Buck's mother had always said that the first step to achieving success was to visualize it, but for a life like Buck's, where failure was the status quo, success was a vague and distant star, long burned out but still shining. Out of reach.

Every version of success was like that to Buck; achievement, finances, love--especially love. No matter what he tried, he always felt like he was going in the wrong direction.

For Scootaloo, the answer was much, much simpler, and no less elusive.

But we'll get to that.

For the first few weeks of summer, Buck and Scoots watched the grind at Sugar Cube Corner slow to a crawl, but now, as the days grew longer, hotter, and eye-searingly brighter, things were starting to pick up.

The Passionfruit Jalapeño Ice Cream Cake Poppers were disturbingly popular, and they were starting to sell out every week. This swapped the idol drudgery of the low season with a summer rush that wouldn't let up until a few minutes to close. And that was on a slow day. There was no time to prepare, emotionally or physically. One day it was quiet, and then...

"Scoots, I need more cups up here!"

"Can't! Somebody just took a dump in the sink!"

Sugar Cube Corner swarmed with impatient, sugar-starved spring breakers. This was on top of the usual rogue's gallery of wine moms, high school students with disposable income, and needlessly complicated corporate orders.

"Scoots, I'm gonna need another box of cupcakes! Where's Ditzy?"

"She had another delivery!"

"Shit, how far out?"

"Way downtown! I think it's another office?"

"Who orders catering from a sweet shop!? Literally who!? Why can't they just bribe their staff with a pizza party like a normal company!?"

Scoots had been scuttling frantically between drinks and cleanup while Buck desperately smiled and joked his way through the endless line of sweaty customers.

"Yes ma'am, we've got some ice cream on the menu now, no we don't do cones, no you can't get a refund, you haven't paid yet, no ma'am we don't serve donuts with mayo on them!" Buck swapped to the other register. "Yes sir, we've got jelly donuts in stock, we've always got jelly donuts, how many do you need? Hey, how's it goin', I'm diggin' that Hawaiian shirt, directions to the boardwalk? Yeah man, just drive north from Center, you're gonna hit it. No sir our bathroom is occupied at the moment, no Berry Punch, we don't have any rum balls and you know you're banned, you're gonna get me in trouble!"

Round after round of sugary confections flew from the shelves so fast that at some point, Buck could swear he was just tossing them at the crowd. As he smiled and waved his way through the mouth of madness, he caught glimpses of Ditzy's candy-striped delivery uniform passing by on the way to the kitchen. A flash of her smile or a little wave as she made her way back out to her car kept Buck going.

No matter how trash the day was, at least Buck knew he had Ditzy to go home to, and that made all the difference.

When the crowd finally died down, Buck and Scoots worked at the pace of normal folks trying to get home at a reasonable hour. That is to say, they busted their asses and still managed to clock out twenty minutes after closing. As they stumbled out into the parking lot, Buck's phone buzzed.

"Hey, Muffin. Still mopping up the last delivery of the day? Uh-huh? Oh. Well, damn. Yeah, yeah, language, right. Okay, well, will I see you tonight? Okay. Alright. Love you."

Scoots rolled her eyes while Buck mumbled into the phone.

"Welp. Ditzy's out for the night." Buck said, walking in the direction of the bus stop.

"What happened?"

"Parent-teacher conference. Dinky got in another fight."

"Oh, geez."

"Yeah, she's a scrappy kid. Gonna go far." Buck smiled.

"Pssh. Don't let Ditzy hear you say that."

"Yeah, yeah. Dink's been havin' trouble focusing in class, too, so there's no tellin' how long it'll go. I'm on my own for food. Which means takeout."

"It does?"

"Yep. Fridge is empty. We didn't go for groceries on Wednesday, remember? Both you and Sunburst were too busy, and Ditzy had a shift."

"That's rough."

"I'll manage. You doin' anything tonight?"

"Nah. It'll be too dark to run the track by the time I get over there."

"Wanna fuck at my place?"

Scoots blinked and felt reality shatter.

"Whuh?"

"I said, do you wanna get fucked up at my place? I got some edibles from Cauldron Bubbles."

"T-Thought you'd never ask!" Scoots recovered, but the sudden blush on her face wouldn't leave until they were at Buck's apartment. She said to herself that she must've heard him wrong. All this magic stuff must be getting to her head. Buck wouldn't...he wouldn't offer something like that when he was with Ditzy.

"Does that bother you?"

"What?"

"I said I'm givin' you half a gummie, since you're so small. Does that bother you?"

"No, no, it's fine! Probably for the best; I don't wanna stumble outta here all messed up."

Buck was using a butter knife to perform surgery on an odd, candy-coated bit of purple gummy stuff. It smelled like a good time. Scoots couldn't remember the last time she had THC, but since Buck was so casual about it, she didn't turn it down. They had both been stressed.

"Scoots, if it gets like that, you can crash on the couch if you want. I don't mind."

"Would Ditzy be okay with that?"

"I mean, I don't know that she wouldn't." Buck shrugged. "She trusts you, I think."

"More like she doesn't think I'll steal you. Does she know that we-"

"Nah. Never came up."

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"I don't think so."

Buck took his gummy, then passed Scoots her half. After a half-hour, the two of them ate some garbage fast food. After two hours, another garbage fast food order came through, but it was just a bag full of chicken nuggets.

It was about that time that Buck booted up smash bros, and with all those factors in play, Scoots and Buck had assembled the recipe for a fun night.

"Hey....how come you always play evil characters?"

"I'm playin' Duck Hunt."

"Duck Hunt is super evil! And you play Ganondorf and Incineroar!"

"I also play Pichu. What's your point?"

"Anybody with ladder combos counts as evil!"

"Ha! Whatever, Scoots! You always complain when you're gettin' cooked!"

"I'm just saying, you like being devious!"

"I do?"

"You showed up to the boardwalk looking like a Sailor Moon villain!"

"Well yeah, I thought 'dagio would like it."

"And when you play Dangle, you're always up to something!"

"Yeah, he's a bard!"

"You're a bard!"

"I guess?"

"So you're totally a villain!"

"Nuh-uh! I'm neutral good, at worst!"

"Chaotic good! Bards are like, like rascals!"

"Okay, sure."

"See! So there's nothing to worry about!"

"What're you talkin' about, Scoots?"

"Well, like, Starlight is worried that Adagio is gonna groom you, and I think it's because she thinks Adagio will make you a villain. But, like, you're already a villain, basically, so there's nothing to worry about!"

Scoots was hanging upside down from the lip of the couch. Her eyes were red, and she seemed to be looking somewhere past the screen. Buck stared at her with glazed eyes and, in return received an earnest smile that banished his frown.

"Do you only play sword characters because you're a sub?"

"Shut up, Buck!"

"What? There's nothin' wrong with drinkin' sub juice!"

"You're a sub!"

"Eh, sometimes."

As Ditzy drove through the darkened streets of Canterlot, her side-eye caught Dinky Doo rubbing her eyes. There hadn't been much to say. When a child is in trouble, their parent is in trouble. That's just how it is, but Ditzy had come off an especially tough shift, and as thanks, she had to apologize for her daughter's behavior and listen to a teacher drag her for the third time this semester.

"Mama..." Dinky sobbed.

"It's okay, Dinky. Just tell mama what happened."

"They called me dumb, mama! I was s'posed to read a page from hungry caterpillar, but I messed it up, and I tried, but I messed it up again, and they laughed at me! They said I was a dumb baby who can't read!"

"Okay, Dinky, okay, but you can't-"

"But I tried! I tried, and I tried but the letters got all jumbled! It wasn't my fault, mama!"

"But Dinky, I've told you. You can't just hit people that make fun of you. You have to tell a teacher!"

"But they don't put them in the timeout corner when they make fun of me! It's not fair! Teacher says it's 'cause I'm different! I don't wanna be different!"

The car stopped at a red light while Ditzy fought valiantly against her own tears. She thought because Dinky was born with normal eyes, she'd be fine in school, but now Dinky was bawling her eyes out in the back seat, just like she had done.

She couldn't let Dinky make the same mistakes she'd made. She would not let her daughter fail just for being different.

"It's not because you're different. Those kids say those things because they know it'll hurt your feelings. When they make fun of you, it's not because you're different; it's because they're mean. There's nothin' wrong with you, Dinky."

"Why am I so bad at reading, Mama? Everyone else can read good, why can't I?" Dinky whined.

"You can read good, Dinky, you just have to try harder than them. I know it's hard, but you can do it!"

"Okay, mama."

"But Dinky, you have to promise mama that you won't hit the other kids again. I know it might seem right to start swinging when someone hurts your feelings, or when you want something, but it's not right. Don't let them get to you like that, okay?"

"But...mama? When that witch was mean to you at the fair, you hit her a bunch!"

"Hm?"

"At the fair, mama! You were in armor, and you fought that mean witch lady that Buck likes!"

"I...well...uh..."

It was the moment every parent fears—the moment your kid catches you in a bit of hypocrisy.

"That...that was different. Mama was protecting Buck."

"So I can hit them if they're mean to someone else?"

"No, Dinky! If kids are being mean, you tell a teacher!"

"But they'll call me a tattle-tale again!"

"It doesn't matter what they say, Dinky. If it gets too bad, you tell mama, and mama will handle it."

"Okay, mama..."

"Now, mama didn't have time to cook tonight. Do you wanna go get some mcdonalds?"

"Yeah yeah yeah!"

Ditzy heaved a sigh. For the sake of Dinky's future, she had to teach her how to get through school. She shuddered to think how middle school would treat her daughter. It would only get worse from here, and today's kids seemed even crueler than the ones from back in her day.

And maybe she needed to practice what she was preaching.

"Sunburst?"

"Switch."

"Starlight?"

"Sub. Huge sub! Sunburst makes all the moves!"

"Ms. Cake?"

"Pillow princess."

"Mr. Cake?"

"Dom. But probably not 'cause he wants to."

"Okay, smart guy, then what's Adagio? Do you think she's a sub, too?"

"Power bottom. Definitely."

"What? She's totally a top! She's aggressive!"

"She's needy. She gets like that when she wants attention. Trust me, she likes being on the bottom. She 100% wants to play the bad girl and then get punished. "

"I mean she does really like sucking your dick..."

"She loves suckin' dick! Loves it!" Buck laughed. He may or may not have taken another half of a gummy for the fuck of it. Smash was forgotten, and now Buck and Scoots had some sort of playlist going. At the moment, Buck's TV looked like a portal to the vaporwave dimension.

"So you like that? Girls that're needy?"

"I like...the feeling of bein' wanted, you know? You know me; I get it up real easy and real hard, so it's nice when someone comes back with that same sorta energy. 'dagio's got it."

"Boner energy?"

"Sounds like an energy drink. Man, it's gettin' late. I hope everything's okay with Ditzy and Dinky."

"I'm sure it's fine, bro! You worry too much!"

"Yeeeaaah...yeah, I do. I dunno, I was lookin' forward to cuddlin' up tonight."

Buck was sitting on the floor. He was staring up at the ceiling with a small smile on his face. Scoot slid down the couch and lightly thudded to the carpet next to Buck but took care not to touch him. She thought about what Adagio had said right before magic practice. She missed Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, and how well she knew them. She wondered, even if they were to hang now, would she still know them?

"Hey Buck..."

"Yeah, Scoots?"

"Do you ever feel like...like you're a background character in your own life?"

"Every time I stand behind the register, Scoots."

"That's not what I mean. I mean like...I dunno, do you ever feel like you don't matter? Like what you do and say isn't important?"

"Oh yeah, totally. I used to hang with the Rainbooms. Compared to them, I'm not even a background character. I'm like a character that doesn't even show up on screen."

"I get what you mean..." Scoots said, trailing off into an awkward quiet. Buck looked over at her sullen expression and smiled.

"Hey, what did the plumber say to the pornstar?"

"Huh?"

"NICE PIPES!"

