Maud’s ears suddenly perked up in interest as a semi-wicked smile appeared on her lips.

Every alarm bells in Pinkie’s body began to scream ‘Danger Danger!’. If there was ever a time you would want to double back on your word, it would this time. Maud never shows an expression on her face. Not unless it was something that really interested her. There were a variety of things she could imagine that would end up scaring her for life. But still, Pinkie pressed on.

“Uh… yeah?”

“Hmm…” The elder Pie puckered her lips in thought, tracing her hand down the cannon before placing it on her bed. “This is a rather interesting opportunity.” She paused. “Alright. I’d be willing to cut a deal and give you back your Party Cannon.”

“Really!?”

“Yes. But only if you give me a little detail regarding your… 1st date… with Flash.” The smile on Pinkie’s face slipped off her mouth and shattered to a thousand pieces on the floor.

She really fell for that one.

“Wh… why that?”

“Because it interest me.” Maud said plainly, yet holding onto that slight grin. “You never really got to tell us how it went.”

“Oh that’s easy. It went great! Now give me my cannon!” *Splat* Pinkie’s face slammed onto Maud’s palm stopping her dead on her tracks.

“I’m going to need more than just that. I need… details.” Maud added placing the cannon in her ‘Rock’ locker and securing it with a key. “Copious amounts of detail. Isn’t that right Marble?”

“Emm hmm.” Even the youngest of the Pie siblings agreed closing the door behind her with a casual yet suggestive expression. Marble hardly expressed much but she was more than sure that she wanted to hear about their family’s love life.

“Really you two? Out of all the things you want, you go for that?”

“Yes.” Maud chimed, looking more like a cheap villain in a story than her sister. “We keep hearing that the date went very well, but we never really hear what exactly happened.”

“Why are you so interested in my dates? I don’t asked you about your dates with Mud Briar.”

“We spent 7 hours identifying fossils and wood branches from rock formations in the cliffs. The end. Now your turn.”

Would it be considered foul play if she used her magical explosives to blow the locker, grab the cannon and make a run for it? Because it was so tempting right now.

“Ugh… it wasn’t really even a date. It was just a get together with a friend.”

“Just the two of you.” Maud teased. This was probably the longest she ever smiled. Normally it wouldn’t last more than 5 seconds before she returned to her stoic self. “Now start talking. Did he have any moves? What was his opening line?” This was probably the most talkative Maud has ever been.

And what moves? Opening lines? What were those?

Flash never showed any. Well… none that she knew. He was just some ordinary guy who was just about as awkward as she was.

“But… honestly I still prefer the original Pinkie.”

…

Oh crap.

“Meeep!” Marble squeaked pointing directly at her.

Why did that memory have to surface now of all times? Was her cheeks red? It was red wasn’t it? She could feel it burning up. Damn this accursed girly hormones!

“Something did happen.” It was subtle but you can hear Maud practically squealing inside. Her grin widened by an inch which almost looked like an actual smile.

“No! That’s wrong. Nothing happened. I was just being me and Flash was… he… he was…”

“He was…?”

He was… just… Flash.

And that alone brought a torrent of emotions out of her. Thinking of his face, his charming personality, his voice was enough to get her thinking about that memorable night.

“It was… awesome?”

“No. No it wasn’t.” Pinkie resisted. “It was just a normal meeting. It was super lame. Super awkward. Nothing special at all!”

“Uh… Pinkie.” Maud’s smile dropped when she noticed her sister glowing.

“And I wasn’t Pinkie. I was Eiknip the whole time! I was prim and proper. Like a perfect lady of the high society.”

“Pinkie.” Her tails and ears shot out.

“And don’t even get me started on the food! How do you even pronounce any of those things? They were so fancy, they don’t even sound like food! I mean what’s a foie gras, jimmy jamboree and…”

“P… Pinkie. You can stop now.” The room then began to turn pink, every fiber of the room began to look like one big bubble gum. Everything was bouncy, rubbery and sticky at the same time. It was like lying on a pool of spilled soda.

“Oh and the waiters. They were just too…”

“PINKIE!”

“Yes?” By the time Pinkie stopped, the whole place was engulfed in her unknown substance. She looked around, immediately noticing that she had unconsciously ponied up. And the room around her had the appearance of a balloon party. “Did I do that?”

Apparently she did.

What was this? What happened to the room? Everything look so… yummy?

“Boulder?” Maud spoke out just as her favorite rock decided to appear from the cupboard, slipping from the surface and dropping onto the floor. It immediately bounced upward, downward, left, right, sideways, vertical, horizontal and all other words I can’t immediately think of. It crashed on everything not nailed down bouncing in every surface like the world’s most dangerous trampoline. It knocked down lamps, lights, books, like it had no stopping power and the other objects followed suit.

The three Pies screamed and immediately ducked for cover under Maud’s bed and waited for the whole thing to die down. Which it eventually did. But only after everything got wrecked hard.

“Is it over?” Pinkie asked, peeking out of the cover before coming out to see the carnage. Everything was wrecked, destroyed, or broken. “Aheh… I’m a… gonna call Twilight.”

“I’m keeping the cannon.”

Dang it!

(Twilight’s home)

Midnight felt like a chaperone.

“Get up.”

“No~.”

It was pathetic to think that an all-powerful sorceress like her would be reduced to this.

“Come on. You can’t stay in bed forever.”

“Leave me alone.”

She once held the power to bend the very fabric of the world at the palm of her hands. For a few short moments she was a literal god of the cosmos who was capable of making Mother Nature bow to her whims, the very clouds themselves parted at her presence, and the very earth she walked in became consecrated with each step she took. People should be worshipping and kissing her feet the moment she turned to even glance at them.

But no~~~~! Instead she was here, babysitting her host like some sibling she never wanted.

“Twilight Sparkle. Get up this instance!”

“NO! You can’t make me!” The girl on the bed turned around and brought her blanket up to her head. “I’m staying right here where it’s safe and quiet.”

Oh for the love of the cosmos.

Midnight couldn’t help but palm her face out of pure embarrassment of her own host. Twilight had been in a state of withdrawal ever since yesterday’s revelation. And honestly she can’t blame her. Her mind was already going through overdrive thinking of her breakup with Timber. Combining it with the vague fight he had with Flash, it became vehemently unbearable. So much so that it was all she could think about.

Finding out that she needed to break up with her boyfriend brought a sense of drama in her life. The kind of drama she never wanted. And she certainly wasn’t good with drama. They were the kind of thing that her brain couldn’t really explain. It was raw and emotional. A place where logic and reasoning are non-existent.

“Ugh… come on Twilight. You can’t stay in there forever.”

“No~~.”

Dang it. This is so not worth the effort. Midnight was starting to get irritated. This was so~ not what she signed up for. “You have tons of magical research notes left. We can study that after breakfast.”

“I don’t wanna.”

Wow. She must really be depressed if the act of studying didn’t even make her budge. Normally that kind of treat would entice her to do almost anything.

“You’re gonna have to come out of there one way or another.”

“Watch me!”

“Dang it Twilight. Get out of your bed, or so help me I will haunt you till the end of your days! Now come out of there!”

“Just leave me alone. I don’t want to face the world today.” Gosh darn it. What a spoiled useless brat.

“For crying out loud. Are you still sulking about breaking up with Timber? You know you’ve handled worse right? I mean you literally fought shadow monsters and traveled to Equestria and back. You’ve faced danger countless times, some even death-defying, and none of them stopped you before!”

Twilight didn’t respond and just pulled the covers higher. Honestly… this girl was just a handful.

Midnight was starting to rethink her bargain. Dealing with a teenager’s relationship problem was just too much of a headache to be worth it. At this rate she, being stuck in her head for the rest of eternity sounded pretty tempting.

But sadly, what was she to do?

She could float here and scream at her host all morning and she’d still do nothing. It’s not like she could just push her off the bed like an annoying sibling would do.

Thankfully she didn’t have to as the phone by the nightstand began to ring.

“Ugh… no~~~.” Again Twilight whined, plugging her ears with her pillow just hoping that whoever it was will get the hint.

A moment later, the call went straight to voicemail. “Twi? It’s Applejack. Listen. I got something really important to talk to you about. It’s a big emergency. Meet you at Sunset’s place ASAP.”

Beep.

That sounded pretty urgent. Even more so with that tone. But Twilight remained stubborn and remained on her bed. The world could end the very next minute and she still wouldn’t budge.

Then another call came. This time, it was from that annoying sports of hers. “Hey Twilight! It’s Rainbow Dash. Something weird is going on. I… I don’t really know what it is but it looks magical. Let’s meet at the house by the hill. Call me.”

Beep.

A second emergency? And with another close friend? What a coincidence. Still, it didn’t seem to get Twilight to move. Instead it seemed to make her wanna stay in bed even more.

What a lazy bum.

Until the third call came along. “Heyo Twilight. It’s me! The one, the only… Pinkie Pie! I just wanted to ask if you still have that super techno cannon of yours that you made for that science fair last year, and was wondering if you can change it to shoot confetti, or… spaghetti… or meatballs… and maybe letting me borrow it for a few days? I’m hosting a birthday party for Button Mash in a week and I think it would look suuuuuper cool if we had a giant confetti-spaghetti-meatball cannon to spice things up. Let me know when you can. Hugs and kisses. Beeeeeep!”

Huh… what a weirdo.

Wait… did she just did the beep for…?

“Oh and by the way. This is probably just some non-related unimportant doohickey stuff but I just found out that I can turn anything I touch to jelly. Like… super squishy jelly. The bouncy jelly. Like trampoline kind of jelly. The kind of trampoline but built on other trampolines! Like a SUPER trampoline! It’s soft and squishy, and bouncy at the same time. Maybe all that time eating gummy worms for two straight weeks in a row finally paid off! Or maybe it was that pizza I found in Maud’s shoe? Oh! Maybe it’s that time when I saw this shooting star in the middle of the night and made four wishes at the same time! Or or or…”

Her rant would go on and on for another minute, which thankfully, was enough to stir Twilight from her sleep.

“You know she’s just gonna keep on going, right?”

Twilight whined. “FINE! But this had better be a real emergency!”

She would come to regret those words a few hours later.

(Flash’s Mansion)

Ok Flash. You can do this. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re just here to ask a simple question. There’s no mystery here.

At least that’s what he wanted to convince himself.

Flash couldn’t help but think of yesterday’s health checkup as a strange occurrence. He always brushed those visits off like another thing in his life and never really gave two thoughts about it. But when he saw Edmund’s strange reaction, and the test result for his ‘Condition’, Flash had to admit that it bothered him somewhat.

Edmund had been a loyal butler for the family for many years now and he has always been honest with him. So to see him so… evasive about his medical results really sowed the seeds of doubt in his mind.

He tried asking the guy again, but he simply brushed it off.

He never does that.

Ever…

So… instead of going through him, Flash decided to just go straight to the source. And that was… his dad. If Edmund wasn’t going to talk, his old man was a sure fire hit.

I mean… they weren’t really that close, but… it was his medical results. Surely he wouldn’t refuse in answering a few simple questions. Besides, the man’s changed now. He was trying to be better, trying to be the dad he needed. He said so himself.

It’s not like him to keep something so important from his own son.

Taking a deep breath, the boy gently tapped on the door, which strangely echoed louder than usual.

“Come in.”

Dad’s study room hasn’t changed even after all these years. It was just as bland and boring as Flash remembered it to be with one big table at the far end, and a row of books and prized artifacts from some of his archeological digs around the world. He wondered if any of these could be magical.

“Oh! Flash!” Sombra’s eyes widened when he realized who his visitor aws. His face flushed from embarrassment as he fumbled about his phone, nearly dropping it. “H… hi? Um… one second.” He leaned back to whisper. “Umm… yes. I had a great time as well last night. We should do it again. I’ll call you tomorrow after work. Give my thanks to your sister Lesty.”

Lesty?

“Hello son. I wasn’t expecting you today. Did something happen?”

This is probably the most they’ll ever say to one another this week.

“Actually, no.” He answered back hesitantly. “Actually, I was kind of hoping to ask you something, dad.”

“Oh?” His dad’s eyes beamed expectantly. “Of course. Ask away. I always have time for you. What seems to be the problem?”

“It’s… about my medical checkup yesterday.”

There was a spark of curiosity in his father’s face. “Your medical checkup? Yes I read the report. Dr. Heartbeat said that you’re the picture of health itself. A fine praise coming from him.” That’s because he says that all the time.

“I’ve actually been wondering. Why do we have these?”

“Why not?” The older man countered. “Getting a regular checkup is normal. It’s always good to have the opinion of a professional.”

“But every month?”

“I know it’s uncomfortable having someone poke and prod you every now and then, but I want to ensure that you receive the best treatment possible. And Dr. Heartbeat is one of the best in the business. You won’t find that many doctors who will be willing to make a house call like this.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I just went to a hospital?”

The man’s face wrinkled a bit, which did not escape Flash’s notice. There was dirt here. “Uh… no. I don’t think that would be necessary. Hospitals can be quite… messy and unsanitary despite what the nurses say. And the staff there can be…” His face darkened. “…unreliable.”

“Is it because of my condition?”

Sombra’s face turned a tad bit uncomfortable. “C - condition? How… how did you know that?”

“I saw it on the report.” Flash explained. “It had something to do with my heart? What’s that about?”

…

Dad didn’t reply. His face remained stoic, though you could see some uncertain shift in his composure. There was definitely something there. Something he wasn’t telling.

“It’s nothing for you to be concerned about, son.”

“What? Why not? It’s my medical records. Shouldn’t I know this?”

“It’s just a precaution.” Sombra reasoned. “You don’t really know this but our family has a history of weak hearts. Your grandfather and his father before him suffered greatly in their youths. I myself have them.”

“You did?”

“Absolutely. They were a pain to deal with at times. Which is why I had Dr. Heartbeat monitor your heart specifically because of this. I didn’t want you collapsing in the middle of nowhere. But thankfully you didn’t seem to inherit the bad genes on my side. You can thank your mother for that.” He gave out a bellowing laugh at the end which felt far too forced to be real. “Now if there’s nothing else, you should be on your way. I have Igneous and Cloudy Quartz coming in today to finish off the last delivery of relics.”

“But…” Flash opened his mouth to press on, but realized he wouldn’t be getting more out of his old man. “Alright dad. I’ll… leave it at that.”

“Thank you, Flash.”

The boy left the room, closing the doors behind him with an audible click.

…

A long and haunting silence filled the hallway. Flash tried to rub away the irritation from his face, but it persisted.

There was a feeling of disappointment in his chest. A familiar feeling that he held all throughout his teenage life. Flash thought he buried it away ages ago, deep inside a door and threw away the shovel. But it seemed to have reared its ugly head after hearing that horse dung of an excuse.

Those were lies.

It was a lie. A big fat lie.

Everything that came out of that man’s mouth were lies. Every word, every promise, every kind praise. None of it were true.

What he said about his condition and his grandfather’s heart was nothing but a made up story.

He could tell. The man had that same look in his eyes. The look that Flash was all too familiar with.

Those were the eyes of a liar.

Oh I’ll be coming home soon.

Oh the weather is a bit drafty today so I can’t talk for long.

I’m a little busy with work right now.

The list goes on and on and on…

Flash heard those same old excuses come out of that mouth with those lying eyes while watching his old man through a monitor for nearly 8 years. He had grown accustomed to them like they a mask he could discern from a mile away.

His dad was a good liar. A very good liar. He could probably talk his way out of any problem and still come out on top. But after listening through his nonsense for years, you begin to see the cracks and signs.

That plastic smile, the faded pupils in his eyes, his ghostly laugh?

They were made to fool a child into believing… hoping for some kind of affection.

But that too was a lie.

Flash retracted his earlier opinion.

He thought he changed. He thought that guy was trying to be better, trying to be the man he needed. He thought that he was trying to make up for the years he spent abroad.

But he was wrong. Dead wrong.

That man…… that stranger…

… hasn’t changed a bit.

(House by the hill)

Twilight cradled her head in her hand as she leaned at the porch, trying to make sense of it all.

When she arrived, she expected the problems of her friends to be menial and tame in comparison. Like… the occasional bickering between AJ and Rainbow Dash.

But instead she was greeted with a situation that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

For some reason… the girls here all seemed to have developed new found powers. Powers that were… in a sense of the word, far more dangerous than anything they’ve developed in years.

AJ demonstrated hers just by touching the ground. Her body radiated with familiar energy before vines started sprouting from the earth creating what looked like the beginning of an eldritch monster. Thankfully it didn’t damage the house. Sunset would be ticked if something happened to her place while she was away. The yard on the other hand was a different story.

From what Twilight can surmise, it was the ability to sprout trees. The cowgirl now possessed a green thumb. An ability to control flora of all kind. From flowers to seaweed, her touch literally makes them change in size.

Rainbow Dash was next with her power of electricity – or in her description: ‘Static’.

The girl was capable of generating electricity around her body in great magnitude and then discharging it like a bomb. She had little to no control how it goes, but at least it wasn’t harmful to people. It was kind of cool though. It made her look like one of those superheroes in the comics with all the glitter and sparks.

Though it was less heroic when she discovered that she accidentally destroyed an entire arcade in the process. That was going to cost her.

And of course lastly was Pinkie herself whose power is, by far, the weirdest one yet.

The only word Twilight could use to describe is… buoyancy.

For some reason, their residential bubbly gal can turn any material surface into a bouncy substance. Literally! Everything she touched with her power turns to actual jelly. From the ground, to walls, to even furniture. She even turned the whole house into a bouncing gelatinous… thing! It was madness.

I mean… Pinkie Pie herself was a ball of bizarre craziness, but this simply made no sense.

It was as if she was reconstructing the whole object right down to its cellular component. That alone would be considered a scientific achievement. Thankfully the effects of her buoyancy are only temporary and the object returns to its original state after about two or three minutes. And it doesn’t seem to affect living beings, so… that’s a bonus.

Rainbow Dash got so scared when Pinkie tested her powers on her.

Becoming a human gelatin did not sound like a good time.

While it was both a strange and wonderful thing to discover, there was only one logical explanation of this phenomenon.

After composing herself watching this revelation, Twilight called the trio to attention.

“Alright you three.” She whistled. “After a brief analysis on your new abilities, and the massive change in your magic, I’ve come to the conclusion.”

Pinkie interjected. “Oh! Did you find out that because of our magical hand shake with Flash, we developed these new powers?”

Twilight blinked. “That’s…… actually yes. That’s exactly what I was going to say. How’d you know?”

“We kinda figured it out.” Applejack shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “All of us getting new magic all at the same time after we did that experiment of yours the other day? You ain’t gotta be a rocket scientist to figure that out.”

“Yeah it was pretty obvious to be honest.” Ouch. Coming from Rainbow Dash, that actually hurt. “I mean how else can you explain how we got these new powers?”

“Uh… ok then.” Twilight bobbed her head dumbly. Normally she’d have to give the gang a long extended explanation on anything magic related. But thankfully these girls seem to be catching along. “The question now is… what do we do with them? I mean… some of these powers seems kind of… dangerous.”

Dangerous didn’t really begin to describe it.

Applejack’s powers alone has the ability to turn the whole ecosystem of the world up on its head. Can you imagine having the power of Mother Nature itself? She could turn all the flora here into an abomination, creating a totally new plant life form.

And don’t even get me started with Rainbow Dash. She’s an accident just waiting to happen. One blast of that electrical power of hers could reset half of the city’s power grid.

And Pinkie was… well… Pinkie. Giving her new powers was like giving a six year old a blowtorch and crossing your fingers hoping no one gets hurt.

“Wait a minute.” Applejack spoke up. “Everyone who made that magic stuff with Flash got new powers right?” They nodded. “If that’s the case then… wouldn’t… Fluttershy have new powers too?”

…!

“Fluttershy!”

(Animal Shelter)

The car came to a screeching halt at the parking lot in front of the shelter. Twilight and the gang barged out, expecting some kind of a mess. Thankfully however that didn’t seem to be the case.

As a matter of fact, everything here looked quiet. The building where Fluttershy worked was still standing. No crazy animal going rampage, no fire, no alarms, and no indication of any impending doom whatsoever. That was a good sign.

“Fluttershy’s phone is going straight to voicemail.” Rainbow Dash announced. And that wasn’t a good sign.

Fluttershy would never put anyone on voicemail. Not even an advertisement call. She once spent an entire hour listening to the sales pitch of a call bot. That’s just how she was.

“You really think she developed new powers like us?” Applejack asked, giving the area a good scan.

It was a logical course. If all of them developed powers at the same time, it’s only natural that Fluttershy developed one as well. In fact, she might say that Fluttershy developed it ahead of the rest because she was the first to trade powers with Flash.

“We’re about to find out.” Taking a gulp of air, Twilight braced herself as they arrived at the door.

There weren’t any customers or clients. Not that they could see. But the moment they got through those doors, their opinions changed immediately.

The entire shelter looked like it was in a state of chaos.

It was the flippin zoo but… crazier!

Animals of all kind roamed freely like they owned the place. Birds were out of their cages flying aimlessly, reptiles slithered on the floor and walls hissing and leering, the cats were on a meowing contest at the corner, and even Spike was there sitting on a throne made of pillows looking like a king, holding what looked like a bone as a scepter, and all the other dogs bowing to him like his subjects.

It was what you would call, a true animal kingdom.

“What in the world happened here!?”

“I don’t believe it.” Pinkie gasped in awe, bubbling away like a child. “Someone was hosting an animal parade-party and didn’t invite me? That’s unforgiveable! Dibs on the orangutan!”

“Easy there Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash stopped her before she joined in the chaos. “We’re here to look for Fluttershy, not join the circus.”

“Aww! But it looks like so much fun.”

“Not so much for the guy who has to clean this place up.” Applejack ducked and shooed off a parrot as it tried to peck her hat. “Eei! Stop that you feathery varmint! Git! This is crazy. It’s wilder than the wild wild west! Who’s running this clown show?!”

“Forget that. Where’s Fluttershy?”

“Here~.” The sweet, familiar and whimpering voice made them pause as they collectively looked down at the source. There they saw a bunny with slightly pinkish fur look back at them with eyes that were near driven to tears.

“Did… did that bunny just talk?” Twilight scooped the little guy up, curiously scanning it.

“I… think it did.” AJ agreed, poking the furry little fella who swatted her finger away. “Never really seen a pink bunny before.”

“Oh cool! A talking bunny. Can I hold it?”

“NO~!” It cried out pushing Pinkie away. “I’m not a bunny!”

You’re not?

“It’s me guys! It’s Fluttershy~~~~!”

Fluttershy!?

“Help…”

…

It took a while to regain control of the animal shelter. But with a little bit of magic, some leftover food, and animal-husbandry training on Applejack’s part, the creatures were returned to their respective habitats and the place was cleaned up neatly and efficiently. The birds were back in their cages, the reptiles returned to their glassed sanctuaries, and even King Spike the First was eventually dethroned from his kingdom.

It took a little canine revolution but the tyrant capitulated in the end.

Twilight made a mental note to scold him later once they get back home.

“Ok. So let’s start again.” Twilight turned her attention back to the Flutterbunny. “How did this happen?”

“Yeah. Like… how did you turn into a rabbit?”

Flutterbunny whimpered. “I… I don’t know.”

“Whoa whoa whoa. Let’s not be too hasty here.” Rainbow Dash interjected, eyeing the pink rabbit suspiciously. “How do we know this is really our Fluttershy? For all we know this could just be a monster pretending to be Fluttershy pretending to be a rabbit. It’s the exact scenario as Daring Do in the Arrival of the Shape Shifter. She has to prove that she really is who she says she is.” She then eyed the bunny dangerously. “Alright, Fluttershy – if that’s even your name. How can you prove to us that you’re really our friend?”

“B… but I am Fluttershy. I… I really am!” The poor girl looked like she was already on the verge of tears.

“Uh…”

“I don’t know what else to say.” Droplets fell from her cheeks which immediately felt like acid to Rainbow Dash who looked like she was regretting that very action.

The gang turned to stare, judging the sports gal who was now kneeling next to the bunny, trying to find the words to apologize.

“O… ok. It’s ok.” Rainbow Dash cooed gently, taking her words back almost immediately. “Um… you don’t have to do that.”

“You… you have to believe me.”

“Yeah. Sure. Totally!” Rainbow Dash patted her gigantic bunny ears. “If I say that I believe you, will you stop crying?”

“Get over here!” Applejack rolled her eyes and quickly pulled her away by the ear.

Pinkie then followed, handing Flutterbunny a hankie which she graciously accepted and blew her nose in. It sounded adorable. Yeah… that was Fluttershy alright. No doubt about it.

Twilight sighed, calming the little bunny down. “Why don’t you take us from the beginning? What do you remember before you turned into… this?”

Fluttershy whimpered. “I… I don’t really know. Everything was normal at first. I came in early to work this morning to feed all my friends. It was all just routine. B… but then, just as I was greeting Angel’s extended family, I realized that I was glowing.” In other words, she was ponying up. “I tried to call you guys. But before I knew it I poofed… and turned into a bunny.”

So… she was given rabbit powers?

“That must be…”

“Totally awesome!” Pinkie interjected rubbing her little furry friend. “I am so jealous right now. You get to turn into a bunny? That’s so cool. I always wanted to be a bunny. You get to laze around and hop hop hop like…”

“Pinkie!”

“What? Oh! Right. Not the time. Ow! Hey!” Applejack came along and pulled her into the timeout corner.

Unbelievable these two.

“Have you tried turning back?”

“I did… but… I don’t know how~~~.” She was pretty much bawling at this point, blowing into the hankie repeatedly.

Great… another problem to add to the pile. As if this weekend wasn’t bad enough as it is. Now they had to deal with more new magic? This was starting to feel like Camp Everfree all over again, but… far tamer. At least here they weren’t dealing with Gloriosa’s maddening early-life-crisis.

Ok Twilight focus. You can do this. You’ve been studying magic for two years now. Surely you can come up with a solution. There’s bound to be something in your notes that can rectify whatever this was.

…!

Wait…

“Of course! The test results!”

The gang stared dumbly at her.

“Say what now?” AJ asked what they were all thinking.

“All of this started because of your magical exchange with Flash the other day. These new powers are obviously the result of your magic mixing with his. Thankfully I did a deep scan of his energy source. If I take a look at those notes, I can figure out a way to control this new ability of yours.”

“So… you can turn me back?” Fluttershy’s eyes gleamed with hope.

“I’m certain of it. But we have to be fast. We don’t know if this transformation is permanent. Everyone to the car!” They cheered and hastily made their way out of the establishment. “That means you too Spike!”

“Aww… but I was going to go back on my reign.” The poor mutt didn’t have much of a choice as he was pulled by his collar and out of there.

Hindrance

Chapter 84: Hindrance

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle Library – Starswirl’s lab)

Yes… that’s it! Adjust that little gizmo here and put the magical accelerator there, and… done.

Sunset Shimmer let out a satisfied sigh as she took a good long look at her work. The new magic portal to the other world was coming along pretty well. They had to macgyver a few parts here and there on the last stretch but she was more than certain that it’ll work. She took a little inspiration from Princess Twilight’s handiwork with the portal to the human realm too, which gave her the foundation for the whole project.

Just a few more touches and they should be able to replicate Starswirl’s ability to tear through Limbo and reach the Yaztec world. That was of course… if it actually worked.

The whole device was based off both Starswirl, Twilight, Starlight, a few of Yaztec Shaman ingenuity, and several made-up processes along the way. It all honesty, everything they were doing right now was pretty much just a blind shot in the dark. Without the ability to test it, there was no telling what kind of result the device will have.

For all they know, the Portal Stone would send them on a one way trip down at the bottom of the sea, or an active volcano, or an active volcano under the sea – or… worse yet… a world ruled by Pinkie Pie.

Brrr… no thanks.

While it was exciting to delve into the unknown, it still takes an immense amount of courage to take a leap.

“Alright, that’s the last of it.” Princess Cadance announced. The ruler of the Crystal Empire has been an immense help these last few days. While her knowledge in magic wasn’t quite on par with the Princess of Friendship, she’s poured all of herself into aiding her endeavor. “All the pieces are in place – or… at least I think it is. The instruction manual didn’t exactly specify the details.”

The ‘Instruction Manual’ was pretty much Starswirl’s journal. They were lucky enough already just to decipher his terrible horn-writing. Trying to replicate his formula of bridging two worlds together was perhaps near impossible. So instead they had to improvise a few things.

They built the machinery around one of the magic mirrors following Princess Twilight’s design. Her formula on stabilizing the portal to the human realm provided much needed insight. All that was left was to use the object from Ezaquatel to focus the Portal Stone, which… maybe and… hopefully, will provide them with a gateway to the world to the world they desire. If all goes according to plan, they should be able to mount a rescue for Sunburst and bring him back here before whatever shadow monster finds them. If he’s even still ali…

No. Don’t think that.

All these ifs, should and maybes weren’t helping. They had to be positive. SHE had to be positive.

She was the one who sparked this investigation in the first place. It was her responsibility to bring that pony home – one way or another. For his sake… and for Starlight.

With a sigh, Sunset nodded. “Only one way to find out. Ready when you are, Cadance.”

The Pink Alicorn agreed, turning to her husband. “Shining. If you would?”

“I’m not sure about this.” The former Captain of the Royal Guards put forth his worries. “It doesn’t sound safe. What if something goes wrong?”

“We’re trying to bridge two worlds together. Nothing about it is safe.” Sunset retorted back, understanding full well of the unicorn’s concerns. “That’s why we brought him over to make a countermeasure.”

Stygian stepped forth with a staff in hand. “In the event of a shadow monster attack, I’ve developed this special rod which mimics the effect of the spell that protects the Crystal Empire. Combining some of Princess Cadance’s magic along with a focusing crystal from the Crystal Empire, I was able to replicate the powers of the Crystal Heart. Though to a lesser degree. I call it: The Heart-Stick.” The pony smiled for a moment only to realize that the applause he was waiting for wasn’t coming. “Ahehe… the name’s still pending. I’ll come up with a better one later. In short, the staff should repulse any creature or spell made from dark magic.”

A near literal ‘Shot in the Dark’.

“I know that you’re worried, Shiny. But that’s the reason why we brought you along.” Cadance cooed to her husband. “We’ll deal with whatever comes. And Sunset and I made extra preparations should things get out of hand. So… please?”

The guardsman sighed but complied nonetheless. But before he could conjure a spell, the door to the lab opened up.

Who?

“Uh… hello?”

“Starlight!” Sunset rushed over to the purple pony giving her the biggest hug she could make. The unicorn looked good. Certainly a lot better than she was a few days ago. At least the rings under her eyes were gone. “You’re awake! And you’re here. How are you feeling?”

Starlight recoiled a little bit and smiled weakly in return. “Better. Well… sort of. I’m still feeling a little groggy.” Probably the after effects of the sleep spell. Sunset experienced it once or twice before during cram sessions. “What did I miss?”

…

“Whoa… that’s a lot to take in.” Starlight sighed after listening intently for the next ten minutes. “Was I really that bad?”

“You were exhausted, Starlight.” Cadance confirmed it. “You wouldn’t eat, or sleep. You barely even talked to anypony.”

“I… guess I really must’ve had my head on backward.”

“You were merely worried about your friend.” The Princess added, patting her on the back. “Believe me when I say that I understand exactly how you feel. I once tried to protect the Crystal Empire by myself when Princess Celestia assigned me to be its new ruler. It didn’t exactly pan out as I hoped. But you’re here now and you’re looking better than ever. And you’ve come at the perfect time too. Sunset was just about to try out her portal experiment.”

Starlight’s eyes shot up. “The portal? Wait… you actually managed to recreate Starswirl’s magic portal?”

Recreate? No. Macgyver it? Most definitely. Their experiment was practically a Frankenstein monster of a mess combining a little bit of everyone’s theory, including her own.

“Well… not exactly.” Sunset bobbed her head around. “We figured that going through Starswirl’s method would only land us somewhere else. Thankfully I’ve developed a better way of bridging worlds. The only thing we need to do now is test it. And if everything goes according to plan, we’ll be in Ezaquatel in no time and we can get in there and rescue Sunburst.”

“You… did all this in just two days?”

“She had help.” Stygian answered earning a shocked expression from the headmare.

“Stygian? I… I didn’t even noticed you.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. It’s kind of my special ability.”

Sunset motioned her forward. “So… you ready to save our friend?”

She smiled. “Always.”

With the unicorns ready for their adventure, Cadancec gave her husband a nod. He quietly lifted his head upward with his horn glowing with power. In a brief moment a powerful barrier surrounded the newly erected portal encasing it in a dome of light.

“Alright. It’s ready.” The guardpony declared. “I’ve specified the shield to your design request. Anything and anyone can go inside, but nothing can come out of it. Not unless I allow it.”

Sunset gave a grateful nod. The barrier was definitely top of its class. She could practically feel the radiance. That’s Twilight’s brother for you. It’s no wonder he was chosen to be the Captain of the Royal Guards.

All that was left now was to activate the Portal Stone and keep your fingers crossed.

… or hooves – or something.

xxxxxxxxxx

Princess Celestia shook her head in disapproval when she arrived at the care room where her former mentor lay in recovery. The poor old unicorn was still bedridden with hardly a reaction despite the weeks he’s been hospitalized here.

The nurses say that he was recovering nicely and that everything was within nominal conditions. It was quite normal for unicorns to suffer magical exhaustion. But due to his… advance age, a full recovery may take a tad bit longer. That was the excuse anyway – and Celestia accepted that.

But she knew Starswirl. That pony was the most powerful wizard of his time. Even in his old age, the unicorn could handle a pack of Timberwolves with his eyes closed. He knew a dictionary’s worth of spells, and many more she probably didn’t even know about. Twilight’s admiration of him was not misguided as she too knew his capabilities. So to see him in such a state worried her greatly. Whatever made him use all of his magic was definitely an opponent far too dangerous for the realm.

She hated seeing him like this.

The two of them may have their constant bickering and disagreement but he was still her mentor. Seeing him all bruised and bandaged was distasteful. It reminded her of that time when they had to face a mighty hydra in the swamplands of Equestria. And the drawings on his face were…

“Luna! Stop that!” The Alicorn of the night froze up like a deer in headlights as she was caught redhanded. “Can’t you see he’s recovering?”

“So what? It’s not like he’ll feel anything. Besides, I was bored. I’ve already counted the tiles on the ceiling, watched birds fly across the window, and played chess against myself.” She flew over to the table moving a rook to a new position and sighed. “I loss.”

“Well, your boredom aside – you do realize that you’re watching over our mentor. That’s a big responsibility.”

“Former mentor.” Luna corrected. “I haven’t learned a thing from him for over a thousand moons.”

“You never really paid attention to any of his classes.”

“Because they were unnecessarily complicated! He always adds extra steps to every step in every process like he was trying to control every inkling of what we do. I swear, that pony can turn a recipe on making toast into a fifty page book.” A little excessive but not unfounded. Starswirl was annoying that way. “Besides, he could certainly use a makeover. Did you know that he still kept all of his clothes from back when we were still fillies? The pony could benefit going through Canterlot and getting some new threads.”

“Everyone has their own ways of expressing themselves. Besides, there’s no need to change anything about him.”

“Not even shaving that overbrown beard of his?” The sun princess paused. “Come on. We both dreamed about seeing that face without that bushy mess on him for ages. I got a clipper right here. We can find out right now.”

“Luna… no.”

“Come on. Just a little trim. I’ll even settle for the sideburns.” It was tempting. Oh so tempting. Even as fillies they never saw what was inside that god awful beard of his. They even bet that the old pony was hiding something within. Luna claims that it was a tattoo that he got from his youth, or even a scar. But neither of them could be certain. A little peek now would settle their age-long curiosity for good.

Still that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. She was the elder sister here. She needed to set an example.

“Just a little off the sides.”

Luna grinned.

The two royal alicorns quietly crept to the old pony’s side, watching him wheeze out pleasantly. He seemed like such a defenseless unicorn. Which was contrast to the old, bitter, and somewhat overbearing mentor that they knew back in the day.

He was too open for attacks. And there may be no other opportunities like this ever again.

Just a little trim and a quick peek. Nothing more.

Just a quick… peek…

“NO!”

“GAHHHHHH!!” The Princesses screamed as Starswirl bolted upward from his bed, eyes bulging madly. “It was all Celestia’s idea!”

You little minx!

“Wh… what happened!? Where am I? Who…?”

Celestia quickly recovered and held her former mentor steady. “Calm down Starswirl. It’s ok. You’re safe now.”

“I… I am?” The wizard glanced around worryingly, looking like something would jump just out of the corner of his eye. “I… really am… back?”

“Yes. And you’re safe here.” Celestia soothed him. “Now take a deep breath and lie down. Luna – be a dear and get the nurses.”

But Starswirl shook off his ease before Luna could answer. He swatted Celestia’s hooves away, pushing himself off the bed. “No… no! There’s no time! The portal! I have to get to the portal immediately!” His legs however gave way the moment they touched the floor.

“Easy there, you old coot.” Luna steadied him up with a bit of her leftover magic. “You’re not as spry as you used to be and you only just woke up after two weeks of recovery.”

“Put me down this instant! I have to get back to the portal before it’s too late! Ezaquatel. The whole thing… it’s…”

“Calm yourself.” Luna added, scoffing. “If you’re talking about your precious portals, I’m afraid you’re too late.”

“WHAT!?”

“They were destroyed.” Celestia clarified much to her mentor’s fear. Hearing his greatest work destroyed must be quite the shock. “There was an incident after your arrival. And the ensuing chaos damaged nearly all of your portals.”

“So… it’s… destroyed?” He wheezed, barely above a whisper, eyes still widened.

“Destroyed, shattered, broken into a million pieces. Take your pick.” Luna added which Celestia eyed her which chagrin. “What? It’s true. No point in beating around the bushes.”

“Then it’s… done.” Starswirl breathed a sigh, though for what Celestia couldn’t tell.

“I know that the portals to the other worlds were your greatest creations, Starswirl. It cannot be easy losing so much. But rest assured that we are doing everything in our powers to restore them. Even as I speak, Sunset Shimmer and her friends are repairing the Portal to Ezaquatel.”

That alone caused his calm demeanor to shatter. “WHAT!? No no no no no! We must stop them immediately!”

“Stop… Sunset? But why?”

“The portals must remain closed! ‘He’ is there. And he cannot be allowed back!”

“He?” Luna caught on. “He who?” She never got an answer when the man vanished from her bubble. “Oh great. Guards! We’ve got a geezer on the loose.”

“This is no time for jokes Luna. We need to find him, quickly!”

“Of course. I’ll get my tranquilizer darts.”

“Luna!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Ok… here goes nothing. Sunset took a deep breath as she gazed upon the mirror. The Portal Stone hummed as she poured a bit of her magic inside, activating the dormant spell within.

Within seconds the statuette pulsed, its eyes glowing with a pale light before shooting a beam towards the mirror. The object above it also reacted, sending a hint of its leftover essence, directing the bridge to its source. The machine built around the portal wiggled and rattled, energy coursing through every frame and wire. It almost sounded like it was going to break.

But luckily it didn’t. And soon enough the image in the mirror began to warp and change to a completely different scenery.

So far so good.

No water flooding in, no lava pouring from the other side, and no shadow monster thrashing at them. Disaster was averted…… hopefully.

“Yes… that’s it!” Princess Cadance cheered. “I think it’s working! The harmonic stabilizers and the magic filters are keeping the energy compressed.” That made perfect sense! I think. Honestly it’s hard to keep track of all the technical stuff. They waited for a few seconds more before the rattling finally died down. The mirror vibrated like an annoying phone for a while more before it stopped, leaving them with a swirling vortex to another world.

“It worked! I can’t believe it!” Sunset cheered before pausing. “Uh… I mean… yeah. Totally. I knew it’d work. Ahehehe.”

“You actually did it.” Starlight gawked in amazement. “You actually managed to open a portal… to an entirely other world.” Heck yeah we did. Forget about Starswirl and his messy horn writing. Who needs a thousand moon-old diary when you can just make things up as you go? “That’s… incredible. This is actually quite impressive. I don’t think even Princess Twilight has done anything like this before.”

And that’s the kind of praise you won’t hear anywhere else in this world.

“I’m not that good.” Sunset blushed back shyly. “But at least we know the portal is working. The other question is: Is it leading us to Ezaquatel?” None of them have actually been to Ezaquatel before and have only heard the description from Starswirl himself. For all they know it could be sending them to a whole’nother world. “Only one way to find out. You ready?”

“Always.” Starlight nodded, both prancing to the edge of the protective barrier. “Hang on Sunburst. We’re coming to save you.”

“Alright then. Here we--.”

“NOOOOO!!!” A voice broke through the cheer ruining the moment. The gang turned over to the source by the door, finding Starswirl barging through, nearly knocking them out of their hinges, eyes shooting dangerously mad as he saw the newly made portal.

“Starswirl?”

“Close it! Close it now!” He galloped… or in this case limped towards them, before falling just a short way from Shining and shouting wearily. “We can’t allow him passage here!”

Passage? Passage for who?

Without even waiting for a response, Starswirl took matters into his own hooves and angrily fired a bolt of energy from his horn. It struck the device breaking a piece of it off creating a domino effect that destabilized the whole machine entirely.

“It’s gonna blow!” Someone yelled out as they all ducked for cover just as the machine exploded to bits and pieces. Thankfully Shining’s barrier held through limiting the damage inside.

“The portal!” Sunset cried watching all her work go up in flames. She scanned the debris finding nothing but wreckage within, save but the Portal Stone. “Our work. Everything. Wh… why!? Starswirl! What did you do!?”

The old wizard breathed a sigh of relief somehow. “I just saved us from a terrible danger, you foolish girl! Don’t you understand you just endangered all of Equestria by opening that portal!?”

“Danger? What danger?” She never got an answer seeing how Starswirl konked out a minute later, hitting the floor with a defining thud.

What in Celestia’s name?

(Human world) (CHS)

It was first period. Another ordinary day in CHS. The students were in, the teacher was on the board, and everything was right in the world.

But not for Twilight. Her mind was barely in the present. Even less so focused on the lesson being taught. And honestly no one could blame her.

What they saw in the basement yesterday brought out so many questions. There was a fully functioning lab down there with equipment that were about ten maybe twenty years old. And despite their age, she could tell that they were probably still advance during their time.

A life support system, heart rate monitors, even an MRI scanner. Those were some of the most expensive medical equipment money could buy. It’s like someone tried to turn that whole basement into some kind of private hospital. And knowing the previous owner of the house, she can surmise that it belonged to Flash or his family. The only thing she couldn’t really figure out was the crib at the very center of the room.

Was there a baby involved in this? Did Flash’s family indulge in some dark ritual? So many questions, and no answers. Even the gang had their own speculations. Rainbow even entertained the idea that they were growing some kind of homunculus to take over the world, which was ridiculous.

You need a bio lab to even think of making those, not medical equipment.

Either way, they decided to leave the questions, and the lab, alone for now as they returned their focus on their new magic. So far all they know is that they’ve developed new abilities after making their magical handshake with Flash. Electrical powers, Green Thumb, Buoyancy, and now… animal-morphing. And if all of them got new abilities…

There was a good chance she would too.

I wonder what it could be. It had to be related to my original telekinesis powers seeing how everyone else seemed closely related.

Maybe she could control gravity? Fly without wings? Maybe even something completely unique.

Oh I just can’t wait! I’ll have to talk to Flash about this and let him know. Who knows what else this magical handshake could apply.

“Ahem… Twilight Sparkle?” The girl froze when she realized her name being called. “Are you still with us?”

“Ah… yes Ms. Cheerilee. I was just umm… adding some finishing touches to my notes.” That was a lame excuse but the teacher didn’t seem to mind it. Dang it. She needs to focus. School was going on. She can’t allow her grades to be affected.

“Anyway before we dismiss. I would like to announce our school’s representatives to the upcoming Brain Blast Competition in Everton Academy.” Oh right. She totally forgot about that tournament. With everything that’s happened, it must’ve slipped off her mind. She must’ve taken the tests without even realizing it. “Compiling your scores on the recent exams, two individuals stand out. Twilight Sparkle, with her perfect A+, will be our lead representative.”

A natural choice in the matter. She was the school’s resident genius after all.

“And her partner is…”

Micro Chips rose from his seat. “I shall be more than happy to represent CHS in this endeavor of mind and matters. My vast knowledge in advance robotics will undoubtedly win us the grand pri…”

“… Adagio Dazzle.”

…

Micro Chips froze mid-sentence as his glasses fell off his nose, shattering into a million pieces on the floor. It was followed by a collective with every head in the room turning towards her.

Or to be more precise, the Siren sitting beside her.

“Oh… goodie.” Adagio grinned, eyes rolling boorishly as she returned to filing her nails.

“Th… that can’t be right.” Micro Chips broke out of his trance, just barely standing on his feet, wheezing heavily like he was about to suffer a panic attack. “A… are you sure, ma’am?”

The teacher seemed just as equally mystified as everyone, but she looked at her notes, scratching the back of her head questionably. But in the end she shrugged. “The test scores don’t lie. I double checked all of it. According to the latest exams, Adagio scored just two points below Twilight. She answered every question meticulously and correctly so… she’s… in?”

“H… ha… hama hava… hamaaa…?”

Thud!

“Oh my god! Micro Chips!”

xxxxxxxxxx

“What did you do?”

Adagio paused for a moment in her locker, eyeing back at the nerd who followed her. “What could you possibly mean?”

“Don’t give me that look! There’s no way you could’ve scored higher than Micro Chips. He’s like… one of the smartest kids in school!”

“Third smartest, you mean.” She retorted with that same evil grin she held all morning, all the while eyeing as the school nurse carried Micro Chips away from class. The poor boy must’ve suffered a panic attack when he realized he lost his shot at the big league.

“Principal Celestia was very clear! No magic allowed!” Twilight whispered back angrily.

But again the Siren brushed her off. “Oh please. Like I’d need to waste any of my precious magic to answer such simple questions. Advance-Trigonometry is child’s play these days compared to what I had to go through back then. Humans really do have short memories.”

“You really expect me to believe that you aced one of the most advance tests in school on your first try?”

Her eyes narrowed down threateningly. “Is it so hard to believe that someone as gorgeous as I to be equally as intelligent as you?”

“Those were super advance questions. It took me months of study and preparations just to understand the formula. Even Micro Chips worked overtime just to get an A on the test. How did you even understand which equation to use?”

“You don’t. You only use the first two.” Adagio scoffed. “That Cheerilee might be smart, but she’s not exactly clever herself. She’s a complete softy, especially with that countryside bumpkin she’s dating.” They’ve been trying to go subtle but pretty much half of the school was already in on the scoop. “After that, it’s just the matter of getting inside her head. Once you know how she thinks, you can pretty much just go on from there. It’s not exactly rocket science.”

That sounded… kind of logical. Sort of. Adagio was pretty much identifying her teacher in her own way. And now that she mentioned it, the questions in the test did felt a little too clean, too easy. At least to her. Ms. Cheerilee loved her students. Caring and nurturing them without putting too much strain on their brains. Maybe that’s why she’s so popular around school.

Granted Canterlot High wasn’t exactly as stellar in studies like the students in Crystal Prep. But she had to give them some credit of trying.

And Adagio’s analysis on the questions was right. It only needed two formulas. Not like the other tests.

Could it be that…

“Adagio… are you actually smart?”

The leader of the Sirens rolled her eyes. “I’m not even gonna bother answering that question. Besides, none of that is relevant here.” The Siren continued with a groan. “Only the competition matters. The Brain Blast trial is going to be host in a few days, and as I’ve learned: It has a big cash prize to the winners, and I intend to win it. With that kind of money we can finally move out of that crummy apartment and live an actual life of luxury around here. No more scrounging around for scraps or working my butt off in overtime for that extra pay.”

Looks like someone was having money-trouble. Twilight sighed as she felt like she could relate.

“Well… as long as you’re not using your magic. Principal Celestia already has enough of magic around here.”

“What about that redhead friend of yours?” Adagio added, changing the subject. “Isn’t she supposed to be here too? I figured she’d be in this whole Brain Dead competition seeing her grades.” True. Sunset would make an excellent partner. But she’s off to a magical emergency in the other world.

“She’s… busy.” Twilight was then rudely interrupted when her phone began to ring, showing Timber’s name on screen.

Seeing that name alone was all that was needed to bring her mood down in an instant. All the bad memories from that day churned back to the surface making her smile go sour. She immediately recalled their little spat, and the revelation of her own feelings in this whole relationship. There was just so much to unpack here it was hard enough to concentrate.

“Whoa, what happened to you?” Adagio said with mild surprise, sensing the immediate change in her mood. “I can smell your foul mood from here.”

“It’s… nothing. Just someone I don’t really want to talk to right now.”

Her eyes lit up in interest. “Oooh? And here I thought you had a rock solid friendship with the rest of your gang.”

“It’s not them. It’s… someone else. We… kinda had a little fight and… I don’t think we handled it all that well.” And when I say ‘WE’ I pretty much mean just ‘Me’.

“Oh… a lover’s spat? My favorite kind of conflict. They can be absolutely delicious. Please… tell me more.” She grinned evilly which was quite annoying.

Twilight gave her a glare. “Don’t you have another class to be getting to?”

“Fine.” She waved it off. “So anyway. I guess we’ll be partners in this whole Brain Dead competition. Tata.”

“It’s Brain Blast.” But that girl was already far gone for her to hear. “Ugh… this is going to be a disaster.” And speaking of disasters, Timber was calling a second time. Her phone was buzzing, with his name flashing on screen. Twilight couldn’t help but let out a groan. His timing was downright terrible. And she knew that if she answered his call now, he’ll probably try to invite her to another date which she had no motivation or intentions in going. That was simply going to make their breakup even harder to do. If anything, this clearly shows that she needed to end things with him, soon. If not… well… then this might become a bigger problem than before.

She needed advice from a friend. Someone who was an expert at relationships.

And thankfully she knew just the person to ask.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ugh… this stupid headache. How am I supposed to get anything done at all with this stupid headache?

Rarity groaned irritably as she pulled her book from her locker, feeling her head pounding back. It’s been almost a week now since this whole migraine started and it’s been getting worse every day.

At the beginning it started off lightly. Nothing more than an irritation. A minor ache that comes by every few times, but then goes away later on. She brushed it off as just a mere lack of sleep. But afterward it only went from bad to downright unbearable. No sooner did it become like someone was taking a jackhammer and pound it against her head.

The visit to the hospital yesterday provided some relief. The doctor prescribed her with some medication to relieve her of the worst of it. He said that it was because of stress which was ridiculous.

This is Rarity we’re talking about here. Pressure was her middle name!

Actually it wasn’t but you get the idea.

She once handled the entirely school’s Spring Dance competition and fill in for Ms. Hemline’s collection without even breaking a sweat. What could possibly be stressing her out so much?

Speaking of not knowing, her memories of these last few days have also been kind of muddled too. She’s been missing out on little gossips here and there, and even blanking out on conversations. Heck, she even forgot that she had homework, which is a complete no-no. So… either she was really losing it, or maybe she was sick with something else entirely.

Maybe it might be a good idea to have the school nurse do a double checkup just to be on the safe side. And if it does get worse, she might even ask for a day-off from school.

Perhaps it’s time for her to take it easy around here. Maybe sit back and enjoy the finer things in life.

“Rarity!” And as if on cue, Twilight appeared. “Sorry to bother you so early. But do you have a minute? I need some advice.”

“Darling, of course. I always have time for my friends.” Rarity gave a singsong reply. “Now what kind of advice are you looking for? Fashion advice? The latest trend in today’s look? Or perhaps an invitation of the best soiree in town?”

Twilight gave two blinks. “Uh… well… none of those. I was kind of hoping for a relationship advice.”

The fashionista’s eye twitched and her head began to ache. For some reason she was having a grave sense of déjà vu – and not the good kind either. This felt all too familiar. If there was one thing she knew about her closest friends and relationship, it somehow… strangely always seem to involve a certain rich boy. And she can’t handle any more of that.

“Before we continue.” Rarity spoke, eyeing her friend suspiciously. “This talk wouldn’t happen to involve a certain blue haired guitar player, would it?”

Twilight stared back blankly. “Who? No. It’s about me and Timber.”

“Oh thank goodness.” She let out a sigh of relief which only earned her a curious glance. “Um… what I mean to say is: If that’s the case then I’m all yours.”

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle)

Sunset was visibly upset. Why wouldn’t she be? Some old geezer just wrecked her whole two days’ project with a blast of his horn without so much of an explanation. She didn’t care if that old timer was the Legendary Starswirl the Bearded, you don’t blow up someone’s work to a million pieces just because you felt like it. If he was anypony else, she probably would’ve given them a stern talking – or at the very least, a very mean glare.

“Alright Starswirl. Take a breath.” Princess Celestia coddled her former mentor as the nurse passed him a cup of warm tea. “Take it from the beginning.”

“Yes… yes of course.” The old wizard responded, still looking about as weakened as he woke. “Forgive my earlier outburst. I just need a minute to compose myself.”

“That minute’s passed.” Sunset spat. “You just destroyed all of our work just now! We were so close to discovering if the portal actually functioned!”

“Easy there, Sunset.” The Pony of Love restrained her. “I know that you’re mad. But why don’t we give Starswirl a chance to explain himself? There has to be a good reason why he did what he did.” Oh there better be. Because getting the parts to rebuild the portal was going to be a pain in the neck. He was lucky that the Portal Stone wasn’t damaged or he wouldn’t be hearing the end of it all. “You mentioned a great danger Starswirl. What did you mean by that?”

“I meant exactly what I said.” Starswirl began. “Something evil has consumed the lands of Ezaquatel. Something vile and powerful. It took nearly every ounce of my energy just to keep it at bay and return here. Had you opened that portal, it would’ve given that thing a path to Equestria and wreck untold havoc upon our world.”

“What was it?”

“I… I’m not really sure myself.” He admitted tiringly. “The world of Ezaquatel has changed much since I last visited it over a thousand moons ago. It used to be a vibrant, lush place full of life and magic. The folks there were lively and cheerful. But now it is a bare and desolate land. Whatever power that used to be there has… vanished completely. And I’m more than certain that monster is the one responsible. Ugh…”

“Starswirl?”

“Sorry. Just… thinking about that battle is taxing on my mind. I do not know what creature attacked me. But it was certainly far more powerful than anything I’ve ever faced. Even…… more powerful than the Pony of Shadow.” Stygian flinched at the name.

“But the Pony of Shadow was banished.” Starlight reminded. “Twilight and the others trapped it in Limbo.”

“Creatures of darkness are not uncommon in worlds brimming with magic. But yes. The likelihood of it being the Pony of Shadow is low. For all we know, it could simply be a counterpart of ours. Whatever the case, we need not worry anymore. The danger has passed. With the portal destroyed, that creature has no way of entering our realm. It cannot harm anyone here.”

“Not everyone.” Sunset chimed in. “Sunburst is still trapped there.”

“Sunburst?”

“He went over to the other world to find answers. But when Trixie came back, a shadow monster tried to come through and broke the mirror. He’s been stuck there for days. We’re trying to rebuild the portal to rescue him.”

“Oh dear.” Starswirl gasped. “That’s… most unfortunate. If a pony like Sunburst encountered such a beast. It cannot bode well.”

“Then it’s important that we rebuild the portal now so we can rescue him.”

“NO!” The old wizard snapped alarming everypony in the room. “We simply cannot. Opening a portal to that realm knowing that a monster of that size is lingering there is simply too risky. If that… thing… somehow find its way to Equestria it could cause untold damage across our world.”

“But then what about Sunburst?” Starlight pleaded. “We can’t just leave him there.”

Starswirl grunted and put his hoof down. “I’m sorry, Starlight. I feel for you and understand that you care much for your friend, Sunburst. But you have to think of our world as a whole.”

“But he’s your friend too!”

“And it pains me just as much to leave him stranded there. But you have to understand. If you open that portal, you will be putting not just all of us here in danger, but every other creature throughout Equestria. And… as much as it urks me to say this: If Sunburst has been trapped there with that monster, then I’m afraid…”

No…

“… he’s gone.”

“B… but…” Starlight teared up. “There’s no way of knowing that. He could still be there, waiting for us. We have to try.”

But then Celestia came between them, flaunting her wings of authority. “Though it may seem distasteful. I… have to agree with Starswirl on this.”

“Princess!?”

“If that creature is half as dangerous as Starswirl says, it could pose a great threat to all the creatures of Equestria. As its former ruler, I still have to look out for its denizens. I’m… sorry Starlight.”

“But we have a solution for that.” Sunset pointed out to the Heart-Stick. “Stygian made a counter spell against dark magic and shadow monsters. With it we can protect ourselves and Equestria from harm. That’s why you brought him here, isn’t it?”

“That is true.” Luna nodded in agreement joining her side for once. “Perhaps we should grant them at least a chance, sister. We did request his help for this very reason.”

“That was before we understood the threat posed to us.” The sun pony pointed out. “I’m sorry Starlight. I know it must be hard. But I cannot allow further danger to come to Equestria. So… with a heavy heart, I must ask that you abandon this endeavor.”

“Princess Celestia. Please.” Sunset pleaded. “At least give us one chance. We have to try – at least.”

“No Sunset.” She replied sternly, putting her hoof down. “Starswirl gave his reasoning, and I find it sound. Twilight may have given you authority to use the castle’s resources to help your endeavors in the human world, but never at the cost of endangering others. I’m sorry. But from this moment on, I am ceasing all of your activities effective immediately. You will have to find your answers elsewhere.”

No way…

She had to be joking. They were so close to finding the answers. So close to rescuing Sunburst. Are they seriously going to stop them just because some old geezer got frightened by a monster? That’s messed up!

Sunset wanted to voice her protest but she pulled up short when she realized her purple friend galloping away.

“Starlight?” The Headmare ran off in tears before anypony could stop her. “Starlight!”

Determination

Chapter 85: Determination

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle)

Sunset let out a sigh as she strolled down the castle. It’s been an hour since she was kicked out of the library as the Princesses took over, barring her from even looking at the destroyed portal. The twin royals practically locked down the whole place doubling the guards and locking all the doors. Talk about paranoid. Though she would guess their former mentor had something to do with it.

Dang it. All their hard work gone, just like that. Starswirl could’ve at least waited for them to test the portal at least. It was hard to tell if the portal would even lead them to Ezaquatel.

I mean… who was he to decide who can make portals around here? Just because he happens to be the greatest wizard of his time, doesn’t mean he can dictate what others can do! For the love of Celestia, for someone who Twilight idolizes, he can be such a pain in the neck.

For once she wished Twilight wouldn’t bother to bring him back from Limbo. Heck, maybe he should be the one stuck in that place!

“Sunset?” The red maned pony jolt up from her anger when Stygian poked her. “Are… are you ok? You looked kinda scary for a minute there.”

She quickly shook away the anger, taking a deep breath. She felt something boiling inside of her. “Sorry. I was just… thinking about what happened. I mean… all of our hard work just went up in flames. We were so close on finding out if it actually worked too. We put so much effort in that portal, and then Starswirl just comes out of nowhere and breaks it all down. That’s just so not fair.”

“I know how you feel.” Stygian rolled his eyes. “I tried to use the artifacts of my friends to become their equal and they accused me of stealing their power, and then banished me from Equestria. It’s not the same thing but I just thought I’d put it out there.” He tried to crack a bad joke, but it didn’t exactly click. “Aheh. So what’ll you do now?”

“I… don’t know. I can’t exactly do anything around here. Not without Princess Celestia and Princess Luna barring my way to the library. If anything… I’ll… probably head back to the human world and find another way to help. They’re probably missing me already. But right after I check up on Starlight.”

“Want me to tag along? I can give a good pep talk.”

“Nah. I think it’d be best if we didn’t overcrowd her. Talks like these are best done in private… and some ice-cream.” Stygian nodded along in understanding before they parted ways.

Soon enough Sunset found herself in front of the guest room where Starlight was residing. The girl must be devastated after hearing Celestia’s decree. Being unable to save her friend, and told to abandon him for the betterment of the world? She couldn’t even begin to understand what she’s going through.

Best to take it easy and be there for her. No need to take things too quickly. Starlight’s probably sobbing her eyes out.

… or at least that’s what Sunset expected to find.

“Starlight? Are you o…kay?” She caught the headmare in the process of… wait… is that a magic circle?

“Oh! Sunset. Hi.” The purple unicorn laughed comically as she tried to hide something with a few pillows – only that it barely concealed the light illuminating within. “Umm… I was just um… packing.”

“It looks more like you’re about to cast a powerful spell.” Sunset threw in an accusing look. “What are you planning?”

“N… nothing.” Not a very convincing lie and she knew it. “Ugh… ok. I’m… actually doing… something. I’m uh… using a summoning spell.” And it’s a pretty strong one too. Enough to conjure a magical familiar.

“And what are you doing, exactly?”

“Looking for help help.” She replied plainly and bluntly. “I know Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told me that I should abandon this whole… expedition. But… I can’t. I’m not going to abandon Sunburst there. Not as long as there’s a chance that he’s still alive over there.”

“And… how do you plan on doing that?”

“By getting help from the only creature in all of Equestria that has knowledge of ancient magic.” She paused, noticing the red pony’s gawking expression. “I know you don’t approve…”

“Don’t approve? Are you kidding me?” Sunset scoffed like that was the last thing on her mind. “I’m totally in! You’re not the only one who isn’t giving up around here.”

“Really?”

“Honestly I was thinking you might’ve been depressed and crying your eyes out. I even brought ice cream for the occasion.” Sunset pulled out the said ice cream from her saddlebag. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t leave Sunburst behind.”

“It’s kind of what friends do after all.” She brushed her mane awkwardly. “But are you sure you want to join me? I mean… this might be dangerous.”

“I’ve dealt with all manners of shadow monsters, survived a sinking cruise ship, time traveling scenarios, and saw my own apartment burn down to the ground. I think I can handle a little more danger. Besides… like you said: That’s what friends do. I’m only disappointed that you didn’t bother to include me. This is the kind of thing I live for.” Rebelling against the social order and giving the royal sisters the hoof? It reminded her of the days when she was still in Celestia’s magic school. Though to a lesser degree.

Starlight’s face grew a soft but thankful smile in return. “I…… thanks Sunset…”

“You can thank me after we get Sunburst back. So what’s the plan?”

The purple unicorn nodded and tapped the magic circle with her hoof. “Firstly, we’re gonna need some help. Without the castle’s resources or facilities, we’ll need someone who can provide us with what we need to build a new portal. And with the distance we need to make, it’d be best if I brought him here.”

“But doesn’t the castle defenses stop people from teleporting in and out?”

“Conventional magic, yes. But this is… far more complicated than that.” Sure. That made no sense. “It would be better if I showed you. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner. Ah… ahem.” Starlight took a deep breath before yelling out. “Hear me, fair citizens of Outerland!”

Wait… what?

“Dark forces has wormed its way to the heart of our nation! Evil now bears its fangs! Thus I call the champions of old to answer this cry for help! Come forth and claim thy quest!”

Sunset couldn’t help but blink in confusion of the whole speech. Was that some kind of monologue? A ritual spell? Magic words of some sort? If it was, then it was a spell she certainly didn’t know of.

For a brief moment there was silence. Nothing but the birds chirping outside and the occasional guards yawning in the hallway. But that soon changed when the magic circle lit up, humming with power. The two unicorns backed away slightly, before at long last, a puff of smoke conjured from within, revealing the champion that was summoned.

“Huzzah! Greetings your majesty. Captain Wuzz of the Radiant Woods, has arrived to answer your summons!” An oddly familiar Draconequus appeared from the smoke, dressed up like a cheap cosplayer with wig and bow in hand. “What mighty foe threatens thee? What mighty beast shall we vanquish this day? And better yet, what might be our rewarrrr—ah… hey wait a minute. This isn’t our usual haunt. It doesn’t smell like cheap drinks, cards, and cold pizza. What gives? Oh?” His eye wandered towards Sunset. “And who is this? Another new player for our game?”

“Sunset… meet… Discord. Discord, Sunset. Don’t let his appearance get to you. He’s a good friend.” Starlight answered awkwardly, earning a questioning brow from the LITERAL Lord of Chaos. “As for the usual gang. They’re uh… not here. Sorry.”

Discord stretched his neck towards them, eyeing the purple pony with grave suspicion. “You did summon me for a rousing game night of Ogres and Oubliettes, did you not?”

“Sorry… but no. I… actually called you in for a favor.”

The multi-limbed monster let out an annoyed groan. “You appear to be abusing your status as Queen of Outerland, your highness. That was a dirty trick you did there, so don’t expect to see my vote on your next election. Besides, I don’t really do favors. Sounds like a lot of work.”

“Wait!” Starlight pleaded just as he raised his claws to snap. “Please Discord. It’s important. It’s Sunburst. He’s in danger!”

That was enough to get Discord to pause. “Sir Sunray of Fangleton, Champion of Outerland, the level 12 Paladin of our party? In dire trouble? Well why didn’t you say so? You really should’ve opened up with that? I’m always happy to aid a fellow O&O veteran like Sunburst. Besides, he still owes me 10 silvers for getting him that new armor set. So what kind of unmitigated problem did he find himself in this time? Did his cape get flushed down the toilet, tugging him with it again? Or maybe he got stuck with another one of his experiments? Honestly, he’s such a magnet for trouble. Never fails to make me laugh.”

“Uh… not quite.”

…

Starlight would spend the next ten minutes explaining the recent events that transpired at the castle. Discord listened intently, his smile slowly fading with each iteration. He discarded his fancy outfit and conjured a tea set to pass the time.

“Oh my. That is quite the predicament he’s having. Sounds like quite an adventure too.”

“So… can you help?”

“Of course! I would be more than happy to.” That’s great! Having the Lord of Chaos on their side will definitely be a good thing… I hope. “… is what I would say if I could actually help.”

“What?” Starlight gawked.

“Sorry. But what you’re asking is a little way~~~ over my capabilities.”

“But… but you’re the Lord of chaos! You can do anything.”

“The Lord of Chaos, yes.” He countered, taking a quick sip of his tea. “But even the powers of chaos have some limits. Ugh… even saying it makes me queasy. I can make gravity go sideways, make it rain chocolate, or turn the mountain into gelatin. But the moment my magic leaves this world, it becomes um… what’s the word I’m looking for? Like tea with too much water?”

“Diluted? Sunset offered.

“Yes! That’s right. Diluted. The magic of chaos is very restrictive to its origins. But on the other hand…” He gave a dramatic pause. “… I can pull things in.”

“Pull things in?” The two ponies tilted their heads.

“My magic gets weaker when it goes to the other world. But that doesn’t mean I can’t bring the other world to here. I mean… where do you think I conjure all these fantastical things? Creating chaos isn’t as easy as pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” He demonstrated by doing that exact thing. But instead of a rabbit, it was another version of himself. “Hello rabbit me.”

“Hello other me.” He vanished a second later.

“Wait. You mean to tell me you can bring anything from another world?”

“Mostly random things.” He let out a childish giggle. “A few junk here, a funny creature there. Last time I tried something like that, I pulled another version of Spike from a land of mermaids. It was one silly afternoon. Quite entertaining.”

Starlight’s eyes widened as an idea came through. “Do you think you can bring Sunburst back if you did it again?”

The Draconequus tilted his head in thought. “Hmm… that is a possibility. But I’ll need to know the exact place he’s in. Otherwise I’ll just be pulling random things out of nowhere. Like this.” He demonstrated, pulling more stuff out of the hat including a Pony that looked somewhat like Derpy. “Oops…” He snapped his fingers sending them all back. “You see? Chaos is powerful. But when it comes to precision… it’s… meh.”

“What if you had a portal?” Sunset asked. “A portal to that specific world. Can it help?”

“Hmm… maybe. Never really tried it.”

“But how are we gonna build another portal?” Starlight questioned. “Starswirl pretty much took all of our research and our equipment. And even if we could make one here, the Princesses will know about it.”

“Who said we have to build it here?” Sunset grinned just as she pulled out her magical journal. “Meet me at the castle garden in half an hour. I got an idea.”

(Canterlot High)

Oh dear. This wasn’t good.

Fluttershy looked at herself in the mirror in her locker trying to make sure that she was still herself. Ears looked normal, no elongated nose hair, no bat teeth, tails, or any horns for that matter. She was human… or at least she looked good enough to pass as human and not some hybrid creature that came straight out of a fictional novel.

If you’re wondering why she was so antsy with her own appearance, you can point the blame at her new abilities. Ever since she managed to turn back to human form, it has made her extra self-conscious. As Twilight described it, she had the power to morph into any animal of her choosing (Sorta). Twilight said that it was pretty cool, but so far it’s been nothing but a mitigated disaster just waiting to happen.

There was no telling when she would lose control over this power.

Last night when she got home, she turned into a dolphin when she was in the showers. And when she woke up this morning, she saw herself turned into a lama in the mirror and nearly gave her mother a heart attack. There was also the annoyance of cleaning up all the fur she left behind too.

Thankfully there was a way of controlling it. From what Twilight surmised, the whole thing was somehow related to her emotional state. She just needed to keep the feelings in check and make sure it doesn’t leak out. There were a lot more technical stuff she put in but Fluttershy decided to just keep it simple so it wouldn’t tax her brain. It shouldn’t be too hard. She was good at keeping her emotions in check. She was the master of it. All she had to do was be totally stoic… like Maud!

Hopefully none of the teachers would notice anything out of the ordinary. Principal Celestia was adamant about keeping magic out of school. Imagine what would happen if she suddenly turned into an elephant in the middle of class.

She wouldn’t be able to live with the shame.

“Sup Flutterwings. You’re looking super band-digidy pretty, this morning.”

“Oh… hello Tree Hugger.” She greeted her lockermate. “I was just… umm… what?”

“You’ve been looking at yourself on that mirror for ten minutes now.” The hippy explained with an amused chuckle. “Never figured you one to be self-conscious over looks.”

Was she taking that long. “O… oh! It’s nothing. I was just umm… checking my teeth. I had a big breakfast this morning and I think I might’ve gotten something stuck.”

Tree Hugger’s squinted eyes, and half-curled grin stated that she didn’t believe a lick of it. “Uh huh. More like you’re trying to put some extra effort for someone special.”

I am?

“I am?”

“Oh come on Fluttercheeks. Pretty much everybody knows it now after the stunt you pulled at the fundraising fair.”

“Know… what?”

“About you and the Flash. The whole school saw you locking arms with him and walking around the grounds the other day like you were the only couple in the world.”

Fluttershy blinked… and then twice before her memories clicked in.

“Oh… OH! That…… thing.”

“Yeah him!” Tree Hugger chimed laughing heavily like she had been wanting to talk about it for so long. “I never would’ve believed it myself if I didn’t see it firsthand. I mean… I know this guy is the golden goose of the school and all that. But man~~. You really struck gold there, sister. That’s so radical.” Yes… radical indeed. “How come you never told me you were going steady with handsome rocker boy? Figured you’d go with someone calm, cool and kinda centered… like yourself, not like the… Chaotic type.”

Honestly, neither did she.

“Uh… well… it’s kind of… complicated.” Very complicated. So complicated that even she didn’t know how deep it ran. “It just sorta… happened?”

“Hmmm I’ll bet.” The hippy gal eyed her down, still grinning. “So? Spill girl. At least give me something to go on. I needs-ta-know how my best friend got together with THE rock star of Canterlot High. Was he the one who asked you out, or did you initiate it? Though I can’t imagine you getting up and asking someone out like that.” If Fluttershy felt insulted, she showed it through her downtrodden face. Though her friend didn’t seem to mind. “What’s it like going out with Mr. Alpha? Is he cute and charming like a Prince or is he rowdy and wild like an animal?”

Please don’t ask me these kinds of questions. They’re really not something I’m used to answering.

All Fluttershy could do was freeze, flinch and stutter.

“Speaking of animals. I’m liking the rabbit ears. You trying a new look? Where’d ya get’em?”

Rabbit ears?

Fluttershy quickly checked herself in the mirror and immediately saw two bunny ears sprouting from her head. It’s the same ones from before. She brushed them away in panic which they then vanished in a puff of magical smoke.

Dang it. Her emotions were spilling out again. She can’t let down her guard for even a second.

“You should say hi to him.”

Fluttershy froze. “Oh… no. I don’t think I should…”

“Why not? It’s natural for couples to just hang around together, right?”

“Umm… well… not right now. I kind of… have… things to do.”

Tree Hugger shrugged. “Fine. But you owe me a story on how you guys started out. A Lot of folks are curious about him.” The hippy gal gave a knowing wink before heading off, leaving the animal lover behind to sigh in distraught.

Fluttershy glanced over her mirror again and saw her bunny ears plop out. And again she patted them down only to see them plop out a third time. This was going to be a long day if this thing keeps happening. “Oh dear. I hope I won’t turn into animal in the middle of class. I don’t think I can handle all this pressure.”

“You said it sister.” Another voice interjected with a whiny accented tone.

“Applejack?” Fluttershy greeted questioningly before glancing at what looked like the largest corn she has ever laid eyes on. “Is that a…?”

“Corn? Yeah.” She grunted holding the said vegetable up like it was some kind of hammer. The thing was huge enough to be considered a weapon at this point. “Happened just last night. I tried using my powers to see what else I can do with it. Turns out it can make any plant grow a hundred times bigger – just like Twilight said. Though I didn’t really expect it to turn my backyard into a forest. Spent all morning trimming the grass before things got out of hand.”

“That sounds… troubling.”

“Tell me about it! I have no idea how this thing works. I just touch something then poof, it turns all… weird-like. Just last night, my whole bed started growing vines all over the place. It covered the whole floor like a bad case of overgrowth. Had to chop them off before Granny saw anything.”

“At least you can still walk around.” They turned to the other voice only to find Rainbow Dash waddling towards them wearing what looked like six layers of jackets.

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy tilted her head. “W… what are you wearing?”

“It’s my winter uniform.” She responded bluntly, her words dripping with sarcasm. “What do you think I’m wearing? I can’t touch anything because of my new powers! Gah!” She flinched after taking one step forward, her shoes sending out an electrical buzz noise. “Ever since I got them, ouch! I can’t touch anything without getting myself shocked like some kind of super-conductor. Ow!” She reached out for her bag only to get electrocuted by the fabric. “I’ve been like this all day. I couldn’t even eat breakfast! I hardly got any sleep! Yeow! Ow! Doh!” Every surface her skin touched made her flinch. In fact, one might even think that she was doing some kind of weird ritual dance.

“Aww, you poor thing.” Fluttershy reached out only to find herself shocked too at the slightest touch. “Ow! You’re right. That is troubling.”

“You said it. Ow!” Another jolt surged from her fingers. “We need a solution… and fast. We can’t go on like this. I’m gonna lose my mind if I keep jumping at everything I do!”

And that they can all agree. Fluttershy won’t be able to live with herself if she suddenly turned into a rabbit in the middle of class. Or worse yet. A donkey.

xxxxxxxxxx

Out on the other side of school, Professor Doodle felt a disturbance in the force.

xxxxxxxxxx

“I’m with Rainbow Dash on this one.” Applejack nodded, putting her giant corn down. “But what can we do? Sunset’s still in Equestria and Twilight’s got her own stuff to deal with. Unless one of us knows a way to deal with this new magic, we’re stranded like a couple of kids in a deserted island.”

That was also true. None of them were proficient in magic other than the powers they were given, and a few handy dandy spells Sunset taught them. But other than those, their knowledge was pretty limited. Makes you wonder how much the rest of them relied on those two for all their magical problems.

“Hey guys!” Another friendly voice interjected bouncing into the conversation like a slingshot. No surprise, it was Pinkie Pie. And unlike the rest of them, she seemed to having little trouble controlling her powers. The girl was practically bouncing around more so than normal as her new ability seemed to turn every surface she touched into gelatin making her go boing like the worlds’ weirdest basketball. “Enjoying the new powers? I certainly am. You have got to try this.”

“Pinkie!” Applejack grabbed her just in time as Principal Celestia passed by. The sudden rumble caught her attention which made the Principal turn her gaze at them suspiciously. They plastered a reassuring smile on their faces, waving her off as if everything was normal. It was only thanks to the interruption of Ms. Cheerilee that they were able to get away with it. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Nope. My mind’s still right here.” She bonked her head in response, giggling happily as ever.

“You do know that Principal Celestia banned all magic in school, right? If she catches you or any of us using magic, we’ll be big trouble. And I’ve had enough of trouble for one morning.”

“Aww… but these new powers of mine are totally awesome! It’s like I’m living inside a world made out of trampolines! Or a world made of jello! You should try it.”

“We need a way to control these powers.” Fluttershy reminded. “Otherwise we’ll be like this forever. Anyone got any ideas?”

Sadly none came to mind.

At least not until Rainbow gave her two cent. “Hey, instead of asking Twilight to fix this problem. Why don’t we ask Flash instead?” They all turned to her. “I mean… he’s the whole reason why we got these powers in the first place, right? Maybe he can help us control it or maybe even remove it.” Huh… that was a thought. “Maybe if we do another magical handshake, it’ll make things right again.” It was a shot in the dark. And honestly they didn’t have much of an option.

“That might actually work.” Applejack again agreed, finding little reason to argue. “I saw him at Home Ec earlier. Maybe we can all meet up at lunch. Can you guys hold out for a few more hours?”

Rainbow Dash grumbled under her layered jackets. “Do we have a choice? Ow!”

xxxxxxxxxx

Oh my. This really is serious.

Rarity had always enjoyed drama. They were the special ingredient needed to spice things up in life. Some were captivating and some were frightening. But nonetheless it added some excitement to this somewhat mundane livelihood.

“Twilight, darling. This is rather big news. Why in the world would you want to break up with dear old Timber? You two are quite the adorable couple in my eyes. I figured you were happy.”

“I thought so too.” Twilight sighed, leaning on her seat like she had just the worst-day-ever. “But the more I hung around with him, the more I realized that the spark we had together just isn’t there anymore. I used to see him as the cute, perfect guy who I would always love to be with. But now…”

“But…?”

“Now… I’m not so sure.” She slumped tiresomely. “Now it’s just… empty and…”

“Boring? Mundane? Lacking flare and pizazz?”

“Not the words I would use… but… kinda. It’s just… being with him has become… too tiresome.”

Ah… the natural dilemma. What a breath of fresh air. An actual relationship problem that she could actually handle. And not a single hint of a certain blue haired boy in the mixture. Yeah… she can deal with this.

“Twilight Twilight Twilight…” Rarity began in a joyful tone, leaning back in her seat and enjoying the privacy of the band room. “You’re way overthinking this. People are very complicated creatures. Our needs and wants change overtime. You can’t exactly remain stagnant forever. Why… take me for example. About a week ago I used to wear Aunt Moose’s Eye Liners thinking that they were the finest in the city. But then a week later I turned to using regular eye liners. Think of it like fashion. One minute you go goth, then tomorrow you’ll turn to Victorian fashion and the day after that, exotic will be the new in thing. Do you understand, darling?”

“Uh… no.”

“Fashions change as the seasons change. And just like fashion, YOU are changing.” She gave her a poke on the chest. “Perhaps back then you were into Timber because you had little to no interest in your own love life. But now that your world has expanded… your interests broadens. Sure we all love your adorable Timber. He’s cute, funny, smart, and gets your nonsensical jokes. I wouldn’t mind if you two got together. But if he no longer gives you that flare in your heart, then it is only right that you break up with him. It’s perfectly normal for relationships to break down after a long while. Better to end it now than stringing him along.”

“Yeah… I know that. But I don’t know how.” Twilight groaned. “I mean… Timber’s my first ever boyfriend. And interpersonal relationships aren’t really my expertise. That’s why I came to you.”

“I’m honored that you feel that way.”

“I mean… you must’ve had plenty of relationships before. How did you break up with your first boyfriend?”

Rarity froze. Her eyes locked upward while she plastered a cool smile on her face. Sweat threatened to pour as her brain went into overdrive.

Crap crap. Double crap. This isn’t good.

Despite all of Rarity’s words of wisdom, she will never openly admit that she never really had a deep relationship before. As a matter of fact, every advice she gives out about love and crushes are pretty much pulled out of TV dramas and romantic novels in which she poured hours over. They were perhaps somewhat believable to the untrained mind like her friends. If it were anyone else, they’d see pass her sham immediately. She may as well be pulling her words out of that one place where the sun don’t shine.

“Rarity?”

“Ah… ahem. It… doesn’t really matter.” She forced out a cough. “No two relationships are ever alike my dear. You can’t possibly garner anything from my… ‘Previous’ experience.” Twilight eyed her, but it seemed like she bought that excuse. Phew. Nice save Rarity. “Anyway. In my personal experience. If you want to break up with someone, you must do so face-to-face. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

“Ugh… she said the same thing too.” Twilight mumbled in her hand. “I’m an awful person, aren’t I?”

“Feeling bad about a break up is natural darling. But it is for the best. Anywho. If you really want to get the flow going. I would suggest taking the lead.” Rarity added to which her friend listened intently. “I suggest inviting Timber over. Not a date. But as a sit down period. A serious talk to discuss your relationship. But you must be the one to initiate it.”

“And how do I do that?”

“Call him over. Invite him to a place where both of you can feel comfortable. Be gentle so as you won’t overwhelm him. Give him your reasoning. Tell him straight of why you’re breaking up with him. Don’t stutter and be direct. We wouldn’t want any misunderstandings to happen now.” Trust me, I’ve seen enough of that to last me a lifetime.

“That sounds… hard.”

“I never said it would be easy, darling. Consider it another task that you can put under your belt. So when someone has a relationship problem, you can put your own experience to good use.”

“I thought you said that no two relationship are alike.”

Dang it. She always could poke holes in her words. “This is this. That was that darling.” Twilight gave her a confused look. “In any case. You should absolutely do this as soon as possible. I would even say tonight if permitted.”

“Tonight!?”

“You don’t want this who charade to go on forever now, do you?”

Twilight flicked her glasses and went into deep thought. She was probably processing all this information and troubleshoot a solution. She looked absolutely adorable too being all panicky inside.

“I guess you’re right. I can’t leave it hanging forever.” With a heavy heart and a troublesome sigh, the girl reached for her phone and began typing a painful text. “And I know just the spot to meet him.”

