Chapter 1View OnlineUnder A SpellChapter 1Misty quietly giggled to herself as she watched one of Pipp’s latest livestreams, she didn’t realise just how entertaining these ponies actually were! When she had hung out with Sugar Moonlight and the rest of the Filly Four she was as bored as ever, but with this friend group it seemed like they actually included everypony in their activities. They even remembered each other's names, which is more than what Misty got. Pipp was now showing Sunny on the screen and Misty gave a slight sad smile. She did feel a little guilty about how she and the other ponies had treated her when she was an alicorn, but it was all for the greater good for Opaline’s plan. Misty just wished there was a nicer way to do things rather than make Sunny believe nopony actually cared about her regular self. She decided not to dwell on her day with the Filly Four and instead wanted to enjoy what little time she had to herself before Opaline came in yelling at her about some new evil plot on how to get the magic back. It was so tiring. Misty knew that Opaline couldn’t leave the castle, but surely there was another way other than the blue pony always having to be the punching bag, right? Sighing, she looked at her flank and frowned for a moment before taking another breath. No. It will be worth it, whatever the next mission, Misty was sure it would earn her the long awaited cutie mark she wanted so badly. “MISTY!” Misty yelped and dropped her phone onto the floor in shock. No matter how many times Opaline would yell for her, it would still startle her most times. “Coming Opaline!” Misty replied back. She hurriedly picked up her phone and put it below her pillow and trotted out of her lonely room. Entering the throne room, Misty had an awkward smile on her face as she was ready for the next mission. Opaline rolled her eyes as she heard Misty coming and her mean streak continued. “Ugh do you have to trot so loudly? All of Equestria can hear you coming!” She scowled. “Sorry Opaline.” Replied the now timid Misty. Yet another thing that she had done wrong. She didn’t even know trotting too loudly was a thing! “Whatever. Now listen. I have a new plan for how we can get Starscout on our side and her friends out of our way.” The alicorn smugly grinned, this was the perfect plan in her eyes, but only if Misty didn’t find a way to mess up like she always did. “Oh?” Misty wondered, she hoped it didn’t involve as many ponies as the previous mission. She had gotten so much anxiety that day. Opaline gestured for Misty to follow her to the centre of the room, to spy on the mane 5, specifically on Sunny, who was currently in her earth pony form. “In my study I have found a spell that should work perfectly, only problem is that you need to make it and-” “I NEED TO WHAT?” “MISTY! What have I said about interrupting me? Ever since you were a filly I have told you not to!” Opaline gave Misty a stern and scary look. Misty cowered. “Sorry sorry… continue! So... uhm.. A spell?” “A love spell-” “A LOVE SPELL?” “MISTY I SWEAR TO CELESTIA STOP INTERRUPTING!” Opaline now screamed as Misty forgot the previous comment about no interruptions. Misty only nodded, her face covered in confusion. Opaline took a breath then continued speaking, this time in a much calmer manner. “Yes, a love spell. Your job is to, what is it that the kids say these days… ‘Swoon’ the mare.” Misty frowned. Firstly because nopony even says that, secondly because she had to make Sunny fall in love with her! “Doesn’t this seem a little.. Uhm…. not…” Misty struggled to get her words out. To say she was uncomfortable with this idea was an understatement. She knew better than to reject Opalines orders though. She did take her in and raise her when she was a filly. “Spit it out Misty” “Nevermind…” She frowned. No point in arguing. It was either this, or something much worse knowing Opaline. “You said I have to make the spell?” “Yes. I will supervise to make sure it is done correctly though, so no getting any ideas!” “Why can’t you?” Misty asked, then backtracked in a panic. “Only because you’re so great and powerful of course! I mean, I’m sure you could do it so much better than me!” She awkwardly laughed. “The spell requires one tear of ‘Pony sadness’ or whatever that is meant to mean. I don’t cry, so I figured you could just think of dead puppies or something and that’ll be sorted.” Opaline said ever so casually. Dead puppies would definitely make her sad. What a cruel thing to say. Misty thought to herself. “Come now!” Misty swiftly followed Opaline to her study; a place where she usually wasn’t allowed. The unicorn tried not to show the panic that was brewing up inside her as the pair reached the book containing the spell. “Go on then, I shall be over here with Gertrude!” Said Opaline as she picked up her favourite mane brush. Misty sighed. “Okay Misty you can do this.” Flipping through the pages she found the start