"Oh my god, you're so corny!" Scoots laughed, pushing Buck. He tumbled over to his side and stayed there, smiling. It made Scoots feel a little less silly for opening up. "Okay, so you do get what I mean, though. Like your choices don't matter?"

"I used to. Hell, all of the Rainbooms are the main character of their own story. "

"Yeah, they always seemed so perfect."

"Until you got to know 'em." Buck and Scoots shared a chuckle. "But I know that they all had times when they felt powerless and that they didn't have any good choices, too. We all do! Nowadays, I feel like I'm way too damn important. Don't get me wrong; I'm still a total nobody, but now everybody suddenly has an opinion about me, and I feel like I'm bein' pulled in three or four different directions."

"Oh, lookit me, mah names' Buck, and I think it sucks that everybody wants to get on mah dick!" Scoots said in a butchered impression.

"You don't wanna be a main character, Scoots. Bein' a main character sucks."

"I dunno...I guess what I mean is, I wonder if I can even make a difference. Maybe if I had some of that main character juice, I wouldn't be..."

"What?"

"I dunno. I guess I don't know what I'm talkin' about. Dumb."

"No, no, finish the thought! I wanna hear what you think."

"Really?"

"Always!"

"And you won't get mad?"

"Well damn, I dunno. But I'll listen."

"Buck, why're you dating Ditzy instead of Adagio?"

Buck blinked slowly with a scrunched expression.

"What?"

"Like, I know Adagio is mean, but you said it yourself, she doesn't mean you any harm, and she's like super, super into you! And she's rich, and hot and she wants to teach you magic!"

"Scoots, I made my choice."

"But she's...look, I know she acts like she doesn't care, but she super, definitely misses you. Are you still mad at her?"

"No."

"So why aren't you with her? I don't get it. I mean, Ditzy is nice and all, but Adagio's in a whole other league."

"But she doesn't love me, Scoots. Ditzy Doo loves me. Dinky loves me too!"

"Ew!"

"Like a Dad, Scoots. For fuck's sake. Point is; they love me, and they need me. Adagio doesn't; not really. What we had, and what we have...it was always transactional. Even though I was lookin' for love, what we ended up having was a lot more shallow than I expected. She was playing me, and even though we really hit it off, it was never gonna last. What me and Ditzy have is more real, I guess. Feels like somethin' that could stick around for a while."

"But didn't you say that things weren't working out in the bedroom?"

"We're figuring that out. It's fine. I just...being with Ditzy, it's not that it's easier, it's just less, I dunno, less sensational. Ditzy's down to earth, and she wants me, not because I'm magic, but because I'm me. No strings. Adagio says she wants to be colleagues now, but that could just be her manipulating me again."

"Yeah..."

"But for now, it's fine."

"Is it, though? Don't you miss being, you know, sexy? Adagio is kind of a "down for everything" kinda lady, and Ditzy's so...vanilla."

"You know what I think, Scoots?"

"What's that?"

"I think it's a good thing me and Adagio met, but I don't think either of us was ready to be with each other. That's why it didn't work. I've got a lot of damage and she doesn't..."

"Doesn't do emotions good?"

"Yeah."

"That's fair."

"I know she's not the kind of stone-cold bitch she says she is. I know she can care, and I think she's trying to fix what she screwed up, but all this drama and fighting and shit; I can't take it."

"Most guys would love having girls fight over them!"

"Well, I fuckin' don't. I don't want nobody to fight over me. I want everybody to get along, but I don't think that's gonna happen as long as Ditzy loves me and Adagio wants me."

"She's not gonna give up on you, you know? She really does care about you."

"She's obsessed."

A heavy silence hung over Scoots. For a few seconds or an eternity, Scoots hugged her knees to her chest and tried to collect herself.

"She just wants you to see her like she wants to be seen."

"The fuck does that mean?"

"She's...like, she's fixating on you, and she wants you to care about her the same way, but you're not, and she's...she's gonna do whatever it takes to get you to notice her, and I know it seems a little crazy, but she's not trying to hurt you or anything, she just wants that same kinda energy from you, it's like you said! Why does that have to be wrong?" Scoots sat up. Her hands balled up into fists, and she was glaring at Buck with tears in her eyes.

"...are we still talkin' 'bout 'dagio?" Buck sat up.

"I know you've got Ditzy and Dinky to think about. I know! But, but Adagio really, really cares about you, so it still feels wrong that she's trying so hard to help you, and you still treat her like she's a, a, I don't know! It's not fair that she has to prove herself, when she's been on your side the whole time!" Scoots pushed Buck limply, but he didn't budge.

"She's on her side. I'm just a tool to her. Even if she misses me, that fact don't change."

"But you're still nice to her! You vouched for her!"

"Just because things're cool right now, that doesn't mean I'm gonna let her screw with me again."

"She's just trying to help you!"

"For now."

"Uggghhhh!" Scoots pressed her face into the couch cushions and groaned.

"What the fuck would you have me do, Scoots? I'm doin' my best here."

"I dunno, I dunno!"

Scoots rose to her feet. The high was definitely wearing off, and she was sure that she'd screwed everything up.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to mess with the vibe. I'm gonna go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna be up early. Gotta train for regionals."

"Oh damn, is it that time of year?"

"Yeah. Somebody's gotta rep CCU, and if it's gonna be me, I gotta stay on top of the charts. I'm probably only gonna work one day outta the week, too."

"Alright, Scoots."

Scoots turned for the door, then stopped, her whole body tensing up.

"Do you care if I'm not around as much?"

"Huh? Well, yeah! I'll miss you, but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"Are you mad at me? Because of what I said?"

"Naw, Scoots. We can argue and still be friends."

"We're friends?"

"Well, duh! We've bled together, we've slept together, we work together--of course we're friends!"

Scoots turned and squeezed Buck, who was halfway to his feet. At this height, Scoots didn't have to jump to wrap her arms around his neck. For a bit, there were no words. Scoots didn't seem to want to let go.

"You wanna text me the date that regionals is goin' on? So I can cheer you on?"

"Okay, bro."

"You don't have to go if you don't want, Scoots. You're always welcome here, I mean it." Buck said, patting her back.

"You want me to spend the night?"

"Well, sure! It's late, but we can still have fun, right?"

Scoots stiffened, then pulled back.

She stared into Buck's eyes, looking incredulous.

"What?" Buck said.

Scoots leaned in and kissed him. Buck's eyes went wide for a moment; then he pushed her away.

"Scoots, what the fuck?"

"I'm sorry! I thought you-I didn't...I need to go!"

That was all Buck heard as Scoots ran out the door.

Whenever Scoots didn't know what to do, she ran. Crazy magic happenstance? Run toward it. Weird, confusing emotions? Run away. Tired? Run. Hungry? Run. Horny?

Scootaloo ran. She hadn't even stopped to grab her board on the way out, and now she was way too embarrassed to go back and get it. It was dark and cold, and the streets of the city were more dangerous than ever. Scootaloo didn't want to wait at the bus stop alone, so she ran.

There was no space for doubt or worry when she ran. There was nothing but pumping arms and breathing technique and posture. When Scoots ran, nothing else had to matter.

She ran and she ran until her lungs burned and her legs were shaking, and somehow, in that rush of fear and adrenaline, she made it back to her dorm.

Scootaloo's dorm was empty this semester. It was just her.

She gulped down a glass of tap water, then another, so fast she thought she would throw up.

She hated how quiet it was.

Her only company was a shelf with a bunch of small trophies on it. A lot of third places near the bottom shelf, but as her eyes traveled up, she saw the bronze turn to silver. She had worked hard to get where she was.

It was her last semester. Her eyes hit the floor as the weight of that knowledge settled onto her.

Behind the shelf, a frame sat against the wall. Before, it had hung triumphantly over all of Scootaloo's achievements, a grand and illustrious goal to keep her motivated. Keep her running.

Now, it sat cracked, having fallen sometime near the start of the year.

A cyan cheek, a bit of rainbow-colored hair, and a single magenta eye peaked out at Scootaloo through the dust.

That eye carried judgment and all the weird feelings that were twisted up in Scootaloo's guts.

Even now, Scootaloo couldn't face her. Not until she caught up.

The lights turned off.

Scoots slumped, fully clothed into bed, and she cried.

Tomorrow she would run again, and maybe then she wouldn't have to think too hard.

"Buck? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, Muffin, I'm good."

Buck looked up wearily from his laptop's screen. In front of him was a word document, and in a staggering change of pace, it had several pages worth of words, presented in a sequence of paragraphs that were legible and understandable.

"Did you eat?"

Ditzy's breasts settled heavily on Buck's shoulder.

"Yeah...probably too much. Me and Scoots got high and ate a buncha nuggies."

"Sounds like a fun night." Ditzy kissed the top of his head and slid her arms around him.

"How was the nag session?"

"Ditzy is getting bullied, and she's lashing out."

"Do you want me to talk to her when I'm sober?"

"Would you? I feel like I didn't say the right words. You're good at those!" Ditzy's cheek squished against Buck's. "What're you workin' on?"

Buck immediately clicked off the tab.

"Nothin'."

"What? Let me see!"

"You don't wanna see this."

"Come on, Buck, you know I love seeing what you're workin' on! Lemmie see!" Ditzy giggled playfully, reaching far over to click the mouse.

It was a document titled 'Interesting Spell Ideas', and it was filled with paragraphs of weird descriptions in comic sans. Some of them were strange and vague, others were somewhat graphic, but all of them were offbeat and kind of concerning.

"This stuff is supposed to help you protect yourself? There's...there's a surprising amount of sex stuff in here. She's not teaching you sex stuff, is she!?" Ditzy said, looking down at Buck.

"No! I can only do really minor spells so far, but I had a bunch of thoughts about it, so I was brain dumping, you know?" Ditzy frowned and squinted at the screen.

"...can you really make your...diddly taste like chocolate?"

"No. Maybe? Probably, if I practice. Why, do you wanna try it?"

"No! No magic here, thank you very much!" Ditzy said, hands on her hips.

"Fair enough. My magic is pretty fuckin' explosive, and I don't wanna hurt nobody, so I was thinkin' of spells that might be useful for other things than fighting.

"Like making your diddly chocolate flavored."

"Could be useful, you never know."

"I just thought you'd wanna learn, like, a shield. Or I dunno, maybe how to shoot lasers, or somethin'? I guess I don't really get how it works."

"Well, it's actually pretty interesting. It's like a whole field of study, and people have different opinions about it, and there's this whole history to it. Some look at it as a science, or an equation, and others look at it as an art, and they're both valid interpretations! I need spells that'll fit my personality. How they come out is based on emotion, right, so of course my magic's gonna be pretty wild if I don't get a handle on it." Buck rambled.

"Whaddya mean? You're super mild-mannered!"

"Ditzy, I'm a flaming wreck of anxiety and PTSD. If the world was in any way fair, I'd be on meds right now, and would'a been for years. Add magic on top of that, and I'm a disaster waitin' to happen."

"Well, I think you're the gentlest, sweetest man in the world and that's not up for debate, even if do you have magic." Ditzy draped her arms around Buck's neck from behind once again.

"That does help, honestly. You know, you did real good against Smolder at the fair. If you want, I could teach you a little bit about this stuff?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"I don't wanna be anywhere near that stuff, Buck. I wish you didn't have to learn it."

"Okay, sorry."

"But you're making progress?"

"Sorta. It's slow goin'."

"Okay, as long as you're safe," Ditzy said. Buck sighed, and a bit of normality returned to the room, but it was shattered by Ditzy's next words. "Did you have fun with Scootaloo?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it was real chill! Until she kissed me."

"She did what!?" Ditzy balked.

"I don't think she meant it. She's been stressed and I think she got a little confused. Don't get mad at her, please."

Buck heard Ditzy take a deep breath, her hands clenching for a moment.

"Geez, Buck. I can't leave you alone for a second!" Ditzy huffed. "With your big, smoochable face!" Buck's world was eclipsed by mommy milkers as Ditzy leaned down to squeeze him.

