It was a beautiful day in Canterlot City. The cloudless sky was a brilliant blue, with a light breeze from the west, making it nippy, but bearable. Everything from the birds to the squirrels all seemed to radiate joy, and on a day like this, it was hard to imagine anyone not being happy.
And yet, she wasn’t.
Alone in the local park, there sat a teenage girl, her blue hair protected from the wind by her hoodie, and her hands–the only part of her body that wasn’t covered up–trembled from the autumn chill. Tears fell from her bespectacled eyes, and a series of soft, convulsing sobs escaped her lips.
A far cry from what would be expected from Indigo Zap, of all people, and yet here she was.
It was supposed to be a nice Saturday, away from all the problems that came from going to Crystal Prep. The plan was simple: go out, get a milkshake, do some sketches of birds or trees, and see where the day took her. But unfortunately, that plan fell through right at the start.
Even something as simple as getting a milkshake had become a whole mess. She had gone to try out a shop on the far side of town from her–Sugarcube Cafe, where CHS students usually went. And no sooner than she got the drink did it get knocked out of her hands… because one of the employees accidentally bumped her.
Everything that had been in her arms had fallen to the floor, and landed in the worst way possible. The sugary concoction had splattered all over her sketchbook, softened ice cream getting onto virtually every page.
Indigo remembered the employee trying to say something, but she had been too distraught to listen. Not wanting anyone to see her cry, she had run out of the building, and soon enough, found herself here…
Here, a place that was supposed to be happy and full of joy. And Indigo felt out of place, the tears staining her hoodie proof that she should not stay. She should have gone home, but that was too far away. This was close, and she could still let it out without bothering anybody.
She did not like to cry in public, but right now, she couldn’t stop herself. And that fact made her feel so pathetic. She was Indigo the Invincible, for crying out loud! Was she really going to be brought to tears over a milkshake?
… And was she really going to try and convince herself this was because of the milkshake?
She knew exactly why this was her reaction. So many sketches and drawings, just… gone in an instant, all because she’d had a poor grip for a second or two. One of her primary sources of happiness, and her sweet tooth had cost her some of it.
All she had wanted was a good day, and it looked like today was not going to be one. And that made her want to cry. She didn’t even care if she got caught by someone she knew, or called a ‘crybaby’, or any other number of bad circumstances.
All she wanted was to get this out of her system.
From her left side, someone approached, and Indigo didn’t even notice. Until of course, she heard the voice.
“Excuse me, but are you okay?”
Looking up, Crystal Prep’s star athlete saw someone she recognized. It was none other than her school’s dean, Miss Cadenza–or ‘Cadence’, as she insisted most people call her. And the older woman was looking at Indigo with visible concern.
The younger girl sniffled. “I’m fine…” she said weakly, pulling the strings on her hoodie to try and conceal her face as much as possible. “I just… haven’t had a good day.”
“Oh? Would talking about it help?”
Indigo stiffened. Dean Cadence was always too nice–she was one of the only people on Crystal Prep’s payroll that Indigo actually liked. While she didn’t feel like talking, she also didn’t want to just brush off such a sweet woman. So, what was she to do?
“I-I… lost something important to me,” she finally answered, wiping a tear from her eye. “A-and I can’t get it back. Today was supposed to be fun, but… now I just wanna go home.”
Dean Cadence said nothing initially, as Indigo tried harder to shrink into herself.
“I see…” she said slowly. “Well, I think it’d be a waste to just let one bad moment ruin your day.”
“But I… I was really looking forward to it. And now all my plans are ruined…”
Cadence smiled and shook her head. “Then tell you what. This might sound a little sudden, but how about I buy you some ice cream? There’s a vendor nearby, and I know that always cheers me up when I’m down.”
To that, the bespectacled girl blinked in surprise. “Y-... you’d do that for me?”
Cadence shrugged. “I just hate seeing people sad. So, if your plans are ruined, I say we make some new plans. Only if you’re up for it, of course.”
Taking off her hood, the first thing that registered was the wind blowing her straight blue locks from behind. She had chosen to wear her hair down and glasses instead of contacts–she had felt pretty safe doing so, given she’d never seen many Crystal Preppers on this side of town–but she half-suspected that Cadence might recognize her, even in this state.
“There we go,” the dean said sweetly. “By the looks of it, I’d say you’re about… fifteen? Sixteen? I’m meeting with my sister-in-law today, and she’s right around that age. If you join us, I could introduce you?”