of the spell. Oh! She had to make cookies? Misty looked towards Opaline, who was practically possessed by the reflection of herself, then back at the book. It looked like she had to put the spell in the cookies, and whoever ate them would fall in love with the first pony they saw. Easy enough right? Misty gulped. The mare managed to get through the baking aspect with minimal issue. She had now relocated to the castle kitchen below and was now at the magical items. The first few were easy, just some random potions or items Opaline had stored. Now the final part, a tear of sadness. “Come on.. Just cry Misty!” She whispered to herself. She began to think back to when she was a filly; specifically the day she met Opaline. That was her earliest memory. She remembered nothing about her life before, who she was, if she was someone’s child or if she was truly alone. She vaguely remembered The first night she spent at the castle. After sleeping at a new place for the first time she was terrified. When she went to wake Opaline for comfort, the only response she got was screams. Screams of anger. That was the night everything changed for Misty, and the way things would be. She soon learned to never wake the Alicorn. Before she even realised it, a few tears slid down Misty’s cheek. “At least this time I won’t get punished for crying.” She said in a hushed tone while finishing the cookies. All that was left now was to bake and hopefully not burn them. Tomorrow was the day Sunny Starscout would fall in love with her, and Misty was terrified. Author's Note So this is my first story on here! Misty x Sunny. Hope you like it, feedback is appreciated! Don't worry, the next chapters will be longer. This was mainly just to set things up.
Chapter 2View OnlineUnder A SpellChapter 2Trotting down the busy streets of Maretime Bay, Misty snuck like a spy trying to avoid any crowds and also trying to avoid suspicion. It was times like this she was very glad unity had returned otherwise seeing a unicorn sneaking around Maretime Bay would’ve probably started a riot. Turning her head, Misty went through the next alleyway on the journey to Sunny’s smoothie cart. The plan was to watch from a distance, then when she was on a break or left for the day she would talk to her. There was only one problem with the plan; Misty. Yes, talking to Sunny then offering a cookie would be simple enough for a pony with social skills, but Misty had none. The pony sighed as she tried to think of the easiest way to spark up a conversation. “Okay Misty, all you gotta do is walk up and say hi! Sunny seems like a friendly pony so she will be nice! Oh Hopefully she doesn’t think I’m weird…” She took another breath. “Okay! I got this!” Misty wore a determined look on her face and seemed ready to face the world- or well, just a pony. All of a sudden she saw another pony make her way in front of her, with a dragon? Turns out running into Izzy was perfect! She was invited to the official unicorn sleepover! Hosted at the Brighthouse. Misty smiled as she made her way back to the lair. This would make introducing herself to Sunny so much easier. Izzy would put in a good word and all Misty had to do was show up. Things couldn’t be going more perfectly. “Opaline I’m back!” She yelled, walking into the lair. The alicorn waltzed into the main area with the superficial smile she always had. “Well? Did you do it yet?” Opaline asked impatiently. “Not yet but the plan is in place! I was invited to a sleepover at the Brighthouse, so it’ll be the perfect time to strike… that is if I can go? I can go right Opaline?” “I suppose so…” Opaline said with a tone that showed a mix of suspicion and disinterest. “But when you return I want to hear that the plan worked!” “Of course!” Misty smiled with fake pride. Truth was, she was still nervous, even with the plan going smoothly. “With Starscout spelled we will have no trouble at all securing all the magic in Equestria!” Opaline then let out her evil laugh. “MWAHAHAHA” Joined Misty. Opaline shook her head. “It’s not a sprint Misty, Ugh. You ruined my perfectly good evil laugh! Misty muttered an apology then hurried along to her room and began pacing. She scanned around the room for items that would be appropriate to bring to the Brighthouse. Misty did a double take of her bare bedroom and tilted her head back. “Okay, I’m sure they will have an extra blanket for me.” The colour of orange filled Misty’s eyes as she tried to divert her eyes from the setting sun in the distance. The Brighthouse was in sight, at the top of the hill. The unicorn carried a small bag, with just the essentials; Cookies. Yeah, she didn’t really own much to bring. She needed to make sure she didn’t lose what little blankets she had back at the lair. Misty’s heart raced as she put her hoof to the door, to be greeted by Izzy mere seconds after she rang the doorbell.. Her new friend. Misty thought so at least. She really didn’t