"You're...bein' surprisingly nonchalant about this."

"Silver Spoon told me I ought to recognize that I can't babysit you all the time, and be a little more optimistic about what happens to you and the choices you make. And she's right...I can't keep worrying myself into a fit when something weird happens to you! It's not healthy."

"Ah. Therapy." Buck scratched his chin, appreciating the fine details of the polka dot pattern on Ditzy's blouse. "So the first sesh went good, then?"

"Yeah! Thanks again for that, seriously. I know it was a sacrifice for you..."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Any luck on another babysitter?"

"No. Tell Sunburst I really appreciate him lookin' out for Dinky, okay?"

"You know at this rate, you might think about payin' him. Dinky really likes being over there."

"I dunno...I worry that she might be a little too much for Starlight?"

"Starlight's got a problem with Dink?"

"It's complicated."

"Always is." Buck sighed. "You want me to go say somethin' about that?"

"No, it's fine for now. I know she can be kind of harsh, but she's been through a lot, just like the rest of us."

"Yeah...That girl needs a hobby or somethin'. Or she needs to get laid."

"Buck!"

"Or both. Both is probably good."

"And you're sure?" Sunburst said, tightening a strap.

"Of course I'm sure!" Starlight said. Her face was flushed in the dark of Sunburst's bedroom. Her arms were up over her head, her wrists secured with a fuzz-lined belt.

"I just think it's a weird time for it, not that I'm complaining." Sunburst said with a smile.

Starlight was covered by a thin sheet, and it was very obvious she was covered by nothing else underneath.

"Don't be coy, Sunburst, I know you can feel it too! Every since Buck's little outburst, things have been..."

"A little hot?" Sunburst said, undoing his belt. "I have to admit, it's cute seeing you get so needy..."

Sunburst's hand went beneath the covers, then up the slender curve of Starlight's leg.

"Oh, you're enjoying this, huh?" Starlight snarked as Sunburst's hand rose to her hip.

"Who wouldn't? You know, you didn't have to wait for a magical mishap, Starlight. If you were horny, all you had to do was ask."

Sunburst slid under the covers and planted himself between Starlight's thighs. Starlight couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him so thirsty.

"It...has to be a bit of mana transference, right? When Buck's magic flared, it caused a little bit of his aura to-"

Sunburst silenced Starlight with a kiss that started gentle but ramped up quickly. Starlight gasped and strained against her bonds as Sunburst pulled away.

"We can worry about that later, don't you think? We've been busy, and it's been months since we've gotten to just enjoy ourselves."

"Has it really been that long?" Starlight said with a sidelong glance. Sunburst cupped her chin and made her face him.

"Not since Adagio showed up. Which means we have some catching up to do."

With one rough plunge, Sunburst was inside her. Starlight lost her breath, her toes curling as Sunburst pushed in until he hilted.

"You're soaking wet, Starlight. Did you miss this? I know I did."

"Fffuck! Do you have to be so rough!?"

"You're the one who asked to be tied up...!"

Sunburst came forward with another buck of the hips.

"Well, you don't have to commit to the bit so h-hard!" Starlight whined through a smirk as Sunburst rammed her again.

"Why do you always want it like this, Starlight?"

"Sometimes it's...nice, to surrender control." Starlight mumbled.

"I'm glad you think so." Sunburst chuckled, grabbing Starlight's throat. "Because I'm not going to stop until we're both nice and satisfied!"

"You pervert!"

Starlight gasped as Sunburst buried himself in her again. Sunburst had waited patiently, and now Starlight felt a rush as she gave in to him. Her complaints faded and carmelized into breathy moans. She struggled against her bindings, her legs trying to squeeze shut, but Sunburst simply threw them open again. His thrust became sweet and gentle, just enough to tease Starlight into a begging whine before he picked up a frantic pace.

The wet suckling noises of Starlight's honey pot, the curling of her toes, and finally the feeling of her thighs squeezing his waist edged Sunburst into a frenzy of bouncing hips and low grunts as Starlight fell apart, whispering her love for him over and over as she shuddered under his assault.

Soon there was nothing but the sound of flesh slapping against flesh, shallow breaths, and finally, a shaking, squirting satisfaction.

Adagio was just getting settled in her new office. Construction on Affluent Answer's new floor was nearing completion, and the first thing finished was Harshwhinny's accouterments. Adagio's role for the coming week would be to ease herself into her managerial position. It wouldn't take much effort, certainly. Everyone in the office already feared or respected her, so she was certain that her job was about to become far more boring than ever before.

"You don't have to hover around like a nosy breezie. I can taste when you approach, Bon Bon."

"Am I really that obvious?"

"You taste delightfully smug. I'd like to know why." Adagio treated Bon Bon with a small smile. It was by far the most congenial response that Bon Bon had gotten out of her.

Adagio's desk was polished mahogany with claw foot legs. It had already been outfitted with papers, writing implements, and an opulent-looking stamp. Adagio had just set her false aquarium in the corner. It still tasted faintly of Buck's affection.

"I know you say that you don't care much for other people's opinions, but isn't it nice to know that one good turn deserves another?"

"You're mistaken. I love to be appreciated. I live to be appreciated. I just don't care about the opinion of the masses anymore. Stardom is far too unreliable and short lived in this age of endless distractions."

"I see."

"As for my promotion, it's simple recognition of my worth to this gilded money laundering machine. There's no reason to read into it."

The wide window overlooking the streets of Canterlot was a nice addition. At this time of night, the skyline was like stars reflecting on the ocean. The day glare would be shut out by a pair of dark blue velvet curtains. Adagio had managed to get them on sale.

"Harshwhinny seems to have taken a liking to you."

"Quality recognizes quality."

"So you're saying Harshwhinny is quality?"

"For a human."

"Do you think that your associates would appreciate you saying that?"

"Do you recognize the woman in this photograph?" Adagio tapped her phone and held it out to Bon Bon.

"...that matches the description that Starlight Glimmer gave us. We haven't located the body, which we assume means that it was extricated by our enemies. If we could have that picture, it would make the investigation quite a bit easier."

Bon Bon reached, then Adagio snatched the phone away.

"And what do I get for giving this little morsel to you?"

"What do you want?"

"Information. For instance; why is Buck not being monitored and protected? What is your organization doing to prevent dastards from teleporting into Canterlot and raising havoc? If your organization is so high and mighty, why did I have to step in and save one of your 'agents' in the thick of combat? If I didn't know any better, I'd mistake your incompetence for negligence." Adagio smiled. Bon Bon didn't make any outward expression, but a bitter taste tickled the tip of Adagio's tongue.

"Contrary to popular belief, Canterlot is not the only place in the world that suffers the odd magical anomaly. We have other agents and other interests. Surveillance is the best we can do at the moment. As for Buck, he's not a high priority. His power was an unknown unknown until just recently, and until it's better understood, he is to be regarded as an anomaly, as opposed to an asset to protect."

"Isn't that a bit short-sighted?"

"It wasn't my decision to make. The Pillars don't consider him a threat."

"And you do? Have you met the man? Buck is harmless without his magic." Adagio bluffed.

"If he was, I severely doubt that you would keep targeting him." Bon Bon smirked. "And since you refuse to leave him alone, I consider you a potential threat as well."

"So you have some sense after all. That's good to know."

"You must be in a good mood. That was almost a compliment!"

"No, that was being charitable. From all I've seen, your little organization is slow to decide and slower to act. Hardly deserving of its name, certainly. But, at the very least, you have a bit of perspective that your superiors lack." Adagio's smile shifted away from her desk and became a frown as she adjusted a painting.

It was an antique that Adagio had found years ago, but only now did she have a proper place to hang it. Depicted in the landscape was an unstirred sea beneath a cloudy, star-dappled sky. A lone ship with tattered black flags was the only subject in the frame. The ship's deck was bereft of any silhouettes.

To Adagio, the painting was like staring in the mirror.

"I suppose its only fair that you would fear me," Adagio finished.

"I didn't say that. The organization thinks you're a pain. I think you're a threat. But that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you." Bon Bon said.

Adagio turned to her, looked at her from toe to tip, then raised an eyebrow.

"Bon Bon?"

"Yes?"

"Lying to me won't get you anywhere. I suggest you drop the bluster; it's not a good look." Adagio's tone was even, but a chill ran through Bon Bon. To her ears, it sounded like a snake's rattler.

"Why did you refuse the gems, Adagio? We offered an out, but you threw it back in our faces."

"I didn't need them."

"What are you planning to do with Buck?"

"Do you know what they are planning?"

"Excuse me?"

"Candidates' was the word that was used. Candidates with magical potential. Do you know what they plan to use them for? Or what their criteria is?"

"That is a topic of speculation at the moment."

"So your organization has an idea of it, but aren't sharing it. Why?"

"That's none of-"

"My business? No, I suppose it isn't. Just like my intentions for Buck are none of yours. I want him, and Adagio Dazzle gets what she wants. It's as simple as that."

"If you overstep your bounds, you know what will happen. We'll send our best and brightest."

"And we're back to the threats. Our little talks are nice, aren't they?"

"I'm being serious, Adagio."

"No, Bon Bon, I don't think you are!" Adagio slammed a hand down on her desk. Her eyes had gone red, and gills were flaring on her neck. Bon Bon took a step back, barely keeping her expression even. "I had to behead a marauding ghoul because your agents were too incompetent to deal with it. I stepped in to coordinate your forces and handle the threat of a dragon attack. I killed a changeling spy that was following Buck. For the last week, I've done nothing but finish your battles for you, and you have the audacity to come in here and posture at me? After implying that I'm not even on your organization's radar?"

"I didn't mean to insult you."

'I couldn't care less over the affairs of your organization or what you're doing abroad. You say they see me as a potential threat? If your negligence interferes with Buck, you can forget about "potential." I promise you, if he comes to harm, none of your "best and brightest" will be enough to protect you from me."

Adagio's nails dug into the edge of her desk with a low creak.

"...understood." Bon Bon was stock still, unflinching at Adagio's display, but her taste betrayed her emotions. Neither woman blinked.

A fluttering tone came from Bon Bon's pocket, causing her to jump. Adagio smiled and put her phone away.

"There. You have what you want, so you can leave me in peace." Adagio's expression shifted back to an aloof frown in an instant. The air in the office tasted like fear, now. She couldn't have asked for a better perfume.

"Very well. We'll be monitoring Buck's progress in the meantime." Bon Bon said, stepping into the threshold with only a slight tremble in her legs.

Adagio set down a small blue rug in the space under her desk, then pulled out a rolling chair that was dark, leathery, and intimidatingly tall. She sat and looked to Bon Bon like a villain from some Saturday morning cartoon.

"Am I going to have to knock on your door before I speak with you from now on?" Bon Bon tried, smiling.

"Oh, Bon Bon, don't be ridiculous!" Adagio smiled back.

"Oh?"

"You can make an appointment, like anyone else."

Scootaloo was buried. The suffocating weight pressed down from every direction until Scootaloo finally broke through to the surface. With a grinding clank, she poked her head through the pile. It stretched out in every direction. Scootaloo had emerged beneath a bright blue sky with quickly rolling clouds hurrying toward the horizon.

Beneath the sky was an endless, uneven field of metal, rubber, wood, and wheels. Everywhere Scootaloo looked, she saw discarded bats, clubs and balls, helmets, guards, and pieces of gear. Hundreds of broken skateboards. Thousands of torn-up running shoes. Desolation.

There was a boom in the sky and a flash of wings overhead. A creature more jet than falcon, with brightly painted wings, left a rainbow trail in its wake as it tore through the clouds above.

Scootaloo ran, but her legs were too short. She tried to rise, but her wings were too small. She tried to scream, but her words turned into a hoarse clucking sound in her throat.

She ran and ran with everything she had, and the ground fell away beneath her. She couldn't see the bird anymore, just its trail through the sky, but the vapor was starting to fade away. She had to hurry.