Indigo blinked. ‘Is… is she serious? Does she… not recognize me? But I’m Indigo the Invincible! Shouldn’t she recognize me right away?’
“U-uh… sure, I guess,” she finally answered. “Th-thank you.”
“Great! I’m Cadence, by the way. What’s your name?”
‘... Okay, either she’s a really good actor, or she’s genuinely clueless. And if it’s the second…’
“I’m… Star Mapper.”
“Well, I’m glad to meet you, Star Mapper,” Cadence said happily. “Now follow me. Twilight’s probably wondering where I am right now.”
“Sure,” ‘Star Mapper’ mumbled.
And so, they began to walk. While they did, the now disguised girl followed slowly, an inner struggle going on for a very different reason now.
‘Oh, what was I thinking!?’ she lamented, regret setting in immediately. ‘I just lied to Cadence, and now I can’t go back on it! And if she finds out, she’s probably gonna be upset, and that’s just going to make me feel even worse!’
Half of her considered giving in and revealing the truth to Cadence. The other half, however, did not want to have that conversation. Not because she was necessarily afraid of Cadence’s reaction, but because she was worried it might not stop at her high school’s dean.
She had an image to uphold, after all. Whether she really wanted to or not…
‘Okay… just this one time,’ Indigo told herself. ‘And then I can push this under the rug. Just remember: right now, you’re Star Mapper.’
Star Mapper…
Indigo wasn’t really sure where that name came from–it was just the first thing that had popped into her head. But something about it felt familiar, in a sort of far-away sense. Maybe it was someone she’d met as a kid and just couldn’t remember. Or perhaps she had heard it in a cartoon, or read it in a book.
Whatever the case, she liked it. Not more than her real name, of course, but if she had to use a fake one, this one worked well.
Soon enough, following Cadence led the young girl toward the middle of the park. There, sitting alone on another bench, nose in a novel, was someone Indigo Zap thought she knew. A fact which only made her tense once the young lady looked up, and her suspicions were confirmed.
“There you are, Ladybug!” Cadence said excitedly. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
“You didn’t,” the girl answered, her attention turning to Indigo. "Who's this?"
The bluenette turned her gaze away, trying to avoid direct eye contact. She recognized this girl–Twilight Sparkle, from her AP classes–but it seemed Twilight didn't recognize her. Cadence, she was able to see, and Twilight…
Okay, actually, she could see Twilight not knowing her. Twilight stayed to herself most of the time. And plus, that did make things easier in a sense. That way she could keep it as a one-time deal.
"Well you see, this is Star Mapper," Cadence explained. "Now, I know I said we'd go to the museum, and we still will. But I was thinking before that, we could get some ice cream, the three of us."
"Ice cream, huh?" Twilight mused. "Hm… all right. I can't say no to that."
"That's my girl. Now follow me, the vendor’s not too far from here.”
And with that, the three were on the move again. Indigo did her best not to lag too far behind, but also to keep a particularly safe distance. She didn’t want to risk getting too close, lest Twilight suddenly recognize her.
Unfortunately, it seemed Crystal Prep’s top student had the exact opposite in mind. Her own pace slowed, until the two of them were right next to each other.
“Cadence talked you into this, didn’t she?” Twilight asked, a knowing grin on her face.
Indigo placed her hands in her hoodie pockets, her only reply a quiet “... Yeah.”
Twilight giggled. “I assumed. She has a way with people. So, what happened?”
“I just… was upset, and she decided to try and cheer me up. Nothing more to it than that.”
Hearing that, Twilight nodded, sending a glance the athlete’s way. And in return, Indigo sent a glance the bookworm’s way.
It was an interesting experience, this being the first time Indigo had even seen Twilight Sparkle up close. Most of the time, she had only seen her from a distance, from the other side of the class, or from far off in the hallways. But now, they were right next to each other, and she could see everything.
Her deep dark blue hair, her soft facial features, her violet eyes hidden behind glasses of her own. Indigo took it all in. She couldn’t help but notice it all.
‘Wow,’ she thought. ‘She’s… really short.’
Or at least, short compared to Indigo herself. She was 5’8, after all, and that beat out most girls in her grade–heck, she was as tall as some of the boys she knew.
“So, Star Mapper, was it?” Twilight continued, as the vendor came into view. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“M-me…? Well… I like to draw?”
“Oooh… what’s your favorite subject to make art of?”
To that, ‘Star Mapper’ blinked. Was Twilight actually interested in hearing about her hobbies? This was… new. She’d never really spoken to anyone beyond Lemon Zest and Lime Candy about such things.