know much about making friends. “Welcome to the Brighthouse Misty!... Uh… Misty…” Izzy whispered “What’s your last name?” Panic. The panic began to set in. How could she forget to think of a last name? Usually ponies would have one, but Opaline never seemed to care or think there was a need for one. Misty supposed she had a last name once, back when she was a filly; but that was far gone from her memories. “Brighthouse!” She blurted out the first thing she saw, then realised that was incredibly suspicious. Looking at the sky, along with the images above the door, she continued to improvise. “Bright..Dawn! Misty Brightdawn!” Luckily for Misty, Izzy didn’t seem to question her. However, there was a certain pegasus that certainly looked like she wanted to. “Welcome Misty Brightdawn to the best unicorn sleepover of your unicorn life!” Izzy grinned as she dragged Misty inside the Brighthouse. Izzy sure was excited about having another unicorn there. As Misty entered, she spotted the target. Sunny. “So nice to meet you Misty! Izzy’s told us-” “Told you? Told you what?” Misty was once again panicking. Although she didn’t really have a reason to. There was no possible way Izzy of all ponies would suspect her plan. Zipp certainly did. Zipp began questioning Misty left and right. Misty wasn’t sure why or how Zipp was even suspicious of her, but she did know it was bad. Very bad. Luckily, Izzy must’ve sensed how uncomfortable her friend made the unicorn and put a stop to it. The night continued and Misty was actually having fun. She quite liked these ponies. However there was one problem. She had no alone time with Sunny. How could she offer Sunny a cookie but no one else? Misty did NOT want four mares in love with her. One would be enough for now. Misty headed upstairs for a quiet moment to think. “Okay, Okay, so this hasn’t gone quite as I expected,” Misty rambled. “Ugh How am I meant to do this! Okay Misty, just breathe, they-” “How are you meant to do what?” A suspicious tone asked. A startled Misty yelped at the sound of the detective pegasus behind her. “Oh you know…” She began to speak whatever nonsense filled her head first. “Find the bathroom! Haha so confusing here…” “The bathroom?... the bathroom is downstairs…” Zipp glared at Misty. The pegasus was not satisfied with this answer though. “Why are you by Sunny’s bed? I’m not an idiot Misty, I see things!” Zipp raised her voice once more. … “I think Sunny’s pretty!” “...What?” Zipp was even more confused now. Was this why Misty was so nervous? All because she had a crush on Sunny? “Oh well look at the time… Better get back to the others!” With that statement, Misty bolted back downstairs. She hoped Zipp would stay quiet, at least until she could go through with the plan. “There she is! Hey Misty, it’s time for the next iconic unicorn film! Come on!” Izzy yelled with excitement as she pulled Misty towards the couch. Misty glanced at Zipp quickly, before going to sit down next to Sunny. Now that Misty really got a close up look of Sunny, it wasn’t like she had lied earlier. Sunny really was pretty. Misty found herself looking at Sunny’s smile, it was one of those smiles that was just contagious, and Misty couldn’t help but join. “Misty? You okay?” She asked with concern. This snapped Misty out of her daydream. “Oh! Yeah, absolutely fine. Everything’s good. All good, mhm.” Sunny just nodded, satisfied with the response. Misty found herself spontaneously staring at Sunny many times during the night. She just convinced herself it was part of the plan though. If she was going to go through with things she must get a good reading of Sunny! Turns out, Misty was actually having a good time; until once again Zipp’s questions ruined the atmosphere. “Ugh what am I doing! This is such a disaster. Why couldn’t I just think of something normal to say?” Misty was pacing back and forth in the community garden. After the second confrontation from Zipp, Misty was way too uncomfortable to stay inside with the ponies. “I always mess things up! They probably hate me now, oh especially Izzy. I ruined her sleepover.” Misty continued to ramble to herself. “Maybe I can go back and try to fix things! No! But then they’ll ask more questions and figure out the plan!” Luckily, Misty had thought to get her bag before running out, so the cookies were still in safe hooves. “Didn’t even get the chance to use these… Oh Opaline is going to be so disappointed in me…” Before Misty could continue her mini breakdown, there was a soft spoken voice approaching. “Hey Misty… You okay?” Misty looked up towards the sound and saw Sunny. She had a concerned look on her face and walked closer. “Sunny!” Misty was not expecting the earth pony (or any pony really) to have followed her. “I’m… I’m fine!” Misty says with an extremely awkward laugh. “Fine, fine, perfectly fine.” Sunny shook her head, she didn’t know Misty that well yet, but even she could tell there was