It looks like she has a hand on things. Though Rarity had to admit that she pitied poor little Timber. He definitely deserved better. The guy was sweet and well-mannered even with his many many faults. But stringing a dead relationship was unhealthy. So… all in all, this would be a good thing for the both of them.

“There. It’s done.” Twilight declared, putting her phone down, dreading for the reply that would eventually come. “What do I do now?”

“Now, we wait.” Rarity answered resting her head in her hand. “Despite this whole break up thing. I find this whole talk with you rather refreshing for a change.”

“You find my break up to be… refreshing?”

“Oh don’t get me wrong. It’s a horrifying experience to be sure. But with all the relationship trouble I’ve been dealing with our friends, this is far worthwhile experience.”

“Our friends have relationship problems?” Twilight’s eyes rose in interest. “Who?”

“Sorry darling. But these lips are sealed on the matter.” Rarity did a zip motion on her mouth chuckling softly. “Let’s just say that their love lives aren’t as glamorous as life makes it to be in television. Speaking of which. Mind sharing some details on yours? I figured we could pass the time here with a little small talk.”

Twilight didn’t seem to mind and shrugged back nonchalantly.

“What was it that made you decide to break up with sweet old Timber?” Rarity asked, much to her friend’s surprise. “Clearly he must’ve done something to make you all… heartbreaking.”

Twilight fidgeted a bit, stubbing her shoe into the floorboard. Her eyes shifted away, avoiding Rarity completely before she finally answered. “I guess you could say it was a long time coming. I mean we’ve been going on so many dates, went to so many places, it’s hard to keep track of them all. I suppose it was everything we did together.” So she was pretty much just bored with the same old routine. Pretty standard for school drama. “And then there was this big fight he had.”

Big fight?

Rarity’s eyes widened. It sounded like a story. Violence, tension, pure raw emotions! Yes! Finally! Something interesting.

“A big fight you say?” She asked, taking a quick brush on her hair, pretending to be mildly interested while in truth she was being giddy inside. It’s about high time this circle of friends got into the more nature of life.

“Yeah. Apparently he had this argument with Flash some time ago.”

Wha…?

Rarity’s comb snapped in two.

Her head was aching again.

“Rarity?”

WHY……..!?

(Timber’s Apartment)

Timber felt…… good.

He felt different. Heck he looked different.

He could hardly recognize the man staring back at him in the mirror.

Was he always this tall? Did his jaw looked this rugged? Was his hair always so slick? And what was that suit he was wearing? It looked like a cross between a jacket and a blazer. The lady at the fashion store told him it was some sort of the latest trend amongst the fashion of today, but sadly he couldn’t really get the name. The lady didn’t seem to mind taking his money though.

Well whatever it was, he was definitely killing it.

The boy checked himself again, striking a pose. He didn’t just look like a winner, he felt like it too.

One might say he even looked superior to the lesser folk.

How can anyone say no to a face like that?

Twilight did.

And that thought alone made the boy pause.

All this glamor, all this charm. It wasn’t worth squat if it didn’t even impress her. Twilight hardly even looked at him. No… it was more like she didn’t even recognize him.

Did he do something wrong? Was it too much for her to process? Or maybe he should change into something more expensive and fancy?

“Your worries are apparent for all to see.” Timber jolted when a voice suddenly spoke up from somewhere in his room. He scanned around thinking it was the wind, only to find his reflection in the mirror warp into a familiar figure. “Or perhaps that is merely what we all agree.”

“Z… Zecora? Is that you?”

The figure smiled under her veiled face, tilting sideways in mocking amusement. “I sensed your irritation from across the void. I began to wonder what it was that made your so… annoyed. Was my gift to you not to your satisfaction? Are you perhaps displeased with our transaction?”

“N… no… NO!” He hastily replied. “Everything is great. The money got me everything I wanted.”

“Wealth is an illusion you bonded. But I sense what you gained was not what you wanted.”

“I… no.” He slumped down. The sudden confident posture he had vanished. “Don’t get me wrong. It feels great. I didn’t think I could get so much. But… none of it really matters if I can’t even get the girl I really like to rekindle our love.” He groaned. “I thought if I showed Twilight that I was a completely new person she might see me in a new light. But instead it just made me look like a weirdo. With all the money I have right now, I can get her anything she could ever want. A new house, a new centrifuge, all the books money could buy. She can have everything. I even offered her a new lab to work in. But she didn’t want it.”

“Love is worth more than what wealth can offer. The feeling of safety, the joy of laughter.”

“I know what love is worth. But for Twilight, that isn’t enough! I need something more. Something that would wow her. Something that’ll make her look at me like she did the first time we met. I mean… what makes that Flash guy so much better than me?”

Zecora’s eyes gleamed. “Flash Sentry, you mean?”

“Yeah. The pretty rich boy from Uptown. What does he have that I don’t? Money? Love of music? I have both of those and yet… she still sees him.”

“Perhaps you are merely looking in the wrong direction. There is often a reason for her… infatuation.” Timber squinted questioningly. “You know her better than most. You should know… what it is she boasts.”

“Well… if anything, she likes studying magic. And Flash doesn’t have magic.”

“Are you quite sure of that?” The image in the mirror shifted again swirling in a smoky picture.

“Is… is that…?” The picture suddenly came clear again showing the house by the hill. It was the gang’s unofficial club house. A safe haven of sorts. And there at the courtyard, was his girlfriend, smiling brightly along with her friends. “What is this?”

“A picture of the past.” The strange witch explained. “A meeting second to last.”

Timber was starting to think this woman was only rhyming for the sake of rhyming. But his thoughts were too preoccupied when he suddenly noticed the blue haired bastard walking out of the house. He couldn’t hear them but he could see their faces well enough.

Timber felt his guts squeezing every moment Flash was near Twilight. She watched her laugh as the boy in the mirror said something that amused her. Her eyes sparkled brilliantly as they spoke, yammering away with all kinds of friendly comments. And that smile? He hasn’t seen that kind of warm loving smile in ages. Not since their time at the botanical garden years ago. She probably wasn’t even aware of her own actions.

But why? Why him? What made that guy more appealing than him?

It can’t be the looks. Twilight wasn’t as shallow as to allow simple appearance to sway her heart. She wasn’t that kind of gal. And it definitely wasn’t the pedigree or his wealth. It had to be something. Something he couldn’t see.

And his answer came sooner than expected when he saw Flash’s hand glow with a radiant power. It was faint but he could see it. It was the same glow that came from their geodes. A pulsing energy that sparked his girlfriend’s interest.

He… he has magic.

“He has magic!?”

“Power from beyond the common the air.” Zecora responded. “A power no amount of wealth can compare.”

Timber jolted back as if struck by realization.

Magic. Of course. It was the one thing he could never conceive. The one thing he could never truly relate with Twilight. But if Flash managed to get his hands on some… that must be how he enticed her.

It made sense. It has to!

The vision faded, returning to the woman once more.

“So that’s why.”

Timber wanted to laugh at his idiocy. Heh… what a stupid notion to think that it was all so complicated. All that because of magic.

Well… two can play at that game, Flash.

He reached out for the sapphire necklace. A present he wanted to give to Twilight and clutched it hard.

“Zecora. I want another gift.”

The Coming Storm

Chapter 86: Storm

(Timber’s apartment)

Gloriosa was… getting worried.

No, her camp wasn’t going under again. In fact, you might even say it was… prospering. Camp Everfree was getting a large influx of visitors thanks to the renovations. And after visitors began telling stories about the camp and its unique attraction, her place has been booked till next season. By the end of the month she’ll have more than enough money to shove into Filthy Rich’s face and gloat about for the rest of her life.

But that’s not what got her worried.

In fact, it was actually her brother that’s got her feeling… anxious.

It all started when he came back from his three day long disappearance. While she was glad that nothing happened to him, she noticed that something… strange was going on with Timber.

It wouldn’t be the first time the boy needed some soul searching time for himself. The guy would normally have his radio blackout moments cruising around the countryside under the guise of: ‘Finding himself’. But that’s usually the excuse he’d use just to get out of work at camp. Heck, there was even a time he would disappear for a week without anyone noticing. But at times he would leave a note or at least call back just to let others know that he was fine.

But this time however… it felt… different. Gloriosa couldn’t find the words to describe it, but she was definitely sure that something was off with her brother.

Firstly, he said that he found a job in the city working for some big wig at a big corporation, and that the pay is good with flexible working hours. Then he comes back home with pockets full of cash and began splurging it on himself and the apartment. He pretty much decked out the place, replacing the old fridge, bought a big fancy TV, and a whole slew of stuff that would normally cost an ordinary citizen an arm and a leg. Where was this when they needed the funds to renovate the camp?

And don’t even get her started to what he did with his wardrobe. The boy threw out many of his old stuff and replaced them with newer modern hipper fashion. He changed his hair, his looks, his clothes, and even his whole personality.

It was like Timber came back as a completely different person.

If this is how he does his soul searching, then he must’ve went to the wrong department.

Now Gloriosa wasn’t much of a detective. But even she knew that something wasn’t right. No one changes their outlook in life so quickly. Not even Timber, and that’s saying something. And getting all that money to buy all these stuff can’t be legal.

Either her brother was involved in something nefarious or he was under the influence of something nasty. And right now Gloriosa was hoping it was the former.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to his door and raised her hand, only to pull up short when the door opened on its own. She jolted backward as her brother’s face poked itself out, looking haggard.

“Oh! Hey sis. I didn’t know you were home. What’s cracking?” Timber spoke, forcing a smile while sweat poured from his face like he had just went through a marathon.

“Uh… n… nothing much.” She stammered, trying her best to NOT be suspicious. “I was just wondering if you needed something. Are you… doing something?”

“Just a little cleanup. Nothing major.” That statement would’ve sold off better if she hadn’t noticed a strange ominous light coming from his room. He must’ve also noticed her glance because he quickly closed the door behind him. “So… you wanted something?”

His face looked so pale. It almost looked like he was in pain.

“Are you… alright?”

“Course I am.” He responded so loudly that it frightened her. “Just… moving some furniture. That’s all.”

That was a lie and they both knew it. She’s been here for over an hour now and she hadn’t heard a single creaking of furniture. And most of the stuff he used to own had been tossed out yesterday.

“Timber. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“But your face…”

“I’m fine.”

That wasn’t going to cut it. “Timber. I’m your sister. Don’t think that I’m an idiot. I know when you’re lying and you’re obviously not fine. What are you doing in there? You’ve been acting weird lately ever since you got this new job of yours and you haven’t even told me what it is. I’m starting to worry here.”

“I said I’m fine!” He snapped angrily making her shift backward in fright. “S… sorry. I’m in the middle of something and I can’t talk about it.” The boy glanced back into his room as an eerie voice beckoned him back in.

“Is there someone with you?”

“No! Just… talking with someone. On the phone. It’s uh… work related. Anyway, I have something to do. I’ll catch you later.” Without even waiting he grabbed his stuff and bolted out of the apartment. She called out to him but he ignored it.

Gloriosa wanted to follow but she felt a dread just by thinking it.

She was more than certain now that something was up with Timber. He was always a rebel in the family but never aggressive. At least… not like this. Her brother looked angry, and in pain. And that strange look in his eye was just… out of this world.

It kind of reminded her of… well… her – or at the very least the old her. The panicky tone, the stressful nature? It was all too frighteningly similar to her old self.

Slowly enough the girl glanced into his room that he left unguarded. It was unsurprisingly locked. But lucky for her she made sure that there was a spare key for every door here. Something Timber never seemed to get around doing.

With a little finesse the door creaked open.

And then her mouth stifled a gasp.

(Canterlot High)

A beast prowled CHS that morning.

A creature that sought its prey with purpose, snarling angrily like an animal. Students who saw it quickly parted away, praying that they wouldn’t be snared, and teachers and faculty alike turned a blind eye to the predator.

No one felt safe, no one dared bar its path lest they be caught in the conflict.

Slowly it sniffed down the hallway, finding its mark by the smell of its expensive cologne.

With a huff, the beast jumped into action, locating its target by the vending machine, grabbing a soda.

Eyes beating red, and nose blaring steam, she pounced.

“Oh hey Rarity. What’s up with…”

“RAWRRRR!” Flash Sentry never got to finish that sentence when he was nabbed.

xxxxxxxxxx

Rarity considered herself to be the cultured one in the group. A person who radiated some semblance of style within the school. She would never think of one day she would act like an animal, hunting down a prey with little mercy. But at the moment she believed she can be excused for just this once.

Hey prey dangled atop the band room, suspended upside-down within a crystal cage of her own magical design. She expected him to be either scared or angry at his sudden capture, but the boy looked more confused than frightened.

But she won’t let this cute-innocent-lovable singer rocker boy go without a reason. Despite his adorable demeanor, he was the one clearly at fault here. He’s the very reason why she had to act this way. Why she had to abandon all manner of self-control and bring him over like a glorified turkey.

Flash here was the source of all her anguish, the reason why her friends were acting weird and love struck. First it was Applejack and her sudden development of love, then Pinkie Pie with her sudden infatuation, then Rainbow Dash – though granted, that girl was probably just doing it to get her parents off her back. Then of course there was Fluttershy who, by far went above the limit of sanity, decided to use the boy as a shield to block any oncoming courters.

And now there was this BIG fight with Timber which then prompted (or at least added) the reason of Twilight’s eventual breakup.

Whether it was a strange occurrence of fate or just a string of unfortunate coincidences, this boy seemed to be the root cause of it all. The primary reason, the gunpowder to their torch or something like that. Either way, something had to be done. And Rarity was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what.

“Uh… Rarity.” Flash spoke, trying and failing to wiggle out of his restraints. “Did I… do something to offend you? Because if I did, I completely apologize.”

Not really. Though he is partially responsible for her constant headache right about now.

“Don’t try that charming voice of yours at me, buster. I’m not falling for that silly old trick.”

He blinked back, confused. “Uh… I wasn’t. What’s this all abou—wahh!”

She pulled him closer, just enough to poke his nose. “I’ll be the one asking the questions around here, Flash Sentry, if that’s even your real name.”

“It is…”

“Don’t you play smart with me mister! I know every trick in the book. I’ve mastered all manner of manipulation techniques and have handled worst criminals than you.” No she hasn’t. “So you may as well confess!”

“Confess… what exactly?”

That you’re a bloody Casanova who seduces women just for the fun of it! A player, a playboy, a ladies’ man, a home-wrecking Romeo who toys on the hearts of her friends!

Ok maybe a few of those weren’t exactly true, but they were close enough!

“What secrets are you hiding?” She demanded, hands clasping onto his jacket and rolling him around. “Who do you work for? What’s your angle in all of this!? What are you truly after? Tell me!”

“I. Have. No. Idea. What. You’re. Talking. About.” The boy replied through shakes which she quickly released.

“Playing the long game now, are we? Well two can play at that game.”

“Rarity. You’re not making any sense.”

“That’s detective Rare to you, buster.” Flash tilted his head in confusion of the strange title. “Private Eye, Rare. Solver of the missing Diamond Boots, and the one who uncovered the fake baseball card smuggling ring scheme in CHS.” That last one was a lofty title at best. In the end they discovered it was just Zephyr counterfeiting cards using the school library’s copying machine and then selling them off as authentic.

“You lost me.”

Damn it. He’s still not coming clean.

“Fine then! If you’re not going to confess your sins, then you’ve forced my hands! I will use my ultimate power to squeeze the… truth… out… out of…”

“Rarity?” Dang it. Why now?

“Rarity!” Flash jumped off the moment her shields came down, catching her just before she hit the floor. “You ok?”

“I’m…… I’m perfectly fine.” She responded weakly as she was brought to a chair. “I just need to… lie down for a spell and… rest my eyes.”

The boy fanned her before producing the soda can he bought from the vending machine a few minutes ago. “Here. Take a sip.” Hmm… grape flavored. Her preferred taste. It really numb that aching head of hers. “So… are you going to start telling me what’s going on here? Why you just kidnapped me and made me miss Home-Ec?”

Rarity sighed back as the ache finally went away. The pangs of anger suddenly replaced with regret and embarrassment. “I’m… terribly sorry about all this, Flash. I was going through a rather…… stressful moment and… I guess my emotions got the better of me.”

“Don’t you normally let your emotions get the better of you?” He added jokingly which she did not respond positively, giving him the stink eye. “Right. Serious moment then. Continue.”

“I’ve… just had a rather serious talk with Twilight – and… I didn’t take it very well at the end.”

“Twilight?” Flash’s eyes widened in alarm. “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine darling. Just… having a relationship crisis.”

“Relationship?”

Dang it. Me and my big mouth.

Rarity brought her hand over her face. Her brain was scrambled right now. Not to mention her ache. She prompted to change the topic but nothing came to mind.

Oh well… she may as go for broke in this regard. What’s the point of keeping everything in when it’s just gonna blow her out of proportion?

“Um… promise you won’t tell?” His silence was his answer. “But Twilight may be breaking up with Timber.”

“Twilight’s breaking up with Timber!?”

“Shhh! Not so loud!” Rarity hushed him. “You want the whole school to hear? Yes. She told me about twenty minutes ago.”

“B… but why? I thought things between them were going well.”

She thought so too. With all the dates that they’ve been going, and how Timber was such an attentive boyfriend, she thought that they might even make it official. But that didn’t seem like the case. Rarity even planned on becoming the official godmother of their children. She even entertained the thought of being called ‘Auntie Rae-Rae’.

“Apparently it wasn’t. And from what she told me… you’re the root cause.”

“Me!?” His expression slipped for a second there. A hint on his eyes noted that he realized something. And he knew it.

“You and Timber apparently had a huge fight with one another and it’s all she’s been thinking of.” She added, which he looked down in shame.

“Oh no.” He grunted, rubbing his head angrily. “Could this really be my fault? Did I do this? Maybe I can help salvage it.”

“What on earth could you have fought about that was so damaging? I didn’t even know there was bad blood between you two.”

“It’s… complicated.” The fashionista gave him a pointed look. “Ok, it’s very complicated.” Her eye twitched.

Complicated? You want to talk to me about complicated!? Two of my friends have a major crush on you right now, and both of them are holding it back because they don’t know how to handle their feelings. That was a powder keg on its own. Rainbow Dash is currently your pretend girlfriend for her parents, and Fluttershy is using you as a boy-toy shield to keep suitors away from her! SO DON’T YOU DARE LECTURE ME ABOUT COMPLICATED, YOUNG MAN!!!!! I’m barely untangling that knot out myself.

“That excuse isn’t going to cut it, Flash.” She held back her urge to pour her mind out. “Now if you want to help me understand this whole ordeal, you had better start making sense.” The boy gave a mixture of signals ranging from ‘No way’ to ‘Are you nuts?’. Whatever argument they had must’ve been pretty severe, which was… sort of intriguing in its own right. “You want to help salvage this relationship, right?”

“Of course. But…”

“No buts.” She snapped. “Start talking or this breakup is going to be on your head.”

The boy groaned in his hands. “Ugh… fine. But… promise you won’t tell the others?”

“These lips are…” She paused for a moment before quickly checking outside the room to keep watch for eavesdroppers. You can’t be too careful in this school. With a satisfied nod, she closed the door and locked it. “… sealed.”

…

Ok she took that back.

When Flash said that the whole thing was complicated, he really wasn’t kidding. He told her the whole story right down to the last detail. And from what she gathered… it didn’t look good.

Apparently Timber believed that Twilight began to grow certain ‘Feelings’ for Flash and thought that he was gonna try and steal her, which prompted him to call the boy out and asked him – or in this case ‘Threaten’ him – to stay away. It felt like such a farfetched story. Completely bizarre and fictional.

For one thing. Twilight crushing on Flash? Their Twilight? Back during the Friendship Games and Camp Everfree, the little nerd of their group show hardly any interest to the blue rocker boy. It wasn’t like this Twilight was the same pony Twilight in the pony world. That would be completely ridiculous. It’s like having twins fall for the same boy. That’s crazy.

But seeing how her friends are slowly orbiting around this boy, she wouldn’t sign off that theory just yet.

And… their Twilight wasn’t exactly the best when it came to romantic feelings. Heck, she’s only known the gang for two and a half years. Her personal relationship are probably just as old as their friendship. If you consider all the factors, her emotional maturity with other people was barely that of a toddler. And that wasn’t good.

She might even fully realize that she has a crush on Flash.

No wait. Don’t do this Rarity. These are all just circumstantial evidence. There’s no proof but Flash’s words here. It could all just be fabrication.

But… the inner detective inside of her was saying otherwise.

The boy doesn’t have a motive to lie and he clearly worries for Twilight and all of her friends. And so far all of his intentions have been pretty straight forward. He just wants to help the gang and get involved in their magical shenanigans. A simple yet somewhat childish behavior.

“So… let me get this straight.” She began in all of her annoyance. “Timber called you out believing that Twilight actually… likes you?” He nodded shyly. “Don’t take this the wrong way Flash. It’s not like I don’t believe you or anything. But even I find that to be… a little over the top.”

“You’re not the only one.” He admitted that it sounded strange when he says it out loud. “I thought Timber was being a paranoid boyfriend.”

“Paranoid enough that he would call you out in the middle of the night?” The boy shrugged back. “What did he say to you exactly?”

“To… stay away from Twilight for a bit.” A promise he clearly failed to do. “At first I thought he was crazy. But… then… I start to notice things.”

That did not sound good. “What kind of things exactly?”

“Remember that time when Twilight and I were trapped on the other side of the world when we used the portal under Castle Hoofbeard?” How could they forget? They were practically riddled with worries there. “Well I think we might’ve bonded there. More than I thought we would.”

“Oh my.” It was a rather vague statement. But it was enough to send her over-imaginative imagination to overdrive. The two of them were trapped there for almost a week. And if she recalled correctly. The whole police force went out went out of their way to look for him.

Now that she thought about it. Two teens trapped together in a mysterious world beyond the contact of others? It was a recipe for romance and drama. A place for relationships to deepen.

“But I highly doubt Twilight is the type of girl who’d fall for such a simple charm.” Rarity added. “A few outings couldn’t have possibly built feelings that strongly.”

“Well… that wasn’t the only time.”

Her mood went south. “Of course it wasn’t. What else did you do? Did you take her to Manehattan and tour the boulevards of winding dreams? Fly her off to Las Pegasus and had watched the opera? Cruise the canals of Neighagra Falls? Climb the Peeks of Mt. Everhoof?”

“I took her out to this restaurant she wanted to visit called the Tasty Treats. And we may have went to other places afterward.”

“Other places?”

“Movies and such…”

Rarity blinked once… then twice. Then she grabbed her pouch, walked up to the boy and smacked him in the head.

“That’s what we ordinary people call… A DATE!” She snapped at him as he recoiled from the pain. “So not only did you two spend quality time with one another, you’ve also seemed to have bonded immensely afterward. This would explain why the sudden change of Twilight’s heart.”

Flash gulped. “So you really think that this whole breakup is my fault?”

“Probably.” His face contorted with guilt and agony. It was harsh but true. “Twilight isn’t exactly familiar with love. In fact – you might even say that Timber was her first encounter of love-at-first-sight. She might not even be entirely aware of her own conflicting feelings. But… I also cannot say that you are fully to blame either.”

“So… should we try and change her mind?”

“No!” She snapped. “Trying to change that girl’s mind this close to the finish line will only confuse her, and will probably make everything worse.” And I might’ve already given her the green light to go for it. “The only thing left to do now is to let the whole scenario run its course. But with all the factors at play, there’s no guarantee. We’ll have to help, silently of course. You especially, Flash.”

“Yes! Absolutely.” He agreed immediately. “I’ll do anything to help.”

“Good. Then after school, you and I will follow Twilight to her meeting with Timber and ensure that the breakup goes smoothly.”

The boy blinked. “We are?”

“We are.”

He scratched the back of his head confusingly. “And… how does that help?”

“Because darling – breakups are messy. Especially the first one people experience. And when they split, Twilight is going to need a shoulder to cry on. She’ll be slumped, vulnerable and miserable as any recently broken-up girl would be. Thus, as her friend it is my responsibility to be that shoulder and invite her over to the Sweet Shoppe for some well-deserved ‘breakup-ice-cream’ and soothing smoothie.”

“That sounds fine and all. But wouldn’t it be bad if I came along?”

“I never said you had to appear.” She added with a coy grin. “I’ll be the one handling the waterwork. You’ll be the one picking the tab.”

Flash gave her a look. “Really? Is my money all I’m good at?”

“You do want to help clear your conscience, don’t you? Then this is my price.” Not that he had much to complain. With his allowance being a hundred times more than what any of them had, their order of ice cream will be chump change.

xxxxxxxxxx

What was that about?

Rarity left in quite a hurry back then with a strange look in her eye. Perhaps their talk about breakup was too much drama for her to handle. Not surprising. Twilight felt nauseous just thinking about the whole ordeal.

Her first ever romantic relationship was about to crash and burn like her first ever supercomputer and there was very little she could do to stop it. It was disheartening but Rarity was right. She can’t string Timber along like this. It wouldn’t be fair. While he might still bear some feelings for her, the affection she once had for him was dead and dry. As painful as it was to endure, she had to do it. For both their sakes.

Rip off the band aid and be done with it. Be clear, precise, and to the point. No more excuses or delays. Timber has to understand, that there can’t be anything between them anymore.

… well… okay… maybe not that far.

She hopes they can still be friends at least.

And speak of the devil himself. A reply came on her phone. She sent out a text message earlier inviting him to the city park. From what Rarity stated, it was the third best place for a breakup. It was quiet, serene, and had plenty of places where they can be alone together while she gives him the sour beans. If everything goes well – or as well as breakups can go – they’ll part ways as friends.

Hearts will be broken, but at least this way they both can take a step in the right direction and move on from one another. That’s best-case scenario.

“See ya there, sweetheart.” Ugh. Even his texts feel like they hold a tinge of mushiness. The emojis alone were filled with sweetness that even Fluttershy might find overbearing.

“So you’re finally gonna go through with this, eh?” Midnight Sparkle once again decided to drop on her parade, appearing in her former Crystal Prep uniform. “About time if you asked me. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’m wagering it’ll go from ‘Please don’t leave me’ to ‘Crying river’. Though I am leaning towards a massive barrage of questions beforehand. Either of which are welcoming.”

“It’s not gonna come to that.” Twilight held firm, walking down the hall and making sure no one was around to hear her talk to herself. “Timber is a strong and mature person. He’s not gonna break down or fall apart like glass. He’s made of sterner stuff. I’m sure he can handle it.”

The angel didn’t give much hope on those. “Yeah. Sure. Until he completely wigs out and overreacts like a lunatic like in that movie: The Slasher’s Mistress!”

Twilight blinked. “I haven’t watched that movie since I was in grade school. How’d you…? Are you going through my memories again?”

“What? There’s only so much teen drama I can stomach before I get sick of the stuff. Besides, going through your childhood trauma is so much more fun than watching your love life crash and burn into the ground and then exploding into a fiery inferno.”

“That’s not helping.”

“It wasn’t meant to.” Ugh… for a seemingly powerful entity that lives inside her head, she’s quite annoying. “Oh why thank you. I always aim to displease.”

“If you’re not going to useful, can you at least promise to be quiet during the whole breakup talk? I’d rather not have to deal with a third-wheel as well.”

She shrugged. “Fair enough. Though I will be watching in the background with popcorn and all.” That’s probably the best deal she can get at this point. Not that she could change the mind of a former world-dominating-all-powerful-deity. “And a quick reminder: Don’t mess this one up. The last thing this extended relationship of yours need is a sequel.”

(Apartment building parking lot)

Gloriosa ran.

She ran as fast as her legs could take her. Panic and worry filled her face as she rushed through the corridor of her apartment, brushing pass her neighbors without a care.

She needed to find Timber. Fast!

She should’ve realized sooner that something wasn’t right. She knew that he was in deep. But never in her life did she think he was in that deep.

What she saw in his room a few minutes ago was madness. Roots and tree branches sprouting on every corner, flowers blooming on the corners all entangling in a messy quagmire of nature.

Normally something like that would be considered beautiful in her eyes. But the way it was presented just sent chills up her spine. The whole nature-in-your-house thing just felt all wrong and nasty.

Gloriosa could see the writing on the wall and she was more than familiar with its signs. There was definitely magic involve and not the good kind. She had firsthand experience with that kind of power and… let’s just say that the scenario did not end well. Like… she tried to imprison a bunch of kids to create her own perfect utopia kind of scenario.

“Timber stop!” She found her brother just as he was about to enter his car.

Without even looking at her he grunted. “What now, sis? I’m kind of in a hurry at the moment.”

His voice sounded gurgled and faded, like the guy was chewing on a bunch of mint. But that didn’t stop Gloriosa. “And where are you going?”

“I’m off to meet Twilight. She said that she needed to see me for something.” Judging by the trailing of his voice, it didn’t sound like a good thing.

“It’s barely noon.” Gloriosa reminded, taking one step in his direction, cautiously. “Twilight’s obviously at school right now.”

Her brother let out a low grunt, still facing away from her. “I’m off to buy her a little gift before we meet. That’s all.”

“I thought you were planning to give that necklace to her.” That’s two nails on the head now and Timber couldn’t deny it. He let out a growl but kept his hand on his car. “Timber. What’s going on? What’s happening?”

“I said it’s nothing!”

“And that’s nonsense!” She snapped back, not taking that redundant answer any longer. “I saw your room, Timber. It’s like a forest just invaded! You found magic, didn’t you?”

“And what if I did?”

That was quick. For a moment there she thought her brother would give her the run-around. “You and I both know how dangerous magic is. You’ve seen what I did before and it didn’t end well for any of us.”

“This is different, sis.”

“The only thing different here is our roles.” His pause gave her a hint that she was somehow getting through to him. “I once thought magic was the answer. That having that power could somehow change things for the better. But you managed to talk me out of it. You and the other campers that day.” Another pause, his grip loosening from his car. “I know you love, Twilight. And believe me, I like her too. She sweet, kind, and a little nerdy. But what you’re doing isn’t going to change how she feels about you. You can’t let this magic control you like it did me.”

Timber grunted and groaned. There was a strange energy radiating from him. A power his sister was all too familiar with. She could see strange veins pulsing on his neck, all unnaturally beating to the rhythm of his heart.

“Timber… please.” She pleaded once more. “You know that this kind of power… is too much for us. You have to let it go.”

…

Timber was silent. His head hung low and his breathing became normal. He of all people knew that deep down, she was right. Magic was like gambling against a loaded dice. The odds of it throwing in their favor was low. She was using his own words against him. A twisted mockery of fate.

With a sigh, he slumped, grabbing the necklace by its chains.

“Sorry sis…” He muttered lowly before casting a spell. “But I have to try.”

“Wha…?” Gloriosa saw roots sprout from the ground thicker than her whole body. They wrapped themselves on the pillars before spreading outward forming a blockade between her and the boy. “Timber! Timber no!”

But by then he was gone.

Worst Breakup Ever

Chapter 87: Worst Breakup Ever

(Alleyway)

Timber clenched the side of his clothes as he rushed past the alley of downtown feeling a strange and foreign energy coursing through his vein. He grumbled and groaned feeling like every cell in his body was changing.

The blood inside of him felt like they wanted to burst out in a glorifyingly grisly and violent manner. It ached so much around his chest but at the same time, it also felt good.

It was like… having the insides of your body getting massaged by hot oil.

Was this how Gloriosa felt when she first found magic in that cave? She never mentioned that it felt this revitalizing. Painful… but refreshing too.

Speaking of Gloriosa. Timber made a mental note to apologize to her later. That girl deserved better than to be trapped into a tree like a nature cocoon. Hopefully she’ll forgive him after tonight.

But this power was still… amazing. He had the power of nature itself concentrated on his fingertips. With a single gesture of his hand, grass grew, flowers bloomed, and the earth uprooted themselves from the ground reclaiming area that was previously infertile.

He experimented on his room earlier, turning it into a jungle in a manner of seconds. It doesn’t really matter. With the money he has, he can turn that place back in no time.

But right now, he had to focus on Twilight. He had about an hour before their eventual meeting. And judging by that text, it sounded important. Better put his best face on the job. He should probably get her some flowers while he was at it.

“Hmm…” With a snap of his fingers, the pavement beneath him cracked open spawning a bushel of perfectly blooming roses that appeared out of the strange vines. “This is awesome! No wonder Gloriosa had a hard time giving up the magic. If she told me how much fun it was, I might’ve changed my opinion.”

“I see you are pleased with the power I have provided. Quite a surprise with your method so unguided.”

“Ah… Zecora.” He recognized the figure speaking to him from the puddle’s reflection. “Yeah. These new powers are amazing. If I knew how good magic felt, I would’ve asked this a long time ago.”

“The magic I’ve given you comes from your charm. Guard it well, less it brings you harm.”

The boy clutched the sapphire necklace feeling the energy pulsing within. He could only imagine what he could do with this power. Other than sprouting pretty flowers, he can make a forest grow at the flick of a hat, the ground rose and fall at his whim. With the very earth at his command, the sky was the limit.

All of this will undoubtedly get Twilight back in his arms. She couldn’t possibly resist after seeing what he can do. It will bring the good old days back. And they can be together again.

Together as they were always meant to be.

“Keep in mind of our deal. Do not lose your mind to your own appeal.”

“Oh don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten.” He replied, smiling softly at his flowers. “You’ll have her geode. With this power… not even Flash will be able to top me.”

(Park)

Yes. This is good.

Rarity had the angle all set up just as she wanted.

The cover they were in was perfect.

Bushes covering all angles, tree lines to hide them from the moonlight, and binoculars for enhanced vision. They’ll be able to see their mark from here but no one would be able to spot them.

Twilight stood at the intersection, looking rather calm and collected. A good sign so far. But that could change at any moment.

“Uh… Rarity.” Flash Sentry spoke up unsuringly from the sideline hauling over a plastic bag of goodies. “I know that you’re doing all of this for Twilight, but is all of this absolutely necessary?”

“Why of course, darling.” She responded confidently as ever. “Breakups like these are a messy procedure. It always pays to come prepared for every eventuality.” She could tell with that lazy gaze that she didn’t believe her. “Come now. Have you ever known me to lie to you?”

“No. But you did kidnap me earlier and dangled me like a criminal with your magic.”

Ah… yeah. She did do that. “Water under the bridge, my dear. Water under the bridge. Trust me. Everything I bought has a purpose.”

“You mean everything ‘I’ bought.” Flash corrected.

“You did promise to foot the bill. Besides, it’s a small price to pay for your conscience.”

“Looks more like you went on a shopping spree.”

She rolled her eyes back at him. “Oh don’t be so coy. Look here. These Deluxe Paper Towel are the most absorbent tissues in the market. Twilight will be needing these for all the water work she’ll be having. And the giant teddy bear will be for her to hug to replace that comfort she lost. And of course we can’t forget the cold medicine.”

“Cold medicine?”

“Why naturally. It’s common knowledge that those who are emotionally vulnerable are susceptible to all manner of illness. We can’t have her coming down with a cold after such a devastating event.”

“And the cake?”

She grinned. “That my dear, will be for the after-breakup.”

“I thought you were taking her to the Sweet Shoppe for that.”

“That’s for the after-breakup.” She corrected. “This is for the after-after-breakup. You can never be too sure of anything. A breakup of this magnitude can be devastating. Trust me dearie. I’m a professional.”

“You mean you got all your experience from TV drama?”

Uh… partially true.

“Must you be condescending about everything?”

“I’m just saying that it might not be that bad.” The boy shrugged back with a cheesy smug. “I mean… it certainly wasn’t this complicated when I broke up with Sunset.”

“Of course not.” She placed one hand on her hip as she stated. “She just decided to steal a magical crown from another world, bring magic into our fair city, turn all of us into brainless zombies to conquer all of Equestria, all the while becoming a literal she-demon.”

Flash’s smug dropped instantly. “H… hey! That’s not fair! That’s totally unrelated. She was already planning that even before our breakup.”

“Do you have evidence to back that up, darling?”

Flash opened his mouth to speak, but paused, stuttered, glance around worryingly before finally slouching down in defeat. “I… do not.”

“Exactly. Now be a dear and pour me a cup of tea.” The boy mumbled but complied nonetheless. “Oh don’t look so glum. Think of the positives. Once Twilight breaks up with Timber, the whole thing will be over. You won’t have to feel guilty about any of this ever again.”

“Not exactly filling me with confidence here, Rare. I still feel like this is all my fault.” It probably was. Though even she couldn’t prove it.

Twilight wasn’t a complicated gal, but she wasn’t entirely in touched with her own feelings. If she truly has an unknowing crush on Flash, this could be a mess beyond anything she has ever encountered. And no amount of TV drama shows can prepare her for whatever came next. For all they know, it might just totally be unrelated.

But… that was a brainstorm for another day. Right now they had to focus on the breakup and make sure it goes smoothly. No interruptions, and no backing away. Twilight seemed to be hanging on well enough. Though it looked like she was talking to herself.

“Hey, one question.” Flash added, to fill in the silence. “How do you know she’ll be coming through here?”

“Because it holds a special meaning to her.” She responded not taking her eyes off the intersection. “And it was Twilight’s idea. It was the sight of their first official date.”

The boy tilted his head in confusion. “I thought they had their first date in the planetarium.”

“They did. But it turned out to be a complete disaster. So Timber decided to have a midnight picnic here in the park as a backup plan. From what she said, it was very romantic.”

“That sounds like it’ll hurt more.”

“I never said it was a good idea, darling.” Rarity added. “You have to remember: This is Twilight’s first ever breakup. You can’t expect her to get everything right on the first try.”

“You think me being here is also a good idea?” Honestly? No. But she needed a gofer and a mobile ATM, and he was the only one willing. There was no way she was going to bring this problem to her friends. Not with all that messed up love… triangle? Square? Pentagon? Speaking of which… she hasn’t been able to contact any of them as of late.

She bet they were having a better time than she was.

(Applejack’s new barn)

Applejack felt like she was walking on eggshells here.

She watched as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie gathered around inside her newly constructed barn, keeping to their side hoping not to damage their surroundings. Though Pinkie seemed to be handling it better than most. The whole day has been like pins and needles, with every waking second having the possibility to lead to an unmitigated disaster.

Their new found powers have been kept contained, at least for now. But with every passing moment, their focus began to slip.

Applejack got the better end of the deal. While her new powers could turn any fresh produce or flora into a forest at the slightest touch, it was easily remedied with a pair of gloves.

Rainbow Dash had the worst of it all. The poor girl had to bury herself in what looked like layers upon layers of heavy coats just to keep herself from being electrocuted. And the moment she let her guard down, that power went haywire causing a massive electric malfunctioned that blew a fuse in the house. They had to move the meeting to the barn afterward. Thankfully there wasn’t anything around here that can cause harm other than a few haystacks and the apple seeds for the upcoming pie fest.

Fluttershy wasn’t excluded either. With every hour that passed by, the pink haired girl began to sprout new animal parts like a failed chimera. Thankfully she was able to mostly retain her human form, with the exception of a tail, ear, or snout puffing out of her every now and then. Gods know what Principal Celestia would do if she heard that an elephant suddenly appeared in school.

It was only Pinkie Pie who seemed to be in synch with her powers.

“Arghh! I can’t take this anymore!” Rainbow screamed as she looked practically haggard in her attire. “I’m burning up like a baked potato over here. We have to do something. Anything. I’m willing to douse myself in coconut oil if I have to.”

“I know how you feel.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement, patting her bunny ears away only to sigh in resignation as they reappeared again. “I don’t think I can go to school looking like this.”

“At least you don’t get zapped every minute. Yeow!” A zap nibbed her neck. “Hey Applejack. What’s the deal? Haven’t you reached out to Flash yet?”

“No.” She responded with a groan. “He never showed up for home-ec class. In fact, no one’s seen him all day.”

“So what are we gonna do now? I am not wearing these five layered jackets forever. I can’t play any sports because they’re in the way. We need to get rid of these powers… or… I’ll crack!”

Of that, they all (Minus Pinkie) can agree. But that wasn’t exactly an easy thing.

For one, none of them were experts when it came to magic. Other than their geodes, they only knew how to use a few simple spells. Only Sunset Shimmer and Twilight had expertise in such subjects. And one of them was on a mission in Equestria while the other was… occupied by something else. They tried calling but it was all going to voice mail.

“We could try solving it ourselves.” Applejack suggested. “We can’t rely on Twilight or Sunset whenever a magical conundrum sprouts up.”

“A… are you sure?” Fluttershy squeaked. “What if we make things worse?”

“Can’t we just call her? Twilight should still be around. I mean what could be more important than studying magic? She loves that kind of stuff.”

“Or~ you guys can do what I do and learn to live with your new powers. Wheee!” Pinkie added, again turning the ground beneath her into a gelatin substance and bouncing off it. Her hair practically touching the ceiling.

“We’ll leave that as plan B.” Rainbow patted her down. “So what do we do?”

Applejack pondered for a moment before deciding to wing it. “Well… if I were a guessing gal, I’d say that our magic is connected to our geode. Twilight said something about that magical handshake turning everyone into new magic doohickie. So why don’t we try removing our geodes first?”

The gang did so and placed their geodes at the center of the room. So far there was no reaction. That was good… right?

“Well? You girls feel anything different?”

“Maybe.” Rainbow shrugged pulling one of her jackets off. “It does feel like the magic is lifting off my-yeow!” A zap snapped her hair. “Yeah nope. False alarm. The magic is still there. Ugh… maybe we really should get Twilight here. We’ll more liable to make things worse if we go at it blindly.”

Was Rainbow being… careful for once? That doesn’t sound like her. Normally she’d be thrilled to try out anything and regret the consequences later.

“Since when did you become so cautious?” Applejack noted. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little old magic.”

“Of course not. I’m always down for something exciting.” Her face went rigid. “Let’s just say I learned my lesson after the whole spring break cruise.” Ah… right. The whole jumping the gun on magic leading to the whole mess on the island. That would explain things.

“Maybe we’re doing it wrong?” Fluttershy threw in her two cent into the pot. “What did Twilight say again? That our magic is changing because of that handshake with Flash?”

Something like that. None of them really paid much attention seeing how they can’t really tell heads or tails on the whole magical mumbo jumbo. And Twilight had a tendency to add a lot of words they couldn’t really understand. Getting her to explain things to them was like a renaissance man trying to negotiate with a mammal.

“She said something about our magic changing.” Applejack shrugged. “Though I didn’t really get of much of what she said. We should try something else. I got a few books that might be able to help.”

Rainbow blinked. “You got a spell book?”

“No… but I borrowed one or two from Vice Principal Luna when she was staying over the house. The Dummies Guide to Magic.” Not the most fabulous titles for them, but at this point they’d try just about anything. “So uh… anyone wanna go first? H… hey! Pinkie!”

“What?” The party gal gurgled on a mouthful of seeds. “I’m hungry. I haven’t had dinner yet. And I missed my evening cupcake.”

“Well don’t eat that. Those apple seeds are for our next batch of pies next week. We need to keep them here so they won’t spoil.” She quickly snatched the last seed away much to Pinkie’s sulkiness.

“Aw… but they’re so crunchy.”

“Yeah… I know. That’s why we keep’em here. Come on now, girl. Try to take this seriously.”

“I am taking this seriously. Pinkie Pie always takes things seriously. Especially when it comes to my tummy, funny, and everything yummy.”

“Well dinner should be coming around soon. Granny will be calling us any minute now. But until then, keep your head out of the clouds.”

“Fine. But I get double dessert afterward.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” But the cowgirl’s scolding was put on pause when everyone’s attention turned to her gloved hand which was slowly glowing green. “What in the…?”

“Uh… Applejack.” Rainbow gulped. The gang backed away knowing full well what was about to happen. “I don’t think you should be holding that.”

“But how? I’m wearing my glove!” The seed shook violently in her hand, threatening to burst. She held it down, trying to contain the darn thing. “Umm… uh oh?”

“Run!” But the three gals bolted off too late. As they all sprinted for the door, the seed sprouted in AJ’s hand blooming into a full-grown tree. It rose high with roots spreading in all directions, branches growing like an uncontrolled vine. They squealed and squeaked for a few seconds before the rest of the tree blew pass the roof thrusting towards the sky like it was trying to reach the clouds.

“Oh for the love of…” Applejack groaned as she dangled from a branch. “Not again.”

“Whee! That was so much fun!” Pinkie cheered from her branch. “Can we go again?”

“Applejack……”

“I know I know. I’ll calling Twilight.” The cowgirl submitted in defeat. Perhaps it was best to leave something so dangerous to the professionals after all.

(Park)

Alright Twilight. You can do this.

You’ve handled worse situations than this and came out on top. You defeated a phony fashionista bent on dominating the minds of every person in Canterlot City, you traveled from one world to another, and solve innumerable problems with logic, science, and pure wit. A simple breakup like this should be child’s play.

Oh… who am I kidding? You’re not ready for this.

You thought this through on the bus ride and came up empty. You’re practically a fish out of water flopping around in the middle of the dessert. This was gonna be a total mess no matter what card you play. There was no way she was getting out of this with an A+. At best, you might come out with a B-.

“Wow… that was just… umm… what’s a word worse than disastrous?” Her counterpart appeared out of the blue portraying in her dominatrix image. “What’s the matter? Getting cold feet?”

“I’m perfectly fine.” She countered. “Just… preparing myself mentally. It’s a good stress reliever.”

“Psyching yourself to break a man’s heart. How crude. I didn’t realize my host was such a coldhearted person.”

Twilight never imagined she would have the urge to throw someone off a cliff before. It was bad enough that she had to breakup with Timber, but having this witch watch at the sideline was like dumping salt on an open would.

“Though I am somewhat impressed.” She is? “Don’t look at me like that. I’m capable of positive reinforcements too. Honestly I was expecting you to chicken out along the way. But so far you’ve stayed the course. That takes commitment.”

“Uh… thanks?” Weird. It’s not like Midnight to be so… positive. She’s usually more insulting and depredating.

“I mean that Timber is probably coming here with a wide eyed smile on his face. He’s probably thinking that this whole meeting is just another date. And right before he knows it – WHAM! You shatter his heart into a million pieces scattering the remains to the wind. Inflicting unimaginable damage to his pride and self-confidence.”

There it is.

“Thank you for that… insightful imagery, Midnight. That’s… very helpful.”

“Oh relax. My opinion of you has greatly risen since we first met. Instead of being a useless host, you’re actually turning to be half-decent.” She goaded, her body now hovering over the ground. “After this whole shenanigan, hopefully you’ll be able to get in touch with your true feelings.”

“My what?”

“Exactly.”

Ugh… this was not helping. As a matter of fact, talking to this godforsaken angel was making her even more stressed.

“Look Midnight. If you’re just gonna berate me, can you do it another time? You promised that you wouldn’t interrupt this meeting?”

“But it’s so much fun to mess with you. Especially when you’re all frazzled. It’s actually kind of cute.”

“Well, it’s not fun for me.” Twilight grumbled, waving her hand at her counterpart only to find it phasing through her body. “Now scram. I don’t want to see or hear from you until this breakup is done, got it?”

“Yeesh. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.” I said scram! “Alright. I’m going. I’m going. Don’t put your hair up in a bunch. Just remember: Be firm, precise, and straight to the point. No dragging around.”

“Shoo!” And with that last gesture, the illusion was gone. Or – at least she wished it was an illusion. There was no doubt that witch was hiding inside her head, watching the whole thing from her boxed seat with a bag of popcorn on the side. That just felt like something Midnight would do. “Ugh… of all the people to have trapped in my head.”

The girl’s annoyance was interrupted by a buzz from her phone.

Applejack? What could she be calling for in this hour?

She wouldn’t get the chance to answer when a hand snuck up behind her sending a cold shiver down her spine.

“Hey there, beautiful.”

“Eeeeep!” She squealed, leaping a few feet off the ground and nearly crashing on her butt when she turned to face her molester. “T… Timber?!”

“Hey there.” He greeted her with the same caring old smile that he held all year long. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“Wh… when did you get here?”

“Right about the same time you were shooing that bird.” Ah… he saw that. “So what did you want to talk about? You don’t normally text a meetup like this. Is everything alright?”

“Yes – I mean no! It’s uh… I um…” Damn it. She was supposed to have control. The simulation she practiced involved command over the conversation. But Timber’s surprising entrance ruined the whole scenario. Get it together girl! You can’t fail now after you’ve come so far. Deep breaths. “I uh… I actually called you here for a reason. It’s… important.”

“I figured, with the way you sent that text.” He nodded with a certain charm in his step.

“Yeah… and you’re actually looking better too. Not like our last date.”

Timber brushed the back of his head shyly. “Ah. Sorry about that. I was kind of trying something new for a change. Figured I’d spice up my life. I thought you might like it if I gave myself a lift.” It was a strange change. The clothes, the strong cologne, and the wacky hairstyle? Not to mention the weird way he talked. It was like he was an entirely different person. This Timber on the other hand was cool, calm, collected, and often witty.

“Well… I’m glad you’re back to your old self. I much prefer this one over… whatever Timber that was.”

“Yeah… me too.” Oh god. He was doing that smile. The smile that melted her heart. Timber was always good looking, there was no mistaking that. It was one of the shallow reasons why she fell for him in the first place. Even now, it never failed to make her stir crazy. But she had to focus. She can’t be deterred now. Not even those baby brows will be able to change her mind.

“Well…” She barely got a word in when she felt something plastered on her face.

“For you.” The boy offered, presenting her with what looked like the prettiest flowers in all of Canterlot.

“Oh… Timber, you shouldn’t have.” He really shouldn’t. Not when she’s about to crush his heart. “You know you don’t always have to buy me something. Especially flowers. I got plenty enough as it is from last time.”

“I figured I’d take the opportunity.” He shrugged. “Besides, these are special.” And they looked special too. Twilight looked down and felt the petals tickle her chin. They were beautiful, perhaps even vibrant. Some of these flowers aren’t even in season, yet they felt real. They must’ve grown these in hothouses breeding them specifically for biologists and…

No. Dang it. She was getting distracted again.

Twilight hardened her face as she took a deep breath which she now regretted. The smell of the flowers got in, making her relax. “Thanks Timber. But… I really to talk to you about something important.”

“Yeah… me too-argh!” Timber gripped his chest achingly just as his expression turned sour.

“You ok?”

“Yeah… yeah.” He responded, forcing a smile back. “I must’ve pulled a muscle when I was helping out Gloriosa. She’s slavedriving me for running off on her. So… what did you want to talk about?”

Twilight bit her lip and braced herself. This was it. This was the time. No more hiding, no more going back. Be direct. Be straight. No more distractions.

“Timber. The reason why I called you here is…”

“Uh… T… Twilight?” Damn it Midnight. Not now!

Crack!

The couple turned over to the tree line after hearing a twig snap nearby. It interrupted her sentence, catching them off guard.

It’s not unusual for someone to be around the park this late. But normally they’d be joggers or folks taking their dog for a late-night walk.

“Maybe we should take this somewhere else.” Timber suggested, to which she agreed.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Rarity.” Flash palmed his face as the fashionista blushed in embarrassment. The darn girl nearly ruined everything. The moment she saw Timber coming out of the trees, she practically got giddy and wanted to rush in there and take pictures. The gal barely got two steps out of her hiding spot when she tripped and crashed onto a pile of twigs which gave away their presence.

It was only thanks to his quick thinking, dragging her by the skirt that they were able to avoid detection.

“S… sorry about that.” She apologized profusely. “I got so excited, my body must’ve moved on its own.”

“Well try to keep it under wraps. You don’t want them noticing us now, do you?”

“N… no.”

“Ok. Follow my lead. They’re heading towards the center of the park. If we stick to the bushes, they shouldn’t notice us.” They were already knee deep into this business. May as well plug your nose and dive in. Consequences be damn.

As they snuck through the bushes, neither of them noticed the roots beneath them slithering by, wrapping each other in a strange and twisted manner.

xxxxxxxxxx

Dang it Twilight. You messed up. Now the whole mood was out of whack.

That damned witch inside her head was supposed to be quiet. But she distracted her at the most crucial part. Now the two of them were walking in silence through the park. It looked totally like another date.

“Twi…” Stay in your darn hole!

“Now this is familiar.” Timber stated out of the blue, earning her attention. “I remember we had a date here one time.” Of course they’d remember. It was pretty much their first official date.

After their (Or perhaps ‘Her’) disastrous visit to the planetarium, Timber decided to make up for that mess with a little visit to the park. They sat by the gazebo, had a snack from a vending machine, and stared at the pond as it reflected the stars on its watery surface. It was super romantic. Even more so after everything they’ve gone through.

“Do you remember that couple that were paddling in the middle of the lake?”

She stifled a laugh. “Do I? We helped them.”

Apparently a couple were having a romantic boat ride as part of their date. But then by some twisted hand of fate, the boat tilted to the sides, sending the lovely pair to the water like a bunch of rocks. Thankfully no one was hurt. But it did provide them with good quality entertainment.

“I still feel sorry for laughing at that guy.”

“Well it was his fault for trying to kiss his girlfriend over a rocking boat moving at a velocity of 2km per hour with no balance.”

“He was trying to be romantic.”

“Being romantic is one thing. But one has to be practical as well.” She countered back with a wink which broke out a laugh between them.

Dang it! She was getting distracted again. Damn him and those baby eyes. She was being roped into his pace and it’s messing with her mood. She needed to get away, brace herself.

“Timber wait.” Twilight tensed up. “Hold on. I called you here for a reason.”

“I know.” The boy sighed, turning towards her with a tiresome expression. “You wanna dress up like pirates, and fly through waterfalls with alligators while we eat ice creams with golf clubs for spoons.”

…

Huh?

“Hey! I told you that in confidence!”

“And FYI. Golf clubs would make terrible spoons.”

“Yes I know! I was the one who told you that.” God. You make one long lousy emoji text and you’re branded for life. “In my defense, that was your fault for sending such a complex message.”

“I believe we call that… an abbreviation.”

Twilight folded her arms in response. “I think you and I have a different forms ideas about abbreviations.”

“Modern time hieroglyphics then?”

She paused in her answer. “Huh… that might actually be accurate.” They kinda do look like something you’d put on a…

ARGHH! Dang it. Not again. She was being lulled into his wavelength again. What the heck was he doing reminiscing the good old days like he was playing a clip? It was almost like he was trying to distract her from something.

Could… could it be?

Perhaps somehow he knows as well why she called him here.

Perhaps deep down in his mind, he already knew that their relationship was straining and he was just trying to prolonged the inevitable.

“Timber.”

“That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.”

“Timber wait.” Twilight pleaded, grabbing him by the corner of his sleeves. “Just… stop for a moment.”

She could feel the boy trying to wrestle his hand away but restrained himself. He was struggling deep down, trying to hold some remnant of peace. But it was useless.

This was going to happen, whether he liked it or not.

“Timber!” She raised her voice this time, stopping her boyfriend dead in his tracks. “Please. I… I really need to talk to you.”

Eventually the boy resigned himself. Sighing heavily into the cold air, before finally turning to meet her. His face looked tired, sickly, perhaps even exhausted.

He said nothing, as his eyes fell upon her, judging and waiting for a reaction.

This was it. This was the moment she’s been waiting for. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s probably the best she’ll ever get at this point.

“Timber.” Twilight cleared her throat, her sweat turning to ice, and the blood in her veins slowing to a halt. “The reason why I called you here personally was because I…” A breath escaped her. “… it’s because I want to breakup with you.”

…

The words left her mouth like venom. They sounded so plain yet at the same time so cruel and heartless. It was as if all the contents of her heart boiled up to her throat and spewed it all for the world to see.

Hours seemed to have gone by before she finally mustered the courage to look up to him.

She expected to see him shocked, angry, scared, or even confused. But instead, Timber just stood there – his expression remaining neutral as it can be.

A sigh followed. “Yeah… I figured as much.” He did?

“You did?”

The boy rubbed the back of his head forcefully before he answered. “I had a feeling that you had something big to say when you sent that text. I… I was kinda hoping I was wrong. But that was too good to be true.”

“I’m… sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He forced out a laugh trying and failing to lighten the mood. There was an awkward pause between them, only replaced by crickets and birds. “Can I at least know why?”

Why indeed.

There needed to be a reason. A solid proof that she was no longer interested. A justifiable reason that would enable this… separation.

“I thought about it a lot.” Twilight rubbed the side of her arm sadly. “And… I think it’s because nothing is the same anymore. I once thought that I liked you. And I really did. But then… things changed. You and me. We all changed.”

“But I still love you.”

“I know. But the spark we once had. It’s… not there anymore.” She looked away, feeling a hint of shame overwhelming her. “I know it’s a stupid and shallow reason. You probably think I’m the worst.”

If the boy held any sort of malice, he certainly didn’t show it. Instead he pulled her in for a warm embrace, pouring every ounce of love he had left in his heart.

“I would never think of you any less than what I did before.” He said finally, much to her surprise. “In the end, you’re the same girl who walked into Camp Everfree that day with that glowing smile.”

Timber…

Twilight returned the gesture, feeling a sort of relief wash over her. The bushel of flowers she held in her hand fell to the ground, turning into soil.

“I can’t force you or convince you to change your mind.” Timber continued, holding her still. “But I’d like you to know that… I’ll still be here for you if you ever need me.”

Those words felt so surreal that it wormed into her heart. What was she to say to that? How can anyone come up with a response that would equal to what he gave?

“And I’ll be here too.” She whispered back just as she pushed herself away to wipe away the tears in her eyes. The girl choked up for a bit, recomposing her posture. “So… I guess this is it?”

“Yeah… I guess so.”

And to be honest I wasn’t as bad as she expected. With the way Rarity described it, she was kind of expecting some manner of water works or some kind of argument, perhaps even drama. But instead this whole breakup process went about as smooth as silk.

Heck she might even give herself an A+ score. This was definitely a worthwhile experience.

“Where do we go from here?” Twilight asked.

“We… should probably head home. Can I… offer you a ride?”

Ah… Rarity did say he would make such an offer. Such a thing would only make for an awkward road trip. Best thing to do here was to reject and hopefully grab the bus.

“I think it’d be best if we went our separate ways from here on.”

“Yeah… that does sound like a good idea.” Timber, unsurprisingly accepted. “Oh… but before you go.” He pulled out a necklace from his shirt and dangled it in front of her. It was a simple trinket, a bit mundane to the untrained eye. But the large sapphire in the middle was a bigger attraction. “Here, I want you to have this.”

“Timber… it’s beautiful.”

“Yeah. I thought you’d… like to have something to remember me by.” He explained with a chuckle. “I was planning to give you this a while ago, but then… a lot of stuff happened. So… I figured now would be the best time.”

“Maybe you should save it for another girl that comes your way.”

“Who else do I know would understand the sapphire stone here?” The young camper laughed. “Please? Do this one last favor, for me?”

Ah… not the puppy eyes. You know I can’t resist such a thing.

“Well… if you insist. Then I can…”

“GET BACK!” But before Twilight could even reach for the object, an unknown force suddenly pulled her back reeling her in like a fish caught in a line.

“Gahh! What the? Midnight!?” Twilight saw her doppelganger appear, wings unfolded, and eyes burning fire. “Midnight, what are you doing!?”

“Saving your butt, that’s what!” Saving what!? “Stop being an idiot and look around you!”

Look around me? What are you talking about? Where are we?

…

Wait… where are we?

They were walking down the path just now going around the lake to the other side of the park right across the gazebo.

But… where was the lake? Where was the path? Where’s the gazebo? And… what are with these trees? They didn’t look like the same oak that covered the park. In fact… they looked oddly sinister, with a tint of gray.

“wElL… THaT’s… uNExPectED.”

Twilight turned to the strange cracky voice only to find Timber in a slouched position.

“Timber?”

“Don’t be an idiot! That’s not Timber!” Wh… what? What do you mean? “That’s… something else.”

And right on cue, the boy rose up, eyes burning with some kind of power. He… he didn’t look right.

“wE WeRe sO CLoSe! yOu oNLy NeEdeD to stAy StIL A whILE LOnGer!”

“Timber… who… what is going on?”

‘Timber’ didn’t answer. His mouth did as his eyes were blotted black, and mouth open and agape.

“NO mATtEr. We wILL GeT IT EiThEr way.”

Get? Get what? What’s happening? Nothing made sense.

“nOW. HaND ovER… YOUR MAGIC!”

What…?

“TWILIGHT! RUN!”

(Equestria) (Canterlot City)

“Come on you two. This way.” Sunset whispered lowly to Starlight as they made their way through the halls of the castle carrying what looked like a luggage worth of equipment on their saddlebags. Thankfully there were only a few guards on patrol on the inside of the castle. With the anti-teleportation material molded within the structure, most of the attacks that happens in Canterlot were from the outside.

She wasn’t entirely sure what the details was on the whole traveling to another realm. Sunset was certain that not even the Princesses would deter her from going back to the human world. But after what happened at the Portal Room, and Starswirl’s behavior, she wasn’t going to take any chances.

The plan was simple. Take the stuff they need to the human world, build a portal to Ezaquatel there, get Sunburst out and close the portal before whatever dark entity decides to pay them a visit. It’ll be a quick in and out operation with minimal risk. Hopefully……… maybe.

Now this whole plan of theirs would go a lot smoother if a certain Lord of Chaos wasn’t simping at every little detail. “Oooh! I love this sneaking bit. This reminds me of that time when I infiltrated the Dark Castle of the Evil Sorcerer with the help of Garbunkle. We opened the gates and struck the forces of darkness with the aid of the mighty Sir McBiggun and Sir Snailsalot! Hoo hoo! What a fun night that was.”

“Discord. Quiet!” Starlight scolded. “We’re sneaking remember. Think of stealth.” He responded by literally zipping his mouth.

“We’re on the last stretch now.” Sunset added, noticing two remaining guards stationed at the only door to the portal. “Once we pass through that door, we’ll be home free.”

“How are you so good at dodging the guards at the castle?”

The former bully shrugged. “Eh… it’s not that hard. All you need to do is remember their patrol routes and when their shift change. That’s how I managed to steal Twilight’s crown in the first place.” She felt Starlight’s stare on her back. “It was a long time ago. Ahehehe.” But she returned her focus when she noticed one of the guards heading off from the door. It seems like they were meeting with their relieving unit. “Alright. They’re changing shift. There’ll be a ten second opening on a blind-spot. We enter through the top window and we’ll be golden.”

“Remind me again why we’re doing this in the middle of the night.”

“Because it’s the best time to sneak pass security without raising too much fuss. Plus I don’t want us appearing in school in the middle of the day like last time. If the students there or a teacher, catches coming through the portal, it’ll be a disaster. Principal Celestia has already had it up to here with magic. And she won’t like it when she realizes I’m bringing more of it to her school.” She paused for a moment when she noticed the guards leaving. “Alright. It’s clear. Let’s go.”

And like the ninjas that they weren’t, the trio snuck their way through the window inconspicuously before the next shift even saw them.

“Phew! Made it!” Sunset declared with relief. “All that time learning sneaking around in castles finally paid off.” Not exactly something to be proud of, but you’ll get what you can around here. “You guys ok?”

“Other than having to lug all of this stuff on my back… peachy.” Starlight whined, though she secretly was grateful. Having a quick breather, she scanned the room noticing the portal almost immediately. “Wow… you were right. I didn’t even realize they moved the portal to Canterlot until now. I guess what happened at the Portal Room really got the Princesses freaked out.”

Not as freaked out as she was when she dropped in the other day. Having guards of all shapes and sizes pointing spears and magical horns at you was frightening in its own right.

“We’d better hurry. There should be enough power in the portal for us to use. There’s no telling when the guards will catch wind of us.”

“They already have.” A voice interjected from the shadow making the trop flinch. And from the shadow, a lone guardsman emerged with a scowl on his face. “And your plan is done for.”

Gasp! Shining Armor!? How did he get here? I thought he was still with Princess Celestia cleaning up the mess back in the library.

Crap this is bad. The Guard Captain wasn’t a joke. There’s a reason the Princess gave him a title befitting his power. He’s the kind of pony you don’t mess with.

“Shiny!” A feminine voice added tapping a hoof on his shoulder. “Stop scaring them. You’re gonna cause a misunderstanding.”

“Princess Cadance?” Sunset gasped. “Wh… what are you doing here? How did you find us?”

The Princess returned a gentle smile which made them relax a little. “I figured you two would try something like this. Knowing Twilight and how she taught you girls, I knew immediately that you wouldn’t abandon your friends in their time of need.”

“And it’s not like you made an attempt in hiding it.” Shining added with a snarky grunt. “We checked your rooms and found traces of magical properties. It wasn’t that hard to guess what you would do next.” Oh… right. “If you two are gonna try something this dangerous, you might wanna consider leaving no tracks behind. Seeing all the evidence there, it wasn’t hard to see what you’re planning.”

Starlight chuckled awkwardly in return. “Yeah… about that. We were kind of in a hurry.”

Cadance nodded back in understanding before turning her attention to Discord who waved back childishly. “And I assume you’re bringing him along for a reason.”

“We have a plan.” Sunset hastily explained raising a hoof in defense. “It’s a little bit out there, but we believe we can save Sunburst without endangering anyone. But we need to do it somewhere that Starswirl or the Princesses can’t see. Uh… no offense. Starlight’s tagging along. And Discord here will be crucial in the operation.”

“That’s quite a risk you’re making.” The Pony of Love smiled worryingly. “I understand that you two want to do this to save your friend. But Discord is another case entirely. He may be reformed. But he is still the most powerful Lord of Chaos in all of Equestria.”

“Hey! I’m standing right here, you know.”

It’s true. There was no telling what kind of shenanigans may happen if you bring the Lord of Chaos to another realm. But with time being a rather limited resource, they were pressured to do so. They can deal with the aftermath later.

“I know it might sound crazy. But… he’s important. And I promise that he won’t cause any trouble.”

“Speak for yourself.” The multi-limbed creature stuck out his tongue doing a raspberry impression. “I make no such promise. I intend to see this new world and all of its amenities.” He puffed in a Hawaiian T-shirt and sunglasses impersonating something of a stereotypical tourist.

Not. Helping. Discord…

Cadance looked even more uncertain. And Sunset can’t really blame her for it. When she brought a sliver of magic into the human world, it caused so much damage that they’re still repairing. Bringing in even more magic might just make it worst.

“Well… if you’re sure.” The pink alicorn said finally earning a sluggish relief from the two. “But if you’re going to do something dangerous, you may as well take this with you.” She signaled her husband who quickly produced a magical staff from his back. It was Stygian’s invention. “You can never be too careful with dark magic these days. And don’t worry about my aunts. We’ll keep them busy and tell them that you went back to the human realm on your own. I’m sure they’ll stay here a while – at least until Twilight returns from her goodwill tour around the world.”

The earlier the better. Though Sunset doubts that’ll happen any time soon.

“Thank you, Princess Cadance. And Shining Armor.” She added him quickly. “I promise, we’ll return everything the moment we bring Sunburst back.”

“And here.” Starlight handed over her magical journal which the princess graciously accepted. “This’ll keep us in contact with one another should things go awry. I don’t know how long we’ll be in the human world. But we’ll update you as much as we can.”

“I certainly hope it’s no more than a few days.” Discord added slithering close to the ponies. “I have a Guy’s Night this weekend with Big Mac and the gang, and I refuse to miss it. We’re delving into the Cave of Claws.”

With their goodbyes given, and their gear in tow, the two ponies plus one Lord of Chaos walked into the swirling portal which ultimately sent them to the human realm.

(Canterlot High)

The return to the human world seemed a lot less painful than that of returning to Equestria. While Sunset still felt somewhat disoriented by the magic, at least it didn’t spit her out like a chewed up bubblegum.

“Ow!” She snapped back when Starlight stumbled, hitting nose first on the ground. “Right… two legs. I completely forgot how this world works.” It wouldn’t be the first time. The purple unico—err… human… rose back up, dressed in her usual attire. She wobbled slowly at her, getting reacquainted with her familiar limbs.

“GAH!” They turned to the third member of the party who rolled out of the portal and into the pavement. “What is this infernal thing beneath me!?”

Ah… right. She forgot to give Discord the orientation. “Those are feet. Humans have those. Better get used to them, because you’ll be using them… a lot.”

“And these?”

“Hands. It shouldn’t be that different from your usual self.”

“And what is that ungodly force pulling me down?”

Force?

“Do you mean… gravity? We have that back in Equestria.”

“Gravity!?” Discord shouted in shock, staring down on the ground with a magnifying glass. “This is gravity? It’s actually real? I thought that was just a figment of ponies’ imagination and creatures actually chose to tie themselves down on the ground. Huh. You learn something every day.” He stood up from the bushes giving the girls a good look at the Draconequus-now-turned-man. “And what is this strange attire? Is this what you ponies call fashion in this world?”

“It’s people…”

Discord now stood about a half body taller than the girls. While he no longer had any horns, wings or other appendages, they were replaced with a short black hair with white stripes coming from the center, a wild goatee falling off his chin, bright yellow eyes, and a strange brown suit and tie with multicolored edges indicating his original counterpart in this world. A rough guess would say that this guy was some kind of salesman or a conman – or maybe even both. There really wasn’t much they could go on. But then again… this was Discord they were talking about.

“Wow…” Starlight nodded in approval. “Gotta say Discord. You look surprisingly better here than your… other self.”

“If by ‘Better’ you mean ‘Ridiculous’ then yes. Ugh… these clothes are so restrictive. I prefer something more loose and functional.” He snapped his new found fingers with ease switching his attire to a pair of light blue, star-patterned pajamas. “Oooh~~. Look at that. My magic isn’t completely hampered here. I’m just as powerful and chaotic as ever.”

Discord followed it up performing a few more snaps, changing the scenery to his chaotic liking.

The pony statue turned to a fountain, the school sign had its letters rearranged, even the yard came alive, singing in tangent with their ‘Tralala’ moments.

“Hey… hey! Discord! Stop that!” Sunset ordered to which he followed. “Remember what I said about the human world? No magic, especially in school. This is a simple, in and out mission. We build the portal, get Sunburst, and then bring everything back to Equestria before anyone else catches on.”

“Pff… fine. So much for an interesting night. But I reserve the right for one chaotic afternoon. I’d really like to see what kind of havoc this place has to offer.”

If one afternoon is what it takes to get the almighty Lord of Chaos to behave, then it was a small price to pay.

Still, it was good to be back again. Though the school was closed for the night, Sunset couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that she was back. It was her home away from home. Even the air here seemed different than Equestria. The city, the busy roads, the cars, the green glowing night sky abo…ve…

Wait… hold up. Green?

“Uh… Sunset.” Starlight spoke up, pointing in the general direction of the clouds. “I know I haven’t been here long. But… is that normal in the human world?”

Torn

Author's Note

Hey guys. Sorry for not being on. My whole city is on flood watch at the moment and luckily our typhoon didn't last longer than a week. A little overflow but nothing a little drain can't handle.
This is the first time I've been able to sit on my computer in weeks. :fluttershbad:

Torn

Chapter 88: Torn

(Park)

Ok something strange was going here.

Flash could feel it right under his nose.

… or better yet, he could feel it right beneath his feet.

The park was changing. It was slow and subtle but he could see it manifest from the corner of his eye.

He and Rarity were trailing Twilight just a moment ago following them through a dirt path. But ever since then the park around them began to turn into some sort of rain forest – and not the good kind either.

Trees and roots began to spring out of nowhere. Their once vibrant branches began to grow horrifyingly, thorns and vines sprouting from within. Their barks now forming faces resembling that of monsters from kids’ books. It was like this whole place was becoming… alive.

“Alright. That’s it!” The boy paused as he heard Rarity whine. “This is ridiculous! I’ve heard about incompetence before but this is unacceptable! Whoever is in charge of maintaining this park should be taken out back and fired! This mess is a gross negligence of maintenance!”

And he would agree. This place was starting to look like a haunted forest like the Everfree Woods. But the trees were oddly shaped. It almost looked as if they were dead for months. Their leaves stripped down to the last petal, their life sucked out of them, the earth beneath their feet turned to mud slowly trying to pull them into a filthy sinkhole, and there was an unsettling eeriness hanging in the air like they were being watched.

It was as if this place was being transformed into a horror movie set.

“Is it just me or does it feel like we’re going in circles?” The boy asked suddenly getting an odd feeling that they’ve been walking around only to land back right where they started.

Rarity barely registered and scoffed. “I’m not entirely sure what is rightly going on here. But I will certainly file a complaint to the city to increase their maintenance on the city park. This is a blatant disregard for the safety standard of public areas. Why just now I almost ripped my…” She paused to gasp in dread when she noticed a tear in her skirt. “NO!”

“Rarity? You ok?”

“I am far from ‘Ok’! This is genuine Saddle Arabian silk! And it’s ruined! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get these fabric shipped from across the world!?”

Roughly a week or so through standard channels, or 12 hours if you decide to Over-Night the delivery. He should know. His dad made plenty of orders before.

“We need to keep moving. Twilight and Timber were heading in this area. They could be in trouble.”

“Oh relax, darling. There’s no need to fuss. Twilight is more than capable of handling herself. Not to mention she’s with Timber. And I seriously doubt he would allow any harm to befall her. Breakup or not.”

“But don’t you find these trees a little weird? And the ground too? It all seems like magic.”

“Come now Flash. Don’t be ridiculous.” Rarity waved him off looking back at him like he was the craziest person in the world. “While we do have a tendency to draw the supernatural to us, not everything here has to involve magic. Sometimes things happen naturally. Nature can be a bit of an annoyance every now and then but they never hurt anyone.” However, her tone quickly changed when a branch snapped from the trees, making her flinch back in fear. “But then again… I’m not an expert when it comes to nature.”

Neither was he. But even Flash knew that something was wrong around here. Everything about this place felt wrong. Some of these roots even looked like they were trying to latch onto them. And if the thick fog in the air wasn’t any indication, the big scary trees ‘walking’ towards them gave them a hint.

“Uh… did you see that?”

Rarity shivered, hastily rushing behind him. “You mean that big scary tree that’s slowly and creepily walking towards us with those sharp thorny branches?” She swallowed her fears down. “…Yes.”

Good to know.

And bad for them.

Monsters, check.

Scary atmosphere, check.

They were definitely in a magical scenario.

“Alright. Let’s backtrack.” Flash suggested, his feet inching away from the… tree… thing? “Maybe we can go around it.”

“Agreed. The last thing I want is to fight that th—INNGGG!!” The fashionista’s words turned to a scream as she found herself hoisted away hastily by some nasty looking vines.

“Rarity!?”

“Flash! A little help!”

Flash hastily grabbed her and pulled, but mother nature proved the stronger and continued to pull the fashionista away dragging the boy with it.

“Hang on Rare. I’ll save you!”

“Does it look like I have a choice!?” Not really. Just wanted to put some drama into it. “Ew! Ew ew ew ew ew ew! It’s sticky and gross! Get it off, get it off, get it off!”

Flash yanked again and again but found it impossible to even move these crazy vines. Despite their icky look, they were sturdy and resilient to his pull.

But the boy persisted again and again, until mother nature decided that he was an annoyance and thrashed him over like a used sock.

The boy struck the ground a moment later, a pile of leaves cushioning his fall. All the while he could hear Rarity screaming for aid.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight ran. She ran as fast as her legs would carry. The girl brushed through thicket of thorns and sharp branches, some hitting and scraping her arms and legs and some cutting through her clothes leaving wears and tears that would make Rarity faint. But the girl didn’t care. Her legs bolted off in a random direction, ignoring everything that came at her.

Fear and terror gripped her heart, forcing her to this marathon. She wasn’t even sure what she was running towards or what she what she was running from. All that she knew was that something bad was going to happen if she stopped.

The voice of her boyfriend…… no. Sorry. Ex-boyfriend… was creeping up behind her, eerily calling out her name in a strange singsong tone.

But it wasn’t Timber. No. Far from it. It was some kind of monster wearing his face.

She can’t remember what happened entirely but she recalled him turning oddly into some kind of monster before she bolted out of there at the behest of her inner voice.

If it weren’t for Midnight, she would’ve been paralyzed there and… god knows what else.

Twilight had a feeling that the angel was gonna use that for later blackmail.

But right now there was a swirl of questions running through her mind.

Like… what the heck just happened? Why did Timber try to put that magical amulet on her? What was that thing, and where did he get it?

It didn’t look like one of the Order’s magic black gemstones – or any of the artifact she encountered so far. And it didn’t pulse with Equestrian Magic either. So it must be something else.

“It’s definitely dark magic.” Her inner voice stated, appearing out of the blue in her iconic outfit, her gaze cast into the woods.

“What?”

“Dark magic. Definitely not your ordinary run of the mill kind either. It’s definitely twisted, and corrupt.”

“You knew?”

“Partly. I wasn’t entirely sure until he whipped that amulet out. I couldn’t exactly give it a good read. But we both know that if he puts that on you isn’t gonna be help your fashion statement.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look around you, numb nut! Isn’t there something off about this place?!” Twilight glanced around, her vision finally focusing. It was only after she caught her breath did she realize how corrupted her surrounding was.

The whole park had changed. She wasn’t sure when or how but she certainly couldn’t recognize her location. A few minutes ago she was just strolling down the path with Timber.

Now… the whole place looked like it was ripped out of a horror set and she was thrust right into it as the main cast. The trees were all withered and rotten, their barks twisting into faces while branches and thorns sprouted in twisted angles, the earth beneath her feet became muddy to the touch, slowly sinking her into a bottomless pit. And if that wasn’t enough, the lake at the center of the park began glowing with a sickening green hue. It was as if someone had poisoned the very land, turning everything into a vile version of itself.

“TwILiGht~~~. wHEre’D yOu gO~?”

Timber’s voice sent shivers down her spine bringing her out of her tiresome daze. She could feel him coming close. The rustling of leafs and sinister giggling followed.

“We need to go. Now!”

“I know that. But where!? I can barely see where I’m going!”

“Certainly far FAR away from your crazy stalking ex! Does it even matter where? Anywhere is better than here! Move it lady!”

Right. Moving in a random direction away from the scary voice? I can do that.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight~~~ where are you~~~~?

Why’d you run away? I just wanted to give you a present.

A little trinket that will remind you of how… happy we were.

(Highway)

The drive to Twilight’s place was slow at best. Rainbow Dash groaned inward as she was forced to sit at the passenger seat in while AJ drove the annoyingly slow clunker of Big Mac through the city streets. For a moment she thought Applejack would’ve inherited some of her grandmother’s driving habits. But alas, that wasn’t meant to be. In fact, she entertained the thought that the cowgirl was doing it on purpose.

Rainbow could probably reach Twilight’s place in about half a minute. Her super speed allowed her to be anywhere in but a fraction of the time. But unfortunately, the slightest touch of the surface would render an electroshock therapy on her. And that was something she was experiencing on an hourly basis.

The sports gal cursed the day she received these new powers. They felt cool at first. Throwing lightning everywhere thinking she was gonna be like a literal Thunder Goddess like those old heroes in comics. But now they became an annoyance. In fact, she could barely even hold it together. She couldn’t take so much as a single step without jolting upward. Even the jackets she wore wasn’t helping much anymore.

“Applejack… can you please drive a little faster? This slow pace of yours is killing me.”

“No can do.” The cowgirl responded smugly, wagging one finger at her while her head held up high. “You gotta respect the laws of the road. You can’t just go speeding in the city. Reckless driving is a good way to end up on the wrong side of the slammer.”

Gods above. She knew that the cowgirl was a law abiding citizen but who would’ve thought that she’d be such a bore on the wheels?

“There’s literally no one in front of us! It’s the middle of the night! The streets are empty! I think the law will permit you to go just a little bit faster.”

“And that’s a good way to get yourself a speeding ticket. I should know. Granny Smith’s got a record.” Somehow that doesn’t surprise her as much as it should. It’s a wonder how that old lady kept her license all this time.

“Can we at least get the AC on? I’m burning up through all my clothes.”

“Ah… no. We haven’t had that fixed since… ever. Big Mac always preferred it toasty in here.” Oh for goodness sake. “Now don’t rattle your tail. Why don’t you settle down on some good old music?”

“And hear your Granny’s old western country songs play in a loop over and over? No offense but even that’s a little retro for me.”

“Now now. Don’t judge a song by its rhythm. Granny might be a little old-school but she has good taste.”

“I’d rather go through another magical disaster than listen to that.”

And just as she wished, it came true.

A great quake rocked the ground sending everything and everyone on the road in all manner of directions. Lamp posts fell, lights from buildings flickered, and the very earth itself cracked. Thankfully AJ was able to stop the car in time before it hit any hurdle.

“Ow…”

“Weeee! That was so much fun!” Pinkie cheered gleefully from the backseat. “Can we go again?”

“What in tarnation was that?”

Her answer came in the form of a green flow coming from the city, which looked like it was coming from the park. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what was causing that mess over there. And knowing their luck with the mystical and magical force, they knew that their friends were somehow involved.

“Ah… actually.” Rainbow gave an awkward chuckle. “Is it too late to switch back to music? I think I’m ready to give the track another go.”

(Park)

It was Freefall Island all over again.

That was what Flash thought as he forced himself through the park slamming everything out of his way. He was running like his pants was on fire, wearing through his shoes and dodging branches as they came.

The woods – or in this case – the park, was alive. The moment Rarity was whisked away, every tree in this place sprang into action as if someone had given them the signal to attack. They’ve all uprooted themselves, and turned on him like he was the last piece of candy in the candy store – and they were the kids trying to nibble him.

But he wasn’t gonna get caught that easily. After experiencing many life-threatening scenarios, the boy had accustomed himself to running, dodging and observing all manners of danger. It was self-preservation at its finest. He made a mental note to thank Adagio for that later on.

There was no doubt in his mind that this was magic. And the dangerous kind too. Normally magic casters would be subtle and secretive. But whoever was casting this spell had no pretense of hiding.

The land itself was being corrupted. The soil was dying. From the last blade of grass to the lake at the very center of the park. Everything was being sucked up of all life. And judging from the reaction around here, it seems to be spreading outside the park as well. People are gonna notice when trees start walking and attacking folks on the streets.

The news will be all over the place.

“Gahh!” The boy groaned as he found his jacket snatched by one of the treants. “Hey! Let go!”