Now that she thought about it, what was her favorite subject?
“Landscapes, I guess,” the girl answered, adjusting her glasses. “And mythological creatures, those are fun too.”
Twilight beamed. “Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun! I have a soft spot in my heart for mythology as well.”
“Oh yeah?” ‘Star’ asked.
“Yep. In fact, Cadence and I were about to go to the museum to check out their newest exhibit. It’s all about the myth of King Caliburn, and how that story progressed through the centuries.”
As they finally made it to the ice cream cart, Indigo couldn’t help but feel some envy. “Lucky! I’ve been wanting to go all week!”
“Well, why don’t you join us?” Twilight offered, completely catching ‘Star Mapper’ off guard.
“A-are you sure? Like, isn’t this supposed to just be a thing between you and Miss Cadence here?”
“Well, I’d just like to say, none of this ‘Miss’ nonsense,” Cadence chimed in lightly. “Just Cadence is fine. But besides that, if Twilight feels like inviting you, I’m willing to pay for an extra ticket.”
‘Star Mapper’ blinked, and then looked away, the flush of embarrassment clear on her face. “I-I… I’m sorry, th-this is all so sudden.”
Indigo Zap wanted to say no. To just finish their initial agreement of having ice cream together, and just head back home. But upon seeing the hopeful look in Twilight’s eyes, she felt something within her weaken.
She had already been sad herself today, and despite being a stranger, these two had been making her happy. She didn’t have the heart to upset them, and it wasn’t like she was going to be doing anything else today…
‘It’s a one time deal,’ she reminded herself. ‘Make the most of it… Star Mapper.’
Pushing whatever worry she had to the backburner, Star Mapper let out a small breath. “You know what? Sure. That sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It will be,” Twilight promised. “It’ll be nice to have another someone there to gush about old stories with.”
“Well then, we’ll be heading there right after,” Cadence assured them both. “But for now, what flavor would you girls like?”
“Strawberry,” they answered in unison.
Star and Twilight shared a look, and the two couldn’t help but giggle. Seemed they had a couple things in common already. As they were handed their ice cream cones, the disguised athlete couldn’t help but savor the flavor.
She had been in a ‘chocolate’ mood earlier, but then the incident happened and that died. However, as this new taste danced on her tongue, Star Mapper couldn’t help but appreciate it–this was a reminder that her day was not ruined yet.
A fact which admittedly made her feel silly for jumping to tears so quickly, but…
‘No, none of that,’ she reminded herself, trying to put back on her usual ‘tough girl’ persona within her own mind. ‘Don’t worry about that. Just go out and have some fun. You deserve it.’
And as Star Mapper looked to Twilight and to Cadence, she decided to agree.
Just go out and have some fun. She deserved it.
Author's Note
So, with the 10 year anniversary of Equestria GIrls happening recently, Gusto has been hyped as heck.
As such, I've decided it was the right time to release the next part of the 'Perception' Saga.
Now, some of you may remember one of my earlier works, also named Phantom Wings. This is NOT that. I just really liked the title, and I wanted to recycle it, as well as the old cover art.
Now, this is obviously pulls from Perception and from Obsession, but it's now in its 'final form', so to speak. I've ironed out all the kinks, and I'm excited to share with you guys where I intend to go with Indigo Zap and the rest of the Shadowbolt Six.
As always, if you enjoyed, be sure to leave a like, leave a comment, all that good stuff.
Until next time, my friends.
Ch1 - New Friend, Old Fear
Star Mapper and Twilight Sparkle stepped out of the museum, laughing together after the exhibit was over. It had been a blast, as both had suspected, and came with the added benefit of learning something new.
"I can't believe there was a talking Unicorn in the earliest renditions of the myth," Twilight giggled. "I wonder what inspired that decision?"
"I'm more curious why they decided to get rid of it," Star said with a smile. "The way they described it, the Unicorn sounded like a pretty integral character."
"Maybe because of how similar both it and King Caliburn were? Perhaps those rewriting the story thought it was like having two of Caliburn in any scene they were in together."
It was a pretty sound idea, Star Mapper had to admit. She couldn't imagine being in a situation with what was basically a second her.
"Also, the War Scythe Knight!" Twilight gushed. "The fact that the mythos evolved to replace all these fascinating weapons with plain old swords and shields is honestly a bit of a letdown. It's good storytelling if everyone can bring something different to the table."
"Yeah. Going from war scythe and giant axe to more swords is kinda dull. Pun entirely intended."
Another giggling fit was shared between the two girls, as they approached Cadence's car.