clearly something up with the new addition to the group. “Hey, you can talk to me, you know? If it’s to do with the unicorn stuff I won’t tell Izzy or any pony else, I promise. Hoof to heart.” She smiled. Misty frowned. Was it that obvious she was as lost as the rest of the ponies in there about the traditional unicorn activities? “That obvious, huh?” “Yeah, kind of. You don’t have to be embarrassed Misty! We like you no matter what!” Sunny gave a reassuring smile. “I’m… not from Bridlewood…” Sunny was a little confused. A unicorn who wasn’t from Bridlewood? Were there other unicorn towns or did Misty live in the middle of nowhere? She had a lot of questions, but unlike a certain other pony, she knew this would not be the right time to ask them all. “That’s okay!” Sunny put her hoof around Misty. “Can I ask where you are from then?” Misty awkwardly laughed once again. How could she have been so careless and told Sunny she wasn’t from Bridlewood? She had to think of something quickly. “Oh, you know.. Just… around! Around Bridlewood, well not really.. But like around here! But…” She sighed. She was not a great liar. “Do I have to be specific?” “No, of course not! Just what you feel comfortable telling me, okay?” Sunny was being very understanding, and Misty didn’t know if it was genuine or not. Whenever Opaline was this nice to her there was always an ulterior motive. However, Sunny and her friends seemed like they just wanted to enjoy each other's company, no strings attached. This was a new concept for Misty. Misty then remembered something very important- the cookies! “Oh uhm… I have something for you!” Misty gave a small smile and reached into her bag. Sunny was intrigued. “Want a cookie? I made them for the sleepover but kind of forgot…” This wasn’t technically a lie. After getting caught up in all of the fun earlier this did slip her mind a little. “I’m actually pretty full from all the pony corn earlier, but maybe the others would like some!” Sunny politely rejected the food. Misty internally panicked. “Oh but they’re really good, are you sure?” Sunny just nodded. Misty once again panicked. How was she meant to spell Sunny if she wouldn’t even take the bait! Then she thought. Okay, what would Opaline do? Then it hit her. “Is it because I’m a unicorn?” Misty quickly said, then covered her mouth. Sunny’s eyes widened at this, and now she had a panicked expression. “What?!” “It’s okay, really! Uhm.. other ponies have rejected my treats before! I’m used to it..” Again, technically not a lie. She remembers one time trying to bake sweet treats for Opaline. The result? Brownie batter splattered across the castle walls. “No no! Not at all!” Sunny tried to deny it. “It’s okay if you don’t want them! I bet they taste awful anyway…” Surely a pony tear and the rest of the wacky potion ingredients couldn’t taste good. “I suppose one won’t hurt!” Sunny grabbed a cookie from Misty’s hoof and ate it. The plan was in action. Author's Note Chapter 2 is done! I wrote this pretty quick because I was excited. Chapter 3 will take a few more days though probably. Thank you everyone who likes it so far!
Chapter 3View OnlineUnder A SpellChapter 3“Hey Sunny!” A voice shouted from the Brighthouse causing the two mares to instinctively begin to turn their heads. The sound of Sunny chewing the cookie stopped and she cleared her throat. Realising just how big of a disaster could start, Misty did the only thing she could think of in the moment. She squinted her eyes then pulled Sunny close to her. They were face to face, and Misty could feel Sunny’s breath on her. Misty thought about bringing their faces even closer, maybe even securing her first kiss… The sounds from the Brighthouse were blocked out from her. All she could focus on was how close she was to Sunny right now. Her stomach twisted and turned, this didn’t feel like her usual anxiety. Something felt different. Misty just wasn’t sure why. Sunny’s eyes were fixated on Misty’s and she felt a weird sensation wash over her. Had Misty always been this beautiful or was she just now noticing? Why all of a sudden did she feel so nervous around a new friend? The two stared at one another for what felt like minutes, but in reality was only a short time. So many questions ran through both Sunny and Misty’s minds until those thoughts were interrupted by a pony approaching them. “Sunny! Zipp and I have finished setting up- Oh Misty you’re still here! That’s perfect!” Pipp flew over. She had her phone glued to her hoof like usual and was about to continue her thought until she sensed a weird tension in the air. “Uhm, I’m not interrupting something, Am I?” She giggled. “No! No not at all haha!” Misty laughed as she pulled away from Sunny; who seemed to be in a trance. “We were just uhm, talking about…” She hesitated. “Smoothies! Yes, yes smoothies! You know how Sunny just loves… smoothies…” Pipp couldn’t exactly argue with that. Sunny did in fact