If these monstrosities understood anything he said, they clearly didn’t show it. Their faces all looked terrifyingly the same with two holes making for eyes and a long wide one that supposed to imitate a mouth that smiled like a deranged clown. They all looked like well-made jack-o-lanterns, carved up perfectly for the occasion. And with the way they were eyeing and laughing menacingly at him, Flash could guess that they weren’t taking him on a fun ride.

“Uh… I don’t suppose we can just… talk things out?” He tried playing the negotiation card which was responded with even more mockery laughter.

The larger of the trees opened its mouth, a black empty void was all that he could see beneath. That and jagged edges that resembled teeth.

So this is it eh? This is how Flash Sentry meets his end. Not by dying heroically, saving a damsel or anyone for that matter. But instead to be eaten by a tree and turned into fertilizer like some kind of side character in a TV series. Not exactly how he pictured his life ending. But there certainly was worse ways to go.

He just hoped that they’ll think he was delicious.

But as his body hovered over the monster’s mouth, the boy’s hand began to glow. He then recalled that he still had a way out. His powers!

Desperate and seeing no one options, the blue boy reached out and thrust his hand forward letting the magic take over. The energy within flowed freely before finally conjuring a diamond shield out of the blue.

It stretched out in all directions cutting through the cage he was trapped in and then slamming onto the face of the treant crushing it beneath the weight.

The monsters were confused, and so was he for that matter.

Rarity’s shield? But how? Then he remembered the incident from earlier. I must’ve done the magic handshake when she was taken.

He certainly wasn’t complaining, that’s for sure. And the shield looked way cooler than he imagined. He would’ve liked to admire it more had the treants not threaten him with a bad time.

“Well… I wasn’t really much of a nature person to begin with.” He raised his barrier up in defiance. “Alright you walking firewood. Batter up!”

A poor choice of words as the trees picked out the acorns from their branches, one of them holding a larger branch like a baseball bat, grinning devilishly in return.

“Oh… crud.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight was not safe. In fact, she was probably far from being safe at all.

When Midnight told her to run away from her weird creepy stalking ex-boyfriend, she expected her to run for the nearest exit and get the heck out of there. But nope. She decided to be a smart aleck and went straight for the lake saying that she could get her bearings better if she knew where she was. And as you can imagine… that plan went out just as you would have expected from a girl who thought she knew best.

Her host had to go through a few of those creepy trees that almost snatched her up, the muddy ground took one of her shoes, her dress is a complete mess, and her glasses were fogging up from the heat.

And now… thanks to her brilliant planning she got herself stuck on this gosh darn pier, cornered like a rat! There’s no boat to use to cross over! And even if there was a boat, there was no way she was gonna paddle through that green gooey water. Who knows what that stuff will do you to you?

“Great job, genius. Not only did you get yourself trapped, you wasted time and effort getting here!”

“Hey! At least I’m trying. How was I supposed to know there’d be no boat after dark?”

“It’s the park rule!” She roared. “You walk through here at least three times a week! Don’t tell me you’ve never read the signs! Come on Twi! You’re supposed to be the smart one in the team!Not some dumb bimbo.”

“Well excuse me, Princess. I don’t see you doing anything useful.”

I would, if I had a body to actually wield my magic. Ugh… she could do so much if she was allowed to roam free for just a few minutes. But alas, she was bound to remain alongside her host, chained up like a prisoner to be dragged anywhere like an unwanted baggage. Being an idle spirit was becoming downright annoying.

“We should double back.” Twilight suggested. “If we just follow the cobble road, we’ll be able to reach the exit.” Midnight would’ve agreed on that strategy, but she tensed up when she felt a sickening energy coming from behind. “Oh… no.”

The girl barely managed to get two steps in before she had to pull a stop when she realized that her only exit was now being blocked.

A figure stood between her and safety. A figure so foreign and yet so familiar at the same time. Though it wore the face of someone she once loved, she could tell that it was not him. It was not her Timber. But rather a creature born out of jealousy and despair.

“TwILigHT~~” ‘It’ spoke her name, taking one cautious step after another. His voice droned on, like they were being forced out of his mouth.

“Timber?” Twilight gulped, inching away from the man. “Is that… you?”

“oF cOuRSE iT’S mE. WhO… elSE cOuLD it BE?” It was only when the moonlight shined above over did they manage to get a good grasp of him.

Timber had turned from… a simple handsome boy to…… this monstrosity.

Parts of his body was morphing to what Midnight can only guess was: A werewolf. His mouth stretched out, resembling that of a snout, while his right hand had elongated claws poking out of his fingers. His body stood twice as tall ripping off his clothes, with fur growing out of his body. But strangely enough his transformation stopped halfway making him look even more grotesque than ever. The dark magic that filtered around him even felt icky to the touch.

“Wh… what happened to you?”

“dOn’T yOU LiKE iTT? ShE gAvE mE THIs powER! ThE MAgIc is iNcRediBLE!” Who was this ‘she’ person? Was it a member of the Order… or something else? There were so many questions to ask, but the situation deemed it unnecessary for answers. “IT maDE mEEE tHIS waY. SHE PrOMised… arghh!” But the boy flinched back in pain mid-sentence, his hand clutching his head as if he was suffering a headache.

“Timber?” Twilight gasped with worry. “Timber, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t go near him!” Midnight warned. “It’s that strange magic he’s wielding. It’s corrupting him.”

“Then he’s being controlled by it.”

“Most likely. But he barely has any control over it. Get anywhere near him and you’ll be affected too.”

“Then how do we help him?”

“Didn’t you hear me? That magic of his is unstable! If he gets that onto you, it’ll corrupt you too! You’ll end up just like him, or worse!”

“But I can’t just leave him like this!”

Is she an idiot!? This guy wants to put you under a spell. Quite literally, and a dangerous one too. If he had his way, he would’ve put that necklace onto you and this story would’ve ended right then and there. The power of your love and friendship is far beyond his reach. Hasn’t she learned anything from all of her failed attempts in magic?

…!

“Look out!”

Twilight flinched just as Timber closed the distance between them with speed that would make that rainbow haired friend of hers blush. But thankfully her warning got through and Twilight was able to summon some measure of her power to keep her ex at bay. He floated helplessly in the air, swinging one of his deformed claws hoping to get a lucky hit. But thankfully he could barely reach the flakes on her nose.

“Timber, stop!” Her host pleaded. “You’re not yourself. Let me help.”

“RARRRRR!” His words were now contorted with growls and snarls, barely making any sort of sense.

“Timber, please! Don’t make me do this!”

But the boy… man… thing, didn’t listen. Instead he continued to struggle, trying to pry himself from Twilight’s grip while inching ever closer with every swing. He was like a feral creature with only one purpose in mind.

“Toss him out!” Midnight ordered. “Throw him as far as you can! Use everything you have!”

“I am not hurting him!”

“Don’t be an idiot! He’s too far gone! If you don’t slam him out of his mind, he’s going to hurt you! There’s no way to bring him back!”

“Then find a way!” She snapped. “You’re a genius when it comes to magic, aren’t you?”

This girl is unbelievable. Was she really going to risk her life for some ex that she just dumped a few minutes ago? Ahhh who am I kidding? Of course she would. She was just another goody-two-shoes who didn’t know better.

But she wasn’t wrong. She is a genius when it came to magic. Even the more advance knowledge of sorcery wasn’t a problem for her. But the magic this… Timber-wolf guy had was on another level. There was a hint of Yaztec Magic hidden in there but at the same time Equestrian Magic.

The best Midnight could compare it was the mixture in Flash Sentry. Though this one was far too unstable. Too toxic. Touching an energy source that volatile would end with catastrophic results! Anyone who tries to handle it was more likely to lose a limb just by touching the boy.

But if you can get rid of the source without touching it…

“There!” Midnight pointed to the boy’s neck where that sapphire gemstone dangled. “That’s where the bad magic is coming from. If you can get it away from him, he might come back to his senses.”

It was a long shot. But if Twilight can pull that thing out, the magic ‘should’ disappear.

But alas, it was easier said than done. Twilight was barely holding the boy back with her powers. Any less effort and she could risk getting cut. And Timber moving around like an aerial-clown wasn’t exactly making it easy. You’d have to be a master of telekinesis if you wanted to get that thing out without hurting the kid.

Still… the angel couldn’t deter Twilight from trying. With some effort, and a little more power, the girl reached out to pull that accursed jewelry.

“NoooOoOO!” But Timber gripped it with his other normal-looking hand, tucking it into his fur.

“Timber. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be!”

What is that girl doing now? Is she trying to pry his fingers, pulling the sapphire, while holding the boy in place? There’s no way she can concentrate on that many objects at the same time! She’s not strong enough!

“GRAHHH!”

And just as she expected, Timber broke free from her grasp and swung his claw at the girl. And this time it didn’t miss.

“Twilight!”

Twilight cried out, pain slicing on her right arm. The cut was shallow but it was enough to seep down her skin, her own blood oozing out.

If Timber had any kind of remorse left, he didn’t show it. All she could see was the animal eyes showing on his face. His growl becoming even more feral and wild-like.

Twilight knelt down, holding the boy back as she bore the pain. It hurt real badly, and Midnight could tell that she was barely holding on. If she held on like this, there was a good chance her host would bleed out before the night is over.

The wolf man thrashed even more wildly than before. His body was continuing on its metamorphic change, many of his body taking on a beastly appearance. Hardly any of his limbs remained human.

At this rate they’ll be dead within the hour.

All because of this girl’s stupidity.

…

ARGHHHH!

“Give it to me!”

“What?”

“Give me control of your body, right now!” Midnight demanded angrily, her voice rough and stormy. “I am far more powerful than you. With me in control, I can take him down and save both of us!”

“Are you crazy!? Why would I let you take over!?”

“Because you have no other choice! You’re hurt, and about to become wolf-chow if you don’t act. I am not going to let you get us both eaten by some crazy stalker because of your incompetence! Now hand it over!”

Twilight grunted but can’t seem to find a way out. Even she could see that she couldn’t hold off Timber forever. He was getting stronger while the life literally seeped out of her. The girl had to make a choice.

Or at least that’s what Midnight thought she would.

Until they were interrupted by a manly scream, followed by a human figure that came at them at near lightning speed.

The figure slammed against Timber sending that werewolf down to the lake like a bowling ball hitting the last pin on the lane. Is this what folks call Divine Intervention? If so then maybe it was time Midnight got into the business of religion.

“Ow…” The bowling ball groaned rising back from the dirt, revealing his handsome feature. “That was… embarrassing.”

“Flash?” Her host recognized the newcomer like she was struck by a bolt of lightning.

“Twilight?”

“What are you doing here?”

He got up and approached her, his body looking rather ragged like he had just been through a fight. “It’s a… long story. But there’s something you should know. I think there’s some kind of magic affecting the park. It’s turning everything around here… weird and…” He put the pause on when he noticed blood on her arm. “Wait… Twi. You’re hurt!”

“Forget about that! We need to get out of here before he comes back!” She urged him.

“Before who… comes back?”

The rising figure from the lake answered his question.

xxxxxxxxxx

Yup… this was definitely magic. Rainbow didn’t even need to touch it to tell that this whole flora fiasco was caused by wild magic. Heck, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that this whole thing was unnatural.

The park entrance was entrenched with barbed thorns and branches making it impossible to enter. The foliage has grown so much that even the walls were heavily reinforced making it look like a natural fortress than a leisurely park.

“Now what in the world happened here?” Applejack questioned, eyeing the premise from top to bottom. “I’ve heard about weeds growing in your backyard, but this is plain ridiculous. Did the gardeners take the week off or something?”

Pinkie surprisingly enough answered. “Eh. Green Thumb normally takes a holiday every Saturday. I’m pretty sure this whole thing is caused by some wild Equestrian Magic. That or they’re trying out some seriously wacky fertilizers. I wonder if they’ll let me borrow some if they have. Oh oh oh! Maybe if I gave some to Boulder, he’ll grow roots too!”

Not exactly what they were talking about but sure… yeah.

“I don’t think I’ve seen the park like this before.” Fluttershy added, putting her two cents in. “I wonder what happened.”

“It’s obvious ain’t it?” Rainbow rolled her eyes at her friends. “It’s got to be magic. I mean come on. The thorny bushes, the dead trees, the GLOWING green sky above it? How more obvious can it get!?”

“I don’t normally agreed with Rainbow Dash here, but she’s got a point.” The cowgirl nodded. “This has magic written all over it. And this ain’t my first rodeo with magic vegetation either.” It’s not? “Twilight turned Principal Celestia’s greenhouse into a flower choir.” She shrugged. “Don’t ask.”

“Well whatever it is. It’s definitely not something we can ignore. I reckon we bust in there, find out what’s making this green glow, and put a stop to it – Rainboom style.”

“Now hold on. We don’t know what’s causing all this magical mumbo jumbo just yet, and I’m not keen about bulldozing our way inside. For all we know it could be a trap.”

Rainbow groaned in annoyance. “Oh come on. It’s obviously bad magic. Are we supposed to just stand around while this park destroys everything around it?” She gestured to the roots that were already stretching outside of the park, damaging the road.

“It’s called being cautious. Not everyone is like you, Rainbow. We should call Twilight at least. Maybe she can give us an answer.” Fat chance on that. They’ve been trying to reach that girl ever since they saw the green glow in the sky and haven’t heard a peep or even a return text from her. She’s either out of reach or sleeping soundly at home. “Besides. It’s not like you can be of any use in a fight wearing all that.”

“Hey! Just because I’m dressed like a weird snowman, doesn’t mean you can count me out of a fight. I’ll take on any baddie with both hands tied behind my back if I have to.”

AJ rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. I just wished Sunset was here. She’d be able to tell us what’s going on.”

And as luck would have it, her request was answered.

“Guys?” The gang turned to the new voice, surprised to see the redhead standing there with one figure they recognized, and another that they didn’t.

“Sunset?” Rainbow balked. “And… Starlight Glimmer?”

“Hey.” The purple hippy gal waved back weakly.

“When did you get here? We thought you were still in Equestria.”

“I just got back.” She answered, noting their confused look at her new companions. “It’s a long story. But what’s going on here? What’s with this big plume of magic? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Not a clue.” Pinkie replied in her usual bubbly way. “We were just driving off to Twilight’s place when we saw this big green mystical glow coming from the park, which was obviously magic by the way. Then we decided to drive all the way here, and then we were standing around until you showed up.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Umm… so… in the short version. We have no idea. We were hoping you’d be able to tell us.”

“So… no one knows what this is all about?” They all shook their collective heads in response.

“May I be of assistance?” The tall looking conman asked, though he didn’t seem to wait for permission before suddenly flicking his fingers to conjure what looked like a weird version of an inverted telescope, his eyes physically poking through to the other side. “Hmm… interesting. I may not be an expert when it comes to magic in this world. But I’m willing to guess that’s some sort of twisted version of Equestrian Magic.”

Sunset’s eyes bulged up. “Equestrian Magic? Are you sure?”

The tall man with the goatee chuckled sarcastically. “Oh believe me. I know magic when I see it. I am the keeper of it after all. At least the chaotic part.” He added with a playful wink. “Though the ones flowing through here are more… convoluted. Like someone mixed the whole thing up in a blender with an entirely new chemical and it came out all… like that.”

“And you are…?” Rainbow questioned.

Sunset tapped her head in annoyance. “Sorry. Guys, this is Discord. Discord – these are my friends. He’s a… visitor from Equestria. I… brought him here for a reason.” He waved back in a carefree manner. “Can you tell us what’s causing it?”

“I’d be happy to.” He then jumped trying to get a better angle, looking like he was about to grow wings and fly… only to fall flat on his rear. “Ow! Dang confounded gravity! I don’t know how you ponies live with such force holding you down.”

The gang had a question for the man, and questions about his appearance, but they all decided to keep it to themselves for now.

The woods suddenly began to grow, their wooden frames cracking upon the metal bars, roots tearing through the road and sidewalk.

That was definitely not a good sign.

“Wait! Something’s coming.” Starlight pointed towards the thick trees as they noticed movement coming along the branches. It looked oddly like a figure they’ve seen somewhere before.

“Is that…?”

Rarity’s face came a moment later, hitting the ground in a loud and audible splat.

“AHHHHHH!!” The purple gal’s scream made them all flinch in turn. “That is it! I. HAVE. HAD. IT!!! I’ve tried to be nice, I’ve tried to be open minded, I’ve tried to be calm and mature, a voice for nature and all her love, and even friendly. But I am done, you hear me?! DONE! This park is the absolute worst there is in all of Canterlot! If not the whole world! You and your supervisors will be hearing a very lengthy complaint from me! I’ll make it my mission to have you permanently shut down for every possible hazard and have a strip mall built over the remains of your ill ridden cadaver! I swear upon it – or my name isn’t…”

“Rarity!” The gang chimed, much to her surprise.

“Oh… hello darlings. You’ve caught me in a rather foul mood at the moment.”

“Forget about that.” AJ interrupted. “Were you just inside the park? What the heck is going on in there?”

“I honestly have absolutely no idea.” She replied, patting the dirt and leaves off her skirt. Her face twisting in disgust eyeing the mud on her dress. “One minute we were trailing behind Twilight and Timber, and the next thing I know the trees started turning into monster and attacked us. They’ve been rude to me for the last fifteen minutes.”

“Twilight’s in there?” Sunset gasped.

“Facing tree monsters all by herself!? Then she’s got to be in trouble.” Rainbow deduced as she shed off her encumbering jackets. “We’ve got to help her.”

The gang all agreed on that part.

“These trees are in the way.” Sunset stated. “We’ll never get through like this. Let’s split up and find another entrance. After that we’ll…”

“Ahem.” Applejack forced an attentive cough. “Why don’t you let me handle this?” Rainbow and Pinkie Pie flashed knowing grins as the cowgirl cracked her knuckles much to the other’s confusion.

“Applejack. We don’t have time for…” But the redhead’s protest choked half way when the earth beneath them split up with giant roots sprouting from the ground.

Within seconds, the wall of thorns and vines cracked under pressure splitting apart.

Easy to say, Sunset and her new companions were stumped.

“That’s… new.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“YOU!!”

Me?

Flash gulped hard as the large ferocious beast glared daggers at him, towering over the boy like a predator sizing up its prey. His body froze up, paralyzed in terror. The monster came out of the lake like a creature from a movie, growling and snarling like a rabid dog. Its body towered over them nearly three times their size, with razor sharp claws, pointy fangs, and eyes gleaming with rage.

“Timber don’t! Please stop!”

That’s Timber? When did he turn into that thing?

Twilight tried to restrain the… werewolf thing, but he proved to be far too powerful. Her magic barely managed to keep him at bay, if at all.

“RARRRR!” The beast let out an irritable roar swiping madly. Each swing of his muscular arms tearing through the pier into tiny pieces of driftwood.

“Run!” Twilight insisted and pushed him aside just as Timber clawed through. Thankfully they were able to dodge the wild attack. The werewolf’s massive size looked difficult to control, fumbling madly before sinking into the deeper part of the lake. It would’ve been a moment of reprieve till Flash noted how pale his friend was.

“Twilight! Are you alright?”

“N… no.” She panted through the pain. “I have to stop… Timber.”

The girl was clearly delusional if she thinks she can stop that guy in that state. Even Flash could tell that he was far too dangerous to even approach. The guy was more likely to rip their heads off than to listen to a word they had to say. They needed to get out of there, like… right now.

Grabbing Twilight and carrying her bridal style, Flash decided to answer his fight or flight mentality and choose the latter option. He bolted out of there running as fast as his legs would take him.

“NOOOOOOOO! SHE IS mInE!!!” As if answering to Timber’s howl, the treants reemerged from the tree lines, blocking the boy’s path. Each of those thorny creep looking even more frightening than the last.

Crap. So much for a quick exit.

“Flash… run.” Twilight spoke wearily in his arms, using what little strength she had to push him away. The girl was looking paler with every passing minute– which wasn’t a good sign. “It’s too dangerous for you.”

“Don’t you worry. I’ll get us out of here. Somehow…” He wasn’t entirely sure if he was saying that out of desperation or simply the fact that it sounded cool. Either way, he had to think fast or risk getting cornered for a second time.

And thankfully an idea struck. He still had his magic. And with a little improvisation, he could probably do more than just block objects.

It was such a silly plan that it might just work. Not that he had much of a choice for that matter. With a single breath of courage, Flash ran back towards the pier and leap into the air, using his borrowed magic once more.

A magical shield conjured beneath him in a slightly curved angle acting as a surfboard for him to ride through the contaminated water.

“Wooo hooo! This is totally awesome!” Flash made a mental note to try this on the waves next time he hits the beach. He zigged and zagged through the waters, dodging Timber-Wolf as he tried to catch them, narrowly avoiding his attacks by a hair’s breadth right before landing on the opposite side of the lake.

It was a gamble. And luckily for Flash, it paid off handsomely. Not only did he avoid certain doom, but he was able to get a good distance between him and Timber.

… or so he thought.

With speed that would’ve made Rainbow Dash blush, the creature leaped from the lake, landing flawlessly onto the ground.

He turned and snarl at the boy, bearing his fangs angrily.

“YOU!”

“Uh… h… hey?”

“I WARNED YOU NOT TO COME NEAR HER. AND YET YOU DO THIS?!”

“Hey back off Timber!” Flash snapped back. “I don’t know what your beef is with me, but you’ve crossed the line here. Look… Twilight is hurt. She needs help. I can take her on my car and…”

“YOU WON’T TAKE HER FROM ME!” He roared, swiping one hand which Flash dodged just by an inch. “THIS… ALL OF THIS. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOU!! YOU DID THIS!”

“Me? How? I’m not the one turning into a monster or changing the whole park into a death trap!” He grunted for a moment when he heard the girl in his arms groan. “Look. We can discuss this later. Right now Twilight needs help. We need to get her to a hospital.”

“NOO. YOU WILL GIVE HER TO ME. MY MAGIC… WILL HELP HER.”

You mean the same magic that’s turning you into a feral creature and killing the land and air around them? Fat chance. There’s no telling what kind of reaction Twilight would have exposed to such dangerous magic. He’d rather wreck his own car a dozen times over than hand her over.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“YOU WILL… GIVE HER TO ME.” Timber took one threatening step forward.

And Flash didn’t back off.

“Come and make me.”

The werewolf pounced.

And the fight was on.

Applied Lesson

Chapter 89: Applied Lesson

It was a duel of epic proportion. A battle for the ages. A fight unlike no other. If Flash was to be poetic, he’d say that this was probably the greatest fight of his life. A one-on-one clash between him and a monster, with the Princess’ hand being the prize.

… or at least that’s what he would’ve wanted. But instead this fight turned into a one-sided slop fest.

Apparently fighting with a girl in his arms was kind of a handicap he wasn’t expecting. And maybe he shouldn’t have openly challenged Timber like that either. Perhaps it was the adrenaline or the excitement of adventure that drew him to say those things – or perhaps the mere arrogance he developed.

Regardless, it was safe to say that he was in deep horse dung.

“RARRR!” The boy turned wolf let out a roar, arms swinging wildly at his mark. What little remained of his humanity was flushed down the drain, replaced with the all-encompassing desire to rip his target to pieces.

Flash could do little but create shields that could barely withstand his attack and maybe toss a few blows back which probably didn’t have much of an effect. Timber’s fur were like coats of steel that made him impervious to damage. Kinda cheating if you asked him. And fighting and running at the same time while dodging treants as they came to block his way was difficult enough with his hands literally full.

The blue boy could feel shivers rolling down his spine. This whole battle felt completely different from when he met with Cinch or Hoity Toity. While those two fought against the girls most of the time, they didn’t feel as threatening or dangerous in that matter. This one with Timber on the other hand felt completely different.

Each of those swings were all directed at him. Each of that snarl filled with hate and resentment that would make a regular teenager quaking in his shoes. He wasn’t playing around. He was literally trying to kill him.

But now was not the time for self-amusement. He needed to get the heck out of here, and get Twilight some much needed help.

“SHE IS MINE!”

Yeah keep yapping dog breath. You ain’t laying another finger on her while you’re in that form. Not while I have anything to say about it.

Flash tossed another shield in front of him, blocking another strike while summoning another to whack the Timber-wolf on the side. And sadly… like before: It hardly did anything but annoy him. Guess this power is only good for offense.

Gotta think fast. Need a plan that’ll get him distracted for a few seconds. Something that’ll make him look away for a few seconds. And he doubts a dog bone would do the trick like in those cartoons.

“Flash…” Twilight’s words reached him.

“Hang on Twi. I’ll get us out of this.”

“No… you can’t. You… you have to run.” She clutched the hem of his jacket as she pleaded. “It’s… me he wants. Get away from here.”

Don’t be stupid! Who knows what that monster would do to you? And why are you being the selfless hero right now? I’m the one who’s trying to save you, not the other way around.

The only way Timber is getting his grubby claws onto you is through his cold lifeless body.

A poor choice of words honestly, but that’s sounded like something a hero would say.

“Sorry Twilight. But I’m not leaving you.”

“Flash. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m the one ridiculous!?” He snapped back. “You’re the one who’s about to be eaten by a giant werewolf! I think you’re the one being ridiculous. I stuck with you on the other side of the world through thick and thin, with pickled eggs and stale bread. I’m not about to leave you now.”

“But… Timber.”

“Let me handle your ex. I’m used to dealing with folks who can’t take a hint.”

Twilight blinked. “You are?”

Honestly? No. But that sounded really cool to say just now.

And not a moment too soon because the big bad wolf was attacking again waving its claws at him like a madman.

“RARRRRR!”

“Come and get me, Dog Breath!” In a stroke of genius, Flash conjured two larger shields and began spinning them around him kicking dust and dirt off the ground. It soon became thick and heavy, making it impossible for anyone to see anything.

“WHERE ARE YOU!?” The monster roared. “COME OUT AND FACE ME YOU COWARD! ARE YOU JUST GONNA KEEP RUNNING!?”

From you? Probably. You got enough muscles to tear me in half. No way will I be able to match your strength or speed.

But in the brain department? I think I got you beat.

“THERE YOU ARE. COME HERE YOU-ARGHHH!” Timber’s roar was suddenly cut half way when he found himself tripping on a pothole, half of his body sinking into the ground. He tried pull himself back up but found it restrained by a something inside. “WHAT IS THIS?”

“It’s called strategy.” Flash answered conjuring another shield and waving it around like a club. “If you haven’t realized, this park went through renovations. There used to be a playground here. But they moved it because the ground was too sandy.”

“GRAHHH! YOU THINK SIMPLE TRICKS WILL STOP ME!? I WILL—GAH! RIP YOUR ARMS OFF—GOH! AND TEAR YOUR—GOH!” The monster groaned with each hit to the head. “ARGHHHHH! WILL YOU STOP THAT!?”

Hey, you’re the one giving out a villain monologue. Don’t blame me for taking advantage, smashing your face in like the cheesiest whack-a-mole game.

“Flash! Behind you!”

What? Oh right. The trees. He forgot that they were still a thing.

But Flash didn’t feel any fear for these driftwood. As scary as they are, their frames were far weaker than expected. And he was getting used to Rarity’s power.

With a single thought, Flash conjured a row of those magical barriers and sent them against the treants, pushing them with ease. He even redesigned them, giving these shields a more round feature making it harder for the monsters to grip on. With a little extra effort, he was able to push them all the way back, piling the trees up together like the city’s biggest bonfire. And strangely enough it worked well.

So well that even Twilight seemed amazed. “I didn’t know you can do that.”

“Me neither.”

Still pretty cool though. Makes you wonder what else I can do with these powers.

“Flash, look out!”

“RARRRRR!” Oh crud. Timber broke from his binds and struck head first. Thankfully not fast enough to get pass the barrier. “I WILL DESTROY YOU!”

“Timber! Please, stop this!” Twilight pleaded. “This isn’t you!”

“RARRRRRRR!”

The guy was too far gone. He was far too focused on trying to kill them to even hear what they have to say. Only a crazed lunatic would try to negotiate with him.

Heh, kind of reminds me of that Fangshire movie Rainbow Dash liked so much. Him against a werewolf battling for the affection of one girl. Of course he’d be an immortal vampire with an army of ghouls behind his back, and maybe a castle.

“GRAHHH!”

Right right. No time to day dream. Gotta find a way to get away from Timber – or beat his butt to submission. Either way works for him.

“The amulet!” Twilight said suddenly pointing to a trinket dangling over Timber’s neck. “That’s the source of his magic. It’s the thing that’s corrupting him. If we can take that away, he should turn back.”

That ugly thing? The gemstone was barely the size of a peanut. And even if he could grab it, that thing was attached to a werewolf who can literally tear his head off.

“RARR!”

Flash gulped. “I don’t think he’s gonna make it easy.”

“Not if we work together.” She countered, eyes glinting with determination. “I have a plan. It might sound a bit crazy, but it should work.”

“Not to be that guy. But most of the plans you make don’t exactly go as expected.”

“It’s either that or staying here.”

Fair point. Not a lot of room to negotiate. And honestly, he didn’t have anything to back that up.

“Ugh… fine!” He surrendered. “But if we get transported half way across the world again. I’m blaming you.”

“Hey! That first one was your fault!”

“Are we doing this or not!?”

Her eyes rolled. “Alright. But first we need to get some distance between us and Timber.”

Oh that, I think I can do.

Raising another shield, Flash pound it to the ground and spun it, kicking up more dirt and dust creating an artificial sandstorm which blinded everyone in range.

Timber let out an annoyed roar, covering his eyes. He threw a swipe at them. But by the time the dust storm cleared, they were long gone.

(Park Entrance)

Sunset’s mind was going on overdrive.

She had been gone for only a few days and already the life she built here in the human world has changed drastically. And she wasn’t talking about the park either.

Okay, so maybe the park needed an investigation. But what she couldn’t wrap her mind on was the new powers her friends got.

“Ok. So let me get this straight.” She stated to Rainbow Dash. “You all got these new magical abilities after performing this magical handshake thing with Flash?”

“Yup.”

“But… how!?”

Rainbow raised her hand in defense. “I don’t know. Normally when something like this happens, you or Twilight would have some kind of nerdy answer. We were hoping you could explain it.”

“Hardly. It took me months just to come up with a simple healing spell. And that was with Princess Twilight’s help. Even all these years, I still don’t fully understand how the magic works around this place.”

It’s bad enough that they have to deal with this Yaztec Magic, and the secret Order. But now this? She merely thought that Flash’s magic was just a passing symptom and that it’d be gone by the time she returned. But now it seemed to have grown immeasurably. So much so that it spread to her closest friends.

“I knew Flash has magic on him, but I never expected it to become like this.” She rubbed her hair, groaning. “And you all got new powers from him?”

“Yup. After a little touch, and bam… lightning powers.”

“Not all of us, darling.” Rarity added. “Some of us were left out of the loop. Again…”

“We’ve tried to call you. But we couldn’t reach you. What were you doing these last few days?”

The fashionista’s eyes squinted. “I guess I’ve been busy cleaning someone else’s mess.” Fluttershy, who to everyone’s surprised, simply stuck out her tongue in response.

“I’m gonna have to take a look at that magic of his. I just hope this doesn’t spread any further. If Principal Celestia finds out about this, she’ll be livid.”

“I think we’re passed that point already Sugar Cube.” Applejack countered with a smirk on her lips. “And isn’t that contradictory seeing how you brought back Starlight and… uh… that other guy.”

“How rude!” Discord whined from the back of the line, arms on his hip. “I’ll have you know that I am a very important individual back in Equestria. I’m friends with a member of the Council of Friendship. The highest ranking court in the whole land.”

The Council of Friendship is Princess Twilight’s group, not yours.

“Sorry about Discord.” Starlight mentioned. “He’s a bit of an odd duck, but I swear he’s really a good creature – er – person at heart. You can trust him. As for me coming over… well… it’s kind of a long story.”

And before anyone could ask any follow up questions, a bone chilling howl filled in the air, freezing the gang on their feet. It rustled through the trees, shaking the very foundation of the earth they stepped.

“What in the world was that?” Sunset shivered, eyes darting in all directions. “Was that a wolf?”

“No. It sounds like a wolf, but it’s not.” Fluttershy shook her head. “That’s… something else.”

Whatever it was, it didn’t sound friendly at all. And this whole magical infection corrupting the land wasn’t giving her any good vibes. “We need to find Twilight, fast. Let’s sp…”

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow Dash suddenly protested. “Don’t you dare say split up! Haven’t you seen any horror movie? That’s how the monsters get you. The moment we split up we’ll be picked off one by one. It happens every time!”

“Rainbow. This isn’t like one of your movies.”

“You said the same thing in Castle Hoofbeard! Remember what happened then!?”

Sunset opened her mouth to counter but found herself defeated.

Despite Rainbow’s obsessive knowledge of pop-culture, she had to admit that the girl had been right on multiple accounts. Still… this place was much too large for them to search in a single group. They needed a better way. If only they had an aerial view of the place.

“Oh oh! I got an idea!” Pinkie Pie chirpily raised her hand before suddenly turning the surface beneath her into jelly. “Rarity says what.”

“What? Bwahh!” Rarity fell for that joke, quite literally in fact. Pinkie pulled her onto the jelly and used the buoyancy to shoot the party animal up to the air.

“Weee! I see something!”

“What is it?” Sunset asked.

“I have no idea! But there’s something going on near the lake. I see a sandstorm, and a werewolf… oh… and lots of magic too.”

The lake? That sounds like a good place to start their search. Not really sure if that werewolf thing was a fact or just something of a joke though.

“The lake it is then.”

“Why on earth did you have to do that?” Rarity complained, rubbing the back of her skirt. “I’m really not into the whole ‘bouncing around’. I just fixed my hair and it’s all tangled again.”

“Sorry Rarity. But I needed someone who had enough mass to send me off high.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to all thi…” The fashionista nodded in understanding before the words dawned on her. “Wait. Mass? Are you calling me fat?”

“Well I wouldn’t say… ‘fat’. I’d say you got plenty of meat under all that… umm… fashion.”

“What!? Why I’d never…”

“Guys, enough.” Sunset whistled. “We can sort this after we find Twilight.”

(Gazebo)

“Huff… huff.”

Flash had done some quick sprints before, but this had to be the best record he’s ever made.

Running at full speed at all time with no breaks, pacing his breathing as he traversed through multiple grounds, leaping across difficult terrain, all the while carrying a girl in his arms. That’s the kind of stunt Daring Do would do in her movies.

Not only that but they were able to put some distance between them and that Timber-Wolf guy.

“Phew. That… was probably the scariest thing I’ve done all year. And this year’s just getting started.”

“I’m glad someone’s having fun.” Twilight stated, though her sarcasm wasn’t exactly missed. “Can you put me down now?”

“Huh? Oh… right. Sorry.” He set her down on the bench gently. She looked fine, and her breathing wasn’t erratic. But that all changed her arm was exposed making her squirm in pain. “You ok?”

“Ah… I’m… fine.”

“You know when you say ‘Fine’ and make that kind of face at the same time? You’re clearly not fine.”

“What would you know!?” She snapped angrily before flinching back again.

“Hey hey hey. Easy. Don’t yell at me. If you haven’t realized yet. I just saved you from giant werewolf.”

“I was handling it just fine before you came along.”

“That’s not how I see it.”

“I could’ve handled it… yeow!”

“Whoa. Easy.” He cooed, kneeling to her level. The girl was going through a lot of emotions right now. And fear seemed to be root of it all. That… and the wound on her arm probably adding to the stress. “Here… let me take a look at that.” She flinched back, no trusting her injury. “It’s ok. I’ll just take a quick look.”

It took a moment but she allowed it.

The wound didn’t look too bad. The cut was deep enough to make her bleed, but not enough to cause any lasting damage. Twilight will be missing some tissues later on, but it’ll heal with the right treatment. The boy had seen plenty of cuts and bruises before. And it was nothing a little trip to the nurse office can’t fix.

“Well, the good news is: The wound isn’t that bad. It should heal in a couple of days.”

“And the bad news?”

“It’s going to leave a nasty scar.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. If only I had something to cover it.” The boy responded by pulling a roll of bandages from his jacket, making the girl squint. “You keep a roll of bandages in your pocket?”

He shrugged, revealing a small blue bottle. “Alcohol too. They’re actually to cover the scar on my hand. But after what we’ve been through last year, I think it pays to be prepared. Knowing the adventures you go through, you’ll be needing these. Besides, I’ve been the Band-Aid patroller since grade school. Anyone who gets hurt comes to me. You have no idea how many of us gets cuts and bruises during Arts and Craft time.”

Twilight blinked. “That’s… actually pretty handy.”

“Yeah. That’s what Drum Roll said to me.”

…

An awkward silence flew by as he rolled the bandages around her arm. He tried to be quick but he also wanted to be gentle. A wound of this size needed air to breathe as well.

“So… mind telling me what happened?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “What?”

“I’m guessing you breaking up with Timber didn’t work out as planned.”

“Y… yeah. I guess you could say that.” But then her mind jolted up in realization. “Wait. How’d you know I was breaking up with Timber?”

Ah… crap. So much for small talk.

“Ah… well… Rarity told me.” Sorry Rare. I have to throw you under the bus for this one. “She’s… kind of the reason why I’m here actually.”

“Rarity?!” She groaned into her free hand. “Of course she would. Why wouldn’t she? I knew she’d try something like this. That little rat. I’m gonna give her a good scolding when we get out of this. Where is she?”

“Not sure. We got separated when the trees started walking and attacking us.” The anger on her face immediately died down. “But I wouldn’t worry too much. Rarity might not look it, but she’s learned to handle herself. I’m sure she’s fine.”

She didn’t seem all that convinced though.

“There. That should do it.” He finished with a positive declaration. “I wouldn’t move that arm too much.”

“Thanks.” She gave the arm a good roll. “You’re… pretty good at this.”

“Band-Aid patroller.” He winked. “But just to be on the safe side. You should go see a doctor.”

“I’ll do that after we save Timber.”

Oh right. Him. “Speaking of Timber. What happened to him? Where’d he get that magic?”

“I wished I knew.” She admitted. “All I know is that he tried to put that amulet on me right after I told him that I wanted to break up. After that… everything just… went out of hand.” No kidding. With the whole park turned inside out, you’d think some dark magic was involved. “He’s also been acting really weird. Like… he was a whole different person.”

“You mean the whole Timber-Wolf thing?”

“No. Even before that. Ever since…” She gave the boy a pointed look. “Ever since you two had that argument.”

Flash recoiled a bit from the sudden turn. “Uh… what?”

“You and Timber had an argument about something. Something big. And ever since then he’s been acting strangely. And back then… when he appeared. He said everything was your fault. What did he mean by that? What did you two fight about?”

Ah crud. This really isn’t the time for this talk. Flash wasn’t ready. He wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for such a discussion.

“It’s… a long story.”

“What do you m…” They were interrupted when another howl erupted close by signaling the presence of her ex-boyfriend. “He’s here.”

“And he sounds really mad.”

Twilight rose from the bench, eyes focused on the movement of trees. All thoughts of her previous questions being put on hold. Timber was approaching them fast. No doubt he could smell them with that snout of his.

“We need to get that amulet off of him.” She announced. “That thing is providing him with that corrupted magic. If we can get that thing, everything should turn to normal.”

The boy held a finger up in protest. “Uh yeah. I think you’re forgetting a big, furry thing that’s wearing it. Timber’s not gonna make it easy for us. He’ll be nibbling at us like a chew toy before we get anywhere near that thing.”

“No. But I just need him to stop moving for a few seconds so I can remove that necklace.” Twilight then turned away, squinting her eyes at something. “Be quiet!”

He jolted. “Uh… I didn’t say anything.”

“No. Not you. It’s…” Twilight shook her head. Maybe she took a hit to the knockin? “Anyway, we need to stop him before he hurts anyone else.”

“Easier said than done. I barely managed to stop him with Rarity’s powers.”

“Facing him directly won’t do us any good. We need to find a way to restrain him. Have him stop just long enough for us to remove that amulet.” She eyed him. “Can you stall him for me?”

“What? Me!? Wouldn’t it be better if you called your friends over? They can handle this kind of situation better than the two of us.”

“They’ll never make it time.” She countered. “Please Flash. I know I’m asking a lot but… I need time to create a trap. Something that’ll be able to hold Timber down.”

A trap? That’s the best you can come up with? He was kind of expecting something along the line like some kind of super weapon, or magical dive bomb like Rainbow Dash. A fight to the finish. But this wasn’t that kind of movie. Still it was kind of risky. Him against a monster of that size?

Damn his bleeding heart.

“Alright. I suppose I can give it a try.” He sighed out loud.

“Thank you Flash.”

“But if I’m going to do this, I’m gonna need something from you?”

Twilight raised a curious brow. “Oh? What is it?”

The boy extended his hand.

xxxxxxxxxx

Timber felt… angry. Very very angry.

He couldn’t focus. Everything felt wrong in every way imaginable. Every movement he made felt like it took a lot more effort than usual. From the smallest step to even the simplest act of breathing took strength out of his body.

It felt as though he was heavier, bigger. Was he always this tall? Why did his hands look like claws?

Oh… god.

There was blood trickling down his fingers. The memories showed themselves, making him head throb with pain.

It was him. He did this. He… he hurt Twilight.

But it was an accident. He just wanted her attention, not… this. If she had just listened to him, this all would’ve gone so differently.

…!

It was because of him. He’s the one responsible!

Flash Sentry. It was because of him that he hurt Twilight. He’s the reason why everything’s fallen to pieces around here. If that boy hadn’t shown up… things would’ve been perfect. He would have the magic…

Yes… the magic. That’s what he was supposed to do.

How could he forget? He’s supposed to take her magic.

“ARGHHH!” The boy grabbed his head as a loud pounding could be felt drilling into his brain.

The stupid trees were talking again.

Oh wait. They… found him. They found the boy…

… and he was alone.

Good…

xxxxxxxxxx

Great job Flash. This is what you get for being such a goodie-two-shoes. You asked to be a part of one of their grand adventures and your wish is granted. Now you’re running around in a spooky forest while being chased by living tree monsters.

While a part of him was busy cursing his own fate, there was also a large part of him that thought that this whole thing was totally awesome! This was a true adventure riddled with danger, just like he imagined it. Though he wished that the whole thing wasn’t affecting him on a personal level. Perhaps the next adventure would be less life threatening and more… something else.

Fortunately for him, avoiding these treants didn’t seem all that difficult like earlier. They were quite intimidating at first. Scary enough to make you flinch or cower. But if you look pass their frightening visage, you start to realize that they were really nothing more than literal walking trees that can gobble you up in a single bite. The shadow monsters he fought last year was ten times more dangerous than these things.

They were quite slow, and their large and uneven figure made it difficult for them to surround their prey without locking branches with one another. It’s a wonder why he was even scared of them to begin with.

“THERE YOU ARE!”

Ah right… because he was the ring leader.

“Oh crud!”

Timber-wolf appeared out of the bushes, slamming against the ground and standing on its hind legs. Its glaring visage was enough to send a cold sweat running down the boy’s cheeks.

“DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD HIDE FROM ME!?”

Flash shrugged jokingly. “Uh… kinda? I’m usually pretty good in hide-and-seek. Wanna go again? You hide this time.” The monster’s growl answered his words. “Ok~~. I see that you’re not in the mood for jokes. I can understand that. How about rock-paper-scissors? Or maybe dinner? I know a great beef steak restaurant around here that opens up late at night. Their kobe beef is to die for. Not literally of course.”

“ENOUGH TALK!” He snapped. “WHERE IS SHE!?”

“She…? Who…?” Flash feign ignorance “You’re gonna have to be a little more specific. I know a lot of girls. Octavia, Paisley, Photo Finish, Rose, Rose Heart.” The wolf swiped to which he dodged. The claws tearing a piece of his jacket. “Hey! Easy! This is made out of real leather. I had it custom made for my band! You’re paying for the damage.”

“YOU’RE STALLING!” Damn. The big guy was smarter than he looked. Figures. “YOU’RE PLANNING SOMETHING. TELL ME WHERE SHE IS AND I’LL MAKE YOUR PAIN SLOW AND MISERABLE.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be… ‘or else’?”

“THEN YOU CAN DIE RIGHT HERE AND NOW!”

Flash gave a childish whistle in return. “Ah… yeah. I think I’ll pass on that. I just found out from my doctor that I’m deathly allergic to dying. So… maybe we can try this… tomorrow? Or maybe next week? But not Friday. I got extra cooking lessons with Applejack and she’ll kill me if I’m late.”

“GRAHHHH!”

Okay, that’s the best I can do. Not gonna push my luck any further here.

Flash pushed his magic forward, catching Timber in mid-swing. It locked the werewolf’s claw suspended in midair, restraining it with an invisible force. He must’ve been surprised as well because he didn’t seem to understand what was happening.

“WHA…? WHAT IS THIS!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

“It’s called magic.” He huffed. “Thought you of all people should know about it.” With a strong yank, Flash pulled the monster to the side slamming his face to the ground like a sack of meat.

“GRAHH! YOU LITTLE WELP!!”

“Hey! Watch the language, buddy. We need to keep this fight Rated E.” Flash rolled his eyes at him as he snarled. “Yeesh. With that kind of attitude, it’s no wonder Twilight broke up with you.”

“WHAT!?”

Oooh? Looks like I hit a nerve there.

That’s right. This whole thing must’ve been caused by the breakup. That’s definitely a sore subject for the guy, which is understandable.

It also could be a good sign, all things considered.

But would he lower himself to such travesty? Would Flash Sentry be willing to stoop to such a level that would make him such a donkey’s-rear?

...

Seeing that ugly snout? Most definitely.

Alright Flash… time to make a Siren proud.

“Yeah, Twilight told me about your big breakup. Honestly, I’m not surprised. You are kind of a snooze fest. I mean… look at you. You’re harrier than my math teacher. And he’s older than you! Ever learned to shave?” Timber roared and lunged at him only to be deflected by another show of his telekinetic powers. “And seriously, you got no class. You really think a camp-counselor/lifeguard like you has a chance with someone like her?”

“RARRRR!” The big guy tossed a rock which missed its mark by a meter.

“Yeah. I didn’t think so.” The boy went on with his mockery. “Come on. Admit it. You knew that it was coming. You saw the whole thing a mile away and there was nothing you could do to stop it. I’m actually more surprised she didn’t break up with you sooner. She must’ve did it out of pity.”

“SHUT YOUR TRAP!”

“Why? Because the truth hurts? She’s way out of your league. Face it. She’s a 10 and you’re a 2. You never had a chance. Guess that explains why she prefers me over you.”

“NOT TRUE!”

“Face it Dog Breath. I’m way better than you in everything you can imagine. I’ve got better hair, better looks, my grades are probably better than yours. Oh… and I’m super rich too. Have you seen my mansion?” He let out an evil laugh for effect. “What am I saying? You’re a dog. You probably live in an alleyway or something.”

“GRAHHHHHH!” Another swing and a miss.

“And you know what’s funny? You were right.” That was enough to give the werewolf pause. “I think Twilight really is into me. I mean she and I have been through some awesome adventures together. We got trapped on the other side of the world for almost a week after we fought a shadow monster. That was pretty fun. Maybe after I knock you out, I’ll take her on a romantic cruise on the ocean. Just the two of us. Under the night sky, over a heater, watching a romantic movie.”

The rage in Timber’s face reached a boiling point. His sharpened eyes went wide while jaw went slack.

“NO! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!”

“Yeah? Or else what? You gonna throw another tantrum?” Flash threw out a nasty mocking grin which only seemed to make the monster’s blood boil.

God. He felt like such a villain. The kind of villain that would kick a puppy to the road just for laughs. His subconscious was vomiting buckets right now. Every word that came out of his mouth tasted like venom. So much so that his tongue felt numb. He could already imagine Adagio laughing maniacally in the sideline, grinning madly from ear to ear while sarcastically applauding his taunting skills.

Flash made a mental note to thank her later for the lessons.

“RARRRRRR!” And right on cue, the monster roared. “I WILL END YOU. I WILL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB AND EAT YOUR HEART!!”

Oh… crud.

Maybe that was a little too much.

Eh… whatever. It got his undivided attention at least.

“Come and get me, Dog Breath.”

Timber answered that challenge in spades. He came at the boy, with all the intentions to kill. And this time he was stronger. The magic in that amulet made him faster, more resistant to his telekinesis powers. His swings were wild and sloppy but they were undoubtedly no less dangerous. One hit of that and Flash would be down for the count – and probably super dead too.

But thankfully the boy wasn’t going down without a fight.

Using his newly borrowed magic, Flash threw in every object he could get his powers on and threw it against the man turned monster. From rocks, to loose branches, and even several benches and street lamps that were still hanging about. The clash itself sent ripples throughout the park, the ground trembling with every blow, the very air between them shivering in nothingness. Each ripple in magic was terrifying to the core. So much so that not even the treants dared go near less they risk being turned into kindle.

The exchange lasted for about three, maybe five minutes or so with neither side showing any opening.

Flash broke a sweat, and his body began to show some signs of exhaustion. The first skirmish they had already took a lot out of him. A prolonged fight wasn’t gonna cut it here. Despite having all this power, all this magic, he was still human deep down. And to match his physical prowess with a creature three times his size was like comparing a grape to a bowling ball.

It just wasn’t a contest.

Still… he needed to do this. He just needed to buy a little more time.

xxxxxxxxxx

“You really think this is going to work?” Midnight asked as Twilight placed her magic on the tree. After she made sure that it wasn’t going to uproot itself and attack her, she worked her powers through the branches, placing each and every twig and bent them aside in just the right angle knotting them in ways that would trigger at the slightest touch. “You really think a silly cage like this is going to stop something as big as that?”

“Timber’s form may be powerful. But it’s not invincible. Apply just the right amount of force and he’ll cave just like everyone else. Magic is strong, but not that strong.”

“And you think a bunch of trees will do the trick?”

“You got a better idea?”

“I can put your boyfriend down with but a thought. I can think of a thousand ways to stop him if you just give me control of your body for a few minutes.”

“And let you have free reign? No thanks. I’m not trading one magical disaster for another.”

“Oh? You’re not willing to make that sacrifice. But you’re ok on risking ‘His’ life for your plan?”

Twilight paused. Damn it. Midnight was right, of course. Not that she doubted it. When she asked Flash to buy her some time, it was merely the spur of the moment. She was hoping to resolve this conundrum quickly and hope to keep herself safe. And while it seemed like the logical plan, she also realized that she just unwillingly put his life on the line. Though to be fair, that wasn’t exactly her intent.

Don’t panic Twilight. Flash has been through life threatening scenarios before. And he has magic on him now, so he should be able to hold Timber back for a few more minutes.

But should anything happen to him…

The wound on her arm ached. If Timber was willing to do this to her, how much more would he do against someone he despised?

There was a chance that he’d…

That Timber would outright kill…

Sunset would be devastated if she hears…

No. Don’t get distracted now. Midnight may be right, but the decision was still logical. You’re wounded and will be of no help. The only thing you can do now is work – and maybe hope.

A loud crash could be heard in the distance. Twilight could sense a magical fight going on. No doubt Flash had already locked battle with Timber and were duking it out.

“Was that… Timber?”

“Seems like it.” Her counterpart confirmed her fears. “And it looks like he’s not holding back either. That blue boy doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Don’t say that! Flash will be fine.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

“Flash has been through worse.”

“WILL YOU STOP KIDDING YOURSELF!?” The angel finally snapped. “You’re supposed to be the smart one here! Try to think logically! You felt that magic, didn’t you? This isn’t some kind of dark magic you can fight with the power of friendship. You know how strong it is, and how dangerous it can be. You barely held out on your own against Timber, and you’re supposed to be the wiz when it comes to magic. You really think that kid is gonna last longer than you?”

…

Twilight had no words. She wanted to believe that Flash could fight him…

“If you keep thinking that all your problems can be solved with a song or good vibe, you’re seriously delusional. We both know that fighting against your ex is a full-on suicide. You sent Flash to fight that big guy… alone. And believe me when I say this: He is going… to die.”

The girl never felt more terror in her heart than she did then.

(Celestia’s/Luna’s apartment)

Luna can’t remember the last time she was this relaxed.

After having to deal with teenagers all week long, it was nice to finally sit down and enjoy a good cup of hot coco after a nice warm bath. The luxuries of life was most welcoming for someone in her occupation.

She was alone in the living room. And her favorite series was playing on TV.

Celestia was in her room, answering a call from her boyfriend. Judging from the laughing and giggling she could hear coming out of that place, they must be flirting on the phone, or planning their next outing together – or perhaps even both.

She could only imagine where he’d take her sister next. Seeing how many dates they were able to cram in just a few months, they must’ve visited every local high-class restaurant in the city by now.

The only way he could top those off is that he flies her to Saddle Arabia and have a fancy dinner under the sandy starlight, riding on a camel. Or maybe Yakyakistan where they can huddle under a hut and enjoy the local cuisine.

Hmm… that sounded pretty good actually. If he actually does any of that she’s gonna ask Celestia to bring her along.

Ha! Imagine them on a three way date. That’d be hilarious.

…

Ah… actually. Let’s not do that.

Ugh… forget it. Let’s just focus on Emerald Vale and see if the main heroine will pick her best friend over the rich hottie.

“We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to deliver you this emergency news broadcast.” The TV suddenly spouted, the screen suddenly shifting from the drama series to the main anchorwoman, suddenly interrupting her relaxation.

An emergency broadcast? There hasn’t been one like this since… well… forever.

“An unknown phenomenon has occurred at Canterlot City tonight. At roughly an hour ago, at Downtown Park, a strange glow can be seen. Witnesses in the area have posted online seeing a bright green light coming from within, to many claims to be ‘Magic’. Police and emergency services has arrived on scene but so far they have been unable to enter due to the thick foliage blocking their path. Authorities are advising that every residence remain indoors, for their own safety, until the situation has been resolved. Our very own crew will be keeping you posted as the situation changes.”

…

Luna blinked twice before taking another sip off her cup.

The coco suddenly became cold and tasteless.

(Park)

Flash had a mixed feeling about this fight.

First and foremost, it was awesome! A duel with a monster was everything he dreamed of. He always imagined that he would one day partake in a battle that would decide the fate of the universe just like Sunset and her friends did. He simply didn’t think that it would affect him on such a personal level.

I mean… if you really think about it, he is partially responsible for Timber’s current state. The man’s jealousy and paranoia was developed through his constant bonding with Twilight. It ate him from the inside which boiled up to take desperate measures. Turning himself into this… creature… hoping that he could keep that girl with him forever. Everything he did, he did for her.

All in the name of love.

If it wasn’t so magically twisted, he would say that Timber was quite the hopeless romantic.

In a bizarre way, Flash might even say that he admired the man for being such a devoting boyfriend – if he wasn’t so determined to tear him a new one.

Flash ducked another swing from the werewolf, bobbing and weaving at the same time while tossing heavy objects at his pursuer. Timber looked pretty mad. Mad enough that his eyes glowed red.

Perhaps all that insult and mockery snapped what little control he had left, and decided to put his death as top priority. The man turned monster cared not for strategy or tactics. He decided to use his own brutal strength to attack, ripping and shredding anything that got in his way.

Even the treants which he commanded were ripped to pieces just by getting between him and his prey.

“STAND STILL SO I CAN CRUSH YOU!”

Was that supposed to motivate him? Because it just made him do the opposite.

So far he’s been able to keep up with Timber’s thrashing.

But sadly he was getting faster.

His human stamina just wasn’t built to match with an animal. And unlike the furry guy, he was slowly feeling exhaustion coming over him. It was only a matter of time before his legs give up.

He needed to get an edge or a secret hidden technique to turn the tide.

And thankfully he still had plenty of cards hidden up his sleeves.

“No risk, no reward, right?”

With a little effort, imagination, and a lot of luck, Flash placed his borrowed magic to the ground pulling a chunk of the earth upward. It kinda looked like he was carving a giant slice of pizza for himself before shoving that piece onto Timber, burying him under a ton of dirt.

“Ha! Let’s see you try getting out of that one!” And again the monster answered the challenge, digging his way out of that rubble like a mole. “Ugh… I really need to stop motivating my enemies.” He gasped when Timber swung at him.

Thankfully he brushed him off with his powers, sending the werewolf flying. It didn’t do any lasting damage, but at least he can keep the monster at a good distance. The only problem was that the big guy was heavier than a dozen dumbbells. And tossing him away drained a lot of his energy.

“YOU’RE GETTING TIRED, FLASH.” He noticed, grinning.

Crap. Don’t show your weakness. Keep it together. Small breaths. You just need to buy a little more time.

“I’ve been skipping leg day for a while now.” He said through pants. If the guy wanted to engage in conversation, then let him. A second wasted on talking was a second he could use to catch his breath. “You’re not looking too hot yourself.”

“I DON’T NEED MAGIC TO TEAR YOU TO SHREDS.”

“Then why don’t you drop the werewolf getup and face me like a man?” Ah god that sounded so cool! Perfect counter insult. He’s been having a lot of those lately. Flash would’ve given himself a pat on the back if he wasn’t so dang tired.

And it seems like the words cut deep on Timber because he lunged at him again, claws drawn.

Perhaps it was time to rethink his strategy.

Fighting head on with this hairball wasn’t doing him any favors. And looking at how he was still jumping and pouncing around like a cheetah, you can guess that he still had plenty of energy to spare.

Flash needed to get away. Get some distance between him and Timber.

If only he could fly.

…

Wait…

That’s it!

Activating his powers once more, Flash closed his eyes and jumped, hoping for the best.

“YOU’RE MINE!” Timber pounced when he felt like he had his mark, only to find it slip away from his grasp going higher and higher. “WHAT!?”

Flash opened his eyes and blinked finding that his risky paid off once more. He looked to the ground beneath him seeing it going further and further away.

“It worked!”

“YOU CAN FLY NOW!?”

No he couldn’t. It only looked that way, while the truth was far less appealing.

He applied Twilight’s magic on his own jacket and hoisted himself upward like a kite, taking into account the wind and trees. Not a bad trick if he says so himself. Sure he looked rather silly being strung up by his own clothes, but at least Timber can’t reach him. So he’s calling that a win.

“Ha! Eat that, Timber!” Flash stuck out his tongue taunting the werewolf. “Can’t catch what you can’t reach. Guess that makes me better at magic too. If only you had wings. Maybe then you could keep up.”

You know the saying of ‘Tempting fate’?

Flash was a prime example of that phrase.

Because with a single motion, Timber grabbed onto a boulder and chugged it at him.

“Hey!” Another one came, missing him by a meter. “Stop that! That’s cheating!”

“COME DOWN HERE AND FACE ME!”

“Not a chance!” The boy flew off – or pulled off. His jacket hoisting him away towards a clearing by the lake. It’s the only place where the plan will work.

…!

What the…? Oh no. Not now dang it!

But Flash reacted a little too late. The seams on his jacket were torn from the earlier skirmish weakening it from the sides before snapping. He tried desperately to catch it but his fingers slipped from the thread to which he then fell to the ground back first with an audible thud.

“Ow…” He groaned. “Gotta work on my landing.”

A shadow caught his attention making the boy scramble just as Timber came down, nearly crushing his body into paste.

Oh boy. This… might be bad. He looks… ticked.

“RAN OUT OF TRICKS ALREADY?”

He shrugged, hiding his panic. “Hey. For a first time magic user, I don’t think I did too bad myself.” He let out a coy laugh. “I don’t suppose we can continue this tomorrow. It’s kinda late right now and I don’t really wanna miss dinner.”

“THEN I’LL BE SURE TO MAKE THIS QUICK.” Oh? Good comeback line. That’s the first one he’s had all night.

Flash took another breath, raising his body up for another fight, only to quickly fall short when he felt an aching pain on his foot forcing him to kneel.

Damn… my ankle. I must’ve hurt it during the fall.

Flash tried to hold the monster back with magic but he was far too exhausted to conjure any more magic.

Ah… crud. This is gonna hurt.

WHAM!

The blow came hard and fast. The boy was struck face first with Timber’s backhand. The impact alone was strong enough to send him flying across the park, spinning at least four times in mid-air and crashing onto a lamppost bending it to the side before both he and it fell to the ground with another loud thud.

Ow…

Is there a doctor in the house?

Pain rocked his body. His frail human flesh and bones were clearly not built to withstand such force. He must’ve broken at least two bones because he heard a snap somewhere. His head ached and his eyes lost focus. If this was a cartoon he’d have birds flying in circles around his head. You’d think that after the fight with Hoity Toity, he’d get used to this kind of pain. But nope. Apparently people don’t get used to being hurt.

The boy let out a low painful groan as he struggled to pull himself together. Every movement now sent a surge of aches and pains that would’ve made an ordinary human cry uncle. He tried gathering strength in his arms but they went limp in an instant. He can’t even muster the strength to crawl. Talk about handicap. And with that dangerous figure looming close by, he can guess that this whole thing was going to end badly.

Was this it? Was this the place where it all ends? Was his great adventure going to conclude here unceremoniously? To be beaten by a crazy ex-boyfriend who wanted him dead?

Not exactly how he wanted to go. He always imagined that he would go out in some grand adventure with the girls. Or to take down some evil super villain inside a raging volcano somewhere. It would make for a better story for sure.

Timber cackled gleefully at his prey, readying to deliver the killing blow. Within seconds the claw came down like a guillotine.

Flash could do little but close his eyes and hope for it to be quick, expecting a lot more pain and punishment.

…

Except that it never came.

He peeked open one eye wondering if he was dead already.

Instead he saw Timber staring dumbly at a blonde gal wearing a stetson who held his arm back.

She looked down at the boy.

And she looked rightly ticked.

Timber

Chapter 90: Timber

(Park)

It was hard to imagine how things went from strange, to dangerously bizarre so quickly.

Sunset sprinted across the clearing, ignoring the loud slamming noise as a werewolf flew passed her as if struck by a truck at full speed. Applejack unleashed the full might of her powers, Ponying up and sending that creeper to the other side like a living wrecking ball. The dust settled quickly after that first blow, which showed the rage plastered on her face.

The werewolf on the other hand didn’t seem all that bothered. Instead it looked even angrier than before. How a creature like that came to be in this world was a mystery that she would have to find out another day. Sunset only knew that the beast was a danger not just to her friend but to everyone.

Rainbow Dash attacked it from behind – catching the monster off guard. She let out an array of lightning attacks electrocuting the furry creature. It covered its face with its arm, blocking the attack before swiping at the girl. And while Rainbow was able to dodge a few with her super speed, one managed to catch her in the stomach and propelled her back. She retaliated with a double flip kick on the snout but the beast caught her by the foot and tossed her down to the ground. Applejack roared angrily and charged in to save her friend.

Sunset took the chance to run over to Flash, grabbing his body and quickly analyzing his injuries.

Flash was a mess – a complete and utter wreck if she had to describe it. When he took that blow from the werewolf, he flew across the field like a driver crashing out of a car in slow motion. Without a protective shielding or gear, he took the full brunt of that blow and somehow managed to live to tell about it. He was bleeding around the nose, one of his eyes were swollen, there were small cuts and bruises across his arms, and a nasty gash right through his left brow.

An ordinary human would’ve fallen unconscious from all those injuries, but Flash somehow managed to sustain himself, if just barely.

“Oh dear. That looks like it hurts.” Rarity stated the bloody obvious.

“Flash!” She cried out, holding onto his bruised up face. “Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding?”

“Sunset?”

Not the answer she was looking for, but at least he had the strength to respond. “Good enough!”

“Hang on Flashie! I got just the thing for you.” Pinkie rushed to the boy’s side pulling out a huge box of band-aids. “Uh… I don’t know if I got enough band-aids for all your booboos. Oh! Wait, I got it.” She dug her hands in again pulling out what looked like a roll of duct tape. “Tada!”

“Pinkie. I don’t think that’ll help.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you can’t fix something using duct tape, then you’re simply using enough duct tape.”

The boy let out a soft groan. “Pinkie? How…? How are you guys here?”

“Don’t worry about that now.” Sunset eased him. “We’ll handle that monster. You just get to safety.”

“No!” He grabbed her before she headed off to the fight. “You can’t… you can’t hurt him.”

“Why not?”

His swollen eye rose. “That werewolf. It’s…… it’s Timber.”

“Timber?!” It was Rarity who responded, snapping towards the fight. “As in - Sweet, adorable, Timber? But how?”

“Amulet.” He continued. “On… his neck. Evil… magic.”

“He’s right.” Starlight nodded. “I’m sensing really powerful energy coming from that gemstone. I think that’s what’s spilling corrupted magic all over the place.”

“Another strange magical artifact? That’s just great. As if this couldn’t get any more complicated than it is. What’s next? Trees turning sentient?”

“Uh… is it just me, or are those trees coming at us?” Pinkie pointed to a bunch of trees that were running at them at full speed.

Sunset felt like kicking herself in the back for jinxing it.

“Ooooh~~~. Walking trees. How delicious.” Of course Discord would be amused, hovering just above ground like his usual self. “They’re just like the ones I have back home. Stand back and let Captain Wuz handle this.” With a wiggle of his newly formed fingers, the tree monsters froze as they grew literal cheese wheels on their branches. Then their horrible faces turned to smiles which was then followed by rather bizarre singing voices before falling to the ground, burdened by the added weight. “Huh… weird. I was going for a more banana festive look. But I suppose this works too.”

It was a rather weird scene but that’s what you get when you’re dealing with the literal Lord of Chaos.

“Wow… that was… kinda impressive.” Sunset admitted.

“I know, right!? And you thought that I shouldn’t be doing magic.” And she still doesn’t. They already have phenomenal cosmic power running amok. They don’t need another. Though she can’t deny that he did save them just now.

“Don’t suppose you can do the same with Timber there.”

“The furry wannabe? Oh please.” He snapped his fingers again gesturing to the werewolf. And to their surprise, a pink ballerina dress appeared on the big guy and putting him on a unicycle with circus music playing in the background. “Oooh! How fun. Though I was actually trying to put him on a makeshift cannon and fire him across the park. But it isn’t chaos magic without some randomness put into the mix.”

Sunset had to admit that it did look somewhat hilarious. But the situation didn’t suit the mood.

“The amulet, Discord!”

“What? Oh… right. One magical amulet, coming right up.” Another snap came, and the amulet around Timber slowly lifted upward. But the wolf seemed to have caught wind of the old man’s intentions and quickly brushed off that circus act, grabbing the amulet from his neck and swallowing it whole with a single gulp.

“Hey! Now that’s not playing fair!”

Starlight gawked. “Did he just…?”

And then, as if reacting to that act, the boy’s body began to twist and turn, growing immensely like it was given some kind of super-soldier serum. And not the good kind either. He was becoming far more powerful. So much so that the land around him was dying with each step. The whole thing just got worse.

“Alright buddy. You wanna get serious? Let’s get serious.” Discord gave out a challenging remark, pulling up his sleeves, wearing a dangerous expression. And if you listen closely, you can hear a cowboy dueling music playing in the background. “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.”

What town? This is a city park.

“Draw!” Discord announced pulling his fingers like pistols, snapping them away. Everyone expected something bizarre or weird to happen. But much to their surprise, a bushel of flowers puffed out of his hands. “Huh… I was going for flamethrowers.”

“RARRRRRRR!” The werewolf roared, grabbing a chunk of earth and tossing it at them, which was thankfully deflected off Rarity’s shield.

“Uh… bad news.” Discord muttered snapping his fingers repeatedly which produced various useless results. “My magic isn’t working properly. I think this place is messing with my mojo.”

Dang it. She knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Then we’ll just have to deal with it the old fashion way.” Sunset finished. “Starlight, Discord, can you keep Flash safe for me?”

“You got it.”

“Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity. You guys in?” They nodded back with determination in their eyes. “Then let’s do this.”

The three of them managed to meet up with their friends on the battlefield not a second later, when Applejack managed to wrestle the beast to one side while Rainbow Dash unleashed a flurry of lightning, scorching his hairy hide. Sunset wasn’t really sure why, but that cowgirl was really putting the effort in there, wiping the floor with that the werewolf’s face. There was a brief lull in their battle; one which was followed by a threatening growl from the monster, and a sneer from AJ.

“What took you guys so long?” Rainbow Dash whined. “We were getting our butts handed here.”

“How’s Flash?” Applejack inquired despite looking all like a raging bull seeing red. “Is he…?”

“He’s fine. A little roughed up, but he’ll pull through.”

“Good. Then how about we teach this beastly brute some manne…”

“No. We can’t hurt him.” Sunset interrupted, making the two athlete raise a questioning look in her direction. “According to Flash: That monster is Timber. He’s being controlled by some corrupted magic.”

“Timber?” Rainbow parroted suddenly losing form in her fight. “As in Twilight’s Timber? How?”

“Don’t blame him. Blame the amulet.” Rarity added. “That thing turned that sweet boy into… this creature. We take that ungodly accessory out of him, and he’ll be right back to his old self. We’ll also be doing him a favor. Jewelries are so last week’s fashion choice.”

“Well it won’t be easy.” Rainbow Dash groaned. “The big guy just ate it.”

“We have to try.”

Applejack mumbled. “Don’t suppose that thing will just come out of him the natural way, would it?”

Firstly, unlikely. Secondly, eww…

xxxxxxxxxx

Everything hurt.

Blood pounded through his skull and the world could only be seen through in a hue of green and red. Timber could hear a voice at the back of his head, screaming and bellowing orders. He tried to ignore it, but the words shouted through, compelling him to obey. It ordered him out of anger and spite, clouding his mind in a fog so thick he could barely even breathe. His fangs ached and his snout parted, expelling a roar full of heat humid air.

He couldn’t feel his limbs anymore. His body was acting on its own, moving and acting as if someone else was on the wheel. Steering him around like he owned the whole thing. Did he… did he just swallow something earlier? It seemed to have caught up in his throat.

There was an ache on his nose where that barbarian punched. He let out a snarl but then pulled up short when an electric current smashed against him making his side writhe in pain.

For a brief moment his vision cleared up. He could see familiar figures and faces. He tried to recall their names but it was all just a haze. One of them with bright red hair shouted orders to her comrades but he couldn’t hear the words clearly. The voice in his head drowned it all out, roaring more orders.

He had to silence that voice before it drives him mad. He had to silence all of them.

Grab the gems… take their magic. Yes. Take it from them and return it.

“Look out!” The redhead warned, suddenly grabbing the jewel around her neck. A bright shining light surrounded her, before she reemerged out of it donning in armor coherent with the others.

One of his arm… claws, or something, swung down where she stood cracking the earth itself. Dirt and dust flew up in the air and he lunged through it, swiping and slashing both arms at the cowgirl who smelled of anger. Her arms crossed in front of her face, blocking his attack, and she flew back from the blow. Before he could follow it up, the girl with the lightning powers grabbed her and brought her away to safety in such a speed that she was nothing more than an after-shadow. She proceeded to deliver a flurry of kicks which hardly did anything to his thick skinned body. He pushed back with enough force to send her flying, earning a yelp as she smashed to the ground. Another swipe followed sending her rolling down the grass with a cry.

They were not as weak or frail as they appear. Not like that other one… what was his name again?

They were far stronger together, and their blows hurt. It was a five to one battle. And anyone with a brain can tell that he was at a disadvantage. If he had fought them one by one, they’d all be dead already.

He needed more power. More strength. Enough to claw these weaklings to the ground and take their magic for himself.

Yes… more power.

“Timber, stop!” The redhead shouted again, clearly this time. “You’re not yourself right now. If you can hear me, just stop. We can help you.”

What is that annoying thing saying? Help him? He doesn’t need help. She’s the one who needs help since she’ll be down on the ground in just a few moments.

And he delivered on that promise, swiping his claw in her direction. Though the effect didn’t seem to match his prediction. As instead of being flung away like a wrecking ball, the redhead managed to block it. How is that possible?

No… there’s something there.

A shield? A barrier?

He darted in the direction of the energy source, noting a lavender haired girl conjuring the crystalline wall.

She looked rather lovely. Too lovely. Perhaps a vengeful scar on that face will spruce it up.

The thought of torturing these idiots made him curl a smile.

(Celestia’s/Luna’s apartment)

Luna watched as her sister paced back and forth across the room, one arm crossed over her chest while another held onto her phone. It’s been over an hour since they noticed the green glow in the distance and since then, they’ve been trying to reach Sunset and her friends hoping to get some kind of explanation to what was going on. But as expected, there was no answer from any of them.

If she were to guess, she’d say that they were probably out there fighting another monster sent from another world.

“Damn it! None of them are answering!” Celestia tossed her phone to the sofa in clear frustration. “This is a disaster!”

“Now now. Let’s not be too hasty, Lesty. Let’s be calm about this.”

“Calm!?” Her sister balked, grabbing the curtains to reveal the green glow coming from the city. “There’s a glowing light happening right outside, which is clearly magical, and you’re telling me to be calm!?”

Calmer at least. Granted, she too felt the need to panic. But having two of them having a breakdown would be unproductive at this point. Damn Celestia for making her the sane one here.

“Yes.”

“This is not good, Luna. Try to take this seriously.”

I take a lot of things seriously. But watching you panicking like a headless chicken does calm my nerve.

“Let’s take it one step at a time. I’m sure whatever is happening isn’t as bad as it looks.” The blaring sirens of police and firefighters came and went. “… or as bad as it sounds.”

But Celestia wasn’t taking it. The woman was already cradling her hair, barely keeping it together. “That’s easy for you to say. I knew I was a little too lenient on those girls. They’ve always managed to keep their magic under wraps and never draw attention to themselves. But this… is different. People will begin to notice. They’ll start asking questions. If those girls get found out the police might even come to our school! It’ll be a PR nightmare!”

“Sister…”

“The Board of Education are already breathing down my neck.” She went on, with both hands pulling down her cheeks. “They might close the school. And we’ll be out of a job. I might have to go back to teaching, and you’ll be reverted back to tutoring!! It’ll be the ultimate humiliation!”

The sound of Luna’s hands slamming at the table cut through her mad ravings, bringing the woman back to some semblance of calm. “Celestia!” She barked. “You are the Principal of Canterlot High. Please try to show some discipline.”

Celestia stared. And Luna wanted nothing more but to curse herself. To think that she would be the voice of reason in this situation, was perhaps unprecedented. She’s supposed to be the reckless one in the family, the crazy one, the lady that goes crazy in parties. Not the hall monitor. Regardless, the shock was what her sister needed, allowing her to look at herself from an outside perspective. She let out a cough, smoothed down her hair and stood.

“Thank you Luna. I… needed that.”

“Good. Now firstly… why the heck am I the tutor? And secondly, what are we going to do about this?”

Her sister opened her mouth to spout an idea before it closed again. “I… don’t know.”

Luna smacked herself. That was not the answer she was looking for. “Ok. We both know that whatever is happening over at the park is definitely magic related. Right? And knowing our luck, those girls are probably involved. Don’t you have some kind of plan for this kind of situation? You kept saying that you’ve develop a procedure in case we ever have another magical mayhem on our hands.”

“Yes but those scenarios mostly work at school. Not… anywhere else.” She let out an annoyed groan. “Gosh I feel so useless.”

“Well there has to be something we can do.” Luna grabbed her keys. “We can drive over there.”

“And do what? The police are probably all over the place. If they see us, they’ll turn us around immediately. And even if we could somehow get around them, we have no way of helping. You’ve seen what kind of horrors that Sunset and her friends face, and neither of us have any prior knowledge or practice in magic.

Not her at least. But Luna has been practicing. And the black gemstone she got from Sunset was still in her pocket.

Still… her sister had a point. They’d be fools to run headlong into danger and with the authorities all over the place, they’ll just be putting themselves in grave danger, adding up to the trouble Sunset and her friends might be going through.

Luna didn’t like it, but patience seemed to be the calling virtue here.

(Park)

Ok Starlight. Not exactly a great start on saving your best friend Sunburst. But you knew what you were getting into when you signed up for traveling to another world.

And you know what that means: Other-worldly shenanigan. You shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, you’ve gone through one Tartarus situation after another. A mission from the Crystal Map should be easier than this. Though granted, none of those missions ever involved life-threatening situations like killer trees or giant man-wolf things the size of a house.

“Alright. This should be far enough.” She said through panted breath. Running with just two hooves er… feet… wasn’t as easy as these ponies… umm… people… make it look. “Set him down here Discord.”

“Ow!”

“Gently!” Starlight scolded the older man.

“My bad. I didn’t realize humans could be so fragile.”

“Well take better care next time. He’s badly hurt as he is.” And Flash was technically just a kid. Being whacked by that werewolf must’ve knocked a few screws loose. And he was bleeding badly. “We need to help him with these wounds. Give me a minute.” Gently she placed her hand over his chest hoping to put a healing spell into play.

Treating cuts and bruises were easy. Twilight taught her a variety of healing spells to mend all manner of injuries. Even mild burns and broken bones. Having Yaks and dragons attending the School of Friendship can lead to a number of folks visiting the nurse’s office.

It should work – or at least she hoped it would.

But alas, all she got was a deadpanned silence from her touch.

“Ugh… come on! I can’t even do simple healing around here? The magic in this world is totally whack.”

The boy simply laughed it off painfully. “Heh. It’s not so bad. You should see what I did to the other guy.”

“Not exactly the best time for humor, Flash.”

“Yeah. I know.” He chuckled. “I kinda tend to joke around when things get tense. Call it a habit.” A good habit to have, but still not the best time.

“We need to get you somewhere safe. Your world wouldn’t happen to have a hospital here, would it?” His grunt was his reply. “Right. Then we’ll just have to get creative. Discord. Can you use your magic to heal him?”

“Me!?” The Lord of Chaos pointed dumbly to himself as he twiddled his thumbs. “Uh… that might not be such a good idea. Chaos magic is more inclined for make things wacky. Not exactly suitable for helping others. I can give him an extra head if you want.”

I don’t see how having a human get an extra head would help anyone. More like it’ll give all of us here more a headache than anything.

“Fine. Can you at least make us a portal to get us out of here?”

“Oh! I can do that.” He smiled, pulling up his sleeves. “One portal to safety, coming right up.”

And with a flick of his fingers, a magic portal emerged. Good. At least they can get the heck out of here and hide until the whole thing blows over.

At least that was the plan until a wild viney creature came out of the portal roaring angrily. It was closed immediately, leaving the Con-man to laugh awkwardly.

“Oh uh ahehehe… my bad. I swear that never happens.” Sure it doesn’t. “Let me try again.”

And again he tried. A couple of times actually. And with each flick, another stranger looking portal would emerge with another nasty looking monster trying to come out of it. The whole thing would’ve been quite comical, if they weren’t in such a serious situation.

“Discord!”

“I’m trying! I don’t write the rules here. The magic of this place is throwing my mojo off track.”

“Well try harder!”

“Oh sure. That sounds logical.”

“You’re the Lord of Chaos. Since when did logic ever stopped you?”

He blinked, and then nodded. “That’s true. But I swear, I’m not doing any hijinks. My magic just isn’t working properly around here.” He made another two snaps which summoned a fluffy sheep out of nowhere. “See?”

“Ugh… great. Can this get any worse?” And as luck would have it, the universe decided to answer that challenge, conjuring a miniature comical storm cloud right above their heads that immediately began to pour. “Discord!”

“Oops. My bad. I was going for a flashlight.”

xxxxxxxxxx

This was getting worse by the minute

Sunset lowered her head dodging another swing. Her friends swarmed in afterward, overwhelming Timber with a barrage of attacks. Rainbow and Applejack have been on the offense since the fight started, while Rarity stood behind forming shields wherever needed. Behind her, Fluttershy did her best to keep up, shapeshifting from one animal to the next. She even turned into a pink gorilla for a brief moment, wrestling the werewolf in the weird animal battle this world has seen in ages. So much so that Rainbow Dash cheered them on. But to little avail.

That idiot, Timber, was getting stronger. Far stronger than any of them could imagine. Even in their ponied up forms they could barely make a dent on his hide. The corrupted magic was turning him into something monstrous. She could even feel the magic radiating from here.

At this rate, there’ll be enough magic in him to level a whole city block.

They needed to get that gemstone out of him. If only they could hold him steady for a few minutes.

“Uh… is it just me or is Timber getting bigger?” Rainbow noted.

And no, it wasn’t just her. Timber was growing with each passing second. Just a moment ago he was just about twice their size. Now he looked like he could stand right above the Sweet Shoppe corner. At the rate he’s growing, he might become a giant by midnight.

“He’s draining the life from the land and turning it into energy.” Sunset explained pointing to the grass which was withering faster than naturally allowed.

“How’s that even possible?” Applejack wondered. “I thought magic was like… a kind of energy. Don’t you need some kind of converting thingamabob?”

“I bet that gemstone is responsible. Somehow it’s converting life force into magic. This park is the perfect spot for it.”

Rainbow Dash grunted. “I’m guessing our usual routine of beating it out of him isn’t going to work here.”

“Not unless we really want to hurt him.”

“Hurt him? Have you seen the whooping we’ve been getting in the last few minutes!? I’m more afraid he might hurt us!” The sports gal let out another grunt before yelling. “Duck!”

A swipe came at them, missing the girls by a hair.

“We can’t keep this fight on forever. We need to get that gemstone out of him right now or the whole city could be affected.”

“I’m open to suggestions.” Applejack panted.

“We just need a few minutes. Fluttershy, can you turn into something bigger and hold him down?” There was a pause in the answer, raising a few brows. “Fluttershy?”

“Over here… quack.” Came the girl’s sobbing whimper. The gang turned over, finding a pink duckling poking just above the grass. “Sorry. When Rainbow said duck, I kinda turned on instinct…… quack.”

“Aww… she’s even cuter than when she was a bunny.” Pinkie cooed childishly, playing with the girl’s new found tail which she responded with a snap. “Yeow… and grouchier too.”

Really?!

That would’ve made such a comical punchline if they weren’t in danger right now.

“Look out!” Applejack shouted just in time as Timber charged at them. He swung his arm at the cowgirl catching it with her bare hands. “Alright ya big varmint. I’ve wrestled tougher, bigger bulls than you. If you wanna rodeo, then let’s dance.” But Timber-wolf proved too mighty even for their resident powerhouse as the monster simply grabbed her in his oversized hands holding her up like a colorful sunday ice-cream cone. “Hey! Get your hands off me!”