The sky was coming closer, and Scoots was doing everything she could, leaving a scattered trail of feathers behind her.

She rose. She touched the sky.

She fell.

The planet of junk below was rusty and heavy and tattered. She would surely be dashed to bits once she struck, but there was no one around to catch her. The trail in the sky faded away.

She screamed out her name, but the bird was gone.

Scootaloo tried to run, but there was no running from the ground as it rushed up to meet her.

Her frantic, squawking screams came to a sudden, brutal stop.

The frantic, squawking beep of Scootaloo's alarm clock jolted her out of bed. She was on the floor, trapped in a ball of sheets, sweat, and bed head. An annoyingly bright beam coming through the curtains and directly into her eye told her today was gonna be another scorcher.

Rain or shine, she had to get out and run.

Scootaloo reached up and smacked the clock. It had been a gift from her aunt Lofty. It might've been her twelfth birthday. Scoots was maybe a little too embarrassed at the time, but who expects to get a chicken clock on their birthday?

It was 6 am.

Saturdays in summer used to be lazy and late. Applebloom was always up first, and Sweetie Belle was a pain to drag out of bed. They used to talk about the wacky dreams they'd had, plan pranks and schemes and see who could make up the dumbest idea for a video. Now the most she could get out of them was the rare video call. They were both so busy chasing their dreams while Scootaloo was here doing...what exactly?

She couldn't waste any time. She needed to get going.

Scootaloo got her shorts and supporter on in her dorm before heading out. Her high ponytail bounced out onto campus.

She missed being part of a trio. For just a second there, Scootaloo thought she was finding something like that between Buck and Adagio, but it was over before it even started. Scootaloo sometimes still thought back to the night they shared together. All the sensual touching and the intense affection surrounding her. The overwhelming sensations and the hot breath. The moans and the quaking legs and Adagio's lips and Buck's...

Scootaloo slapped her cheeks. She couldn't get all wound up right now. She had to focus.

Even now, when Buck's eyes fell on her, and especially when Adagio's did, it felt like she was carrying a dirty secret.

She wanted their attention just as much as she didn't want the attention of the track team.

She wasn't deaf; she could hear the guys talking about her when she passed by the quad. They were jealous, and they were horny, and they were a bunch of dumb boys. So far, there wasn't any trouble this semester.

Scootaloo had talked to a counselor in freshman year, who hadn't done much of anything.

She started carrying a knife in sophomore year.

This year, it seemed like the jocks had learned. They left her alone when she hit the track.

Scootaloo autopiloted through CCU's towering brownstone buildings, her focus slipping into place. Today she had to step it up a little bit. She was healthily ahead of the boy's numbers, but there was a time she was still nowhere close to catching.

She passed the locker rooms, which were two buildings upsettingly close to one another. There was some sort of rabble gathered around, but she barely noticed.

The dirt of the track shifted slightly under her feet.

She started her timer, and she was off.

When Scoots ran, the world made sense. She had a goal to reach, and she knew how to get there. At least, she thought she did.

Along the curve of the track just ahead, she saw that goal. It wore running shorts with rainbow streaks along the sides. It had the curves of an olympian and the most confident smile Scoots had ever seen. It was a shadow, but as long as the squirt chased that shadow, she knew which way to go.

She came back around, breathing hard. She was fifteen seconds short. It was .2 seconds worse than her last time. She had to do better. As Scootaloo took a drink from her little canteen, a sudden tap on her shoulder made her jump out of her wits.

"Gaah!"

Scootaloo dropped into a pose that looked a lot like someone pretending to know kung fu. It failed in any way to be intimidating.

"Uh...sorry?"

She was taller than Scootaloo by about a foot. Her skin was a grayish purple, and her hair was light blue and striped with pink. Her eyes were like pale red wine, and she was wearing a...green tracksuit in the middle of summer? Scoots blinked.

"Aren't you hot?"

"Uh, no? It's not even that hot out." She said, shrugging.

Scoots squinted and wiped her forehead.

"Are you kidding me? It's like 89 degrees out!"

"I guess that's hot for around here?"

"Well, yeah!"

"I guess I didn't notice. Besides, the guys around here are kinda creepy and I thought that wearing a suit might get them to leave me alone?" The girl shifted uncomfortably.

"They're gonna look, no matter what you wear. Try pepper spray and a middle finger. Or a knife." Scootaloo sighed.

"Hey, you're Scootaloo, right?"

"Who wants to know?"

"...I do?"

"....yeah, that's me."

"Well, I've heard a lot about you since I transferred. You're like, the best runner at CCU!"

The girl's earnest enthusiasm caught Scootaloo off guard.

"I mean, I guess. Haven't really earned any important trophies or anything..." Scoots mumbled at the ground.

"But regionals are coming up! That's what I wanted to ask; would it be okay if I watch you and take some notes? I want to compete, too!"

"Weeeell...I'm kinda used to flying solo around here."

"Oh. Well, I get it if you don't want to be bothered..." The girl said, dejectedly. Scootaloo peaked at her. She had to have been a teenager, still.

"You can stay. Don't sweat it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, bet! It's not like I can just ball-hog the track all day, anyway." Scootaloo said. "I don't think I've seen you around. What's your name, new kid?"

"My name's Wind Sprint!"

"Alright, well, I'm Scootaloo!" She hooked a thumb at herself.

"Uh, I know. I just said your name?"

Scootaloo turned red, and not from the heat. In the place of a witty retort, she turned and took off like a rocket down the track, leaving Wind Sprint to take notes.

Things had been a bit awkward around the house. Night after night, Buck and Ditzy had come home and performed what was now starting to seem like a bit of a ritual. They would curl up on the couch, too exhausted to do much of anything, then Buck would excuse himself while Ditzy turned in. He would stay up for a while, then eventually crawl into bed as quietly as possible.

It was a sort of helplessness that made Ditzy feel sick to her stomach. There just weren't enough hours in the day or enough energy in her body to satisfy Buck. She tried once or twice to get him off; a gentle handling here or a little puff-puff there, but it took Buck what seemed like ages to orgasm, and he kept looking at her with those big puppy dog eyes and apologizing for being hard to please. Neither of them was to blame, but every night that Ditzy lay waiting for Buck to come to bed, it felt like all her fault for writing checks she couldn't cash.

Despite the pressure pushing down on the pair, when Buck finally came and settled down, he always had some sweet words and a tender kiss for Ditzy. The quality time they spent together wasn't always sexual, but the peace they found in each other's company was irreplaceable. That comfort spilled over into their date nights, which became an oasis for them both as the summer rush wore on.

Buck and Ditzy were standing on a bit of green carpeting inside a roomy warehouse. Everywhere the eye could see were strange courses featuring bizarre idol heads, fake landmarks, and a frankly shocking variety of windmills. Before them was a relatively simple course. It was a few corners with walls to bounce off and a loop de loop leading into--what else--a windmill.

"Now, let me see...do I want the nine iron or something a bit lighter?" Buck said in a faux country club accent. He had a bright red beret on his head and his best approximation of an uppity sneer.

"Buck, it's mini-golf. They're all the same." Ditzy smiled.

"Yes, yes, well, I'm beyond any chance of catching up to your score, so I'm hoping I might find one lucky enough to help me lose gracefully." Buck took up a plastic club that was purple in color and slightly chewed in quality.

"Gracefully?"

"There's a lot of twists and turns on this one, and I'm bound to make some detours, but if I can make it to the end of the course in under ten more swings, I think that would be a respectable effort, m'dear."

"Don't you think that's a little high? Mini golf is about getting to the hole in the least number of hits."

"I guess." Buck smiled, his accent slipping. "In my opinion, mini-golf is about one thing, and one thing only."

"Oh yeah?"

Buck took his stance and wiggled his hips dramatically. He bent his knees slightly and looked at the hole.

The ball bounced on the way to the loop de loop, hit the wall, and nearly left the green entirely.

"Mini-golf is about spending as much time as you can inside a cozy air-conditioned building." Buck smiled.

Ditzy suddenly looked around like she was afraid she'd be caught shoplifting.

"Isn't that a little sneaky?"

"Not at all! I think mini golf is great 'cause it's the opposite of regular golf."

"How do you mean?" Ditzy set her ball down on the marker. She was wearing a knee-length black skirt with red polka dots. But thought it was the cutest damn thing she'd ever worn, but he was sure she'd find a way to top herself. When it came to Ditzy, there was always a cuter skirt.

"Regular golf is for stuffy tightwads. It takes up a ton of space and uses a ton of water to keep the grass alive. The courses are only challenging because of the distance and because of the topography. There ain't no craft to it. It's sterile, and it's usually attached to a country club or some other gatherin' place of wealthy snobs." Buck said. He started to lean on his club, heard a little crack, then adjusted his posture.

"You know, my Dad worked on a golf course. I don't think they're that bad."

"Did he ever get to play on that course?" Buck said.

Ditzy frowned.

"No."

"Well, mini-golf is cheap. It takes up way less space and anybody can play it. And the holes are always wacky and inventive by design. It's a game for weirdos like us who take the bus to get there."

"Whatever you say, Buck..."

Ditzy's eyes re-centered after a blink, and with a precise strike, the ball rolled through the loop de loop but bounced off the windmill blade as it passed.

"Dang it. This is kinda hard, with my eyes..." Ditzy said.

"Oh damn, I didn't think about that! Do you wanna quit early and go see a movie or somethin'?"

"No, no, it's fine!" Ditzy smiled.

"You sure? We don't just have to do what I wanna do, you know?"

"No really, it's fine. I'm havin' fun!"

"Alrighty, well, silver lining, at least you don't look as goofy as me while we're doin' this."

Buck adjusted his stupid beret, took his stance, and putted. It got through the loop, then bounced around the course like a pool ball.

"I dunno...I'm not sure if I can do this one. I'm super bad at windmills." Ditzy sighed.

"You want a tip?"

"Sure."

Buck kissed Ditzy on the cheek and watched the blush bloom on her face.

"You got this, Muffin. No pressure."

Ditzy took a breath and bit her lip.

The club hit with a tiny pink spark, and the ball sailed right between the blades and into the hole.

"Alright!" Buck golf clapped, but when he looked over to Ditzy, she had an expression of shock. "What? Is there something on my face?"

Ditzy wordlessly pulled a little mirror from her purse and held it up. Little pink hearts floated around Buck's head.

Buck slapped at his chest.

"Oh shit, oh shit, I forgot the necklace! Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Buck said.

Ditzy reached out and waved at the hearts, which blew away like scraps of paper on the wind.

"...Why did that happen?"

"I dunno! Sorry, Ditzy, I didn't mean for that-"

"Is it because of me?"

"Huh?"

"Did those hearts show up because of me?"

"Well, no, I mean, I'm catchin' feelings over here, so, maybe?"

Ditzy got a bit closer, looking confused. More hearts sparked into existence around Buck's head.

"Wow...lookit that." Ditzy poked one and it popped like a soap bubble.

"I guess it's like, uh...like a heart boner?"

"A heart boner?" Ditzy raised an eyebrow, hand on her hip. Buck tensed up under her scrutiny.

"...yeah?"

The breath exploded out of Ditzy in a sudden guffaw. She laughed so hard she had to put a hand on Buck's shoulder to stop her snorting from knocking her over.

"Hahahaha! That's, that's the silliest...that is just so...you!" Ditzy threw her arms around Buck's neck and nuzzled her cheek against his.

"You're not mad?"

"No! It was an accident, and super funny!"

"Well, that's...that's embarrassing. So...do you wanna finish this match?"

"No. We're gonna go home and get your necklace. I don't want anymore surprise magic." Ditzy said it sweetly and certainly, leaving Buck no room to argue. She pulled him by the hand to the door.

Buck stole a glance as they were leaving. Ditzy was smiling, but it was a nervous, slightly trembling smile. He'd ruined the date, and she just didn't want to say it.