love smoothies. The pegasus princess wasn’t exactly blind when it came to romance and awkward feelings, so she definitely sensed that it was her time to give the two some more alone time. “Okay! So I’m gonna go back inside with the others, you two join us when you’re ready! Don’t take too long!” Pipp laughed once again and snapped a picture of the two together. “Aw so adorable!” She began trotting away and mumbled as she edited the photo. “Sunny and Misty’s (potential) first kiss!” “Sunny? Are you okay? Oh my gosh please be okay…” Misty whispered. Sunny hadn’t yet spoken since the spell had been activated. Luckily, Misty was confident she saw her instead of Pipp first, so she didn’t need to worry about that. Unfortunately she was worrying about any potential side effects. From what she knew the book that had the spell was very old, dust had claimed the pages and the edges were torn. “Misty?” Sunny finally spoke. Her eyes wide. Cheeks pink. Smile like a lovestruck teenager. “You’re okay? Okay good, I mean why wouldn’t you be okay! Nothing happened at all I guess I just… You’re okay!” Misty smiled. Okay, this wasn’t so bad. “I’m more than okay!” Sunny grinned, getting closer to Misty. “Have you always had such a beautiful smile or am I just now noticing?” Misty’s eyes widened. She was not prepared for the love part of the love spell. She had never been in a situation like this before. “Oh uhm.. Just now?” Misty had never received such a compliment before. Sunny just nodded and held out her hoof to Misty. “We should join the others, they’ll be glad you didn’t leave. I know I certainly am!” Misty nodded. “You go ahead, I’ll be right behind you!” Misty didn’t take Sunny’s hoof but offered a smile instead, which Sunny eagerly returned. As soon as her potential new mare friend was at the Brighthouse entrance Misty let out a breath. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. Okay, it worked! I didn’t think it would work…Well, I mean I did, but not like this! Oh my gosh she actually loves me…” After Misty finished her mini panic session in the community garden, she trotted back towards the Brighthouse to re-join her friends. She hoped the rest wouldn’t be too suspicious of Sunny’s sudden change in behaviour; especially Zipp. Misty placed her hoof on the pink door and looked up towards the images above, grimacing on how she had completely fumbled at picking a last name. Without letting it distract her too much, she opened the door. “Look who’s back!” Misty was tackled in a hug from two ponies, Sunny and Izzy. Zipp and Pipp hung back and hovered next to some decorations that definitely weren’t there before. Misty looked around and the room shimmered with crystals from the floor to the ceiling. The lights from a lantern and the moon made them shine in such a beautiful way that left Misty in awe. “It reminds me so much of home!” Misty didn’t know what a ‘sparkle’ was or how it worked, but she definitely knew that Izzy’s was shining bright in that moment. “I LOVE IT SO MUCH!” Izzy jumped around the room with glee that could warm the hearts of just about any pony (except Opaline, of course). “Well what do you say, ponies? Ready to get this sleepover back in action?” Zipp zoomed towards the centre of the room, by all of the sleeping bags and had a bunch more crystals. The rest of the ponies followed suit and sat in a circle, ready to continue. Before the festivities started again though, Sunny snuggled up close to Misty and whispered. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell them about you and Bridlewood.” Then she leaned her head against Misty’s shoulder. Misty shivered at the sensation of Sunny being that close to her once again. All she had the energy to do was smile and nod. Luckily, the only pony who seemed to notice the sudden closeness of the two mares in the moment did not say a word, and soon Izzy began to teach the words to a new sleepover song. Misty’s eyes crept open and she was blinded by the sunlight that overpowered the Brighthouse. She sat up slightly and turned her head towards the window. The mixture of orange and yellow was overbearing. She looked over towards a phone next to her that showed the time. 6:15am. She was used to always being up early. Opaline needed her breakfast prepared at 7am sharp everyday. Along with that Misty liked to do her chores before the fire alicorn had a chance to wake up; less chance of being yelled at for doing things wrong that way. Misty guessed that the rest of the mares weren’t such morning ponies. Her suspicion was confirmed when her body jolted due to Izzy’s snoring- which sounded like a million alarm bells going off at once. Izzy wasn’t even next to her; that pleasure was reserved for Sunny. Misty studied the space in the room and noticed that the two of them were a lot closer than every pony else. Misty decided that this wasn’t an issue, if she was going to go through with this plan then she needed to get