"You know," Twilight told her. "I'm really glad you came with us, Star Mapper."
"Well, I'm glad you let me come along," answered Star in kind. "You're really fun to talk to, Twi."
"Do you think we could do this again?"
Star Mapper hesitated upon hearing that. COULD they do this again?
… No. This was supposed to be a one-time thing. She knew that.
And yet, now that the trip was over, why did that fact fill her with dread? This was the way it had to be. She couldn't just go back on her own promises.
But keeping them meant she wouldn't be able to hang out with Twilight again…
"I-I… I'm not sure," Star Mapper stammered. "I just… tend to be busy."
"I'm willing to wait," Twilight promised. "Please?"
She wanted to say 'no'. She really did.
And yet it was that, albeit with great reluctance, Star Mapper pulled out her phone. Tapping the screen a couple of times, she went to her contact list.
"Oh, alright," she acquiesced. "Here, type it in.”
The glee on Twilight’s face could not be denied. Quickly, she tapped away at the keypad, placing herself within Star's contact list. Now, whether she liked it or not, Twilight was part of an exclusive group. But the smile on her face was enough to wash away a lot of the worry that Crystal Prep's star athlete had.
"Look, I'll send you a text by Monday night at the latest," Star Mapper promised. "I'm probably going to be busy tonight and busy tomorrow. But I WILL get it to you, I promise."
"Hey, it's alright," Twilight told her. "I get it. Sometimes life is full of unexpected surprises. Monday is no issue. Though I'll likely be giddy all day during classes."
Star Mapper winced. "Yeah, sorry. My school is huge on punctuality. And their phone policy is super strict."
"Mine too," Twilight giggled. "Where do you go to school?"
"... CHS?"
“Huh. I’ve always heard they were a lot more lax about phones, at the very least.”
Star Mapper shrugged. “Sounds like Crystal Prep’s pretty ruthless.”
“You have no idea.”
She did, but Twilight didn’t know that. And Indigo Zap was screaming at ‘Star Mapper’ to rectify that before she was in too deep.
It was a shame that she didn’t listen to herself at that moment.
‘It’ll be fine,’ Star reminded herself. ‘We’ll tell her the truth later.’
‘Yeah, and then ‘later’ never comes,’ the other part of her conscience told her.
‘It’s fine. We’ll get it figured out.’
Or at least, that’s what she told herself, as Twilight handed back the phone. “I’ll be waiting patiently for your message, Star Mapper.”
The disguised athlete smiled. “I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long.”
That was two days ago.
Indigo Zap walked through the halls of Crystal Prep, her classes complete, and soccer practice imminent. After their complete domination of Cloudsdale High on Sunday, Indigo was sure they could skip a day and be fine. But that was Coach’s call, not hers.
And besides that, she didn’t want to let her teammates down. So, she headed to her locker, putting away some books that she didn’t need, and considering if she needed to bring any textbooks home for study.
But while she was, Indigo heard her phone vibrate within her backpack’s topmost pocket. A sound which made her wince.
She still hadn’t gotten back to Twilight.
While this was still within her allotted time frame, the fact was that Indigo was pushing it. But between the aforementioned game and getting a little too lost in her drawings the evening before that, that first text never got sent.
'Well, what's stopping you now?' She asked herself. 'School day's over. Teachers can't get on your case if you send a text or two.'
… That was a good point, she had to admit. But what would she even say? Would a simple 'hi' suffice, or should she give a bit more?
'You're stalling.'
'I am not!' Indigo countered defensively. 'I just… I want it to be perfect!'
'Spoken like a true Crystal Prepper. Perfectionism even for a text.'
It was times like this that Indigo wished she could silence her inner critic. Of course, any complaints with Crystal Prep didn't simply vanish because they weren't spoken. But maybe if she wasn't so in her own head, then that text would have been sent already, rather than yelling at herself to do something she already wanted to do.
‘I need to calm down…’ she reminded herself. ‘I will send it, I just… need a little more time.’
She was still within her allotted time frame. She needed to remember that–realistically, she could send it after soccer practice and still be within it. But she didn’t want to mess this up. Indigo Zap has already messed up so many times in her life with making new friends.
This was not a pattern she wanted to repeat.
Shutting her locker once she was sure everything was put away, Indigo headed out toward the back half of the school. All she had to do was cut through the locker rooms to change, and everything would be fine.
Or so Indigo thought.