Two days later, Buck's hand shook with effort as a shower of pink sparks exploded from his palm. Adagio's expression was neutral as ever.

"Fuck!" Buck let go of Adagio's hand and laid on the floor, defeated.

"It looks like you can only release a small amount of your mana before you start to lose control." Adagio said, taking a seat in front of Buck.

"Damn it! I need to make some kinda progress today! I've gotta get a handle on this or I'll never be normal!" Buck groaned into his hands.

"Do you need a break?"

"No, I just need to be better."

"Let's put Sparkle Hands on hold for today and run you through your paces. Tell me again what happened. Give me
Floating Lamp."

Buck took Adagio's hand and held his other up. A mote of pink flame floated just above his finger, casting a soft glow. It sparked and flickered but didn't gutter out.

"Me and Ditzy were doin' mini-golf, and she's feelin' down because she has a hard time with her eyes.'"

"Right, I understand that part. Now, give me Hue."

Buck snapped his fingers, and his shirt changed from black to bright pink.

"Blue."

Buck snapped again, and the shirt turned dark blue but started to fade.

"Red."

The shirt turned red but then bled back into pink. Adagio smiled.

"Damn it. Anyway, I give her a kiss on the cheek, and she nails it in one putt, just like that!"

"And then what happened? Flavor." Adagio placed a cup of water in Buck's free hand.

"What flavor?"

"Cranberry."

Buck wiggled his fingers, and the water didn't appear to change at all.

"Ditzy saw it first, but there were little pink hearts floating around my head. Did I get it right? Is it cranberry?"

Adagio took a sip, then stifled a laugh.

"Don't tell me..." Buck grumbled.

"Pink lemonade!"

"God, fuck!" Buck swore, but it turned into a chuckle as he slapped his forehead. Adagio laughed with him and patted his shoulder.

"Well, Buck, the good news is you're getting better."

"How do you figure?"

"Tone!"

Buck twirled a finger. The sound of a duck quacking came from nowhere.

"Another!"

It was the sound of a doorbell.

"Another!"

Buck wiggled his pinkie. There was a wet fart noise.

"Aside from your practice paying off, it sounds like you're conjuring fancies accidentally."

"Fancies?"

"Materialized figments of your imagination. You said they somewhat adhered to physics?"

"Yeah, they were scattered by a breeze, and they popped when touched."

"They might be more conjuration than illusion...hm." Adagio took some notes down.

"Why're they called fancies?"

"They aren't, officially. Sonata called them that because 'Lesser Phantasmagorias' is a mouthful. Our instructor hated it so much that we called them fancies for the rest of the semester, and the name stuck."

"Hah! That's amazing! Fancies it is!"

"They are the last part of your suite of cantrips. After...Doodle!" Adagio quickly tore a sheet from her notebook and held it up. Buck pointed at it, and a drawing of Dickbutt appeared. In what looked like pink crayon. "If fancies are floating out of you as the result of emotional stimuli, you must be getting accustomed to your power, at least a small amount. Fancies are a common symptom of those with an affinity for the Chaos quadrants. And unicorns, I suppose."

"Okay, so it really is like a heart boner."

"...yes. You can, of course, learn to conjure them intentionally, but it requires study. Do you remember when I had you practice the cube?"

"Yeah?"

"That was a fancy. It proved that you are capable of visualizing three-dimensional shapes in your mind. If you can do that, you can animate anything you conjugate. All you need to do is focus on the image."

"And touch somebody?" Buck yawned.

"For something as minor as cantrips, likely not. Remember what I told you about intimacy. It's about emotional closeness."

Buck looked down at his hand, which was still holding Adagio's, then back up to her mischievous smile.

"So, you mean to tell me that we didn't need to be holdin' hands this whole time?"

"For sparkle hands? Certainly. but for the other cantrips, not at all. I have a theory I've been working on, but I don't want to test it until I have a chance to discuss it with Sunburst."

"So why're you still holdin' my hand?"

"It's the easiest way to drink you, Buck." Adagio grinned.

Buck snatched his hand back and rolled his eyes. He looked away in a bit of a huff, but Adagio leaned to catch his eye.

"Speaking of, you taste exhausted and frustrated. Has work been especially taxing?"

"Well, yeah."

"When was the last time you were given a raise?"

Buck wiggled a finger. It was a fart noise again, but louder.

"You really should quit that job, Buck. You deserve better."

"Yeah, pull the other one. You wouldn't believe the kinda stuff that pops up when people do a background check on me. Gettin' an interview is basically impossible without nepotism or bribes."

"You're in desperate need of a mental health day."

"You breakin' into therapy, now?"

"No. I just know you."

"Okay, well since you know me so well, why do I feel like I'm spinnin' my wheels here?" Buck sighed. Adagio offered him a hand up, which he took with a small amount of hesitation.

"You're a hard-working man, Buck. Highly creative, passionate, and ambitious. In many regards, you're exactly what this dark, pale world needs. I can say with smug certainty that the ponies of my time would have found you deplorable. But, you are buried under countless distracting pressures. Your job, your bills, your debt, your trauma. Your connection to who you are is strained, and has been for so long that you can no longer recognize the man you see in the mirror for what he is."

"And what's that?"

"An individual who burns with possibility. An engine of creation brimming with perverse, potent energy, who could change the world with a snap of his fingers, if he could only learn the right rhythm. This world has inflicted scars on you, and I've only seen a few of them, and yet, here you are, blazing like a beacon. You're a star, Buck. Perhaps, when there are fewer...distractions blocking your sight, you'll finally let yourself shine." Adagio spoke with a tender earnestness that nearly robbed Buck of his skepticism.

"Do you really mean that?"

"I mean everything I say, Buck."

"Really?" Buck squinted.

"No." Adagio said, pinching his cheek. "But in this instance, I am being terribly sincere, so I suggest you appreciate it."

"That's...really sweet of you to say. But I was talkin' about the magic."

Adagio blushed.

"Th-that is to say, the problem your facing is a simple one. You're high strung. Magic demands emotional honesty to function, so until you let yourself feel your emotions, you're going to keep having a difficult time with your spells; even the cantrips. You need to be more open to your feelings."

"Oh, look who's talkin'." Buck said. Adagio's smile turned sharper.

"You also need rest, or you need to orgasm more. Whichever comes first."

"Alright, alright, well, I know this is askin' alot, but, uh..." Buck trailed off, scratching his head. Adagio smiled at him expectantly.

"Yes, Buck?"

"Would it be alright if I took a nap? Can I use your bed for that? Please?"

"Ugh. Drop the 'please', and take all the time you want. When you get up, we can work more on your fancies." Adagio rose and took a good long stretch. Buck averted his eyes from her form like a dutiful boyfriend and wandered off to lay down.

Adagio's bed was a paradise of soft silk. For once, Buck started to drift as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Adagio closed the door slowly, her eyes lingering on Buck's prone form as he settled into the left side of her bed.

Right where he belonged.

The sense of satisfaction was intoxicating. As the sessions wore on, Adagio found herself getting accustomed to the tipsy feeling of absorbing Buck's emotions. She was confident that with enough time and exposure, she could adapt to the influx of feeling and get a true handle on the mana itself. She went to pour a glass of water to help clear her head but she saw something distressing reflected in the countertop.

Despite her best efforts, her eyes had gone pink again.

"Just hang in there....I've got you. Relax..." Starlight said right next to Scoot's head. The breath on her ear sent a tingle through her, intensifying the blush on her cheeks. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, a sign of the effort her body was putting in.

"I can't! It's too much!" Scoots squeaked. Starlight held her wrist firmly. The taller woman's body was right up against Scootaloo's back as she struggled for focus. She smelled a little bit like peach body wash.

"You can! Just take a deep breath, and let it come." Starlight said.

"O-okay..." Scoots shut her eyes tightly and squeezed the crystal in her hand.

"Don't close your eyes! In the middle of a fight, you can't afford to take your eyes off the target."

Five feet from Scoots' outstretched hand, Sunburst stood, protected by two pillows taped to his front and back and a football helmet on his head. On his face, he had the look of a man that had been thrown onto a mat in a karate dojo several times.

"Don't hold it, just let it fly!" Starlight said.

"Hah!" Scoots shouted and a gust of wind burst from her palm. The air blasted Sunburst across the room, where he smacked ass over teakettle into the couch.

"Excellent work, Scootaloo." Starlight said, stepping over to Sunburst.

"Yeah..." Scootaloo took a breath and wiped her forehead. She felt like her brain had run a marathon.

"It looks like three gusts is your maximum for the day. That's very good for a beginner!" Sunburst said. With great effort, Starlight helped him to his feet.

"And as a bonus, you now have the ability to toss a full-grown man off his feet at the drop of a hat." Starlight said. "We'll say that your arsenal is three quartz crystals. With that conceit in mind, we can focus on refining your powers and diversifying your skillset."

"Ooh! Can show you show me how to shoot laser beams out of my eyes? Or fire?" Scootaloo said; Sunburst looked shocked at this, but Starlight took a moment to consider it.

"In theory, yes. Fire spells fall under Chaos/Ethereal, whereas things like arcane bolts are Order/Ethereal."

"But isn't that a different quadrant?"

"It's adjacent to yours. You can learn spells from it quadrants, but it will be more difficult than learning spells from your own. About fifty to seventy percent more difficult."

"The heck does that mean?"

"If you can learn a spell from your quadrant in weeks, you could learn from an adjacent quadrant in months." Sunburst said.

"So it's possible, just hard and time-consuming. I wouldn't recommend trying to branch into adjacent quadrants until you're further along in your training. You're still establishing your basic set of spells, after all."

"What about the one across from mine? If I tried hard, could I learn to move water around like Adagio?"

"It's nearly impossible to learn spells from across the chart. Odds are slim you could learn one, and even slimmer that you could cast it consistently."

"Aww..." Scoots pouted.

"But, Chaos/Ethereal spells have their own strengths! For instance, they come out faster than any other type of spell, and they aren't very mana intensive. They tend to be short-range, but you can throw them out quick and fast, which suits you pretty well, Scoots!" Sunburst interjected.

"But what if I want to hit something that's not breathing down my neck?"

"Well, you could carry a gun." Starlight said.

"Woah, I don't wanna hurt anybody!"

"You might not always have a choice. Sometimes part of saving the day is saving yourself."

"So, when do I get to quit my job and be a hero full-time?" Scoots said.

"Well, we put in a good word for you with The Pillars. Bon Bon vouched for you, too but the message we got back was that to join up, they need a report of you displaying magical aptitude in a crisis situation. Which really means that we have to wait for some trouble." Sunburst said.

"Or go find it, right?" Scoots said. Her smile at Starlight was met with a scowl.

"Actually, we've gotten word back that some odd things have been seen in the Everfree mountain range, on the northeastern side. Strange green lights in the woods at night, and people about when they shouldn't be."

"Almost definitely changelings. They might be mobilizing, which means trouble is probably going to find us before long." Sunburst said.

"The northeastern side? But nobody lives out that way. Who sent the report?" Scoots said.

"That's a good question to ask. I'm glad you're thinking that way, Scoots." Sunburst smiled.

"It's also classified information." Starlight said. "So we can't tell you, unfortunately."

"Ooh, mysterious! What is it!? Is it surveillance drones? Do you have little cameras all over the place?"

"You'll never guess it." Sunburst laughed.

"Is it a magic mirror!?"

"No. Sunburst, are you ready to go?" Starlight said.

"Sure, I'll just be a minute."

Sunburst gathered some odds and ends into a backpack and started slipping on his shoes.

"You guys going somewhere?" Scoots said.

"Since you've made so much progeress today, we're going to go on patrol early. Normally it would just be me, but ever since that night with the cloak, Sunburst has insisted I have a least one other person with me." Starlight said grumpily, but the smile she tossed in Sunburst's direction betrayed her affection.

"Can I come?"