used to the little things like this. Misty continued to sit there quietly. She wondered whether she should wake any pony up. Would it be rude to wake them? Or was it rude to let them sleep? She had no idea about all these unwritten sleepover rules. Before she had the chance to ponder any longer, the decision was made for her when Sunny awoke with the messiest bedhead Misty had ever witnessed- and Opaline tended to have some pretty awful mane days. “Morning Misty.” Sunny smiled and leaned over towards Misty, pulling the mare close. Misty knew what this was. A hug. She awkwardly reciprocated the gesture and gave a smile back towards Sunny. “Good morning Sunny. Uhm, I didn’t wake you did I? I only just woke up myself and didn’t know whether to let the rest of you sleep or-” Misty was cut off by Sunny’s giggling “It’s fine, it’s fine. We can head to the kitchen and start on breakfast while they sleep in a little longer. But first, I need to get this mane sorted!” Sunny picked up the special mirror that Opaline had gotten for her. Misty made a face, hoping that Opaline wouldn’t choose this moment to appear, forgetting for a moment that it didn’t even work inside the Brighthouse. As Sunny ventured off into the bathroom Misty took the opportunity to pick back up the mirror that Sunny had just used. She then headed her way downstairs and towards the nearest window, sticking her head out. “Psst, Opaline!” No response. “Opaline?” After a few more seconds of no response, Misty finally got a very startling one. “MISTY what are you doing waking me up from my beauty sleep? I know a pony like you wouldn’t value it, but I DO! Now, what do you want?” Misty frowned at the subtle dig at her, then covered it with a proud smile. “I did it Opaline! The plan is working!” “Perfect!” The news of the plan succeeding so far was enough to temporarily lift Opaline’s morning grumpiness, but not for long. “Now make sure to get as many of the secrets of the crystals as you can! And do NOT blow your cover. Okay?” Misty nodded eagerly. “Now, I have some beauty sleep to get back to!” With that, Opaline’s image faded away. Misty then made her way to the kitchen table and sat down. It wasn’t long after that Sunny came to join her. Sunny stood by the counter and began preparing to make a smoothie. “So I was thinking, later today, we should go on a date! I know a great spot by the beach.” Sunny smiled and looked over to Misty, who looked like she was going to choke on air. “Are you okay?” “Perfect! Perfect, perfect! Aha, the beach sounds great! It’s a date! Oh my gosh a date…” Misty mumbled the last part. She didn’t want to show just how nervous she was about this entire scheme. What puzzled Misty the most was how normal Sunny still was. The only difference seemed to be her attraction to Misty. The unicorn thought that the spell would have more of an effect, but she was glad it didn’t. “Speaking of a date… I should go get ready for it! Meet you here at uhm.. Later? Okay bye Sunny!” Misty needed a moment to herself and did so in the most normal way she could think of; which for Misty wasn’t really all that smooth. Misty ran to the exit of the Brighthouse and left in a flash. She could challenge Zipp for that kind of speed. Sunny stood there bewildered as Misty left. She didn’t dwell on it much. She had a date with Misty and she was over the moon about it! Author's Note Chapter 3 is here! Let me know what you think. Any feedback is appreciated. Sorry it took longer than expected. Chapter 4 is in the works.
Chapter 4View OnlineUnder A SpellChapter 4“Does any pony else think Sunny is acting a little… weird?” Zipp whispered towards no one in particular as she, Pipp and Izzy sat around the kitchen. The three mares stared in sync at Sunny, who was lost in her own little world. The earth pony was beaming from cheek to cheek as she danced around the kitchen, whipping up breakfast for the group. She hummed along to one of Pipp’s songs, replacing the words with a familiar name. “She’s even replacing the names in your song with Misty, Pipp! No pony gets a crush that quickly.” Zipp protested, getting increasingly more confused. The two just brushed her concerns off. “And how would you know Zipp? I happen to think it’s adorable!” Pipp attempted to get her phone to begin recording Sunny, but Zipp took her phone and gave Pipp a disapproving look. Before the singer could protest her sister's actions, Izzy interrupted. “Her sparkle is like wayyyy different today!” Izzy gasped as she continued to inspect Sunny. “This must be how earth ponies sparkle shows when they’re in love!” She grinned. “Yeah but-” Zipp was once again about to voice her worries but just then Sunny finished the pancakes and set them down in front of the group. She looked down at the pancakes and saw the way the syrup was poured. Hearts. So many hearts. She looked back up but neither Izzy nor Pipp cared and started digging in. “Hey ponies!” A new voice