“Yeah!” Pinkie added tossing a pack of jellybeans that exploded upon impact. “Why don’t pick on somebody your own size! Or someone bigger… preferably much bigger! Like a vegetable!”

“SHE… IS… MINE!” He sneered, his snout curling a grin before opening his jaws.

“Applejack!”

His jaw went for the bite. But instead of chomping through flesh and bone, the beast fangs cracked on crystalline shields.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rarity growled, waving her hand to conjure even more of those barriers. “No one’s making a snack over my friend. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Rainbow Dash struck once more, zapping Timber from behind. But the effects of that attack seemed to have dampened as he hardly even flinched anymore. The tail of that werewolf swiped, sending the girl flying toward the trees with a loud thwack. Applejack followed afterward, being tossed over like a baseball. Rarity didn’t seem to give up though as she quickly barred the beast, sending out another set of her shields to smash its head like a club, which then let out a loud bonking noise.

It seemed to work because that little concussion made the werewolf reeling back, giving them some respite.

“That’s it!” Sunset shouted. “Rarity! Keep him occupied. Pinkie, with me! You still have that batch of old cookies you never got rid of?”

“Uhhh… duh! I would never throw away my one-of-a-kind collector’s edition of Clown Town Crazy Cookie! They’ve been discontinued since the kindergarten sugar years ago. I’ve been saving these babies for a very occasion.” The pink gal giggled gleefully, pulling the said treat out of her hair, which stank like a thousand year old apple.

Rarity plugged her nose in disgust. “You… kept that with you? This whole time?”

“Yup. Been keeping them since I was a freshman.” The fashionista hurled at the thought. “Oh don’t worry. I got way older treats in my closet. I’ll share them with ya.”

“Together now!” And on Sunset’s signal, they attacked.

With some impressive acrobatics, the two girls rushed over to Timber bombarding him with a flurry of explosive confection and a barrage of magic missiles. Each blow making the monster reel back, making it go on the defense. He retaliated with a couple of swipes but he couldn’t much see them with all that sugar in the air. And when he was finally blinded, Sunset then followed the attack up with a blast to its knees, bringing the monster low.

“He’s down! Now Pinkie!”

“Say ahhh~~!” The pink gal charged in, pulling a whole box and shoving the rest of it down the monster’s throat.

Timber went limp and the whole fight became quiet. His face would turn green a moment later, stomach growling and aching before puking its guts out in a hurl of vomit and… other stuff.

But no amulet.

“RARRRRR!”

Oh crud.

“Sunset! Look out quack! He’s onto you quack!” Fluttershy’s warning came a little too late though as Timber was able to land one good hit sending the redhead flying.

Ow… that hurt. This guy really hits like a brick. A ton of bricks for that matter. Thankfully her magical shielding took the better part of the hit, softening the blow. If she didn’t had that she’d be in worse shape than Flash.

“Sunset!” Pinkie squeaked. “You ok?”

“Yeah… my magic took most of the blow.” She managed to squeeze a reply, rubbing her aching head.

“Alright! Now you’ve done it, Mister!” Rarity roared, bringing the full might of her magic to bear, locking the boy in a cage made of her crystal shields. “That’s quite enough out of you, young man. I don’t know what brought all this on or why you turned into a furry werewolf. But I’ve had it up to here with your antics! I was going to give you leeway because of your little breakup! But now you’ve crossed the line! No one, and I mean no one, hurts my friends and gets away with it!”

“RAAAARRR!”

“Roar all you want. You’re not getting out of there until you’ve apologized and think of what you’ve done!”

But much to their surprise, Timber ignored that threat and simply ripped through the shield with its claws, shredding them like cardboard.

“Oh dear.” Oh dear indeed. There were hardly much that could break Rarity’s shields like that. Timber was getting stronger by the minute. And that corrupted magic seemed to be the cause.

And without warning, Timber pounced.

“Rarity!”

The fashionista barely had the chance to dodge when the werewolf came at her. One claw swiping at her. They all screamed in panic and fear. It should’ve sent her flying across the sky like it did the others.

Keyword: Should.

…

But it didn’t.

Rarity blinked. Sunset blinked. Pinkie blinked. Timber blinked. And Fluttershy quacked.

“Uh… what now?” The lavender haired gal said, confused. She looked down at herself noticing all of her limbs still attached. “Was that supposed to do something?”

Timber growled and swiped again which prompted Rarity to squeal and cover her eyes. But again he missed.

A second swipe, a third, and a fourth before Sunset finally noticed.

His claw wasn’t reaching the girl. No… it was more like they were going… through her?

Again the fashionista opened her eyes, glancing over to her nails and shoes. “Huh… that’s… curious.”

“Oh no!” Pinkie yelped. “Rarity’s dead! She’s turned into a ghost!”

“I did!?”

“No, that’s not it.” Sunset analyzed. “I think she’s… phasing in and out.”

“That’s totally what ghosts do!” Pinkie pulled out a string of garlic from her hair and shoved it forward like some kind of talisman. “Begone evil spirit! Go into the light!”

“She’s not a ghost Pinkie!”

“You’re telling me that’s like that and she’s not a ghost!?”

Of course not. Ghosts aren’t real. Everyone knows that. Not even Equestria had any immaterial beings. At least… she thinks so. But she’s certain that Rarity wasn’t a ghost… or dead. She’s phasing in and out of the material world. It’s a technique few unicorns do to shift pass through walls and crowded streets. Kind of like what… an actual ghost would do.

But how?

Unless… she performed a magical handshake with Flash. That would be a logical explanation. Seems like the girls are developing new powers without either of them knowing about it.

Either way, it was a problem that they’ll solve in another time. Now they just needed a way to put Timber down.

Fighting the beast in a battle of attrition wasn’t gonna cut it. And beating him to a pulp was a sure fire way to lose. If they’re gonna beat him, he needs to stop sucking energy.

…

“We need to regroup. Rarity, can you get his attention?”

The fashionista made a face while still technically ‘Dodging’ all of Timber’s attacks. “Uh… I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

“We need to lure him deeper into the park. Run him around and meet us by the lake in a few minutes.”

“Sure I can do th -- Wait… are you making me the bait!?”

“GO!”

Rarity bolted off immediately with Timber chasing her tail like a juicy bone.

“Pinkie. Grab Fluttershy and let’s go.”

“Yes sir, Sunset Shimmer sir!” The party gal gave a serious-playful-salute. “Come on Fluttershy. Time to use that quacky power of yours.”

xxxxxxxxxx

Twilight panted heavily as she leaned her back against a rock. Her body felt heavy and sluggish, sweat pouring down her head. She had just remembered that, despite her vast intellect and knowledge in magic, she was still just an ordinary human. A being made of flesh, bone, and water. A being that was susceptible to illness, injury, and fatigue.

And sadly that last one seems to be catching up.

Curse these limitations. The human body was far too frail for her liking.

But she can’t stop now. Too much was at stake here. Flash was counting on her. Timber was counting on her. If she stops now then the two of them will…

No. Don’t think of that. Focus on the task at hand. Finish the trap and give the signal. After that, we’ll…

… figure things along the way.

“That’s it? That’s the best you’ve got?” Her counterpart mocked, floating beside her like an unwanted fly. “You’re really just gonna ‘Figure things along the way’ and hope everything comes together perfectly? That’s your plan?”

“It’ll work.”

“You do realize that this plan involves that your magical ‘Trap’ can hold your ex-boyfriend down long enough for you to get that amulet off of him. Humans aren’t capable of sustaining such magic.”

“It’s the best I can make up on such short notice. And Timber might be strong, but he’s not that strong. Even in his werewolf form, it’ll take him at least half a minute to break through my containment. That should be more than enough time for me to remove that amulet. And without it, he’ll return to his ordinary self.”

“That is IF blue boy doesn’t get eaten by him first.”

“Flash won’t fail. He’s… he’s been through tougher situations than this. He’ll pull through.”

“Uh huh. You said that last time too. You’re surprisingly optimistic. I’m still thinking he’s gonna lose an arm wrestling your ex. Though I still think you’re missing the obvious solution here.”

“I am not giving you control.” She spat back immediately.

“But I can help!” Midnight insisted once more. She’s been doing that a lot lately. “Just give me full rein for 10 minutes. No. Even 5 minutes will do. With me at the helm, I can bring Timber down with just a flick of my fingers and get you back home for dinner.”

“And risk you running amok?” Twilight scoffed. “I’m not trading one dangerous monster for another monster bent on world destruction.”

“World Domination.” She corrected. “There’s a difference. I’d prefer to rule over people rather than to destroy them. Far more evil to have the world under my thumb.”

“Precisely my point.”

“So that’s it? You’re just gonna ignore the obvious answer and hope for the best? And here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.” I am the smart one. I’m smart enough to know not to trust the voice inside my head. “Oh come on. Just a short while. Just give me a chance on the wheel to prove myself.”

“No.”

“I can be a power to serve for the side of good!”

“You just said that you wanted to rule the world under your thumb. That doesn’t sound like someone who’d want to serve on the side of ‘Good’. I have to be the biggest idiot to let you take over.”

“You’re already being the biggest idiot by not letting me help.”

“You can be helpful if you just sit back and be quiet while I… ugh…” Twilight suddenly felt her head light prompting her to lean on the nearby tree.

“You ok?”

“I’m… fine.” She lied. “Just feeling a little lightheaded. That last one took a lot out of me. Just give me a minute.”

“You’re using too much magic.” The angel deduced. “The upkeep on all these spells is taxing on both your mind and body. I told you that: Ordinary humans aren’t made to sustain such energy. If you keep this up, you’ll break.”

“I can’t stop now. Flash… is counting on me.”

“You’ll be of no help to anyone if you knock yourself out.” Midnight let out another tiresome sigh. The expression she had on her was like that of a parent angry at her child but couldn’t do a thing about it.

…

There was a brief pause from their argument. Something that Twilight was grateful for. It was only after the silence set in did she realize that all the noise that was going on was going on inside her head. If anyone saw her, they’d might think she’d gone mental. The short peaceful lull was a welcome reprieve though after the chaos she had to suffer in the last hour.

As if the breakup with Timber alone wasn’t as painful enough, the whole world had to be caught in the crossfire.

Why couldn’t she just have a regular breakup with a guy? She’d seen plenty of breakup scenes in movies before and it’s often messy in a dramatic way. It would be both awkward and emotional and very… distressing. Honestly, she’d much prefer to deal with that than to have… whatever this was.

“Hey, don’t go selling yourself short.” Midnight added, which sounded a lot like her trying to cheer her up. “As for first breakups goes, I wouldn’t say that yours was the worst I’ve seen.”

“Really? Because I doubt other kids my age have to deal with their exes trying to eat them… or turning into a monster.”

“That’s magic stuff. It doesn’t count. You followed what I said and didn’t lead him on. You were honest, direct, and straight to the point. It’s not your fault all of this mumbo jumbo happened. It’s more of a… condition of knowing magic. You can’t punish yourself over something you had no control over.”

Twilight raised a brow at her, curious. “That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Yeah… well… don’t get used to it. I’m only doing this so you won’t damage your body too much. I want that form in peak condition when I finally take over.” And we’re back to being sassy. Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “Come on. Let’s get this over with. Your plan might be flawed and full of holes, but it’s the best you can make out of a bad hand. And who knows? It might just work.”

“As long as everything goes to plan.”

“It will.” She replied with a surprising amount of confidence. “If you made it. I’m sure it’ll all work out. And if it doesn’t… well… you’ll ‘Figure things out’. Right?”

“Now who’s being optimistic?”

“Don’t you start with me. Now come on. The sooner we finish this trap of yours, the sooner we can get that ex-boyfriend of yours back to normal and we can all go home and get a good night’s… Pinkie Pie?”

“I don’t think that’s how the saying gooooh!” The girl was tackled down before she could finish that sentence. “Ow…”

“Oh lookie! I found Twilight!” Pinkie gleefully stated, tapping her head. “Hi Twilight! Whatcha doing down there?”

Smelling the dirt apparently.

“Pinkie? How are you… here?” A pink duck then poked out of the party gal’s hair. An easy guess who that was. “And is that… Fluttershy?”

“Yes… quack.”

“Twilight?” And Sunset Shimmer too? All these surprisingly friendly faces all appearing at once was kind of unexpected, but not unwelcome.

“And… Sunset? Oh my goodness!” Twilight pulled her for a hug, relief swelling in her chest before it broke. “Wait a second. How are you here? I thought you were still in Equestria?”

She brushed the question off and shook her briefly to explain. “Long story. Tell ya later. What’s important is that we’re here and we can help. We know that Timber turned into a werewolf and that magic amulet he has is to blame.”

That was pretty direct… and correct, which saves her on time to explain. “Y… yeah. That’s right. How’d you know?”

“Flash told us. We found him just a moment ago. He’s really banged up.”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, her fingers going numb. “Flash? W… where is he?”

“He’s safe. I got some friends from home looking after him. Right now we got a big hairy guy that’s trying to rip us to pieces.”

“Have you tried getting the amulet off of him?”

Sunset nodded. “Tried it. But… he kinda…”

“He ate it!” Pinkie finished swallowing a cupcake which she pulled from her hair. “Swallowed it all down in one gulp. Kinda like me with my cupcakes. That’s the only way to eat it properly.”

“He ate it!? As in ate-it ate-it? How’d that happen?”

“It just happened, alright.” Sunset added, pausing to hear a howl in the distance. “Short version: It’s inside of him now. And it’s making him stronger the longer we wait. It’s draining the park out of its life and turning it into a corrupted horror garden. The good news is, I have a way to get that stone out of him.”

“You do?” She then pulled out that familiar artifact she brought from Equestria not long ago. “Is that…?”

“The Alicorn Amulet.” The redhead confirmed, holding the object up to herself. Twilight had seen it come along with the package of artifacts from Equestria. But had only seen it work once. “If I combine it with my geode with this amulet, it should give me more than enough power to extract the gem from Timber safely. The only problem is that Timber won’t make it easy. With the way he’s prancing around like an animal, there’s a good chance we might get some complications. If I try to remove the stone while he’s attacking me, I might end up hurting him… or him hurting me.”

And that was a scenario that they all wanted to avoid.

“I don’t suppose you have a way to hold him down for a few minutes.”

In a string of coincidences, she did.

xxxxxxxxxx

Rage.

That was the only thing Timber could think of.

Nothing but pure unfiltered rage.

Something was wrong. Very very wrong.

Everything annoyed him, everything angered him. Even the simple gush of wind on his skin made him want to rip out his hair and howl into the moonlight. He wanted nothing more but to destroy everything and everyone in his path.

He couldn’t think straight.

There was a ringing in his ears that wouldn’t go away, and the sound of his own heart was beating so loudly that it deafened everything else.

But those weren’t the things that kept him angry.

It was that voice in his head. The strange energy pulsing in his chest. It was the corrupting magic that he swallowed, the sudden surge of power. The malice, desperation, and all the negative emotions stirring around that slammed into him and driving him into this madness. He can barely make out the words but he understood enough.

He needed their magic.

That girl he was chasing was running away from him – or at the very least trying to. She was slow and sloppy, her steps practically all over the place. Those disgusting high heels weren’t exactly helping either. She tried to lose him in the woods but found herself stuck and blocked.

She should’ve been torn to shreds by now. Her whole body ripped to pieces with a single swing of his claws. But for some strange reason he can’t seem to reach her.

And her voice was so… high pitched… so whiny, like they were coming out an annoying whistle. She was just downright annoying. He would be doing the world a favor by ridding it of her presence. Some might even thank him for it. But strangely enough she remained elusive.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they came out into a clearing, like a cheetah chasing a prey in the safari. A place he was somewhat… familiar to.

The whiny girl tried to make a break for it, zigzagging through the empty fields. But she tripped on her own ankles, falling head first onto the ground. A pathetic way to end a chase.

She tried to drag herself back, conjuring another shield made of crystals, but he brushed it away like a cardboard box. She tried a second time and then a third. But the results were the same. It was clear now that she had no other tricks up her sleeve.

All that was left was to take that gem from her and then……

And then?

“Timber! Stop!”

He froze.

Every limb on his body went still on command. That voice slipped through all the noise and all the madness that it sent an electrifying chill down his limbs.

“Twi…light…?” His mouth moved if only just barely. His head creaked to the side, eyeing the figure that stood before him.

And in that brief moment the pain suddenly stopped. The voice in his head went silent, and his vision cleared up as if a ray of sunshine pierced through the darkened clouds.

The memories in his mind finally clicked together. Memories of that girl. Her sweet silky voice, her warm and gentle smile, and her love of old cheesy romance novels. It was all coming back to him. Slowly but surely, he could recall her laughter, the sweet noise she makes when she’s excited, and all the lame jokes she made.

He could feel a strange weight lifting from his shoulders. But it didn’t last long when the voice returned again, this time with a bloody vengeance.

It screamed, his body compelled to follow its orders. And then immediately everything reverted back to its terrible self. All the anger, fear, and desperation rushing through his mind.

Timber clasped both sides of his head, shaking it violently to get rid of that voice. But that only made it grow louder. He wanted to turn back, roar or howl, or do anything to stop the pain. But nothing was working. Left with no way to unleash this feeling, no way to vent his anger building inside of him, he could do nothing but to fall, until it all reached to a boiling point.

And it didn’t take long for it to arrive.

Eyes snapping open, his teeth bit down onto his lips so hard that he could taste his own blood on his tongue. He then threw his head back and let out his last defining roar.

“Timber no!” Twilight shouted. But it was too late. The boy lunged at her. What little remained of his humanity being swallowed whole by the voice in his head. His claws extended from his hand to deliver a deadly blow.

But instead of faltering, the girl simply waved her hands upward, conjuring a spell.

“Pinkie! Now!”

A pink haze suddenly appeared on the corner of his eye, smiling weirdly before she pulled a duck from her hair.

“Flutterquack! I choose you!”

“What!? Pinkie! No!” The pink duck screamed before its feathery body slammed against his face, the creature flapping its wings, blinding him.

He tried to swipe it off, but found himself… restricted.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunset couldn’t help but be amazed. She knew that Twilight was a genius. But that trait seems to be a recurring trait for both worlds. In just a few years, that girl went from fearing magic, to become its greatest handler.

If given enough time, even Princess Celestia would be amazed of what she could do.

The spell worked like a hitch. Twilight didn’t really have time to explain it in great detail, but she got the gist of the work.

With a single wave of her hands, the branches in nearly every tree around the gazebo tore themselves from their stumps, assembling around the werewolf like a terrible twisted version of jenga. It latched themselves onto his limb before being attached together with twigs and leaves, resembling something akin to a medieval stocks.

Timber howled in frustration, thrashing around like a child being restrained by his parents. His body wiggled and his tail wagged, trying and failing to break the bonds on him before finally falling on his knees in defeat.

“Sunset!” Twilight called, signaling her cue.

With a tap of the Alicorn Amulet, unimaginable power slipped into her body, granting her a new and magical form.

She hovered in front of Timber, the beast still trying to resist.

And with a motion of her hand, his mouth gapped open, and the corrupting gemstone was forcefully pulled out of him like a teeth.

The werewolf would let out a final defying roar as his body slowly reverted back to his human self. He cursed and shouted, spouting things any of them could understand before finally he ran out of breath, and his body hit the ground a second later.

It was done. As anti-climactic as it was, they were victorious.

They won.

Yet why does it feel like this was only the beginning of something darker?

Author's Note

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and whatever else you might celebrate on this
glorious season.

Last chapter of the year. See ya'll in 2023. Let's all hope that it'll be a better one.

The Ways Forward

Chapter 91:

(House on the hill) (A few days later)

Sunset couldn’t wrap her head around it.

She’s been in the human world for a few years now and she’s gotten used to its laws and limits. There have been a few times she thinks herself to be far more human than pony. But just when she thought she had the whole world figured out, something like this comes along and pulls the rug down from under her, spinning the whole place upside down.

The magic incident that happened in the park was a big one. With a capital B.

People would definitely notice when their beloved park suddenly turned into a massive dying forest which spread it roots throughout two city blocks. Multiple buildings, cars, and other infrastructure were entangled with vines causing an enormous amount of damage.

It was broadcast on every local news channel, published on every newspaper, and the internet practically exploded with videos and articles. Rumors and conspiracy theories appeared on every corner of the web making it impossible not to take interest in.

The official statement from the authorities say that some kind of unknown chemical leaked into the park’s water supply causing a radioactive chain reaction which mutated the plants in the area. Not really sure if anyone would buy such a story but there have been worse cover ups. And with some luck, folks might just breeze pass this whole incident and move on to the next hot gossip… like a celebrity scandal. The whole place was now quarantined off for the foreseeable future leaving a lot of residents frightened and curious.

But while the city looked prime to recover, the instigator of the whole fiasco was another matter.

Timber got it bad. Like… really bad. Upon returning to his human form, he was… changed. The magic he used left some serious scars on his body. Probably permanent. It was unlike anything anyone or anypony has ever seen. Not even Starlight had a clue to what it was. And that was saying a lot.

The human physique just wasn’t designed to withstand all that power. Not like unicorns, or pegasi. Unlike their geode which acts like a filter to magic, the spell went through him. The whole metamorphism process put a strain on his body, making changes that were dreadfully unnatural. There was no telling what kind of complications he might face in the future. Not even their healing spells had any effect.

Gloriosa came by not long after he was subdued and rushed him to the hospital. He was placed in Intensive Care for the duration.

Sunset wasn’t sure what doctors could do at this point. But modern medicine did have a way of surprising her. So… there might be a chance.

As for that new magic they acquired. That was another story.

What kind of psycho would create such an unstable power? The sapphire gemstone was pulsing with so much corrupted energy that was spreading out like wildfire. They had to lock it inside a safe to keep it from harming anyone else.

As to who was responsible for it? No one knows.

They’ve tried asking around, with Neighsay as the prime suspect. But the man denied it saying that they had no part in doing something so dangerous. And honestly, despite her misgivings, Sunset actually believes him. The man was creepy as Tartarus, but he didn’t seem like the type to lie. At least… she thinks so. And the magic they carried were completely different from the one they recovered from Timber. They were more refined, and control… unlike that awful thing.

Thankfully, she and her friends were able to get out of that incident without getting caught. The last thing they needed was having their faces plastered all over the news. Principal Celestia and VP Luna would have a field day if that happened.

But if there was a competition of people having the worst day of their lives, Sunset would say that Twilight takes the cake. Celestia only knows what she’s going through right now. She tries to act tough but anyone can tell that she was feeling terrible about herself. Breakups are never really that smooth or easy to deal with, but this one really does go on a whole other level. Not even her breakup with Flash was that bad.

Argh… painful memories. Go away.

Speaking of Flash. That boy was another puzzle to add to the mix. The magic in his hand seemed to have manifested into something entirely unexpected.

At first she thought that the whole thing was nothing more but a phase. Something that would disappear as soon as she returned. But unfortunately she was absolutely wrong, and the thing was biting her in the cutie mark.

Ever since her friends have done the, so called: Magical handshake, they’ve all seemed to have acquired new powers. Rainbow Dash with her lightning abilities, Applejack with her green thumb, Pinkie Pie can turn any surface to jello, Fluttershy can shape shift into animals, and Rarity can apparently walkthrough objects.

And those were only her closest friends.

There’s no telling what else can come of this.

This is definitely not how she imagined things would be when she left for Equestria a few days ago. She thought that she was doing a bang up job of removing magic from the world. But instead more of it just seems to appear. Or… perhaps they’ve always been here from the start and she simply didn’t notice until now? Perhaps magic has always been a part of the world… but simply hidden from the naked eye.

A theory to test out on a later date.

“Hello? Anyone there?” The girl was brought out of her train of thought when a hand waved in front of her, attached to a cowgirl. “You awake?”

“Oh… hey Applejack. Yeah. I’m awake.” She wiped the sand in her eyes. “How’s everything coming along?”

“Well… we got most of the stuff you brought, set up.” Applejack gestured to the makeshift portal by the garden. “Starlight said that it should be ready by tomorrow.” Tomorrow? Already? That was fast, despite not having magic involved.

The gang has spent the last few days building the mirror portal. After they were briefed on the whole situation they rightly agreed to help save their friend. They managed to get the parts quite easily too. Rarity in particular was more than happy to donate one of her mirrors for the occasion.

The mission seemed straightforward enough. Open a gateway to Ezaquatel, use Discord’s magic to grab Sunburst, and close it before anything nasty comes through. Simple, right?

Yeah… if only.

“You look tired.” AJ noted.

Sunset gave a mean glare. “Really? What gave it away? Was it my yawn, the bags under my eyes, or the fact that I’ve been working non-stop for the last three days!?” She paused, realizing her tone. “Sorry, sorry. I’m… a little cranky. Things just haven’t been going my way for a while.”

“You don’t need to tell me. Fighting off one monster after another? And Timber of all folk? I think all these little scraps can turn just about anyone batty.”

“It’s not just Timber that’s bothering me. It’s… everything.” The country gal gave a look which signaled her to continue. “Look around you. This whole place is a mess.”

“Well… yeah. But I think Pinkie Pie making breakfast is always gonna be a mess.”

Sunset stared at her. “I’m talking about the magic going around.”

“Oh… right. That too.”

“Ever since the Friendship Games, magic has been rampant all across Canterlot City. Then there was the whole thing at Camp Everfree, and the incident at Equestria Land. At first it was all manageable. We fixed and contain magic wherever it springs up. A little trinket infused with Equestrian magic here, a little relic there. But now it feels like I can’t take two steps around here without stumbling into even MORE magic! Then there’s the whole Black Stone Order, the Yaztec, and now this new strange… mysterious one Timber got. Ugh… I liked it better when this world had no magic at all.”

“Now now. Don’t you burn your pretty little head.” Applejack patted her hair. “It ain’t the end of the world.”

“Not yet.” She grumbled, gesturing to the portal. “And now, I’m endangering the world by bringing in more magic from my world. This is a disaster!”

“Ok. So things aren’t looking swell. But that’s even more reason not to panic.” Sunset gave her another look which she took it as a sign to go on. “I’ll admit. Other than you and Twilight, magic just ain’t our element. We look to you guys for guidance and things we don’t understand. If you start acting like a headless chicken, we’ll all be going kookoo soon. I know it’s a lot of pressure, and we all wanna help however we can. But if you’re gonna crack like a walnut on a fireplace, I don’t think there’s much any of us here can do.”

So it was all on her huh? That wasn’t helpful. Not that she can blame them. Even now, magic seems to be a foreign thing to them. They aren’t afraid, but it’s not exactly comforting either.

“Uh… I guess you’re right. I’ll do what I can.”

“That’s the spirit. Just remember you can lean on us too whenever you got your own problems.” AJ gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “And speaking of problems. Any word from Gloriosa?”

“Not since her last call two days ago.” Sunset motioned to her phone. “She said that Timber’s condition is stable but he’s still out of it. Not sure when he’ll wake up – or… if he wakes up.”

“He will.” AJ reassured her, though it was probably just for confidence. “Maybe we can go and visit.”

“I tried that too. But Gloriosa is having none of it. I think she’s had enough of magic.” Kinda funny coming from a girl who tried to rule a camp using magic in the first place. “Besides, our healing spells can only cure light injuries. Not whatever he’s having.”

“Hey. It never hurts to try. Just give it a thought. A rough patch is hard to work over but it’ll eventually cool off.

“Thanks Applejack. And speaking of rough patches. How’s Twilight. I haven’t seen her since… forever.”

“She’s at the lab in the basement, like always. She says that she’s doing research on that amulet we got from Timber. But honestly, I think she’s down there so she wouldn’t see Flash. I think deep down she feels a little guilty inside.”

Ah… right. He’s here too. After the fight in the park, the boy asked if he could stay over for a couple of days to recover from his injuries which she was more than happy to accommodate. He probably didn’t want to return home looking like he had a fight with a grizzly bear and survived. If his old man saw him in that condition he’d flip so hard the whole world would turn one time over before the day is done.

A part of her wanted to say ‘Good’. That’ll teach him to mess with powers beyond his comprehension. But another part of her was also glad that he was there that night. Because if he wasn’t, this whole story would’ve ended on a horrible note.

She only hopes that this won’t become a habit.

xxxxxxxxxx

Evil…

That was the only thing Twilight could say about the new magic she found. She had seen many forms of magic before, both good and the not-so-good. But they always took the shape of its user in some way.

But this thing? This abomination? This was something else. And sadly enough, she couldn’t get a grasp of it.

The gemstone that they recovered from Timber was a vile form of magic. A cruel perversion of techno-sorcery to the highest level.

Never had she imagined something so foul could be created, much less used by mankind.

The gemstone itself acted like their geodes. It had a fixed spell in placed inside of it. All that it required was magical energy to power it. Kind of like a battery for your cellphone.

But this thing was formed… or created differently.

Rather than await for magic to be inserted, it steals it. Takes anything equivalent to energy and converts it without permission. Every living thing that was within its reach was sucked of all life and used as fuel to run its foul sorcery.

Even in its dormant state, the sapphire stone continued to spit out corrupted energy, as if it was trying to fight back against its captors. The person who enchanted this artifact was clearly inexperienced… or perhaps they simply had no care for the damage it could do.

It was because of this… thing, Timber was in the hospital.

It was because of this thing, Flash is…

Flash…

Oh gods.

Twilight resisted the urge to dig her nails through her palm. Other than Timber, Flash had the worst of it all.

The boy was brutally beaten bluer than usual. A single swipe from his opponent was all that was needed to put him down. She wasn’t there to see it, but Sunset described his injuries to be quite severe. It was honestly a surprise that the boy managed to walk away safely as he did.

Not many could withstand a werewolf’s blow and live to tell the tale.

Last she heard, the boy was resting, with Fluttershy being the self-appointed nurse.

If Twilight had her way right now, she would’ve grabbed the closest hammer and shatter this accursed gemstone to a million pieces, scattering the leftovers to the ocean. At least then it would give her the satisfaction that she got her revenge in some way.

But alas, cooler minds prevailed.

Pouring all of her knowledge on magic, the girl used the basement of the house as her own personal laboratory. The equipment down here were outdated but they served their purpose. With enough time and effort, she should be able to crack the code and find out the source of this magic. She simply needed time… and perhaps more tools.

“Twilight.” A whimper brought her out of her train of thought, turning over to the side where her silly mutt sat, eyes riddled with worries.

“Hey Spike. Sorry… I’m kinda in the middle of something right now.”

“Yeah. I know. You said that the last time.” He whined. “Why don’t you take a break? You’ve been staring at that thing for days now. How about a game?”

“Not now, Spike. I’m so close. I just need to figure out how this thing works.”

That’s what she said the last dozen or so times already. But the truth is… she wasn’t even close. The design of this artifact was unlike anything she has ever seen. It’s like staring at an alien technology and trying to make heads or tails of it. And while some of the aspect were familiar, most of it was foreign. Practically almost impossible to decipher without the proper logic.

The whole thing would’ve been a lot easier if she had help from outside sources, but like always, Sunset has her priorities set in another matter. Ever since her return her sole focus was the construction of the portal in which she would use to rescue her friend from another world.

Gods… it feels like this whole world itself was drowning in magic already.

Maybe Sunset was right. Maybe magic really wasn’t meant for this place.

She was pulled out of her train of thoughts when the sapphire sent an electrical jolt making her flinch.

“Ah! Dang it! Not again.”

“You ok?” Spike muttered worryingly.

“Yeah… I’m fine. It’s just… another failure. It’s like whatever I try on this thing, it just keeps biting back. It’s like a defense mechanism. There’s no way I can bypass it without knowing the know-how.”

“Maybe you should try taking a break. That always help me out whenever I’m in a rut.”

She eyed him. “Since when are you ever in a rut?”

“Hey, being a dog isn’t easy. It takes time and a lot of effort to be this adorable.” He laid with his belly up to show emphasis. “See? This kind of thing doesn’t come naturally.” Heh… that did make her throw a chuckle. She knew that he was just trying to be cheerful for her sake but it was the effort that counted. “Come on. Take a break. You’ll feel a lot better and your head will be a lot clearer. That trinket isn’t going anywhere.”

“I…… supposed you’re right.” She admitted after a brief pause. “It’s not like I can do anything more. Maybe some breakfast will do me some good.”

“Now we’re talking.” He giddily replied. “Besides, you’re not the only magic user here. I’m sure someone will be more than happy to give you a hand… or paw.”

“Ha! If only. The girls are good at their own thing but magic isn’t one of them.” It was then a thought came to her mind. A thought that was practically foreign. “Unless…”

Spike tilted his head. “Uh… Twilight?”

“Of course! We aren’t the only magic users around here. Spike, you’re a genius!”

“Well I wouldn’t be so…” His humility was thrown out the window when she began to rub his belly making him drool. “Aww… well if you say so. Wait… where you going?”

Twilight hastily reached out for her jacket, smiling for the first time in days. “I’m heading out. Tell the gang that I’ll be back before lunch. If I’m lucky, I might be able to crack that magic artifact today.” But her enthusiastic mood was soured when she got out of the basement only to bump onto the last people she wanted. “Ow! Sorry… I was…… oh… it’s you.”

“That’s not how you greet people.” Rarity replied, fixing her attire. The girl was dressed up gaudily like always. Though she did have an awkward expression on her face, like someone who was forced to be here. Twilight could probably guess why. “Hello there. How are things?”

Twilight groaned, and folded her arms together, lips puckered in annoyance. “I’m fine. All things considered. Not that it’s any of your concern.”

“Right right. Of course.” The fashionista nodded, forcing a smile. “I was just trying to… umm… anyway. Breakfast is ready.”

“Not coming. Got something to do.”

“Oh… I see.” Rarity sulked as she walked away. “Twilight. You’re not still mad at me, are you?”

If she had to ask, she probably already knew the answer. “Oh I don’t know Rarity. How do you think people feel when some blabbermouth go about talking about other people’s secrets?”

“Well… it’s not that bad.”

“I told you about my breakup with Timber in confidence! And you spout it out to the first person who came along!”

The fashionista’s mouth twisted and curled. “Well yes. That is true. But in my defense, the whole scenario turned out much better than I expected. If it wasn’t for my blabbermouth, things would’ve been much worse, don’t you agree?” And that was the only reason why she wasn’t being ghosted right now.

“Is that really your only defense?”

“Look. I understand that you’re upset with me. And you have a very good reason to be. I’m sorry. I was stepping beyond my boundaries. But you have to admit that none of us here would’ve expected Timber to come into possession of magic of all things. Especially one so dangerous.”

That was true.

“That still doesn’t excuse you for spying on me or telling others about it.”

“I already said I was sorry.” She repeated with a loud groan. “What else can I do? Shave my head and wear a clown costume all week?”

“Oh! Say yes! Please say yes! I’d love to see that gaudy gal taken down a peg!” The angel inside her head pleaded, pulling our resident genius to the dark side. And to be honest, Twilight entertained the idea. She could already imagine going around town wearing a goofy-puffy outfit with a shiny chrome. But… she wasn’t that cruel… yet. “Aww! Boo! You’re no fun.”

She tried to hide her grin but failed. “I’m tempted. But no.”

“Then all is forgiven?”

“I didn’t say that either.” It was then a thought came to mind. “But… if you really are serious about making things up to me. I could use a favor.”

Rarity’s eyes gleamed. “Yes! Anything! I’ll do just about anything!”

Oh she so tempting. Twilight almost wants to take advantage of it.

“I’m planning to move my entire lab here from my house. It’ll help me whenever we have another magical crisis. The equipment are heavy. And with everyone helping Sunset and her portal project, I’ve got no one to spare. So…”

“Say no more. It’s done.” Well that was surprisingly easy. “Bringing all that stuff from your house is child’s play.”

“It is?”

The fashionista responded by pulling out her phone and began texting. “Absolutely darling. A friend of mine happens to own a small moving company. One little call and I’ll have your lab here within the hour. I might even settle for a small discount.” Not exactly how Twilight pictured it but if she could get the job done then she wasn’t gonna complain. “Besides. This is much easier than helping Fluttershy bandage our resident hero.”

Twilight’s expression hardened at the mention of the boy. She knew that he was here, somewhere. But she never could muster the will to visit him. She couldn’t bear to see him in the state he was in.

“H… how is Flash? Is he… alright?”

“Sleeping like he has been for the last few days. Fluttershy is watching over him like a mother hen. Who would’ve thought that treating animals would be no different from treating people?” Twilight did. Fluttershy learned from the vet who visited the animal shelter frequently, she even managed to treat Spike when he was sick. It was a good skill to have. Though unfortunately their magic wasn’t up to par. “Oh don’t give me that look, Twi. Flash is a resilient boy. He’s far tougher than he looks. I’m sure he can pull through whatever injury he comes across. He’s been through… well… worse… situations? I think.”

That’s exactly what I’m worried about.

I’m worried that he might get into even more danger if he sticks his neck for them. He has a habit of throwing his life on the line just to help them out. At the rate he’s going, he’s going to lose more lives than a litter of cats. And that was saying something.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Rarity shrugged. “Unless you know how to stich a wound or set a bone, I’m afraid not. Fluttershy seems to have it covered though. Speaking of which, where are you heading off in such a hurry?”

“I need to find someone to help me with magic. Someone who’s a professional.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you asked Sunset?”

“I would if she wasn’t so busy with that portal. Besides, I need someone who’s used to the magic of our world. Someone who has more power than any of us.”

“And this person is going to help us?”

“Of course she will. At least… I think so. There’s no reason for her to say no.”

(Canterlot Mall) (Sushi Restaurant)

“No.”

Twilight blinked at the answer. “No?”

“No.” Adagio repeated with a blank and bored expression, taking a quick glance at her nails for affect. “There’s no way I’m helping you out.”

“Welp… so much for that idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have no reason to.” The Siren sniffed, eyes rolling like she was being asked the obvious. “Why would I want to risk my own neck chasing over some volatile magic? One: It sounds dangerous. And two: It doesn’t profit me in the slightest. Something I hate to waste my time on.”

“But this corrupted magic is far more dangerous than anything we’ve come across.”

“And again: I fail to see how that’s ‘My’ problem. The way I see it, this whole magic thing involves you and your friends. Not ‘Us’. I’m someone who likes to cause trouble, not get myself into one.”

Twilight panicked. She didn’t exactly expected Adagio to decline her offer. She was so sure that she’d pitch in that she didn’t even have a backup plan prepared.

“But we’ve worked together before.”

“I think you’re mistaking the fact that we’re ‘Friends’.” Adagio shrugged back without as much as a care. “Believe me. We’re not. And I don’t do charities out of the kindness of my heart. This is merely an alliance of needs. The first one with the old Cinch hag was because she hurt Sonata and tried to steal our magic. I had a bone to pick with her. As for that fiery fashion show, I went along because I owed blue boy some favors. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t owe you or any of your friends anything. And that means I don’t have to stick my neck out for your problems. God knows you lot get into more trouble than anyone else in this city.”

Sadly enough Twilight had to agree with her there. The amount of deathly debacle their group goes through only a weekly basis could be counted on 10 pair of hands. No one would willingly put themselves in danger for them……

… well… except for a certain blue boy.

“Is there any way I can convince you to help at all?”

“Money is always a good motivator for me and my girls.” The Siren smirked under her makeup. “I already got my hands full with this job and that dreadful place you call a ‘school’. So unless you can come up with a way to make a lot of cash appear fast. Then no.”

“But you’re the only one I know who has more knowledge of magic than anyone.”

“Then why don’t you ask that redhead of yours for help?”

Twilight snorted at the thought. “All my friends are busy on another project. It’s… too important for them to deviate.”

“And that’s why you’re outsourcing your problems to me? I’m touched.”

She shouldn’t be. To be honest she wasn’t even her first, second or third choice, if she had a choice at all. It’s just that the people who knew about the existence of magic are quite limited around here. And those that know… weren’t exactly up on par or reliant for that matter.

“Well this was fun. But I have to get back to work. Lunch rush is coming and these tables aren’t going to wait themselves. So unless you have something to order, you’d better leave.”

Twilight could do little to stop as the Siren slowly left the table, leaving her to ponder in thought. She was really hoping for Adagio and the Sirens to join them in their endeavors, but that girl does raise some good points. This whole corrupted magic screamed danger, and it only seemed to involve them. Asking anyone to join them in this search seemed unnecessarily risky. No one in their right mind would stick their necks out without something in return. She should’ve anticipated this.

“It was worth the shot, Twi. No need to beat yourself about this. We both know that Siren isn’t gonna take a risk without profiting. Let’s head back for now and…”

No… she won’t let this go. She can’t.

There’s too much at stake riding on this research and they can’t afford another setback. Too many people got hurt because of her. Flash got hurt because of her.

If she wasn’t going to compromise and give everything she had, she may as well wave the white flag.

“Wait!” She raised her voice up, catching even Siren off-guard. The nerd girl huffed and took a breath, clearly anxious and agitated at the same time. “How about a trade?”

There was a pause in Adagio’s actions. A brow rose. Something akin to interest. “A trade?”

“You and Flash deal in favors, right? Then why don’t we do the same?” Twilight offered, hand clenched in a fist. “Help me find out who used this magic, and in exchange… I’ll do… whatever you want.”

The grin on Adagio’s face curled to an almost evil-like nature. There was a wave of energy beaming from her skin, followed by an expression that was akin to a predator taking a liking to its prey.

“Hmmm… interesting…” She admitted, one hand on her cheeks. “You must be really desperate to offer such a proposal.” The Siren returned to the seat, clearly amused. “What are the terms?”

Yes!

“Nothing illegal.” Twilight declared almost immediately like it was the first thing that came to mind. “And no hurting people or animals.”

Adagio bobbed her head side to side, grin still in place. “Hmm… that limits things. But I’ve worked with worse deals before.” She then gave a brief pause, turning her eyes to the doorway where customers started to pour in. It was obvious that she made up her mind but thought to let Twilight stew for a while longer. “Alright… deal.”

The Siren offered her hand forward, which now looked charged and electrifying.

There was a moment of hesitation in Twilight’s mind.

She even considered asking the angel in her head. But alas it came up silent.

No…

No more second guessing. She was getting to the bottom of this once and for all before anyone else gets caught up.

With force, she grabbed it and nod.

(Park)

Neighsay plugged his nose with a handkerchief as he strode his way through what used to be the central city park.

He remembered passing through this area a few days ago recording several hazardous infractions, planning to submit it to city hall for corrections. Apparently someone thought it would be a good idea for animals to roam around freely in the park without so much as supervision. The idiocy was beyond incompetence. It’s no wonder the city was in such a bad shape.

Oh sure, it starts off harmlessly enough with a few birds nesting here, a couple of squirrels there. The next thing you know they’ll be hosting wolves and sharks, endangering people. The park is for people. If folks want to see animals they should go to a zoo.

Either way, the case was resolved when the whole magical incident a few nights ago came and killed the place entirely. Now you can barely see even a single bird fly around here. Though the resolution hardly seemed better.

The park was dead, like the life was sucked out of it. The earth had turned to dirt, killing off even the smallest weed, the trees were bent and misshapen – some even forming what looked like faces, and the lake at the center dried up as if a drought came by.

The vampire wannabe strolled freely amongst the wreckage, taking in the sight.

A plethora of police blockaded every entrance, keeping the people out while scientists scrambled the area in hazmat suits doing everything they can with their tools. They looked like they were doing something at least. But sadly, without proper knowledge of magic, they’ll most likely be scratching their heads till they grow a bald spot.

The authorities are sticking to their story, saying that a dangerous chemical leak was the cause of the sudden decay. Thankfully the Order still had connections with people in high places, making sure that none of this would get out.

The magical occurrence that night was undoubtedly strong. Strong enough to affect nearly the whole city. And it would’ve spread outside the park itself had it not been for the efforts of those girls.

While he didn’t get the full story from Sunset, he can tell that those children got into a scuffle. The stench of the corrupted magic was embedded on them. The battle here must’ve been one for the ages. The man doubts that even he would come out unscathed. He can see why the Order had a hard time challenging them.

And speaking of challenging.

“You can come out now.” Neighsay spoke to his own shadow, as if he was scolding a peeping tom. “I know you’re there.”

The shadow didn’t reply, instead made gestures contradicting the man’s stance. It darkened a bit, before finally protruding out of the ground, standing just about as tall as its source before forming a grin.

“Awww… how’d you know?” ‘It’ crooned.

“Because I was the one who taught you that trick. Now get out of there before someone sees you. You’ll need to do a lot better if you want to fool me.”

The shadow sighed, its shape forming into a familiar figure. “Ugh… I was sure I had you.”

“The thing about hiding in the shadows is that one must desire not to be seen. Which I suppose is difficult for someone of your character, Hoity.”

The disgraced fashion designer scoffed at his lecture. “Well, I do so love to be noticed. Being on the sideline has never been my strong point.”

“Of that, we both can agree.” Neighsay observed his fashionable companion noting the black mark under his neck. It pulsed like veins, forming what looked like chains digging into his skin. “I take it your presence here means that the Council has put you on probation.”

“They released me for good behavior.”

“More like they put you on a short leash.”

“Oh please. One minor error and I’m the bad guy.”

“You attempted to mind control the government of an entire city. So yes, you are the villain. You should consider yourself lucky that the Order allowed you to remain. Were it my decision, you would’ve been expelled immediately.”

“Then thank god that decision wasn’t yours to make.”

The vampire wannabe shrugged. “An easily rectifiable condition. Though I have to admit I wasn’t expecting you of all people to be my backup.”

Hoity folded his arms in defiance. “Don’t be so smug. It’s not like I volunteered for this assignment. I’d rather be assigned to some backwater hole than this place. So…? What are we looking at?”

“An epicenter of corrupted magic.” He explained, gesturing to the desolate wasteland before him. Despite wearing shades, he could tell Hoity’s eyes were shooting upward.

“You mean… the same corrupted magic as before?” The gray man nodded. “But how? I thought we got rid of them all.”

“Not all of them.”

The shaded man swallowed nervously as he scanned his surroundings. “Does that mean she’s… here?”

“Most likely.” Neighsay tilted his head ever so slightly. “And she’s most likely responsible for this catastrophe as well. Walking trees, draining spells and a werewolf to boot if I’m not mistaken.”

“And you defeated her, alone? I’m impressed. Normally it would take a dozen of us to beat that woman.”

“As much as I would like to claim credit, I was not the one to defeat her.”

Again, Hoity’s eyes rose. “Then who?”

A small hint of a smile crossed the unfaultable lips. “Those girls from CHS. The same ones who beat you.”

Hoity’s eyes became saucers at this point. “Impossible! Those girls barely had the capacity or magic to fight me alone. They couldn’t have possibly fight such power.”

“And yet they did.” He added, again glancing at the ground. “Perhaps we’ve underestimated their abilities. It’s no surprise they were able to defeat you and Cinch.” Hoity huffed but did not reply. “I have no doubt that they’ll prove a benefit to the Order.”

Magical Espionage

Chapter 92: Magical Espionage

(House by the hill)

Waking up came as something of an anti-climax.

He expected something dramatic, like a gasp, or a vivid dream followed by a startling lurch from the bed. Maybe even a lucid dream that would bring him closer to some heroic destiny brought upon by some cryptic prophecy in a far off world. But sadly none of those made the cut and instead he merely opened his eyes, staring at the strangely familiar ceiling for a minute before finally getting up. His room didn’t have such sloppy wooden frames. They were marbles and smoothed stones with imprints of animals carved onto the surface. Nor did his room have two beds or the smell of pancakes whiffing from the floor.

Ah… that’s right. He was at Sunset’s place. His old family house – sorta.

A rough guess would say that Pinkie was making breakfast. It was her trademark dish.

Finally having enough time to count the marks on the ceiling, Flash rose from his bed, only to regret it a second later when every bone in his body began to ache and creak like an old man. The memories of the battle soon returned to him sending vivid images of that fight. Sort of like a nightmare to be honest.

The mirror in the room granted him a full view of his injuries. There were a few bruises and cuts left behind, a good number of swollen areas signifying where he was hit hardest, and some shallow cuts that have yet to heal. Thankfully nothing bled. Perhaps all that time playing football gave him a skin of stone.

To think that a single swing of Timber’s wolfish arm was enough to injure him to such a state. He remembered it like it was just yesterday. And if not, then the constant pains pangs were a good reminder. He could still see that blow coming at him. The rage in Timber’s eyes as he smite him down with all his might. It felt like getting hit with a truck, repeatedly. The blow alone sent him flying across the sky, and then tumbling down the ground like a sack of meat. To be completely honest, that blow should’ve killed him right then and there. His body should’ve been battered and broken, snapped like a twig in a storm. The Grim Reaper should’ve called his number, but fortunately he was skipped.

Not that he was in any rush for that.

Flash was glad that Sunset took him in for the weekend. He couldn’t bear to go home in such a state. He could already imagine what his dad would say if he saw him coming back home beaten and bruised. His old man would flip three times over. He’d assign bodyguards, and put a number of restrictions in his life. Probably ground him to infinity too along with a 24hr surveillance, if he could.

Flash would kiss his private rocker life goodbye.

Another thing that caught his attention was the scar on his hand.

He recalled the injury to be small and miniscule. Something hardly worth mentioning.

But now it seems like the thing had somehow grown. The scar now extended from the top of his hand reaching towards his elbow, perhaps even beyond, and stranger still was that the glow was getting… stronger. Strong enough that even Sunset’s spell couldn’t hide it.

Whether this was a good or bad thing… he wasn’t sure.

At least… not yet. But if his magic grows stronger, then he might help the girls even more.

Yeah… he’ll take it as a good thing.

His self-admiration however was interrupted by a click on the door.

“Sorry to intrude. I’m here to change your banda—oooh!” The soothing sweet singsong voice of Fluttershy was muffled by an embarrassingly adorable squeak the moment she turned towards the room. Her eyes immediately lit up like saucers just as her face turned beat red. “I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!” She mouthed several thousand apologies in a span of seconds before slamming the door.

That was surprisingly wholesome and cute. He wished he had a camera.

“It’s alright.” Flash chuckled, feeling his throat dry from inactivity before putting back his shirt. “You can come in.”

The door creaked open with one shy eye peeking through the tiny gap. Her face was a shade of pink which went matching with her hair.

“I… I didn’t know you were up. I… I should’ve knocked.”

And miss seeing that adorable look on your face? Perish the thought.

“Yeah, I was feeling kind of stiff so I thought I’d do some light exercise.”

The little lady shyly entered, head raised. “Um… are you sure you should be up? I don’t think it’s good to move about like that. Your body is still recovering.”

“I know. But I got a little bored lying on the bed all day. And I’m feeling a lot better than before. Thanks for taking care of me these last few days.”

She brushed it off sweetly. “Oh please. Don’t mention it. I’m more than happy to help. It’s the least I could do after you risked your life for Twilight. And it’s nice to apply some of my skills on people rather than animals for a change. I’ve had plenty of practice.” She gestured to the little rabbit that poked out of her hair who gave a huffy fit.

Aww that’s sweet of her – and adorable too. Fluttershy has been his self-appointed nurse ever since his arrival here at the house. With that cute demeanor and superb bedside manners, her patients wouldn’t want to be cured too quickly. The girl had learned much from the vet who frequented the animal shelter. Who would’ve thought that treating animals wasn’t all that different from treating people?

“Well that’s good to know. If I ever get into another scuffle, I’d have you to look after me.” The animal lover blushed and waved his compliments away.

“That’s sweet of you. But try not to hurt yourself too badly. I still think you should get yourself checked in the hospital, just in case. You can get a professional opinion.”

“And not have you take care of me? No way.” He let out a chuckle which only made the gal turn redder. “Besides, hospitals keep records. If my dad finds out that I got myself injured, he’d throw a fit. He might even ground me till college if I’m lucky. I’d rather keep this little incident between us for now.”

“Is your father really that strict?”

“Strict? Not really. Protective, maybe. Let’s just say that he really doesn’t want me getting hurt.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’m sure he only has your best interest at heart.”

“Sometimes I wonder about that.”

“Well… if you’re feeling better. Perhaps I can change your bandages now?”

“Ah… yeah. Sure.”

But alas, their sweet tender moment together was rudely interrupted by a rather loud barging from outside. Like a comical typhoon, the door nearly broke off its hinges with dust spreading in all directions.

“Rise and shine, my fellow two legged friends! Breakfast is ready!” The singsong voice of an unfamiliar man entered uninvited. “The pink one down below asked me to call everyone downstairs, and you’re the… oh?” His brow rose in vivid interest. “Am I interrupting?”

Kinda…

“Discord!” Fluttershy scolded, eyes sharpened at the man. “I thought we agreed that you’d knock first before entering other people’s room.”

“I did.” He defended, which only made the girl frown. “Alright. So it wasn’t so much of a knock, but rather a very gentle tap.” He illustrated by rapping one finger on the door. “But I did follow your instructions to the letter. You didn’t exactly specify what goes for a knock around here. You have to understand that I’m still learning, my alternate fluffy friend.”

“Hang on. I remember you.” The boy’s memories clicked into place. “You’re that weird guy from that night.”

“Weird!?” Discord feign hurt. “That’s not a nice thing to say to a person you’ve just met.”

“Ah… right. Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“I’d much prefer to be called: Silly, wacky, tacky, crazy, godzooks, yippers, bizarre, or outright strange.” He counted with all fifteen fingers on him as he recited. “After all, it is what I am.”

“It is?” Flash blinked twice before suddenly finding his hand grabbed and yanked towards the older looking gentleman who gave him all manner of high-fives and handshake gestures as he introduced himself.

“Allow me to introduce myself. Discord. Lord of Chaos, Master of the Upside-Down Realm, Knight of the Outerlands, Captain of the Radiant Woods Guards, and 2nd amongst the earls of the yore. But as a friend of Fluttershy, you may just call me, Discord. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Uh… ok?” Flash paused, taking in the title like wind on a brick wall. He took a glance at Fluttershy who simply shrugged back uncaringly. “I’m…”

“And you must be, THE Flash Sentry.” The guy added, invading his personal space, shaking his hands violently, practically yanking him up and down. “An absolute pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about your exploits.”

“You have?”

“Oh quite. The newest Captain of the Royal Guard, the greatest flyer in all of Equestria, tamer of the evil Yetis, and the right hoof of justice of Princess Twilight!” A captain of the what now? “Or am I getting these two mixed up? It’s really hard to know the difference these days.”

“Alright enough.” Fluttershy interjected, separating the two. “You shouldn’t be doing that to someone who is still recovering.”

“Oh come now. No harm in two humans becoming friends. I just wanted to see if this Flash Sentry was similar to the Flash Sentry of my world.” Discord struck one eyeball towards the boy in question. “So far… he’s about eh… a 2.” Flash wasn’t sure if he should take that as a compliment or an insult. “I don’t suppose, you belong to some royal guard somewhere.”

“Uh… no?” Flash replied dumbly.

“Really? Not even a little bit? Any royal guard training? Security detail? Prismatic and/or any enchanted weapons?”

Those aren’t the kind of questions you get asked every day…… or any day for that matter.

“Umm… no?”

“Hmm… pity.” Discord pulled out a notepad, licked his pen, and scratched something off the list. “And here I was expecting something interesting. But I suppose we can’t always get what we want.”

“Discord… out.” Fluttershy insisted this time, pushing the man out with her noodle arms. The man seemingly sliding on the floor in a childishly cartoonish manner.

“Fine fine. I can see you want him all to yourself. I guess I’ll find more entertainment with Pinkie Pie. At least that’s one character who is consistent around the multiverse.” She slammed the door right at his face.

Peace and silence returned to the room. A tranquil state that Flash suddenly found comforting.

“That was… something.”

(Canterlot Mall)

Twilight wasn’t a big fan of the mall’s bathroom. Despite it being cleaner than most part of the establishment, she couldn’t help but feel like the place was laced with enough germs to make Rarity feel unnerved. It was probably the last place where she expected anything magical to happen.

“Adagio. I know that magic is supposed to be a secret and all. But are you sure we have to do it here?” She said quietly to the occupied stall which hummed with a magical glow.

“Where else are we supposed to conduct a magic experiment around here?” Adagio responded, her voice echoing in the empty place. “It’s the only place where we’re guaranteed to get some privacy. Not unless you have a private lab where we can practice in peace.”

She did have a place. But with her parents cutting off her lab… it was… empty.

“There. It’s done.” Adagio stated, returning with the broken sapphire amulet just as she exited the stall. The girl momentarily reverted to her semi-siren state, with wings and tail, glowing like a true magical beast. “I’ve analyzed your trinket.”

“You did?” Twilight blinked dumbly. “Already?”

“Were you expecting me to perform some kind of ritual? A dance or break into some kind of song?”

“Actually… yeah… kinda. I mean… that has been a trend lately.”

“Don’t be an idiot. Magic may seem alien to you. But it’s not exactly hard when you’re someone born with latent connection to it.” She gave a huffy noise in turn. “As someone who’s lived with magic all her life, things like this becomes natural.”

I suppose that makes sense. Twilight has only known about magic for a few years, while Adagio has been with it all her life. It’s no wonder she’s a master of it.

“So what did you find?”

“Well for one thing, it’s not corrupted magic.” Adagio explained much to her surprise. “It’s a melding of magical energies.”

“Melding?”

“The process of pitching two types of magic together to create something… new. Think of this process like metallurgy. You put two different types of metals together, mold them in a fire, and they become something else.”

“Like copper and tin to make bronze.”

“Correct. Except that molding metal and molding energy takes a different kind of approach. Especially something as volatile as magic. One wrong step and you get… that.” The amulet sparked as if it was insulted by the remark. “Whoever tried to mold your energy together clearly knew how to do it, but they made the error of using cheap knockoffs.” She tapped the gemstone around her neck. “The medium that needs to hold magic has to be of quality material. Like a real gem. That thing you have is a fake. That’s why the magic inside is going all crazy.”

That… actually made sense. Magic – especially Equestrian magic – appears to be attracted to shiny objects. Adagio’s necklace, her geode, Juniper’s mirror, the Time Twirler, even Vignette’s phone was made of rare earth minerals. It made a mess of her own hypothesis, but it’s good to rectify that error.

That’s something to take note of.

“I don’t suppose you know what type of magic were used on it.”

Adagio raised a brow as if the answer was perfectly obvious. “Well duh. It’s Equestrian Magic. I thought that’d be quite obvious.”

Twilight palmed her face in response. Of course it was. What else did she expect? All their trouble, especially magical ones, always seem to lead back to Sunset’s home-world. Honestly, it was kind of ridiculous how much magic seems to seep from that place.

“Why am I not surprised?” Twilight made a mental note to speak with Sunset about it later. They really need a way to plug this magic leak or they’ll be dealing with more shenanigans than they can handle. “And the other part?”

“That’s the kicker.” Adagio spoke, leaning by the sink. “I had some trouble pin-pointing it out. But I’m more than certain that it’s the same type of magic that old hag we fought used.”

Old hag?

“You mean Professor Cinch? Are you sure?”

“Are you doubting me?” The Siren rolled her eyes. “Trust me. I’ve had a taste of that magic before. And I’m more than certain of my deduction.” But then that would mean there was Yaztec magic here as well. The same type of magic that Hoity Toity, and Counselor Neighsay use. “Something catch your eye?”

“No. But this does narrow our list of suspects.” It seems like they’ll have to grill that Neighsay for more answers this time. “But I’m more confused on this whole melding magic thing.”

“What’s there to be confused about? You put two magic together and boom.”

Emphasis on the boom.

“The last time I tried doing that, it nearly blew me to smithereens.” But that was an investigation for another day. “Anyway. I don’t suppose you can sense more of this magic in the city.”

Adagio raised a cautious brow at her, noticing the odd flare in the girl’s eyes. “And why in the world would you want to do that?”

“It’s… personal.” It was hard not to notice the sudden change in her demeanor, or the way she bit her lip.

“Oh… I see.” The Siren’s expression turned giddy in exchange. She leaned in closer. A grin appearing on her lips. “You’re angry – aren’t you?”

“What? No.”

“Don’t try to hide it. I’ve seen enough faces to know when people are ticked. And right now, your face is showing all the signs. You are super angry.” Her smile widened, almost like she’s amused. You couldn’t possibly hide your true feelings when it came to one of her kind. “I didn’t know someone like you can be so… annoyed. I figured you to be a goody-two-shoes like the rest of your friends.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t fret. I was just making an observation.” She laughed it off. “Though I guess you could say I’m a little curious. It’s not every day I get to see you so… fired up. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you want revenge.”

She… wasn’t wrong.

Twilight wanted to get back at those who attacked her. She wanted to find the guy who gave Timber this accursed gem, and punch them right on the jawline. It would probably hurt her more than the guy, but she was ready for it.

“Someone got hurt because of me.” She explained. “Someone important. I can’t let whoever did this get away.” A certain blue headed rocker came to mind.

“So it is revenge.” Adagio nodded with satisfaction, now looking even more interested than before. “Now this is a breath of fresh air.”

“Can you help me or not?”

The puffy haired girl smiled. “I think I can. As a matter of fact… I know exactly where to look.”

xxxxxxxxxx

How did she not notice it earlier?

Situated between the coffee shop and the shoe store, was a tent that stood out like a sore thumb. It was a pavilion of sorts, decorated with all manners of foreign looking objects. Masks of suspicious origins guarded the slit entrance, a smoke machine hidden somewhere producing a purple smoke, chimes and bells hung above making a lovely if rather out-worldly music, and there was a smell coming from within. Incense candles if Twilight can guess. Timber had the same back at his place.

Zecora’s House of Fortune? What kind of a wacky cliché title was that?

The name was plastered over a professionally made sign with a portrait of a lady hiding under a veil, with her hands hovering over a crystal ball.

An ordinary folk would be rather skeptical about such a place.

But there was definitely something… here.

Twilight could sense it. Even her geode was reacting just by being near that tent.

There was a familiar pulse of energy coming from within. The same pulse of magic that emanated from that gemstone. There was no doubt about it. There was magic here.

To think that the suspect would be here… in the mall of all places. You’d think she’d have to search the whole city for clues.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Adagio stated, not taking her eyes off the tent. “The magic?”

“Yeah. It’s faint… but I can definitely feel it the closer I get. What is this place?”

“Some kind of tourist trap. Sonata found it the other day and went in out of curiosity.” She what!? “She’s fine. As far as I know, it’s just another con-artist taking cash out of suckers.”

“And you didn’t think to report this?”

She shrugged back without worries. “I told you: I make trouble. I don’t look for them. Besides, it’s been nothing but a eyesore.”

There’s no way this place was just another con. The whole tent screamed of mystery and magic. Only those who were proficient with such things could see that this… fortune teller, was more than what she seems.

Twilight took a step forward, only to be grabbed by the Siren. “Whoa… what do you think you’re doing?”

“Uh… going inside?”

“You’re just gonna waltz in there, knowing that the person who might be responsible for your troubles is also there?”

“You got a better idea?”

“Certainly not going through the front door.”

But Twilight wasn’t going to stop. That twisted feeling in her chest was insisting her to continue, compelling her to walk in there and confront the proprietor. There was simply no time for second guessing or planning. She needed answers, and she was getting them with or without her.

Prying her hand off Adagio’s grip, she marched onward, into the hazy tent. The Siren raised a brow, contemplating and then scoffing before finally following her in.

“If we die. I’m blaming you.”

(House by the hill)

Luna held a shred of hope that it was nothing.

That she was overthinking things. And the weekend debacle had nothing to do with the girls. She knew that she was fooling herself, but even so… she dared to hope a teeny tiny bit. And that when she arrives at the house, everything would be perfectly normal. But even she knew that it was a sucker’s bet.

Celestia was practically furious about the whole thing. Both of them half expected to receive a call from the authorities for an explanation, but thankfully it never came. Still, that didn’t help the fact that they knew exactly what was going on. Celestia and was ready to call up the girls and demand an explanation. But cooler heads prevailed and Luna suggested that she handle the situation personally before they make any final judgment.

And here she was, hoping to whatever god that was listening, to hear her prayers.

But alas… like always, her hopes were dashed when she parked up to the front of Sunset’s new home, catching the whole gang in one place, along with a few new faces, building what looked like a mirror strapped with pipes and other gizmos beyond her comprehension.

Her arrival unsurprisingly caught the girls unexpectedly with all their heads snapping in her direction. And like a child who knew she did wrong, Sunset shyly approached. A fake smile plastered on her face, hands folded together, and one foot drilling the ground behind her.

“Oh… Vice Principal Luna. H… hi?” Sunset said in the most unconvincing way possible. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

That was the voice of the guilty if she ever heard one.

All the girls in one spot? A machine that looks out of this world? And a man floating in mid-air? Pinkie Pie floating next to the said man with balloons strapped to her side?

Oh wait… that last part was normal.

Still… this wasn’t looking good on her.

…

The whole explanation took about an hour or so. Maybe longer. And Luna got the gist of what happened. Though honestly, if she didn’t know about magic in the first place, she’d say that these girls had great imagination. Seriously, the stuff they told her was like that out of fantasy story book.

It had magic, girls with special powers, creatures from another realm, and a battle that could be told through the ages. It even had a hero who saves the day. The stuff they spout was enough to write a bestselling novel.

Though she wished the hero wasn’t so reckless as to risk his own personal safety.

Flash too seemed to have been roped into this mess. The boy guiltily sat by the table, beside Sunset, trying his best to avoid eye-contact. Luna took note of the new scars and injuries, some of them seemed newer than most. Especially the one on his brow. He tried to hide the bandages, but even the best makeup artists couldn’t cover those. A rough guess would say that his love that certain redhead altered his better judgment.

The term ‘Love is Blind’ might prove true here.

And what’s with all the girls hanging around him like some kind of…?

No… forget it. That’s another talk for another time.

“So let me get this straight.” Luna opened up with a sigh and stinging headache. “Somehow Timber Spruce got turned into a werewolf by some corrupted magic and caused the incident at the park.” The girls collectively nodded with the exception of Starlight Glimmer who stood at the side holding onto the strange floating man as if she was expecting him to cause trouble.

“That’s… pretty much it.” Sunset answered, looking both tired and desperate at the same time.

“And do you know who’s responsible for it?” The awkward silence revealed their answer. “Oh boy.”

“But we’re working on it.” Sunset added. “Twilight’s looking into a lead. So we might get some answers.”

“That’s not the point.” Luna responded, shaking her head. “While I am glad that you were able to stop it, and that you’re all safe, I’m more afraid of what happens next. This incident was far more public than your usual encounters with magic. It stirred quite a crowd last night.”

“Yeah… sorry.”

“There’s no reason for you to apologize, Sunset. I understand that these things weren’t under your control.” A small hint of relief spread over her student’s face. “But that doesn’t mean I’m giving you a free pass either. I was hoping that you and your friends would be able to handle this whole magical debacle before other people caught wind of it. But it would seem like… that’s isn’t the case.”

Not to mention that one of those magical debacles was working at their school too, posing as a guidance counselor.

“We’re doing our best, Vice Principal Luna.” Rainbow Dash came to Sunset’s defense. “It’s kinda hard tracking down and understanding this whole magic thing.”

“I know. And I commend all of you for it. If anyone can solve this… magic problem around the world, it’ll be you.” The VP showed a small smile, comforting the girls. “As for my other question…” She pointing her index finger wearily at the floating man at the corner who was now upside down. “Who is that?”

“Hello~.” He greeted with a smile which permeated with ill intent. Luna compared it to a devious child who was plotting something.

“That’s… umm… Discord.” Sunset answered. “He’s from my world. We… need him for something.”

“Does that something involve that giant mirror device you’re building outside?”

The poor redhead stole a glance at Starlight. “Yes…”

“And does that something involve even more magic?”

Sunset sunk into her seat. “Yes…”

“And will that something be dangerous?”

A sigh escaped her. “Yes…”

Ah… hell…

Enemy of my Enemy's Enemy

Chapter 94: Enemy of my Enemy’s Enemy

(Canterlot Mall)

Adagio breathed a sigh of relief as she slurped her slushie, reveling in its taste. Calm and tranquility returned to her surrounding, which was only interrupted by Twilight’s incessant chatting. Her ‘temporary’ partner was busying herself on the phone reporting everything she had learned over to Sunset Shimmer, who seemed to be furious over on the other line.

Not that she could blame her. That woman was far more a den mother than a friend, and Twilight did take a big risk sneaking into that place. If Sonata or Aria ever tried doing something that stupid, she’d be scolding them down the line. She observed the girl pacing back and forth explaining and defending her actions all the while flinching back whenever the other line exploded in a cacophony of berating. A rough guess would say that the redhead wasn’t pleased with everything she heard.

The Siren waited for a while before Twilight finished her conversation, ending the call with a click before returning to face her with a sulk on her face, and a groan from her mouth.

“So…” Adagio opened, playing with her straw. “I’m guessing your ‘friend’ wasn’t exactly thrilled about the whole… sneaking into the lion’s den and coming out alive.”

“What gave it away?”

“Your sour expression and mood.” She shrugged back, grinning.

“Oh right. You’re a Siren.” The girl slumped beside her, sighing out loud.

“So it’s safe to say that we won’t be getting any help from your pals?”

“No. Sunset’s too busy on another project and she needs everyone to help her.” So much for her friends. “This stinks. We made a major discovery and we can’t even do anything about it. Did you see the size of that gem?”

“Hard to miss.” The thing was about as big as their heads. Not to mention how it radiated with magical energy, and not the good kind either. So much so that it made her skin crawl. “What’s with that look? Did you figure something out?”

“No. Not really.” She muttered. “It’s just that… I have a strangest feeling that I’ve seen that woman somewhere before. I just can’t seem to remember where.”

“I’m not surprised.” Adagio retorted. “Once you’ve lived as long as I have around here, everyone starts to look the same anyway.” She let out a huff, as if to emphasize her point. “So what’s our next move? I take it you want to find that woman and get some answers.”

Twilight’s expression says that she hit the head on the nail. But she wasn’t admitting it.

“Unless you wanna call it quits.”

“No. I didn’t expect to find a lead, but it’s one we can count on. She couldn’t have gotten far. Not while she’s carrying that big box.” She shared a quick glance in her direction. “I… don’t suppose you could track down the source of that magic, could you?”

“Not unless it’s active.” The Siren replied with a mild shrug. “The box must be special. That or she has a way of shielding herself. Otherwise I would’ve sensed that kind of magical energy a mile away. Sorry squirt, but you’ll need another lead if you want to find her.”

“Or… a friend.”

Adagio noted her face lighting up as if an idea came to mind. “What?”

“If she set up a stall in the mall, that means she must’ve gotten a permit.”

She wasn’t sure where the nerd was going with this but Adagio ran with it. “So?”

“And malls like these makes everyone take extensive interviews and records.” She suddenly turned in the other direction, nodding as if she was talking to someone. “Exactly! Just like that!”

“Again… what…?”

“We can find out more about her by looking at those records! Bureaucracy at its finest!”

Ok… note to self: This girl is whack.

“That sounds like a fine lead. But how do you expect to get your hands on those records? Aren’t these things like… super private?”

Twilight smiled in her direction. “That’s where you come in, partner.”

…

Holy granola that actually worked. Adagio couldn’t help but admit that, that… was impressive. In a span of 4 minutes and 23 seconds, they were able to get those records in hand like it was child’s play. It looked more like they had just walked into the office of the mall’s security, had a few words with the ‘Manager’, use her Siren powers to make him more… cooperative, Twilight lifting some keys and then…

… wham bam, thank you ma’am. Private details of your suspect, direct to your hands, no strings attached.

“That was easier than I thought it would be.” Twilight casually stated like it was just child’s play. And strangely enough, Adagio had to agree. That was far too easy. Normally something like this would take careful planning on their end, and her sisters would come along for backup.

But this? Forget sleight of hand, or shakedown, this was like robbing someone in broad daylight.

Adagio was right. Something had changed. This was definitely not the Twilight she recognized. Not even the Princess version of her.

“Let’s see here. Zambonie, Zaxer… no. AHA!” She shouted with glee as she pulled a file up with the woman’s headshot on display. “Here we are. Zecora Zera, from Farasi. Guess she’s from out of town. Not a lot of details in her personal and emergency information. Tch… how lazy can you be? Am I right? HA! What am I saying? Of course I’m right.”

Ok… this was getting weird. Either she had an imaginary friend, or she’s talking to herself. She’s stringing sentences along and reacting like someone had actually replied.

“Here! I found it!” Her yell was a tone too high making her flinch. “Adagio. Come look. There’s an address attached to her emergency contacts. This must be where she lives.”

“That’s… great?”

“Alright. We got ourselves a lead. Let’s go!”

“Hold it, speedy.” Adagio grabbed her by the collar before she could bolt off. “I don’t normally side on the air of caution. But what is your plan, exactly? Don’t tell me you’re just gonna walk into some sorceress’ house, knock on her door, and say: ‘Hi. Are you the lady that tried to kill me and my friends the other night?’”

Twilight darted her eyes, flashing an awkward smile. “Uh… no? I was kind of planning on… sneaking in. With this.” She showed that handy invisibility cape of hers.

“Ok, that’s a neat cape. But I don’t think the same trick will work twice. You’re gonna need more than just a cape, and magic, if you wanna get results.”

Twilight paused and acknowledge her wisdom. “I don’t suppose, you have any advice?”

Her face frowned. “What do I look like? Your guidance counselor? That’s your department. Now stop acting like a goof and start using that brain of yours. You really think you can take on someone your whole team could barely handle? This is like walking into the hungry lion’s den with your whole body covered in steak sauce. You’re gonna get yourself hurt… or worse.”

“I guess… that is a bit reckless.”

“Of course it is.” Adagio scoffed. “Now… why don’t we try your friends again? And this time… try to be more convincing.”

“But Sunset already said that…”

“I said: TRY to be more CONVINCING! And forget that unicorn for a minute. Clearly you must have someone else who can help you!”

Twilight’s face puckered in thought for a moment before another idea struck. “Actually… there is someone who might be able to help. But I’m not sure if he’ll say yes.”

“At this rate, anyone would do.”

(CHS)

Why do I feel like I’m regretting those words?

“That’s… quite the story, Ms. Sparkle.” The tall man blinked. His stoic expression seemed to crack a tiny bit as he sat by his chair, with a cup of tea in hand, looking poised. He looked down at the documents Twilight presented, staring intently at the woman’s mug shot. But Adagio could sense a hint of shock and awe in his eyes. Most likely he knew the person.

They spent the last hour explaining everything they’ve came across, even down to the giant black gemstone. The similar one that dangled from his wrist.

“I must say that I’m remarkably impressed. And I’m hardly ever impressed.” That’s quite obvious, with that face.

“So you know her?” Twilight asked, looking rather serious.

“Quite so.” He didn’t deny it. “You were right to come to me. Though I was expecting you to go to your friends for such information.”

“They’re busy.” Neighsay raised a brow but didn’t press. He seemed far more interested in the topic in hand. “I thought you didn’t know about that corrupted magic?”

“We weren’t sure at the time.” He responded, stopping for a moment to take a sip off his cup. The man was like a rock, barely showing any hint of reaction. “Magical phenomenon like that are quite a common occurrence around here, if I remember correctly. But… this does clear up any uncertainties.” A sigh escaped him. “So it really is her.”

“Who is she exactly?”

“To be completely honest, Ms. Sparkle. We’re not entirely sure either.” He leaned back on his chair. “This woman has been responsible for several magical disasters throughout the world for the past decade. She’s a thief, combing through tombs, historical sites and stealing artifacts containing magical energies of dangerous proportions. Not fully understanding what she has. As a matter of fact, she’s been undermining many of our operations. We know for a fact that she already possesses a collection of relics from various origins. She only seemed to have gained a vivid interest with Yaztec artifacts.”

“Hold up.” Adagio raised a hand. “You’re telling me that a big organization like yours can’t handle one little lady? I understand if it was me, but her? You have a face and a name.”

Neighsay squinted at her. “You’d be surprised what she’s capable of doing, Ms. Dazzle. Despite our best efforts, this… woman, always seem to be a few steps ahead of us. Besides, our organization specializes in hunting magical artifacts, not hunting people. And before you speculate further, I must let you know that her name is a lie.” He pressed his finger on the photo. “We’ve known her for quite some time now and she’s managed to elude security through a number of disguises. This ‘Zecora’ is merely another alias she uses to hide herself from authorities.”

“But… then why would she come after Timber and me?”

“Most likely because of that.” His finger directed at her geode which sparked in response. “She must’ve sensed the magic and thought to claim it for herself. She must’ve thought you were an easy mark and used your ‘Timber’ to get to you.”

It sounded logical. Logical enough at least.

“She’d go that far just to get this?”

“More likely she wasn’t aware of her own abilities.” Neighsay went on. “Like I said: This woman doesn’t fully understand the magic she wields. She probably didn’t know something of that magnitude would happen in the first place. You of all people should know what happens when the ignorant and destitute come into possession of great power.”

“Don’t I know it.” Adagio managed to whisper softly to herself.

“Regardless. This make things difficult.”

“Difficult? How?”

“Make no mistake, Ms. Sparkle. Your courage and initiative are to be commended. But at the same time you alerted her. Now that she knows she’s been uncovered, she’ll most likely go into hiding which would make it nearly impossible to find her.” Again… logical. This guy knew his stuff. “I would highly recommend getting yourself to safety as well. If she’s targeting your magical artifacts, there’s a good chance that she’ll do it again – or worse – your friends. She’s a danger to the safety of this city.”

“Aheh… safety of this city?” Adagio chuckled. “Weren’t you guys trying to brainwash the whole place earlier?”

“Point… taken.” Neighsay frowned went even deeper if that was even possible. “But may I remind you: That was the unsanctioned action of one of our members. Our organization is dedicated to understanding magic. Not gaining power.”

So you claim.

“Can’t you track her down with her magic?” Twilight interjected.

“We’ve tried. But strangely enough she’s been able to elude even our best trackers. That woman must have a way of hiding her magical energies.”

“What about that giant gemstone?” The two pause to look at her. “That giant black gem radiates a lot of magical energies. And the signature is unique to hers alone. With the right equipment, I could break through that shielding of hers and trace her through it.”

“You really believe you can find her?”

“I ‘Will’ find her.”Twilight paused for a moment and stared at the man, eyes burning with a restrained fury. “She has a lot to answer for.”

Oh… she really is pissed.

Neighsay seemed to be quite interested, his lips curving to what looked like the beginning of a smile.

“How may I help?”

(House by the hill)

Starlight Glimmer felt somewhat guilty.

She knew that bringing all of this to the human world was a big no-no for her. The danger she was bringing onto the people here was immense, and there were a lot of things that could go very wrong, very quickly. The words of warning from Starswirl and the Princesses rang closely at the back of her mind.

But she wasn’t going to stop now. Not when they were so close to completing it.

Sunburst was counting on her. On them.

He was still trapped there, in the other realm being tortured by god knows what. There was no way in Tartarus she was going to leave him behind. Who would run the School of Friendship with her? If their roles were reversed, she was certain that he would be doing the same thing she was.

Still… she couldn’t exactly remove this heavy weight on her shoulders.

Sunset’s friends were surprisingly helpful despite the fact that they had almost no-stake in the whole operation. Even after facing Vice-Principal Luna’s near screaming-match, they remained committed to the whole ordeal. And thanks to their help, and their unique magical abilities, they were able to cut the construction time to almost half. At this rate, they might even finish by tonight.

Starlight put in a mental note to find a way to repay these girls after they get Sunburst back. They deserved it, and then some, after all this.

“Lemonade?” A nice cool refreshing glass presented itself in front of her, which was a welcome sight.

Starlight blinked, and accepted. “Thanks. I wasn’t aware I needed that.”

Fluttershy smiled back sweetly as ever. “When you’ve come to know Applejack as well as I have, you tend to see when someone needs a cool refreshing drink.” They took a glance at the cowgirl in the distance, hammering away at the newly constructed magical portal.

“Sounds familiar.”

“You’ve been working out here all day. Aren’t you exhausted?”

“No. Well… yes… sort of. I’m just finalizing the design of the portal. Our new schematic should make it more efficient than the others. But there’s no telling what kind of side-effect might happen. So I’m making sure that everything is tip top shape.”

“You’re gonna burn yourself out. It’s ok to take a break.”

“No!” Her mouth snapped before her brain caught up which startled the poor girl. “Sorry. I mean to say… no. We’re so close to finishing the portal and… it can’t wait any longer. Sunburst has been trapped there. On the other side for Celestia knows how long. I need to… I need to get to him.”

Fluttershy patted her on the back, soothing her nerves. “He must really be important to you.”

You have no idea.

“We’ve been friends since we were foals.” The Wallflower gave her a look. “Er… I mean kids. We might’ve gotten a few falling outs here and there but he always stood by me whenever things got tough. So… yeah. He really is the most important pon-I mean person… to me.”

“I understand.” You do? “I would do anything for my friends too. Though I wouldn’t even know where to start if any of us were trapped in another world.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I hope Vice-Principal Luna won’t take it too badly.”

“Yeah… sorry about that.”

Fluttershy waved it off. “Oh don’t worry about that. What are friends for after all?”

“Friends don’t pull friends into their problems or get them in trouble. That’s for sure.”

“I’m sure she’ll come around eventually.”

“Oh I seriously doubt that~~.” A snake-like voice interjected followed by a head that slithered unnaturally around them. It came forward onto Fluttershy, making her squeak like a frightened mouse, holding a hand up to his face. “If your little Luna here is anything like our dear Princess Luna back home, she’ll most likely send her royal guards to apprehend us. Or worse – turn us all into stones.” His Cheshire smile grew. “Hello~.”

“Eeeeep!”

“Discord!” Starlight scolded. “I thought we told you to stop doing that? That’s not humanly behavior.”

The well-dressed magician slumped, slinking his neck back into his body. “Oh don’t be such a sourpuss. I was merely testing my new body. It’s not every day I get to come into another world, having a completely new anatomy. It’s quite a treat if I do say so myself. I never knew having such a form can give me such new perspective. Why… I had a blast rearranging my organs this morning just for fun.” He pulled out an X-ray scanner out of nowhere, which displayed his insides in the form of squiggly lines and shapes

The guy’s heart was spinning around, along with his kidney and spleen. How the man was still alive with all that twist and twirl was anyone’s guess. And to make it worse, he poked his sides, sending his lungs doing jump ropes with his intestines.