"Not this time. You've gotten a lot better, but I don't want to put you out on the field until you learn a bit more. Your airbursts have the potential to be dangerous to you, and I don't want to see you get hurt or become a liability out there."

"What we mean is, you've shown a lot of growth, but we'd rather you rest up and get a tiny bit more experience before we throw you back into the fray!" Sunburst said.

"Okay, you're the boss..." Scoots sighed.

"Oh, and don't forget your longboard. Buck came by earlier and dropped it off."

As Scootaloo headed down the hall from Sunbursts' suite, she noticed a little sticky note stuck to her board.

It read; "Don't sweat it."

When Scoots went upstairs to see if Adagio and Buck wanted to hang out, she was told firmly by Adagio that Buck was napping, and it was best not to interrupt. After that, the only place Scootaloo could go was back to the track.

Sometimes being an extrovert didn't make any sense. Scootaloo didn't want to be bothered, but she needed to be around people, even just to breathe the same air.

The feeling reminded her of way back before she met Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, back when no one knew what to do with her. Either everyone was too busy or didn't want Scootaloo hanging around their ankles. It was amazing how little things changed. It's like she was back to square one.

As Scootaloo took the track, she failed to notice a figure huddled in the twilight shadows. In the small copse of trees beside the athletic field, a figure wearing a dark cloak watched silently.

The specter sprinted ahead on the track, still just out of reach. Scootaloo was getting closer, but she still wasn't good enough to catch up. She just had to try harder, and maybe then she could really make a difference.

Her head felt fuzzy from the magic training, and her legs were already sore from work, but she pushed on anyway. If she could just shave a couple of seconds off her time, that would be enough for today. She just had to push a bit harder.

"Hey, Scootaloo! Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo immediately lost focus, coming to a gradual stop. The specter ran ahead and vanished.

Wind Sprint caught up to Scootaloo, jogging in place.

"Hey! I didn't know you'd be out here today!"

"I was just wrapping up." Scootaloo sighed.

"Oh, well I actually wanted to ask; have you taken trig 2? Because I could use some help--if you wouldn't mind helping me study?"

"Ugh, I took Trig 2 years ago! I wouldn't know what I'm doing if you asked me to look at it now." Scootaloo said, turning away.

"Well, that's okay. If you want, we could just hang out, you know? You're kind of the only person I know around here, and-"

"Look, I get it, okay? I get what you're trying to do, but I don't want a sidekick. Nobody wants a sidekick."

"I'm sorry...did I say something that upset you?"

"No! It's not you, it's just not a good time right now, alright!?" Scootaloo said, leaving Wind Sprint to stare at her own shoes.

The next three weeks were filled with piecemeal progress, at least when it came to magic. Ditzy watched as Buck came home, abuzz with ideas he needed to get on paper, then tried to act nonchalant about it. He assured Ditzy that he was being careful around Adagio, better safe than sorry, but he barely touched Ditzy. In a way, this was much more comfortable. Buck made Ditzy feel like no one else in the bedroom, but handling him was difficult, and she could never quite figure out just what he wanted. He just kept saying it was fine, she was doing fine, and not to worry.

At first, Ditzy really wasn't worried. After all, Starlight was looking out for Buck, and she trusted his judgment. As the days rolled on, though, something wasn't sitting right. Buck came home later and later, And he was smiling more, looking happier and more vibrant. Whenever Ditzy asked about the magic sessions, Buck would mention how weird and complex magic was under the surface and talk about ideas and techniques. A lot of it flew right over Ditzy's head, but some of it sounded like painting, dance, or music. On the third week, Starlight didn't come to pick Buck up. Instead, Buck kissed Ditzy, told her he loved her, and headed out into the parking lot.

Adagio's car was waiting for him, and though Ditzy ducked away from the window, she could swear that Adagio was smiling at her as she greeted Buck.

That same night, Ditzy made Buck and Dinky's favorite dish again, but Buck texted her, saying he would be late and to just save his bowl for later.

As Ditzy sat, quietly mending a pair of shorts that Dinky had torn up during recess, she tried not to tie herself in a knot. Lonely nights always made Ditzy feel stifled and stuffy. Luckily for Ditzy, lonely nights were in short supply. Between Dinky and Buck, there was always someone for her to bounce off, and she rarely felt lonely. Not like this.

Ditzy put her needles down and exhaled loudly into her silent living room.

"You're overthinking it, Ditzy Doo! You just need some air, to clear the cobwebs outta your head!"

A light summer shower pattered the darkened parking lot. The rain had a way of unsettling Ditzy that was hard to describe. Maybe it was the noise or the occasional flash of thunder, but it always seemed like trouble whenever there was rain.

"I just know somethin' bad's gonna happen...maybe I oughta march right over there and tell Buck to give Starlight and Sunburst another chance." Ditzy said.

"What? For a threesome?" Said a voice to her left. Ditzy squeaked and looked over to see Smolder, wearing a dark leather jacket and smoking a cigarette as she watched the rain come down.

"You're Smolder! Buck's friend! Hi! Uh...what're you still doin' here?"

"Do you always talk your thoughts out loud like that? I bet that gets you into trouble, doesn't it?"

"Sometimes, I guess."

"I'm just messing with ya, girlfriend. You come out here for a smoke? I got a light if you need." Smolder smiled and flicked open a lighter, offering it to Ditzy.

"Oh, no, not at all! I can't smoke; I've got a kid!"

"Ah, right. You're the responsible type. That's good."

"It is?"

"Well, sure. Buck needs a girl like you, otherwise, he does the dumbest shit imaginable. Same thing with Sunburst, now that I think about it."

"So what're you still doin' in town? I thought Buck said you were just visiting?"

"Well, I was, but then I managed to get a little grant to do some research around here. A cartographer's work is never done; 'specially in places with big fuck-off mountains around them. Gonna be around for a little while longer. What about you?"

"I live here."

"No, I mean, what're you doin' hanging out in the cold, staring at your feet? What, did you lose a contact or something? Would those even work with the uh, all that?" Smolder pointed at her own eyes.

"It's called Strabismus, and no, I don't wear contacts. I came out here to clear my head."

"Oh, I get it." Smolder shrugged, leaning against the wall. She lit another cigarette, then looked awkwardly at Ditzy, who was rubbing her arm a few feet away.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Smolder groaned.

Ditzy explained the situation. Smolder knew about the beef after what happened at the fair, but the magic training, Buck's powers, and everything else was totally new. Her expression shifted from a bit sour to annoyed, and then just a bit smug.

"Now that sounds like Buck. I knew he seemed a little too put together when he was warming up that towel for you. But no, because it's Buck, there's magic bullshit and girls and weird sexual tension. It's like he can't help himself!" Smolder laughed.

"I mean...you're his friend. What do I do?"

"I've never known him to cheat. Has he ever cheated on you?"

"No...he cheated with me, on Adagio."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Well, it wasn't his fault. I kissed him!"

"But he kissed you back, didn't he?"

"Mhm."

"The big softie."

"Yeah...but, I'm not blind. The way he talks about magic...I mean, he doesn't even mention Adagio! He talks about it like...like-"

"Like it's the only thing in the world that matters."

"Yeah! And part of me is glad that he found a hobby that makes him happy! But magic is dangerous...it can make people do horrible things. Turn them into..."

"Monsters?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up!"

"No, it's okay. I get it. I mean, I turned into a big, fire-breathing lizard! But you know something? I think it was good for me. It put things in perspective. When I was in there...everything was clear. I knew what I wanted, and it was to protect Buck and Sunburst and Gar Gar from Adagio. I wanna say a part of me was screaming, trying to stop me, but that's just not true. That power...it let me go for what I wanted. And that's all magic is, isn't it? Power."

"But power corrupts."

"Does it? I don't know about that. That dragon and me; we're the same. I was trying to keep the boys safe, but once Gar Gar came out and talked to me, I realized I was being drastic. And selfish. I was hoarding them. Trying to lock them away, like they were jewels in a safe. And that was wrong, but the feelings behind it were real. Those same feelings are what made you armor up and fight me, right?"

"I guess..."

"I guess what I'm getting at is this; if the magic turns Buck into something, it'll be a more honest version of him. And if that thought scares you, you need to have a good long think about whether or not you actually want him."

"I do want him! But how do I get him when he's seeing her, and she's rich and pretty and she's got...magic!"

"I mean, sis, you've already 'got' him. I heard you two the other night; sounded like a god damn slasher movie. He's makin' you cum that hard and you're worried about him bein' faithful? What're you, married?"

"Married!? I uh, I never, well, well it's a little early to think about...I...oh geez."

"That's pretty funny if you think about it. Buck's seein' his ex a day out of the week, and she's not just possessive, she's a super villain that super wants his dick, and you're worried that it's the magic that'll win him over. Any other guy, this would be an open and shut case, but not Buck. Buck's gotta go and make everything complicated!"

"Yeah...that's my Buck. All or nothing. So maybe it was silly to worry that he might cheat."

"Woah, I mean, I didn't say that. He's hanging out with Adagio. Even I wanna hit that, and I'm not even into girls!"

"Ugh, you don't have to rub it in my face..." Ditzy blushed.

"Well, either way, I guess it doesn't matter. Buck's already done everything, like twice. He isn't gonna be impressed by a beej, even one from a siren."

"So it's pointless for me to try sex stuff! What am I gonna do!?"

"Is this about her, or is it about you?"

"She's trying to wreck my relationship with Buck!"

"The one you stole from her?"

"She lost him on her own!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Look, what's your beef with magic, anyway? If someone wanted to teach my boyfriend magic, I wouldn't worry about it, I would climb over him and ask them to teach me, too!"

"Let's...let's just say I've seen magic at its worst, and I don't want it in my house."

"Even if it means giving up on Buck?"

"..."

"Okay, well, if you don't wanna compromise, you're in luck! You snagged the guy that'll give it all up for you. Congrats! Just tell him no magic and no Adagio, and he'll probably do it."

"But I don't think that would make him happy..."

"Would it make you feel happy?"

"It would make me feel safe."

"Guh. This is way too complicated for me. You should'a called Sunburst. This soap opera shit is his jam. My advice to you, blondie knight, is to dump 'em. If he won't let go of this magic shizz, then kick his ass to the curb. Buck's a big boy. He'll cry about it, like a lot, but he'll get over it."

"I don't wanna break up with him! I love him!"

"Then stand by your man, dumbass! You're not Adagio, and you're not ever gonna be her, so why worry about it!?"

"Because he likes her."

"But he loves you! Find out how he needs to be loved, and give him that!"

"I'll try."

"And if you can't, you get someone who can, and you get the fuck over it!" Smolder said, tossing her cigarette away.

Ditzy went quiet, then. Smolder saw her lip quiver and her hands ball into fists.

"Aw geez. Look, I don't really do the whole sugar coating thing, alright? If you want that, you should go do your therapy, like you said."

"Actually, I already had my first appointment! Silver Spoon is a sweetheart, and she says that my attachment is rooted in my trauma about-"

"Too long, don't care! I'll tell it to you straight, girlfriend. Buck's a good guy, and you probably don't have anything to worry about. But on the off chance you do, just, just make sure Buck knows how you feel. He's not the greatest at reading minds, but he'll listen."

"Right."

"And if it doesn't work out, let me know. I'll ask Adagio to give me a turn."

"WHAT!?"

"Hah hah, woah, yeah, that's a pretty fucked up thing to say! Alright, see ya around, girlfriend!" Smolder waved over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs, flicking the remains of her cigarette out into the rain.

Buck did eventually come home, and when he did, he seemed more than happy to cuddle up and head straight to bed.

Scootaloo had barely managed to catch up to her previous time.

The shadow she chased kept on dashing ahead, never looking back.

Time started to blur. Scootaloo ran, she slept, she practiced magic, she slept, and she ran again. She worked just one day out of the week, but she didn't have any time to talk to Buck about what she did or why. Work was packed with customers, so there was no room for anything but business.

It was just as well. Scootaloo didn't really know what to say.