Along the way, she ran into a sight that she did not want to see. At the end of the hall, there was Twilight Sparkle, getting heckled by Suri Polomare in broad daylight. Other students were able to see it, and yet no one tried to intervene.
"You really ought to try and be more careful, Twilight," Suri warned. "One of these days, you'll end up bumping into someone who won't be so generous."
Twilight winced, sending a jolt of irritation through Indigo. She knew Suri vaguely–they shared a 6th period class, and she was known as the biggest leech in their grade. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.
"But don't worry," Suri told her, faux-sweetness all throughout her tone. "I know a way you can make it up to me."
Indigo grit her teeth. 'She's trying to extort Twilight? That jerk!’
Twilight’s expression became somber, and even from there, Indigo could see it. And all she had to do to stop this was step in and intervene. She just had to do what no one else was.
… So why wasn’t she?
Suri placed her arm over Twilight's shoulders, and began to lead her off somewhere. Indigo did not like that, and yet her feet remained planted where they were.
'Come on, Indi,' she told herself. 'All you gotta do is put one foot in front of the other!'
And in truth, she knew it was that simple. Get in there, get Suri off of Twilight's back, get out. But she hesitated, several questions keeping her frozen in place.
What if people talked about this incident, like with all the others?
'Everyone knows Suri's a leech, and there’s actual proof of that. If anything, they'll celebrate.'
But what if Suri goes to Principal Cinch about this?
‘Cinch will pick ‘Indigo the Invincible’ over Suri Polomare any day of the week! You might not like your reputation, but you know this!’
… What if Twilight recognizes her?
‘Oh for the love of-... You’re gonna have to confront it sooner or later! Stop being a baby and get in there!’
It was quiet for a second, the reality of the situation evident to Indigo. And so, taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she started walking over to where Twilight was…
Only to discover Twilight wasn't in the area anymore. While she was getting her butt in gear, the conversation had moved somewhere else.
Indigo missed a chance to help a would-be friend, because of her own nerves.
'Coward.'
She winced at the harshness of her conscience. '... I'll send Twilight that text while I'm changing.'
'Still a coward.'
Crystal Prep's star athlete hung her head low at that, trudging her way toward the gym locker room. Once she finally made it, her usual routine began–grabbing her things, heading to a bathroom stall, and changing into her uniform away from the others.
Even after all this time, Indigo was still self-conscious about those weird marks on her hips. She swore to herself as early as fourth grade that if she could keep people from seeing them, she would.
On the bright side, this meant she was away from all the chatter, and could focus on what she wanted to do. Unlocking her phone and opening up her instant messages, Indigo wasted no more time in getting out that message.
Hey Twilight, it's Star Mapper. I wanted to say hi, and see how you were doing. Respond back whenever you can. I can't wait to hear from you.
Much to ‘Star Mapper’s’ surprise (and delight), Twilight answered back within a minute and a half.
Greetings Star Mapper. As it stands, my day has only been decent. However, hearing from you has improved my mood significantly.
That brought a smile to the blunette’s face. That wasn’t so hard after all.
Well, I’m glad to hear it. If you ever want to talk about anything, just lemme know.
Well actually…
There was a bit of a longer pause, before Twilight continued.
I was wondering if you'd like to go to a local aquarium this Saturday. Cadence is taking me, and I'd love to have a friend there.
Saturday? Did she have anything going on next Saturday?
Not that she could remember off the top of her head. Saturdays were usually her most free day of the week, and next Saturday was probably no different. It would be nice to have some plans for once, that didn’t involve her losing a sketchbook…
Plus, this would make Twilight happy. That alone was worth it.
Count me in. I can’t wait.
So with just a few little words, Indigo Zap now had plans for the weekend. This was going even better than she thought it would. Honestly, the only way it could improve is if she could find a way to bring up what happened with Suri.
But she’d have to think about that a little more, as she heard their Coach call for them to head out. So, Indigo put her phone in her bag, and then her bag in her locker. Soccer practice was what took precedent right now. She didn’t want to let her teammates down, after all.
…Well, in truth, Indigo didn’t want to let anyone down. A fact which only made sending that text even more of a weight off of her shoulders.
Author's Note
And so, it continues.
This chapter had me stuck for a while, and not even for any particular reason that was the chapter's fault. I've just been in a depressive slump I'm trying to pull myself out of.
But, at the very least, I have something to show you guys. It was a fun chapter to write, and I know where I'm taking it after this. Hopefully though, it will be a little quicker to finally unleash the next one.
I hope you all enjoy this, and if you do, read, review, all that good stuff. Until next time, my friends.