“That is… disturbing. On so many levels.”

“I know, right?! Isn’t it just amazing? My old body back home had some remarkable insides, but this is totally different! Wanna play ping pong with my liver? I brought paddles.” He offered one to Fluttershy who instinctively darted back a good distance.

“N… no thanks.” The poor girl forced a smile, eyes darting around for an exit. “I uh… think I hear Pinkie calling me. Bye!” She bolted out of there faster than Rainbow Dash on a bad day. And honestly, Starlight couldn't blame her. Discord wasn’t exactly the type of person anyone could get use to, on the fly.

“Great job Discord. You scared her off.” She gave the Draconequusin disguise a whack on the head.

“Ow! I was merely trying to break the ice.” He deflected, conjuring a brick of ice before smashing between his fingers it to emphasize his point. “And I thought I was being polite. I even offered to play. My Fluttershy always enjoyed playing with me. Especially the silly games.”

“Well she isn’t ‘Your’ Fluttershy. Just like the Luna of this world isn’t the same as our Princess Luna. They might feel similar but they’re completely different ponies… er… people. Besides… you of all, should know that you can’t force friendship. I mean… how long did it take for you and Fluttershy to become friends?”

“If you take into account, the brief time that I was turned into a statue. Err… roughly 9 episodes spanning across two seasons. Give or take.” What? Episodes? “But I get your point. So~~ when do we get to do the actual rescuing? This whole waiting around isn’t exactly working on my skin.”

“Hopefully tomorrow.” Hopefully sooner, but that was pushing their luck. “Putting all of this together isn’t easy. Magic in this world doesn’t work as it does in Equestria.”

“Well I was hoping after we save Sunburst, we could take a tour around the city and enjoy the sights. It’s not every day I get to travel to another world. I’m planning on grabbing a few souvenirs for the gang back home.”

“Absolutely not.” Starlight put her foot down on the matter. “The moment we get Sunburst, we’re going straight back to Equestria. I’m not putting Sunset and her friends in any more trouble than they already are. And no, we are not bringing anything back with us. Anything brought back from this world could cause unknown phenomenon. We’re not taking that risk.”

“Not even just a single seashell?”

“Nothing.” She repeated. “Starswirl was clear on his warnings. Anything we bring back is a big risk. It’s bad enough I had to bring stuff from Equestria to here, I’m limiting whatever damage I’m doing by making sure we stick to the rules.”

“Ah phooey. You never let me have any fun.” The man grumbled, arms folded in irritation before his eye glanced over to the girls in the distance. “Can we at least stay for a day? I really want to see how this drama blows up.” He giggled childishly, earning a puzzled look from the purple unicorn. “Oh come on now. Please don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

“Noticed what?”

“The ongoing love pentagon happening here?” He grabbed Starlight’s head and snapped it in the general direction of a certain blue haired boy who was having a nice chat with some of the girls. “See that rocker kid over there?”

“You mean Flash Sentry?”

“Quite different from the one in Equestria, eh?”

Starlight shrugged back. It’s not like she had much of a relationship with the boy’s pony counterpart. She’d seen Flash Sentry back in the other world a few times at the Royal Palace. He was a member of the Castle Guards in the Crystal Empire for a time, under Shining Armor’s tutelage, before he was reassigned to be Princess Twilight’s personal escort during her tour of the kingdom. Word around the castle was that he was set to become the new Captain of the Royal Guards too. A rather pompous promotion for a recruit. They never really had a reason to see one another, much less talk.

“Well this is his human version.”

“Notice how everyone is hanging around him? How many of them are giving him all the attention?”

She did. “Well… yeah. He did save the day back when we arrived. What’s wrong with that?”

Discord let out a disappointing sigh. “Oh my poor, Starlight. I was hoping your experience with the others would open your mind to such simple tricks. But I suppose we can’t all be experts.”

“What are you going on about?”

“Observe closely.” He gestured forward. “See how the human Applejack, smiling at him?”

“And that’s unnatural because?”

Discord let out a low annoying groan. “Your powers of observation are abysmal. Look how happy she is simply talking to the boy. Notice how she flaunts her hair, how her freckles turn red, and the way she moves. If actions can speak louder than words. Then that girl would be shouting, ‘Look at me’.”

Oh…?

…

Oh~~~~!

“I see. Applejack has a thing for Flash. That’s adorable.”

“Not just Applejack. There are others.” Others? Starlight gave him a look. “Check out Pinkie Pie. That girl’s practically bouncing with joy.”

“I think that’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.” Starlight noted, suddenly starting putting two-and-two together. “Hold on. You aren’t assuming that both of them have a thing for him?”

“Oh I don’t assume. I know.” He replied with such confidence. “And I’m getting a vibe that the others are also similar.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Starlight huffed, pushing the man’s hand away.

The Lord of Chaos laughed at her skepticism. “Please. I’ve seen enough interdimensional drama to know where this is going. And it will be mind boggling to see the finale.”

“Maybe traveling between worlds has boggled your brain. That kind of thing doesn’t happen. In our world, or any.”

“I’ll bet my good kidney that it’s true.”

She ignored his challenge and went back to observing the half built portal. It would certainly be a nice distraction. But there was hardly time for a friendly wager.

Until she got her Sunburst back, she can’t afford to be distracted.

Visitors

Chapter 95: In and Out

(House by the hill)

The portal was almost ready.

At least… that’s what Rarity could tell. Not that she’d know anyway. All she knew was that it was humming with magic, and that Sunset said that it was ‘Almost ready’.

Both she and Starlight had woken at the crack of dawn to put on the finishing touches on the portal, making sure that everything was at perfect order. Rainbow Dash was there too, using her new found lightning magic to power the machines. She admired their dedication and commitment to helping their friend, but all these early rising work cannot be good for their complexion. At this rate they’ll be getting wrinkles before they reach 40.

Passing through the living room, the smell of bacon and eggs permeated the air hinting that it was Applejack who was making breakfast. It was a small relief really.

No offense to Pinkie. But her definition of a ‘Balanced’ breakfast often leaves one with a hyperactive situation, followed by a bad stomach, and ending with a massive tooth ache. Having a rather ordinary meal was a welcome change.

And speaking of Pinkie Pie. That sounded like her laugh…

… coming out of Flash’s room.

“Hold still.”

“I am holding still.”

“Well hold stiller. This gel is expensive.”

…

She should probably ignore it.

No… she definitely should ignore it. It was against the code of conduct that one should not peek into other people’s room without their permission. It would be a clear breach of trust and against the ethics code of friendship.

But this was Rarity here. Since when has that stopped her from peeking into other people’s business?

And who could possibly resist, knowing of Pinkie’s love life?

And so… like the home invader that she was, the fashionista gently tiptoed her way to the room, ever so silently peeked through the crack on the door.

“How’s that?” Pinkie said as she knelt behind Flash as he sat at the edge of his bed, one hand placed on his bare back, rubbing lotion onto his scars. “Feeling any better?”

“Yeah… just about.” He responded with a pained grunt. His body riddled with enough injuries that would make a soldier jealous. And despite his medium frame, he was surprisingly well-built. “Thanks Pinkie. You’re surprisingly good at this.”

“Don’t mention it. My sisters and I do this to my dad whenever his back starts acting all achy. You should see him on a bad day. But Mom’s recipe never fails. One swab of this and you’ll be right as rain – sort of. I’m not sure if I got the mixture right. It’ll either heal you or give you the hives.”

“What!?”

“I’m kidding.” She laughed, giving his back a gentle pat. “This’ll definitely help. Guaranteed. Just try not to do anything too strenuous, or fight any monsters for a few days.”

“Hanging out with you girls? That might be harder than you think.” The boy let out a soft chuckle, putting his shirt back on. Pity. Rarity would’ve taken a photo if she could.

“And are you really sure you don’t want to go to a hospital?” Pinkie added, showing a rare frown riddled with concerns. “It looks pretty bad.”

“I’m definitely sure.” He replied almost instantly. “The last thing I want is my dad hearing about me getting hurt. Our relationship is a bit messy as it is already. I don’t want things to get…”

“Awkweird?”

“Yeah. Awkweird.” The two of them shared a pleasant laugh which was followed by blushing, an uncomfortable silence, and then more laughing. “Haven’t used that since…”

“That time my whole family went over to your place?”

Oh my… they have a private word for themselves. How deliciously adorable of them.

“Yeah. It has been a while since then.” The boy added. “I figured my dad would try something else after that night.”

“Same here. You think maybe our parents got the hint?”

“More like they’re too busy. My dad is the mayor after all - or at least he will be. Soon.” He let out a sigh. “Can you imagine? First he becomes the new Principal of Crystal Prep, now he’s running the city?”

“Aww come on. It’s not so bad.” Pinkie gave him a playful punch. “Like they always say: Some changes can be a good thing.”

“Who says that?”

“Me.”

To the untrained eye, one might say that this was just a casual banter. A talk between two friends. But Rarity could see the subtle hints within her fluffy haired friend.

The way she moved was different. The way she acted had subtle hints of affection. Even the way she blinked looked tantalizing at best. One might even say that she was practically head over heels for the boy.

Never in her life did Rarity ever thought of seeing Pinkie go all googly for a guy before. She always imagined she’d settle with someone who shared her hyperactive personality. A party animal with a different name. But it seems like this bubbly gal had a mellow side to her. A side that had a romantic touch. And seeing them chat there, so innocently. It made her imagine all manner of scenarios that could be playing out.

She could watch this little banter go on for hours.

Sadly, the only gray spot in this cheesy story was the love triangle brewing in the corner of her mind.

If Applejack were to see this…

“Hey Rarity.”

“Eeeeeep!!!” The fashionista felt her soul lifted from her body when she felt the cowgirl’s hand on her shoulder. She muffled a squeal from her lips, turning over and slamming her whole body against the door, only to realize how suspicious she looked before forcing out the fakest of smiles. “O… oh! Applejack! D… darling. How are you?”

AJ recoiled a bit, raising a curious brow. “Uh… fine? Just wanted to call everyone for breakfast.”

“Aha! Yes. Of course. Breakfast. The most important meal of the day. Ahehe. Yeah… that.”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” She snapped. “I was just… taking a morning stroll. That’s all. Anyway. We should probably get the others. Wouldn’t want to let the food go to waste.” The girl didn’t bother to wait for a reply as she pushed Applejack away, hoping to high heaven that she wouldn’t be too suspicious.

(Twilight’s home)

Twilight felt… exhausted.

Not just physically but mentally as well. Her body was limp on the sheets, her arms and legs barely responding to her command. She didn’t feel like getting up from her bed, and her brain didn’t feel like forming words either. It was as if all the energy she had just whisked away by the wind. Her fingers could barely wiggle and her head hardly turned.

Yesterday’s efforts had drained her of all morale. It was bad enough that she had to make a deal with Adagio, and breaking into the mall security, but then she had to bargain with a metaphorical vampire. There was just so much to do that it was practically overwhelming.

She knew that she and her friends got these powers for a reason, but she never imagined that the stakes would be… great. It was fine when it was nothing more than a section of forest, or a school, or maybe even a city. But now it felt like the whole world was relying on them. There had to be a limit to how much a kid like her could do until she cracked under pressure.

What she wouldn’t give to simply lie here on her favorite bed and just wait for this whole thing to blow over. Maybe then things might make sense.

“Don’t even think about it.” Alas, her fallen angel had other plans. Midnight appeared, hovering just above her bed sheets with an annoyed scowl on her face. “Come on. Up and at’em Twilly.”

“Ugh… five more minutes.” Twilight pulled her blanket up, covering her face.

“Don’t you ‘5-more-minutes’ me young lady. We got a big day ahead of us and you’re the star of the show. Now get.”

“No~ I don’t wanna.”

Despite not even able to see her, Twilight could imagine that her evil counterpart was rolling her eyes. “Come on. You’re not going to spend the whole day lying here.”

“Watch me.”

“Get up Twi!” Yelling won’t make me get up faster either. “Oh for the love of…… I don’t get paid enough to suffer teenage angst.” You get paid? “You really wanna do this?”

To sleep here and not to worry about the world getting blown to bits by another magical catastrophe? Yeah… I think I do.

“Fine. You leave me no choice. But just so you know: You made me do this.”

What is she talking abo…?

An image suddenly poured into her mind. Her kindergarten days. There was another girl with her. Moondancer if she remembers correctly. They were playing in the sandbox together trying to make the biggest castle ever. It was a friendly competition at first, until it turned violent in the most horrible way.

Twilight wasn’t as intelligent back then, and her concept of architecture didn’t exactly pan out. She was able to construct a fine sandcastle. But the support held up by a plastic spoon didn’t manage to hold, which caused to the whole thing to crumble. The ensuing collapse spilled over to Moondancer’s area crushing her little town of innocent sand-people in the process. Her entire population were massacred in an instant, leaving the girl crying in loss.

“Th… that was not my fault! How was I supposed to know that the support structure of sand wasn’t capable of holding an entire castle?”

“You think that’s bad? Well why don’t we try something closer to home?”

Another image popped. This time in Crystal Prep. It was the tryouts for the newly formed soccer team. Shining armor insisted that she at least put some effort in getting into a sports and got her a spot on the selection. Twilight didn’t want it, but she decided that she should try it at least once.

What a disaster that was. When it came her turn to kick the ball, she missed the goal post so badly that it bounced off a tree, slamming against the coach, and went straight through the window of the gym, hitting a janitor, who then lost control of his mop causing a domino effect on the whole basketball team leaving them incapacitated.

3 students had to go to the nurse’s office, and 4 more were sent home. Luckily Twilight wasn’t reprimanded, and she quit altogether.

Easy to say, Shining Armor didn’t press her to join any sports activity from then on.

“If this is your way of getting me out of bed. It’s not working.”

Midnight took that as a challenge. “Is that so? Then I guess I’ll have to bring out the big guns.”

Bring it on. I’d rather go through memory lane than to take another step off this comfy pillow. You can bombard me with all the horrible memories of my childhood and I’d still won’t move. There’s nothing in my head that you can use against me.

…!

Twilight’s brain froze for a second as the image slowly crept into view. It was Camp Everfree. Or at the very least it was the pier where she and her classmates worked together to build.

Was Midnight trying to guilt-trip her by showing some old memories of her and Timber? Because that’ll be a foul move on her part.

Alas, Twilight could do little but watch as the memory played out. Whatever it was, it certainly can’t be worse than what came before.

Wait… is that… Sunset Shimmer? What is she doing alone here? I don’t remember meeting her here.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion, wondering what her evil counterpart had in store. That was when a second individual came to the stage. The sweet smile, rocker look and stylish hairdo was easily recognizable.

Flash Sentry? What’s going on here?

She has no memory of this. In fact, she can’t recall a time when she saw these two at Camp Everfree at all. At least… not since the terrifying camping trip.

The two stared at one another, longingly. Their eyes locked to one another as if they were in trance. They smiled… chuckling, laughing as if they had not a worry in the world.

Twilight in turn felt her chest oddly tighten. What was this strange sensation in her heart? Why… does this bother her so?

She opened her mouth to speak but the words were caught in her throat. She could only watch in silence as the two figures came close. Their hands interlocking with another while their smiles soften to one another. The two of them looked so happy… so… in love with one another. It was… oddly repulsive.

Then… as if following a cue, their lips came close…

No… wait. WAIT a second!

“BWAHHH!” Twilight jolted upward, her face rising towards the ceiling before falling nose-first onto the floor. A loud audible thud came from the impact while she muttered a pained ‘Ow…’ in the process.

“End scene.”

The nerd gal shook her from fall, groaning painfully as she got her bearings. “What in the world was that? I don’t remember any of that happening.”

“Of course you don’t.” Midnight scoffed. “I knew that your memories can’t get you out of your stupor. So I made up one instead.”

“And you figured that a love scene would work?”

“It got you out of bed, didn’t it?” She scoffed, though Twilight could sense an underlying annoyance hidden in her tone. “Now quit lazing around. We didn’t spend all that energy and time bargaining with Neighsay only to give up at the start.” Twilight gave another groan. She had a nagging urge to jump right back into bed, but that angel would probably just do another illusion trick. She didn’t even know she was capable of doing that. “Oh Twilight. The things I could do could fill a library.”

And the things I need to do could fill a book.

Seriously though. Today was going to be long. And if she was lucky, it’d be terrifying as well.

The deal she made with Neighsay was probably the least of her concerns.

“You really think this tradeoff with the vampire guy is worth it?”

“It’s beneficial for both parties.” She responded as she changed out of her pajamas. “In exchange for his equipment, I’d give him every detail about Zecora – or… whatever her name is.”

“Still feel a sense of déjà vu?”

“I know I’ve seen her somewhere before. I just can’t put my finger on it.” Twilight grumbled annoyingly to herself. “Don’t suppose you could look into my head and recall it?”

“What do I look like? A photo album? I only know what you know. If you can’t remember, I can’t tell.”

“Maybe I should ask Neighsay about her. He probably knows more than he’s letting on.”

“And you don’t believe he’ll stab you in the back when it suits him?”

“Honestly? I’m not entirely sure.” She replied, trying to sound confident. Though her tone sounded otherwise. “He doesn’t look like the kind of person who’d lie.”

“Oh sure. I’m certain that he’s the picture of honesty. He probably swears it on his honor.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Hello! Are you awake in there!? Do I need to remind you that this is the group that tried to take away your magic!?”

“That was Cinch.”

“My point exactly! How can you even trust the guy? How do you know he won’t just come at us one day and go all vampire on us? He could be in on this… Zecora person.”

“He’s not.” Twilight sighed. “The corrupted magic is completely different from what Neighsay or the Yaztec use. It’s far more destructive. Not something they’d do.”

“Oh yeah. Totally. It’s not like these guys will try to take over the world using some mind control magic.” She paused for effect. “Oh wait…”

“Well… what else was I supposed to do? His organization is the only group around here that can provide me with the right tools for my search. It’s not like I can just magically conjure all of that fancy equipment out of thin air.”

“Yes you can! You’re just not thinking straight!” Midnight snapped. “Let’s get one thing out. You don’t need Neighsay. You don’t need him or his group. What you need is cold hard cash. A lot of it. And I know of one guy in this brain of yours, who has more than enough to get you everything you need.”

“We are not asking Flash.”

“Why not!? You’ve seen how rich he is. If he could fix Applejack’s barn, and Rainbow Dash’s bike, he can totally afford to get you anything you asked for.”

“We’re not taking advantage of him just because it’s convenient.”

“Oh please. Now you just sound like Sunset. The solution is so simple yet you’re not even considering it. He could solve many of our problems if you just…”

“I said… NO!” Fury soared over heart as the mere mention of Flash came through her mouth. So much so that Midnight even buckled backward.

She tried not to think about him. She tried her darndest. But he always sat there at the corner of her mind.

A part of her wanted to see him, wanted to speak with him, hear his voice. But every time she thought about him, memories of that fateful night at the park reared its ugly head.

The image of his broken body laid bare for her to see like the beginning of a horror movie. Twilight could recall every bruise, every cut, and every scar. Each of them pinching at her heart like rusty dagger.

Midnight was right though. Flash could fix many of their problems. With his wealth, he could get all the equipment she needs without even batting an eyelash. He probably wouldn’t even ask anything in return, saying that being a part of the adventure was reward enough. And that only made it… worse.

“We’re not…… we’re not bringing him into this.” She shut the topic down. “I can’t put him through that again.”

Midnight seemed to have understood, and nodded apologetically in response. “Okay then…”

“Twilight.” Her mom’s voice echoed from the door interrupting their conversation. “Come down sweetie. We have a visitor.”

A visitor? At this time?

xxxxxxxxxx

“Shining Armor?” Twilight raised a confused brow when she noted her brother by the door, smothered to death by their mother.

“Hey Twilly~. I’m back.” The boy greeted weakly, dodging as much of his mother’s overwhelming kisses as possible. “Mom. Come on. I’m not 10 anymore.”

“Oh don’t you start with me, mister.” Velvet scolded, pinching his cheeks like one of those crazy aunts. “You start your new job across town for over a week and only now you finally decide to visit? You don’t write, you don’t call. Not even a text message.”

“I’ve only been gone for a month.” He reasoned. “Besides… the Brain Blast competition is happening in town and Everton Academy is hosting the event. The school assigned me to host some of the sponsors so I’ve been kind of busy.”

“It only takes a push of a button to make a call, sweetie.” She countered, a frown forming on her face. Shining gave her a groan but didn’t deny it. He slumped down, his heavy coat absorbing most of his mother’s hands. “Come in. You’re just in time for lunch. Speaking of which. Where’s Cadance? The two of you normally come together.”

“Yeah… she’s still kind of angry at me right now. So we’re kinda giving our relationship time to cool off.”

“I’m not surprised. You kept the whole ‘New Job’ from her until the last minute. People don’t like it when you keep something so important from them.”

“Can we not talk about this? I actually came here to see Twilight. And it’s really important.” Velvet gave a huff and muttered a ‘Fine’ before heading back to the dining room, but not before giving her son one last motherly glare. “Yeesh… good to know she hasn’t changed.”

“You’re lucky she didn’t pry for more details.” Twilight added. “You know how mom is when it comes to drama. Remember that time when she thought that Professor Cranky was seeing Granny Smith?”

“Don’t remind me. She made such a fuss for the whole week.” The two of them shared a quick laugh and a hug before Shining came to his senses. “Anyway Twilly. I actually came here to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I heard that you were a sure in for the Brain Blast competition.”

“Really!?”

“Professor Cheerilee told me herself.”

“That’s… amazing…” Twilight’s reaction felt mixed. This competition was the biggest thing for academics like her. Many students from Crystal Prep alone would metaphorically kill just for a slot in the competition. She should be thrilled, maybe even ecstatic and reaching for the very moon. But at the corner of her mind, it felt so distant. Like… something of a lifetime ago. Back when things were far simpler.

Her expression didn’t escape Shining’s notice, and his eyes sharpened worryingly. “You ok Twilight? I thought you’d be thrilled about this.”

“I am.” She forced out a smile, barely holding it together. “It’s just that… I wasn’t expecting it so soon. It’s kind of… overwhelming.”

“Well then maybe this’ll cheer you up. I got more good news from Everton. Remember that Study Program Scholarship you applied like… years ago?”

“My Independent Study Program on Techno Sorcery and Energy research?”

“Yup. The academy saw your proposal and decided to approve the whole thing. The school will provide a full grant to fund your research including a full functioning lab.”

“Really!?” That was big news. She knew that she was already set to enter Everton Academy by this year, but this whole funding could launch her research through the roof. “How’d that happen? I thought it needed more consultation?”

“I was able to pull a few strings.” He winked. “It pays when your big brother has connections in high places. I showed some of your research to the Headmaster and took a shine to it. She was really impressed.”

Oh…

“Oh… the Headmaster? That’s… wonderful.”

“I know, right!? She was so impressed by it that she wants to discuss the finer details. Which… is the reason why I dropped by.” Shining Armor then turned around motioning a tall lean figure to approach.

The color drained from Twilight’s face as the woman came into view. Her towering frame covered the door. Her dark complexion and green hair gave her identity away almost instantly. Those deep emerald eyes staring back at her with a predatory glare.

“Twilly. I’m sure you know Professor Chrysalis.”

“Hello Twilight Sparkle.” Her voice crawled out of her mouth with a venomous hiss. “I was hoping to meet you.”

The invisible angel let out a childish ‘meep’ that only Twilight could hear.

(House by the hill)

It was a tragedy just waiting to happen.

Rarity could see it plainly as day.

Movies and TV dramas has given her much insight of love triangles, and the ending of such relationships always end up messy and disastrous. Oh sure, they could try to balance it out. But eventually the pair would eventually butt heads and hearts will eventually break. There was simply no going around it.

And sadly… the pair in which would eventually butt heads were two of her closest friends.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat on opposite ends of the table, laughing and joking around as any friend could possibly be. Neither of them realizing that they were sharing the same infatuation with the same boy.

The boy who was sitting innocently between them, stuffing a bacon in his mouth like he didn’t have a care in the world.

That accursed player, who was responsible for all this drama.

How did it even happen in the first place? She knew that Pinkie’s family had some connection with Flash’s dad and they’ve been going on at least one ‘Date’ since then. One would think that a single date wouldn’t spark anything between them. But sadly, somehow, cupid’s arrow found its way onto Pinkie and she’s been infatuated with the guy ever since.

Applejack on the other hand was a different case.

Her affection was that of a love struck damsel who was rescued by that of a Prince who swept her off her feet. The guy practically saved her family reunion from becoming a complete plum-puckered, pig-pushing’ disaster. Heck, he might’ve even saved her whole farm from going under. So from her perspective, he was the guy who came to her rescue.

Rarity would compare her to a Princess trapped in a tower. So you can see why she’d have her heartstrings settled on him.

“Hey Rare. Are you gonna eat that?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at her toast. She gave a half-hearted response clueing her to go for it, which she did. “What’s gotten to you?”

“Nothing…” She groaned, eyes locked onto the love triangle unfolding before her. Applejack and Flash were laughing off a joke that Pinkie just said. Something about jellybeans or some other candy. She wasn’t really paying much attention. All the while, the cowgirl was trying her best not to look so bashful every time she and Flash shared a glance. Honestly, it was as if anything he did near her made her all gooey. Who would’ve thought that a country bumpkin like her would show such a soft side?

She was only glad that they were just talking. If any of those two started spoon feeding him, she was gonna call an intervention.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” Rainbow somehow noticed. “What’s the matter? Missing fashion?”

“No… well yes. Kind of… sort of.” A sigh escaped her. “It’s complicated.”

“Well why don’t you try airing it out? I hear that talking about your problem can be very relaxing.”

“Sorry Rainbow Dash. But I highly doubt you can help me with my problem.”

“Hey. I’ll let you know that I’m good at solving problems.” The sports gal paused. “Except for math problems…… or science problems, history problems, or anything school related. But I can throw a mean kick.”

Rainbow Dash being empathetic? Today is getting stranger by the minute. “Since when did you start caring so much?”

“Hey. Just because I’m a little selfish, doesn’t mean I can’t listen to someone else’s problems every now and then. Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything much around here.” Ah… so it was just boredom eating her up. That makes more sense.

Still… she isn’t wrong. Maybe a little advice from a different perspective would be a good change.

“Well… I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” Rarity shrugged, just as her friend leaned back on her chair. “Let’s say… hypothetically: I have these two friends of mine, who are really close to one another. And are… hypothetically infatuated with someone.”

“You mean… crushing?”

“Yes… that.” She nodded gleefully. “They are ‘crushing’ on someone. The rub is that that they are ‘crushing’ on the same person. That person who just so happens to be ‘crushing’ on someone else entirely. And sadly neither of them knows that they’re both ‘crushing’ on the same person, and I’m afraid that the person that they’re ‘crushing’ on will eventually tell them that their ‘crush’ on him cannot be, and that he’ll crush their hearts and then crush their friendship along with it! Now I’m the only person who knows that they’re ‘crushing’ on the same person and it’s been eating me on the inside for months now!”

“You said ‘crushing’ way too many times in that last sentence.” Rainbow Dash replied boorishly, much to her dismay. “This isn’t another one of your soapy TV shows, is it?”

“Ugh… forget it.”

“Now hold on. Don’t write me off just yet. I didn’t get everything you said back there, but I think I can understand most of it.” She reasoned. “So… two of your ‘Hypothetical’ friends are crushing it on the same guy. Only that they don’t know that the other friend is on the same boat.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “Yes… YES! That’s it!”

“Sounds like they’re in for some rough time.”

“Oh like you wouldn’t believe, darling. I’m dreading the day that’ll happen.”

“Sounds to me like these two need to talk it over.” Easier said than done. “I mean they can’t keep this up forever. So if I were you, I’d bring the two of them together and discuss it openly on the table. Best to get it out now so there are no hard feelings in the end.”

…

Huh… that was… actual sound advice. Rarity couldn’t believe how simple it was, but it was there. And it came from the most unlikely source. Rarity has been so focused on the disastrous aftermath that she couldn’t see the solution right under her nose.

“Why… Rainbow Dash. That’s actually… a good idea.”

“Yeah. I know. I’m awesome.” The sports gal smugly replied, putting her feet on the table.

“I don’t suppose you know how to do that as well.”

“Errr… I try to limit my smart advice to once a week. You’re gonna have to figure that one out yourself.” Why am I not surprise? “And for the record: This guy your hypothetical friends are crushing on, sounds like a real jerk.”

Well… Rarity wouldn’t put it that far… yet.

Perhaps when this is all over, she could bring Pinkie and Applejack on a sit-down session and have them open up together. At least then it would clear the air around this whole love triangle.

But before she could say more, the sound of magic echoing outside set the gang on alert.

xxxxxxxxxx

The portal was ready.

At least… that’s what Sunset could tell.

Surprisingly enough, the structure they made was far larger and less efficient than that of the portal in front of the school. Without proper magical ley lines providing the necessary energy to fuel the device, they had to rely on technology to fill in the gap. A few extra wirings and pipes to funnel the heat, and they were good to go.

Sort of…

There was no telling what kind of reaction they’ll get the moment they open that portal. Even with the Heartsticks that Stygian provided, or the many contingency plans they conjured, there was no guarantee that it’ll hold off the shadow monsters on the other side. Not to mention the unnatural behavior of Discord’s chaotic magic.

For all they know, using that power to find Sunburst would risk endangering the world even more. Monsters could pour out of there and wreak havoc on the world. Even her friends won’t be left unscathed if things go wrong.

And Flash would be…

No… let’s not go there. He’s fine.

You’re just spouting doubts to yourself, finding an excuse to get out of this mess. Besides, the guy is protected by a layer of wood, bricks, and defensive shields. He’s as safe as he could possibly be in a magical crisis. And if that doesn’t work, the gang was there to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. All except for Twilight, who is a no-show since yesterday.

The girl said she had to deal with some emergency, not really explaining herself.

Sunset would’ve liked it if she had stayed here with the gang, but she probably had a lot on her plate right now.

A lot of risks were riding on this operation, and it was too late to back out. Starlight needs this, now more than ever. And who wouldn’t back a friend in need?

“Are we ready to go?” She asked Starlight who was handling the final preparations.

“Just about.”

“How about you, Discord?” The Lord of Chaos stood ready, flexing all 40 of his hands before raising a few dozen thumbs up in her direction. Sunset nodded before turning to her comrades in the far corner. “You guys ready?”

“READY!” Pinkie saluted before ducking behind rows of sandbags with the rest of the team. All of them decked to the brim with hockey gear. Courtesy of Rarity.

Everything was as ready as it could be. So please let this go their way.

“Alright then.” She breathed out. “Let’s do this. Hit it Starlight!”

And hit it, she did. The girl smashing a big red button on the console turning the machine on.

A cacophony of sounds came from the machine. A surge of magical energy formed around the rock, directing the portal to the world they desire. Sparks of electricity flashed in several areas, creating a dangerous yet beautiful lightshow. You could even say that it was mesmerizing. So much so that the gang couldn’t help but go ‘Oooh’ at it. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the mirror at the center of the device opened with a giant swirl revealing an image of landscape of a world far-far away.

“Wait… something’s wrong.” Starlight gasped. “There’s… something coming!”

The gang braced as the portal rattled. Its pieces wobbled and shook like they were going to break. They all took cover expecting the worst to happen.

Only to find an anti-climactic fart noise to come out of its vents.

…

“Ah… aha… um… false alarm.” The purple gal forced an awkward chuckle swiping the smoke away. “Just a little magic backlash. My bad.”

“Are we good?” Sunset asked, feeling somewhat relieved and disappointed.

“Yup. The portal is stable.”

“Any sign of shadow monsters?”

“Uh… no. At least… not that I can tell. I think we’re good.” That’s probably the first good news she’s heard since she came back.

“Then let’s not waste time. Discord, you’re up.”

“Oooh~! How exciting!” The conman gleefully approached, hands clapping. “I haven’t done something so complex in years.” Glad one of them was having a good time.

“Remember Discord. Just focus your magic on finding Sunburst. Bring him back here. No detours, no distractions.”

“Oh please. I am the very picture of focus. Finding a pony on the other side should be child’s play. Now stand back and let the master get to work.” The man stretched and cracked his knuckles, twisting his head all way round in a disturbingly comical manner.

He then tucked in his shirt, floss his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, file his nails, pat his shoulders, before finally producing a remote on his hands.

“Seriously?”

“What? I’m a showman at heart. You can’t stop me.”

Sunset opted to scold the man. But thankfully a reaction from the portal stopped her. Their gaze fixed upon the mirror, as the swirling image began to change.

None of them were completely sure what to expect of the land of Ezaquatel. From what they heard from Starswirl, it was supposed to be a vibrant land brimming with natural magic. A kind of world where even the most ordinary unicorns can become as powerful as an Alicorn.

But what they saw wasn’t anywhere close to what they imagined.

It was… a barren, lifeless desert. Something akin to a wasteland.

The ground looked mushy and coarse, bubbling to the core by the heat of lava flowing endlessly creating river streams snacking across the land. Trees and mountains looking dry and pale, and the sky itself was so black with smoke that you can hardly even see the sun. If there even was one.

“Is that… really Ezaquatel?”

“Is has to be.” Starlight confirmed. “The mirror resonance is the same as the one back in Starswirl’s lab.”

“If you say so. Though I was kind of expecting something… more or less magical. That place looks like Tartarus on a bad day.”

“I know what you mean. Not even Dragon Mountain looked that dreary.”

It actually kind of reminds her of the park… after Timber’s corrupted magic drained it of all life.

“Discord. Anything?”

“One moment.” The old man huffed and puffed, tapping the button on his magical remote repeatedly, changing the image on the mirror like he was changing the channel on a TV. “Hmm… this is a lot harder than I thought. Normally searching for a needle in a haystack like this is child’s play.”

“That’s because you’re doing it wrong.” A second Discord materialized from his torso extending another extra limbs. “Here. Let me show you how it’s done.”

“Hey! Who asked you?”

The two conmen fought over the remote like like a pair of siblings, shouting incoherent curses and pushing each other’s faces. The only thing missing was one of them shouting ‘Mom’ to break up the fight. Thankfully it didn’t stop the scenery from changing again and again. Though it all seemed to be the same old desolate landscape. Whatever happened to magical paradise?

More lava flows, dead trees, black sky, crumbling mountains, ancient temples, more dead trees, blacker skies, a dying orange unicorn, more mountains, more dead tr…

“WAIT!” Sunset snapped at the Discords. “Back it up.” The mirror imaged changed, and halted immediately at the sight of…

“Sunburst!” Starlight practically teleported to the mirror screaming his name. “That’s him! Hurry! Get him out of there!”

The Discords did so. But the image wouldn’t get any closer. “Oh confound it all. I knew I should’ve made a different gizmo. I never could figure out what these buttons do.”

Dang it Discord…

“Then I’m going in.”

WHAT!?

“Starlight! That’s crazy! We don’t know what dangers are on the other side. You could get yourself hurt or trapped there!”

“My best friend is on the other side. And he’s in trouble. That’s all the reasons I need!” And without even waiting for a rebuke, the girl hurled herself in head-first into dangers unknown. A move that would even get Rainbow Dash’s approval.

Oh come on! What happened to safety first!? That was not part of the contingency plan! Sunset wanted to yell, but she kept a cool head.

One of these days, these reckless actions had to stop.

…

Just not today.

“I’m going after her. Discord, hold the portal!” The man and his clone gave a semi-serious salute.

Grabbing a heartstick, she took a deep breath and jumped right in, feeling the familiar pull of travel magic seep in.

xxxxxxxxxx

It only took her a moment before she was spat out from the tear, face hitting the ground like a cannonball. Thankfully the dirt and sand cushion her fall giving her a bad aftertaste in her mouth rather than a concussion. She’ll have to thank Celestia for small mercies.

“Ugh… I swear, one of these days I’m gonna land on a box of nails. I just know it.”

Gathering her wits together, Sunset rose, preparing herself for a long drawn out fight. Only to be greeted by the most depressing scenery she had ever come across.

It was one thing to see the landscape on the mirror. It was another thing entirely to be in the scenery.

The sand beneath her feet were cold to the touch, but the air was hot and dry. She could feel the heat coming from the nearby lava river, bubbling and bellowing smoke like a factory chimney. So much so that it made her cough just taking a few gasps of air.

“Sunset!” She heard Starlight calling a few feet ahead. The girl made a beeline for her friend, lying just by the edge of a boiling red river. “Over here!”

Right. No time for sightseeing. Focus on the task at hand. Just grab Sunburst. In and… out?

Wait a second.

Hands?

Why does she have hands?

As a matter of fact… why is she still in human form? No… scratch that. Both she and Starlight were still in human form. Aren’t they supposed to turn into their counterparts? How is that even…?

“Sunset!”

Right. Act now. Think later.

Sunset took stock of her surroundings, getting a clear view of the land.

Everything here was as barren as the deserts of Saddle Arabia. The smoke and heat was thick, making it difficult to breathe. Her feet sunk deep into the sand with every step, some of it slinking into her clothes. But what really got her attention were the strange broken statues littering the area.

They all seemed to have been made by the same marbled stones. But they were all torn and shattered, like they were blasted by some kind of explosive.

… or magic.

Eventually she caught up with the Starlight and climbed down a few short cliffs, before finally reaching the pony on the ground.

She had only met Sunburst a few times before. Hardly even knowing him until now. But his appearance here was unmistakable. The bright orange mane, the thin goatee, geeky glasses, and the robes he wore were one of a kind.

The nerdy looking stallion looked beaten and bruised though. Like he had been through a fight of his life and somehow survived. There were swellings on his body, and a few scars on his face. His glasses seemed to have taken the brunt of his attacks shattering both lens. His horn seemed to be intact though, so that’s a bright side.

“Is… is he…?”

Sunset cupped the unicorn’s chin, removed the top part of his cloak and pressed her finger over his neck. All those medical lessons back in P.E. were finally paying off. Though she wasn’t sure if it applied to sentient creatures from another world.

She bit her lips, expecting the worse. When she found it, she sat still, and Starlight held her breath.

There was a beat.

It was faint, but it was definitely there.

“He’s alive.” A sense of relief swelled over them as she announced. “But he’s not looking too good. We’ll have to carry him back to the portal.”

It was a lot easier said than done of course. Despite his size and skinny demeanor, the unicorn still had the weight of a full grown stallion. Hauling him back would be… difficult.

Dang it. If only Twilight were around. Her magic would be able to carry him with a single gesture of her hands. Quite literally.

“Well. No time like the present.” Starlight moved in first grabbing her friend by the hoof and then lifting him up on his back, carrying him bridal style.

They double back through the sandy terrain, climbing up the cliffs, and jumping over jagged rocks, only to pause a few times to catch their breaths. The smoke was thick, and clogged much of their nose making it hard to breathe.

Sunset glanced around, half expecting to see something… anything… stopping them. A shadow monster, a ferocious beast that wants to make a snack out of them, or even an act of divine intervention. It was a sad train of thought, but with her luck, things usually mess up somewhere in the middle. How was this going to be any different?

Any moment now. Something or someone was going to drop right in and try to stop them. A sandworm rising from the ground, the statues turning to life, or even Professor Cinch who was tricking them this whole time.

…

Any minute now. The portal was already in sight. So they have to strike… right about…

… now!

…

“Sunset? What are you doing?” Starlight brushed passed her, raising a curious brow.

Any second now.

“Sunset Shimmer!” She felt a hand smack against the back of her head jolting her back to her senses. “Get a grip. We’re almost out of here. Come on.”

The redhead took a breath. Her eyes once again wandered but still found nothing. She looked behind her, half expecting something or someone to jump at her like a cheesy scene in a horror movie. But again her fears were unfounded.

With some hesitation, she followed Starlight, stepping back into the portal… very anticlimactic-like.

First Punch

Chapter 96: First Punch

(Twilight’s home)

Twilight stapled a smile to her face and tried her darndest not to scream.

Her home has been invaded by a creature from another world. A shape shifting insect hell bent on sucking the very magic from her neck.

…

Ok that might’ve been a little exaggeration but that was exactly how she felt.

It was Chrysalis herself. The Headmaster of Everton Academy. One of the greatest businesswoman of her time and an entrepreneur in academics. She’s also a major suspect in the ongoing magical investigation.

But what was she doing here? She hasn’t seen her since she stole the Portal Stone from her office during her tour. A woman like her wouldn’t make time to someone as lowly as her. Not even if her brother was one of her entourage.

She couldn’t possibly know that she was the one who broke into her office that day, could she? No… that would be impossible. Twilight was sure that she was invisible during her break in. There’s no way she’d suspect her.

…

Would she?

“The tea is lovely, Mrs. Twilight.” Headmistress Chrysalis said with earnest, her head leaning back to the couch. She sat right across from her, legs crossed, lips parting from the teacup with a hiss.

“Oh please. Just call me Velvet.” Mom innocently replied. “I would’ve prepared cookies if I knew this son of mine was going to be bringing in a guest.”

“Hey!”

“Hush now, Shining. It’s not every day we get to entertain someone so important.” The boy rolled his eyes in return. “Can I get you anything else Miss Principal?

“Please, just call me Chrysalis.” The darker lady chuckled. “And no. I couldn’t possibly impose. And I’m not that important.”

“Don’t be so modest. Your school has only been at the top of the board for the last decade. Why Twilight here hasn’t stopped talking about it since she was 8.”

Mom!

“Is that so?” Chrysalis’ dagger-like eyes focused to her, nose flared up. “Well I suppose geniuses attract one another. Your daughter is no less amazing herself. Which is the reason for my visit. Shining Armor spoke highly her, and her research, so I figured I’d see her for myself.”

Twilight glanced over to her brother who simply gave an innocent double thumbs up gesture.

“That idiot…”

Oi…

He may be an idiot. But that’s still my brother.

“Well, I’m sure Twilight is doubly thrilled to have you here. Isn’t that right Twilight?” Mom whispered. “Twilight? Sweetie?”

“Wha? Oh! Right. Yes. I… am.”

“Come on girl. Pull it together!” Easy for you to say. You’re not the one in the crosshair! “Hey we’re in the same boat here. Whether I like it or not, your safety is tied to mine. So get a grip!”

“Well I can assure you that I have a special slot reserved just for you, Twilight.” Her slit eyes locked onto her like she was her mark, like a dagger dangling precariously close on her head “I can’t wait for you to be part of our establishment. I’m sure you’ll achieve great things in Everton Academy under… our guidance.”

But before she could respond, a loud ding noise emanated from the kitchen, garnering Velvet’s attention.

“Oh! That must be the ham. Shining, sweetie. Mind giving me a hand?”

No! Wait! Take me instead! Don’t leave me with this… snake!

… and… they’re gone.

Great…

“So…” Chrysalis’ voice brought her back. “How was your tour of my office? My little thief?”

The color drained from Twilight’s face.

“Uh… excuse me?” She feign ignorance – or at least she tried to. Her facial expression, and the constant twitching in her eyes made it difficult to hide her shock.

“Oh don’t bother hiding.” The older lady said with such confidence that it was hard to pierce through it. “I know it was you who bumped into me that day, and stole my relic.”

“I have no idea what you’re tal…” Twilight froze up when the Headmaster pulled out her phone, replaying a video surveillance record of herself appearing out of thin air, carrying the Portal Stone in hand.

“Oh… that’s what I call… red handed.”

“If there’s one thing I take pride in my academy. It would be my security.” Chrysalis added, looking like a cat that cornered her rat. “That was a nice trick. Though a bit careless at the end there.”

Twilight swallowed her fear. It was such a rookie mistake. She should’ve been more vigilant. Her carelessness is what brought her into this mess.

“I’d say we blast her with a spell and wipe her memories!” Quiet. Violence won’t do, especially when her family was around. Besides, how was she supposed to wipe out her memories? She doesn’t have the memory stone. “Oh come on. Don’t you remember those old cartoons? Just whack her head a few times and she’ll forget this whole conversation ever happened. You can get your dad’s old walking cane.”

Don’t be ridiculous. Amnesia doesn’t occur that easily. Panicking now would only give her away. She needs to remain calm. The Headmaster was a smart and cunning person. She wouldn’t show her hand so easily without reason. That was the kind of mistake only an amateur would do. Besides… if she wanted to hurt them, she would’ve done so by now.

No. This woman. She has other plans.

If Adagio were here, she’d say that this woman wanted something.

“What do you want?” There was a glint of a smirk hiding under that cup.

“I want answers.” She began with a stern tone. Her posture straightened up, while her poise remained daunting. “Where’s… Sophie?”

…

Twilight blinked once… and then twice. Her head cocked to the side as she posed the question.

“Huh?”

(House by the hill)

The return to the human world was surprisingly easy in Sunset’s opinion. With the exception of a lung full of smoke, soot on her clothes and sand in her shoes, the whole rescue operation went off without a hitch. It was as if they literally just stepped into the other world and back out in a minute.

Everything felt so… simple and easy that she was still getting over it. With all the hardship she’s gone through over the last month alone, this was a blessing.

Perhaps she really was overthinking this. Perhaps it was high time the gang finally caught a break.

Upon returning through the portal, Sunset ordered Discord to destroy the portal immediately, to which the Draconequus was more than happy to do. The guy practically summoned a dozen of himself decked out in construction attire and began smashing the portal with comically large hammers. And by the time they were done, the magic from the portal dissipated, leaving nothing but a broken wreckage of a machine.

A pity. She would’ve loved to experiment on it. The magical implication and comparison to the Yaztec portals would’ve been groundbreaking. But the risk was too much. Better to let it all be destroyed than to harm her friends.

Speaking of which.

“How is he?” Sunset asked, hovering over Starlight and Fluttershy who was performing first aid to the patient. The boy sleeping soundly on the bed where Flash had been not too long ago.

Sunburst looked surprisingly younger as a human. The old goatee he had on his chin was toned down a notch. While he still had his trademark cloak, the boy looked no older than any of them. He wore a cerulean shirt, long brown oversized pants, and a pair of harness to hold them up. He kind of reminds her of Micro Chips. Perhaps his human counterpart was a student of sorts.

“He… doesn’t seem to be in any danger.” Fluttershy declared earning a sigh of relief from the two. “He has some bruising on the side and a big bump on the head. Oh… and it looks like he’s got the case of malnutrition. I’d say he hasn’t much to eat.”

No kidding. He was trapped in a deserted world for days. The fact he was able to survive at all is a miracle.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Starlight pleaded, ready to do anything to help her friend. The poor girl was practically bedridden with worries. She just got Sunburst back, and now she feared losing him again.

“I’d say a few days rest and a good warm meal, and he’ll be right as rain.” Fluttershy gave a reassuring smile. “Though, that might be harder than I realize. He’s not badly hurt or anything.”

“So then why isn’t he waking up?” Starlight asked with worries mixed with her tone.

“I’m afraid he’s been through a lot. Maybe he’s tired, or hungry… or both. There are a lot of conditions that could cause a person to fall into a deep coma. We’ll have to wait for him to recover on his own.”

“Sleep around like a bug bear on a winter morning? That’s no fun.” Discord was the one who replied appearing from the window like it was the most natural thing to do earning a cute little ‘yelp’ from Fluttershy. “I think it would be better if we skipped the whole waiting part and get right onto the fun part.”

“And how do we do that exactly?” Sunset immediately regret asking when the conman pulled out a miniature gong from his breast pocket and a club on the other hand. And without even waiting for their protest he banged it hard, sending a loud ear shattering noise around the house. The girls plugged their ears in the process, while everything in the room shook from the blast.

She wanted to reprimand the guy for creating such a ruckus.

Bud strangely enough though. It worked.

“BWAHHH!” Sunburst shot out of bed screaming bloody murder as panic set in. “Wh… what happened?! Where am I!?”

“Sunburst!” Starlight’s face beamed as she shot towards the boy, bringing the guy into the biggest hug. “You’re ok!”

“Starlight?” The boy managed to squeeze a word out. “Is… is that you? What’s going on? Why can’t I see anything?”

“Your glasses were destroyed. Here…” She pulled out an extra pair from her pocket.

Sunburst squinted a bit, trying to make sense of the shape until his hands reached for the spectacles. A thankful smile showed itself when he understood what it was. “Thanks. I was wondering why it was so… ah…”

Ah?

Suddenly, as if shot by a dose of fear, the man screamed.

“AHHHH! Monster!”

Monster?

Like a panicking child, Sunburst shot out of bed, trampling everything and everyone in his path. He screamed and shout, deathly terrified of everything he didn’t understood, all the while fumbling to understand the uses of his new appendages.

There was a hint of familiarity in his actions. It sort of reminded Sunset of how she reacted when she first arrived in this world years ago. The panicking voice, the frightful visage, the new appendages. If the guy came through the portal in school, he probably would’ve ruined the whole courtyard with his antics. She would know…

She certainly did.

“Sunburst! Calm down! It’s ok!” Starlight tried to rein him in but ended up getting pushed back.

Sunburst immediately went on all fours and ran/crawled straight towards the door, raising his head up expecting to use his horn to turn the knob for him. Sadly that trick wasn’t going to work and he ended up just smashing against the wooden frame, breaking it off its hinges.

“Whoa! What the?”

“Look out!”

“Hey watch it!”

“Are we doing a crab dance? I love crab dance!”

“What in tarnation!” Applejack shouted from the other side, followed by the screams of the rest of the gang, which was then followed by the sound of plates and chairs breaking and shattering from the stampeding unicorn.

Yup. Definitely what she would’ve done.

…

It took about five minutes before they finally managed to wrangle Sunburst, quite literally in fact. Applejack, with all of her roping skills, managed to hogtie his arms and legs, and hanged him by the ceiling like a New Year turkey. Thankfully he kept the damage to a minimal, destroying only partially every furniture in the room.

She’ll have to apologize to Flash later.

“Ah… I needed that.” The former orange stallion said as he took a gulp off a glass of water that Fluttershy offered, limbs still bound. His whole body dangling over the destroyed living room. “Thanks for helping me out. And uh… sorry for the mess.”

“Have you calmed down?” Sunset asked, arms folded. A totally not-so ticked off expression marred her face

“Yeah. I think my moment of panic is over. I should’ve realized that I’ve wandered into another world. Ahehehe.” His awkward laugh felt dry to the throat. “Umm… I don’t suppose you can let me down now?”

“In a minute. I have some questions first.” Sunset approached. Squinting solely on the wizard. “How do I know you’re really Sunburst?” The man blinked at the question, not really sure how to answer. “I mean… we found you in the other world all banged up. And you do look like Sunburst. Sort of. But how can we be sure you’re really… you know… you?”

“Uh… I don’t really understand…”

“It’s just a precaution.” Starlight added with a weary smile. “The gang here have been a little pressured lately with Shadow Monsters and all kinds of nasties. We just want to make sure you’re really you and not some kind of creature from another dimension… or a changeling. Not that changelings are evil of course.” She added that last part a little too quickly. “We… just want to know that you’re the real Sunburst.”

“Oh… ok. I can do that. Umm… let’s see. Uh…” His voice trailed onward, eyes wandering.

“Sunburst?”

“Sorry. It’s kinda hard to think when all my blood is going to my head. Human physiology isn’t exactly my… field of expertise.”

“Sunburst! Focus!”

“Perhaps I could be of assistance.” Discord offered, raising a feather with a face that screamed nefarious. “I used to do this to my pet shoe. Never fails to get a confession.”

“Not helping Discord.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and decided to intervene before anyone else decides to put in their own method. “Here… let me give it a shot.” With a simple gesture of her hand, she reached for Sunburst’s dangling head and allowed her magic to roll.

Mind reading powers can be such a convenience some times.

…

Hmm… she’s not detecting anything malicious. His memories are a little muddled. Not surprising seeing as he just woke up. Oh wow… there’s a lot of random information here. She wasn’t aware that there were six volumes of Hoofmander’s Guide to Star Magic. The guy has a complete set!

…

Ok… not important.

The crystal palace. Princess Cadance and Cpt. Shining Armor. Oh… and that little explosive fluffball over there must be Flurry Heart. This must all be work related.

And there’s a bunch of memories of Starlight here too. A lot of them in fact. An unhealthy amount of them in fact. One might even think that he’s into her.

Either way, there’s no shred of doubt that he’s the real deal.

With a sigh of relief, she released the boy from her grasp.

“Ok… I’ve seen enough. He’s the real Sunburst.” Sunset gave a nod to her friends who gently released the guy from his restraint, which didn’t last long, as he was quickly grasped by Starlight, giving him the biggest warmest hug she could muster.

Everyone could see how relieved that girl was to have her friend back. Celestia knows how much she went through these last few days.

While Sunset still had plenty of questions for the orange guy, she decided to give the pair a little space.

They weren’t in a hurry.

It’s not like any of them were in any danger right now.

(Twilight’s home)

“Sophie?” Twilight confusingly asked just as the question was given. The name rang a bell in her head, and all the information she had was about as bare as bones in the desert.

Chrysalis on the other hand, looked somewhat surprised. As if she expected another kind of answer. Her eyes widened at first before turning curious and confused. But that reaction faded, as she focused on her voice once more.

“I’ll ask again.” She repeated, voice stern. And for a brief second, her eyes glowed. “Where’s Sophie?”

Sophie…?

The image of a woman crossed her mind. A beautiful lady, instilled in a silent painting above a fireplace. Her pale skin, gorgeous lock of hair, and that radiant smile all seemed familiar.

“Twilight?” Her inner voice called out right next to her. But she sounded so… far. So distant.

Something’s wrong. Her head feels… light. The room itself was… spinning.

“Get a grip girl!” Midnight smacked her, bringing her conscious back to the real world – or at least she tried to. “It’s magic. She’s trying to get into your head!”

Twilight glanced down to her geode, seeing it shake and shiver. Midnight was right. That woman was trying to put her under some kind of spell. It was strong too. Strong enough to break through her natural barrier.

She scanned the woman, suddenly noting the black gemstone dangling on her neck. It radiated with magic. Quickly she reached out to cast a spell, only to find her limbs unresponsive.

No. It was more like her whole body had lost function, leaving only her brain to process.

“I… I don’t understand.” Twilight managed to say which made the woman let out a low but frustrating grunt. She was barely conscious to realize that her mouth was moving on its own.

“Damn it!” The woman cursed. Breaking eye contact, lips biting in frustration. She took a short breath, calming herself down before she tried again. “Fine. Tell me everything you know about the Black Stone Order.”

“The Black Stone!?” Twilight’s eyes shot up. “How do you know them?”

Chrysalis cast the spell again. Her eyes glowing with energy. “I’m the one asking the questions here! Tell me everything you know about the Black Stone Order? Who are they? What are they planning?” The woman was putting more energy into her spell, making it more receptive and potent. It was a rather crude method, but effective either way.

Twilight could feel it working. So much so that she was feeling a slight headache. At this rate, she’ll get through. She had to… call her friends.

She had to shtop… shup… hwer…

“Twilight?” Midnight called. “Twilight!? Hey!”

“Tell me everything you know about the Black Stone…”

Twilight’s mind went blank. She could feel the woman worming her way through her memories like a parasite. Pilfering all of her thoughts, stealing her deepest secrets.

“What the? There’s… there’s nothing here!” She heard a mental shout echoing through her mind. “Where are the memories? Who are the Black Stone!??”

They were questions to which she had little to no answer to. Her mouth slurred as she leaned back in defeat unable to conjure a proper response.

“You… you don’t know anything do you?” Chrysalis realized with a hint of disappointment in her tone. “Then tell me. Why were you at my school? Why did you take the Portal Stone? Who sent you?”

She was powerless to resist.

“N… no one sent me.”

“Then why were you there!?”

“I… I…needed… th…”

“Where’s Sophie?”

Sophie? Who’s that? The only Sophie she knows of is…

… the lady in the portrait sitting atop the fireplace.

Flash’s…

Flash…

“Flash?” The invader tilted. “Flash Sentry? How do you know…?”

“How DARE you!?” A mighty roar echoed from deep within her subconscious. Her inner angel stormed through the connection, spreading her wings in a rare display of wrath. The sudden surge of magic caught Chrysalis off guard, sending her reeling back on the couch. “You think you can just waltz in here like some freeloader!? I already got a long term lease on this head, you ingrate, and I’m not looking for a roommate. So be a good little bug… and BUZZ OFF!!!!”

Twilight felt the angel wrestle control over her mind. It went on for a few seconds before she felt a stunning sensation, like someone punched her in the gut shaking whatever daze that loomed over her. Whatever it was that Midnight did, it severed the connection between her and the woman sending a backlash that forced her to spill her half empty cup of tea.

“Gah!” Chrysalis swore out loud, taken aback by the sudden spillage, and the burning feeling on her lap. In that moment of anger, the hypnotic link between them was cut creating some sort of backlash, sending her reeling back to the couch. “H… how? How did you? You broke my spell!”

Twilight gasped, feeling her limbs coming back to life. She quickly rose, grabbing her geode to call upon her power.

“Wait!” Chrysalis pleaded, but it came too late. She attempted to conjure another spell, Twilight smacked her with all the pillows in the room sending her down to the ground in a fluffy attack. And not wanting to waste the opportunity, she reached for the necklace and yanked it in one quick motion.

It ended about as fast as it happened. Quick, efficient and perhaps even deadly at a certain point. But regardless, she was the last one standing, and her opponent lay on the ground.

“Yeah! That’s my girl!” Midnight cheered. “Now finish her off!”

It was a tempting notion. So tempting that Twilight even considered doing it without question. This… woman… dared to invade the sanctity, which was her mind, and pilfered it of all its secrets. Only two people have ever picked through her brains and one of them was by accident. That kind of invasive act was an offense of privacy. She deserved nothing but her scorn and wrath.

But thankfully she hasn’t fallen that far just yet.

“W… wait a minute!” Chrysalis begged. Giving the girl to pause for a second. “I’m not your enemy.”

“You tried to hypnotize me!”

The woman opened her mouth to answer, but paused, knowing full well that she mucked up. “I know. But listen to me first. I only did that because I thought you were my enemy.”

“Then who are you, really? Are you working with Zecora? Neighsay!?” Twilight raised the pillows up, threatening her with the full might of cotton.

“I don’t know any of those people. Look. I’m sorry I read your mind. But it was the only way to get to the truth. I couldn’t afford to be careless. Especially against those with powerful magic… like yours.” It sounded like a desperate attempt of buying time. She could have a backup plan. “Just give me a few minutes to explain myself.”

“How can I trust that you won’t try to hypnotize me again?”

“You don’t. But if it’s any consolation, you already have my medium.” That was true. Without the gemstone, she has no way of casting any spells.

“You’re not seriously thinking of letting her up, are you?” Not really. In fact she wanted to smack her just by invading her head. But Twilight had questions. Lots of them. And it looks like she had answers.

After a short consideration, Twilight relent, giving the woman space to get back on her feet. “Alright. Start talking. But I’m watching you.” Chrysalis breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing the side of her waist achingly. “Start by telling me why you tried to hypnotize me, how did you get your hand on these artifacts, where’d you learn magic, and how do you know about the Black Stone?”

“That’s… a lot of questions to answer.”

“Well then you’d better start summarizing. Otherwise, I’m throwing you out of the house.”

“Feisty.”

Believe me lady, you haven’t seen me being feisty.

The woman responded with a chuckle. She took a short breath and took her place back at the couch before she began. “As to answer your questions in order: I didn’t try to hypnotize you. I was trying to search through your memories for the answers I seek. Those are completely different. I needed answers… answers that only the Black Stone could provide. And as for those artifacts. Well… they’re actually from a friend.”

“Right~. Because anyone can get their hands on magical items these days. I think they have a few in this cute shop downtown. I heard they’re having a sale.”

Chrysalis’ eyes sharpened, though not entirely threatening. “I didn’t take you as the sarcastic type.”

“Yeah well. When someone tries to invade your mind without one’s consent, it tends to sour your mood.”

She blinked, and nodded. “Fair enough. But in my defense, you invaded my privacy without my consent as well. Stealing my Portal Stone, and turning invisible.”

Damn… she got her there. But Twilight wasn’t gonna say that out loud.

“As for the Black Stone organization. You could say that I’m looking for them.” Looking for them? So she wasn’t working for them? Curious. “I take it you don’t work for them either.”

“Are you assuming that, or did you pried it out of my memories?”

“Both. But from what you said, I assume you know them?” Twilight gave her the silent treatment. “I was hoping to know more about what they’re planning.”

“Planning?”

“Don’t you find it strange that a secret organization would show itself here?” The woman went on. “The Black Stone have hidden themselves for hundreds of years. Never interacting with the known world in any instances. But then all of a sudden they just popped up?”

“Maybe they’re not that well hidden.”

She scoffed. “I’ve spent the last eight years searching for them throughout the world. But it’s only these last few months that they’ve surfaced. A group that’s been secretive for so long don’t just go rearing their heads out without a reason. Ever since they built that new wing in the Natural History Museum, they’ve been looking for something.”

The museum?

Twilight had almost forgotten about that place. It’s actually been the start of this whole magical conundrum. At first they thought that it was nothing more than a revenge ploy by former Principal Cinch. But then it kept growing to unexpected proportions.

“Judging by your look. I take it you know what I’m talking about.” Damn, she was sharp. Sharper than most.

“Probably.” She kept her reply simple but vague. Keeps them guessing. “Keep talking.”

“Twilight sweetie!” Mom’s voice bellowed from the kitchen. Talk about your poor timing. “Can you set up the table?”

“Sure mom. In a minute.” She turned back to Chrysalis. “Keep going. What do you think the Black Stone are after?”

“Not a clue. But I do know that they’ve been hoarding a lot of artifacts. Especially those with magic. Not to mention that Sombra’s been handing it over to them in a silver platter.”

“Sombra?” Twilight let slip. “As in Principal Sombra, of Crystal Prep?”

“The very same.” Chrysalis confirmed it, much to her confusion. “Ever since he returned, that man has been scouring the countryside of every location remotely related to the Yaztec civilization. That’s how I knew the Order was in the city.”

“Or maybe it’s because he’s an archeologist. I mean… that is his job.”

“Oh please. You don’t really think that him finding all these magical artifacts are merely a coincidence? That man has been going through dig sites and ancient temples like they were going out of style. And every time, he plunders every little relic he can get his crummy little hands on and sends them off to who knows where.”

That was… logical. So much so that Twilight couldn’t really deny it. She always thought that Sombra’s whole discovery were just mere coincidences. But hearing it out like that really puts thing into perspective.

Still… while it was a viable conclusion, it was going to take more than just the word of a crazed lady to convince her.

Twilight eyed her inner angel for a moment who merely shrugged at the idea.

“Are you saying that Sombra is a member of the organization?”

“Absolutely.” Was the woman’s confident response. “Why else would he be so interested in Yaztec culture? Why else would he be funding the new wing in the museum or hoarding these magical artifacts?” She gave a short pause. “I know it’s a lot to take in. But do understand that I’m not your enemy.”

“You tried to hypnotize me.”

“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?” The deadpanned face she made answered her question. “Fine. I apologize for that. But there’s a bigger conspiracy here. The Black Stone Order is planning something. Something big. And it’ll be coming sooner than you’d think.”

She sounds convinced of her theory. So much so that even Twilight couldn’t help but find her story believable. There were a lot of things they didn’t know about the organization. And for all they know, they could just be using one another.

She needed time to process this. Time to think.

xxxxxxxxxx

“I can’t believe you’re just letting her go like this.” Midnight groaned as she and her host watch the Headmaster drive off, with Shining Armor at the wheel. Thankfully Chrysalis managed to come up with an excuse to get her out of there without so much as a question. Either she used her hypnotic powers on her mother, or she was really convincing.

“Well… what else was I supposed to do? I couldn’t exactly keep her here.”

“You could’ve vaporized her.” She offered. “One quick zap and pow…” Yeah… no. She wasn’t at that level of evil. “Please don’t tell me you’re actually believing that mumbo jumbo she just spouted.”

Of course not. Twilight may be gullible at times but she wasn’t that naïve – or at least not anymore. But the theory that woman put out was concerning.

The Black Stone Order has been hoarding many of their magical relics as of late. And that whole spiel about studying magic to ‘Benefit all of mankind’ was far too convenient.

Still… she wasn’t gonna trust the word of a madwoman. Especially someone who tried to invade her mind like some parasite.

“You’re welcome by the way.” Midnight added, responding to the statement in her head. “You can start groveling at my feet any time and praise my greatness.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and scoffed.

There was a lot to think about.

And not a lot of time.

Downtime

Chapter 97: Downtime

(CHS)

Flash couldn’t really believe it. But for some reason he was actually glad to be back in school. After all the hectic shenanigans he’s gone through, the familiar sounds of his fellow classmates was a welcome change of pace.

Don’t get him wrong. He loved the adventure he had with Twilight and the girls. But he wouldn’t mind taking a little reprieve before he went off to his next magical battle.

No one here seemed to be aware of the danger they were in a few days ago. Everyone here seemed to think that what happened in the park was some kind of accident of some sort. Only the most hard core conspiracy theorists on the internet seemed to think that it was some kind of alien landing party, or even a leprechaun.

Regardless. As long as no one was pointing fingers at him or his friend, they were in the clear. Though he can’t really say the same for Vice Principal Luna. She was pretty livid when she last visited the gang.

Sunset said that he should acclimate himself back to the world of school. And maybe get back home to show his dad that he was still kicking. Not that he mind. She said that the place was getting too crowded now that Sunburst and Starlight appear to be staying for a while. And there was that crazy looking fellow, Discord, who seemed to have a few… if not many… screws loose.

Not that he mind. He was still hurt bad, so he could chalk this up as a resting period.

Besides… there was a favor that he’s been holding off for a while now. And from the looks of things, it seems like he picked the perfect time to nip it.

“Hey Adagio.” He greeted the lone girl who snapped from her locker, giving a hint of surprise before returning back to its normal bored expression. A rough guess would say that she didn’t expect anyone to approach her.

Which wasn’t much of a brainer seeing how everyone here seems to avoid her like the plague. Even as she delved into her locker, students and faculty alike gave her a wide berth. You could easily notice folks averting their gaze while some took the long way around school just to not come to path with her presence. Apparently the reputation of a Siren doesn’t wane that fast.

“Oh… it’s you. What do you want?” She replied with the boorish attitude, which seemed to be the norm these days.

Yeesh… talk about getting the cold shoulder. Flash wasn’t sure if she was just acting natural or he did something to vex her. Back then she’d be kinda cheerful whenever he was around… or… as cheerful as Adagio could get. Nowadays she treated him like he was a bug… or maybe even less.

“What’s the matter? Can’t I stop by and say hi to my favorite Siren?” Her head tilted sideway in a ‘Are you joking?’ manner.

“You’re kidding… right? Since when did you have a favorite Siren?”

“About the same time I saved you and your sisters from those wolf monsters.” He cockily responded expecting some kind of reaction. But instead her expression remained as boorish as before. “Yikes. Talk about a tough crowd. And here I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“Have you ever seen me happy?”

Happy? Maybe. Excited? Most definitely.

“Well, you did have this cute smile when we were at Hoity Toity’s fashion show. And you did it all for me.”

She smacked her locker door shut and hissed. “That was for the mission. I don’t smile for people. Especially not for someone as boring as you.” Ouch. Boring? Me? The Flash Sentry?

“Well someone’s in a bad mood.”

“This is my default mood.” Somehow he can imagine that. “What do you want? I have human history class in fifteen minutes.”

“We just call that ‘History’ class around here.” He corrected cheesily which did not help her attitude. “And I was wondering if you were free later after school.”

“Why? So you can invite me to one of your friendly get-together? You know I don’t hang out with your ‘Girls’ because I like it.”

“No no. No one else. Just you and me.” There was a brief reaction with her eyes actually lighting up with interest. Though she hid it very well. Her expression changed to that of suspicion, looking at him as if analyzing for any discernable hint. “I figured with everything that’s been happening I could use those extra ‘Lessons’ that you’ve been teaching me. And I can see that you’ve been in a sour mood, I think I can hit two birds with one stone.”

There was a moment of pause. And it looked like she was interested, though she remained guarded.

“What are you up to?”

“Nothing!” He protested a little too loudly. “I thought I could take you out for one evening, and maybe get an extra lesson in life. No hidden agenda whatsoever.”

“And your girlfriend won’t mind if you go out with someone like me?”

“Girlfriend?” Flash blinked confusingly.

“Nerdy? Glasses? Hangs out with the annoying team?” She gestured to the locker next to her that had an assortment of sciency looking stickers.

“Wait… you mean… Twilight?” He balked. “No no no. We’re… not together.”

Adagio looked taken aback, like this was some kind of new information. “Really? With the way you two hang out, I’d think you were all lovey dovey.”

Did people really perceive them as such? Damn. Rarity was right after all. With all they’ve done. No wonder folks would think they were dating. Timber’s overly exaggerated reaction didn’t seem that farfetched after all.

“We’re just good friends.” The boy let out a small chuckle, trying his best to keep a straight face. “We’ve just been through a lot together. With all this magical adventure going on, it’s only natural that we hang out more than usual. But I promise, we’re not together-together.” The Siren didn’t seem convinced. Though her overall gaze did soften up a bit. “Oh… and we might’ve been trapped together on the other side of the world for a couple of days. But no biggie.”

“You’re making that up.”

“Nope. Absolutely true. Ask anyone in the gang. We fought a giant snake shadow monster in some cave, and we nearly got crushed under castle. The next thing I know, we were trapped on the other side of the world living in a ranch with loud sheep.”

A smirk crossed her lips, which was definitely a big win. “Huh… sounds romantic.”

“Yeah… I mean no! We were trapped there living in a ranch. And I had a broken leg the whole time.”

“Even more romantic.”

“How is any of that, romantic?” He was starting to get annoyed. What was her deal? Back then she used to be so enamored when they were together. Nowadays she’s been all prickly and irritable. It’s almost as if she was trying to rile him up for no reason. Geez. She looks like Sunset before she turned over a new leaf.

…!

His eyes widened up when realization struck the boy like a brick. He was such a fool. How could he not have noticed? The angry demeanor, the cold shoulder, and that stinging tone. It was all so obvious even a child would’ve seen through it.

“Hold on a second. Adagio… are you… jealous?”

In a split moment, the Siren’s bricked defense came down. Heat crept up to her neck turning her cheeks to a slight shade of pink, almost red even. Her eyes shot up and her hand froze on her locker.

“Pfa! What!?” She replied a little too loudly, which earned her the glance of several students. She gave them a quick glare which sent them all running. “What… what what are you talking about? Me? Jealous? Ha! Ridiculous.”

It was such a reaction that Flash couldn’t help but giggle under that smile. “Oh… but I think you are.”

“You’re delusional if you think for a second that I would be bothered by you dating some…… will you stop grinning!?”

“I dunno. You sound really jealous when you thought that I was going out with someone else.”

“You need to get your ears checked.” She was turning redder. Almost like a tomato. And here he thought Fluttershy was adorable. “And your eyes as well. You’re kidding yourself if you think I would even go for such a lowly human.”

“Oh I disagree.” His grin widened. “I’m very good at reading people’s faces.”

She slammed her locker door, holding her knuckles out. “My fist is going to connect to your face, very soon!”

Flash recognized this pattern. The rage, the roar. Everything reminded him of Sunset – or at least when they first met. The absolute fury, combined with a hint of embarrassment, shyness, and pride. It was an emotional state that made the Siren very… very susceptible to his trademark lines.

All he needed was a little pressure.

Hook…

“I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

“I don’t!”

Line…

“So why does it bother you so much, if I dated other people?”

“It doesn’t!” She spun around in huff, arms folded. “You can date whoever you want and I wouldn’t care.”

“So you’ll be fine if you and I went out tonight?”

“Absolutely.”

And sinker…

“Perfect. So I’ll see you after school?”

“Yes. And… don’t……” The Siren froze, suddenly realizing that she was caught in a scheme. “Wait a minute! I didn’t agree…” She was hushed when a finger pressed against her lips.

“Ah ah. No take backs.” He leaned in to whisper. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”

“Wha…? No… wait. This is…”

“Great. Pick you up at four? Cool? Cool.” He gave her a finger bang salute as he slid away from her with a cute wink.

“I… I mean… that’s…” By the time the furious Siren was able to conjure a full sentence Flash was already blending into the hallway far-far away.

It must’ve taken a full minute before she finally came back to her senses. And by then her blank dopey expression was suddenly replaced with frustration, misplaced anger, and a little bit of excitement.

Whatever ungodly curses or insult she screamed at him, was overwhelmingly drowned by the sound of the school bell signaling the start of class.

Oh… how the apprentice becomes the master. The other Adagio would’ve been proud.

(Cafeteria)

Rarity took a deep breath as she flipped her phone up. Lunch time has rolled in and she was mentally psyching herself for a conversation of a lifetime.

She took up Rainbow Dash on her advice and decided to end this little love triangle before it becomes too big to handle. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t thought of this herself. Perhaps all the magical adventures they’ve been having was taking most of her time.

Regardless. This dreadful secret that she’s been holding all to herself was going to come out into the light. And while she was more than certain that it’ll turn ugly. In the end, everyone will leave here better than before. Or at the very least, she will.

The fashionista glanced over her phone. The text messages she sent to Pinkie and Applejack were answered. And she was certain that it would only be them around this table.

Sunset and Twilight were off investigating their own leads while Rainbow Dash was catching up with all her sports clubs. Fluttershy would be by the animal reserves at the back of the school. So that only leaves her, and the two love struck friends of hers to get together.

This whole mess ends today, come hell or high water.

She only hopes that it wouldn’t get too messy.

“Hey ya Rarity.” And thus, her first challenge arrived. The country gal grabbing a seat on the corner of the table. “Got your text just now. Said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, darling. I was hoping to catch you.” Deep breaths Rare. Deep breaths. You can do this. “You see. It has come to my attention that we have been so busy with all this magic fiasco, that we haven’t had time for ourselves.”

“Yeah. It has been kind of mess lately. Not to mention we got new powers to boot. I’m just glad I’m not turning cabbages into full grown forests with just a touch.” That was one heck of a day. “It’d be nice to finally kick back and relax.”

“Precisely. Which is why I decided that it was high time we talked about your recent fascination with Flash Sentry.” The topic was enough to make the cowgirl tense up and blush.

It was absolutely adorable.

“Oh geez. I dunno. I don’t think that’s something we should be…”

“Darling. The whole time we spent in Sunset’s place, you’ve been nothing but bashful and shy. Normally I would find that kind of behavior to be cute and cuddly. But it’s been going on for a while now, and honestly, I’ve grown bored of it.”

“Well it’s not like I can just churn out catchphrases or hook lines out of the blue. I’m still new to this whole love thing. And my family ain’t exactly providing lessons. Well… unless you wanna include Big Mac and Cheerilee and their pet names for one another.” The two of them shivered at the memory.

Smoochy doopy and… poofy pie.

Gods. Never ever again. Those two can take their lovey dovey nicknames and throw it off a cliff.

“Exactly.” Rarity went on, pressing passed that painful memory. “Which is why it would be best to have a thorough discussion about this whole… love problem that you’re having. You still want to go out with him… do you?” It would be so… soooooo~~ relieving if you actually said no.

“Yeah… I still do.” Dang it. So much for wishful thinking. “I mean… he is good looking and… charming, funny. Not to mention brave. I mean… who else do you know around here would be willing to go toe to toe with a werewolf?”

Rarity couldn’t help but discreetly roll her eyes. She was hoping that Applejack’s rose tinted glasses would clear up by now. But it seems like the boy’s heroic display the other night extended its warranty. And she couldn’t exactly deny it. Flash did look pretty dashing. He might even give movie stars a run for their money. And those new scars he earned from that last fight made him even manlier than before. It wasn’t hard to understand why anyone would fall for his charms.

What a troublesome boy.

Cute. But oh so troublesome.

“Right. Of course.” She responded tiresomely. “And what have you done recently that would garner his affection?”

“Uh… well…”

“Exactly. We need to expedite this whole dry-spell. Which is why I’ve decided to bring out an expert to help.”

“An expert?”

And as luck would have it, the ‘Expert’ arrived, dropping a tray of treats on their table.

“And… Pinkie’s here!” Pinkie Pie announced herself, or perhaps ‘bounced’ onto her seat with the most oblivious smile in the world. Confetti and balloons appearing out of nowhere. “Got your text, Rarity. So where’s the party? What’s the theme? Is it someone’s birthday I don’t know? Is it for Bulk, or one of Fluttershy’s pets!? Tell me everything!”

“Now now, Pinkie. Let’s not get ahead.” Rarity cooed her hyperactive friend. “I invited you here for a little get-together advice. As for the party – well – you’re already here.”

“Huh?”

“I am?”

“Yes. I’ve decided to host this little gathering for our little dilemma.”

Pinkie deflated on the table. “So… just lunch? Meh. I can roll with that. I still got my party cannon if you want to liven things up. Oh! Can we invite the other tables? We can have a whole party right here with all the cafeteria food!”

Rarity felt Applejack’s elbow on her arm. “Please don’t tell me this is your ‘Expert’.”

“Don’t let her appearance fool you, dear. Despite what you may think. Both you and Pinkie are actually going through a similar phase.”

“We are?” Pinkie chimed. “I thought we were just having lunch.”

“It’s more than just lunch darling. I actually brought you here to help out with your little ‘Love’ problem. With that certain… boy? And seeing as you both have the same dilemma I figured I could strike two fashion shows with one runway.”

Pinkie’s hair dropped as the sudden realization crept in almost immediately. Her cheeks suddenly flared, while the party animal thing she had going came to an immediate halt.

“Uh… aheh. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Pinkie tried to play the ignorant card. Which sadly, she had no experience with.

“Now now Pinkie. You also have trouble with your… heart. Surely you’ll benefit from this little talk as you two have so much in common.”

“Oh yeah. You’re secret date last year.” Applejack suddenly recalled. “I totally forgot about it. We never got to talk about that whole rich guy that your folks set you up with.”

“Oh him? He was… no one special. Just some guy whose dad is friend with my parents. That’s all.” Her blushing cheeks, and the way her hands comb through her hair indicated otherwise. “Uh… why don’t we talk about something else? Oh gee. Look at the time. I have to go uh… set up the balloons at the event!” She rose up, but didn’t get far when Rarity’s magical shield boxed her in. “Oh come on! I thought no magic in school!?”

“I qualify this as an emergency. Now please, Pinkie.”

“Like… uh… oh hey Rarity. I love your new look. Did you do something to your hair?”

“Nice try, darling. But you’re not weaseling your way out of this one.”

“Booo…”

“Come on Pinkie.” Applejack reassured her. “You and me got a problem of the heart and Rarity’s volunteering to help. The least we can do is hear her out. What’s the worst that could happen?” A strange choice of words to be sure, AJ. Some might even call it, foreshadowing.

The party gal eyed them both, and contemplated for a bit. But in the end, she submitted. “Fine. But if this gets awkweird, I’m getting out of town and joining the circus.”

Good. This is good. Everything’s coming together nicely. Now they simply need to confess their darkest secret.

“Excellent! Now that we’re all on the same page. I think it’s time we speak of our – er – I mean you two’s little love.”

A pregnant pause went up between them. So much so that it was bound to burst. And thankfully Applejack went first.

“Well… there’s this guy I’ve been having my eye on for a while now. He’s… kind of a close one.”

“Mine too.” Pinkie followed, looking almost as awkward as AJ. “He’s good looking, funny, and really…”

“Cool.” They laughed.

Good… very good. Go on now. A little light on the drama, but Rarity wasn’t complaining. We’re so close to ripping out the band-aid. Just get on with it!

“Applejack!” A young voice suddenly interjected followed by the appearance of the full CMC crew who took their seat behind the elder cowgirl. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Uh… hey there Apple Bloom.” AJ spoke, pushing her little sis away. “Sorry to be a bushwhacker. But me and my friends here are in a middle of something important.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” Apple Bloom added, taking a seat on their table and cuddling her sister’s arm. “I know you can act all tough. But there’s no need to keep it all in. I’m here to support you in your time of need.”

Time of what?

“Time of what?” Pinkie repeated her thoughts.

“Uh… what are you talking about?”

“Don’t be sad Applejack. We’re here for ya.” Scootaloo added, much to their confusion.

Sad? Why would she be sad?

“Anyone here know what she’s talking about?”

Before any of them could respond, another voice interceded making the gang flinch. “Don’t fret. She’s only looking out for you as a sister.”

“GAH! Maud! What are you doing here?”

“It’s lunch time. It’s natural that I come here like every other student.” She responded in her natural monotone voice. “And also. I came to see if you were ok. As your big sister, it’s my responsibility to oversee your wellbeing. And also to be with you when you need a shoulder to cry on.”

“Why would I need a shoulder to cry on?”

“It’s alright Pinkie. You can tell me anything.”

“Come on big sis, let it all out.”

“Yeah! Plenty of fish in the sea and what not.”

Before Rarity knew it, her little private meeting with her friends turned into a senate hearing, where folks said everything and nothing at the same time. Each and every voice drowned out her thoughts, leaving the previous conversation unfinished and undone.

WHAM!

In a last ditch effort to return order, the fashionista slammed her hands against the table silencing them all in an instant.

“Will you all be quiet for a minute!?” Apple Bloom ducked behind her sister, while Maud remained stoic but silent. “Now. Apple Bloom… Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle… and Maud. I understand that you all want to talk, but the three of us were having quite a serious discussion. Whatever it is you wish to discuss will have to wait.”

But Apple Bloom protested. “How can you ask me to sit idly by when my sister is going through her first ever heartbreak?” Her crew cheered behind her.

“Heartbreak? Sugar Cube, you’re making about as much sense as that goat riding on Betsy. Can you just say what you mean?”

“It’s your first ever crush, Flash Sentry.”

“Flash!?”

…

If Apple Bloom could read the mood, she certainly didn’t act on it. The moment that sentence left her mouth, the whole table went deathly silent. Rarity glanced over to Pinkie, whose eyes suddenly widened with realization. It was rare to see the bubbly gal freeze up, and rarer still to have her so… stumped.

“I… I uh… don’t know what you’re talking about.” Applejack tried to brush it off, but it was far too late. The shot was fired, and the smoking gun was visible to everyone on the table. “F… Flash and I aren’t… like that. Nothing happened between us.”

