B.E.A.N.S.L.A.Y.E.R.S.

Same time, different place...

Aria Blaze and Juniper Montage stepped out of the office, and the door slammed closed behind them. There may have even been a slight glow around it as it did.

The office in question was as cluttered as it was large. Overflowing filing cabinets, white boards and chalk boards covered in equations. Several electronic devices scattered over top dozens of reference books. And on the walls, framed scientific diagrams of every kind. A few were even signed, in hesitant script by uncomfortable hands.

Her old self would have found the mess cozy. Now, it only served as a smoke screen. A disguise. Midnight Sparkle exhaled as she slid behind Twilight's desk. The disguise was no longer necessary, and blue flames replaced Twilight’s old spectacles.

On the desk were the artifacts Aria and Juniper had given her; her fingers drifted over them, tingling from the energy contained within. Two of the Five Seals, in her grasp.

Two more, she corrected herself. Midnight grinned tiredly. She turned and pulled aside Twilight's periodic table, exposing the small safe behind it. There was no handle, no key slot, no scanner; there was only one way to open it.

Midnight reached out with her magic and nudged the pins of the lock into place. One more application and the door swung open. Inside were two gems, gleaming with unnatural light. Midnight reached inside and snatched them up.

One was the yellow Lima Bean of Summoning. The other, the red Garbanzo Bean of Healing. With the exception of that time with Moondancer, both Beans had served her well in her experiments.

And soon they would serve an even grander purpose.

A tingle ran up Midnight's spine. At first, she assumed it was excitement. But then she detected the slight sound of cloth against cloth. Someone else was in the room with her; maybe he had been for a while. Her senses were getting dull. Midnight clenched the two gems in her fist and turned around.

"Hello, Doctor, " she said.

Cabelleron stepped forward, but kept his face in the shadows. An old habit, she supposed, one of many that he would have called upon while helping her. Case in point: the office door was still closed. She had no idea how he got in.

“And hello to you, Miss Sparkle,” he said in that heavy accent of his. She could never pin down where it was from. “I hope that I am not too late?”

“Right on time, actually.” Midnight set the beans down alongside their brothers. “You have it?”

Cabelleron reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He tossed it to Midnight.

On reflex, she caught it with her magic. It was easier- faster- than forcing her limbs to do it. Magic opened the bag’s drawstring, grasping what was inside and letting the bag fall. “At last,” she breathed. “The Kidney Bean of Withering.”

This gem was dark blue, nearly indigo. It was the color of cheeks sunken by death and famine, the color of the shadows under a person’s eyes when they stayed up all night haunted by their past. It was beautiful.

“Thank you, Cabelleron,” Midnight said. “Your payment will be wired by tomorrow morning. Have a nice evening!”

“Actually,” he blurted, “There was something else. In the bag,” he clarified. The man rubbed his neck. “I… meant for it to be a surprise. And, also, protection. You do not want to touch that stone with your bare skin.”

Midnight frowned, and lowered the Bean onto her desk. At the same time, she pulled the pouch into her grasp, and looked inside. Manually, this time.

“A paper?” she mused. “It looks… burned.”

“Yes. I barely managed to save that much of it, after my new partner ordered it destroyed.” Again with the neck rub. “I do feel terrible about betraying A.K. Yearling’s trust like that. But… I owed you a favor.”

Midnight’s eyes widened as she pulled the singed parchment out. It was… instructions. Partial instructions on how to complete the Ritual of the Five Seals. This was- this was priceless. Even without Cabelleron placing his professional integrity at risk.

“What favor,” Midnight asked, suddenly suspicious, “Did I owe you that could be worth this much?”

Cabelleron flashed a gold-toothed smile. “You employed my wife at a time when neither of us was doing well financially. How is Chrysalis, by the way?”

Midnight shrugged. “Last I heard, doing amazing heading up our legal department. You should probably spend more time with her.”

He shrugged back. “She still hasn’t forgiven me for switching careers. How should I have known that my Ob-Gyn practice wouldn’t take off immediately?”

“To be fair, that Pear of Anguish in the lobby was probably off-putting to most prospective patients,” Midnight grunted. “And as long as we’re on that subject, am I still on for my appointment for next Thursday?”

“Of course!” Cabelleron said. “Beanis’ recommendations are the reason I’m still open. I will always have time for-”

Midnight suddenly yawned, wide and loud. “Oh! Sorry about that,” she sighed. “I guess I’m the one who doesn’t have time.”

“I should be getting going, anyway.” Cabelleron bowed. “Until next time, Miss Sparkle.”

He left through the door, one of the few times she’d witnessed it happen. Sometimes she was convinced he could just walk through them.

Midnight slumped in her chair. There was so much to do. Between running Beanis, her experiments, and maintaining the guise of Twilight… she had to rest at some point. But she didn’t want to. There was danger…

Sleep, her brain said.

Midnight’s eyelids drooped.

Her eyes closed…

Twilight opened her eyes and bolted upright.

I’m me.

“I’m me!” she said out loud.

And she was.

How long had it been? How long had Midnight stayed in control this time?

Too long. That was the only answer she could afford right now, because Midnight would be back all too soon.

I fucked up.

She’d thought Midnight could be useful. She’d thought that Midnight could help her deal with her emotions.

She’d been wrong.

Twilight rose on shaky legs, taking in her surroundings. She was in her office, it looked like, which was good. And it was the same office- waking up to that change had been jarring. But that also meant she could find it easily.

There, on that pile of Encyclopedia Maretania print-outs. Her phone.

Not her usual phone. A special phone she’d purchased years ago for emergencies. She unlocked the screen and opened the messenger app. The text was already cued up. She hit ‘Send’.

No sooner had her thumb left the button, Twilight felt her arm go slack. Her time was up already. But she’d done it. Good luck, Mr. Sentry, she thought. Bring her home.

Midnight opened her eyes, disappointed but not surprised to see the cell phone in her hand. But when she read the text, that disappointment turned to fury.

“What the fuck, Twily?” she raged. “You’re working against me now? We both know that the plan won’t work as long as she’s around. This is your plan! I may have changed some things, but this is what you wanted!”

Magic flared around Midnight’s hand, and she crushed the phone into a stick. The anger subsided just as quickly as it came. “You know what? I can’t stay mad at myself. The chances of Flash succeeding are low anyway. And if he does bring her back, she’ll probably be too busy to interfere.”

Midnight crossed the office in two quick strides. She picked up one of the laptops. “We’ll make sure she’s too busy. She can’t uncover the plan.”

Laptop open, program opened.

A simple camera feed.

Progress on the first rocket was coming along nicely.

“For your sake, Twily. Project CYAMITES must launch.”