entered the Brighthouse and began making their way over to the table. “Ooh pancakes- SPARKY NO!” Sparky picked up Zipp’s stack of pancakes and began devouring the entire plate. After realising he could not eat the plate, a puff of dragon fire transformed it into another pancake which was swiftly eaten. “Sparky what did we say about turning things into food?!” Hitch lectured his dragon son. “I am so sorry about that Zipp, and the plate Sunny.” Hitch looked back at Sunny once again and raised his eyebrow. “What’s up with Sunny?” “It’s fine, I wasn’t hungry anyway. So you notice it too? The others are saying it’s just because she has a crush, but I think-” “Sunny has a crush? On who?” Hitch interrupted what could’ve very easily turned into one of Zipp’s detective rants. “On Misty!” Izzy's head popped up, her face covered in syrup, marshmallows and sprinkles. After her statement, she went back to demolishing her pancakes. “Izzy’s new unicorn friend?” Hitch questioned. Zipp nodded in response. “Wow, I’ve never seen Sunny act like this before! Last time she had a crush on a pony it… didn't end well.” Hitch frowned. “Misty’s nice though right?” At the mention of Misty’s name Sunny suddenly joined the conversation. “Oh Misty is the best! She’s so sweet, and kind, and so pretty too! We are going on a date later today! I am gonna show her the beach here in Maretime Bay, it’s gonna be perfect!” The spell induced Sunny raved on about how excited she was for her and the unicorns first date while the rest of the group listened on. “Not to ruin the fun but.. Didn’t you meet her yesterday?” Hitch asked his friend. Sunny just smiled. “Yes, and?” “Nothing, nothing.” In all the years Hitch had known Sunny she was acting very differently when it came to this topic. Every time in the past she would wait ages before confessing to a pony, let alone going on a date! Perhaps she had a preference for unicorns? Hitch wondered a lot of things but for the sake of Sunny’s happiness he kept it to himself. “What did you just ask me?” Opaline sternly stared at Misty, who had just gotten back to the lair. She looked down at the unicorn in shock and loudly sighed. “Seriously, speak up! I can never hear what you have to say these days!” The alicorn complained. “What do I do on a date?” Misty timidly asked Opaline. She had never been on a date before, or had any friends either. It’s not exactly like she could ask her new ones, they would be busy helping Sunny prepare. Misty also didn’t want to intrude on them for too long. She didn’t want to accidentally run into Hitch. If a sheriff knew what she was up to she would spend moons in jail! “Why are you asking me?!” Opaline yelled. Misty winced. “I can’t even leave the lair, you think I’ve gone on any dates at all?” “Well there’s actually this app where-” “NO!” She yelled once again at Misty. “Honestly, I would say I expected better from you, but somehow you always have to be guided every single step of the way!” She huffed. “FIGURE IT OUT!” “But-” Misty tried to interject. She really had no idea of what to do on a date. Surely in all the moons Opaline had been around she would’ve had some advice? Misty opened her mouth to continue her words but after seeing Opalines expression she decided against it. “Now. I am going to do some important work in my study. DON’T disrupt me!” The alicorn stormed off upstairs towards the study and left Misty alone in the throne room to figure things out. Misty sighed. Everytime she felt like she achieved something, she did something stupid. One step forward, 2 steps back. She succeeded in spelling Sunny, but now she had no idea how to act. Opaline expected her to do all of this herself with no help or guidance. She wondered for a while what to do, then had a great idea. Misty sat down and scrolled on her phone for a while until she found the exact video she was looking for Princess Pipp Petals perfect date advice! Surely this would be perfect! Pipp was a very popular pony, so she would have lots of experience with this sort of thing. Misty’s eyes widened as she saw the length of the video. 42 minutes. This was going to take a while… “Okay, so tip number 11. Food is the way to their heart!” After an eternity of watching through Pipp’s video multiple times, Misty had finally settled on which dating tip to use. Food! Sunny seemed to like the cookies (Well, minus the spell part) so she could bring her more treats! Misty turned off her phone, but made sure to subscribe to Pipp’s cliptrot while she was there. This was good advice! She could seem to listen to her new friends talk all day. Usually when Opaline started on one of her long speeches Misty would zone out halfway through, which usually ended in her getting yelled at. With a new found confidence Misty trotted to the kitchen and began to think about what to get Sunny. “Okay, what to make her… Cookies again? No, no, that would be way too suspicious! I mean, who eats that many