“Of course not.” The little apple continued, eyes rolling in sarcasm. “Because while you were out gallivanting around, Fluttershy scooped him up while no one was looking.”

“Fluttershy!?” The table echoed that name.

“Yeah. They’ve been dating for a while now.” Scootaloo explained, pulling out her phone revealing an adorable photo of the ‘Couple’, arms locked together with smiles to pass around. “It’s been all over the school website.”

“That’s impossible.” Maud countered holding her phone up too, revealing another photo of Flash smiling and holding onto another girl in his arms. “Rainbow Dash was the one who scooped him up first.”

“Rainbow Dash!?”

Rarity looked, and the memories began flooding back in like a tsunami. She had completely forgotten about those idiots! She thought that the situation with them were over. But clearly she was wrong.

And judging from those photos and the tens of thousands of comments below, it went… a tad bit… out of hand.

“Excuse me for a second.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“Alright team. We got this! Ten more laps and we can call it a day.” Rainbow Dash shouted on her bullhorn as she whistled to her track team running around the field. They were at tip top shape, going beyond what she expected. Though a few did seem to lag behind. “Come on Bulk! Put those muscles of yours to good use! If you want to beat those clowns at Crystal Prep, you’re gonna have to go faster!”

“But I’m not even in the track team!”

“No excuses! Now march! Last one to finish will have to do pushups! Come on people. Let’s… Hey! What’s the big idea?”

She stopped mid-sentence when her bullhorn was snatched. But her annoyance quickly changed to terror when she saw the twitching face and demonic breathing of Rarity.

“You… me…” The lady said with barely restrained fury.

“Uh… Rare. We’re kinda in the middle of…” Her bullhorn was snapped in two.

“YOU… ME… NOW!”

Rainbow Dash gulped.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Hello my friends. Hope you’re all hungry, because I brought lunch.” Fluttershy sang blissfully as she brought a basket full of treats to her animal companions. It was a small treat. But one that she enjoyed doing. Like metal before a magnet, they were all drawn to her. Each of them eagerly gorging on her basket like carrions.

One might even say that she was a cartoon princess, always caring for those around her.

Gleefully she passed around sandwiches and crackers, with the larger animals digging in hungrily. Fluttershy giggled. Feeling a sense of fulfillment watching the little ones chow like there was no tomorrow.

But that joyful bliss faded when she noted her friends froze before making a mad dash back to their homes as if they just spotted a predator. Even her precious Angel suddenly looked frightened, bolting away from her shoulder to join the rest.

“Oh? What’s the matter, little one? Don’t you like it?” Fluttershy felt a hand grab her shoulder, gripping it like a metal clamp, yanking her face to face with a deathly-psychotic smile, from a very angry looking fashion designer.

“Fluttershy… darling~~~.” The purple lady hissed. “A word… if you would?”

“Eeeeeeeeeeppp!!!!!!!!!!!”

Slow Motion Disaster

Chapter 98:

(Library)

Huh? Was that Fluttershy screaming just now?

Sunset brushed off the thought as she quietly returned to her desk compiling all the information she garnered last night. Though it was more like she was doodling aimlessly on her notebook.

After they made sure that Sunburst wasn’t some kind of Shadow Monster or Changeling in disguise, and Starlight was able to give him some space, Sunset decided to question the unicorn for details on his investigation.

His memories were a bit jumbled, and he can hardly recall anything prior to waking up. He was still pretty weak though so they put a hold in sending him back through the portal. It gives her enough time to get whatever info out of him.

But Sunburst was definitely sure that he found something on Ezaquatel. Thankfully, the guy took notes on his trip, which helped immensely. He even signed every page, thinking that someone was going to steal his research. A bit egotistical but understandable. The guy was a researcher by heart.

After going through a quick scan of his studies. Sunset can surmise a few things.

There wasn’t a shadow of a doubt now that Yaztec magic and the magic from Ezaquatel, were one and the same. Apparently it’s been seeping into the human world for some time now, which wasn’t really much of a surprise. Equestrian artifacts have also been finding their ways to this place. It wouldn’t be a surprise if there were more.

Judging from Sunburst’s notes, he hypothesized that the Yaztec people are actually people from Ezaquatel. Meaning that they must’ve come to this world through those portals scattered about. It would certainly explain the condition of their world.

But if that was the case… then where were they? If they had all this power and magic, why’d they just up and leave? Every recorded history book had many theories, but none with concrete evidence. With that much power they could’ve conquered the whole world and then some.

The Black Stone Order seemed to have taken much of their knowledge and kept it to themselves. She wished she knew more, but she doubts Neighsay would give anything freely.

There’s also the matter of that strange woman that Twilight encountered. They knew very little about her, but Twilight seemed convince that she’s responsible for what happened to Timber. She seems to have a relationship with the Order itself. And her access to corrupted magic was dangerous in so many ways. For all they know she could be their leader.

Gosh, it feels like we’re all walking on eggshells here. So much is happening that her daily school life was becoming something of a nightmare. One wrong step and bam… things will go from bad to… very bad.

“You know. For someone who won the fight. You don’t exactly look the part.” The girl shot up, startled by the familiar yet invisible voice. “Down here.” She glance downward, finally noticing the doodle she drew giving her a playful wink.

“Discord!?” Sunset whispered panicking. “What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay back home?”

“You did.” The doodle shrugged. “But seeing as we’re about to leave, I thought it would be best to spend the rest of my time exploring this strange new world. I was torn between visiting the circus at the edge of the city and your school so I decided to put on a coin toss.”

“You can’t be here. What if somebody sees you?”

“Oh please. Don’t be so dramatic. I am the very image of stealth. You won’t even know I’m here.” The doodle reached out for her eraser, rubbing off pieces of itself. “Tada! See? Now you can just carry me around and no one would be the wiser.”

“That’s still a no. Principal Celestia has banned all use of magic in this school. You could get me in a lot of trouble and we’re already in hot water with Vice-Principal Luna.”

“Ah yes… the authoritarian, yet inferior version who knows no magic. I don’t see why you need to tiptoe around her. She obviously can’t do anything.”

“That’s it. I’m erasing you.”

“No wait!” The redhead paused. “Please let me stay. I’m begging you. I can’t go back to your house. Not right now. If I stay there, I’ll be nothing more than a third wheel in a drama show.”

Sunset raised a curious look. “Drama show? You mean Starlight and Sunburst?”

“Ugh… don’t even get me started. Ever since last night, those two have been all lovey-dovey with one another like they were on some kind of honeymoon.”

“Really~?” Sunset’s eyes perked up in interest. “How so?”

“Oh you know. The usual loving talk, the hugs, and the starring longingly into each other’s eyes. Blegh! Disgusting. I’m throwing up daisies just thinking about it.” The doodle added drawing said flowers spitting out of its mouth.

Wow… that was quick. Sunset knew that the two of them were kind of bonding… but she didn’t expect them to take their relationship to the next level so quickly. She thought they’d take things slow, or something along the line. Perhaps the near death experience combined with the forced separation caused them to grow closer and understood that time was fleeting.

Either way… good for them.

Sunset laid her head back, catching a glimpse of the near empty library. Her eyes wandered back and forth, catching a glimpse of Ms. Cheerilee in the science corner, with a big goofy smile on her face.

And seeing Big Mac with her, you could guess what kind of ‘Scientific’ discussion they were having.

If only her love life was half as successful as theirs.

I wonder what Flash is doing right now.

No… not now. Not while there’s so much to do.

“Looks like you’re having a little trouble in paradise.” The doodle raised a curious brow noticing her mild frustration.

“I’m just… tired.” She tried to brush it off but failed. “Things have been… hectic.”

“I can tell. You look like Princess Twilight when she’s overstressed with work.” That sounded more like a compliment than an insult. “Normally when that happens she’d be going Twillynanas right about now.”

“Twillynanas?”

“You know. The big bulgy eyes, the frazzled hair, the panicking chattering? It’s all quite entertaining. At least for the first few minutes. Then she’ll have one of her friends come over and give her the usual pep-talk. Oh how I miss those days.” Discord scoffed. “Ever since she became the ‘Supreme’ Ruler of Equestria, she’s been all… formal and calm. It’s beautifully repulsive.”

“She’s come a long way.” You don’t become a ruler of an entire land… or an entire world just on a whim. Princess Twilight had gone through, who knows how many ordeals to get to where she is. If anyone could lead Equestria to a new glorious age, then it would be her. “What I wouldn’t give to have her help right about now. I bet she could solve this whole magical nonsense in record time.”

“Well you could.” The conman stated. “I mean the portal to Equestria is just right outside. You could just hop right in, find Princess Twilight and… poof. Problem solve.”

“By Celestia. That would just be peachy.”

“You called?”

“GAH!” Sunset jumped out of her seat when she came face to face with the ‘Other’ Celestia. “P… Principal Celestia! H… how?”

“I heard you call my name.”

“Oh… I was umm…” She glanced over to the doodle that winked. “I was just talking to myself. It’s a habit. It helps me think.”

“I see.” The Principal looked like she bought it – or perhaps she was just being courteous.

“Nothing magical, I promise.”

“I believe you. Though I am glad to catch you here.” She took a seat opposite of her. “I was hoping to talk things over with you regarding your magical shenanigan.”

Sunset made a choking noise. “I’m… not in trouble, am I?”

“Not yet.” That ‘Yet’ part was definitely a kicker. “I understand that I’ve been a little off-hand regarding you and your friends. I thought you girls would be able to handle things on your own like you’ve always done. But I can see that things have gotten a bit… out of hand as of late.”

“If you’re talking about the thing that happened in the park. That’s…”

“I know. Luna told me all about it.” Ah… that makes sense. “Or at least she said it in a way I could mostly understand. She seemed rather… upset.”

Ha! She’s not the only one.

Knowing her counterpart in Equestria, she’d probably have the same reaction.

What does it say when the same person from two different universes hates your gut?

“Yeah… about that.” Her hand rubbed together awkwardly. “We… kinda had a little spat.”

“I could imagine. Luna’s always worn some of her emotion on her sleeves. But she does it out of worry. After hearing what happened to Timber Spruce, it must’ve caught her off guard. I didn’t think it would get so bad.”

“Tell me about it.” Sunset admitted. “It feels like every time we put one incident down, three more seem to pop up. It’s becoming harder and harder to keep track of things.”

“Why don’t you collude with your friends?”

“They got enough on their plate without me bringing more onto it. Besides… I figure I gave them the day off and enjoy being teenagers for a change.”

A warm smile crossed Celestia’s lips. “That’s very sweet of you, Sunset. I’m sure they appreciate it. But you shouldn’t burden everything on yourself. I’m sure they would be more than happy to offer any support if you asked. But…” She took a pause. “… if you’re really keen on working this over. Then perhaps I can help.”

“You… want to help?”

“If it means bringing this whole magical conundrum to a close, then yes. I am. And I feel a lot better in here than in my office. Neighsay’s been hounding me for the last week with all of his proposals.”

“Professor Neighsay? What does he want?”

“Oh you know. Making minor changes here and there. He insisted on closing down dangerous clubs like Trixie’s pyrotechnic club – or Zephyr’s ‘Extracurricular’ club.” Also known as: Zephyr’s gambling club for those in the know. She was familiar. Fluttershy whined about it some time ago but made no report. “Surprisingly enough. With his help, we might actually make a good change in the school’s annual budget. I just hope he won’t bring any of his dark magic around here.”

That makes both of them.

That’s one disaster averted she supposed.

(Band room)

“THIS IS A COMPLETE DISASTER!!!!!!” Rarity’s voice boomed across the room, echoing back and forth as she paced herself in front of her friends.

Or at least they used to be her friends. Right now they were dangling on a thin line between friendship and being a problem. A big one.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat in separate seats, with guilty expressions marring their faces, eyes glued to their phones as they read the contents of the school’s website.

On a normal day, neither of them would pay any attention to the CHS Stables. It was nothing more than a place where people post pictures of themselves or their friends. Only those with a massive social presence would be in such a place.

But today… it was different. And the headline at the top of the website was all-telling.

Flash Sentry: Hot Stud or Cheating Play Boy?

You decide.

Photos submitted by Photo Finish

Attached to that topic were links directing readers to several photos, all well edited and cleared of all blemishes.

One set, which were quite few, had Fluttershy walking blissfully in the school fair, arm locked with the blue rocker like a scene from an old romance novel. A single glance was all it took to understand what they were going for. Whoever took this shot, really knew how to get Fluttershy’s adorable side without even letting her know it. A happy couple going on a date. You can practically smell the roses.

And of course there was the other one… was Rainbow Dash.

There wasn’t just a few shots here and there. There were hundreds! Thousands maybe! It was a whole god damn album! Stacks of it! There were albums of albums! All categorized, sorted, and professionally edited to give it that loving flare. One might say that someone spent a whole deal of money to get those picture pitched perfect.

The most notable they were able to find was a photo of Rainbow Dash smiling shyly with a cute blush while laying her head onto a very handsome looking Flash. Both of them sitting by a dining table. Rarity wasn’t gonna lie. They looked absolutely adorable together and she made a mental note to save a copy of that photo later on.

But if the photo alone wasn’t enough to convince you what was happening, then the big BOLD text at the bottom painted it clear.

“My little Rainbow got herself a boyfriend! #Windy, #Mygirlgotgame, #Dashie, #Whatarehashtags?”

“Oh mom…”

“HOW!? HOW DID GET LIKE THIS!?” Rarity continued. Her voice continuing to raise through the stratosphere causing their ears to ring. “THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!? HOW COULD EITHER OF YOU ALLOW THIS TO ESCALATE!? Fluttershy!!!”

“Eeeeep! I’m sorry!” The pink haired wallflower flinched back, unconsciously turning herself into a hamster.

“You were supposed to rid yourself of that rumor weeks ago! What happened!?”

The hamster chirped.

“Now Rare. Let’s all calm down.”

“CALM DOWN!?” She roared loudly. Her twitching eye making the speedster hide behind her chair. “I AM CALM! THIS IS MY CALM FACE! CAN’T YOU TELL!?”

“Y… yes?”

“Then would you kindly tell me why YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT HAS MORE THAN A THOUSAND PICTURES OF YOU AND FLASH!?”

Rainbow swallowed. “It wasn’t me! My mom must’ve posted it. I didn’t even know she knew how to use the internet.”

“AND WEREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM THAT YOU TWO BROKE UP, AGES AGO!?”

“Uh… why don’t we tone it down a notch?”

That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to deal with the aftermath of this disaster!

She was so close. So close to nipping this love triangle problem in the bud. She had Applejack and Pinkie Pie at the same table, ready to sort this whole mess out together. Everything was going to be resolved diplomatically and then she can return to the same casual life as before. It was going to be beautiful and serene. But then it was all ruined thanks to these inconsiderate nincompoops. And now… things just got even more complicated than before!

“Rainbow Dash.” The girl in question stood stiff like a deer in headlight. If Rarity had a crop, she’d rip it in two and toss it to the side. “I believe I gave you specific instructions on how to handle this. It was supposed to be a simple white lie. You had Flash pose as your boyfriend for one night. Get your parent’s attention off you, then break up with him. How hard was that supposed to be?”

The guilty party darted her eyes left and right. “I… forgot?”

…

A dead panned silence drifted across the room, followed by a tumbleweed that flew out of the props basket.

“You… forgot?” Rarity repeated, a wide half-crazed laugh cackling underneath. “You forgot!? HA! HAHAHA! Oh that explains it. You forgot. Of course. How silly of me. That makes total sense.”

“Really? – Ow!”

“NO!!!” She gave the girl a bop on the head leaving a sore spot. “You’re an idiot if you think this’ll just go away with a magic spell! Do either of you have any idea what kind of trouble you’re in right now!? Or what kind of trouble you’ve caused others!? Don’t even get me started on the backlash!”

Flutterhamster meeped.

“Aren’t you overreacting just a little bit?” Rainbow Dash tried to appeal to the angry-Rarity. But failed. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

The fashionista grabbed her phone and tapped the comment section for her, which evidently exploded in a barrage of… well… comments.

“Going out with two girls at once? Is that even allowed?”

“I knew he was a ladies’ man. But come on.”

“Rainbow Dash? Taken? If I didn’t see it, I wouldn’t believe it.”

“How does he do it? Is it the hair? The guitar? Is there a cheat code for this?”

“I didn’t even think Fluttershy was into dating.”

“That’s disgusting. How can he do that to two sweethearts?”

“Teach me your ways!”

“Aren’t those two best friends or something? That’s gonna be a mess.”

“I guess Feather Bang never really stood a chance.”

“He broke my sister’s heart yall!”

And the list went on and on and on. With some turning complete discussions and forums that would undoubtedly spread across the internet. The whole website alone was brimming with theories that would be downright outrageous.

“Ok… this might look bad.”

“It is bad! The whole school is in an uproar about this whole love.”

“But it’s not true. Can’t we just tell them that it was all an act?”

“It hardly matters if it’s true or not. The student body have already made up their minds. And with those pictures posted on the internet, any denial or deflection either of you do will be pointless. There’s a good chance you two will be labeled as members of a love triangle – or worse. Despots.”

“Meep!”

“So… how do we fix this?”

If only things were that simple.

Rarity wanted to say that she can fix this. Her extensive knowledge of romance and relationship was substantial. But even she can’t even begin to untangle this web of lies that she and her friends spun themselves in.

Breathe Rarity. Breathe.

Calm thoughts now. Calm thoughts.

Let’s try not having a mental breakdown just yet. It’ll just make things worse. You can do that after you strangle these two to the near inch of their lives. Right now you need to get your fabric straightened, and fix this mess.

“Ok…” The fashionista let out an exasperated sigh, cupping her hands over her mouth as she went deep in thought. “First thing’s first: Damage control. We need to nip this whole situation before it spread even further. Rainbow Dash.”

“Y… yeah?” The girl in question bolted up at attention.

“You need to take down these photos immediately before more people see them. Do whatever it takes.”

“Right! On it!” Rainbow lifted her feet and readied to Dash, only to pull a stop when she realized something. “And… how do I do that, exactly?”

Oh for the love of…

(Auditorium)

Applejack never felt so… awkward in her whole damn life.

Embarrassed? Maybe. Shy? Not really. But definitely embarrassed. And the source of it all came from Pinkie Pie, who was sitting a few meters away from her, holding onto a bucket of ice cream which she took from the cafeteria.

They couldn’t stand the constant barrage of questions and pity-talk from their friends in the cafeteria. Apple Bloom was practically holding onto her like a fragile mirror, while the rest of the CMC followed along. She was sure that they would stuff her around with pillows if they went on. And Maud wasn’t any better.

She knew that love was complicated. But never in her gosh darn life did she think it would end up like this.

And this deathly silence in the auditorium was starting to suffocate her. Pinkie was a lot of things, but quiet was definitely not one of them. She was the life of the party. Heck, she’d probably bring smiles to a funeral if it wasn’t frowned upon. To see her speak less than Fluttershy on a beautiful afternoon was like seeing a leprechaun in the dessert.

Mom? Dad? If you’re out there, I could really use some advice right about now.

There was no answer.

Figures.

But this freeze in time can’t last. Someone had to break sooner or later.

“So…” They said in unison, shocking one another.

“Oh, you first.”

Pinkie waved back in defense. “No no. After you.”

This whole back and forth politeness went on for about half a minute before it stopped. It was starting to get ridiculous.

How does one move on after such a revelation? You’d think there are more than enough fish out there for everyone in the world. But instead, two decided to go for the same salmon… or tuna. Okay – even this methodology was becoming ridiculous.

“So uh… you and Flash, huh?” Applejack went for the Hail Mary approach, which pretty much made Pinkie grab a spoonful of ice cream and swallowed it whole.

“Y… yeah?” She managed to muster the word though it strangely came out as a question than an answer.

“Since when did you… you know… started liking him?”

Pinkie’s face turned to the same color as her hair. “Oh… not long. About… a few months. You?”

“Oh you know… about the same.” She responded trying her best to look calm and collected. Sadly her rosie cheeks betrayed her. “Around the time of my big family reunion.” The pinkette gave out a quick ‘Ah’ and put the pieces together quickly enough.

“I guess having someone save your bacon in the last minute lit a spark.” That was putting it sorta mildly. It was a lot of things to be honest. A lot of small little detail that went from a childish crush to a full blown love at…… well… not exactly first sight. “So that guy you were meeting at the concert was…?”

“Yup.”

“And that super special pie you baked was for…?”

“Yup.”

“Wow… that’s… so sweet.” It was a cheerful tone, marred with a little bit of embarrassment, and awkwardness. “What did you guys do after?”

“We took in the sights, hang around, and watched the fireworks. Boring stuff.” She lied. It was possibly one of the most butterfly-in-stomach inducing hour she ever experienced in her life. If she had a diary. She’d write that day down as a piece of the Apple Family history. “What about you? Why didn’t you tell us that you were dating Flash?”

“I’m not.” Pinkie replied instantly. Almost like she was denying and not denying it. “Well… not really. My mom set the whole thing up as a date. You know how old fashion they can be. If you don’t come home with a special someone at a certain age, they start setting you up with one of their friend’s kids. And I didn’t want you guys knowing I was going on a date with Flash Sentry of all people.” Ah… that made sense. “I didn’t even think of him like that until we got on our second date. It was supposed to be a simple get together. We’d hang, enjoy his mansion, and everything would go back to normal.”

Applejack could sense that ‘But’ a mile away.

“But…?”

“But then he turned out to be super sweet! And super cool!” Pinkie practically exploded, her eyes gleaming like gemstones. “He loves, sweets, music, and he’s such a gentleman. And that smile?” She crooned. “You can melt chocolate with that face.”

“Wow.” Applejack couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle bringing the party gal out of her stupor. “Sounds like you’re really smitten.”

“Ah… aheh. Yeah… I guess I am.”

It was strange to see Pinkie so quiet. And stranger still to see her head over heels for someone who isn’t a giant delicious confection. With that cute smile, adorable blush, and crushing demeanor, you’d probably say that she beats Fluttershy in terms of adorability.

“So… are you going to ask him out?” Pinkie said in a not so subtle way.

“What?”

“Flash.” She parroted. “Are you going to ask him out?”

“Oh… well… I’m not sure.”

“I think you should.” Pinkie added. “You two would make a cute couple together.”

A blush quietly crept onto her face. “What~~~~~? No. Pfft! I just teach him how to cook, that’s all.”

“But don’t you like him?”

“I do! But I think you should give it a shot. You two would go well together.”

“Oh please. A party animal like me? You’re the more down-to-earth, kinda girl.”

“You guys went through two dates together. And your folks and his dad approves. You’re practically a sure in.” Applejack countered.

But again, Pinkie simply shrugged. “Pfft. Nah. Those weren’t dates. They were just um… small get-togethers. It wasn’t anything serious. I’m sure he does that to every girl he dates. Ahehhehe.”

The whole conversation turned upside down faster than either of them would’ve expected. And it would go on until the next bell.

Yeah… this was going to be complicated.

Mom, dad? Any sagely advice?

…

They were still silent.

(Parking lot)

Adagio tapped her feet at the ground in frustration. Each tap becoming harder than the last, which slowly turned to a kick and a stab of her toes. Her nails dug into her arms, fueling that anger with self-inflicted pain. Her lips formed a vicious snarl, hissing curses in a dead language. She wanted to dig a hole somewhere, a big one too. But she wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to scream at it, or bury someone in it.

The anger from this morning lingered at the back of her mind, making her huff and puff like a monster ready to pounce three adorable piggies, and blowing their houses away with a mighty gale. Anyone who saw her darted away quickly enough, and those who dared crossed her path hastily made a poor excuse to be somewhere else.

It’s been a while since someone made her this huffy. And the last one who did paid for it dearly. Flash would be no different. That arrogant, blue haired, good looking, rocker was going to regret getting on her nerves. If he thinks he’s won just because of one miscalculated act, then he’s surely mistaken.

Daring to ask her out on a date? HA! What arrogance. Greater men have tried to impress her before, and they’ve all been left wanting. Billionaires, warlords, and royalties have come and gone. And none of them have managed to stoke the chill block of ice which she has for a heart.

What hope does a kid like him has, compared to them?

“Hey there. Did you wait long?” Her angered poking of the ground was finally interrupted with that slick voice of the man in question.

Oh she was going to give this donkey a piece of her m--.

“Listen hear you…” Her words of malice were cut off. Mostly because of the bushel of yellow and orange presented to her. “… you…?”

“For you.” Flash Sentry said with a smile. Taking her stunned silence as a positive thing. “I thought we’d start off simple. I didn’t know which flowers you like, so I made a guess.”

Chrysanthemum. Adagio recognized them. But only because Sonata wouldn’t shut up about them growing on their apartment window. Yet despite their simplistic nature, the bushel presented to her was… oddly beautiful. They were more vibrant, brimming with energy. Even the smell alone made her lips curl into a smile. Heck, she might even say that they were downright beautiful.

The anger she felt earlier suddenly deflated, whistling off like a comical balloon, replaced by a tinge of confusion, and awe.

Her hands unconsciously wrapped their fingers around the delicate stems, holding it close enough for the petals to tickle her chin. The flowers returned the stare, with light gently reflecting upon their moist tips. It was as if they were carefully crafted and prepared for this very moment. Her mouth opened to speak, but for the love of god, she couldn’t recall a single word she said.

A thump in her heart quickly made her realize that she had been silent for a long while. She looked up and realized what a mistake that was, as the boy’s charming smile pierced back at her. Her cheeks began to heat up, followed by a certain trembling of the knees. A part of Adagio wanted to look away, but she knew that would be taken as a sign of weakness.

And she will not be caught in such a moment.

“You like it?” The boy followed up, tilting his head sideways.

She collected herself, coughing into her free hand before responding. “It’s… not bad. But don’t ahead of yourself. A bushel of flowers is the weakest move in the dating game. It just means you’re basic. Nothing more.”

“Great! That means you have room to be impressed.”

Adagio rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Like you can match anyone I’ve dated before. I once dated a billionaire and he took me out on a worldwide tour.”

“I’d like to take that as a challenge.” He countered smugly which only annoyed her.

“I’ll bankrupt you.”

“You can try.” He shrugged.

“I will break you.”

“I got insurance.”

“I’m going to make this the most miserable night of your life.”

To her surprise, the boy leaned in, his smile growing slightly wider. “I very much like to see you try.”

Oh you arrogant piece of…

“Lady, you’re hanging out with THE Flash Sentry.” He continued, cutting off her train of thought. “Anyone I take out will definitely have a time of their lives. That’s a guarantee or your money back.”

What she wouldn’t give to turn into her Siren Form right now and swallow him whole.

But she held that feeling in.

After all… the night was young, and she had plenty of opportunities to take her revenge.

“Fine.” She said finally. “Let’s get this ‘Date’ of yours over with, so I can go home.”

The blue rocker bowed shallowly before raising one hand with the remote, clicking, signaling the car close by.

That cheeky bastard.

A Date with Disaster

Chapter 99: A Date with Danger

(CHS)

Things were progressing faster than anticipated.

Neighsay mumbled to himself as he took a sip from his cup.

When he took the assignment to this godforsaken backwater country of a school, he thought that it would be nothing more than a simple expedition. Granted, a part of him thought that the whole thing was blown clearly out of proportion. He believed that he would come over, take notes, fix a few errors here and there and then disappear back into the bosom of his organization without anyone even realizing he was ever there.

But ever since he arrived… things have been… tremendously complicated.

And while he would want nothing better than to bring out the full might of the Black Stone Order and bombard whatever problem out of orbit. A more subtle approach seemed to have better effect.

When he heard that a bunch of school girls managed to defeat not one but two of their agents, many took it as nothing more than a fluke. A luck of draw, or even an exaggeration, and nothing more. Even he once thought that it was just a coincidence. But ever since his first encounter, his opinion of these… Equestria Girls, have changed drastically.

Especially that of a certain Twilight Sparkle.

No doubt that she was the brain of the group. Despite her tender age, her technical and practical understanding of magic has been a source of wonder of late. A simple glimpse into her designs made others think that she had been studying this topic for years. Not even their best scientist could reach her level of understanding without some outside help.

If he could somehow get her to join their organization, she would not only be a valuable asset, but a great contributor to all of their research. She may even revolutionize their way of understanding magic itself.

It was a pleasant thought. One that his master may share.

The only problem is that she is undoubtedly loyal to her friends. And their trust towards him and the organization wasn’t stellar to say the least.

He knew who to blame for that.

He reached for his black gemstone, and called.

(House by the Hill)

Starlight felt a sense of calm come over her as she took a quick stroll around the house.

No. Correction. Sunset’s house – or something along the line. She said that she was renting the place for a while. And that it belonged to someone else. She was merely staying here until she gets her footing back on the ground at least. Whatever that meant.

Though she had to admit that this place did look better than her old apartment, if judging by size alone. There was so much space here, it was no wonder her whole gang managed to settle in like they all lived here. There was a library, a whole kitchen, and an underground lab. Even Pinkie managed to fit her giant confetti cannon up on the attic for… reasons.

There was even a large enough free space outside to hold all manner of events. Rainbow and Applejack mostly use it for their silly sports activities. But can you imagine the wind flow out there? You can hold a kite flying competition, or a party, or a kite flying competition. And don’t even get her started on the view off the cliff. Beach front property? Isolated? And with all the amenities you could ask for, and more? You’d be an idiot to sell this place.

It was no Crystal Castle, but that was another thing entirely.

“Ow…!” A loud bonk brought her out of her calm daze. Starlight turned over, finding Sunburst land face first on the floor. “Aheh… a little help?”

“Sunburst? What are you doing? You shouldn’t be up yet. You’ll open up your wounds again.”

“I know.” He whined and groaned while wabbling around like he was trying to move his arms and legs together. “I thought I could practice with my new appendages, but that wasn’t working the way I thought it would. Walking on two limbs is a lot harder than it looks.” She knows that feeling far too well.

“Tell me about it. It took me a few hours to get the hang on balancing. I must’ve looked like a complete idiot prancing around on all-fours. Sunset gave me a few tips on my form. But I don’t think it’ll work on you. Not that you had good form in the first place.”

“Hey! That’s not true.”

“Remember when Cadance asked you to be Flurry’s dance practice partner? You couldn’t tell your hooves apart.” The guy couldn’t find any rhythm, and ended up falling on the first two steps.

“I didn’t know dancing had more than one step!”

“And during your O&O game? You tried the bard class?”

“Ok. Fair enough.” He rolled it off his head. “So my form needs work. But that aside. It’s not all bad. These apposable thumbs on the other hoof, are amazing! Look at it. I can actually grab things like a claw without using any extra accessory or magic! It’s incredible!” He demonstrated by holding up a cup like it was the greatest discovery in ponykind.

“What you find incredible is considered normal around here.”

“I’m just saying that a single extra pinky can make all the difference in the world. Can you imagine if everypony back in Equestria has something akin to this? The efficiency of Earth Ponies alone would skyrocket! Why… I could probably write faster if I just knew how the rest of my fingers worked.”

“That’s a mystery you’ll have to solve another time. Because right now, I’m taking you back to bed.” Starlight slowly worked her magic on the boy, only to pause halfway when she noted a strange ink like mark under the boy’s neckline. “Huh?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Did you always have a mark on your neck?”

“I do?” He shuffled his hands over his collar revealing his bare squishy chest for all to see. “Where?”

Odd. She was sure that it was there a second ago. It looked… snak-ish.

“That’s weird. I was sure that…” Their little interaction was interrupted however when a buzzing noise called to their attention. Starlight scanned the area, only for her gaze to fall on the thick book in the middle of the living room. “Uh oh.”

“What? What is it?”

“It’s the magical diary that Princess Twilight used to communicate with Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunburst gave it a thought. “So… was that a good ‘uh oh’ or a bad ‘uh oh’?”

That entirely depended on who was writing on the other side. If it was Princess Twilight, then all the better. But she was still going on her Equestria-wide coronation tour. If it were Shining Armor or Princess Cadance, they were safe.

But if it was Princess Luna, Celestia… or Celestia forbid, Starswirl. They were cooked.

With some hesitation, she opened the book and peeked at the last page written, partially expecting a barrage of scolding from the other side.

The words were… gentle and worrisome.

“It’s Princess Cadance.” She breathed a sigh of relief, wiping an invisible sweat off her brow. Dodged a bullet there. “She’s asking for an update.”

“What do we tell her?”

“The truth, obviously.” Starlight responded as a matter of fact. “She’ll be happy to know that our mission in rescuing you, was a success. And that we’ll be going back as soon as your injuries heal up. Hopefully that’ll keep the Princesses and Starswirl from scolding us too badly.”

The boy tilted his head in confusion. “Wait… why would Starswirl scold you?”

“Oh… nothing too serious. It’s just say that… we… might’ve put the entire universe in danger by opening an entirely new portal to Ezaquatel, and saving you? That and… we might’ve stolen some of Starswirl’s research, putting the human world in danger as well. See? Nothing too serious?”

“Endangering the universe? How is that even possible?”

“It’s a long story. But trust me. Everything will go back to normal the moment we get back to Equestria. Then we can put this whole interdimentional disaster thing behind us.” Sunburst looked like he had more to say but decided against it for now. “Some good news too. Things around Canterlot is settling down too. Everypony is still on alert for any disruption but things are starting to calm down. No one seems to notice our absence. The Princesses are busy cleaning up the mess back at Starswirl’s lab.” She paused for a moment, allowing the ink to settle in. “And get this. Princess Twilight is officially on her last visit to Griffonstone. With a few trips left around the north-eastern part of Equestria. At this rate, she might even get back by next week.”

“And that’s a good thing… right?”

“Of course it is! It would mean that the most powerful pony in all of Equestria can finally help us! With her at our side, there’s nothing that’s impossible!”

“And that Princess Twilight can get to finally ruling all of Equestria. And we can go back to running the school of Friendship.”

She paused. “Yeah… of course. That too. As long as nothing else goes wrong.”

She was challenging fate by putting those words out in the universe.

“Oh… and uh… Starlight. One more thing.” Sunburst added, his legs wobbling. “I’ve been meaning to ask. But uh… how do I use the bathroom here?”

Just need to hold on a little bit more.

(Rainbow Dash’s home)

It wasn’t often that Rainbow Dash would dread coming home. Normally she’d be thrilled whenever she got home early. She’d kick off her shoes, grab a snack by the fridge, binge the next episode of the Daring Do series, do a few laps around the city with her magic speed pwers, and leave her homework until the last possible minute before remembering it and copy the answers off Twilight the day after.

You know… standard teenager stuff.

But today was anything but standard.

The whole dating fiasco, as Rarity calls it, was becoming too much, even for her.

The entire CHS chat room was filled with all sorts of gossips and rumors all focusing on Flash Sentry and his very interesting, yet very complex, love life. Rainbow never really paid attention to the website. Not unless it had something to do with her sports team winning some big league.

The rumor corner never really struck her fancy… until now at least.

Seriously. Don’t these people have anything better to do? Who cares who’s-dating-who? It’s all just some silly speculation? No one should take anything here seriously.

Come on. Flash two-timing? How ridiculous is that? That kind of thing only happens on drama shows, or teenage vampire angst movies with parental issues. Real life ain’t that dramatic.

And honestly… who’d even believe that Flash Sentry would be going out with her of all people? Sure, the guy was good looking, great at shredding guitar, a good listener, sweet at times, pretty good in sports, and braver than most kids his age. Not to mention he had his heroic streak fighting off a giant Timberwolf. Not a lot of people can top that.

So… overall… there were worse people she could be dating.

No. Stop. You’re getting off track R.D. Remember: You’re here to break things off. Tell your folks that it’s over. That you had a little spat over some silly things and that we’re just taking a break. You then tell mom to take down that picture and everything should be in the clear.

The rumor will end, and no one gets their feelings hurt. They then go back to their ordinary lives without anyone being the wiser.

She hoped.

“Hey there, Sweetie. You’re home early today.” Bow Hothoof poked his head out of the kitchen followed by the smell of something delicious being cooked on the stove. The man dressed in a lovely pink apron with the word ‘Kiss the Cook’ printed on it. “Hope you got a good appetite. We’re having your pappy’s signature spaghetti tonight.”

“Uh huh. Sounds great dad.”

Her somewhat annoyed tone didn’t escape her pop’s notice. “What’ the matter, Honey Bun? Practice cut short? Did your team fail to qualify?”

“Something like that.” She responded half-heartedly. “Ahey, dad. Is mom around? I need to talk to her real quick.”

“She stepped out to get something at the groceries. She should be back right before dinner. What’s the matter? Got some school problem? Is it math again?”

Hey, I resent that.

“No. Nothing like that. It’s uh… more of a personal problem.”

A plate fell. “Oh my.”

“Dad?”

The man rushed over, grabbing her arm gently before dragging her over to the couch. “What’s the matter, Precious? What’s got you all riled up? Tell me everything and spare no details. I am here to help. Do you need anything? A cup of hot coco? Some blankets? Your favorite hanky?”

“Dad! No!” Rainbow snapped. Though a part of her did feel the need to ask for a hot coco. “It’s not that big a deal.”

“Any problem you’re facing is always a big deal to us. Now don’t be shy. Just say what you need and we’ll get through this. Hold nothing back. You have my full attention.”

Ugh… she was regretting this already. Rainbow Dash often forgets how hands-on her parents can be. They really enjoy being part of her life, right down to the smallest detail. You should’ve seen them when she got her braces.

Still… this might be a blessing in disguise.

“Ok. It’s… about my… boyfriend.” The word itself felt foreign coming from her mouth. It almost sounded like a whole’nother language.

Her father’s face beamed. “Oh you mean Flash Sentry. Course I remember him. Strapping young fellow. Not a bad fit. A little outdated in terms of fashion, but still nice. What about’em?”

“Well… we… might’ve gotten into a… fight.”

“Oh my.” He gasped, but quickly brushed it away. “I mean…… what about?”

What about indeed. Rarity’s script didn’t cover this part. She said to make it as vague as possible to avoid unnecessary questions. It was her version of ‘Wing it’ and hope for the best.

“Uh… just some stupid stuff.” She quickly responded, avoiding eye contact. “And then one thing led to another and… well… we… kinda broke it off.”

“You broke it off?” Bow actually sounded more aghast than shocked. “So quickly?”

“Yeah. I figured things weren’t working out for us, so… better if we just cut our losses.”

“But you seemed so happy with him.”

“Yeah. Well. The magic was gone. So this is the way it should be. Right?”

Her father paused. Eyes and mouth puckered as if in deep thought. His brain rattled as he tried to add pieces to the story, making things up as he went.

It took about a full minute before he finally answered.

“You’re absolutely right.”

“I am?” She balked. “I mean… of course I am. About what exactly?”

“A breakup is a messy business. And you did it with gusto. I’m proud of ya, kiddo. You faced your greatest challenge and came out on top.”

She did?

Rainbow Dash wasn’t entirely sure what her pops was trying to say, but he seemed happy about the whole thing, so win-win.

“And now it’s time for you to win him back with revenge!”

…

Ah… what now?

“Huh?”

“A breakup isn’t just about mutual separation, Sweetheart! It’s about who wins!” It is? “I’m so happy you came to us for help. You won’t be disappointed.”

“Ah… what’s happening?”

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Rainbow. By the time we’re done. Flash Sentry will be regretting the day he broke up with you.” Bow cheered. “Why. I wouldn’t be surprise if he came back on his knees, begging for you to take him back.”

“You lost me dad. And who’s we?”

“Hi Sweetie!” A voice chimed from a phone that seemingly appeared on her dad’s hands.

“Mom!? Since when were you on call?”

“Since the whole conversation started, Sweetie. Don’t you worry. I heard the whole thing. And your father is right. A breakup is more than just mere separation. It’s a contest to see who wins the game.”

“What game!?”

“The breakup game of course.” Her dad said in the same cheery tone as his wife “You have to show that Flash Sentry, that you’re not taking the back end of this deal. You need to make him regret it.”

“You need to make him regret his actions! I mean what kind of idiot breaks up with our dear Rainbow Dash? She’s perfect!”

“She’s more than perfect!”

“Guys… guys!” Rainbow snapped. “I don’t think that making Flash regret his actions is the way to go.”

“Of course not! You need to make him suffer!”

“Make him squeal with pain.” Bow added with a maniacal grin. “Oh! I need to get the folder!”

“There’s a folder?”

“We had a backup plan. Just in case, Sweetie.”

Rainbow tilted her head. “Mom. Where are you calling from?”

“The highway.” She answered in a singsong tone. “I went to the car straight away when your father texted me that you had a personal problem.”

“Weren’t you in the groceries?”

“Oh don’t worry. I just put the whole cart into the car. I didn’t really take much.” A loud horn blared through. “Hey beat it you slowpoke! I’m trying to get home! My daughter needs me!”

That… didn’t sound good.

“Mom. I think you’re taking this a little too…”

“Found it!” Bow Hothoof returned, slamming a thick folder onto the couch. “The emergency breakup plan, Volume 1.” You mean to say there’s more!? “Your mother and I have been working on this bad boy ever since you started dating Flash.”

“Oh… wow. That’s umm… big.”

“You should see the one about your wedding.” Yeah… not interested. “Now. Let’s get to work.”

“Oh… gee dad. I don’t think this is necessary.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Honey. We’re just looking out for you. And I guarantee that if you follow the first ten steps, you’ll be in the lead in the breakup game.”

“Mom. Should you really be talking on the phone while driving?”

“I can multi-task, Sweetie. It’s not as hard as it sounds.” She would’ve been convincing if the sound of police sirens didn’t come through afterward. “Oh dear. Looks like I’ll be a little late for dinner. Bow, please take her through the first part. Don’t you dare do step 9 without me.”

“Copy that, Windy. See ya soon.” It was kinda cool, yet also somewhat disturbing how Bow didn’t even flinch hearing that mom was getting pulled over. “Alright. Onto step one of getting back at the one who broke my baby’s heart.”

“Dad. This really isn’t…”

“Step one!” He cut her off, pulling up a photo of Flash’s band. “Getting back at the guy. You can tell that Flash is a boy who prides himself of being the ‘Top Dog’. So we’re going to use that to our advantage.”

“Wait… I thought this was supposed to get me back with Flash.”

“We’re getting there. But to do that, you need first make him jealous. Boys his age are super sensitive when they have their first major breakup. So, in this scenario, we will set you up with one of his bandmates instead! He won’t be able to resist, and will be rethinking his life!”

Yeah… this wasn’t working.

She needed to call Rarity. Stat.

Gods… she hoped Fluttershy was doing better.

(Fluttershy’s home)

“Step two! You take your date to the next big event and strut him around like a trophy!” Mr. Shy declared earning a collective nod from everyone around the table.

“Nice thinking, pops.” Zephyr Breeze agreed readily. “That’ll really get that guy riling.”

“Oh. We should also post this on the web. Help get the information out.”

“Yeah! I’ll have my friends help. And we should have them kiss in public. One shot of that and he’ll be crawling like the snake that he is. Ain’t that right sis?”

Fluttershy smacked her head on the edge of the table, both hands grabbing chunks of her bangs as she tried her darndest to hide her madly blushing face.

A small defeated squeak came as her answer.

(On the road)

Flash could hear Adagio seething next to him.

Her teeth grinded together like a saw, and the way she tapped her foot over the glove compartment signaled that she was close to kicking things down and bolt out of there at a moment’s notice. The only thing that kept her calm were the flowers he’d given her prior to this date.

Her eyes kept wandering towards the soft fragile thing, fingers casually caressing its petals like they were the most precious gems in the world. She tried her best to hide her soft and playful smile, but on occasion they’d peek out of the corner of her lips.

Who would’ve imagined that the once proud and powerful siren would be purring like a kitten in his car? It was enough to make the boy smile.

“Stop. Doing. That.” Her voice creaked over like she wanted to scream the words.

“Doing what?”

“That!” She dug a finger onto his cheek. “Stop giving me that stupid look. It’s annoying!”

“Was I looking?” He feigns ignorance. “I didn’t notice.”

“Don’t get cocky just because you won one over me. You got lucky because I was in a foul mood.”

“Having a bad day? Been there.”

Her eyes sharpened like daggers. “Are you mocking me?”

“Mock you? Me? I would never.” He was. He totally was.

“I am this close to tearing you and this car to pieces.” She held her hand up, pulsing with energy only to die down when she noted it hurting the flowers.

It wasn’t as intimidating as he thought it was. “I wouldn’t do that. I just got this car fixed up from the last time you and your sisters wrecked it. And I get the feeling that you’re not keen on walking.”

The siren gave it a thought and reluctantly put her hand back down. She returned to her original posture, folding her legs in annoyance while unconsciously fiddling with the petals.

“Where are you taking me exactly?” Adagio asked, mostly to fill the silence rather than curiosity.

“Why curious all of a sudden?”

“To prepare myself. This isn’t exactly going to the city center.” Her glare narrowed. “You’re not planning something… malicious. Are you?”

“You’ll be fine. I promise.” He rolled her eyes at her. “Besides, if I was gonna try anything, you’d blast your magic and turn me into an otter or something.”

“Hmph… clever boy. At least you know your place.” A smug returned to her face. They stayed that way for a short while before she added. “So… is this how you always handle your dates? Taking them along with your fancy rides on long cruise around the city, enjoying the peace and quiet?”

Flash chuckled. It normally was. Sunset looked practically amazed when she first rode on his car. All the buttons and gadgets must’ve looked alien to her. Even more so seeing that she was from a whole other world.

“Only the really pretty ones.” He responded casually. “Though I could bring my private jet next time. Why? Car not to your fancy?”

“I’ll have you know I’ve ridden on things far more luxurious than this carriage. And don’t even bother with planes. I can fly on my own just fine.” Right. Because you’re a different being that have wings. “And just so you know. It doesn’t matter where you take me. I’ve seen everything there is to see in this world. So don’t be surprised if you fail to impress me.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

“A challenge that you will fail. Because there’s nothing a spoiled rich brat like you can do to reach the level of dating, I’ve been through. The only reason why I agreed to all this is because I can enjoy the free food.”

“And because you like me.”

“And so I can see you FAIL spectacularly in person!” She added that last bit with a growl. Though the blushing cheeks said otherwise. “If you think for a moment that you’re coming out on top out of this, then you’re sadly mistaken.”

“Hmm… I dunno. I feel like I’m already on top.”

“Then you’re delusional.”

Aha… an opportunity has shown itself.

“Alright. How about we make another bet?” Flash added much to her increasing annoyance.

“As if I’d be foolish to make another gamble with you.”

“Aww… afraid you’ll lose?”

“Afraid of you? Never.”

“Then it’s a bet.” A triumphant tune rang in his head. “If I can wow you on this date – you’ll have to teach me magic for a whole week.”

An interested brow rose from the Siren’s face. She heard about his sudden affinity for magic, but never saw it firsthand. “And if I win?”

“I’ll do one thing of anything you ask me to.”

“Anything?” Somehow it sounded disturbing coming from her.

“Uh… no crime involve?”

“Make it three.” Of course she’d bargain.

“Oh come on. You know three wishes are overrated.”

“Now who’s afraid to lose?” Her cocky grin showed itself.

Dang it. She’s got him on the back foot here.

“Two wishes.” He negotiated. “With limits.”

“Deal.” Adagio looked satisfied. “I already know what I’m going to ask you to do for school tomorrow.”

Trust me lady. You won’t get the chance to use those wishes. I’m Flash Sentry. And if there’s anything I’m known for - Is that anyone hanging out with him will always have a good time.

Anything less than that is an insult.

Suits & Suitors

Chapter 1: Suits and Suitors

(Canterlot High School) (Thursday)

It’s a beautiful Thursday evening in Canterlot High School. With the sun slowly setting in the distance, the clouds became hued in a majestic orange glow. The trees aligned beautifully along the side of the road while birds flew back to their nests ready to call it a day. There was also a slight chill in the air giving the day a nice cold cuddly feeling. Not surprising seeing how close winter was coming. But it was nothing a warm cup of hot coco can’t fix.

To many it would look like another ordinary day, but for Sunset it was a glimpse of her paradise here on Earth. She let out a happy cheer as the school bell rang signaling the end of class. Mr. Doodle, thankfully didn’t droned on about some long branching topic today and actually focused on the lesson at hand. It was a rare occurrence naturally but at this point most of the students in his class wouldn’t really mind. They’d rather learn something rather than to listen to another one of his philosophies and theories.

As she got to the hallway and put her books in her locker she was ambushed by Rainbow Dash who leaned by the wall with a wide eyed grin on her face. “Hey Sunset. Ready for that performance of a lifetime at Applejack’s Barn?”

“You mean the barn dance?” Sunset rolled her eyes at her but kept a humored smile. “Isn’t that supposed to be on Sunday?”

“Yeah! But I’m so excited for it!” RD leaped up, nearly touching the ceiling. “I know that we’ve had larger performances already but any excuse to have the band play on a stage in front of a large crowd is a win in my book.”

“That must be a pretty big book.”

“No duh. Just goes to show how awesome I am. You’re not gonna skip it, right?”

“And miss the largest gathering of Applejack’s entire family? Not a chance.” Sunset threw a laugh. “Besides, I’m always down for free food. Plus I’m a sucker for cider. But don’t tell Applejack that or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Deal.” They left the locker and gently wade through the hallway that were quickly being depleted of students. “So… any plan this Friday? Pinkie and I are heading to Sugar Cube Corner for the special discount on ice cream. We’re gonna try the Brain Freeze Challenge!”

Ah the Brain Freeze Challenge. Whoever thought of that event would regret it the moment they meet Pinkie Pie. She’ll gobble down ice cream faster than your average teen and have her brain go through a permanent Ice Age and still act like nothing happened. She nearly caused one ice cream parlor to declare bankruptcy. But that was a story for another time.

“As much as I’d love to see you and Pinkie freeze your brains out. I can’t.” Sunset replied. “Twilight and I already promised to help Fluttershy at the animal shelter. A whole new batch of puppies are coming along and we’re looking for people to adopt them. Why don’t you ask Rarity?”

Rainbow Dash slouched down and groaned. “I already did. She has to work at the boutique store at the mall all week long. Something about putting up the new Winter Collection or something.”

Ah of course. The winter collection. An assortment of fashion lining up the new fad for winter attires. They have one every season and each season looked far more ridiculous than the last. At least that’s what Sunset thought when she first saw the clothes of this world. Maybe she’ll take a glimpse just in case.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to enjoy the brain freeze on your own. We all have our own lives to contend with.”

“Ugh… fine. I guess I can do that.”

“Promise you’ll take pictures?”

“Definitely! When we win the challenge and go home with the free-all-you-can-eat-ticket! Ha!” She flailed a kick which unintentionally land on someone’s back leaving a dirty footmark on his jacket. “Oh. Sorry about that.”

The boy turned around, waving back apologetically. “It’s fine. I was going to put this jacket through the washer anyway. Good kick by the… Sunset?”

“Flash?” Sunset’s heart skipped a beat realizing it was her ex that they ran into.

“H… hey…” He waved again, this time a bit awkward. “How are ya?”

“I uh… good.” Sunset replied awkwardly nodding. “And you?”

“Same. And uh… you?” He paused on that question. “Right. We already did you.”

Rainbow watched as her existence left quietly ignored as the two smiled and stared into each other’s eyes. She wanted to speak but knew better to keep her mouth shut in these instances. No need to dump head first into a fire.

“I see you got yourself a new look.” Sunset continued gesturing to his hair. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Really?” He panicked, hastily combing his head with his hands. “Do I look weird? My dad had me change it for a big event this Saturday. Some… formal thing.”

“Formal?” She blinked, eyes furrowed to an interested position. “Like a suit and tie?”

“Yup. The whole thing. With fancy glasses and bite size sandwiches. I even have to get a new suit. Aheh.” He reached to his neck shyly. “Got uh… any plans later?”

“Y… yeah. Ima…”

“She’s hanging out with me.” Rainbow Dash came to the rescue. “Sorry Flashy. But Sunset’s schedule is pretty much booked for the day. Better try your luck tomorrow.”

“Oh… uh… ok? I’ll uh…” The conversation took an abrupt stop when the lights in the hallway suddenly flickered and died out. Those who remained in the school flinched and froze all believing that a light bulb would explode any second. “Huh. That’s new.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Oh come on! Did someone forgot to pay the electric bills today?”

No… that wasn’t it. Sunset scanned her surroundings trying to find an oddity in the area.

She wasn’t quite sure what it was but she was certain that she felt something pass by her just now. Like a wave of magical energy. But… that can’t be. Can it? This world doesn’t have magic. Not unless it came from Equestria. And she’d know if something came through it. Twilight would send her a message the moment something was up.

The lights eventually returned and the students who remained quietly brushed the whole event off as just a coincidence. After all, this was Canterlot City. Strange things always happens here.

“Huh. Must’ve been nothing.” Flash shrugged. “Anway, Sunset. Do you have a moment? I…”

“Sorry Flash. We’ll talk later. I got umm…” She thought fast on her excuse. “Gotta hang out with Rainbow Dash. Right?”

“Right?”

“Right! Come on RD!” She bolted off to the door with the rainbow haired lady tailing her.

It was a rather abrupt ending to a conversation that seemed to be going somewhere. But there was little Flash could do at this point. Not unless he could suddenly cast magic.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunset arrived at the front of the school not long after the sudden power outage. She came expecting anything at this point. A monster attacking the school, a creature from Equestria breaking through the portal. Heck even an army of zombies! She’d seen it all and was ready for whatever that may come.

But strangely enough, there was nothing.

Everything was fine. No earthquakes, no mysterious thunderstorms, no monsters ravaging the school. Not even a single brain eater. Just a few of her fellow classmates hanging around. She wasn’t really sure if she was happy or disappointed.

She quickly dropped her combat stance and noted Twilight by the portal statue with a confused expression on her face.

“Twilight?” Sunset called to her. “Did you…?”

“Feel that strange wave of magic that came through and caused an electrical shortage earlier? Yup!” She held up her magic energy radar which buzzed rapidly. “My device activated just a few minutes ago and it detected a feint but wide dispersal of magical energy.”

“Did it come from the portal?”

“No. I thought the same too but it didn’t come from the portal.” Twilight answered, hanging her device close to the mirror. “As a matter of fact… this magic reading is completely different.”

“Different?” That didn’t sound good. “Different how?”

“Well… from what I can tell on a quick read, the magic that comes from Equestria has the same wavelength as ours. You could say that our powers are tied to your world. But ever since Twilight… uh… THE Princess Twilight took her crown back, most of the magic went back with her. So…”

“O…k?” Sunset nodded. “And what about this one?”

“Well this one is… different.” Twilight struggled to explain. “I’m not really sure how but I think I can give a better answer if I do a more research. I have the proper equipment at home. I’ll run a full spectrum analysis and pinpoint the magic’s origin and find out what it is.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed her head, confused. “Uh… full spectral what now?”

“Do you think it’s dangerous?” Sunset asked for reassurance.

“It’s… hard to say. But so far… most of the foreign magic we’ve encountered hasn’t exactly been pleasant.” Twilight hastily packed her things and quickly headed off to the school bus, shouting. “I’ll give you an answer later tonight. See you at the animal shelter?”

“You bet.” Sunset answered back waving farewell before turning her attention to the statue portal.

While most folk wouldn’t really know, this piece of marbled art was actually a magical gateway to the magical realm of Equestria. A land filled with wonders and dreams that only a few humans could possibly comprehend. A place where ponies talked and magic ran in abundance like the air they breathed.

She slowly placed her hand on the mirror feeling the magic seep in unhindered like always. She and Princess Twilight… the other Twilight on the other side have made some countermeasures regarding the portal itself to prevent others from abusing it.

A magical lock was placed onto the mirror itself keeping it solid so that no one would use the portal to travel between realms. It was Princess Celestia herself who created the seal so that only those who have the key can activate it. This was to prevent unwanted sprites and magic from traversing between worlds.

“So~~~~~~” Rainbow Dash spoke up, whistling that last tune. “That was awkward.”

“No. I think it’s more confusing. The lock we placed on the portal is intact.”

“I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about Flash.”

“Flash?” Sunset snapped her neck around. “Wh… what do you mean?”

“Don’t give me that. You know what you did.” Rainbow thrust an accusing finger at her. “What’s the deal between you two anyway? I thought you guys made up already.”

“We did. Though… we didn’t really did.”

“Say what now?”

They did make up. At least… that’s what Sunset believed they did. A lot of things happened before they actually had a proper conversation. Magical emergencies and such. Too many dangers, too many distractions. By the time they got through it all, she had totally forgotten about their talk.

And it’s not like she didn’t want to talk to Flash either. It’s just that… she didn’t really know what to say. As far as she knew, he was the last person who’d want to get back with her. In fact she wouldn’t be surprised if he downright hated her to the core after what she did to him – or… at the very least what her old self did to him.

“We didn’t have a chance to fully make up.” She confessed, twirling one finger around her hair. “It was a while ago… and a lot of stuff happened.”

“So… what? You never talked to him ever since then?”

“Oh no. We talk. We just… never brought it up again.” That was a lame excuse. “Besides, everything’s fine between us. No harm, no foul, right?”

Rainbow gave her the ‘Are you kidding me?’ eyebrow raise. “Did you not just hear the conversation you two had? I was cringing the whole time. The hair on my head was standing at attention!”

“You’re exaggerating.” She gave Sunset the glare. “Was it really that bad?”

“Bad? No Sunset. A bad conversation with your ex-boyfriend is a normal process. There’s bad. But yours is the kind that just makes me want to clip my ears closed… forever!” RD barked out. “And coming from me… that’s saying something.”

“Wow Rainbow. I… didn’t know you felt that way.”

The speedy girl chuckled. “I’m just looking out for ya. Cuz someone has too around here. But please. Promise me you’ll talk to him. At the very least try to be friends again. Pretty please?”

“Alright Dash. I promise.” She submitted to her childish whims. “But just FYI, it’s gonna be the most awkward conversation I’ll ever have.”

“Good. Because I won’t be around to cover your back when you two are having another talk.”

“Heh… just add it to my tab.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” She said before bolting off into the distance.

A talk with Flash? Ha! Yeah that was going to end up so well.

(Fashion boutique)

The life of an aspiring fashionista was like that of a struggling artist. At least that’s what Rarity liked to believe anyway.

There were up and downs in your life, challenges to overcome, snooty judges to impress. It was grueling work and difficult to master. But at the end of it all, she was always happy whenever a customer walks in and find what he/she wants.

The Winter collection had just arrived at the store. A few famed tailors have worked their hearts and souls into these fine sculptures of cloth and needles creating a masterpiece that would last through the ages.

Oh how she dreamed of one day joining them and having her work displayed in front of shops everywhere! She dreamed of fame and fortune, the celebrity status, the props and VIP treatment in various hotels. People will be pushing each other vying for her talent and attention. She can picture it now.

A row of famous models from all over the world strutting through the catwalk all wearing her designs. Cameras flashing in the crowd while the audience gasped and gawk at her lineup.

Rarity shall be a name chanted amongst the masses. It’ll be printed in big bold letters on the newspaper. Neon signs lightning up every minute so that no one would ever forget.

Rarity! Rarity! Rarity!

Yes! Say it loud, say it proud!

“Rarity!”

“Eeeeep!” The girl in mid-dream squealed when the store owner called out, shattering her beautiful illusion. She found herself back at the store, in the crowded mall and still a struggling artist. “Oh! Ms. Hemline. Did you need something?”

Prim Hemline. One of the best in the fashion business. She used to be a fashion designer back in her early days and became one of the most (in)famous critics in her time. Though she never truly made the headline her name still rang amongst the inner circles of seamstresses around the world. She eventually settled down and opened a chain of boutique stores in selected cities.

“I thought I told you to put the Winter Collection lineup at the display.” She gestured over to the front of the shop where the display window remained barren and empty. “We need those ready by tomorrow.”

“Oh yes of course. I’m sorry. It’s just that we’re quite shorthanded today. The other assistants called in sick and…”

“I know my staff and their conditions Rarity.” The owner rebuked her. “Just get these mannequins out. I have an important customer coming over in a few minutes and I want this place to be at least presentable when he arrives. Do you understand?”

“Yes madam!”

“I’m leaving you in charge. And get those two working as well.” She pointed at the new rookie staff member behind her. “Get it done in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes madam! Right away!” Rarity hastily moved the mannequins in their places. But the task was simply too much for one girl on her own. Even with the other two there were simply too many dresses, too many mannequins to move and too few hands to do them all in an acceptable timeframe. “Oh dear. Oh dear.” She froze when one of the mannequins she put up began to wobble. “Oh… no no no no no no!” She forced her magic out to keep the large figure from falling, but the shield she created only bumped the others creating a domino effect. “Oh my…!”

“Whoa!” And right before the damage was done, a pair of hands suddenly appeared and stopped them from before they wrinkled the designs.

“Oh thank heavens. I’m so terribly sorry.” Rarity hastily moved the dolls out of the way, apologizing all the while. “I was in such a hurry I nearly did something stupid. Are you hurt?”

“No. But that’s probably the first time I had a bunch of mannequins drop on me.” The voice replied throwing a humored tone to lighten up the mood. “Need help?”

“Oh no. I couldn’t possibly ask someone to… Flash?”

“Rarity?” The two exchanged the same surprised look to one another as their eyes locked. “What are you doing here?”

“I work here?” She pointed out as a matter of factly to her name tag. “You do know that clothes are my passion, right?”

“Ah… right. I remember now.” The boy bashfully replied. He smiled softly but quickly dropped it when he saw the workload that she had to go through. “Are you managing the store all by yourself?”

“No. I have two others with me.” Rarity sighed depressingly in return. “But we are a bit understaffed at the moment. The others caught the cold and are bedridden for who knows how long. And right before the season change for the Winter Collection of all days. There might as well be a pandemic right now because we’re already behind schedule.”

“Wow… you guys must have it rough.”

“You have no idea, darling. I consider myself a hard worker but even I know when something is too much for me.”

“Why don’t you ask your friends for help?”

That would be the logical thing to do considering the things she had to deal with. As a matter of fact she was resisting the urge to spam text all of her friends and get them rushing here as quickly as possible. Heck even Rainbow Dash alone would be plenty.

“I would if they were around.” She admitted, carefully raising the mannequins back on the stand and failing to keep its clothes on. “But everyone is busy with their own lives. And with the coming performance we have this Sunday for Applejack’s entire family, I can’t possibly ask them to take time out of their schedule to help me.”

The boy looked around and noted all the scattered items, the few shoppers passing by and a string of customers waiting by the cashier. A workload this big was supposed to be done by five maybe six people. Having only half the staff handle the entire store all on their own was simply too much. “Well… I’m here now. Can I help?”

“Oh no no no no. I couldn’t possibly ask you.”

“Hey it’s fine.” He insisted gently, taking the heavy mannequin off her hand which he did with relative ease. “Even a guy like me can do some grunt work. It’s the least I can do after you redesigned Ringo and Brawly’s outfits for our last performance at Bulk’s birthday. They were totally rad. Besides, with all of this work, it’ll take you forever to get it all done.”

“I… well…” Rarity was about to protest until she noted the customers by the cashier giving her the stink eye. “I guess I can’t look a gift horse in mouth now, can I?”

“I’m not really sure what that line is supposed to mean but I’ll take it as a positive expression.” Flash smirked, pulling up two of those heavy dolls with both arms. “Now where do you want these?”

“By the window display. And make sure the colors match. And… no, the black one goes on the left side.”

“But they’re both black.” Flash pointed out, which Rarity chuckled back humorously.

“No dear. That one over there is Midnight Blue. The one you’re holding is Ebony colored.”

Flash darted between the two trying to discern the difference but sadly he didn’t have Rarity’s eyes. “If you say so.”

“Rarity!” Oh for the love of…… has it been fifteen minutes already! “I thought I told you to fill the window display.”

“I’m sorry Ms. Hemline.” She bowed apologetically. “We’re moving as fast as we can right now and…”

“No excuses.” The owner said sternly before her gaze fell upon the boy beside her. “And who are you? I don’t recall hiring extra help.”

“Oh… this is my friend.” Rarity explained. “He just offered to help with some of the workload.”

The older lady groaned under her breath, clearly agitated but kept her cool. “Rarity, you remember the store rules. Unless it is a paying customer, you are to…”

“Focus entirely on our duties and nothing else.” She repeated. “Yes ma’am. I understand. I’ll uh… I’ll get back to it.”

“No, wait.” Flash spoke up garnering their attention. “Don’t be mad. I am Rarity’s friend, but I’m also a customer.” He reached for his pocket pulling out a receipt much to Rarity’s relief. “I’m actually here to pick up a suit that was ordered for me.”

The owner raised a brow, taking the slip of paper with a curious eye. “A suit you say? I don’t recall having an order for… oh!” Her eyes widened and she looked up to the boy with her mouth agape. “Y… you’re… you’re… Flash? Flash Sentry?”

The boy looked at her puzzled. “I am.”

Rarity wasn’t sure what to think about how her boss acted or even less so when her expression suddenly turned from a cold ruthless businesswoman to a mewling cat vying for its owner’s attention.

“My apologies for that earlier comment. I did not recognize you with your… umm…” She scanned him eagerly. “… your unique attire. Yes we have your suit. It’s finished, ironed and customized to your father’s specification, which are… in my opinion: Quite exemplary to say the least. Please, follow me. You there!” She pointed at one of Rarity’s co-workers. “Don’t just stand there. Clear this place up! You’re in charge now. Rarity, you’re with me.” Rarity complied and followed the owner. She gave Flash a questioning look but his face stated that he was just as confused as she was.

Her boss led them to the changing room corner where a booth was held in reserve.

“By the way. Please pass my congratulations to your father. I hear the vote on his position was unanimous.”

“Oh uh… sure. Yeah.” Flash replied awkwardly. She wasn’t sure what they meant with that but from what she can guess, the boy’s father seems to be someone very important. “I’ll do that.”

“Good. And here we are.” The lady declared with an arm extended towards a stand which held a set of clothes that took her breath away.

It was a suit – or at the very least that’s what Flash saw anyway.

“Is that a Gallopers’ vintage wine suit!?” She gasped loudly not realizing her employer’s smirk.

“You have a good eye. It is exactly as you say.” The older lady confirmed it with a nod, ushering the boy closer. “A Gallopers’ one of a kind outfit. It was made from the finest cloth sold in Yakyakistan, the softest silk from Cloudsdale and sown together by the finest tailors here in Canterlot City. It took a while to make but it was certainly worth every coin.”

Flash on the other hand simply shrugged. “It’s… umm… nice.”

Nice?

NICE!? Rarity wanted to burst. You can call her designs, nice. You can even call the food in the cafeteria to be… nice. That suit was a Gallopers’ vintage design! It was crème de la crème. The holy grail of suits! The shining star to every Black-Tie event! The Lost Ark of Equestria! Calling it nice was like calling the Moon and Stars ‘mediocre’. Might as well just throw insults at it rather than pretending to be nice.

“Please, try it on.” The owner opted.

“What? Oh I don’t think that’s necessary. It looks perfectly fine from where I’m standing. I’m sure I can fit into it no problem.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that Flash.” Ms. Hemline cooed. “Can I call you Flash?” He shrugged. “This is a very special suit. It would make me very happy to see my clients in them. Seeing people wearing my clothes are one of my greatest joys. Not to mention if we should find any error, we can make adjustments immediately. Don’t you agree?”

It was a logical reasoning. Not even Twilight can get out of that. Flash rubbed his neck shyly and couldn’t find any arguments there.

“I guess it… can’t hurt to try.”

“Excellent!” She nonchalantly pushed him into the booth and shove the suit stand in with him. “Rarity, make sure that the suit is put on properly. I’ll be back in a few minutes to see it fitted. And get the young man some refreshments while you’re at it.”

“Oh that’s not… necessary.” She was gone before Flash could protest. He glanced over to Rarity again with an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

“Oh don’t mind her. That’s just how she is.” Rarity explained, chuckling. “Prim Hemline is the best in the business. I learned a lot from her during my time here in her boutique. In this line of work, you cannot afford to be soft. You have to grab opportunity by the hair and yank it as hard as you can! As… a matter of speech of course.”

“Well I’m glad you’re having fun. Now… how do I do this exactly? I’ve never actually worn a suit before.” He closed the blinds and slowly changed into the attire.

The fashionista raised a brow. “Didn’t you wear a tux back in the Fall Formal Dance?”

“Yeah but that suit was from home and it didn’t exactly survive after the dance. I didn’t think I’d have to wear another one so soon. My dad really insisted that I get a new one pronto so he made this order.”

“Well that’s very sweet of him.” Rarity nodded as the boy tossed his clothes over the edges. The ensuing chaos inside ruffled the blinds a bit exposing his jagged back clearly for her viewing pleasure. “I uh… mean your father must be really fortunate to have ordered something so grandeur. That suit isn’t exactly something people buy on a whim. Very few people have the chance to see it, much less wear it.”

“Aha. I guess you could say it’s a… rarity?”

“Oh haha. Laugh it up darling. But you need to understand how lucky you are. That kind of attire is fit for the most grand of parties. Only for very special occasions. Like meeting a Queen!”

“I don’t know much about queens but my dad is hosting a fund raiser project in the museum on Saturday. That and… I got an… appointment to go through tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Rarity’s gossip senses were tingling. “An appointment eh? Sounds like you got yourself a date.”

“What!? No!” His panicking tone meant that she was right on the mark. The boy stuck out his head looking like a turtle. “What did you hear? Who told you? How did you know!?”

“I didn’t until just now.” The girl teased him poking his nose. “I don’t suppose I know this lady you’re meeting?”

“N… no. Yes? I mean… no! And it doesn’t mean anything. My dad and her parents are good friends and they want us to at least… mingle. So they set us up for a playdate.”

“Ah mingling. How scandalous.” It would certainly explain the boy’s new hairdo and the new clothes.

“Just promise me you won’t tell anyone.” He pleaded. “I don’t want this getting out.”

The girl ran her finger through her lips imitating a zip. “My lips are sealed.” Flash sighed with relief. “Provided I can count on your help this Sunday for Applejack’s family reunion party.”

“Me? What do you need me for?”

“Labor mostly.” She explained nonchalantly. “It’s a big event and we need some muscle to work on moving much of the furniture.”

“Don’t you have Applejack for that?” The boy reminded. “And isn’t she like… crazy strong?”

Rarity gasped feigning shock. “Flash Sentry. I am disappointed in you. Are you implying that you would let frail ladies such as us do physical labor? I’m shocked. I’ll be exhausted. And in my exhaustion, I might even spill the beans on your… mingling.”

Flash choked on his spit. “Are you… blackmailing me?”

“Blackmailing? Oh no. Absolutely not.” She absolutely was. “I’m just procuring help for my friends. So? What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

“Do I get a choice?”

“If you don’t want people finding about your secret date.”

“Then yes. We have a deal.”

Rarity squealed. “Wonderful. Now come out of there. Let’s see how you fit in that…… suit?” And come out he did like a butterfly that sprung out of its cocoon to spread its gorgeous wings to soar across the sky.

They say ‘that the clothes doth maketh the man’, and in this situation, Rarity would agree to that quote with all her heart. The boy she had known for a long while traded that rocker look for a more 007 spy attire. The bowtie matched well with his suit which in turn matched his cerulean hair. His pants fitted perfectly, leaving no wrinkles whatsoever. If she hadn’t known him before she would’ve easily mistaken him for a prince of a foreign land coming to find a bride in this fair city and make her his princess. He would sweep her off her feet, riding a noble stallion and ride off into the sunset taking her to his kingdom and crown her with his love.

“So how do I look?”

The boy’s words shocked Rarity off her daze letting her analyze him up and down. “Oh umm… you look absolutely… stunning dear.”

“You think so? It feels a little… stiff.”

“That’s just the new fabric stretching to accommodate your… physique.” She explained while the image of his back flashed in her thoughts. “Give it time and you won’t even know it’s there. The folks at your father’s fundraiser will be eyeing you with envy. Ahehe. I can already picture their faces.”

“I hope so. It’s kind of a big event. I don’t want to make a bad impression.”

“Please. Perish the thought. Wearing this suit practically gives you a golden ticket to any black-tie event.” It was true. Just one look at the brand and the people there will be opening doors for you in an instant. The shoes alone cost a fortune. “Speaking of your father. What did Ms. Hemline mean when she said that he got that position? Did he get promoted?”

The boy’s face flushed again at the thought. “Well… something like that. You see – my dad’s a professor in history and he kind of made waves back in his old school. Now they’re transferring him back here and… well it’s complicated.”

“So he’ll be working in Canterlot High?”

“No. Worse.” He cringed. “He’s going to be the new Superintendent for Crystal Prep Academy.”

A Helping Hand

Chapter 10: A Helping Hand

(Wednesday) (Evening) (Canterlot Mall)

It was all hands on deck at the fashion boutique. Ever since the announcement of the Fashion Performance that was to be held at the mall this weekend, the fashion boutique had be swamped with never ending work. Rarity unfortunately was part of that crew.

Ms. Hemline had been waiting for an opportunity to get herself back into the spotlight and this event was her golden ticket. She had been on a warpath ever since word came that she would be heading this show. That kind of pressure could only mean that she would be extra prickly and will tolerate no errors whatsoever. She was even threatening to fire the first person to screw up. And that alone was a scary thing. Thankfully Rarity didn’t need to worry about getting laid off. Because she was to be Ms. Hemline’s extra. Her sidekick in the grand performance.

Sure it was only designing clothes for animals, as much as she wanted to put her artwork on people, but it was still exposure. Simply being on the Fashion Performance alone meant her picture in the newspaper, her face on TV, people cooing over her name. It wasn’t going to be on bright neon signs or billboards, but she had to start somewhere.

“No no no! That’s all wrong!” Ms. Hemline scolded one of her co-workers who looked like he was going to cry. “The frills go into the skirt, not outside! And these cuffs are too centered! Spread them out evenly! Do it again! And you…!” She directed her attention to another. “That hat is all over the place. Find a matching color now or you’re fired! And you!” A third one came, her body shrinking to the size of an amoeba as the boss stepped forward. “More glitter! And you…!”

Rarity froze. Was it her turn now? Oh god. She wasn’t ready. What kind of destructive criticism would she have for her designs? What sassy remark would she make that would rip the creativity off her soul?

“Hmm…” Prim Hemline looked down to her work, like a god of fashion preparing to deliver judgment whether she was worthy or not. “Rarity…”

“Y… yes ma’am?”

“Keep it up. I expect nothing but your best this weekend, understood?”

Her face beamed. It wasn’t a compliment or praise but it wasn’t degrading either. “Yes! Of course Ms. Hemline. And I must say that I am honored that you’ve chosen me to work by your side as…”

“Quiet.” She ordered which the girl obeyed. “Let us do our work in silence. YOU! Stop that at once! That scarf does not go with the puffs! I asked for fluffiness no mediocrity.”

Phew… dodged a bullet there.

Better get back to work. The night is still young and there are still plenty of frills to iron out. You can’t afford to be sloppy now Rarity. Not when a major opportunity has shown itself. You must pull out all the stops. Redouble your efforts!

“Wow Rarity. Are all these for the show?” A familiar voice caught her ears. She turned to the source finding the owner handling one of her dog dresses. “Feels almost too gaudy.”

She smirked back at him. “Darling. That’s entirely the point. But I suppose you of all people would know about fancy and gaudy, Flash.”

The blue haired boy chuckled. “Yeah well… fancy parties aren’t really my thing. I’m more of a simple… music kind of guy. But honestly though. Add a few more frills on these things and the animals will look even better than me. And… I’m not really sure if I should be amazed… or jealous.”

“Oh please be jealous. I love it when people are jealous. Especially when it’s about me.” Rarity gave him a wink which they laughed at. “Are you here to pick up another suit? Don’t tell me you’ve worn out the Gallopers’ already.”

“What? No. Can’t a guy just come and visit his favorite fashionista?”

“Right~~. And how many fashion designers do you know, exactly?”

He blinked. “That’s… not important. What’s important is that you’re my favorite and you’re definitely gonna kill the competition with these designs.”

“My part of the performance is a show, my dear. Ms. Hemline and the other designers will be competing.” She corrected. “But you’re not wrong either. I did put some extra effort into these fabrics. Please. By all means, continue praising me. I could use the stroke of ego.”

“Heh. Sure. Oh wow.” His eyes darted to the next rack where a bunch of suits and dresses were lined up. “Are these part of the Winter Collection? They look awesome.”

“Why thank you dear. Those are my work actually.”

“Yours? All of these?”

“Why of course. Just because I’m assigned to make clothes for animals doesn’t mean I can’t sneak one or two of my own designs up there. Someone needs to usher the animals in. I don’t suppose I could ask you to volunteer as a model.” She gave him a playful wink. “A man with your… ahem… raw physique would make a fine specimen on the catwalk. I can have you strutting there as a pirate with a parrot on your shoulder. Oh! Or maybe an action hero with his faithful canine companion? Or perhaps you’d want to go for Private-Eye with a cat? I’m sure Opal would be more than happy to accommodate you.”

“No thanks.” He brushed it off with a laugh. “I’m more of a… performer than a model. I’d let my music speak for me.”

“Aww… how moot. You sure I can’t persuade you?” She fluttered her eyes at him but still he resisted.

“Maybe next time.” The boy laughed. “I see you’re almost done.”

“Almost. I’m just waiting for Fluttershy and her measurements. I can’t exactly add the final touches without those. And she’s not answering any of my calls.”

“Rarity!” Ah crud. Not now. Is it her turn again? Seriously. Can’t one of these guys keep her occupied for more than a minute? “What did we say about… OH!” Ms. Hemline pressed the pause button on her wrath when she noted the boy again. A sense of déjà vu warped over Rarity. “Flash Sentry. Visiting my shop again? Are you here to place an order?”

The boy flashed a smile. “Actually my dad sent me. He said that the stuff you ordered from Yakyakistan will be coming tonight.”

The woman’s face practically brightened at the mention of it. “Marvelous! I was wondering when it would get here. Our time is cutting short. The centerpiece of my Winter Collection will be magnificent. I’ll have my team ready for them! Oh but you didn’t have to come all the way here to tell me that. You could’ve just as easily called.”

“We did… but you weren’t answering so here I am.”

“Is that so?” Her eyes menacingly darted to a fellow worker who froze at her stare. No doubt she was responsible for those missed calls. “Well either way, pass my thanks to your father. Tell him that he is a true patron of the arts.”

“I will.” The lady then darted off to the back where she had a word to say to the phone handler. Rarity felt bad for her but… better that girl than her.

“Your father is quite generous.” Rarity mentioned as she returned to her work. “Handling supplies like this can be costly. You have no idea how many rolls of layers of clothes we go through every day. And even more during special events.”

“I wouldn’t really call it generous. More like… an investment.” Flash corrected. “He is the one sponsoring this event after all.”

Rarity froze a second time. “He is!? Then does that mean he’ll be…?”

“A judge in the panel? You bet. He practically bragged about it.”

“Ooooh~~ how exciting. What I wouldn’t give to have my designs be judged and humiliated in front of all those carefully calculated eyes.” She hid a groan in her voice. “Now if only Fluttershy would hurry with those measurements. Ms. Hemline wasn’t kidding when she said that we’re cutting short on time. I really need to finish these before the weekends. Aha!” She turned to the door noting her friend coming in short on breath. “And speak of the devil. It’s about time darling. Whatever took you so long?”

“Sorry Rarity.” Fluttershy responded between pants. “It’s just that… we had a little situation… at the pet store.”

A situation? That didn’t sound good.

“A situation?” The fashionista dreaded. “Is everything ok? You’ll still have the animals ready for the performance, right? We can’t have an animal fashion show without animals.”

“Oh… yes we will.” That’s a relief. “But… only about four of them.”

“FOUR!?” Rarity screamed. “What do you mean four?”

“2 cats, 1 dog and 1 parrot to be exact.”

“But… but why!? Ms. Cureall promised me at least 30! I already have the layout for the whole performance dear! What on earth happened!?”

“Well it’s a long story.” The soft spoken girl shyly replied. “Apparently someone brought in the old stock of animal feeds to the store and gave them to all the animals. And apparently it gave them bad stomachs. Ms. Cureall has her hands full taking care of them. The only ones she can spare are the ones I took out for a stroll earlier.”

…

“And?”

Fluttershy startled. “Oh um… that’s pretty much it. I guess it wasn’t such a long story. I’m sorry.”

Rarity breathed in, letting her inner peace rule. “Fluttershy… dear.” She cooed softly, gripping her friend’s shoulder tightly before her face twisted in restrained pain. “Let me explain this to you slowly and clearly: This is going to be a live performance set here in the mall. I know that my role in it is not a grandeur as Ms. Hemline but it is still a prime exposure! Thousands of people will be here on the WEEKENDS. There will reporters, live audiences, journalists and even 20 minutes of spotlight on TV! Opportunities like this do no happen every DAY! So I am going to ask nicely that we…… I… need more than just four MEASLY ANIMALS!” She shook her back and forth frantically.

“Uh… Rarity. You’re scaring me.” She wasn’t the only one. Flash was kind of taken back by her panicked scream.

“I’m sorry dear but you know that this is very important to me! Can’t you call in a favor in the animal shelter or something?”

“I think the animals there aren’t the types you’d keep at home.”

“But… but…!”

“Rarity?” Ms. Hemline spoke up from the store. “Is there a problem?”

She quickly forced a smile. “No! Not at all Ms. Hemline. Just a little miscommunication. That’s all. Easily rectified. Ahehe…” The woman eyed them suspiciously when Rarity pushed the animal lover out with Flash following not far behind. “If that’s the case then… I don’t suppose we can ask your ‘other’ animal friends to participate?”

What she clearly meant was those friends of hers who live in the wild.

“Oh! No. No no no no…” Fluttershy quickly denied. “Well… normally I can but I’ll need my powers to do that and Sunset told us not to use our magic unless it is an absolute emergency.

“But…” Rarity tried to force the words out but clearly couldn’t find a sound argument. There was no way she would risk a friend’s life for some pageant show. “Can’t you think of anything? Anything at all, darling? I’ll take anything at this point. A squid, a giant bear, even swine from Applejack’s farm!”