Instead, she tried to focus on getting better on the track and better at magic. She was up to making that mini-tornado, but she could only do it for a few seconds before it threw her off her feet. That wasn't nearly good enough. She thought that maybe if she really put her mind to it, she could eventually be as good as Starlight, or maybe even Adagio. She didn't even know what she'd use it for, but that didn't matter. What mattered was being awesome.

Scootaloo desperately needed to be awesome. She couldn't keep living with bronze and silver trophies.

As Scootaloo ran the track, again and again, Wind Sprint hung on her every word and step. She started to follow Scootaloo around; in the locker room, around the quad, and on the track. It was honestly a little annoying, but a thousand times better than being alone. Scoots was so tired of being alone.

It was a cool Tuesday sunrise, several hours before magic practice. It was beautiful out, and so the athletic grounds were filled with early risers going through their paces. Scootaloo hardly noticed.

She barely answered Wind Sprint's questions before she started running the track.

Something about a bell, whatever.

Her sweatband got wet, her breath got short and her arms pumped as she charged after the shadow. She had to beat her time. She had to!

Scootaloo felt a strong, cool wind tousle her hair as Wind Sprint pulled ahead of her.

Scootaloo snapped back to awareness. She kicked her knees up and overtook the younger sprinter.

Her legs and lungs burned, but she stayed on point.

But then she heard a sound like wind through telephone wires. There was a brief glow, and Wind Sprint crossed the finish line first. For just a second, Scootaloo could swear she saw a pair of wings at the teen girl's back.

The response was immediate.

Scootaloo watched in awe as other students surrounded Wind Sprint with questions and comments and selfies.

Wind Sprint looked at her with an odd expression, like she was just as shocked as Scootaloo was. She made her way through the crowd and pumped her fist excitedly.

"Did you see that!? I actually, I mean I didn't mean to but I, I can't believe I did that!" Wind Sprint babbled.

"Yeah! I uh...I can't believe it either. Good job?"

"So, so, do you think you can show me how to get even faster!?"

"I don't know, I...I think...I think I need to go make a call."

Scootaloo headed back to her dorm without another word, tapping Sunbursts' number with a shaking finger. She knew what she saw; she just didn't want to believe it.

What Scootaloo didn't see was the scowl on Wind Sprints' face or the way she stomped off in the other direction once Scootaloo's back was turned.

It was the same morning but across town.

Ditzy's kitchen was somewhere in that transitory space between recovering housewife and aspiring cake boss. There wasn't much in the way of processed snack foods, but there was an arsenal of ingredients designed to make confections of all different sorts. Unlike Buck's cooking space, which was more of a wasteland occasionally populated with quick microwave fare, everything seemed to have a place in Ditzy's kitchen.

"So Clear Sky says, all snooty; 'You must run through piles of red yarn! You know, because you put apples on literally everything.' I thought Granny Smith was gonna throw something at her!" Ditzy said as she warmed up the waffle iron.

"Is that the one with the kid?" Buck said, slicing up some strawberries. "And the divorce?"

"Yeah she is. I mean, we've all got kids. The sewing circle is kind of there so we can get away from 'em for a little bit."

"Fair enough. Hey, you want me to compote this? I think I saw some blueberries in the fridge we could throw in."

More often than not, Buck and Ditzy made treats together--Buck was pretty incompetent at everything besides baking--but they hadn't had much of that kind of quality time recently. This was a nice change of pace, and Ditzy was intent on enjoying the morning before Buck had to go again.

"Sure! Could you reach the powdered sugar for me?" Ditzy said. Buck stepped up behind her and grabbed a little tin from the top shelf of the cupboard.

"So, why waffles?"

I had some left over from before I dropped Dinky off! I thought it would be nice to treat ourselves, considering how busy we've been. Besides, I know you love waffles!"

"Sweet of you to remember, Muffin." Buck slid his arms around Ditzy's waist. She giggled as he kissed her cheek.

"I'm not super good with romantic words...but I can do brunch!"

"Well, I think brunch is pretty romantic! Ain't nobody makes me brunch, you know?"

Ditzy's smile suddenly cut off as she felt a bulge press firmly against her from behind.

"H-Hey...do you need me to...take care of that?" Ditzy mumbled.

"Huh?"

"You're hard..." Buck saw a look of terror on Ditzy's face.

"Oh, no, you don't gotta worry about that! It's just a boner." Buck let go and took a few paces back.

"You don't...you don't need me to deal with it?"

"'course not!"

"We could maybe do it later, I mean if you want...maybe give me a little time to prepare, and..."

"Do you want to?"

"If you want to."

Buck moved to take her into his arms, but he stopped. She was shaking.

"Ditzy, it's not your job to take care of my boners, okay?"

"Okay, Buck."

"You're safe with me, Ditzy. You can say 'no' to me, you know that, right?"

"You don't find it annoying when I'm not ready for...you know, stuff?"

"Doesn't matter. We can go at your pace. It's fine."

"Okay."

Ditzy went to Buck's arms. She squeezed him like a teddy bear and for a moment, there was nothing else in the world.

She was safe.

They sat down and had a good brunch, but things were quiet and awkward. Buck kept his eyes on his plate, complimenting Ditzy for how good the batter tasted. Once he finished cutting the waffle into fourths, Ditzy took his hand just to remind him that she was still there.

There was a knock on Buck's door, and it was almost a relief. Buck kissed Ditzy's hand before he answered.

"So you're here. You weren't answering your phone; I was starting to worry." Said Adagio.

"Must've left it in my room. Sorry 'bout that. Why're you here at this hour?"

"Our favorite Little Birdie called an emergency meeting, so I decided to pick you up early. That way we can assess the threat together."

"Oh shit. Is Scoots hurt?"

"No, just shaken. She did say it was urgent, so I recommend you save the rest of your food for later and...are you alright?" Adagio winced, looking Buck up and down.

Buck slapped at his chest and realized suddenly that he wasn't wearing the changeling stone.

"What're you talkin' about?"

"You taste exhausted, Buck." Adagio looked around Buck, toward Ditzy and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm fine. Could you please wait downstairs? I'll be there in a sec."

"If you insist."

Adagio spared Ditzy a brief, neutral glance, then closed the door.

"I've gotta go. If it's something really dangerous, I'll make sure to fill you in."

"Okay, Buck." Ditzy said to Buck's back as he wandered around, grabbing his things. He wordlessly let for next door, then came back and hugged Ditzy tight.

"Buck..."

"Yeah, Muffin?" Buck's eyes were no less gentle than ever, and even in this urgent situation, he gave Ditzy a smile.

"Be safe, okay?"

"Sure thing."

And then he was gone. Ditzy Doo put her head to the table and tried not to cry.

Buck and Adagio entered Sunburst's suite in a rush.

Sunburst was taking notes, while Starlight was listening with a skeptical look on her face.

"I don't know, Scoots. Are you sure you weren't just a bit delirious from the run?" Sunburst said.

"No!" Scoots said.

"You said she was taller, didn't you? It could just be that she caught a second wind at an inconvenient time. I mean, if her legs are long and she's a bit younger than you, it's understandable that you'd-"

"I didn't really lose! She used magic! Scoots shouted, cutting Starlight off.

"I believe you, Little Birdie. Tell us exactly what you saw as she passed you." Adagio said

"It was, it was like a car drove right by me! There was a bunch of air, and I saw a kinda bluish glow."

"And?"

"I thought I saw wings on her back!"

Sunburst and Starlight looked at each other.

"Pegasus." They said in unison.

"Pop quiz, Buck!" Adagio brightened up. "We're dealing with pegasus magic, specifically involving the wind! What quadrant does our suspect belong in?"

"Uh...Chaos/Ethereal? Because she used a natural element that can't be touched; the wind."

"Correct! Excellent work, Buck." Adagio beamed.

"It's called Tail Wind. It's a pretty basic pegasus spell, used to reduce wind resistance in front while pushing at the back with a persistent gust of air. It's typically how fast fliers take to the air." Starlight said, leafing through a spellbook.

"Ooh! Can I learn it!?" Scoots said.

"You could, definitely, though you'd probably need a somatic component to beef up your aura." Sunburst said.

"But she did it on her own!" Scoots whined.

"Are you sure about that?" Adagio said. "Was there any evidence of funny business? Anyone skulking around in cloaks? Did she seem off at all?"

"I wasn't super paying attention? I dunno, I think she said something about ringing; like her ears were ringing, or something."

"Hol' up, Scoots. Didn't you say you heard like a chime before Smolder went postal on us?"

"Yeah! I definitely did!"

"You think maybe this girl heard the same thing?"

"That's it! That's the narrative!" Sunburst stood up suddenly, dropping a fist into his palm. "Our enemies can induce awakening in people! It has to have something to do with chimes, but it makes sense, doesn't it? They find someone who's emotionally vulnerable, make them awaken, and then leech magic off the ensuing panic! Scoots, are there any big events coming up at school?"

"The regional sprinting competition! That's what I was training for in the first place!"

"And there's the pattern. They scout around for opportunities to screw with big, organized events where a lot of people will be, and then they strike." Starlight said.

"In addition, they are working with changeling spies in exchange for a cut of their mana, though they seem to be operating at a deficit for the moment," Adagio said, tapping her chin.

No one seemed to catch the moment her eyes widened. It was just a second, but her neutral curiosity slipped slowly into a sadistic grin. No one, save for Buck.

"You figure somethin' out, 'dagio?"

"Perhaps. We'll just have to wait and see." Adagio said, dropping Buck a wink.

"Regardless, I think our objective here is obvious. We need to put this fire out before it starts. Scootaloo, I need you to talk to this girl, what was her name?"

"...Windy?" Scoots tried.

"Sure. You need to talk to her and figure out why she's a target. It's bound to be some outside stressors."

"Like poverty? Or bein' a girl at CCU?" Buck tried.

"Any information you can get will help us in case she awakens fully and starts wreaking havoc. In the meantime, we need to field a capture mission. Do you think you could get a tracking talisman on her? Maybe stick it in her gym bag?"

"I can be sneaky, yeah!" Scoots said.

"You wanna track her?" Buck said.

"Yes. If we follow her around, I'm sure whoever is targeting her will be somewhere in the vicinity. All we have to do is capture and interrogate them. In the meantime, Sunburst-"

"You want me to do the social worker thing?"

"Exactly. Once we figure out what the problem is, you can make your move. You know the drill. You're a student counselor, you heard there was some problems, can we talk, blah blah blah."

"Wait, bro, is that seriously what you do when you're not fightin' monsters?" Buck said.

"Well, sure! Every once in a while, there's a magical anomaly involving normal people, and nine times out of ten, it's caused by relationship drama." Sunburst smiled. "And my mother said my major was useless!"

"Your Mom's a douchebag, bro."

"Then why did you sleep with her?" Sunburst laughed.

"You literally asked me to do it!"

"Ooh, that sounds like a story!" Adagio said, grinning.

"I wanna hear, I wanna hear!" Scoots said.

"Well..." Buck started.

"No! No distractions! Sunburst, I also need you to requisition some components." Starlight scribbled a list on a notepad and handed it over.

"...got it."

"Buck, I need you to-"

"Rest his weary head and not get involved in any more of these escapades." Adagio said, quickly.

"I wasn't talking to you." Starlight sneered. "Buck, when your magic surged during your first session, there was a knock on effect; mana transference. Everyone present got a little bit of your aura. If you could give us a top off, you would be a great-"

"Battery?" Buck said.

"...I was going to say help. A great help. If you don't want to be involved, you could at least lend us your power."

"Lend you his power, more like." Adagio hissed. "Power which, lest we forget, drove you into a berserk frenzy at the fair."

"What, what? Nobody told me that!" Buck said.

"Remember when I took a tipper of your anger during the fight with Smolder? I loaned it to Starlight Glimmer, and she very nearly killed the poor thing. You didn't see it, because you were trapped in the tower, but I did, and so did everyone else here." Adagio said, looking down her nose at Starlight.