cookies? Ponycorn is where it’s at!” Misty thought about going to the shops and buying some for her, then shook her head. “Ah no! There’s already plenty of ponycorn at the Brighthouse!” She sighed. After contemplating for a little while, her head turned towards the spell book she got the cookie recipe from. “Maybe I can find some recipes in there; just remove the magical stuff!” She flipped through the pages of the book she had left out previously. “Yeah! This will be perfect. Okay, brownie recipe…” Misty followed the recipe, making sure to read the instructions extra carefully. She did not want to accidentally remove the love spell, or add another spell or any kind! There were no weird ingredients so she assumed it would all be fine. It did turn out fine! Until Misty’s ears were bleeding from the sound of a smoke alarm. “No, no, no!” She rushed to take the brownies out of the oven and grimaced at the sight of the charcoal mess in front of her. Misty glanced at the clock and realised she had no time to try again. As the alarm bellowed through the lair Misty realised she had to get it to shut off before Opaline came storming down in a huff. “Come on, come on.” Misty pleaded while frantically fanning the smoke away with a towel. “MISTY!” In all of the panic Misty had forgotten Opaline was just right above her and had heard the alarm go off. “Don’t worry Opaline! Everything’s fine…” She continued to fan the smoke away, praying to Celestia it would stop. Soon enough, her prayers were answered and there was a sweet silence. Until once again… “Oh my hoofness are you alright?” Opaline worriedly asked. Misty was extremely confused. Opaline was concerned for her? No yelling? No scolding? Misty was about to reply but her questions were soon answered. “My poor kitchen! My poor Griselda!” The alicorn picked up her favourite mug and held it close.” Misty stood there with a blank expression. Of course she was only concerned about her mug. She wasn’t even shocked anymore. Anytime something like this happened there was no concern for her from Opaline. Unless she was the one holding her favourite mane brush for example. “Did Misty hurt you?” Opaline stared daggers at Misty “Ugh Misty can’t you ever do anything right! Are you really that incapable of the simple task of making…” She looked at the burnt mess. “At making whatever that is supposed to be!?” “Brownies…” “BROWNIES?” She gave a loud and disappointing sigh. “It’s like you have no common sense Misty!” She throws the burnt mess into the trash beside the oven. “Now clean this mess up, and do not disturb me!” Opaline trotted back upstairs, leaving Misty alone once again. “Well that was a disaster…” She sighed. Would she even have enough time to make something again? She flipped through the pages of the book and found there was only one thing she would be able to make. “Cookies again it is… Just.. with no tears!” If only she had read the recipe correctly this time. “Sunny!” Izzy’s voice sang as she trotted towards her best friend, who was looking in the mirror styling her mane for the date. Her unicorn magic was carrying a small box. “Hey Izzy, what’s this?” Sunny turned away from her reflection and inspected the box the unicorn had given her. “A good luck present for your date! Bridlewood tradition.” She grinned. Sunny opened the box and there was a brand new mane accessory. “It is made from the finest crystals back home. Oh, and I also recited a good luck story to wear off the jinxies!” Izzy’s Bridlewood traditions confused Sunny at times. Before ponies were unified she had never heard of someone reading a story to a present, but to each their own! Sunny took the mane accessory and put it in her freshly styled mane. The pink went perfectly with her hair. It even glowed! “I love it, Izzy! Thank you!” She smiled, giving her friend a hug. “You must be so excited for your date with Misty! Even I am excited and I’m not even the pony going on it!” Izzy bounced around the room, clearly happy for her two friends. “I am! I’ve never met a pony like Misty before! I feel like singing her name! This is going to be so amazing!” The two continued to chat about how exciting the date was going to be, until they almost lost track of time. “Okay, Misty is going to be here any minute. I can barely hold in my excitement!” Sunny exclaimed as she paced around the entrance of the Brighthouse. The rest of her friends were there supporting her. However Zipp still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Unfortunately she couldn’t put her hoof on what it was just yet… Hitch stood there feeling happy that Sunny had found some pony to make her happy, but had a small feeling the same as Zipp. Things were unusual. Before any pony could question anything further, the doorbell rang. Author's Note So Zipp and Hitch have a feeling something weird is going on... Next chapter will be Misty and Sunny's date! Wonder if it was a bad idea to bake cookies?...