“I’m sorry Rarity. I wish I could help. Really I do. But I’m going to have my own hands full helping Ms. Cureall. I really hope you’d understand.”

“And I do darling. I really do. It’s just that this show is…” She turned to her design collection and sighed. “I suppose I’ll just have to make do with those four. You wouldn’t happen to have their measurements, would you?” The girl produced a small paper from her pocket which Rarity accepted with a sigh. “I guess my sideshow will be cut short… like my career.”

The two of them watched as the fashionista returned to the boutique, dejected and heartbroken. Whatever happens, the show must go on. Even with the roster being cut down.

“That’s… not exactly how I pictured that conversation to go.” Flash added once Rarity was out of sight. The girl was so bubbly and smiling like she was at the top of the world for one moment and then boom… she hit rock bottom the next second. “Are things really that bad at the shop?”

Fluttershy looked down depressingly. “I’m afraid so. With all the animals sick from the bad food, I’m afraid they’re in no condition to even walk. At least for a few days. Though…” She darted to her friend by the window display. “… I really wish I could help out in some way. Maybe I can use some of my powers to get some of the animals in the woods to help out just for a bit.”

“Whoa now. Let’s not be too hasty.” The boy raised his hand up in protest. “Remember what Adagio said? The last thing we want is for the shadow monster to show itself during the pageant.”

“I… suppose so. But I really want to help Rarity out and… I don’t know if we can just borrow animals from the other stores or the shelter.”

No. They can’t just go to other stores. That kind of arrangement takes days or weeks. But… that also gave Flash a ‘flash’ of inspiration. Something he was good at.

“Actually. There is another way.” He put one hand over his chin as he gave the idea a thought. “But I’m gonna need a little help from you, Fluttershy.”

“Of course!” The girl readily agreed. “Anything for Rarity. I won’t leave her in the dust like this.”

“Good.” He nodded, holding out his phone. “Can you give me your contacts?” He leaned in to whisper. “Listen. Here’s the plan.”

(Twilight’s home)

“Hmmm… odd.” Twilight stated to herself as she pondered over her equipment like a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough. She tinkered with the dials here, flipping a switch there and turning a knob or two to get a better reading.

In front of her stood a holographic view of Canterlot. Over the last Summer Break she had spent a good amount of time putting up tracker gizmos on top of vantage points across the city which in turn gave her a clear view of everything. It was kind of like having your own personal surveillance network but less intrusive on people’s privacy.

From her computer and scanner she could detect any manner of magic anywhere in the city giving her a god’s eye view over the realm. Some might even say that it’s a dangerous power to have but she would disregard that notion so long as your purpose is purely scientific.

“Hmmm… very odd indeed.”

“Twilight, are you ok?” Her pet dog asked. “You’ve been looking at that screen for hours now. It’s already way passed dinner.”

“Sorry Spike. It’s just that these readings are really strange.” She explained to him, not taking a moment off the holographic map. “The more I look into this new strange magic source, the more questions it raises. I tried comparing it with our own magic and they’re surprisingly compatible. Looks like Sunset’s explanation was spot on. Magic is simply an ingredient and we’re the cooking tools.”

Spike rolled his eyes at her. “You do know that you’re talking to a dog, right? None of what you said just now, made any sense to me.”

She smiled at him. “I’m just thinking out loud Spike. Here.” She reached out for the dog treats and poured a good portion on his bowl. The dog eagerly dug in, forgetting the earlier statement. “I just wished I could get a good look on the Chalice of Wishes. It’s said that if you drink a special brew from it, you’ll be granted anything you desire.”

“Like a giant dog bone!?” Spike imagined it dreaming of licking a giant marrow for hours. “Oh sweet heaven.”

Twilight eyed at the mutt sweetly. “I was thinking of something way bigger, Spike. Imagine what humanity could do with that kind of power. The technology that can come out of it. If we can harness it to our benefit we’ll be the pioneers who will advance mankind to the next age! We might even go to space and conquer the stars! Haha! They’ll be putting my face on the history books for sure!”

“Meh… no bone, no interest.”

“Spike!” Twilight scolded to which the dog ignored and returned to his treats. She would’ve lectured him further had her phone not interrupted. She smiled at the caller’s name and grinned, reciting a line that she had been practicing. “Hello there. C.I.C Vice-President Twilight Sparkle speaking. How may I be of assistance?”

Even though she couldn’t see her, Twilight could tell that the girl on the other line was rolling her eyes at the somewhat professional introduction. It was very… secretary-like. “You’re really taking this new position of yours really seriously, aren’t you?”

“We’re an official Club now. We don’t only have to act professional, but BE professional.” She reasoned. “What’s up?”

Sunset chuckled. “Nothing much. Just finished my homework and thought I’d check in on you if you got anything to update me on our first investigation. Anything I should know?”

“Other than what we know now? No.” She replied dejectedly. “I’ve managed to triangulate the strange magic source. I can see clearly the ones coming from the artifacts. They’re all clustered together in one house over at Uptown. If my guess is correct, which it usually is, that must where Flash is staying.”

“Flash lives in Uptown?” Sunset returned, mildly amazed. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore after everything I’ve seen these last few days.”

“Yeah. Big surprise. But the stranger part is, other than the ones there, I don’t see the wolf anywhere. I’ve been keeping watch since last night and still nothing. It’s like it… vanished.”

“But that’s a good thing, right? Maybe it’s gone for good. Maybe Flash and the Dazzlings really did destroy it.”

“Yeah but you have to remember that it’s a familiar. It’s an extension of a person. There has to be someone controlling it. I could just be that it went out of town. My sensors don’t cover other than the outskirts of the city.”

“Well you said that all the strange magic are in Flash’s place right?” Sunset suggested which she turned and listened. “If someone was to use that magic they’d have to have one of those objects to summon the monster. When it was in the museum, anyone who works there could touch it. Like Maud. But now that it’s safely inside his house…”

“No one could tap into the magic!” Twilight smacked her head in realization. “Of course! That makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I think of that?” She grinned. “Excellent deduction, President Shimmer.”

“Well I couldn’t have you do all the hard work.” The lady on the other line smugly added. “Speaking of magic. I don’t suppose you’ve been tracking our friends too.”

“Of course not.” Twilight gasped feigning hurt. “I would never use my technology to intrude on the privacy of others. It’s just so…”

“Twilight…”

“Ok fine. But I only see them on my scanner because they use it. Especially someone who promised not to use them unless it’s an emergency.”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Rainbow Dash.” Of course it’d be Rainbow Dash. Who else would it be?

Sunset groaned softly. “Well the sun’s still out so I’ll let it slide. But if she keeps this up, I’m calling her. I’m surprised our geodes aren’t being overcharged with the way she’s been using them.”

“She’s been careful. But not careful enough. How are the Dazzlings by the way?” Twilight changed the subject. “Adagio was pretty rigid when we talked the other day.”

“Well they were attacked by the giant wolf monster and one of her friends almost literally turned into dust. I’d be angry too if any of you were hurt because of this. But I am going to keep one eye out for her just in case.”

“You think she’s involved?”

“No. Not involved with these attacks. I’m just worried she might try something that might get her in trouble.” Sunset stated. “Speaking of Adagio. How is Flash’s Arts and Craft project coming along? Is it still broken?”

Ah… right… the bowl. Twilight turned towards the said object which stood marginally repaired on her worktable.

“About… 8% done.” She reported back wearily. “I’m going through the pieces as fast as I can but this thing is just about as broken as broken can be even before Adagio smashed it pieces. Even with my powers there’s no telling how long it might take. It’s kind of like assembling a thousand piece puzzle with no corners.”

“You sure you don’t want me to take it off your hands?” Sunset offered. “You seemed pretty swamped with everything that’s been happening.”

“No it’s fine. Besides – I was the one who asked him to bring it. It’s my responsibility.”

“Well… if you’re sure. In the mean time I’ll do some digging at the Natural History Museum. I think we can narrow down our list of suspects if I can find out who had access to the artifacts before they were put away.” Sunset tipped her head down in thought. “I’ll start with Maud seeing as she works there. If we’re lucky we’ll find out who’s responsible for all these attacks and put an end to it once and for all.”

“Alright. But remember Sunset. Play it safe.”

“Oh please. This is me you’re talking to. When do I never play it safe?”

…

“Twilight? Are you there?”

“Oh I’m still here. I was just thinking of a good comeback just now but my brain must’ve overloaded from all the jokes. Mwahahahaha!”

Sunset hung up.

(Sweet Snacks Café)

Wham bam thank you ma’am! Another 5 star rating on Screech! That’s another 12 user scores added to the list. Not a new record but meh.

Pinky let out a battle cry as she saw the scoreboard on the website, eyes shimmering like the stars themselves. It was another ten minutes till her shift was over but she wasn’t gonna slack off just yet. The dinner rush was long gone but that didn’t mean the diner wasn’t busy. With all the late night workers and a few coming for a midnight snack, you can find this place practically brimming with folks from all over Canterlot.

As she skated back to the counter she realized that there were no more orders to deliver meaning she and her co-workers can take it easy for the next few minutes.

“Good job as always, Pinkie.” Doo Wop, her co-worker gave her a thumbs up as she put down an ice cream plate with five scoops on top. “Your usual. On the house.”

“Thanks. I really needed a recharge.” It was amazing how someone like Pinkie, who won the Brain Freeze Challenge last week could still stomach the stuff. “Another busy night?”

“Not really.” The waitress shrugged. “With the Winter Holidays coming in and the weather outside getting colder I doubt there’ll be a lot of people coming this far just for a bite. I might have to take a second job if they’re gonna take out the late night shift. But we are making a winter themed menu later on and everyone needs to come up with a new recipe.”

“Pfft. Oh please. That’s easy. Have you met me?” Pinkie challenged. “I can make that menu with one hand tied behind my back. Cheese soufflé with multi-colored sprinkles, Christmas cupcakes with reindeer horns made out of chocolate, super-special holiday coffee!”

Doo Wop raised a brow. “And how is coffee… special?”

“Easy! We just add warm breadsticks on the sides and marshmallow. We’ll make it colorful and decorative! It’ll look so good that people will feel guilty just eating it!”

The waitress unconsciously reached for her notepad, writing down the ideas as they came. “Huh… you’re right. That was easy. I’ll pass these down to the manager. You just made some awesome recipes for all of us.”

“Oh pa-lease.” Pinkie rubbed her hands together smiling menacingly. “I haven’t even gotten started yet. Wait till you hear what I have for deserts.”

But they were interrupted when Sunny Sugarsocks came up. “Eyes up ladies. Looks like the newlyweds just arrived.” She pointed to the door where a happy looking couple strolled in, arms locked together with giant rocks in their fingers. The trio recognized them instantly. They were regulars here at the diner before the pair got hitched a year back. It was a really romantic story for the diner. “You two want your usuals?”

They nodded back choppily before taking a table for themselves.

“Two burger sets! Coming right up!” The chef shouted from the kitchen already working on the meals.

Doo Wop chuckled, eyeing the couple from afar. “Aww… look at those two. Hard to imagine that they used to come here regularly alone. Now they’re like two peas in a pot. I tell ya, love makes everything better.”

Pinkie nodded happily in agreement. “Like frosting on ice cream.”

“Haa~ I wish I could feel the same as they do. What about you Pinkie? What do you think?”

“About frosting?”

“No silly. About love.” Her co-worker corrected. “Don’t you have a special someone out there that you wished you could be with? Holding hands, going on dates or spend a lovely romantic evening just losing yourself looking into each other’s eyes?”

Pinkine laughed. “Nah. I’m spending the holidays with my folks. I don’t have anyone spe…”

“It’s nice to see the other side of Pinkie Pie. You’re really cute, you know that.”

Her brain suddenly froze as her cheeks turned red when the memory of that fateful night replayed in her head. It came so suddenly that she didn’t have any defense to hide it which was caught in full view of her friends.

“Oh!” Sunny’s eyes lit up like a hundred Christmas trees. “You do!”

Pinkie scrambled. “Wh… what? No! No I don’t!”

“But she does. She absolutely does!” Doo Wop squealed, her smile widening from ear to ear. “Who is it? Spill girl! Is it someone we know?”

“Does he come to this diner?”

“Is it that guy who makes those cheesy jokes?”

“Or that guy who makes houses out of waffles?”

“Girls. Relax.” Pinkie calmed them down. “It’s nothing like that. We only had one date and it wasn’t really…”

“A date!? Oh now we have to hear this!”

Ding!

“Order up!”

“Oh look. Order’s here.”

“Sunny!”

“I’m on it!” The co-worker hastily grabbed the burgers and settled them on the couple with complimentary drinks before immediately coming back like a speeding bullet. “Now where were we? Oh right. So who is it?”

But Pinkie was stubborn and quickly fought the blush away, rolling on her skates. “Sorry girls. But these lips are sealed. And no, you’ll never guess who. It’s not like he visits this place every day.”

You know the problem when you try to challenge the universe?

“Hey Pinkie.”

… it sometimes answers that challenge.

“GAHH! Flash!?” The bubblegum girl fumbled on her balance losing her footing on her skates. “Wh… whoa!”

The blue haired boy reached out and grab her by the arm. “Easy there. I gotcha.” He held that warm smile over which got her blushing. “You ok?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine.” But she quickly got back to her state of mind and pulled herself back. Her whole brain scrambled over, confused and puzzled on his sudden appearance. “No! Better question: What. What. What. What. What. What. What. What are you doing here!? How are you here!? Why are you here, now of all times!?”

Flash looked back, also equally puzzled though for an entirely different reason. “Well… actually I came here for you.”

Me!?

“Meuey!?” She fumbled on her words, quickly reaching for one of the trays and using it as a shield. Her heart rate went up while her face turned redder than one of Applejack’s family apples. “R… really!?” She failed to notice her co-workers grinning madly behind her back tossing knowing winks at each other. “Wha wha wha wha wha… why?”

“I was wondering if we could talk about… some stuff.” Stuff? STUFF!? What kind of stuff!? Out with it man!? “Is this a bad time?”

Yes!

“N… no?” Pinkie blinked then slapped herself when she realized what her mouth just said. “I mean yes! I’m uh… kind of on shift right now and we’re all super busy so…”

“Actually your shift ended two minutes ago.” Doo Wop stated gesturing to the clock above the counter.

“So…”

“Please come in.” Sunny Sugarsocks quickly skated to their side and scooted them into the diner, her voice and expression practically oozing with suggestions. Pinkie threw her a mean yet surprisingly adorable glare. “It’s always nice to meet one of Pinkie’s friends. Here, have the corner booth. Get yourself settled in and I’ll be back to get your order.”

Oh god.

Pinkie was getting a sense of déjà vu. It was the Huffs and Hooves all over again. The special treatment, the stares from the other patrons, the over-politeness of the waitresses! This was practically a repeat of that night except they were in a diner and not some super fancy restaurant!

“Your friends seem nice.” Flash mentioned while Pinkie buried herself in her hat.

Yeah, she couldn’t agree more. They were really nice. So nice that she just wanted to throw an explosive cupcake at them.

Trouble's a Brewin

Chapter 22: Trouble’s a Brewin

(Sunday) (Sunset’s house)

Sunset curled her weary body in her bed that night feeling cozy. It was Sunday, meaning that she didn’t need to get up early. Finals were starting tomorrow so she was going to spend today resting up and studying. No more fun times or magical adventures. This was going to be a normal day – or… as normal as a day in this world can get.

Put on a smile it’s a coinky dink world!

Laugh yourself awhile in a coinky-dink world!

Come on take a whirl… through a coinky dink world~~!

No… no no no no. Darn it Pinkie.

How? How does she keep doing this? How in the world did she change her ringtone again? Sunset made sure that the security was unbreakable, she even put in a fingerprint lock!

She quickly muffled her ears with her pillow hoping that the caller would take the hint and go away. She waited for a few seconds. Then seconds turned into a minute, then a minute turned into many more minutes...

And alas, the damn ringtone got to her. She shot out of bed and reached for the phone with a sigh.

“Twilight?” She answered with a yawn looking at the time on the screen. “It’s 3 o’clock in the morning. Can’t this wait?”

“NO!” The girl on the other line answered back, her tone practically in panic mode. “This is a Code-Red emergency! DEFCON-1! I need your advice like, right now!”

Sunset groggily replied. “Ok ok. Calm down. No need to be so loud. What’s the problem?” It had better be an emergency. It was way too early to be dealing with any kind of problem right now. The world can explode this very minute for all she cared.

“Hang on. I’ll put you in on conference.” A conference call? It must be big if she brought others into this. “Is everyone on?”

“Yes darling.” Rarity yawned in reply. “I’m still here…”

“Same.” Rainbow Dash followed sounding equally tired.

“Present…” Fluttershy too?

“Caramel soup…” Pinkie as well? Wow. She sounds pooped. “More… caramel soup.”

“Yeah I’m here.” Applejack finished. “What’s the big fat emergency? This has better be good. I got to get the cows grazing in an hour.”

Twilight breathed in. A pregnant pause formed around her throat. “Timber just asked me to move in with him!”

…

Say what now?

“WHAT!?” Rarity jolted up from her stupor shouting in a tone that pretty much rang everyone awake. “Timber? As in your sweet little Timber?”

“That’s right! What should I tell him?”

“Well what did you tell him, darling?”

“I told him I need time to think about it.”

“Wait hold up.” Rainbow interrupted, all thoughts of sleeping tonight was washed away. “What did he ask?”

“Timber just asked Twilight to move in with him!”

"He what!?"

“What should I tell him!?”

“Well what did you tell him?”

“I TOLD HIM I NEEDED TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT!”

“Everybody, quiet!” Sunset called everyone to attention, her head splitting in a headache. “Ok Twilight. Slow down. When did this happen?”

“Yesterday! During the concert. We were all in the park when he asked me right out of the blue!”

“Aww… how romantic.”

“Really Fluttershy?” RD’s tone was a bit sour. “Sounds a bit creepy to me. I mean you go a few dates and then he asked you to move in with him?”

Applejack coughed. “Haven’t they been dating for over a year now?”

“They have?” The sports gal paused. “Huh… has it really been that long?”

“Well on a personal level, I’d say it all comes down to his apartment.” Rarity reminded to which some of them casually agreed. “Is it big enough to accommodate you two? Does it have a lovely view of the city?”

“Does it really matter?” Twilight shrugged on the other line.

“Of course darling! If he’s the one asking you to move to his place, it must at least be accommodating for two. If someone were to ask me to move in with them it must at least meet up to my standard. Have you seen his place? What’s it like? Where is it?”

“His apartment is ok… I guess. He lives on the eastside… so it’s kind of close to the beach.”

“Beachfront property?” Rarity cooed, now totally enthralled by the conversation. “Now we’re talking. I say move in with him immediately. I can see nothing but positive outcomes with this. You’ll be taking the next step in your relationship. Not to mention you won’t have to worry about rent. And being close to the coast means you can go to the beach any time you want.”

“Now hold on just a dang minute.” Applejack protested. “The home might be important and all, but our dear old Twilight shouldn’t be forced into bunking with another just because someone asked. I mean… the decision is yours to make. If you really like this guy and if you can see yourself with him then I’d say go for it. But you think that things are going too fast then you might wanna tell him to slow down. This is a big decision after all.”

“I say she should go for it!” Pinkie tossed her two bits in siding with Rarity. “How awesome would it be to be living with someone that you love? It’ll be like a party that never ends!”

“Me too.” Fluttershy chimed in much to everyone’s surprise. “It might be scary moving into a different environment. But like I tell all my animals when they move to the shelter: It’ll be alright, because you’re with friends now.”

“But they’ve only been dating for a year.” Rainbow Dash protested. “I’m all about going with the flow, but this? Isn’t there like a whole process for this kind of thing?”

“I’m gonna have to go with Rainbow Dash on this one.” Sunset finally chipped in throwing her lot with the protesters. “And as the leading authority of moving between two worlds, believe me… I know the feeling. You should wait – or at least keep your options open. I made a mistake of picking the first apartment that came to me.” She shuddered. “It looked good at first but then I realized how much of a nightmare it was with all the faulty wirings. Took me months before I could move out of there.”

Twilight counted the votes. “So that’s 3 votes for yes and 3 votes for no. Oh come on! Grrr! Where’s a tie-breaker when you need one? Who else can I call to cast another vote?”

“Twilight, there’s no need to rush.” Sunset interjected before the girl could go twilly-nanas. “You still got a semester to figure it out. Right now I’d worry more about the finals we have next week. Check out some of the apartments you had in your list. Clear your head and see your other options. Once you got all the details then you can make an informed decision.”

“I… well… I guess you’re right. I did tell him that I'd give him an answer by next week.”

“Good. Now I’m going back to sleep. I got a full day of studying ahead and a microwaved breakfast in a few hours. So… good morning.” And in unison the gang hung up on Twilight returning to their beauty sleep.

(CHS) (Vice-Principal’s office)

Luna rubbed the temple between her eyes that morning feeling rather sore. Final’s week was always the most troublesome week. While it did mean that their work days were ending, it also meant that they have to be extra vigilant for all their students. Cheaters and cheat groups often run rampant during this time of the semester. Students passing notes when the teachers aren't looking, having answers to questions printed on their water bottles or written on their arms. Anything that will give them an edge to get a better score.

“Luna?” The woman looked up when her name was called. “You’re here? On a Sunday?”

“Matilda?” She recognized Cranky’s wife. They used to be very close back in their school days. “What are you doing here?”

“Cranky came to get his coat at the teacher’s lounge.” The older lady explained as she entered the room. “We’re heading off to our favorite restaurant for our semi-anniversary.”

“Semi-anniversary?” She tilted her head questioningly. "Is that a thing?"

“Trust me honey. When you’re married for as long as I have, you’ll have put up any excuse just to get out of the house.” She chuckled. “Besides, I think he’s pretty stressed out for the final’s week himself. Which I’m guessing is what you’re doing all alone here?”

“Someone has to hold the fort.” Luna reasoned, putting down her work for a minute. “And it’s only for a week. Just making sure all the regular students aren't grouped too closely together. Afterward it’ll be nothing but resting and relaxing at home with hot cup of coffee in my hand.”

“And maybe a good movie to go with it.” They shared a short laugh. “Speaking of coffee. Cranky and I saw your sister out in the café in Midtown earlier. She was with this very handsome gentleman with black wavy hair and the greatest jawline I have ever seen.”

The Vice Principal sighed happily. “That would the new Principal of Crystal Prep Academy, Professor Sombra.”

“Sombra!?” Matilda gasped. “As in our Sombra? Cute, handsome, smart hottie Sombra? The one that she broke up with?”

“The very same.” Her eye twitched on the smart nickname.

“Oh my.” Her reaction was quite natural. No one would ever really expect a pair that split a long time ago to suddenly get back together so quickly. “I knew he looked familiar. My my… he looked even more dashing than he was back in our college days. I can’t believe they’re back together again.”

“You and me both."

“We should definitely have a get-together reunion.” Matilda suggested waving her hand around cheesily. “It’ll be great to have the old gang together again. You, Celestia, me, Cranky, Sombra and Sophie… oh…” Oh indeed. “Sorry. I guess not everyone.”

No… definitely not everyone.

“It’s quite alright. Sophie was our friend – and the best of us.”

“She really was.” Matilda agreed wholeheartedly. Her head cast downward while her eyes looked into the past. “You know, Sophie was actually the one who brought me and Cranky together. He never would’ve worked up the courage to propose to me if it wasn’t for her. I was really happy for her when she got together with Sombra. She even asked me to be her Maid of Honor.”

“I know, Matilda. I was there.” And she remembered the wedding like it was just yesterday. She remembered the bride and the groom saying their vows and driving off to their honeymoon. It was a week long vacation if she recalled correctly. “It was a wonderful ceremony.”

“It’s a shame what happened to her. Those two deserve better.” They really did. Out of everyone they knew, Sophie and Sombra truly deserved a happier ending. “And what of you, dear?”

Luna blinked. “What about me?”

“Oh please. Don’t give me that.” She brushed it off casually like she knew something no one else did. “You know, when I heard that Sombra and Celestia broke up I had my money thinking that you’d be the one to swoop in.”

“Me?!” She choked, while her cheeks darkened. “Matilda. Now you’re just being silly. We couldn’t stand each other. He was such a big know-it-all.”

“Well he was the smartest one out of all of us.” The older lady grinned. “And they do say that people who argue a lot are simply showing affection the other way around.”

Luna cocked a brow at now. “Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” The donkey gal grinned. “Remember back in college? The three of us were lab partners for that uh… potato beam or whatyamacallit?”

“The Spud-Ray!” Luna recalled as if a part of her brain suddenly woke up. “That’s right. I remember now. It was our first year in college together. We had a free science project and I wanted to make see how many potatoes it would take to light up enough lamps to bake another potato.” She puckered her lips up in thought. “If I remember correctly, that project did not go so well.”

“It blew up on all our faces! Quite literally too.” Matilda reminded which sparked some old memories back. “The whole classroom was covered in that gunk because you thought that a hot potato would generate more power.”

“Science wasn’t exactly my best subject.” She defended. And how was she to know that it didn't matter what temperature the potato was in? “And there some good that came out of it. The whole class got to have mashed potato for lunch.”

“And Sombra was quite the looker even back then. I remember how he protested on your project so many times.”

“That was a long time ago, Matila. And honestly I was into the big muscled men out on the field. Not some egghead.” Thankfully a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

“Hey honey. I got my coat. What you all doing here?” Cranky poked his head with a rare sweet smile on his face.

“Just reminiscing on old times dear.” Matilda waved it off before joining him. “It’s good to see you again Luna. Tell your sister that we should catch up sometimes.”

Maybe some other time.

… maybe never.

(Twilight’s house)

“Move in with me…”

The words echoed in her head like it was going on repeat.

Why in the world would Timber ask her to move in now of all time? She wished she knew. Of course she also knew that he loved her and she loved him. But moving in together, so quickly? It feels like things were just going a tad bit too fast.

And it’s not like she had any reference to go on. This was her first real relationship. She never even thought of ever getting a boyfriend until Timber showed up. But moving in with him just feels… not right. At least not right now.

“Twilight!” She nearly trip on her own toes when her brother’s voice boomed from behind. “I think that’s enough decoration for one side.”

The girl laughed awkwardly when she noted that she had pinned a few too many ribbons on the wall. They were busy decorating for the Winter Holidays making the house look for festive for the season. Apparently her mom and dad invited some old friends from the big city to celebrate the holiday in the house. It was going to be pretty big.

“You alright?” Her brother asked. “You look out of it.”

“I’m fine.” She waved it off. “Just… deep in thought. You know those formulas aren't just gonna solve themselves.”

“O… k? But weren’t you supposed to go look into a few apartments today?”

That was the plan. She was even looking forward to some of them too, like that penthouse she could never afford in a million years. But ever since Timber offered a place in his apartment she started to have cold feet.

“I was… but… I changed my mind.” She lied. “I thought I’d stay home and study for the finals.”

“Oh please. Like you haven’t aced everything CHS could throw at you.” He laughed lowly to himself as he hung the bells over the door. Her brother was probably being truthful. The lessons CHS provided was pretty much child’s play to her. Heck she could probably get an above-average grade on the exams with both eyes closed.

But then a thought came to mind. “Hey… Shining Armor. Can I ask you something?”

“Always.” He answered with a smile, not even taking his eyes off his task. “But if this is about the Sibling Supreme Crown – remember I won that round fair and square. That means I still get to keep it until New Year.”

“Oh please. You got lucky because mom gave you an easy question on our family trivia.”

“That still counts as a victory.” He smugly retorted as he produced the said crown from his jacket and placing it on his head taunting her with its very appearance. Despite its worn out look, that little piece of cardboard was worth its weight in gold for both of them. "I think I'll wear this as part of my Winter Holiday family photo. Don't you think I look dashing with it?" Twilight rolled her eyes at him.

“Don’t get too comfy with that crown. Because it’ll be mine when I beat you next year after the holidays.” She challenged back. “But no… that’s not what I meant. What I wanted to is ask about… you and Cadance.” Shining Armor turned his head, surprised.

“Oh? What about?”

“When you two first moved in together. What was it like?”

It was an unusual question so it was expected for him to show a curious expression. “Well it was pretty scary at first. I mean it was a pretty big step in our relationship and there were a lot of changes to be made. When Cadance and I started dating two years ago, none of us knew where it would take us. I mean she’s a dean and I’m just an assistant. But eventually I worked up the courage to ask her to move in with me. She was conflicted at first but then I showed her the pros and cons. And afterward she said yes. Now we live together, hang out together, share a toothbrush.”

“Ah lalalalala! Too much information!” Twilight interjected plugging her ears before she hears something she would never forget. “I was just asking for the feeling.”

He laughed and shrugged back apologetically. “Well like I said: It was scary at first. And we had a lot of bumps along the way. We fight, argue and even thought of splitting one time.”

“Really?” Her eyes shot up. “But you guys look so happy together.”

“Of course we do. But relationships aren’t just music and roses Twilly. They take a lot of work, just like every other kind of bond. Even Cadance and I fight every now and then. But after a while we were able to settle in and work together a system and we’re stronger than ever.”

“What kind of system?”

“Oh now that’s my secret, sis. And no two relationships are ever alike. You’ll have to find your own system if you want to build a strong connection with someone.”

“Oh come on! Can’t you at least give me a hint?”

His brow worked up. “Well… I suppose I can give you one tip: Communication is key. You can’t exactly get to know each other if you can’t even communicate with one another. Try and listen and give your own opinions. Find a common ground and work your way from there.”

Wow… that’s… actually kind of a good advice. A rather surprising notion coming from him.

“Huh… common ground. I guess that could work.”

“Why do you ask?” He turned the question around.

“No reason. I was just um… wanted to know what kind of experience is waiting for me. That’s all.” That was a lie and her face showed it and she could tell that her brother knew it too. But oddly enough he decided not to press it further. "Huh... common ground."

(Monday) (CHS)

Rainbow Dash found herself groaning loudly as she slammed her head at her locker door with an expression that felt similar to that of a girl whose whole world was just about to end. She mumbled lowly to her locker like someone trying to shout at a tree stump to blow all her anger away.

“What’s the matter?” Her locker neighbor, Sunset, asked. Though the question was more rhetorical since she knew what was bothering her friend. "Let me guess. The test was hard?"

“More like impossible.” RD smacked her head on her locker again mumbling profusely like she was trying to chant some mantra. “I mixed up my study session. I thought I’d have physics today. But instead I had algebra! I totally flopped on the first day of finals!”

“Ouch. That bad huh?” The redhead knew the feeling well. “Must be pretty rough. But don't fret. I'm sure you'll do better next time. You can still make up on it."

"That's easy for you to say. I'm not a genius like you or Twilight. Taking these exams is like... Fluttershy and sports." A rather specific example but it put the point across. "It takes twice as much effort for someone like me to get around numbers and equations." She groaned. "It's not my fault my brain isn't as well grounded as you guys."

"I don't think that's how things work. But if you want, maybe you can ask Professor Doodle for a makeup test instead. I’m sure he’ll understand that it was just a mistake on your part.”

“You think he’ll buy it?” Rainbow blinked.

“It can’t hurt to try.”

The multi-haired-colored gal bobbed her head. “Ugh… I can’t wait for this to end. Four days of never ending tests and studies? I mean, who does that? How do they expect students to go on that long without breaking apart?”

“Well if you’re having trouble, maybe you can drop by and study at my place tonight. I’ll even give you tips and pointers.”

“Thanks… but right now I need something else other than studies. I can’t get myself motivated if I don’t have an end goal. I mean… if I had something to look forward to, then maybe I can get myself pumped!”

Sunset can understand that. Everyone had their own goals when it came to education. Some want to have the best grades to show off to their peers like Twilight. Some do it to escape Summer School and remedial classes. For Rainbow… it was something else.

But then she smiled when her eyes cast over to the school board where Vice-Principal Luna was busy posting a new flyer. “Well if you need motivation… I think we found it.”

Rainbow Dash approached and read it out loud. “The CHS Winter Holiday/End of the Year Party?”

“That’s right.” Luna nodded proudly. “Seeing as the school will be closing for a few weeks, I thought that it’d be a great idea to host a grand celebration for the end of the semester. There’ll be food and dancing for everyone. What better way to kick off the end of the semester than with a grand celebration? All within range of the law of course.” She added that last bit strangely quick like she was trying to avoid a lawsuit. “Think of it as a way for us teachers to give back to the students.”

Yeah right. More like another grand opportunity to pinch food and drinks from the party. A few students caught her pocketing bottles of cider and even a whole ham in her bag. It was pretty much a known secret. But she wasn’t gonna mention that.

“A party!?” Rainbow’s expression turned a complete 180. “Awesome! Finally! Some proper motivation!” She ignored Sunset rolling her eyes at her. “If there’s a party here in school that means there’ll be music, and music means a band. I’ve been itching to shred my guitar for a while now. I’m guessing you want the Sonic Rainbooms to perform?”

The flowing haired woman shook her head in reply. “Thank you for the offer Rainbow Dash but another band has been booked for the party.”

“What? But why? We’re the biggest band in the whole school! We got spotted on movies and even have our own musical being played in the mall! How are we not playing for the biggest party of the school?” Rainbow Dash protested. “That’s so unfair! I demand to speak with the person in charge!”

Luna coughed. “Yes?”

“Uh… oh! Ahehehe…” Well that was an embarrassing snide but she quickly recovered. “Anyway, I can’t let this stand. As the leading performer of the Rainbooms, I'm putting my foot down. Who’s the sucker who'll be playing for the party?”

“That would be us.” Another voice interjected making them turn to the source. A blue haired boy winked at them folding his arms together by the locker. "The Flash Drive..."

“Flash!?” Rainbow gawked. “You’re the one they asked to play for the Winter Holiday party? But… why? The Rainbooms have been the biggest band here in CHS! We got gigs all over the city and a music video!”

“True. But as of our performance at the park…” He pulled up his phone, playing a video of their performance for them to see. “The Flash Drive has are now known worldwide. Over 3 million views in just 48 hours. Boom! Take that.”

“Oh pffft. Big whoop.” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Our band would’ve made twice that number if we had a chance to perform on the big stage. Hits on a video doesn’t prove which of us is better.”

“Sounds like somebody’s jealous.” He teased with a casual smile. “Sorry to say, but it looks like the gig is ours. You'll have to take it up with the folks on top.”

“I bet I can outplay you at your own game.”

Flash’s eyes gleamed. “That sounds like a challenge Rainbow Dash. You really think you can outshred this talent?” He pulled out his guitar from his locker, pointing the tail end at his opponent, to which she accepted.

“I know I can outshred you.” She countered back raising her hand up to grab her own guitar that Pinkie handed from the corner of the room. How she got there - and how she disapeared a second later, no one will ever know. “Let’s have a shred-off. Winner takes all, unless you're afraid.”

“Sounds good to me.” He agreed. “But… why don’t we make it a little more… interesting?” Flash grinned as an idea came to mind. “Loser gets to play backup guitar at the party.”

“Ha! You are so on!” They shook hands on it almost immediately. “Alright then. Ready? Shr—”

“AHEM!” Luna coughed out loud quickly silencing the two. “While I do want this situation resolved quickly. You two do remember that we’re still in the middle of the exam week? You two can settle this matter afterschool.”

“Fine by me…”

“Me too…” The two rockers grinned equally confident of their victory.

(Library)

Ugh… thank god for some peace and quiet. Twilight wasn’t exactly sure what happened but the students at the hallway seemed all riled for some reason. Probably something silly. She only had about 40 minutes of lunch period before her next test so she thought she’d come by and do a little research.

Thankfully the library seemed pretty empty this time of day so there was no risk of anyone interfering or interrupting her…

“Rarity?” She spotted the fashionista on one of the study tables buried under a ton of books. The bored look on her face quickly brightened when she heard her name called out. “I didn’t expect you to be here. Studying for the next exam?”

“No. I’m actually doing a bit of research.” She flashed the cover of her book which depicted a cartoony dragon facing off a giant robot.

“Research? With comics?” Twilight questioned. "You have a subject on comics?"

“It’s for my designs for Hoity Toity.” She explained with a soft groan. “I’ve been looking for something to inspire me. Normally I’d have something hit me by now. But it’s already been three days and I’ve gotten nothing.”

“Wow… must be hard to meet his standard.”

“It is incredibly high. But that’s why he’s the best of the best. Those that joined are already peering under pressure. Vignette just texted me saying that six of them already quit from peer pressure – and their designs were magnificent. You should’ve seen their princess gowns, the knight’s suit and renaissance outfits. They were simply divine.” And that was a big praise coming from her. “I simply can’t go with my usual one night stands. I need something different. Something big and bold. Something no one has ever seen before.” She looked at her book and sighed at its contents. “And somehow I think dragons and robots won’t even begin to fit in his category. They’re just so common, so... ordinary. I require a new muse to jolt my inspiration. Something to elevate my imagination to greater heights!”

“Is that why you’re studying history and myths?” Twilight pointed at the number of ancient history tomes on the table.

“I’m desperate darling. I’ve been combing through other culture to broaden my horizon. Yakyakistan Stomping Dance, Saddle Arabia’s Desert Bandits, even the ye-old Canterlot.”

“And…?”

“And nothing! I got nothing!” The fashionista went full bananas on her. Flaring with her hand and drama. “I have tried everything! Mermaids, elves, trolls and unicorns! But they all look… and feel… mediocre! I want something new! Fresh! Something that’ll no one has ever seen! A Loch Ness Monster of my own creation. But… I have nothing. The muse has left me!”

Well there goes the drama. Nothing surprising there. But Twilight wasn’t one to leave a friend hanging.

“Well maybe you need to look at something… older.” Rarity gave her a questioning brow. “Like the Yaztec. Here.” She pulled out her phone showing the ruins she discovered in the mountains. “I snapped these during my exploration in the cave systems. They’re ancient runes.”

“Oh my. Those look beautiful.” The drama queen gasped, as she browsed through the pictures. “Oh they’re lovely. And this statue in particular is gorgeous. Hmmm… it’s mythical, fantasy. A little out there but… this might just give me something to go on! I… don’t suppose you’ll mind sending me these pictures for some inspiration juice?”

“Of course. Anything for a friend.” She gladly sent them joining her on the table for a little studying.

“Thank you darling. Hopefully this’ll get me out of my rut.” Rarity giggled. “Speaking of friends. Have you decided on what to do with your… new roommate?” Twilight hushed her. “I wasn’t shouting dear.”

“I know. But I still don’t want anyone to find out. This is a big deal for me. And… no. I still haven’t decided. It’s been on my mind since yesterday and I can’t seem to think rationally at all! I think all that stress might’ve even affected my final exam!”

“I don’t see why you’re so upset.” Of course she wouldn’t. “If I was in your shoes I would’ve said yes the moment he asked. You two are going to have to move in together at some point, don’t you agree?”

“Well yeah. But I didn’t expect it to be this soon. I mean… am I crazy?”

“Crazy in love or just plain crazy?”

“Who cares!?” She freaked before dropping her head on the table. “Ugh… why did he have to do this to me? And right in the middle of finals week!”

“Darling, please. Calm down.” Rarity insisted, giving her a breathing gesture. “Surely you must’ve done some consideration about this.”

“Oh I have. I even got a pad counting the pros and cons of this moving!” She pulled out said pad which listed the goods and bads. “And guess what. They’re tied too! I tried thinking of a tie breaker but there isn’t one! My brother says that I should talk things out with him first but he already made his decision. Timber wants me to move in with him.”

“Well you already know my opinion dear. But alas, the final decision is yours to make. Whether you move in with him or not, I’m sure he will respect it."

"So you're saying you got no advice for me."

The fashionista paused, looked up and nodded. "I suppose so."

Twilight slammed her head on the table.

(Courtyard) (After school)

“You sure you wanna do this Rainbow Dash?” Sunset asked her friend who continued to do her stretching routine like she was about to do a marathon.

“Course I do! I’m the best shredder there is!”

“But this Flash we’re talking about here.” She reasoned. “I know that you’re a great player, but I’ve seen him play too. Not to brag on him or anything, but between the two of you, I’m gonna have to put my money on his side.”

“Oh relax Sunshim. I got this.” Rainbow Dash puffed her cheeks. “You talk like you know his skills.”

“Who do you think taught me how to play?” She grinned cheesily which made the multi-color haired gal blush a bit. “Just remember. No magic and no Ponying-Up. Principal Celestia was clear on that.”

“Pfft. Don’t worry. This’ll be a cakewalk. Besides, I got reason and motive. I’m fighting to retain our crown!” Rainbow Dash reasoned back, huffing her chest.

“We have a crown?”

“Duh! Our crown of being the most awesomest band in all of CHS. We have to defend it.” Of course she’d makeup a crown for herself. “You wouldn’t let some random band come out of nowhere and destroy all our hard work.”

“I don’t think that is what’s happening right now.” Sunset rolled her eyes which fell upon the crowd. Strangely enough there were a lot of students here. Exams were done for the day so she expected the lot of them to head on home already. But strangely enough they were all lingering. Like they knew that a show was going to happen. “Why is everyone still here? Do they know about the shred-off between you and Flash?”

“Of course they do. Who do you think told them?” Of course you would. “It wouldn’t be much of a victory if it didn’t have an audience.” For some reason that didn’t surprise Sunset as much as it was supposed to – and she wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed in Rainbow or herself for that matter.

But then the crowd went quiet when the door to the school opened revealing her ex-boyfriend wielding his guitar like a man with a purpose. One side of the audience split apart as he strutted in like Moses and the Red Sea. He had a confident look on his face which… made him look kinda of dashing if she was being honest. It actually made her heart beat a tone faster than normal. As he approach she slowly moved aside giving the ground to the two rockers.

“So you're finally here.” Rainbow Dash spoke up first like a comical villain waiting for the hero to arrive at the tower to face the final boss. “I was beginning to think you weren’t gonna show.”

Flash curled a small grin on his lips. “I thought you might need time to prepare.”

“I was ready a long time ago.” She countered. “What’s the matter? Got cold feet?”

“I never get cold feet. I actually got held up with my science test. An easy B+ if I do say so myself.”

“Wait… seriously!?” Rainbow Dash blinked, breaking out of character. “You got a B+? How? I spent all night studying for that test and Ms. Cheerilee said that I got a C-.”

“It’s all in the formula.” He answered with a tone that made him borderline confident and arrogant. “But enough about tests. Are you ready to play backup for the Flash Drive?”

"You mean you're going to be playing for the Rainbooms."

"Oh... cute. Just remember that this'll be a band thing. So everyone in the group will have to wear matching jackets." Flash chuckled. "Hope you like leather."

“In your dreams, Flash Sentry.”

“Oh Rainbow Dash.” He chuckled. “You’ll find that most of my dreams… come true.” Oh wow. That is a cool counter taunt. Sunset nodded impressively ignoring her friend’s glare. Even the crowd seemed to agree with her on this.

They immediately got into their battle stances, each ready to shred it off. That was the sign telling Sunset that she should back away before things get heated.

Rainbow Dash played first doing a simple chime on her cords earning a few respectful nods from the audience. It was a slow but effective start. A dip in the water, if you will.

“Not bad. Not bad at all.” Flash gave an approving gesture. “But even an amateur can do that.” He then strutted his guitar, going out hard and strong off from the starting line which stirred the audience quite a bit. “Try beating that.”

“Oh please. That’s easy. I thought you could do with a head start.” She then returned, doing a long winded solo act which the crowd cheered at.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Cracking his knuckles, the rocker boy began strutting too and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he did it better. No doubt the customization he put in his guitar played a part on his performance.

This whole scenario went on for another two minutes or so which the crowd grew unexpectedly more riled. Even Sunset could feel the tunes strumming her body. Put those two together and you'll have yourself a party. Despite the battle she wasn't surprised that Rainbow Dash was being pushed back. She could tell because her friend was beginning to sweat buckets after the last play. Every show she put out with all her vigor, Flash seemed to be able to match it and more. Both of them were equally motivated and passionate about their skills, but there was a difference in their act. Something that Flash lacked and what Rainbow had in abundance.

An inflated ego.

Rainbow Dash had a lot of passion, and her heart was always in her songs but when her prideful and impatient personality comes to the picture everything else just seems to drown away. It rears its ugly head whenever she goes on solo. She thinks that she's strong enough to take on the entire world and that nothing and no one can stop her.

Granted, that kind of personality was often necessary for someone like Rainbow Dash. But there are times when she becomes... too hypnotized by her own desire for victory.

And that alone marred her performance.

“What’s the matter RD?” Flash tried to sound confident as he panted for air. “You look… tired. Need a minute to... catch your breath?”

“Oh don’t you worry about me.” Rainbow forced out a weak smile. “I’m about to cook up a storm. I'm just getting my… second wind.”

“Then I guess you won’t mind if I go ahead and… steal your thunder!” The boy played and he played hard. He strummed his guitar with all the power his fingers could muster and let the tune vibrate throughout the school. It echoed over everyone, catching the attention of pedestrians, animals and even the worms living underground. The students who gathered were immediately enraptured, some had their guts twisting for that pitch. A powerful force emanated from the rock star, before he let out the final strut metaphorically blowing them away.

And when the last note was finished the crowd stood in anticipating silence before they erupted into an energizing applause that drowned all other sounds away. Not even Rainbow Dash could match that.

“I call that the Flash Drive Fold Special.” He finished with a triumphant smile. “Let’s see you top that.”

She couldn’t. Not at her level. Not without something to help even the odds.

“You’re… about… to find out!”

Uh oh. Sunset didn’t like where this was headed. Her unicorn senses were tingling and that could only mean that either magic was afoot or Rainbow Dash was about to do something stupid - or perhaps a bit of both.

And just like clockwork, when Rainbow Dash began to play her next tune her body began to hum with power. Electricity coursed through her guitar as it spat out static. You can feel the energy pulsing through dangerously like a loose wire. It was enough to send some folks stepping back in fear.

Not one to be done over, Flash decided to answer her challenge and played into her beat. He made a fair attempt. But with all that power humming in the air, Rainbow Dash was now in a whole new level.

“Try this on for size!”

Oh crud. Sunset recognized that stupid maneuver. She was gonna do a Rainboom Dive Bomb. It was the finisher to her solo performance. A trick she made up a while back but never really implemented it to the band due to the danger it entailed. Apparently volatile magic wasn’t exactly safe especially when a large crowd was involved.

“Rainbow Dash! Stop!” But Sunset came by a little too late as the girl came crashing down exploding in a mushroom cloud of rainbows blowing people away – and this time… quite literally. A crater the size of a vending machine was left in her wake. The girl knelt at the center of it all, her body all ponied-up.

“HA! Beat that Flash Sentry!” Rainbow Dash shouted victoriously while panting between words.

“Beat that indeed.” An authorizing voice interjected from a shadow that loomed over her. Rainbow whipped around and shuddered when she came face to face with Principal Celestia wearing a deep and menacing frown. “Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash… my office. Now.”

A Particularly Perilous Problem

Chapter 37: A Particularly Perilous Problem

(Unknown)

The first thing Twilight felt when her eyes drifted open was the ache she felt on her body. That and the uncomfortable feeling her bed gave. It felt like she was sleeping on straws and her pillow was literally a hay bale that pricked and poked her head like a soft-needled porcupine.

She struggled to find a comfortable spot but failed, shifting from side to side only to feel someone lick her cheeks.

“Eww… Spike. I told you not to do that.” She reached out to the side, grabbing her glasses granting her vision back. “Stupid dog.” She felt too tired, too grumpy to deal with him at the moment. But instead of finding her lovable-adorable purple companion, she was greeted by the snout of a sheep chewing on her hair. “Bwahh!” Her whole body jolted up fumbling clumsily before reaching the large barn door breaking it open and landing head-first on the sand. “Ow…”

The sheep that lingered in the barn poured out of there letting their annoying baa sound as they ran.

Spitting the sand out, Twilight rose back wondering what in the world just happened. Did Fluttershy put them here? Or was this another one of Pinkie’s pranks? She wouldn’t put it pass that bubbly girl to do something as sinister as this. Though animals weren’t normally her forte.

As her vision slowly returned to her she quickly realized that there was a crack on one of her lenses hampering her sights. She would’ve complained and whined about the whole thing too had she not noticed something else that frazzled her brain entirely.

Where in the world was she?

Or… hopefully not WHEN was she.

Looking up she discovered that she was no longer in Canterlot. It was more like a remote farm in the middle of nowhere. Several structures made out of clay, straws and wood dotted the area, one of which was the place she woke up. There were two pens housing pigs and sheep, a water well and a whole mountain side as far as the eye could see. It way WAY different from Applejack’s farm. Probably because of the lack of grass and a whole heap of sand.

Wait… sand?

“Correct us if we’re wrong. But I don’t think there’s sand this plain where we come from.”

There certainly wasn’t. That would certainly explain the course and rough feeling she had all over her body. And it would explain why it felt so much warmer than usual. She cupped a handful of the powder making sure it was real.

Wherever she was now, it certainly wasn’t Canterlot. And it certainly wasn’t Equestria either. She still had her fingers and her rear side wasn’t exposed like it did during her first incursion into the land of ponies. She even made sure of it checking her own reflection on the well water. Nope. No snouts or horns. Just your average ordinary boring human face. Thank goodness for that.

“Ok Twilight. No need to panic. Calm down and think this thoroughly.”

“Oh sure. You say that now. But we both know how this ends.”

“What happened to you last night?” She never got the chance to question her bewilderment when another foreign voice called her out from behind.

“You’re awake!” A girl her age with amber hair dashed to her side. Twilight barely had the time to tense up when two strong yet surprisingly slender arms wrapped around her pulling her into a tight embrace. “And you’re not dead too! That’s a plus.” The girl boomed a second time, a smile so large that it practically split her face in two. “Oh I’m so happy you’re ok. I was beginning to think you were gonna sleep forever. How are you feeling? Any pains? Aches? Swollen features or bumps?” She practically violated Twilight’s face poking her face in every corner like a mad doctor.

“Uh… no? Thank you?”

“Oh you are absolutely welcome.” The girl released her tight grip. “Man that was one heck of a fall you took. I’m surprised you weren’t too badly hurt.”

“I uh… me too?” She stammered, trying to make sense of this bizarre invasion of personal space. “And uh… who are you exactly?”

The young lady in a strange greenish attire let her go, slapping her head in realization. “Oh sorry. I must’ve left my manners in my other pants. You’re the first guests I’ve had over here in um…” She counted her fingers muttering something but decided to leave it be. “A long while. I kinda forget how to greet people properly. Ahem.” She coughed into her hand before extending it. “Hi. I’m Autumn Blaze.”

“I’m… Twilight… S-s-s-s-Sparkle~!” The bespectacled girl accepted it hesitantly which she immediately regretted when the woman practically shook it frantically.

“Hello there Twilight Sparkle. How was your sleep? Were you comfortable? Were there enough pillows? Blankets? Can I offer you some snacks? Cucumber sandwich.” She brought out the said sandwich from nowhere. “They’re delicious~”

“N – no thank you. I’m not hungry. Ah… anyway. Autumn Blaze?”

“Oh! Are we going through first name basis? Does that make us friends? Oh please say yes!”

“No.”

Twilight’s craz-dar alarm was going off. Something tells her that she was going to regret it. “Uh… sure. Why not?” Strangely enough she heard someone palm their face in reaction.

Autumn pumped her sandwich up into the air laughing giddily. “Ooooh! I knew this was going to be a great day. It’s barely noon and I already made a friend! How awesome is that? And here I thought I was gonna be bad with this friend stuff. Oh! Does that mean we get to paint our nails, try on clothes and talk about cute boys and stuff? I have a selection of teen magazines in my house.”

“Actually…”

“Oh! We can fill in the quizzes that requires two people! And we can pass them to one another and compare. How cool is that!?”

“Can I just…”

“And we can finally have that sleepover. I’ve always wanted to try a sleepover. It sounds like so much fun!”

“Excuse me!” Twilight snapped, grateful that she finally stopped talking to have her think. “Sorry. Autumn Blaze, was it? I don’t mean to be rude or anything but can I ask you a few questions?”

“Oh! Are we playing that game called 20 Questions? I love games. Go right ahead.”

“God. Talking to her was like talking to a sugar-dosed Pinkie Pie.”

“Ok… firstly… where am I? And how did I get here!?”

She gave Twilight a questioning look. “None of those sound like yes or no questions.”

“Can you just… answer the damn question!?”

“It’s a new type of rule to the game.”

“Oh? Really? Honestly this is my first time playing it. But ok!” Oh thank god. “So, you’re at my home. It doesn’t exactly have an official name. But we’re close to my hometown of Peril Peaks, so I guess we could call it that.” She grinned like a cat who only learned how to smile. “As for your 2nd question. Umm… well… I don’t know.”

Don’t know? “How can you not know!?” She was starting to lose her patience.

“Well I honestly don’t know. When you guys came through that magic gateway yesterday, I patched you up and brought you here.”

Wait… magic gateway?

The portal?

Those key words alone were enough to jolt her brain awake and clicked her memories into place. Memories of critical moments that happened not long ago.

“The portal…” Twilight covered her mouth gasping. “The fight… Hoity… my friends… Flash!”

“Flash? Is that like a band?”

“No!” She cringed. “You wouldn’t happen to know a guy named Flash, would you?”

“Oh are you talking about that blue haired kid with the leather jacket, quite handsome?”

“Yes!”

“Nope. Never heard of him.”

…

Huh? “But you just said…”

“But I do have a boy who looks like him in my storehouse.” You know what? Twilight wasn’t even gonna question it anymore. Making sense out of her loony words was just too much to handle right now. “Oh and just a heads up: Your friend isn’t doing so well either.”

…

Well that didn’t sound ominous at all.

The brunette led Twilight to the back of her home pass the sheep pens in what looked like a small warehouse made out of clay. And inside, lying on a bed made of hay was the boy in question, his whole upper body wrapped in more bandages that made him look like a half-baked mummy.

“Flash!” Twilight dashed over as the boy stirred from his sleep after hearing his name.

“Twilight? Is that you?” He struggled to get up, pain surging through his body with every move. “Are you ok?”

“Forget about me! I should be the one asking you that!” She scolded, pushing the boy back on his bed and scanning for every injury she could find through her cracked lens. There were bruises and bumps all over his body. Scratches decorating his handsome face down to his legs. Much of his clothes looked like they were torn up from the fall. “Look at you! You’re a complete mess.”

“Heh… yeah.” He forced out a smile trying to calm her. “I’m gonna get a lot of scars from this. The girls are gonna go crazy for me now.” Oh you stupid boy and your stupid scars.

Autumn Blaze chuckled. “Oh! I read about that. It was in-”

“Not now. How bad is it?” Twilight asked her, turning away from the boy for a brief moment.

“Oh. Well I’m no nurse, but from what I saw… it’s pretty bad. You should’ve seen him when I brought him over. Yeesh. He was not in good shape. Not that he’s in any better shape now. But you know? He’s in bad… yeah I’m rambling.”

“Gee ya think?”

“Don’t sweat it.” He tried to assure her but his sweating beads and flinching body didn’t really put a convincing act. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Yeah it wasn’t. It was worse. Definitely a lot worse.

“We need to get you to a doctor.” Twilight insisted.

“More like a mortuary.”

“Quick. Where’s the nearest hospital?”

“Hospital. Yeah…” Autumn breathed. “You might wanna take a rain check on that. Because there aren’t any around here.”

“What!?”

“Have you seen outside? There’s nothing out there but sand for miles around here. This is by far the most remote place you’ll find around this corner of the world. They don’t call this place the Perilous Peaks of Peril for nothing. The closest thing we have to a nurse around here is our resident witch doctor. And honestly, she’s not exactly reliable. All her solutions usually involves her special tonics. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.” She leaned in to whisper. “They say all of her tonics are the same. But she just uses food coloring to make them look different.”

“Wait… how long were we out?”

“Eh… about a day or so… give or take.”

“My friends!” She gasped. “Sunset and the others. They might be trapped when the castle came down. I need to call them.” She reached for her cellphone and began dialing only to find that there was again no signal. “No signal!? What the heck? Is this thing broken?”

“Twilight, calm down.” Flash placed a hand over her shoulder, squeezing it softly before she began hyperventilating. “I’m sure they’re fine. That portal must’ve sent us somewhere pretty far. We just need to cool our jets and think of a solution.”

Twilight hesitantly agreed. She knew time and time again that panicking and being angry doesn’t resolve anything. After a few deep breaths, she spoke. “You’re right. I’m probably just thinking the worst case scenario. They should be fine. With their magic combined, they can tackle anything.” Another sigh escaped her. “Autumn Blaze. You wouldn’t happen to have a phone I can borrow, would you?”

“Nope.” The happy lady replied in and oddly giddy tone.

“O… k? Do you know anyone who happens to own a phone?”

“Well. No one here owns anything as fancy as your little gizmo there. I mean we are literally in the middle of nowhere. The only person I knows who owns something close to a phone around here is the shopkeeper. Maybe we can ask him.”

(Saturday evening) (Canterlot) (House by the Hill)

It was the middle of the night in Canterlot.

Sunset paced around the living room, terrified out of her mind. She could hardly get any sleep at all last night. After they escaped Castle Hoofbeard through a powerful teleportation spell, the whole place seemed to have swallowed itself. Whatever was left of the castle sunk into the ocean, the last of bygone architecture now buried at the bottom of the sea.

Such a catastrophic event wouldn’t be ignored either. Roughly an hour after the whole mountain came down, emergency services from Canterlot arrived the quarantine the area. The official news was that the whole Castle itself was built on top of an unstable mountain and that it was high time that it came down. Thankfully no one was hurt when it fell and the most anyone felt there was perhaps a light tremor. Even the newly open resort that Filthy Rich opened hardly saw any damage and was still planning to open regardless.

The gang opted to stay as long as they could to wait for their friend to appear but sadly the authorities told them that they should leave as the last ferry back to the city was going.

Ever since then she had been waiting by the living room, worried out of her mind.

“Didn’t get any sleep either I see.” Rarity’s voice came up leaning by the kitchen holding a cup of hot coco in hand. “I don’t suppose she called?”

“No.” She shook her head, taking a seat by the fireplace. “I tried calling her but they’re all going to voicemail. Maybe I should head back to the island and check.”

“You won’t make it pass the quarantine dear. We both know that.” The whole section of the island had been declared a hazardous zone prompting the new owner of the island to make some new… renovations. A whole army of construction workers were sent there to ‘fix’ the area making it more appealing. Some even say that they were gonna convert it into a golf course. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you might think. Twilight does have a habit of losing her phone in the worse possible moment.”

“She does… doesn’t she?” Sunset groaned. “I’m not taking this very well.”

“Don’t be so gloomy. Despite your lack of sleep dear, I still believe you’re taking this far better than Rainbow Dash.”

That was an understatement. The poor girl was practically furious when they got back. She was in such an emotional state that she was ready to bust down Hoity’s store and attack him then and there. Thankfully Applejack and Fluttershy were able to talk her out of it saying that striking at the man in broad daylight in a crowded area will only bring even more harm to those around them. The damage they did on the island was proof enough. Besides, with the power he invoked there was no telling what else he was capable of.

“I just wish there was just some way to find out if she’s alright.”

“Twilight is a resourceful girl darling. She’s one of the bravest persons I know. There hasn’t been a challenge she hasn’t been able to beat with that big brain of hers. And don’t forget she’s not alone. Flash is there with her and he promised to come back safe. A man like him tends to keep their word one way or another.” Somehow knowing that he was there too made her even more worried. “Oh? Are these cupcakes?”

“Yeah. Pinkie made them as part of her… cheer up confection before she left to check up on her family. I think the whole incident really got her spooked. And honestly… I don’t blame her.”

“Well for a girl like Pinkie, she really does look out for you.” Yeah… she really does. “Speaking of which, I do happen to have a bit of good news though.”

“Really?”

“My spy network in Hoity’s inner circle just called in.”

“You mean Vignette.”

“Spy network…” Rarity insisted. “… found out that Hoity is planning something big. Apparently he’s moving a lot of his designs to Filthy Rich’s resort. He’s practically booked the whole venue.”

“Wasn’t he going to put the next part of his show there?”

“Yes but even this is a little too much. Even fashion stars like him have limits. It’s like he’s preparing for something big. Vignette also texted me that he’s become… a little odd. Angrier for some reason.”

“Glad to know we weren’t the only ones affected by that fight.”

“That too.” Rarity bobbed her head in agreement. “Anyway. She’s invited me for a little dinner outing to tell me all about it. And honestly I could use a little distraction from… all of this.”

“Yeah… I understand. Sorry for wrecking your chance for the Grand Runway.”

She waved it off jokingly. “Oh there will be plenty of opportunities to get there. A spot in the limelight may come and go, but a true friend like Twilight comes once in a lifetime. And I wouldn’t feel comfortable being anywhere near that snake. Brrr.” The thought of facing that man alone in his stronghold made her shiver. “Call me when Twilight calls?”

“Definitely.”

(Luna/Celestia’s Apartment)

Luna let out a satisfied moan as she got out of the showers feeling warm and fresh. It was one of the rare moments that she would be home all alone with nothing but a good movie, leftover food from the party and a good drink to wash it down. Celestia was off to some meeting in town and wouldn’t be back until later tonight leaving her in charge of the whole apartment. Normally she’d bring friends over and set up a party that’ll last till dawn. But sadly she stopped having those ever since the last party she held in their school dorm ended with them having many of their personal effects stolen.

Leaning back on her favorite chair with nothing but her bathrobes and a plate of leftover tacos, she switched on the TV and leaned back, expecting today to be one of relaxation. But… sadly the universe had to spoil her fun. The landline suddenly began to ring prompting her to answer.

“Hello?” If this was some kind of advertisement, she was going to slam the phone.

Thankfully it wasn’t. “Oh. Luna?”

“Sombra?” The girl sounded surprise recognizing his voice. “Kind of late to be making calls, don’t you think?”

“I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you so late. Is this a bad time?”

“No. Not at all.” She tightened her bathrobes feeling somewhat exposed. “I was just um… having a little snack. A 'healthy' snack. Uh… anyway, my sister isn’t around.”

“Oh that’s a shame. I’ve been trying to reach her cell but she’s not answering.”

“Yeah she does that. Celestia has a habit of putting her phone on silent. I’ve been getting her to fix that. What’s up?”

“Well… actually I’m a little concerned.”

“Concerned?" That wasn't a word he used lightly. "Did something happen?”

“I’m… not quite sure.” How can you not be sure? “It’s actually... about my son.”

“Flash? What about him?”

“Well that’s the thing. I don’t really know. My butler said that he failed to come home last night and he hasn’t left a single message.”

“Did you try calling him?”

“Of course I have but it’s going straight to voice mail. I sent him on an errand the other day but it shouldn’t be difficult. I’m worried something might’ve happened to him.”

“Whoa whoa. Calm down now Sombra. Deep breaths.” Luna cooed him. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Flash is a mature and responsible boy. But he is still just a kid at heart. It’s possible that might’ve left his phone unattended. Besides, we just had our school annual Winter Holiday party. He probably just stayed over at a friend’s house and forgot to tell you. It happens all the time. Trust me.”

“Right. Right of course.” He sounded somewhat relieved though a part of him still felt unsure. “I’m probably just overthinking things. My parenting skills are in dire need of work.” Wow she never thought Sombra would be such a doting overprotective parent. Points for him. “But what if he’s in trouble? What if he’s hanging out with the wrong crowd and it got him arrested?” Ok. Going from overprotective parent to dangerously overprotective parent with a hyperactive imagination. A dangerous combination and a nightmarish client for those parent-teacher conferences. It wouldn’t be the first one she dealt with.

“Sombra! Just remain calm. There’s no need for you to go all crazy on me. I don’t want you calling all of his friends to find him.”

“Right right. Of course. Maybe I should just mobilize the police. Have them search the vicinity.”

She blinked. “Y… you can do that?”

“I’m friends with the Police Commissioner. I can have him scour the city.” Luna gripped the phone tighter, biting her lip. She didn’t want to respond as she wanted to see if he could actually pull it off. Watching the whole police force scouring the city for one boy sounded very tempting. But thankfully her angelic conscience won over.

“Why don’t we try something subtle before we go full freak-out mode. I know some of his friends. I’ll give them a call in the morning and see if they know where he is. Someone’s bound to know I assure you, everything is perfectly fine.”

“But…”

“Sombra.” She responded firmly. “It’ll be fine. I promise. I’ll call you in the morning.”

“O… ok. If you say so. I’ll book the next flight back to Canterlot. I’ll see you soon.”

The call ended with a defining tone on the other line leaving the Vice-Principal hanging. She rolled her eyes thinking that this might just be another hiccup. He wouldn’t be the first parent who’d call to check up on their children.

But…… knowing Flash’s past relationships with some of the girls…

…

Hmm… maybe he was right to be worried.

Well… at least she knows who to call first.

(Peril Peaks Town)

When Twilight came to town she was hoping for some standard to civilization, some kind of beacon to give her some measure of hope. But instead she felt like she had gone through a worm hole going back in time. The town of Perilous Peaks, whose name still baffles her, was stuck in the renaissance age. There was absolutely no electricity, the most advance technology here was a railway station that only connected to a city she never heard of before, the closest thing they had to a doctor around here was a crackpot witch doctor who looked more like someone who’d poison you for fun, and the people here live in huts and hovels made out of clay bricks, straws and scrap wood. There wasn’t even a single car or bicycle to boot because those things would easily sink into the sand the moment it slips off the road.

“Well that was a complete waste of time.” Twilight restrained a scream throwing her hands up in the air.

Flash tried to reassure her patting her shoulder as he exited the store, now sporting a new cane. “It wasn’t that bad. The shopkeeper was nice. He gave me this cool walking stick for free. It’s not his fault that his phone was low keyed.”

“His ‘Phone’ wasn’t even a phone to begin with! It’s a glorified walkie-talkie. What kind of phone works with only one number!? You might as well be using two plastic cups attached with strings!”

‘That’s… gonna take a lot of strings.’ Flash wanted to say but decided to let her have a moment to rant. The poor girl looked like she needed it.

“Well at least we know that we’re not in some alternate world or back in time.” That was the first of their concerns which was thankfully resolved. For a moment there Twilight began to think that they had gone to a separate universe or, as Flash said, gone back in time. That would simply complicate things. But thankfully the store had an updated calendar of today and a globe which thankfully had all the names they recognized. So no worries there.

“Yes… just some place in Saddle Arabia. Literally on the other side of the world.”

“Considering the fact that we were gonna be squashed by a castle, I still think this is the better option.”

“Can you please take this seriously!?” She snapped. “We are trying to reach our friends who are probably worried sick about us after our fight with Hoity who, may I remind you, is still out to get us! Try to take this with a little more urgency.”

“Sorry. I’ll try to sound a little more urgent next time.” He let out a soft chuckle surprisingly unflinching to her sudden outburst. “So what do we do now?”

“I… don’t know.” And she hated that. She hated not knowing things. She hated being here. She hated the sand that seemed to go in her mouth every time she talks. “We’re stranded in the middle of who-knows-where with no method of communication, no resources and out of our depth. I should be panicking right now but I’m keeping a level head. Normally in situations like this I’d call a friend for a favor or try to find the authorities. But there are none of those around here!”

“Ouch… that’s bad.”

“Gee, you think?” The strange voice echoed in her head.

She cradled her face sighing heavily. “Give me a moment. I need to come up with a solution. I’m just…”

“Hey, easy now. You’re gonna blow a gasket if you keep trying too hard. Why don’t we take a break and grab something to eat?”

Twilight opened her mouth to complain but then her stomach answered for her growling loudly, enough so that a few passerby even noticed. “Ugh… maybe some calories will help me think. What is there to eat around here?”

Their resident tour guide gladly accepted the question. “Oh I’m glad you asked. I have just the place! It’s the best restaurant in the whole town.” Twilight sensed a ‘but’ in that sentence. “Only because it’s the only restaurant we have here.” There it is. “The special cactus milk juice is to die for. And their pickled egg salad just melts in your mouth.”

Some food at last. Flash was more than happy to take whatever they had on offer. Now that he thought about it. Neither he nor Twilight had eaten anything for a day and a half.

“Sounds great. Uh… do you guys take coins?” He pulled out some loose change from his pocket handing it awkwardly to the girl. “I didn’t exactly bring a lot of money with me.”

Twilight couldn’t help but roll her eyes. How can one of, if not THE richest bachelor in Canterlot not have money in his pocket.

Autumn however shook her head in decline. “Well sorry to burst your bubble. But folks around here don’t use coins or cash like those in the big city. We’re more into the traditional way of transactions.”

Twilight’s face twitched. “Which is?”

“Bartering!”

She pulled out two bags of wool from her sack, grinning giddily before slamming in front of the table where a disinterested waiter sat. Their food came a minute later which was surprisingly edible despite its strange coloring. They ate without much of a hassle with Twilight trying her best to keep a level head of the situation at hand. She even went as far as muttering and trying to write something on the table they were on.

“So let me get this straight. You guys are came from the other side of the world?” Autumn Blaze continued

Flash nodded taking a bite off his sandwich which made his face turn sour. “Pretty much. Just your ordinary teens.”

“Do teens on the other side of the world use magic and go through portals?”

“No no. Nothing like that.” She pouted back dejectedly. “That’s just Twilight and her friends. They’re the special ones.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? You can use magic? As in real magic?”

Twilight didn’t really want to answer. Her mind was still processing the situation they were in. But thankfully a nudge from the boy jolted her to amuse her new friend’s question. “Huh? Ah… yes. Magic. Whatever. Woo…”

“What kind?”

Is there no end to her questions? “Just a few basic spells. I can cast a light spell, move or hold objects.” She demonstrated by casually moving their cups in formation which naturally amazed the locals.

“Oh wow! That is amazing.” Her giddiness and excitement were so adorable that it kind of reminded them of Pinkie. “You know… I happen to be a practitioner of magic too.” She pulled out a deck of cards and flashed it at them. “Go ahead. Pick a card any card.” Twilight rolled her eyes boringly but Flash stepped in to humor her. “Now look at it and put it back.” He did so and she shuffled the cards randomly before pulling one out. “Is this your card?”

“Uh… no.”

“Huh… that’s weird. It always seem to work when I play by myself. Maybe I did a move wrong? Can I try that again?”

“Please say no.”

Twilight decided to ignore the two and focused on the real problem at hand. Firstly they had to contact their friends who were undoubtedly worried sick about them. And the feeling was mutual. They needed a way back home and sadly the only REAL method of transportation was through a two way railway system whose train rarely comes by – if at all.

And even if they could catch a ride to the big city, they’d still be miles away from home with no connections, no resources and barely enough cash to get by.

Ugh… this is so much worse than the time they stumbled into Equestria. And Flash was no use either. He was busy being friends with the new girl who continued to play a few other cheap magic tricks like a coin behind your ear. Honestly, why even pretend?

If only she had some way of getting contacting her friends.

At least that way they can get something done around here.

(Canterlot Mall) (Little Café)

Rarity didn’t think she could ever get depressed in the mall before. Normally visiting this place would bring her smiles throughout the day. The lights, the sights and sounds. The specials sales in the boutiques. None of them ever fails to bring a smile to her face. But sadly tonight was different and she could tell why.

While she tried to put on a brave face for Sunset, in the back of her mind, her subconscious was gnawing at each other. Each bite producing terrible scenarios in which her two friends could’ve ended up. She tried to convince herself that they were fine. That they must’ve just gotten themselves into a little mishap and would be calling them soon to tell them that they were fine. But that didn’t seem like the case here.

“Rarity! There you are, you silly goose you.” A silky voice brought her out of her rut which prompted her to force out a polite smile.

“Vignette! It’s so good to see y---ou?” She looked up only to find herself flinching back at the girl she did not recognize. “Uh… who… are you?”

“Oh you and your jokes dear. It’s me! Vignette.” Was it her though? She sounded like Vignette, talked like Vignette but the woman in front of her was not Vignette. At least… not the Vignette she remembered. Vignette Valencia was the epiphany of fashion and a lover of all things bright and beautiful. This girl was like a gothic version of her. With those heavy combat boots, thick overly compensating leather top that drove into her skin, a jacket adorned with skulls and bones, and a spiky hairdo that screamed ‘troublemaker’. Many eyes in the mall fell upon her – and not the good kind of stares.

“It… it is you.” She gawked.

“Oh you must be dazzled by my new outfit.” Oh she was dazzled alright. Though not in the way she was thinking. “It’s part of my new outlook. A new… point of view if I have to say so myself. I was going for bleak and hopelessness. The Doom and Gloom kind of vibe.”

She certainly got the doom and gloom part alright. An evil warlord in those fantasy novel would take her as a bride the moment they set their eyes on her. Heck a lot of folks can already picture her sitting on a spiky throne while resting her feet atop some poor unfortunate soul. Honestly, not even a Skull Cruncher fan would wear so much mascara.

“It’s certainly something.” Rarity eyed her up and down before returning to her seat.

“Coffee, black.” Vignette stated to the waiter who immediately jotted it down. “And one of those lovely chocolate.”

Rarity continued to observe her friend but found her attire to be increasingly distracting. That girl was one belt buckle away to give a dominatrix a run for her money. It was a rather sudden change for the girl to go from hippie lover to…… whatever this was.

“It’s so nice to finally see you again.” The lady in black cooed, throwing a cute smile which only seemed to make her mascara crackle like wrinkles. “Where have you been? I’ve been quite worried since you stopped showing up at the amphitheater.”

“Yes. That. It’s a long story.”

“It certainly must be. When I heard that you were forfeiting from Hoity’s pageant show, I was completely shocked. Did something happen?”

“Let’s just say that Hoity and I don’t see eye to eye with some things.” It wasn’t a lie. The man was a genius with fashion, but trying to hurt her friends was another matter. “As a matter of fact, I think you should do the same.”

Vignette waved her hand bluntly. “Oh nonsense now Rarity. I’m having the time of my life working in that place. I even managed to make some new friends with the other contestants. It’s a wonder why we were even at each other’s throats to begin with when we can work together to make our designs even better.”

“That does sound wonderful and I am happy for you Vignette but… Hoity isn’t what he seems.” Rarity took a sip from her cup failing to notice her friend’s glare turning deathly for a brief moment. “He’s up to something, I’m sure of it.”

She expected the girl to deny such a fact, saying that she was coo-coo. But surprisingly she just nodded back as if agreeing with her. “Well… he has been rather prickly of late. And not to mention all those strange people he’s been meeting.”

Rarity’s eyes shot up. “Strange people?”

“Oh it’s nothing. Probably just his fellow star fashionists. One of them dropped by yesterday after he came back from Freefall Island. He kind of reminds me of a vampire to be honest. But that’s not even the weirdest part.” Vignette took her friend’s silence as a sign to continue. “He moved the next part of his pageant ahead. Instead of next weekend, he plans to host it at the resort next Wednesday.”

Next Wednesday? That’s a tad bit early and highly unusual. Hoity’s pageant show didn’t really involve them or any of his plans. That kind of last minute change would only look bad on his image.

Unless…

There was something they weren’t seeing yet.

Now that she thought about it, during the first leg of the pageant show, Twilight said that Hoity casted a powerful spell in the area. There weren’t any changes. At least not that they could see. But what if that was the point? What if that spell had something to do with the pageant?

There were too many variables. Too many theories and none of them can be good especially with that crazed fashionista at the head of it all.

“But why would Hoity do all that?”

The dominatrix shrugged as her order finally arrived. “Beats me. But all I know is that a lot of big names are going to be there. Chestnut Magnifico, Mayor Mare, Filthy Rich and a whole slew of celebrities. He even RSVP his old partner, Fancy Pants. I took a shot at the guest list. It’s actually quite remarkable.”

“I don’t suppose you’d mind if I took a quick look?”

“Not at all.” She handed out her phone only to pull it back cunningly. “But~~ you’ll have to do something for me in return.”

Rarity opened her mouth to speak but decided not to. It was only fair that they both got something out of it. “And that would be?”

“The other contestants and I are meeting up tomorrow afternoon at a local warehouse for a final draft on our designs and I’d like you to model for me. There’s this saucy new outfit that I made which would look perfect on you.”

“Oh… Vignette I’m honored. But I don’t think…”

“Please?” She reached out to her hand pleading with a coy smile. “Not many people have your kind of pizazz. Not to mention your grace and perfection.” Oh what a lovely compliment. That actually managed to cheer her up. “If not for me then for the guest list.”

Rarity wasn’t in the mood for fashion right now but… if it’ll help shed some light into Hoity’s plans then…

“Oh alright. I suppose I could use the extra distraction.” Her friend’s grin widened.

(Autumn’s ranch)

Flash found this place to be strangely… relaxing. It might just be the pain numbing his thoughts, or the itch on his hand, or maybe it was that sandwich he ate. Either way… he didn’t seem all that troubled with the situation he was in.

Sure he was trapped on the other side of the world but comparing that to a dull day back in Canterlot, he’ll pick this place any time.

There was a certain charm to it. The small desert town down in the valley had character. While it was stuck in the past, that only seemed to give it its own personality. The folks there seemed friendly enough. They did seem a little quiet and many would pass the occasional glance at them. Foreigners must be quite a rare sight around here and their attires were a dead giveaway too.

Thankfully their new friend, Autumn Blaze, was more than happy to have them stay for a while. Honestly, if it wasn’t for her, he and Twilight would be eating dust in the desert for god knows how long – or… worse.

Still there was something odd about that new girl. And he wasn’t talking about her overfriendliness either.

“So Autumn. I’ve been wondering…”

“Oh! About how the sky is an infinite void full of everything yet nothing at the same time?”

He paused, brow raised at the smiling girl. “Uh… no. I was actually wondering who else live with you? I mean other than the animals.”

“Well other than me and my shadow.” I’m sorry. Did I hear that right? Did she just say her shadow? “I call mine Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands. She’s been with me since like… forever.”

“Right~~~” The boy wasn’t sure if he should be amazed or just creep out. No. You know what? He was going for the latter part. “Where are your parents?” He froze. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh they live in the big city.” That answer gave the boy some measure of relief. “My dad owns a plantation there so they’re pretty much busy all season long. They send the occasional letters from time to time – or a postcard. I really love those. I have many of them hanging on my wall.”

“Oh…” Flash bobbed his head, putting the pieces together. “So you’re just staying here for the holidays.”

“Nope. I live here.” Here? In this desolate ranch in the middle of nowhere? “Been living here on my own for a few years now. It’s been awesome.”

“Really?”

“Of course!” She said so with a wide smile. “I mean what’s not to love? I got my goats, my own house, I live by my own rules, eat whatever I want, sleep whenever I want and don’t have to worry about a thing.” There was a pause there. “Well except for giant sandstorms that come over every once in a while. But other than that, it’s been a peach.”

“Ok… but don’t you have friends?”

“Oh I have plenty of those.” Autumn pointed over to the view overlooking the town where three scarecrow-like figures stood with faces drawn over their ‘heads’. “That’s Henry the Hay, Billy the Bucket Master and Coco the Coconut.” She gave them a strange friendly wave before leaning in to whisper. “Whatever you do, don’t ask about Billy’s feet. He’s really sensitive about it.”

Ooooo… kay. Somehow this explains a lot… and a little at the same time.

“I’ll uh… keep that in mind.”

“Hey, do you guys want to hang out tomorrow? We can go to my favorite spot in the whole village just up the mountain. Your mind will be blown. I guarantee it.” Hopefully not in a literal sense.

“Sounds like fun.” The boy looked in Twilight’s direction noticing her tracing something on the sands before scrubbing it off angrily. “But we’ll probably be busy so maybe we’ll take a rain check on that.” Do they even have rains around here?

Autumn nodded, accepting that answer before heading off to her house leaving the two of them alone.

Flash had a feeling that Twilight wasn’t in the best of moods right now. Her snappy change in attitude was a dead giveaway. She’s normally such a sweet, nerdy, calm and collected gal who had a sarcastic sense of humor. But now it seems like even the most mundane thing can annoy her. Even the trip back to the ranch was arduous.

“Hey, Twilight. Are you ok?”

“Ok!?” She snapped at him out of her usual behavior, eye twitching. “Oh sure. I’m perfectly fine. We’re just trapped on another continent entirely, completely cut off from everyone we know. I’m peachy!”

Yeah… he’ll take that as a no.

“Maybe you might wanna take it easy for a while. I mean… no offense but we did just come through a fight with a five headed monster the other day. How about you take a break?”

“How can you be so calm in this situation right now!? Don’t you get it? We’re trapped with no way of going home! Who knows how long it’ll take for us to back!? It could take months! Years even! If ever!”

Honestly he wasn’t sure either. He should be panicking like her. He should be feeling some sense of dread in his body. But strangely enough he was calmer than the ocean on a lovely day.

“I dunno.” He admitted. “I mean… yeah… we are in a bit of a pickle right now but I figured that getting all worked up on it isn’t going to help anyone. Besides… this place is kind of nice.”

“Well I’m glad one of us is having fun. But some of us here want to go home to our friends and families. Not hang around some desert!” Youch. That was prickly for her standards. “So while you’re off hanging out with your new buddy, I’m going to the portal and find us a way back. Some of us here actually care about our old friends.”

“That’s not what I…” She shoved him aside and walked off, looking like something crawled up her skin and died. That girl was angry. Unusually so. Even a bit of her magic seemed to flare up.

And was it just him or did he see her sprout black wings for a second there?

Author's Note

You can't skip to the happy ending till you earned it folks. :fluttershyouch:
Anywho I'm taking the next week off due to work finally coming back. If the quarantine order lifts I might have to move back to my old apartment. Hope you all are having a lovely week.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

The Complex Formula of Love

Author's Note

A little early on this one. Got a big New Year plan.
And by big. I meant private, seeing this whole pandemic still being on. :fluttercry:
Stay safe everyone and stay healthy. And if you're bored, here's a little chapter to get you through the day. :ajsmug:

The Complex Formula of Love

Chapter 50: The Complex Formula of Love

(House by the hill)

It was a calm and peaceful afternoon. Just how Rarity liked it. After all the excitement they’ve had over the last week or so, this little calm-after-the-storm felt like the perfect break from the mayhem. It gave her time to catch up on a few gossips that she’s been missing out and make new designs. Her role in Hoity Toity’s fashion program may have hit a dead end but that was no reason to be tardy. She simply needed to get back on the horse and wait for another opportunity to come crashing by.