"That was just a fluke!" Starlight said.

"You can't be trusted to handle Buck's power responsibly. You're too weak. And besides, you two would need to have a more intimate connection to truly get at his mana, and I don't see that happening."

"So then we'll have Buck give some power to Sunburst and have him take the front line." Starlight seethed.

"Woah, uh, Starlight? That's not really my thing." Sunburst said.

"And I don't even know how to do it on purpose!" Buck said.

"It's an intermediate arcana spell! What has Adagio been teaching you!?"

Buck took Adagio's hand and snapped his fingers. Scootaloo's hair turned pink.

"Woah, rad!" Scoots said.

"Buck has been learning a suite of basic cantrips. He's still at the beginning of his training." Adagio said, calmly.

"You have been taking him into that...lair of yours for weeks, and you haven't even taught him anything useful!?"

"Well, I can also make fart noises with my mind, and that's pretty amazing." Buck said.

"Buck, with your power, you could burn people's faces off!"

"But I don't want to burn peoples faces off. I want to make fart noises with my mind." Buck's shrug was accompanied by a quacking sound.

Sunburst took Starlight's hand, and her scowl slowly softened. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"...Buck, I know these circumstances aren't ideal, but people could be in danger! I've seen you in the fray; you stay composed and you strategize. That's the way a soldier thinks. If you actually tried, you could be a real hero out there!"

"Starlight, I get where you're comin' from, but I'm not doin' that. With my luck, I'm just as likely to catch you on fire than give you some spare mana. And besides, 'dagio's right. I don't wanna be responsible for you turnin' into a monster like Smolder. Or like I was gonna be. It's too risky." Buck shrugged.

"Or, Buck could simply give me some energy, and I could assist you in the field. I think I'm well beyond qualified, considering how I've been the X-factor of no less than four of your victories by now." Adagio's smile was vicious.

Starlight Glimmer looked about ready to throw hands, but Sunburst soothed her gently, laying his head on her shoulder. To Buck, Starlight seemed to genuinely lighten up.

"Fine. Do as you will, but don't get in the way, and no showboating. These people thrive on spectacle and drama, so we need to try and keep a low profile. Can you at least do that?"

"Effortlessly," Adagio said. "You can call me when you know exactly when we're going to make a move. Buck, would you like to get a jump on practicing mana transference?"

"Sure thing. We good here, everybody?" Buck said.

"Can I come?" Scoots said, a bit sheepishly.

"No. I need you to practice with your aura more. If things are about to get dicey, you'll need all the prep you can get." Starlight said.

"Ugh, fine!" Scoots pouted.

"I trust you'll all be ready when the fun starts." Adagio winked, heading for the door. She had taken Buck's hand.

"And Buck?" Starlight said.

"Yeah, Glimglam?"

"Thank you for hearing me out, at least." Starlight said with almost a smile.

Buck nodded and headed out with Adagio.

"I didn't wanna say anything before, but is it super necessary for you to dress like that when I'm around?"

It was a tube top and a pair of leopard print tights. The outfit hugged Adagio in the best ways possible, reminding Buck not just of what he'd walked away from, but how he missed it. He was starting to reconsider what he'd said at the boardwalk. As if sensing his thoughts, Adagio retorted.

"What, is this ensemble too 'fierce' for you, Buck?"

"It's a little distractin', is all."

"If it's too much, feel free to close your eyes. I'm not creating a dress code in my own home. Not for you; not for anyone."

"Fair enough. Would you mind if I used the bathroom?"

"No. Why would I?"

"Thanks."

Adagio was nearing the end of her rope.

For weeks, she had Buck in her home, getting comfortable with the idea of shared scholarly pursuits and self-improvement in exchange for a stipend of his mana. He had made remarkable progress, and he was looking at Adagio less like a source of turmoil and more like the companion he'd spent nearly half a year getting to know. It wasn't an ideal paradigm, this platonic purgatory, but it was far preferable to letting Buck hang like a grenade caught on a tree branch, waiting to go off.

It was nice to have him over, in other words.

But there was a snag. Buck was walking through Adagio's door more tired and frustrated with each passing week. She could taste him, so of course, Adagio knew why, but she had committed to letting Buck make his own mistakes and not to interfere. That had been a trial, but so far it had been worth it. Buck was coming to trust Adagio, and he was amicable to their arrangement.

But he was not comfortable. Adagio had to remind him multiple times to take a break, to eat something, to stop straining. On top of that, his silent ache for release was starting to become a permanent aftertaste of their liaisons. And worse yet, Buck had begun asking disgustingly politely for every little thing. He was treating Adagio like some stuffy, formal business partner, dodging around her and rarely voicing his opinions outside of magic.

It was like Buck was afraid to take up space in Adagio's presence, and while she couldn't confirm her suspicions, she assumed that Ditzy Doo was to blame.

Buck returned, his angst and frustration like a sour-sweet mist rolling off his shoulders.

"Buck, do you enjoy learning magic?"

"Huh? I mean, I'm doin' it because if I don't-"

"Yes, yes, I know the necessity, Buck, I'm not an idiot. What I'm asking is if you're having fun."

"Why do you ask?"

"Answer the question, Buck."

"I mean...yeah. Honestly? Magic is super interesting, and if I'd known some of the technical details a lot earlier, I probably would'a been saved a lot of grief."

"What exactly caused you to be so fearful of it?"

"That's, uh...I don't really wanna talk about those memories right now. We're havin' a good day. I don't wanna spoil it with my melodrama."

"So, you do enjoy learning magic. I had my doubts since you taste miserable every time you walk in my door." Adagio said, raising an eyebrow.

"Work's been rough."

"You don't have to excuse yourself. I'm not trying to condemn your feelings, I'm simply taking note of them. You're frustrated and tired." Adagio poured a cold glass of juice for herself as they spoke.

"I'm fine."

"So you keep telling me." Adagio frowned. "If I'm doing something that bothers you, you should just tell me. I might even consider your complaint for a moment before discarding it." She tried.

"No, it's not you. You've been good. This's been good." Buck deflected. "Would you mind if I had some juice?" Buck said, nodding at the fridge. Adagio squeezed her glass so hard she thought it might shatter.

"And then there's that. No, I don't mind if you drink my juice."

"Alright, fine. Let me just...'scuse me."

Buck navigated around Adagio and the island counter in the middle of the kitchen, awkwardly going for the glasses. He seemed intent on not even brushing against Adagio as he passed.

"Honestly, Buck, tell me who brainwashed you into being so restrained and polite? I need to slap them!"

"That'd be my Ma."

"Well, I'll still slap her, but I might consider apologizing after."

"Gee, thanks."

"What is possessing you to act like this is some sort of nunnery?"

"Well, it's your place, and I'm a guest!"

"And I've told you that you're free to relax while you're here," Adagio said pointedly, standing between Buck and the fridge. She took the carton of juice that he would have grabbed and placed it on the counter behind her.

"Okay, well, would you mind if I had some of that juice you've got on the counter?"

"No! I never would, because it's insignificant. I don't care if you eat food out of my fridge, drink from my wine rack, use the bathroom or lay in my bed. Do what you want!"

"Okay, geez! Now, can you please move aside?"

Adagio's put-upon ambivalence finally shattered into fury. She glared at Buck as if he were a screaming child on an airplane. She was beyond irritated, but more than that, she felt crushed that the distance between them only seemed to grow with time.

Something needed to be done.

"No. I won't move aside. Do you remember what you said about respecting boundaries?" Adagio put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah?" Buck shifted nervously as Adagio poked at his chest.

"This is me establishing a boundary. For the sake of my sanity and yours, I don't ever want you to ask me for anything. While you are here, you will be honest with your emotions. While you are in my presence, you will do as you please and take as you please!"

There was no sensuality here. No flirtation. She was serious.

"But what if I need something that I can't grab?" Buck mumbled. Adagio's eye twitched. She counted to three and then smiled.

"If you have to ask, Say 'Get Me This.' or 'I'll have That." If you're preoccupied, you could point, or hold your hand out.
Just don't beg, or snivel at me, or gods forbid, say please. When you're with me, if you want something, you simply take it. I am not Ditzy Doo. You are free to be yourself with me, and I won't tolerate this formal stuffiness in my home! Not from you! Have I made myself clear?"

"...alright, Adagio."

"Wonderful." Adagio sighed. Her shoulders dropped, and her hands came down to Buck's sides. Without even thinking, she hugged Buck tightly. It was the most intimate contact they'd had in what seemed like years. The heat was intense. She had known, of course, that Buck never stopped wanting her. But at that moment, she felt surrounded by his desperate need of her, needing to feel her against him. He was burning.

When Adagio pulled away, she was holding Buck's hand, but neither seemed to notice. Their eyes were locked on each other.

"Now. Tell me what you want." Adagio said, her voice sliding into pillow talk territory.

"Hand me that juice?"

"Of course, Buck." Adagio smiled and placed her glass in his hand. Buck could see the outline of her lip balm on the rim. "Not so hard, is it?"

Adagio strutted back to the open space.

"Speak for yourself..." Buck mumbled under his breath. Adagio felt a flicker of his flame and smirked at him over her shoulder.

"Let's get back to the fun stuff, shall we?"

It was just after sunset when she finished classes.

Wind Sprint drove her Dad's old car to the east side.

She returned to an empty house. It had not been a home for some time.

Everything was neat and tidy, the way Mom liked it. If serial wiping and dusting was a crime, Mom was a lifelong criminal. Sometimes it felt like Wind Sprint was in jail. Sitting across the table at dinner was her only real visitation hours. It was just about the only "family tradition" left between them.

She had taken Dad's picture off the mantlepiece. Said she was putting it next to her bed. That had been an argument, even though Wind Sprint still had pictures on her phone.

They were pictures of a much better time.

Now, Wind Sprint returned to her jail cell, taking heavy steps up the stairs, checking her phone. She flipped through her recent pictures. Most of them were of Scootaloo.

Wind Sprint blushed and landed stomach down on her bed. Scootaloo had looked really shocked. She actually made eye contact, then! Awesome! If only Wind Sprint could stop acting like a total simp around her, maybe Scootaloo would actually wanna hang out.

She was too tired to shower and clean up, but as she groaned into her pillow, she felt a rumbling in her stomach. She forgot to eat. That was happening a lot lately.

There was a sticky note on the fridge; another thing that happened a lot just recently.

"Out with Quibble! Dinner's in the fridge!"

Wind Sprint sneered. She didn't need Mom to cook; she was nineteen! She could take care of herself. Wind Sprint shivered. The curtains blew for a moment, then settled.

There was a plastic container of spaghetti waiting for her. Vegan meatballs.

Wind Sprint rolled her eyes. Stupid mom and her stupid boyfriend were out for another stupid date night. She was too tired to be pissed. She was too tired to feel much of anything aside from sore angst.

She kept thinking that maybe if she tried just a little harder, someone would notice her. She just wanted someone to care that she was alive. Maybe Scootaloo could be that person if she really impressed her. Somehow passing her on the track wasn't enough.

As the microwave beeped, Wind Sprint shuddered.

She still hadn't really processed what happened. How did she run so fast?

And why were her ears still ringing?

Author's Note

Man, maybe Adagio's special talent is controlling the narrative.

Song Review: The Wrong Direction is the kind of song you listen to when your friend gets married, and you don't have a date to the wedding. It's about the fear of letting yourself love and how heartache and trauma can harden your heart. Time passes and you watch opportunities to love slip by, remembering the love you had and how it hurt you.
The music video is a series of straight-on shots of a man going through the motions while time passes around him, and ends with him laying in a kiddie pool while his friends and their hookups all seem to have fun without him.
Strangely enough, it doesn't feel like a sad song to me. The singer's expression is one of a man that took a literal wrong turn and is trying to find the way back to happiness. Love is a lot like that, sometimes, with its twists and junctions.