“RARITY!” The fashionista shot from her chair, scattering papers and fabric all over the place when a bombastic presence burst in through her door unannounced. “Great. You're here. Got a minute?”

Rarity slumped back to her chair, fixing her crumpled hair, holding a frustrated groan. “Oh… Rainbow Dash. Please. Do come in. Make yourself at home.” She said with a deadpanned sarcastic tone. “It’s not like I was busy making my new spring lineup or anything.”

“Great. Because I need your help.” Whether she was too busy to notice or was oblivious to her sarcasm, Rainbow Dash did just that.

Rarity entertained the idea of kicking her out. It would be oh so satisfying. But then again she’d probably just annoy her until she accepted. So she may as well just get it over with and save herself the headache. “Ugh… what is it this time? Are you and Pinkie Pie doing another prank war? Did you break one of Applejack’s buckets or frighten another one of Fluttershy's friends? You know that never ends well, right?”

“What? No!” The sports gal actually raised her voice. “This is serious.”

The fashion diva rolled her eyes. What counted as serious for a girl like Rainbow was set low in people’s standard – or at the very least her standards. The last time she had an emergency was during the spring break yacht tour – and we all know how well that ended.

“Fine. What is it?”

Strangely enough, Rainbow closed the door behind her and locked it. She twiddled her thumbs looking all shy and ashamed. Like Opal whenever she’s caught with her claws in the catnip.

“Ok. But before I say anything. You have to promise me that you won’t say a word to anyone.”

Rarity blinked. Something was off here. Rainbow has never been one to shy away from things. Unless it’s really REALLY bad. There was also a strange sense of déjà vu.

“O… kay?” Rarity nodded, starting to sound worried. “Aren’t you exaggerating a bit? It can’t be that serious.” The girl’s sweating face said otherwise.

“No.” Oh thank god. “It’s worse. A lot worse.”

I don’t like where this is going.

“Well? Out with it then.”

“I might’ve done something… bad.” That sounded like the beginning of a crime confession. “Like REALLY bad.” She let out a sigh. “Ok… so you know how my parents are, right?”

Sure she does. Everyone in school does. They were the kind of parents who love their kid very much. Honestly a little too much to be honest. They’re practically Rainbow’s biggest and closest fans and her parents all in one. A bit embarrassing but also very sweet.

“Well… last night, things got sorta… weird.”

The fashionista squinted. “Weird how?”

“We were watching a rerun of the games and then… mom started spouting that I have a boyfriend and then dad went along with it!”

Ah. Now she gets it. The same old parent waiting for their kids to find romance in their life. It’s a tale as old as time. Now that she thinks about it, Rainbow Dash was in that age where she would develop interest in a more… serious relationship. Rarity had the same experience once before with her parents. A long time ago. And it’s not like she hasn’t been in one before. It’s because there weren’t anyone worthy of her time and attention.

Seriously, a rising like star like her deserved someone refined. A movie star, a well renowned soul who can take care of all of her attentive needs. Fame was a big denominator.

“Rarity!”

“Huh?” She balked. “Yes dear. I’m listening.”

Rainbow Dash gave her distrusting look but continued. “So like I said. I told them that no. But then mom brought up Flash of all people.”

The name got her out of her stupor. “Eh? Excuse me?”

“Yeah! I know right? I mean… just because he’s the first ever guy I ever brought home, her imagination goes spiraling everywhere.” Oh thank god. Rarity was dreading the worst.

“Rainbow… darling.” She cooed. “This is perfectly normal. Your parents are simply looking out for you. You are in that age after all.”

“Ugh… you sound just like mom.”

“It’s all natural. You don’t have to take it seriously at all. Just tell them that you’ll go at your own pace. I don’t see what the problem is.”

“Yeah. Well… that wasn’t really the problem.” Rainbow’s face pruned which only made her friend’s brow curl. “You see… when I told them that I wasn’t really seeing anybody, they wanted to introduce me to a few of their… friends.”

Oh… OH!

“An arranged meeting?” Rarity’s face beamed. “A rather old method but not unheard of. I don’t suppose there are some… potential partners on their list?”

“Rarity!”

“Right right. Sorry. One track mind today.” She bobbed her head in apology. “So what did you say?”

And then suddenly, Rainbow’s face turned red. “Well… I… kind of lied to them.” That… was not what she was expecting.

“Oh dear. Rainbow. You of all people should know full well that you shouldn’t be lying to your parents.”

“They were trying to hook me up with somebody! Do you know how that feels!?” No. But Pinkie certainly can. But Rarity wasn’t gonna say that out loud.

“Alright fine. What is this really bad thing you said to them?”

Rainbow Dash groaned, her fingers twiddling with one another as she turned away. “I… may have told them that I was seeing Flash.”

…

Oh for heaven’s sake!

(Twilight’s house)

It was a light and airy Twilight who made it back to her house, a hint of skipping can be heard in her steps. Her outing with Flash went well. Really well. She can’t remember the last time she enjoyed such revelry. The girl was practically beaming and humming a song to herself without a single care in the world. So much so that she forgot how the food even tasted.

She and Flash spoke of magic and mystery well into the late afternoon – and while he couldn’t make heads or tails out of some of her Techno-Sorcery mumbo jumbo, it was nice to have an ear to banter to. She could never talk about this with her family without exposing the existence of magic. Shining Armor wouldn’t really understand and Cadance just about had enough of that since the Friendship Game. She could talk about it with Sunset but she hardly had time to even discuss things lately.

“Looks like someone had a good lunch date.” Twilight wasn’t even bothered when her evil twin decided to show up, cracking a grin so mischievous that it would make toddlers bawl. “Fun day?”

Oh please. She knew damn well how it went. Even though she was invisible Twilight could feel her alter ego breathing down her neck like a psychotic stalker.

“It was ok.” Twilight hummed, kicking off her shoes as she entered her home.

“Ok?” Midnight challenged, eyes cast with an amused tone. “Ok!? Is taking you out to a semi-fancy restaurant an ‘ok’ date to you?”

Her cheeks darkened a bit recalling some portions. “It wasn’t a date. Just a normal outing between friends.”

“Oh sure~ a normal outing between friends~~.” The fallen angel wooed. “Tell me something. Does a normal outing between friends include a movie, a VIP shopping spree, and a visit to the petting zoo? Because I might’ve missed that.”

Twilight couldn’t really challenge that. It was… kind of spontaneous. She was only expecting to get a meal out of the whole deal. But when Flash invited her for the rest of the afternoon to tour the mall together, she accepted the offer in a heartbeat.

And from there on, the whole afternoon seemed to have gone by in a blink of an eye. They went to a cheesy comedic movie and thoroughly enjoyed it, they hopped from store to store trying out accessories and a bunch of tools that caught their fancy, and they even went to the pet store under the pretense of getting Spike a new collar – but instead stayed there for a whole hour petting rabbits and fluffy sheep.

“We were just having a good time.” Twilight reasoned to her evil clone, looking as proper as she could possibly could despite the circumstances. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Besides… who knew we actually had a lot in common?” Well she sorta knew. After all they were in the same science and robotics club together. They had exquisite taste in music, and magic seemed to be their common bond.

“I still think you should’ve given him a kiss.” If Midnight expected a reaction out of her, she was sorely disappointed.

But quietly, Twilight couldn’t help but entertain the thought. Normally, guys wouldn’t take a girl out for such a good time on a first date. Especially not on such an expensive trip. Normally an ordinary pair would save such an outing for their 3rd or 4th date. A part of her was glad he didn’t asked for a kiss. Another part of her can go jump off a cliff.

“Oh well. Whatever I guess.” Midnight added. “Good luck on your next ‘Friendly’ outing.”

“I don’t think I’ll be going on another one for a while.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“Gah!” The girl jumped when a voice interrupted her inner conversation. “T… Timber? You’re here? How?”

“Of course I’d be here.” He snuck in a peck on the lip which she unconsciously avoided. “Can’t take you on our most amazing trip if I’m not around.”

Right… their weeklong stay at Camp Everfree. “I… wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”

“A good boyfriend arrives on time. A great boyfriend arrives early.” He casually added, holding a proud smile on his face. “Besides, I was pretty excited to take you on this trip. And I see you were too.” He held back a laugh. “You look amazing.”

Twilight cast her eyes downward and realized that she was still in her date clothes. A little wrinkly on the side, but nothing Timber could ever notice.

“Oh uh… thanks.” Why was she suddenly feeling anxious all of a sudden? She knew she made plans with her boyfriend. And him complimenting on her looks shouldn’t be anything relatively new. “I was out… getting some stuff.”

“I can see that.” He nodded. “Ready to go? I already told your folks about our vacation. Got my ride gassed up and I planned the most amazing camping trip of your life.”

“R… right! I’ll uh… go get Spike and we can be off.” Her heart strangely wavered. And for the briefest of seconds she was even considering to decline. She hastily made for her room unaware of her evil counterpart grinning maniacally in the darkest corner of her mind.

(House by the hill)

“Flash Sentry!?” Rarity yelled with such fury that fire metaphorically burned through her eyes. “Our Flash Sen- THE… Flash Sentry!? Sunset’s ex-boyfriend!?”

Rainbow swallowed, sinking in the corner like a rat that woke a dragon from its slumber. “Uh… yes?”

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?” The purple lady roared, partially out of anger and partially out of confusion. “Why in the world would you say that you were dating him of all people!?”

“To be fair, I said no at first.” Oh sure. Like anyone was gonna believe that. “But then mom and dad started to say that they were gonna set me up with some of their friend’s kids and… things got awkward. So I thought if I told them that I was seeing someone else… they wouldn’t bug me.”

“And did that work?”

Her sulky expression pretty much said it all. “Uh… no. They said they want to meet with him as soon as possible.”

Rarity smashed her head on the wall.

What in the world was going on? This can’t be a coincidence. First Applejack, then Pinkie Pie, now Rainbow Dash? Granted, the third idiot here was probably just using him as a bailout card. But still! Why him? Why that lovable goof of all people? Can you imagine if all of them found out that they were each aiming for the same guy? The guy who used to date Sunset Shimmer?

The amount of awkwardness between them would be unimaginable.

“Couldn’t you just told them the truth?” She asked, face still planted to the wall.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you saw the people they were setting me up with. I mean… Soarin, Bright Idea, Heath Burns, even… ugh… Zephyr Breeze.” She shivered on that last one, which was understandable. Zephyr was quite the…… character… in his own right. “So whadayasay? Can you help me out?”

Can she help her out? Probably. Does she want to help her out of this jam she got herself in? Heck no! That was a garbage fire of epic proportion. She wouldn’t touch that problem with a 50-foot pole. Rarity would much rather let this girl rot in the hole she dug for herself.

But unfortunately – as her friend – she had to.

Taking a deep breath, Rarity decided to tackle one problem at a time.

“Alright. Fine.” She said in defeat. “I’ll help you.”

“YES!” Rainbow jumped out and gave the fashionista a big hug only to stop half way when she stopped her.

“But for this whole thing to work, you will have to do things exactly as I say. Got it?”

“Got it.” She agreed too readily. “Uh… what thing exactly?”

“The problem here is that you don’t want your parents nagging you about your relationships, right?” Rainbow nodded dumbly in reply. “But for that to happen, you need a shield. And sadly you decided to say that… ugh… you were dating Flash Sentry.” Another nod. “But to sell that lie, they want you to bring him in for…?”

“Huh? Oh! Uh… dinner.”

“A dinner date.” Rarity mumbled, tapping the tip of her lips. She paced around the room, brainstorming, using every possible knowledge of TV tropes and reality show dramas to the fullest extent. Out there in all that useless archive of information, there had to be a solution. And thankfully, there was one. “AHA! I got it!”

“What? WHAT!?”

“Have you ever watched Emerald Oaks?”

Rainbow tilted her head. “That mushy TV show about speed-dating?” She darted away blushing. “No. Why?”

“Well in one episode, the protagonist suffers a scenario just like this. She didn’t like her parents setting her up with boys from the net so she pretended to date someone else.”

“O…kay? How does that help me?”

“Quiet on the set please.” Rarity ordered as she went on. “The task is simple: If the only way to get out of this situation is to get them to meet Flash, then we let them meet Flash. You’ll show your parents that you’re having a rather serious relationship with him and then they’ll leave you alone.”

“But… I don’t want to date Flash.” Ah… finally… some sane logic in all this madness.

“It’s only pretending.” She clarified. “We’ll have Flash in on the whole plan and have him play the part of the loving boyfriend. And when your parents are satisfied, you’ll tell them that you two broke up along the way.”

“Won’t they just set me up again if I did?” Oh Rainbow Dash. Sweet innocent Rainbow Dash. You have so much to learn in the life of love and war.

“Oh goodness no.” Rarity laughed it off heartily. “First loves are very beautiful darling, but also very fragile. And first breakups can be very damaging to someone as… delicate as… you. Everyone knows that a girl would need time to sort through some emotions to get over such a turbulent event.”

“They do?”

“I’m pretty sure they’ll leave you alone for hmhmh… a few years at the very least.”

“Really?” Rainbow gawked. “That’s… that’s awesome! I knew I could count on you Rare.”

“But only if the plan works.” The fashionista reminded. “We’d best call Flash and let him on this. The sooner we get him to meet your parents, the sooner we can settle this problem.”

“You think he’ll say yes to this whole nonsense?” Honestly, a part of me wishes he’d say no and you can go and fix your problem your own darn way.

“He fixed your bike, didn’t he?” She retorted which the sports gal replied with a touché. “And he gave Sunset this big’ole house. I think a simple pretend game won’t be too much trouble. Oh and I don’t need to tell you that no one must ever know of this. Ever.”

“Oh absolutely. There’s no way I’d tell anyone about this.”

“Good. The last thing we need is more confusion around here.” She reached for her phone and exited the room. “Honestly. The next time you need someone as an excuse, pick someone less troublesome. Like… Vice-Principal Luna?”

“Vice-Principal Luna?” Rainbow questioned her choice. “Why would I pick Vice…” She turned around towards the living room and immediately noted the night-haired lady standing inside wearing a deep scowl on her face. “Oooh…”

“H… hey guys.” Sunset waved at them awkwardly, appearing from the main entrance. “You remember Vice-Principal Luna, right?”

(Applejack’s farmhouse) (Attic)

Hmm… would a snow reindeer count?

Nah… too bulky.

A snow angel costume maybe?

No, too obvious.

“Applejack, are you done yet? Granny made some extra pancakes for snacks.” Apple Bloom stated, poking her head from the attic entrance.

“Not quite, Sugar Cube. I’m a little busy at the moment.” Busy picking out costumes from last year’s parties. “I’m looking for the right thing to wear for our family photo next week. I thought about using our old costumes, but all I got for this season are reindeers and snow angels. Which do you think is better?”

The little apple took a quick glance and immediately noted the wears and tears on each of them. They looked like they may as well tear off the moment someone put them on. “Honestly, I think neither.”

Yeah she figured as much. None of these were really used other than school events – and they haven’t seen the light of day till just a few hours ago. Especially the unicorn mascot outfit. The school wanted to create a mascot but it ended up getting shelved. Granny kept it here for safekeeping.

“Aww shucks. Now where am I gonna get a festive costume before the end of the year?”

“Can’t you just get Rarity to make you one?”

She thought about that. But then she didn’t want to burden her with another favor. “I don’t think she can whip up anything that fast. Besides, she’s got a lot of stuff on her plate. Maybe I can ask Uncle Cobbler to lend me his old scarecrow outfit.”

Apple Bloom cringed. “Uh… I don’t think scarecrows would match the winter season.”

“Yeah… I figured as much.” Not that she had much of an idea in the first place. “Maybe I should just raid the discount store. I need something that matches with the snow. You think green goes with blue?”

“Oooooh~~ planning to ask Flash Sentry to our family photo?” Apple Bloom turned to tease, a cheesy grin widening from her mouth. “Aren’t you the brave one~.”

Naturally, and unsurprisingly, Applejack’s cheeks went pink. “S… so? What about it? Granny did say we should all bring at least one new friend into the picture.”

“Oh please, big sis. You’re not fooling any huckster with that attitude.” Apple Bloom got up and joined her by the row of crates stacked up in the middle of the room. “I mean look at ya. I just said his name one time and you turn redder than the family orchard on harvest day. Face it sis. You’re smitten as a kitten. The whole family saw it during the family reunion.”

“Ugh… don’t remind me.” Applejack traced a hand down her face recalling that moment. “But I can’t help it. I mean… before that night, Flash and I barely got a few words out to one another. But since the reunion, I can’t get my head off him.”

“Care to explain it? I’ve always wondered if it feels like how they say it does. Scootaloo says it’s like having butterflies in your stomach… or your knees go weak all of a sudden.”

“Heh. And why’re you all so curious?” Applejack used a reverse card. “Got your eye on someone too?”

It was her turn to blush and stutter. “N… no. Just wondering that’s all. Come on. Give your little sis a heads up so I’ll know what to expect.”

“Well… sorry to burst your bubble. But I ain’t exactly an expert on the subject either. This is my first ever crush after all.”

“Well I hope you do.” The little apple added much to her surprise. “It’d be nice to see what a real boyfriend looks like up close. I could take notes and see what you did right. And besides… your pick is a lot better than… ugh… what Big Mac got.”

The two sisters shuddered dreadfully down to the bone as they recalled that one particular day. It was something they would never forget. Ever.

“I still can’t believe Ms. Cheerilee actually agreed to the whole thing.” Applejack said in disbelief. Her brother brought her old teacher in and introduced her to the whole family like it was the most natural thing to do. And the way they looked at each other, held hands, and put on their own private jokes made them look like the dumbest loving couple in all of Canterlot. It would seem that all the rumors generated in school had proven true for once.

Apple Bloom couldn’t help but barf at the thought. “I know. I mean a student and teacher? I thought something like that only happens in movies. You remember what granny’s expression was like?”

How could she possibly forget? The moment Big Mac introduced Cheerilee to the family as his girlfriend, Granny Smith had her jaw drop so low that her dentures skipped town on the next bus. The poor old lady looked like she had a heart attack. And who could blame her? I mean… this was the lady who’s been teaching them since the 4th grade. Ms. Cheerilee was practically a friend/co-worker. To suddenly have her turned into a… semi-relative was something no one expected. Granny said that she’ll have a sit-down talk with the two of them at some point but decided to just leave them to it for now. It was the holiday season after all.

“I don’t think I’ve seen her that shocked since Grand Pear made a surprise visit two years ago.” AJ chuckled. “At least I don’t have to deal with it.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re graduating next year. She’s gonna be my math teacher next semester! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that’s gonna be? Having your own brother date a teacher that’s teaching you.” No and honestly I don’t want to know. That was just throwing your head into a heap of trouble.

“They did look happy though.” Apple Bloom added much to her annoyance. Despite the age gap, their jobs, and those horrible-horrible nicknames they give to one another, the two of them did really look happy together. Perhaps ridiculously so.

“Sure do. Though I get a right feeling Big Mac’s setting himself up for a heaps of trouble later on.” Applejack paused on that.

“Well, like they say in one of them movies: No two love are ever alike. Some are sour, some are sweet, and some are just plain nasty.”

“Hoo boy. This whole love business is a lot more complicated than I thought. Guess you won’t be finding any tips or tricks about it around here.”

“Apple Bloom! What’s the hold up? Pancake’s getting cold down here.” Granny’s voice echoed from below.

“Coming granny.” The little apple shouted back. “You joining us, sis?”

Before AJ could answer, her phone buzzed with a text from Sunset. She scanned the contents before replying. “Maybe next time, Sugar Cube. Looks like I got an emergency meeting with the girls.”

Ups and Downs

Chapter 69 (Giggity): Ups and Downs

(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle)

Starlight paced back and forth from the nursing room, eyes turning from the door and the carpet beneath her. It had been a few hours since the incident in the hall of mirrors and the castle was put on high alert. What happened back then still shocked her. It all just happened so fast that she barely even had time to register everything.

But when the dust finally settled, both Trixie, Princess Luna and a squad of the royal guards were escorted out by healers. She had been trotting around ever since.

“Starlight!” The Headmare snapped her head around to greet the former Princess of the Sun.

“Princess Celestia.”

“I came as soon as I heard the news. I am so terribly sorry for your friend. Is she alright?”

“I… I don’t know. The doctors took her in the room just now. What about Princess Luna?”

“She is fine. Though her magic has waned since the encounter. The doctor says that she’ll recover after a full night’s rest.” That was a relief. Alicorns really are made of sterner stuff. Though that still didn’t alleviate her worries. “But I’m more concerned over what happened. The guards that saw the incident told me that something came through one of the portals.”

That’s a mild way of putting it. Something did try to enter. But it never came through the portal. It was far too large to properly fit through the small mirror. However the damage it did was substantial. It made a complete mess of Starswirl’s old lab breaking a number of mirrors and artifacts that were centuries old. It’ll take forever before they can get any of it back to working order.

“We’re not sure what it was.” Starlight answered. “It just tried to get through the portal but it was too big for it to fit. But I did hear a voice. It sounded pretty familiar though. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

“I’m sure it’ll come back to you eventually.” The princess tapped her shoulder trying to ease her worries. “And where is Sunburst? I was hoping to catch him here. That pony has a lot to answer for after we strictly told him not to go through that portal.”

Starlight’s expression paled in return. “He… never came back.” Celestia gasped. “When Trixie stumbled through, that thing just started flailing everywhere. The mirror portal was shattered by the time it all ended.”

“Then… that means…”

“He’s trapped on the other side.” A stunned silence fell over them. It was a disaster. A complete and utter disaster. “We need to open another portal to Ezaquatel as soon as possible.” She turned over to the princess. “I don’t suppose you’d know how to make one, would you?”

Celestia sadly shook her head. “I’m afraid not. These mirror portals were of archaic origins. Created long before I was ever around. Their designs was something I could never truly grasp. Only Starswirl had the capacity, understanding, and patience to uncover its secrets. Only he would be able to save your friend.”

Starlight opted to ask further but her look turned to panic when she noticed the door to the care room opened revealing a doctor pony and his nurses.

“Doctor! Is everything already? How is she?” She pleaded. “Is Trixie ok? Does she need anything?”

“One at a time, please.” The pony answered, looking a little startled. “Your friend is fine. Nothing life threatening at the moment. Though she will have to stay in a proper hospital if she is to fully recover.” Starlight felt a weight has lifted off her chest. “We’ve performed several healing spells already and so far there are no complications.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Celestia breathed a sigh of relief.

“However. I’m afraid she is also suffering from magical energy exhaustion. Whatever she did drained her of all of her magical powers.” The same case Starswirl is suffering from. “But I wouldn’t worry too much. These sort of cases are not that uncommon. Give her a few days’ rest and she’ll be right as rain. You can visit her, but I doubt you’ll get a response. I’ll have one of my nurses monitor her for a while. Now… if you’ll excuse me, your highness. I have a few more patients to tend with.”

“Of course. Thank you doctor.”

Now it was Starlight’s turn to breathe a sigh of relief. “Well… I’m glad she’s fine. Trixie has been through a tough spot before. But that still leaves us with more questions than answers. This is really starting to look like a right big mess.”

The sun pony nodded. “I agree. This dark power, whatever it may be, is not something we can take lightly anymore. It’s clear that everything that has happened thus far is connected. And I’m afraid Sunset and her friends in the human world are somehow caught up in all of this.”

“So… what do we do?”

Celestia pondered for a moment and shook her head again. A stern and determined look flared from her face as she turned over to the guards. “There’s no other choice. We must call upon all who can aid us. Guards!” The two pegasi saluted at attention. “Fetch me a scroll and a quill. I need to send a letter.”

(House by the hill)

Sunset was not amused.

In fact, you could say that she was less than amused.

She stared down at her boyfriend who sat by the couch with a dumb look on his face, while Twilight poked him with a stick. She and Luna saw a flare appear from where the scar on his hand was. The familiar feel of magical energy resonated from it, enforcing his claim. It should’ve been a moment of celebration. At least… that’s what Flash was thinking.

But to her and Luna… it was a dreadful appearance.

“Well… it’s official.” Twilight declared with a expressional face. “Flash has magic.”

“Yeah, we can see that.” Sunset groaned, resisting the urge to palm her face. “But how did this happen? You said it came to you during the earthquake?”

“Yup.” He nodded dumbly, a shy smile forming on his face. “It was pretty cool. I practically sent that ceiling tile flying.” But then he noticed their expressions and slowly realized that they did not share his enthusiasm. “You guys don’t look too happy about that.”

“Your powers of observation are impeccable, Flash.” Luna retorted, one brow raised sarcastically. “While this may seem incredible from your point of view, it goes against what I wanted. I was hoping to rid CHS of magic. Not add more of it.

“I thought we controlled all of the Equestrian Magic.” Sunset asked.

“We have.” Twilight answered raising a finger. “But I don’t think this is Equestrian Magic per-se. Judging from the timing of this whole thing, the wavelength of the energy, and the position of the scar, I have a strong suspicion that this might be Yaztec Magic. Flash must’ve caught it when Cinch blasted him with that bolt of energy in the parking lot.”

“But that was months ago. Why is it activating now?”

Twilight shrugged grinning childishly. “Your guess is as good as mine. It could be a number of things. Emotional reaction, genetic structure, maybe even hormones. But the bigger question is… why his arm?”

“What?”

“I mean… think about it. Every time we’ve encountered magic. Whether it’s Equestrian Magic or Yaztec Magic, it always imbed itself on an artifact. The black gemstones, our geodes, even simple objects like a mirror or pen can become enchanted. This is the first time I’ve seen a living person becomes intoned with magic.” That was… actually a good point. It was a simple observation but an astute one.

“So… what does that mean?” Flash was the one who asked this time.

“It means you’re a special case.” Twilight fixed her glasses, grabbing his arm and analyzing it from shoulder to fingers eagerly like a child opening a new toy on her birthday. If you looked closely you can see her glasses fogging up from all the steam she was building. “Fascinating. This is absolutely fascinating. It’s like the energy is merged with your whole body. How does it feel? Does magic have a stinging sensation? What’s it like?”

“Well… I’m not really sure myself.” He answered awkwardly while the girl continued to poke and prod him like some kind of science experiment, mumbling something under her breath. “But that’s kind of the reason why I wanted to tell you guys first. Maybe with this, I can actually do more to help you guys.”

Sunset let out a sigh. “I don’t think having you throwing magic everywhere is a good idea Flash.”

“Why not? You girls have powers and so far you’ve been doing great.”

“That’s different. We’re……” She paused for a spell. “… we’re not like the rest. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but magic hasn’t exactly been accommodating for everyone. Who knows what kind of danger you might put yourself in?”

“Or others for that matter.” Luna agreed, arms folding firm. “The whole school has been brain washed, hypnotized, and turned to mindless zombies already. Who knows what kind of world-ending calamity you might cause with? We are not taking that risk.”

“Then why don’t you teach me?” The boy put out noting his ex’s raised expression. “I mean if I have magic, you girls can help me control it so it won’t do anything crazy.”

“It’s not that easy Flash. Magic isn’t just something you can just learn like a class in school.”

“Now hold on just a moment.” To their surprise, Twilight protested. “We can’t blame everything on magic alone. Sure we’ve had our share of dark magic lately. But that’s because they were held by people with little understanding of it. Think about it for a minute. If Gloriosa or Vignette or Wallflower Blush knew how dangerous magic was, they could’ve done a lot of good instead of harming others. Remember how I was when I first discovered my magic?”

How could she not? Twilight was a complete wreck. Depressed even.

“That’s true.” Sunset groaned admittedly.

“And remember how everyone else reacted when they got their magic?” She added much to her annoyance. “We were all afraid of it. But you were there Sunset. You taught us not to be afraid of what it could be and embraced magic for what it was. You were there to teach us. If it weren’t for you… I don’t think any of us here would be where we are.”

“That’s… also true.”

“And now we have the opportunity to do the same thing. If we can help Flash adapt to his new found powers, he could help others like we have. He could be a great new addition to the team. And not to mention an asset against the Black Stone Order. If we train him through our usual sessions, he’ll be able to use that magic for good rather than for himself.” Twilight gave a fancy smile. “Besides, this is Flash we’re talking about here. Can you imagine him actually using his powers for evil?”

“You just want him because he’d make a great research subject.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned a beet red. “Well… that’s… partly true.” Girl. You look ready to have that arm of his X-rayed in a moment’s notice.

She did think about it though. And honestly, she could see nothing but perks in this deal. If they could help Flash with this new found magic, groom him to be a force for good he would undoubtedly become a great expansion to the group. And honestly, they could really use the extra help. The only problem was that it came from HIM.

“I suppose it can’t hurt.” She sighed in defeat. “It’s not like we can remove it anyway.”

“Can’t we just cut the hand off?”

“Ms. Luna!?” Twilight shrieked while Flash grabbed his arm away.

“I’m kidding.” She added quickly enough though the rest of them didn’t really seem convinced. “I would never harm one of my students. At least not intentionally. But I am a bit adamant about this. I don’t want magic invading the school any more than it has already. You all know that my sister was quite serious on her orders. If she finds out that Flash… or who knows how many more students have this kind of power, she’ll flip.” A breath escaped her, eyeing the boy in question. “But… if this magic can be of use to your group, I’ll be lenient.”

“Yes!” Flash cheered despite Luna’s disapproving look. “You won’t regret this. I promise.”

“Now hold on.” Sunset added, raising a hand up. “Before we try anything, you have to promise me that you won’t use your magic in school.”

“Promise.” He raised a hand up to symbolize something akin to an oath swearing.

“Good. We’ll go through some works. But first we need a favor from y – Twilight! Will you stop that?”

“What? I wasn’t doing anything!” You are literally holding one of your fancy gizmos and holding it over his arm like some mad scientist. “It’s for research purposes.” No. It’s totally not. Not when you’re trying to rip his shirt off just to see what’s underneath all that skin. That’s not research, that’s invasion of personal space. And probably even harassment if the law allowed it.

(Crystal Prep) (Principal’s office)

“Right. Just sign here.” Sombra motioned to the line on the document to which Shining Armor proceeded to do so. It was the weekend at Crystal Prep and hardly anything needed doing thanks to the hard work of Dean Cadance. But even so, the old man had to see some procedures through. “And with that, your contract with us is hereby terminated. I’m truly sorry to see you go, Shining Armor. Despite us having worked together for only a few months you have been an integral part in our work in Crystal Prep. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from our faculty and staff.”

“Thank you sir.” The boy nodded back in understanding.

“I’m quite reluctant to see you go. Especially when I heard that you were transferring to Everton Academy of all places.”

“It’s just that… it was an offer I couldn’t refuse sir.”

“If it’s about money, I’m sure we can negotiate.” Sombra offered. “Considering your years of service here, I think there’s a little wiggle room.”

“Thanks for the offer, Principal. But I think this is for the best.” Shining added, putting his student ID down.

“May I at least know why you’re leaving?” He asked, taking his seat by his super comfy chair. “It’s clearly not about the money. So it’s obvious that you ulterior motives for going.”

“It is about the money.” The former faculty admitted reluctantly. “Well… partly. It’s just that… I need to get away from here.”

Sombra blinked, somewhat surprised of the answer. “Did something happen?”

“No. Well… yes. Kinda. It’s just that… me and Cadance have been…”

“Romantically involved. Yes, I’ve heard.”

“Yeah… that. And things have been… good. But… I can’t see myself staying here for the rest of my life. It’s time I moved on to something different for a change. Not… be rooted down.”

Sombra’s face hardened at the vague explanation. “I see. You feel trapped being under her for so long.”

“Yeah. Something like that.” Shining admitted again. “Don’t get me wrong. I love working with Cadance. And I really like her. But if I stay here with her, I get the feeling I won’t be able to grow as a person.”

An eerie yet warm silence fell between the two. Sombra let out a pleasant sound, reaching out to the boy’s shoulders. “I can’t say I understand how you feel, Shining Armor. But if you believe this to be the best course of action for you, then I won’t stop you. However… you should know that the road you’re heading will be full of strife. I wouldn’t be surprised if you and Cadance fought over it.”

“Yeah. We already did that. She was pretty livid about the whole thing. But… I’m sure this is the right way.”

“Then I wish you well.” He chimed, leading the boy to the door of his office. “Good luck on your new job in Everton. And if you ever find yourself back here, I’m sure no one will argue against it.”

“Thank you sir. It’s been a pleasure.” Shining extended his hand which his old boss gladly accepted.

“The pleasure was all mine my boy.” They smiled and laughed. And with a final wave, he said farewell to his former employee. The kid had a bright future ahead of him. Undoubtedly full of conflicts with his beloved. But that was something he was willing to deal with. Sombra envied him greatly. He actually somewhat reminded him of himself when he was just a young passionate man with dreams.

Oddly though, there was something off about him.

Were the boy’s eyes always green?

Heart to Heart

Chapter 83: Heart to Heart

(Canterlot City General Hospital)

So this was the hospital? It’s… a lot bigger than what he expected.

Flash only saw the inside of a hospital through movies and they always portrayed it as a busy place with lots of wounded and ill. But then again those were action flicks so it was natural for everything to look busy.

The actual hospital however seemed tamed in comparison. There were people waiting in line for some reason, nurses and doctors mulling about helping those in wheelchairs and stretchers. The smell of the place reeked of medicine and alcohol. And not in a good way either. It was enough to make him feel slightly nauseous.

As for what he was doing here? Well… as you can probably imagine, his little meeting with dear old dad didn’t exactly pan out the way he imagined. The guy blatantly lied to his face, refusing to tell him about the whole checkup thing.

What kind of secret would his old man keep from his own son?

And no, he wasn’t buying in on that whole family heart disease thing. Not by a long shot.

So if Edmund wasn’t going to say anything, and dad refusing to give him a straight answer, the boy thought it was best to go to another source. Someone that not even dad would figure out.

Dr. Flatline.

That name still didn’t feel right for a doctor, but Flash was out of options. He was going to get to the bottom of this mystery even if it kills him.

Though that seemed a lot more difficult than you’d imagine.

Apparently, you can’t exactly ask to meet a doctor straight away from the reception desk like people did in movies. That doesn’t happen when there’s an actual emergency – or unless you’re a cop. Apparently these doctors can be very busy with their schedules and can only meet if you have an appointment. Yeah… who woulda thunk?

He could bribe the receptionist. But that would only leave a paper trail. Wouldn’t want dad knowing he was here.

The door where the doctors go through was also closely guarded. There’s no way an ordinary person like would be able to get pass. Not unless you were a patient, or a staff member.

He could break his leg again just to go through…

Thankfully however, luck has decided to give him a less painful solution.

“Ow!” A woman came up and smacked her face right on his chest. “Excuse me. I’m a little… Flash?”

“Rarity?” He recognized the girl instantly. If it wasn’t for the hair or the strong perfume, then the gaudy outfit she wore which made her stand out in the crowd. “What are you doing here?”

“I could be asking you the same thing.” She begrudgingly answered looking like someone stepped on her toes just now. “A hospital is hardly the place to meet your friends. I thought someone of your pedigree wouldn’t have to come to a place like this on the weekend.” She wasn’t wrong there. But she didn’t need to know that.

“I’m just visiting.” He shrugged. “Are you here to see the doctor or…?”

“And why in the world would you want to know?” Whoa, someone’s snappy today. Rarity must’ve realized how blatantly rude that was too because her expression changed immediately from anger to embarrassed to downright apologetic. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. It’s this splitting headache I’ve been feeling since the other day and it has got me a bit… agitated.”

“That’s one way of saying it. What happened?”

“I wished I knew. But I cannot, for the life of me, remember” Rarity groaned. “All I know is that I woke up with this nagging ache in my head and it’s been bothering me for a while now. Not to mention how it’s been affecting my work.”

“Sounds like you got it rough.”

“My parents say that it may be stress, which is nonsense. I’ve been dealing with peer pressure my whole life. A little bit of extra work never bothered me. Though… I have been dealing with a lot of things lately. Especially with Fluttershy’s recent stunt with her…” She paused to eye him wearily. “Ugh… never mind. I just came to the hospital to get a medical checkup just to be sure. At the very least he’ll be able to relieve me of this aching head.”

“Ouch. Sounds like a pain.”

“Yes. And you’re partly the problem.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing dear. Just muttering to myself.” She turned away. “Anywho, I’m just waiting for the result of my checkup. Hopefully they’ll prescribe with me something and I can get back to designing new clothes for the Spring lineup.” Even after everything she’s gone through she’s still focusing on her fashion career. Flash couldn’t help but be a little envious.

“Wait…” A thought came to mind. “Does that mean you get to go through that door?”

Rarity blinked, eyeing said door, which was closely guarded by security. “That’s where the doctors receive their patients, so yes. Why?”

Flash wasn’t quite sure if it was pure coincidence or fate, but he certainly wasn’t going to let an opportunity slip by. “Uh… so listen. This might sound like a strange request. But… would it be possible if I came with you?”

Rarity raised a suspicious brow. “I… suppose so. But why would you want to go there?”

“I can’t really explain. It’s sort of… personal.”

“Flash. You do realize that this is a hospital, right? Not some playground for you to fool around in.”

“Of course! Absolutely. It’s just that… I need to see someone back there. Urgently.” She didn’t seem convinced though. “Please Rare. For me? Just this once?” He put his hands together in plea.

The fashionista took a moment to weigh the cost-benefit statistic in her head. Her eyes went lazy for a second before finally answering. “Ugh… very well. But only because you’re a friend.”

“Yes! Thanks Rarity. I owe you big time.”

She sighed. “If only you knew.”

(House by the hill)

“I knew it!” Twilight shouted in cheer, holding one of her many scanning devices in her hand. “I was right. The magic handshake really was the catalyst.”

“Yes Twi. We know that.” Applejack retorted. “That was kind of a no-brainer. But can we first focus on Fluttershy here? As much as I like this new Bunnyshy here, I don’t think she much likes being a little furry carrot loving critter.” The said bunny nodded heavily in agreement.

Right of course. First thing first.

“That’s the whole point of my research.” She excused. “But it’s more than that. I first thought that the magic changed in our geode. But that’s not the case.” The gang gave her a funny look which prompted her to explain. “You all know that our Equestrian Magic comes directly from our geodes, right? Well… this new magic, let’s call it Flash-Magic for a lack of better term, is actually coming from inside of us.”

“Hold up. Are you saying that we… all of us… have magic?”

“Exactly! It’s a mixture of Equestrian Magic and Yaztec Magic, blended perfectly inside our bodies. It’s actually quite remarkable.”

“Not the word I’d use.”

“Of course. But that’s the good part.” Twilight added. “Now that I know that the magic is bound not to our geodes, but to us. I may know a way to control it.”

“Really?” Fluttershy’s eyes shined with hope.

“Yes. Now Fluttershy. Try using your magic. Don’t think too hard on it. Just imagine that you’re using your powers. Nothing stressful.”

The little bunny grunted and groaned, which looked quite adorable from close up. But despite her best effort, it failed to garner a reaction.

“It’s not working.”

Odd. She was sure it would work. “Hmm… maybe we need something to create a focal point.”

“Or~~” Pinkie interjected, bouncing on the floor which she turned into her own personal trampoline. “Maybe she just needs a little bounce in her life. Try bouncing like the bunny that you are! Maybe that’ll help. And it’s a lot of fun~~~”

“That’s not helping Pinkie. And please stop doing that. We don’t know the full effects of your new powers yet. You can’t just go playing around with it.”

“Aww… boo. But I like my new powers.”

“Speak for yourself.” Rainbow Dash scoffed, sitting on top of the chair trying to avoid the ground after having been electrocuted several times already. “At least you’re not getting static all over your body. I can’t touch anything around here without getting zapped! Not my bike, not my phone, I can’t even touch the remote or the TV! How am I supposed to watch the big game next week if I break every electronic around me!”

“One step at a time, sugar cube.” Applejack reassured her. “Let’s deal with Fluttershy’s problem first, then we’ll come back to ya. Right Twi?”

“Yeah. Sure. Of course.” Twilight acknowledged it but kept her gaze fixed on the bunny. “Alright Fluttershy. Let’s try this again. Try to use your magic. Just like how you’d use your geode. It’s all about concentration and focus.”

The little pink bunny followed and tried real hard to focus. And then suddenly they got a reaction. Her body began to glow, leaking the same magical powers as the rest of them.

“S… something’s happening.” Applejack and the rest of the gang stepped back sensing impending danger from the little furry gal.

And something did happen. An explosion… of sort. And then a purr?

“Fluttershy?”

“I’m here… meow.”

A… cat?

Twilight flicked her glasses, noticing that her friend had turned from one furry creature to another.

But… why a cat?

… unless…

“Kaak!”

“Fluttershy? What’s wrong?” The pink cat answered, spitting a chunk of hair out of her mouth. “Oh… that.”

“Try it again.”

“O… ok. Hmmmph!” Fluttershy gritted again, and her body glowed. She ‘blew’ up in a puff of smoke later turning into something larger.

“Oh… wow.”

“What? What happened? What did I turn int-mooooo!?”

A cow. She turned into a cow… literally. Her whole body morphed from a pint sized animal to a bovine. The change was so quick and sudden that the chair where she sat broke. Sunset wasn’t going to like that.

“Oh my gosh! You turned into something more awesome!” Pinkie squealed as she quickly rushed to hug the… uh… Fluttermoo? “I’ve always wanted a cow friend. Oh! Maybe you can turn into an alligator! Then you can be best buds with Gummy! He’ll love it!”

“Keep trying Fluttershy.” Twilight insisted. “You’re almost there. I can feel it!”

The poor girl did so turning from a multitude of animals, each differentiating in shape and size. She turned from a lion, to a gorilla, then a horse for some reason, which nearly broke the floor with all her prattling, and then a few other animals she never knew existed, before at long last… she came back to her cute adorable self.

“You did it!”

“I… I did it?” Fluttershy, the REAL Fluttershy gasped, glancing to her fingers and her toes. “I did it! I’m me again!” The gang cheered in unison, both in congratulations, and relief for the house that still stood.

“Aww… but I wanted to see you in panda form. A cute… fluffy panda.” Pinkie whined.

“Next time Pinkie.” Twilight sighed. “How do you feel, Fluttershy?”

“Much better now. Being stuck as an animal wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. It just feels good to have thumbs again.” She paused when she realized that some of her clothes were missing. “Eeep!”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“I got it.” The sports gal nodded to the unasked question before returning with some spare clothes from her room. “Here. This should… ow!” The clothes buzzed her. “Stupid electricity!”

“Well at least you’re back to your old self.” Twilight considered that a win. The last thing any of them wanted was to have a friend go around permanently as an animal. “I’d hold back on using your new found powers again.”

“I agree with that.” Applejack motioned with her hat. “For a moment there I was afraid you might’ve turned into an elephant and break the whole house down.” She glanced at the floor. “Though we might wanna fix that. Sunset isn’t gonna like it when she sees this.”

Damaged household aside, this was still progress for the gang. These new found powers were controllable – or at the very least manageable. A little bit of research was needed. But Twilight was sure they can get it under wraps. That would however… mean more scanning… and far more sophisticated studies.

That would mean bringing her lab up to bear. And she already used a little bit scanning Flash’s hand.

“So what now?” Rainbow Dash asked, to which she could only sigh in response.

“There’s no other choice.” Twilight droned. “I can only get limited data with the equipment I have here. If I want to delve into these new powers, I’m going to need my lab. I can’t use it back home.”

“Then why don’t you bring it here then?” Applejack suggested. “There’s plenty of space here. And I’m sure Flash won’t mind if we use a little bit of electricity. Heck, you could let Rainbow Dash here supply you with some of it – seeing how she’s a living lightning bolt right now.” The girl in question gave out a whiny ‘Hey’ in response.

“That’s true. But my equipment are a bit massive. I’ll need a lot more space than the rooms we have here.”

“Then why don’t you move it in the basement?” Pinkie suggested.

…

Wait… basement?

“What basement?” The bubbly gal pointed to the broken floorboard which revealed a massive basement space underneath the house. “I didn’t know this house had a basement.”

Applejack hummed in agreement. “Neither did we.”

(Canterlot General Hospital)

Flash made a mental note to thank Rarity later. Despite her demeanor and unique taste in all-things-fashion, that girl was a gem.

After she was called up on her appointment, she added him as her +1 saying that he was there for morale support, which the hospital staff accepted as a reasonable excuse. Apparently meeting the doctor can often be a stressful event. Who knew?

Either way, he was in.

The back of the hospital looked far different from the rest of the establishment. A lot more patients and nurses, and many more visitors too, which was good. Not in a sense of their illness or injury, but because now he could blend in.

It was kind of cool sneaking into a restricted area. It made him feel like one of those secret agents in spy movies, delving around, looking for evidence against some evil mob boss or trying to steal a big fat diamond from a vault. His agenda sadly was less than stellar. Though not less important.

After breaking away from Rarity’s checkup, the boy circled around the main hallway where all the other doctors seem to congregate. Thankfully for him, Flash made a note to get a photo of Dr. Flatline so as to identify him immediately the moment he spotted him.

The only problem was that this place was pretty huge. Finding him would still prove a substantial challenge.

Or… not?

“Oh!” Flash bumped onto someone who came at him at jogging speed. He’s been bumping into a lot of people lately. He really should stop thinking too much and start paying attention to where he was walking.

Papers spilled all over as they fell in the same direction, a pair of glasses falling off.

“I’m terribly sorry.” The older man apologized profusely. “I’m such a klutz. I really should watch where I’m going.”

“No. Not at all. Here, let me help.” Flash picked up the man’s glasses feeling a sense of déjà vu. But in that moment he noticed the ID tag dangling off his neck. The guy looked a lot older than his picture. He was supposedly blonde, but you can see a streak of silver growing from its root.

“Oh thank you, my boy. I swear, these glasses of mine is getting worse by the year. I really should get that fixed.” The guy sounded pretty chip despite his ripening age.

“Doctor… Flatline?”

“That’s me. Yes yes. I know. The name sounds strange for a doctor. I’ve heard that joke one too many times already.” He accepted his glasses and the pile of unsorted documents as he squinted at the boy, barely getting his shape through the blurry image. “Do I know you?”

“Umm… actually…”

“Ah! You must be my next appointment.” He smacked his head in realization. “I’m so sorry to make you wait. I didn’t hear the PA. I’ve been so busy with my other patients that I’ve lost track of time. Please, come in. My office is right over here.” He quickly ushered the boy into a small boxed office which was surprisingly clean than his mentality. “Take a seat. I’ll be right with you in a moment.”

Flash wasn’t really sure if it was just a string of luck or fate guiding him, but he wasn’t gonna argue. This whole secretive notion was itching the back of his mind and he had the opportunity to reach it. If Edmund or his dad wasn’t gonna spill the beans, then he’ll just have to look for the cookie jar itself.

Granted that wasn’t the best metaphor he could make. But he was nervous, so sue me!

“Actually, Doctor. I’m not a patient.” Flash spoke up causing the doctor to pause as he reached for his spare lenses. The man muttered a small ‘Huh?’ back in confusion. “Well… actually, I am. But not in the way you’re thinking. You uh… wouldn’t happen to remember a certain Flash Sentry in your record?”

“Flash… Sentry?” He gave it a quick thought before shaking his head in reply. “No. I’m afraid not.” That… wasn’t the answer he was expecting.

“Really?”

“Really.” He nodded. “I’ve treated hundreds of patients here in Canterlot General Hospital and I remember many of them. I’ve never had anyone by that name come through my office.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” The doctor insisted. “A unique name like that would hardly escape me. What is this about?”

“I’m looking for a record that…”

“Medical records are classified between doctor and patient. I cannot reveal anything. And like I said before, I’ve never heard of a… Flash Sentry.” His voice took a sterner tone as he cleaned his glasses, squinting even harder. “Now, if that is all, I must ask you to leave. This is a hospital, not a playground, and my time is precious.”

So much for fate playing a part here.

Flash wanted to press on, but from the looks of it, the doctor wasn’t joking. Egging him on would only spark unwanted conflict.

Besides, it was a stupid plan to begin with. What in the world made him think he would actually get an answer here? It was a snowball chance in hell, and it melted before it even hit its mark. The guy didn’t even know his name.

I mean… it was more than 10 years ago. People’s memories can’t be that sharp all the time.

“Well?”

Flash flinched. “Right. Of course sir. Sorry to bother you.”

Flatline scoffed and put on his glasses. But again, in that split second, his eyes focused on the boy and a gasp escaped his lips.

“Sophie?” The name rang a bell in Flash’s head making him whip his head back as if expecting a reaction. The good doctor recoiled for a moment before composing himself. “Umm… nothing. I mistook you for someone else. You can go now.”

“Sophia?” Flash spoke garnering the doctor’s attention. “Sophia Hope. You knew my mother?”

“Your mother?”

“That’s her name. Sophia Hope.”

“Pah… don’t be ridiculous. I know Ms. Hope and she didn’t have a son named…” The doctor’s voice croaked as his eyes snapped open in the boy’s direction as if suddenly hit by a brick in realization. “Oh my word…… Turbo?”

Turbo?

“You’re… alive?”

…

What?

xxxxxxxxxx

“I don’t believe my eyes.” Dr. Flatline said for like the sixth time since this conversation started. He stared at the boy in front of him. Analyzing every little detail like he was some kind of scientific marvel. “It really is you!”

Yeah. Kind of what I’ve been saying for the last ten minutes.

The Doctor’s attitude turned a complete 180 when he finally recognized Flash. Or perhaps in this case, Turbo. Apparently that was the name mom wanted to give him when he was born but it was changed in the last minute after some argument. He wasn’t really clear on the details.

“My goodness. Look at you.” Flatline continued, poking him by the ear. “Healthy as a horse. And not a single blemish to be seen. I must say this is… quite a surprise.”

“It is?”

Flatline must’ve realized his invasion of personal space because he quickly moved back. “I apologize for that. It’s just that I’m a little… shocked… and relieved at the same time. I mean… you’re really him.”

“So you believe me?”

“Yes quite so.” He nodded with gusto, returning to his seat with a smile that made him quite approachable. “You should’ve told me that your father was Sombra. It would’ve cleared a lot of misunderstanding, and a lot of headache. Next time, you should lead with that. I had half a mind to call security thinking you were some radical trying to pull a stunt. Thank god for that.”

Flash laughed that part off weakly. “Aheh… thanks Doctor. I wasn’t sure you remembered my dad.”

“We were associates.” Flatline gave a playful shrug. “Though more like acquaintances to be honest. I haven’t heard from him since… well… your mother.” His face contorted to hide a bitter pain. “How is he by the way?”

“He’s fine.” It was a simple yet plain answer. It’s not like he wanted to talk about that guy right now. “He’s mostly busy with his campaign these days.”

“Ah… of course. His election. I’ve seen his face on billboards throughout the city of late. Never took him to take a shine in politics.” Neither did he. In fact, Flash wasn’t even sure why he took the position of the new Principal in Crystal Prep. It was rather sudden to be honest. Even more so when he decided to run for mayor. “Regardless, it is quite a pleasure to see you again, Turbo – err I mean… Flash. You have no idea how happy I am to see you healthier than an ox.”

“Yeah… about that.” Flash nodded awkwardly, thinking back on their meeting. “About what you said before. What did you mean when you said that I was alive?” It certainly wasn’t a slip of the tongue. He was sure of what he heard.

“Oh… that. I’m sorry my boy.” The doctor shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his gentle old-man smile slipping. “I didn’t mean anything much by it. It’s just that… well… it’s just that you being here is quite a miracle.” Flash didn’t answer. Instead he gave him a puzzled look which prompted the man to explain. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

“Why not?”

“Well because.” He paused. “It’s a rather long story.”

“Does it have to do with my regular medical checkups?”

The man’s face softened a bit on that notion. “Oh… so you still have those, have you? I guess that explains why you came here looking for your medical records.” The boy nodded in response. “Does your father know about this?”

Did it matter?

“No. He’s… not really open to any of this. All I know is that I have some kind of… condition?”

“I’m not surprised. It’s not something your father would speak openly to anyone. There are a lot of bad memories there. Some he’d rather not revisit.” The doctor rose from his chair and reached out to a filing cabinet shifting through the myriad of folders kept within. “Tell me. What do you know about your condition?”

“Not much. Dr. Heartbeat doesn’t really tell me anything. I only know that it involves my heart.”

Again, the man nodded, not denying any of it. “That’s about as simple as he would say. Though it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

Flash blinked. “What do you mean?”

The doctor lowered the file on his table, sighing begrudgingly. “Flash. You were never meant to live.”

(House by the hill) (Basement)

What is this place?

It was a basement, duh?

Twilight gawked at the dark room, feeling a faint musk in the air. Judging from the odor, the rush of air, it looks like no one has been in this place for years. Even when the house was lived in, no one in the group had noticed that the quaint little place had a large basement beneath it.

It was huge! Way larger than what a basement should’ve been. The whole place was made of concrete. Three separate areas sectioned with walls and empty doorframes. You would think that the previous tenants of this place was planning to make some kind of bomb shelter of sort or a prepper storehouse.

Though it wasn’t that unusual for a house to have a basement like this, something felt slightly off.

The entrance itself wasn’t out of the ordinary. The only reason no one ever noticed it was because it was still buried under the last bit of snow from winter. What caught their attention was the amount of locks placed on it. There were racks upon racks of chains holding the handles together, tightened with a secure lock pad. If she could paint a word picture, Twilight would say that someone didn’t want anyone coming in here.

Thankfully the chains were old and rusty from years exposed to the elements. Nothing Applejack’s super-strength couldn’t handle.

The other thing that gave her the fright was how unnaturally dark it was.

If it wasn’t for the small hole in the floor where Fluttershy smashed, the place would’ve been pitched black.

The last thing was how oddly creepy it looked. The chill in the air, and the creepy corridor gave it all the hallmarks of a horror movie hunting ground. You might even think that a monster would come out of a dark corner unexpectedly and give you one of those overly convoluted and not-at-all frightening jump-scares.

“Hiya!”

Twilight shrieked. “GAH! Pinkie! Will you please stop doing that?” The bubbly gal shrugged and giggled away in response. Honestly, she couldn’t really get what goes through that girl’s head sometimes.

…

No scratch that. No one can understand what goes through that girl’s head. Any attempts of understanding will only drive even the most skilled therapist mad. Some things are best left unfounded.

“Anyone else getting a bad vibe around here?” Applejack shuddered feeling a chill in the air. “I’ve been in the cold storage under my barn before, but this place makes it feel like you’re stuck in a freezer.”

And she wasn’t wrong. This place felt strangely colder than usual. Enough to make you shiver at least. Perhaps insulation built within the walls was meant to keep the cold inside?

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted from the broken floorboards with Fluttershy beside her. “You guys find anything down there?”

“Not yet.” Twilight responded. “We’re still looking.”

“Ok. Just be sure to look out for traps. If I had a secret bunker under my house, I’d definitely one or two down there.”

Yeah… sure… traps.

Doubtful they’d find any kind of contraption here. I mean, this house has been a beacon of safety for all of them for the last few months. It was their headquarters, their unofficial clubhouse, and… maybe Sunset’s new place. But she wasn’t here right now so I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.

But then again Rainbow Dash was right back at Castle Hoofbeard so it may pay to be a little extra cautious.

“I found the light switch!” Pinkie yelled from somewhere before flicking something and everything turned bright.

Ow… my eyes! Pinkie!

Twilight squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. She opted to scold Pinkie for that, but she quickly paused when she caught sight of the basement’s true nature.

What… in… the… world?

This wasn’t a storeroom. It wasn’t even a shelter.

It was… well… Twilight wasn’t really sure what to even call it.

There were gizmos and gadgets here stretching from side of the basement to the other. High-tech equipment that looked like they were from the future lined up neatly, covered under a thin layer of dirt. Buttons, switches and electrical wires rolled up to one another with computers on every corner.

Not to mince words but this looked a lot like her own lab back home. Except maybe… more professional in nature. It would actually even be considered cool if it wasn’t for the single object that stood out of place at the very center of the largest room. That single innocent thing that drew attention of every pair of eyes in the house.

At the very middle of that lab was a little dilapidated baby’s crib.

(Canterlot General Hospital)

“Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait!” Flash spluttered in both shock and confusion. It was a natural reaction seeing how someone just told you to kick the bucket. “What!? What do you mean I’m not supposed to be alive? I’m standing right here!”

“Calm down, Flash.” Dr. Flatline didn’t seem fazed by his reaction. “I understand your confusion. Your father showed the same expression. But let’s not be too hasty now.”

Ok ok. Calm. Let’s be cool here. No need to jump the horse right now. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Right? Let’s just hear the guy out for now and see where it goes.

“Sorry. I’m just… surprised. That’s all.” The boy sighed, taking his seat, allowing the older man to continue.

Flatline nodded, coughing into his fist. “It was on the day you were born. I remember it like it was just yesterday. Your mother was rushed into the hospital as soon as she went into labor. And Sombra? Well… he was both excited, and frightened, as you could imagine. They were all looking forward to meeting you. It was to be one of the best days of their lives.” Flash could tell there was a ‘but’ coming. “But it wasn’t meant to be.”

Called it.

“What happened?”

“You… happened.” The man’s face went grim as he said it. “When babies are born, they normally cry when they come out. But when you came out of your mother… you were as quiet as a mouse.” That’s… not a good sign. “We discovered that you had a heart defect. It’s a rare case in these parts but not unheard of. Normally it’s treatable but in your case however…… it was not so simple.” The boy remained silent. “At first we thought to let you recover on your own. But after the first few months… your condition worsened. So much so that you needed specialized equipment just to keep you alive.”

So that’s what he meant.

“As you can tell, your father spared no expense on you. He hired doctors from across the world, brought in tools and gadget from everywhere. Your parents were determined to find a solution. I was kept along to monitor you. I gave you a checkup every week.” He paused for a bit, letting the words sink in. “But despite their best efforts, they couldn’t help you.”

“But I’m still here.” Flash croaked. “They found a way, right?”

“I’m afraid only your father can answer that.” Flatline answered plainly much to the boy’s surprise. “There was a reason why I was surprised of your visit.” He breathed. “As a doctor, I’m supposed to be optimistic. But judging by your condition back then, I predicted that you wouldn’t live to see even your first birthday. You grew worse with every passing moment. So much so that you hardly even breathed. But then…” His eyes lit up.

“Then…?”

“You suddenly… got better.” That turned a complete 180. “I don’t know how it happened. But you recovered instantly. Your heart started beating normally, your breathing strengthened. It almost seemed like magic. I could hardly believe it myself.” Magic. That was probably the key word here.

If Flash heard about this a few years ago, he probably would’ve called it complete nonsense. But knowing that this world had some semblance of magic, he wouldn’t pass by it so easily.

“So dad was right? Our family has a heart problem?”

Flatline raised a brow. “I don’t know about your family’s medical history, but there’s a possibility that the heart condition was genetic.”

Dang. Looks like he owes his old man an apology. “Did you ever find out what happened?”

“No.” The doctor sagged in disappointment. “Sombra dismissed me by the time you recovered and replaced my position with another doctor. Though I do recall it happened around the same time Sophia disappeared.”

Flash blinked. “Wait… what? I thought mom passed away.”

“That’s the official story that I heard from your father. A shame on that. She would’ve loved to meet you.”

Hold on. Something doesn’t smell right here. Flash could feel it in his gut. “Did dad ever tell how she died?”

“No. I’m afraid not. Though we haven’t exactly been keeping in touch since that day. From what I remember, your mother traveled to search for some ancient remedy in a distant land. She delved into some mystical nonsense that I couldn’t quite recall.”

In other words, Magic.

It made sense. There has to be a connection somehow. It had to…

“Excuse me. Dr. Flatline?” A nurse knocked, opening a tiny slit on the door. “Your 1 o’clock appointment is here.”

“Oh?” He jumped to his watch, gawking. “Oh dear. I’ll be there in a moment. Sorry Flash. But it seems duty calls.”

He waved it off. “No. It’s alright. Thanks Doctor for… giving me some answers.” Though it brought up a lot more questions than he had hoped. “I’ll find my own way out.”

He needed to get home.

He and his old man need to have a real long talk.

Between a Rock and a Pillow

Chapter 93:

(Canterlot Mall) (Zecora’s House of Fortune)

Twilight wasn’t sure what she was expecting. After everything she’s experienced these last few months, it could literally be anything. And walking into the den of a potential enemy seemed to be a common trend nowadays. It wouldn’t even surprise her if a monster would drop out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of them.

She was daring to go the distance, readied herself for a fight if need be. Heck, she already had one hand over her geode to Pony-Up on a moment’s notice. With all the creepy decorations hanging about, you’d think that this was going to be some kind of trap. Unfortunately, reality was… not as exciting.

“Out for lunch?” Twilight read the note on the table next to the obviously-fake crystal ball at the center. That single phrase written clumsily on that single piece of paper removed all the tension she held in her body deflating her like a balloon. “Is that even possible?”

“Of course it is.” Adagio responded. Though the question wasn’t actually directed at her. “It doesn’t matter who you are, or what your alignment is. People have to eat.”

Duh… that was obvious. Even villains have to satisfy their baser needs.

Still, it was kind of anti-climactic. She was kind of expecting a showdown between her and a villain like in those old cartoons. The setting itself was perfect.

Weird masks on the wall, a thick eerie fog, tapestries woven into the inside of the tent, wacky voodoo music playing in the background? Even Rainbow Dash would be thrilled by this place, saying that it came straight out of a Daring Do flick.

“Well. It looks like she’s not here. Too bad. Time to get back before…” Adagio choked when Twilight pulled her by her collar.

“Not yet. We came here to get answers.”

“And, pray tell, what kind of answers are you looking for?”

“I don’t know! Clues – or any indication to who this person is, or traces of magic.”

“And you really expect to find them snooping around some witch’s tent?”

Not really… but she wasn’t going to call it quits just yet.

“There has to be something here. Anything that can make us understand what we’re up against.”

Adagio rolled her eyes on the plan. “Ugh… and to think I thought I put my thieving days behind me.”

Twilight ignored her and began ruffling through whatever was in the tent. There were a lot of gimmicks to be had. A fully functional lightshow that displayed constellation onto the ceiling, even a pressure pad plate with multiple functions probably to control every other magical machines around here. Not a bad setup if she was being honest.

But nothing useful though. Honestly, the insides of this tent seemed far less magical than the outside. It felt like she was looking at the wizard behind the curtains and was disappointed by the truth. It seems deliberately made to look like a con-artist’s room.

Oh?

A lockbox? Hidden under a cloth. It seems weighty, large and durable, secured with a rather intimidating padlock. And that tingling on her geode…?

Magic… definitely.

“This looks promising.” She stated plainly. “But it’s locked.”

“Stand aside.” Adagio butted in, grabbing a hairpin from her pocket.

Twilight blinked in amazement. “You know how to pick locks?”

She returned a smug smile. “It’s not the first time I had to break into someone else’s strongbox. I can even crack into your school locker, easy.”

“That’s not possible.”

“You use your birthday as the combination. It’s an easy formula to remember. Not exactly rocket science, sweetheart.” She snorted. “And… there.” With a little effort, and a little finesse, the giant lock clicked open and fell off like it was nothing. “It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Maybe I should go back to a life of crime.”

That’s… disturbing. But Twilight ignored her again and opened the box hoping to find something that could lead them to the root of their problems.

…

And she wasn’t disappointed.

“No way…” Her hands trembled as she reached inside grabbing a slender yet unfamiliar marbled object. “It can’t be.”

“Holy granoly…” Even the voice in her head couldn’t help but gasp.

“Is that what I think it is?”

A black gemstone. There was no denying it. It’s the same thing that Neighsay and the other members of the Order use, but bigger.

The whole thing was about the size of an ostrich egg, jagged in many areas like it was chipped off from a bigger piece. Twilight could see her own broken reflection looking back at her from its many surfaces. But the magic it radiated – was in a league of its own.

And it wasn’t simple magic lingering inside. It was that strange corrupting magic. The unstable mixture of Equestrian and Yaztec magic. The one that nearly killed Timber, and all of them!

This… is bad. Most definitely bad. There’s a good chance that the person who attacked them was a member of the Order itself. They could really be the ones responsible for all of this. They could be the ones behind all this mayhem.

“I need to call Sunset. She needs to know.” Twilight reached for her phone, fumbling on the dial.

“Uh… call me cautious here, but that doesn’t look safe.” They both glanced back at the giant gemstone, seeing it sparked. “That’s the same twisted magic you showed me earlier.”

“Oh gee! Ya think!?”

“It’s just as unstable as the other.” Twilight noted. “I think removing it from the container must’ve triggered it somehow!”

“Th… then put it back!”

“But… we need it!”

“Think for a second, you idiot! If a small piece can turn a whole park into a nightmarish jungle gym. What do you think that giant stone can do!?”

The Siren raised a good point. The magic inside the gem was dangerously volatile. Any more sudden movement could destabilize the whole thing and cause a chain reaction. That kind of damage would make the incident in the park look like a summer heat wave.

“There, done.” She put the stone back, and slammed the lid. But not before the stone sent out a shockwave of magical energy. The surge of power sent many light bulbs and lamps shattering into tiny pieces. A string of frightened screams echoed in the mall, sending a few patrons running in panic.

…

The girls paused for a moment, stepping away from the box. They looked at one another and listened. A few seconds would pass before they would breathe a sigh of relief.

But that relief was short lived when her inner voice chimed.

“You’ve got company.”

“Someone’s coming.” Twilight whispered.

“What? How can you tell?”

“I just know! Quick! Hide!”

“There’s nowhere to hide!”

Ah crud!

Without thinking, she grabbed the Siren, pulled her close, and held her breath just as the entrance fluttered open.

…

A middle-aged woman stormed in with a frown on her face. Her features were clear, similar to that of the poster outside. A tanned skin, long straight hair, eyes decorated with foreign makeup. She was about as tall as Principal Celestia. Regal with a noble flare. She had an assortment of jewelry dangling from her neck as well as a few more hanging on her ears.

There was a stench of magic on her. The dangerous kind. And the expression on her face discern a hint of anger.

She scanned the room, her eyes briefly making contact with hers.

Cautiously she strolled in, continuing to scan the premises, thinking she could still catch whoever was hiding in her humble abode. Each step she took felt weighty and with purpose, only to stop at the box that was laid out next to her table.

The box that the girls so foolishly left out in the open, with its padlock undone.

A multitude of curses paraded across Twilight’s mind. That was such an amateur mistake. Now she knows someone was here.

The woman, possibly Zecora, scooped the box. A frown forming on her face. Though there seemed to be some form of relief when she noted that the contents were still within. She seemed unnerved, like she figured someone broke into her home and ransacked it – which wasn’t far from the truth to be honest.

Whether she acted out of anger or fear was debatable. But the woman reacted quickly, grabbing what little she could get her hands on and bolted out of there a moment later, leaving the two girls in the corner.

It was only after they were sure that she was gone, did Twilight let out the breath she had been holding and removed the magical cloak from her body turning both her and Adagio visible again.

“That was close. Good thing I kept this with me. I need to ask Sunset if I can use more of those magical artifacts she brought from Equestria.”

“We need to go. Now.”

The two of them ran out of there before anyone was the wiser.

…

They gave a good distance from the area before finally coming to a stop at the fountain. The crowd there easily gave them cover, and they blended in perfectly amongst the swarm of patrons who were wandering around.

“That was too close.” Adagio said after pants. “Did you see that woman?”

Of course I saw her. We were both there.

“Yeah. She…”

“She reeked of magic.”

Twilight blinked. “She did? How?”

“It’s a Siren thing.” That wasn’t really much of an explanation. “I didn’t notice it until she was close to us. I thought I’d smell her a mile away. Either she’s wearing four types of perfume, she must be using something to hide her powers.”

“There’s something else about her.” Twilight added earning a look from the Siren. “There’s… something familiar about her. It’s… it’s like I’ve seen her before.”

But from where though?

(House by the hill)

Sunset was in a rut.

The talk with VP Luna couldn’t have gone worse. And while she was far more receptive than most, it was understandable that she’d be upset.

She was pretty cool when it came to the incident at the park. She was even kind of understanding. But after explaining about the construction of the new portal, the VP kinda lost it.

Sunset had promised time and time again that they were trying to control the magic in this world. Perhaps even removing it completely. There was a magic portal built in front of the school already, causing all sorts of mayhem and destruction, and here she was building another to an even crazier realm.

Easy to say, Vice Principal Luna flipped. That last debrief was the straw that broke the camel’s back… figuratively. They debated for a while, with her friends coming to her defense. Though Sunset would admit that Luna had the moral high-ground here. She left about an hour later to think of a suitable solution to… ‘Handle’ this. But honestly, she probably just needed an excuse to get out of there and find a quiet place to think. Though she didn’t try to stop them from continuing with their project.

So here she was, lying on her bed in her new room, contemplating about her life’s choices. Hoping that she wasn’t making the wrong decision.

Until a knock on the door interrupted her train of thoughts.

“Hey…” Flash greeted, his head poking through a crack on the door. That sweet, gentle smile of his gleaming despite the few scars marring his face. “Mind if I come in?”

She sighed. “Sure. I could use the company.”

“You need a shoulder to cry on?”

A hallow joke if she ever heard one. But it got her to chuckle at least. “I’m not crying.”

He wiped an imaginary sweat off his brow. “Phew! Great! Because, I am terrible when it comes to waterworks.” He swung his hand up producing a pity-sandwich. “Here. Pinkie said you could use a little treat after all that talking.”

“Talking? Is that how you heard it? Because I’m pretty sure we were on the verge of downright yelling. I’m pretty sure Vice-Principal Luna won that argument. And honestly, she took our situation here better than I thought. I was half expecting her to expel me at some point.”

“Oh come on. She’s on our side. I’m sure it won’t come to that. Besides, none of what happened was your fault. She said so herself.”

“Yeah… but I’m still partial to blame.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Don’t be like that. You’re not gonna blame yourself at every magical debacle that happens in Canterlot, are you?”

“Well… not exactly.” Her shoulder slugged back, as she graciously accepted the sandwich, taking a quick bite off it. Pinkie’s signature recipe. “It’s just that… I can’t feel like I’m sort of to blame. I WAS the one who brought magic here in the first place.”

“Magic has always been around.”

“I know that. But it wasn’t like this when…… ugh… you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I do. And I know that you’re doing your best to fix it.”

“You think so?” She challenged, her back slamming the bed while her gaze fixated on the ceiling. “Because the way I see it, I’m bringing even more magic in than before – without even realizing it.” I’m about to make another portal to another world, which is even more dangerous than Equestria. Who knows what kind of mishap can happen?”

“You’re doing it to save a friend.”

“Yeah. And I’m risking my other friends to do it. Not to mention I could be dooming this whole world in the process!”

“That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”

“I’m not joking Flash. This isn’t simple magic. The spells we’re using is far more powerful than anything we’ve come across.”

“Even more powerful than the one in the park?”

“A hundred times more. We’re talking about ripping through time and space, connecting two worlds together through funnels in Limbo and then stabilizing it. It’s the kind of magic not even Starswirl fully understood.”

“Starswirl?” His brow rose. “You mean the scientist?”

“The unicorn.” She corrected. “We’re talking about breaking the laws of physics in more ways than one. There’s a good chance that I might be bringing about the end of the world.” The boy opened to counter but she raised a hand to stop him. “And yes, I know I tried to end the world once before by turning you all into mindless zombies. No need to bring that up, thank you.”

Flash went silent for a moment, looking like he had a good speech before becoming speechless. “Wow… when you put it like that – it sounds – not good.”

“No Flash. None of it is good.” Sunset added with another angry bite to her sandwich. “Not to mention we still have this whole Yaztec magic to figure out, and Neighsay and his Order of human wizards and witches. ARGHHH!”

“Well… look on the bright side.”

…

“You know when you say that, you’re supposed to follow it up WITH the bright side.”

“I know. I was hoping I’d think of one when I said that.” He sulked. “But if it makes you feel any better, I think what you’re doing is amazing.”

Flash Sentry used random compliment.

It was not effective.

“Gee… thanks.”

“I’m serious. I can count the number of people who’d go as far as you to save a friend in one hand. The fact that you went as far as you did, really shows that you’ve grown.”

“Grown incompetent maybe.”

The boy let out a chuckle. “Come on. If any of us here were in big trouble like your friend, you’d probably do the same thing. It just shows you’re willing to take the risk.”

Huh… that was kind of effective. “I wish there was a better way than doing something so… reckless.”

“Well if I were in your shoes, I’d probably do the same.”

“If you were in my shoes, you’d probably jump head long into danger first hand and without a plan.”

His smile turned to a frown. “Hey no fair. Besides, no one really got hurt.”

“Really?” She gave him a poke on the stomach which he responded with a pained yelp. He can hide his bandages under a layer of clothing but he can’t hide his injuries. “You wanna try that again?”

“Ok… maybe some of us got hurt. But I was voluntary. And it wasn’t that bad. GAH!” Another poke on his rib changed his tune.

“Flash. Aren’t you even the slightest bit afraid of what happened?”

“You mean getting my powers? Yeow!” She pinched his shoulder.

“I’m serious here. This is like… what? The fourth time you’ve risked your life for us. First Cinch, twice with Hoity Toity, and now this?”

“Eh… I’ve had worse at soccer practice.”

“Flash!” He jolted back, raising his hands up in defense when she threatened to smack his ribs. “I am being real here. I told you over and over to stay away. But every time something happens, you just keep getting into these dangerous situations. Why are you being so… careless with your life? That scuffle with Timber could’ve ended badly in so many ways.”

“But it didn’t.”

“But it could’ve!” She parroted, grabbing him his sleeve. “I don’t understand how someone like you can just jump into a fight with a monster and just… think it’ll all be ok. You could’ve… you could’ve really…”

Pained thoughts swarmed through her head. The images of the other night flashed across her mind. Scenery of that dead forest became apparent, and Flash’s bloody and beaten figure laid lifeless on the ground, his eyes closed forever, his beautiful light gone forever. It haunted her deeply. Sending a wave of horrifying scenarios that she would have to endure. Her whole body trembled at the mere thought of it.

“Hey, don’t be like that.” Flash arm reached out towards her. His hand caressing her cheeks, a single finger wiping the tear she unconsciously shed. “I’m not going anywhere any time soon. You can throw the biggest, baddest, meanest monster you can find, and I’ll still be around.”

She sniffed. “You can’t possibly know that.”

“I do.” He smiled. “Listen Sunset. None of this is your fault. All these scars, bruises and broken bones. They’re my choice. I knew that helping you girls is gonna be dangerous. But I did it anyway. I accept what happened to me, and I don’t regret it for a moment.”

“But the next time, you might really get hurt and…”

“Then maybe it’s time you taught me some of that magic of yours.”

Her eyes widened. “You… wanna learn magic?”

“More than anything.” He said with such conviction that it made her warm inside. “Twilight said that you all got your powers for a reason. So… maybe I got a reason to. You help me hone my new powers, and maybe the next time a big bad monster comes knocking, I’ll be able to hurl it across the park instead of me being thrashed.”

She laughed… genuinely this time. That was such a corny white-knight line to say. Yet he said it so… seriously.

Perhaps it was time for a change in strategy.

If the guy was going to get himself into trouble for all their sake, she may as well prep him for it. He certainly wasn’t gonna change his ways any time soon.

And who knows? Getting another helping hand with magic might work in their favor.

“Alright…” She said finally, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I think that might be a good idea.”

“So you’ll have me?”

“Not that I have much of a choice.” She gave him another playful poke which he gritted. “If I left you alone, you’d still come after me.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. That boy always had a way of making her feel right. Perhaps it was the guilt, or the anxiety that she built up over the months. But whatever the case, having him here… just made everything melt away.

Unconsciously she couldn’t help but lean in on him. Sunset rested her head on his shoulder, glad to have him by her side. It felt… right. Like a silly longing she thought she had rid of herself. It felt even better when his hand caressed over her head, scrubbing all those worries away.

She wished this moment could last… even for a second longer. To simply sit here in this room where nothing in the universe could bother them. To enjoy this brief respite for all eternity.

It was a selfish wish, but not unreasonable.

Can a girl simply have a moment to herself and her ex?

Ha… it feels like such a long time ago since those days.

Heat filled her cheeks, as memories of the old days washed through. She looked out the window where the ocean stared back. For a moment everything felt… perfect. Like nothing could bother them. It all felt so right as the camera recorded, all the while popcorn crunched in the sideline…

…

… wait… what was that last part?

Her head turned instantly towards the source, where an oddly dressed man sat by. A bag of popcorn in one hand while the other held a camera.

“Oh… hello.” He greeted between chews. A third hand appearing from his blazer, waving innocently.

“GAHH! Discord!” Sunset screeched, smacking Flash to the ground, her face turning to a shade coherent to her hair. “How long have you been sitting there!?”

The man pulled out a sizable pocket watch, humming a tune. “Oh… about 2 minutes give or take. Pinkie said that lunch is ready. But please continue. Pretend I’m not even here.”

She threw her leftover sandwich at his face, missing just by an inch. The strange man laughed as he slid away, while the contents of that sandwich slid down the wall.

(Sweet Shoppe)

Luna couldn’t help but slouch back on her seat, an annoyed groan escaping her mouth echoing throughout the store.

There weren’t a lot of customers in that place. And the few that were there hardly gave her much than a curious passing glance before returning to their treats. Apparently, she wouldn’t be the first or last patron who’d let out a sigh of resignation in this place.

Her talk with the girls didn’t pan out so well. In fact, you could say that it was downright abysmal. They were even on the verge of yelling at one another. But thankfully calmer heads ruled the day and she decided to get out of there before any of them started saying thing they’ll regret.

But seriously though. What was that girl thinking? Building another portal? It’s bad enough that they had one of those magical mirrors standing in front of their school. And god knows how much trouble that thing brought. Now they’re gonna have a second one right outside the city? Not to mention, it was leading to an even more dangerous realm.

Ok sure, they were doing it to save a friend. But they were also endangering everyone in the world. Who knows what kind of monsters would sneak through that portal and what kind of damage they could do in the long run? It was really in the luck of the dice. And one bad roll could spell doom for everyone.

“Oh I know that look.” The voice of an old friend propped the woman up from her table, greeting a warm and comforting face. “That’s the ‘I’m having a bad day’ look. Having a tough time, sweetie? Did you have another fight with your sister?”

“Hey Chiffon.” Luna responded, recognizing the shop keeper’s old name. “And… yes. I am. And no, I’m not.”

“Well nothing fixes a bad day better than a double frosting donut. Fresh from the oven.” Mrs. Cake quickly placed the said treat, smiling in her usual manner. The aroma of the donut

“That’s really nice of you, Chiffon. But I…”

“On the house.”

“… will gratefully accept your generosity.” Luna nibbed a bite almost immediately. It would be rude to decline such a gift.

It was only after that first gulp did the older lady sat on the opposite end, eyes beaming. “So what’s tugging your mind, sweet heart?. Are you going through another breakup?”

Pffft!

“Chiffon!” Luna nearly choked.

“I’m just assuming.” She defended. “You’d be surprised how many folks come by this place after they go through a heartbreak. I had this kid come by the other day. Feather Bangs, I think. He was weeping at that corner for hours saying that the love of his life broke his pretty little heart because she was with another guy. Poor thing. He spent a pretty penny around here. He pretty much emptied one of my cabinets. I was afraid he would go through a brain freeze coma.”

Well you are selling comfort food by the bulk. They say that ice cream can mend a broken heart at times.

“Please tell me you at least gave him a discount.”

“Oh I would’ve.” She paused. “But with the twins already here… I figured I could make a little extra.”

“Chiffon!” Luna scolded. “Please tell me you didn’t just take advantage of a poor boy going through a heartbreak.”

“Of course not, dearie. I’m not that heartless.” Another awkward pause. “I gave him a free bagel on the way out.” How is that any better!? “I’ll admit. Not my proudest moment. But I have a clear conscience.”

“Sure.”

“So what’s your deal? It’s not every day I get to see you around here all by your lonesome. Even less when you’re like this.” Mrs. Cake added, her eyes suddenly sparkling gleefully. “Anything you want to get out of your chest?”

“Do I get a free bagel if I told you?”

“I already got you a free donut, sweetie.”

Crap.

Luna looked down to her half-eaten treat and realized that she was tricked. Quite cleverly in fact. It was so subtle that not even the smartest man alive would’ve noticed. Now she was pastry-bound to answer.

“Very clever.” Luna admitted, smiling coyly. “This is so unlike you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Mrs. Cake groaned into her arms. “It’s just that ever since I had the twins, I’ve been tending to this store forever. It gets boring after the first few months. And you know how tight lip kids can be nowadays. I could use the gossip.” So the old gal was just bored. Figures.

But how was one supposed to branch a subject with magic? There’s only so much nonsense one can take before someone decides to call them a crackpot. And Mrs. Cake was perceptive. She’s the type of gal who can spot horse dung a mile away before the stench even reaches her shop.

Ah… but who the heck cares? It’s not like Luna can outsource her problem to anyone else. She may as well take up on the woman’s generosity.

“It’s… one of my students.” She began with a shrug. “She and her friends are going through a rather… significant problem.”

“Oh?” Mrs. Cake’s eyes beamed with excitement. “What kind of problem? Is it a boy? A love triangle? Or… is it…” She pointed at her belly knowingly.

“No. Nothing like that.” Chiffon slumped in disappointment. Though to be honest she’d much rather tackle that kind of problem than this. “Let’s just say that this student is trying to help out a friend of hers. But in order to help that friend they have to do something… dangerous.”

“Oh my.” Her interest came back. “So a back alley problem?”

“Something like that.” Luna nodded sighing. “And right now I’m conflicted on what I’m supposed to do. On one side I respect her for trying to help out a friend. But on the other, I want to stop her and her friends on doing something so… stupid.”

“Sounds to me like you’re torn between being a good friend and being a good teacher.” Yeah… that sounds about right. “Gosh. So what did you say to them?”

“Nothing. Yet.” Another shrug. “I told them that going through with their plan was reckless and dangerous. But at the same time I can’t stop them because……” Her glance fell to the window, down to the streets. “I’d probably do the same thing if I were in their shoes.”